Monday, August 27, 2012

Totally Copied Idea For A Blog Post, But I Gave Credit, So It's OK, RIGHT?

Today, in stormy weather, I have decided that I will copy my bestie, blog found here. She has done a recap of her Summer Bucket List and has created a Fall Bucket List. I will affectionately name mine Copied From Anna Fall Fun Fiasco! So, here is the recap of my Summer Bucket List and what we completed (or lacked completing or attempting all together).

Make Gourmet Marshmallows for Gourmet S’mores
Home Made Garden Stepping Stones
Egg Carton Critters
Make “Sea Glass”
Do the “Naked Egg” Experiment
Make Lava Lamps
Take a Nature Walk, or Ten (DONE!)
Make Bouncy Balls
Make Tin Can Wind Chimes
Have a Water Balloon Fight (Pretend it’s the Real Life Angry Birds)
Complete the Summer Reading School Challenge  (DONE!)
Cloud Watch (DONE!)
Make Glow in the Dark Silly Putty
Make Other Things That Glow
Make Friendship Bracelets
Road Trip to Visit Hubby in PA
Go to YoMama
Blow Bubbles
Take a Ride on Our New Boat
Make Window Paint
Paint Windows
Make Sidewalk Paint & Decorate Our Front Porch
Make a Bio-Degradable Bird Feeder
Make Jell-O Puddin’ Pops
Make a Midnight Garden
Make Rain Sticks
Go to the Park, Have a Photo Shoot (DONE!)
Make Sun Catchers
Pick a Country and Learn About it.
Create a Menu of Foods From That Country and Cook Them.
Make Frozen Banana Pops
Mail a Hug
Make Smoothies
Get Pedicures with My Girls
Make a Summer Wreath for Our Front Door
Make Awesome Picture Frames for Our Walls (DONE!)
Make Fresh Lemon Mint Water

So, there you have it, sucked at the Summer Bucket List. Whatever. I’m gonna try it again, this time for Fall. So, here goes:

Copied From Anna, Fall Fun Fiasco!

Take pictures of the changing leaves
Go on a photo scavenger hunt
Celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with my love
Make Caramel Pear Crisp to match my Scent Of The Month!
Take some walks
Hang out with my sister and mom
Make my Black Friday shopping list
Have a most wonderful Thanksgiving with those I love
Achieve greatness on Black Friday
Laugh, a lot
Decorate for Halloween
Go on a photo extravaganza
Have a lunch date with my cousin
De-stress
Highlight my hair
Wax my eyebrows
Get my nails done
Get my toes done
Read a book
Have a glass of wine (or a bottle)
Go to visit my friends new studio
Re-organize my life
Purge my house

So there you have it. Hopefully I will do better this fall than I did this summer.
Love to you all,
Lou 

Friday, August 10, 2012

I am an Oilfield Wife

I am an Oilfield Wife. There are many like me, but, I am one in a million.

Some of us live our lives by days, some by weeks, others by months. These days that our husbands are gone? We call them hitches. This is the time that we, as wives step up to be both the woman and the man, the Mom and the Dad. These are the times that the kids cry themselves to sleep, and once we crawl into bed ourselves, we follow suit. Not only do we perform all our normal Mom duties: cooking, cleaning, laundering, taxi-ing, nursing, teaching, reffing and counseling, we also take on the role of handyman, landscaper, mechanic, security guard and tough guy. For birthdays that are missed, we try to make them extra-special. For holidays, we make them extra-fun. We become Santa, The Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy....alone. For the first day of school, special programs and ceremonies, we cheer extra-loud. We document everything so that our better halves can feel a part of it. Anytime we get to talk to him, we savor every minute. We spend a lot of time alone. We drown ourselves in our kids, trying to make sure they have all the attention they need, even if it means sacrificing our plans and dreams. 

We are Oilfield Wives. We are strong. We are determined. We love fiercely and wholly. We can take on the world or comfort the weary. We can be tough as nails or soft as silk. 

I am an Oilfield Wife. There are many like me, but, I am one in a million.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

July Rant....Beware....

I need to rant. Just a small one. Here goes. I'm tired. I'm tired of the drama. I'm tired of the bullshit. I'm just fucking tired. So, here goes. I miss my husband, I desperately need to see him. Going. Soon. I am totally over all the other horse-assed bologna that is going on around me. I am sick of it. I am tired of people just thinking that it is acceptable to expect more and more and more out of people and that they will NEVER give out. I am EXHAUSTED from people who think it is just absolutely fine to up and leave. It's NOT OK. IT'S NEVER OK. It's NEVER acceptable to just decide one day that you are DONE because people expect you to be an adult and act like one. It's NEVER ok to WALK AWAY from your COMMITMENTS. Grow up. I'm just over the crap. For real over the crap. I'm tired of watching my family implode little by little. It's been almost 10 months since Pop passed. Almost every day has been a nightmare for my family. It has to start getting easier right? This can't continue. This can't keep going the way it is. I have to tell you, if it doesn't stop I'm afraid that me, and a lot of other family members are going to suffer far worse than we should. 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

My Bitches

It happens that my circle of girls needs a shout out.

We have all been through literal shit. We have been down in it, submerged. We have been beat down, torn down, and ripped apart. There have been times when we literally felt as if people were trying to kill us.

Even if we weren’t in each other’s lives at the time, we have been brought together now. That’s the most important thing. We are there for one another, no matter what. Anytime, any day.

That being said, “we’re all right where we should be”. We have made it through, and WE are on top. Girls, “this one’s for you and me”.


Sunday, June 17, 2012

Summer 2012 Bucket List

Here goes nothin’. I attempted this last summer, it never happened. Totally gonna try again this year. Now that the kids are a year older, maybe they will get into it. So, in all of my careful consideration, these are the things I have picked to go onto our Summer 2012 Bucket List. I have included links to those items that need further directions. I hope that you will follow along with us as we cross off items on our list, one at a time.

Make Gourmet Marshmallows for Gourmet S’mores

Home Made Garden Stepping Stones

Egg Carton Critters

Make “Sea Glass”

Do the “Naked Egg” Experiment

Make Lava Lamps

Take a Nature Walk, or Ten

Make Bouncy Balls

Make Tin Can Wind Chimes

Have a Water Balloon Fight (Pretend it’s the Real Life Angry Birds)

Complete the Summer Reading School Challenge

Cloud Watch

Make Glow in the Dark Silly Putty

Make Other Things That Glow

Make Friendship Bracelets

Road Trip to Visit Hubby in PA

Go to YoMama

Blow Bubbles

Take a Ride on Our New Boat

Make Window Paint

Paint Windows

Make Sidewalk Paint & Decorate Our Front Porch

Make a Bio-Degradable Bird Feeder

Make Jell-O Puddin’ Pops

Make a Midnight Garden

Make Rain Sticks

Go to the Park, Have a Photo Shoot

Make Sun Catchers

Pick a Country and Learn About it.

Create a Menu of Foods From That Country and Cook Them.

Make Frozen Banana Pops

Mail a Hug

Make Smoothies

Get Pedicures with My Girls

Make a Summer Wreath for Our Front Door

Make Awesome Picture Frames for Our Walls

Make Fresh Lemon Mint Water

There you have it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Let me know if your family will be doing a bucket list and what you have on yours!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Potatin' With Team Shady

Warning: The blog you are about to read is not for the faint hearted, reader discretion is advised. It will also be a lengthy blog. Please be aware of this before continuing on with this post.

Saturday, June 9, 2012…..was AMAZING! We had such a good time together. Recap for those of you that DON’T read my blog (HH…not that I am pointing the finger or anything.).

My dear, darling friend Anna called me one day and informed me that on this particular day, we were going to pick up Heather and head down to ride the ferry from Knotts Island to Currituck and that we were doing a photo extravaganza. (Oh yeah, I have to plan said photo extravaganza.) Ok. I bite proverbial bait. Fast forward.

Day has been planned. I thought we agreed upon meeting at Anna’s house at 7:30 AM to start this day of maddening fun. Clearly, I was mistaken. It was 7 AM that I was supposed to be there. OOPS. SORRY!

We pack the cooler, and head out to gas up and get the much needed caffeine from the local WaWa. AHH, elixir of life, how I love you. Heading to Heather’s house. Already know we are gonna be late. Remember to tell Anna that I, like a moron, never got Heather’s cell phone number, so, I needed her to FB message her and let her know A. we need her cell number, B. we are late (SHOCKING). Mission, accomplished.

We arrived at Heather’s house, and greeted her and the children. Got into Big, Huge, Monster Warden Truck and headed out. WOO HOO!! We are on the road!!

Anna proceeds to give me shit about driving like a grandma down Princess Anne Road. “Let me tell you something, ANNA…..this is a big ass truck, this road is curvy, like a snake. I want to arrive alive. Thank you!” Shit giving ceased momentarily.


Knotts Island, NC. When we got there, only 1 car was ahead of us, and it appeared that we would have a nice, comfortable ride with not a lot of people blocking any necessary shots. SCORE!
When we were directed to drive onto the ferry, we were getting shit from the ferry boat guys….whatever, it made our morning funner. Dude parked us so close to the wall, Anna and Heather could not open their doors. SO, I told them: “Just climb over! Come on!” Anna almost face-planted onto the ferry, and Heather pops out like a friggin’ piece of toast. Whatever, skinny.

We were officially out of the truck, and went up the stairs to stand on the deck and enjoy the view. Gorgeous, amazing, fantastic ride. The sound was gross looking. Brown water is always worrisome, however, Heather and I were discussing how funny it was that when we were kids, we didn’t think anything about it and just hopped on in for all day swimming fun. Anna is totally grossed out by our childhood. 

Heather happened to turn her head and notice this old lady that thought she was Marilynn Monroe, and just let her dress blow all up showing her granny panties. We took a while discussing said Marilynn and wondered how she had no flipping clue that her dress was coming up to her shoulder blades. Laughed and I snapped a picture.

About half way through our journey, the Captain emerged from his hide-out. #Disturbed
Captain is standing, looking at the top of the ferry. Pretty sure at this point he is contemplating climbing up and riding the spinner thing on top of the ferry. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, his shirt was half tucked in and halfway unbuttoned.

We reached the shores of Currituck and after bumping and jerking our way into port, got the HELL off of that ferry. (It was a very lovely, very enjoyable ride, except for Drunken Oh Captain My Captain, and Marilynn.) 

Driving off of the ferry, we were wondering what these buildings were off to the right. STOP! Old Currituck Jail. Let the photo’s commence. 

As we wrapped up our jail shoot, we all needed to stop and use the facilities somewhere. Find gas station/McDonalds….odd combination. 1 Bathroom, 2 stalls, ALL KINDS OF SMELLY AND GROSS. Used anyway, ran out complaining of nastiness, and got in truck to commence de-contamination with hand sanitizer.

Lou: “Where are we going? Elizabeth City?”
Anna: “Sounds good, let’s go.”
Lou: “Which way?”
Anna: “I don’t know.”
Lou: “You are the worst navigator in history.”
Anna: “Turn right.”

I turned right, and off to Elizabeth City we go. Along the way we pass lots of corn fields, one with a dog house that has a sign nailed on the roof “Beware Of Dog”, we passed a sign that says “Hog Traffic”, (Had to turn around and go back for this amazing photo on Anna's Blog.), and a sign that said “Sligo”.

Anna: “Sligo…S L I G O, Sligo.”

Continuing down the road.

Heather: “Sligo! HAHA. That’s the funniest thing.”
Anna: “I just said that.”
Heather: “I’m pretty sure you had that conversation in your head.”
Anna: “Whatever Heather.”

We arrived in Elizabeth City and followed our way down to the little waterside farmers market that they have on Saturdays. BLUEBERRIES…yum. Bought some. We wandered around and checked out all the different little booths. (Let me explain something to you. When you go buy a bottle of Purell Hand Sanitizer and take off the label and write on it “Germ Juice” and put cute little stickers on it, it does not make that $2.00 bottle of Purell a $5.00 bottle of Purell. I can do that myself, THANKS.)

Next up…walk 15 paces to the boardwalk. Take photos of waterfront. Lovely.

We spotted this old building and decided to walk over and check it out. Turns out it was the old Elizabeth City Milling Company. AWESOME! Totally taking pictures here.

Anna: “WHEW! It stinks.”
Lou: “This building smells like a potato chip fart.”
Heather: “Potato chip fart?”
Lou: “Yep.”
Heather: “Look at all those bottles in there. People were potatin’ all up in there. All night long they were potatin’.”
Lou: “Elizabeth City potates.”

HUNGRY….we went and got the truck and found a lovely little picnic area. Ate.

Lou: “WTF was that? What is happening right now in the water. This canoe is spinning in circles.”
Anna: “Domestic Disturbance in the canoe.”
Lou: “There is water flailing EVERYWHERE. He’s paddling one way ferociously, she’s paddling the other way.”
(All the while, you hear them yelling at each other. You can also see the guy that acted a fool while oaring bailing water out of said canoe.)
Heather: “WHERE? I can’t see it! I’m missing it!”
Lou: “Right there! But, now they are behind the tree, so, sorry, you can’t see it.”
Heather: “I always miss the good stuff.”

We continued to eat our lunch and have wonderful conversation, when, Oh Lord, here they come again.

Lou: “Is that an INFLATABLE canoe?”
Anna: (Laughing hysterically.) “Yep.”
Lou: “WTH? Now he’s done jumped in the water! He can’t swim any better than he can oar. Water still flailing all over the place.”
Anna: “Now they are gonna get out of the canoe, and he is gonna deflate it and whip her with it.”

ALL of us laughing hysterically. We were eating dessert, and 

Anna says: “What’s in these cookies?”
Heather: “Your Mom.”

We managed to finish eating and drove aimlessly around Elizabeth City (all the while Anna shouting "Turn here, LEFT, not RIGHT, LEFT!" Again, I say, "Worst NAVIGATOR in the WORLD!") until we decided there wasn’t SHIT to do here and headed back the way we came. During this drive the conversation went a little something like this:

Lou: “Hey Heather, I love your zombie apocalypse idea about the treadmills. GENIUS.”
Heather: “Yeah, I thought so too.”
Lou: “I’m gonna need the plans for those non-powered treadmills that you are building.”
Heather: “Fuck that! I’m buying solar powered ones.”
Anna: “Fallout shelter.”
Lou: “WHAT? Where? How do you know this?”
Anna: “See that symbol on the building, that means it’s a fallout shelter. Way back in the day when nuclear attacks were a real threat, they built these things called fallout shelters.”
Lou: “Way back in the day? Have you not listened to the news at all? North Korea ring any bells?”
Anna: “What news?”
Heather: “OMG, do you live under a rock?!”
Anna: “No, pretty sure I don’t.”
Lou: “Hey, encyclopedia of useless knowledge, all you need to know is that way back in the day North Korea was a bunch of MF’ers, and they still are. So, if anyone asks you what you think about the situation with North Korea, all you say is ‘Their all a bunch of MF’ers.’.”
Anna: “Got it!”

Coming up on crazy big chairs. Stop at gas station to make Heather sit in crazy big chair and get her picture taken. Anna and I refuse to climb into crazy big chair for fear of having to roll out of crazy big chair and injure ourselves. Picture taken. Trip continuing.

Head to Kitty Hawk, NC.

Lou: “Look! We are in Sligo! It’s a place!”
Anna: “Where the hell were you way the fuck back there when I said: ‘Sligo…S L I G O….Sligo’?”
Lou: “I thought you said it was a sign. I didn’t realize you were talking about a PLACE.”
Anna: “Whatever Lou! Yes you did. You just don’t listen to me. WTFever.”
Lou: “Clearly your pain meds are messing with your brain right now.”
Anna: “SHUT UP…Lou…..”

At this point it is PAINFULLY obvious that all 3 of us have some form of ADD and should all be medicated.

Moving forward, the conversation changed to political.

Anna: “Oh GAWD…are we doing the political thing now?”
Lou: “Yes. All I am saying is I’m voting for Kermit the Frog.”
Heather: “Kermit the Frog? Is that really what you just said?”
Lou: “Yes, and I’ll tell you why. He is a battered man. He will do whatever I tell him to do.”
Heather: “Yeah, because he’s a MUPPET. You will have your hand shoved up his ass!”
Anna: “Lou is a freak and likes to stick her hand up Muppet's asses.”
Lou: “AHH!”
Continuing our journey into Kitty Hawk.

Heather: “Big chairs are the thing here. Like we have dolphins and mermaids on sticks.”
Anna & Lou: “BAHAHAHAHA”

See random low-rider toaster car. Heather commences in having a duck because it says “Team Shady”. 

Passing by all the little roadside shops, we come to this one place “Brewery, Butchery and Pub”.

Anna: “I want to live there.”
Lou: “Really? You want to live in a place that brews beer, slaughters livestock and then makes pub food?”
Anna: “Yep, pretty much.”
Heather: “That’s disturbing.”

Passing by a Lowes, the encyclopedia of useless knowledge decides to inform us that Lowes and Walmart are owned by the same people. 

Lou: "Really? I never knew that."
Heather: "Not really sure when we would ever need to know that."
Anna: "ONE DAY, when your ass is on JEOPARDY, and it's the FINAL JEOPARDY question, you won't remember it, and I'll have to turn off my TV because I KNOW I told you the answer to that."
Heather: "Ok."

We arrived at the Wright Brother’s Memorial Park and much to our surprise it was Great Outdoors Day! WOO HOO! Commence into park for FREE.

Go snap some pictures of the actual memorial. Take some pics of the planes. Heather and Anna made fun of me for my obsessive taking pictures of the sky for those 2 shots of the bird flying.

Heather: “What are you doing?!”
Lou: “Trying to get this stupid bird that’s flying.”
Heather: “Your mouth is hanging open and everything.”
Lou: “Thanks for making fun of me. You will be jealous when you see the awesome picture of the flying fucking bird that I have on my camera.”
Anna: “Whatever, you didn’t get any flying bird picture.”

PROOF:

SUCK IT ANNA! Just kidding. I love you.

Heading back home to take pictures of prom for my cousin.

“Upscale Furniture Resale”

Lou: “Really? People gonna go get some upscale furniture from the re-sale store.”
Heather: “Your mom is upscale.”
Anna: “Did she really just say ‘Your mom is upscale.’?”
Lou: “Yeah, she did.”

Man hitch-hiking on the side of the road wearing a hoodied windbreaker. It’s 8 gagillion degrees outside. WTF? Why?

Lou: “Why is that man hitch-hiking wearing a windbreaker?”
Anna: “To hide the hatchet. DUH.”
Lou: “Oh, ok.”
Anna: “He would totally kill you last. Because you have red hair. He likes red hair.”
Lou: “Good to know.”
Heather: “He will eat all your beef jerky.”
Lou: “The fuck you say! He’s got two dead bodies in the bed of the truck. He can make all the fuckin’ jerky he wants. He’s NOT getting mine!”
Anna: “YEAH! He could eat jerky from me forever!”

Continuing driving and conversing.

Heather: “We have been potatin’ the fuck outta this place!”

Passing by the hammock store.

Anna: “Did you see the size of that hammock?”
Lou: “I missed it.”
Heather: “Me too.”
Anna: “It was fucking HUGE. Like big enough to fit me, you and you in it!”
Lou: “It was a family hammock. You know, a fammock.”
Anna: “HaHa! Fammock, I love it.”
Lou: “This is like Ocean View, but classier. Kitty Hawk is classier than Ocean View.”

Started across the Wright Memorial Bridge.

Heather: “WOO HOO! It’s bouncy! I love this!”
Anna: “Oh no….Oh no….I don’t like this. Turn around.”
Lou: “Turn around WHERE? We are on a BRIDGE!”
Anna: “Make it stop!”
Lou: “I can’t.”
Heather: “Are you really freaked out? Cuz this is fun!”
Anna: “Yeah, I might throw up.”
Lou: “Take your fucking phenergan! Do NOT puke in my truck!”
Heather: “I will totally shove your head out the window dude.”
Anna: “Trampoline fucking bridge. I hate you.”
Lou & Heather: (Laughing hysterically at poor Anna all sick and puny.)
Anna: “Heather talks shit. Constantly.”
Lou: “There go the meds again.”

Finally get back into Virginia even though we almost DIED because they are doing construction on the road that we wanted to take, so it was CLOSED. WTF? Who closes the only road that leads out of the OBX without having to pay the toll? GREEDY BASTARDS.

Anna and Heather: (Shit talking about the toll lady, not sure what all was said or where it came from, because, let’s be honest…I was driving and talking to the toll lady.)

Heather: “I will totally Anthrax her. Anthrax is under-rated.”
HYSTERICAL LAUGHTER FILLS TRUCK.

We make it to where Chelsea is meeting her friends for prom. After a LOT of waiting, I got in there, got my shots and we headed back to Heather’s house to drop her off.

All in all, the day was a shining success, and we all had a blast (at least I hope we all had a blast!).
Hope you were able to follow my crazy ramblings. I also hope you got some good laughs in there as well. Anna and I are always saying “People just don’t think we are as funny as we do.” WHATEVER. Haters. 

You should make sure to check out Anna's blog HERE. Not sure if Heather will blog or not, but when and if she does, I will link it HERE.

In case anyone wants to see my pictures of the trip, you may view them here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.4146746591675.176334.1374095958&type=3&l=039c10ba39


Friday, June 8, 2012

The Preparation.

I am ready! I am sooooooooooo ready for this expedition tomorrow! I have both of my cameras ready, my memory cards are set, 4 sets of batteries charged, cookies made, truffles made, cooler cleaned, ice packs freezing, and route mapped out! I am super ready for this! I can’t wait. This is gonna be so much fun. Amazing fun. Spectacular fun. WOO HOO! But, sadly, you will probably have to wait until Sunday for a follow up blog. SORRY!!

I’m going to bed. 6 AM comes wicked early around here.