Well, the next phase of my degree has been dragging along. It took about 6 months to convince my advisor to take the job. Yeah, nothing like building a person's self-esteem, right?? I think she wanted to make sure her two other diss students were actually going to defend. Once that was done, she agreed to take me on. Then came the topic.

Now, last semester when my advisor and I discussed my ideas, she seemed very open to them. Then when we discussed them in the spring, she'd changed her mind and decided it was just too big. Well, then we couldn't agree on anything. That was just a bit frustrating! Finally, in March, we agreed on something. I've been processing an LGBT archive out of Wichita and I decided to write about it. I figured it would be cool to write about LGBT people in Kansas. So, now I'm trying to read research and come up with an argument. That is very difficult! Yes, LGBT people live in Kansas. Yes, many choose to live here.  So what? So this is a bit of the problem.

The nice thing is that I'm processing this collection so I'll know it really well. I just have to just keep pushing through and keep working, working, working. Tami Albin, one of the librarians at KU has been extremely helpful. Too bad she can't be my advisor! That would rock!

I hope to blog more often. It might not be interesting as it'll probably be mostly about the diss. However, I am hoping it will help me to process. 

©Suz 2009

Oh, and I turned 40 earlier in the week. No biggie. 

Well, I don't get to see a lot of movies, but I've now seen two in the past two weeks! Right before classes started I saw 'Doubt' with Daryl Lynn. I really liked it. This past weekend, I went to Olathe to see 'Slumdog Millionaire.'

Now, this is all a little funny in that Matthew and I planned to go to the movie together. What's funny is that we decided to see different movies! So, he went and saw 'The Wrestler' and I went and saw 'Slumdog Millionaire.' He wasn't too excited to see Slumdog and decided to see it in Lawrence. Well I didn't want to see it on the screen it's showing at in Lawrence. The sound system sucks, the chairs are uncomfortable, and the popcorn is crap. So, on Sunday morning, he picked me up and drove to Olathe.

Now, imagine my surprise when the guy in the booth tells me that the matinee ticket price was $15. Turns out that it was being shown in the Cinema Suites. The price was $15 but you get a $10 voucher for food. Now Matthew had a Fork and Screen where his was $10 with a $5 voucher. He explained it all to me and I went in to find my assigned seat, number 11.

I go in and find my seat. Now, this is not just a seat. It is a red recliner with a swivel table attached to the console next to it! I sit in the seat and immediately text both him and the Sis to tell him! I try to pretend that I know what I'm doing (watch people around me, etc.). I knew I wanted Diet Coke, popcorn, and Twizzlers, my standard movie fair. There was quite a menu with different sandwiches, hamburgers, etc. These did not sway me. I wanted my movie snacks! So, I pushed the call button and the server came and took my order.

Now, I think that she forgot my order because it took about 20 minutes. The movie was already starting when she stopped to tell me that she'd be right out with my food. She brings out a glass of Diet Coke, a big bowl of popcorn with two little cups of melted butter on the side, and a package of Twizzlers. So, I had my feet propped up with my coat as a blanket and a big bowl of popcorn! I was set!

I'm not going to give away any spoilers on the movie. I'd been told a little about the movie, but I had no idea how intense it would be. I thought it was going to be a light movie. It isn't at all. This guy goes on the Indian version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' and you'd think this would be a light story. Nope. I noticed the music and cinematography immediately and thought of Matthew and how I think he would appreciate it. This movie was not Bollywood. There were no colorful costumes, etc. that are traditionally Bollywood. Instead, it is the story of survival. It was really incredible. It was dark, earthy, and at times tragic.

And then the server comes for my payment (a little over $5 after the voucher and that included the tip). I'm given a warm, moist cloth that is lemon scented to clean up with. This oppulance that I'm in watching this particular film is such a contradiction. On the screen are images of poverty in India and here I am in a recliner and wiping my hands with a wash cloth (yes, actual wash cloth). Damn.

I waited for Matthew (his film started later than mine) and then we went to Borders to just hang out a bit, let our stomachs digest our food, and try to process our films.

I'm still in awe of the entire experience. And still processing the film.

©Suz 2009

Well, I've been keeping pretty busy on my return to SoDak. I arrived back here on Thursday evening and then the nephew had his tonsillectomy on Friday morning. Everything went pretty smoothly there. He was more lively than I thought he'd be after the drugs kicked in, and he could speak. I thought his throat would be sore and he wouldn't be able to talk for a few days. Nope. The boy still talks. A lot. Well, he did well on Friday and Saturday, but things took a turn on Sunday when he woke up with a 104.5 fever. Poor kid. He had some Motrin to bring it down (which he promptly threw up...luckily he kept the second dose down). He got better as the day went on. Similar happened yesterday morning. Woke up with a fever, vomited once (he actually was sick 3 times total on Sunday), got livelier later in the day. We've been trying to keep in resting and doing quiet activities because it's better for him right now. No running or jumping. That can be a little difficult when you're 7.

Anyway, the Sis asked me on Thursday if I would help her to organize her house on the weekend. I almost wept. Now, the Sis is a self-proclaimed minimalist, and I'll agree that she is. However, she has a ton of crap everywhere! It's mostly papers, etc. that just need to be sorted through. So, I set her to work going through boxes of things on Saturday and Mission Organization was underway. I hung up curtains in her sparse living room (which has a Christmas tree in it...and now a bunch of Sponge Bob stuff and the boy's train). No furniture. However, she wants to buy furniture so she needed the space. She still had some boxes from moving in there and so she had to go through it all. After that, she moved onto her office. The boy needed attention so she had to stop midway to go and cuddle with him. The project never resumed, but hopefully she'll continue once she has a little more time. I've given her some ideas for storing her magazines, etc.

Now, although I wasn't going through things, I've been busy. As I mentioned, I hung up drapes. I still have the pullbacks to put up. On Sunday night, I started to hang Roman shades that she'd had sitting on the dining room floor since I was here in June (no time or desire to hang them then...I was studying for exams and being cranky because I had to be here). Well, they're now hung up, even though it was a bit of a process. The blinds themselves were pretty easy. I was just dealing with the window frames and what is either a very hard wood, or something is obstructing behind the wood (I'm betting obstruction!). So, got those hung.

The job today was to hang all of the smoke detectors. Well, the first 2 went up really easily. The third was a little trickier (dealing with the house again and its framing/plaster/masonry, etc). I then moved down to the main level and began on the one in the hallway. Well, I started having problems right off. I'm not sure what is behind these walls. Lead, perhaps?? I managed to break the drill bit and can't find another one (oh yeah, the Sis has limited tools, etc...at least she does have a cordless drill and screwdriver!). I managed to get two holes in the ceiling, but the screws keep slipping. Well, the first issue is that the ceiling is very high (duh! It's a ceiling!). So, I have a chair out there with a phonebook on it so that I can reach! As I'm drilling the second hole into the ceiling, I break the drill bit. Okay, not cool, but I believe I'm far enough in to get a screw in. Okay, slipping screws. Must be time for an anchor. So, I get one of those and began to hammer it in. This is tough because I'm beneath it. I'm also horrible at getting anchors in. I always break them. I now need to research on how to get an anchor in without killing it!

So, this is where I am with this project. I'm a little frustrated, but at least the boy is quiet (and relaxing comfortably--I keep hoping that he'll go to sleep!). So, now I need to figure out what to do next. I may need to find another book to go on top of the phone book so I can get even closer. I may just have to stand on a bar stool (yikes at the thought!!).

Now, during my evenings, I've been trying to spend less time online and more in front of the TV relaxing. I've been working on my cross-stitch and making a lot of progress. I've been pleased. Well, last night as I'm working away, I discover that something just isn't lining up right. I go back, and sure enough, I've f'd something up. It's fixable, but not without a lot of tearing out. So, there goes the relaxing cross-stitch idea! Now I'm annoyed with the damn thing and ready to just chuck it in the closet! But now, I'll keep ripping out. Perhaps the boy and I can sit and watch SpongeBob today and I'll rip (hate SB!). Guess I'll see.

So, that's were things are right now. I am home every day with the boy and hoping that he is feeling better on Saturday when they drive me home. I would feel horrible if he wasn't! We've been playing some games and having some fun. However, now he needs to get a little rest and sleep. I'm probably going to go back down right now to spend some time with him and watch TV. Maybe I'll rip.

©Suz 2009

Tonight is my last night in Fargo. The day started at -23 (yes, you read that correctly). When we arrived home tonight it was a balmy +4, the warmest it had been all day. The wind was still frigid, but at least the temp was rising!

So, tonight is New Years Eve. I'm never really reflective on this evening. I'm always much more reflective on Rosh Hoshanna, the Jewish New Year. So, this year I am spending it with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece, as I have spent 3 of the past 4. Steve is preparing for his football party tomorrow by making his barbeque meatballs and pulled pork for sandwiches. Later, we'll have crackers, chips, and dip and watch the ball drop. My sister-in-law, Renae, usually falls asleep before that happens. Renae and I also usually stitch, too. She's been working on a quilt for my nephew, and I've been working on the same sampler since 2004 (I didn't work on it for 2 years and just recently picked it up again!). So, it will be a relaxed night.

I started the day when my friend and former officemate at NDSU, MariLou, picked me up for breakfast. We just went to a place around the corner. It was so nice to catch up with her. She has braces now, which is kind of funny because when I first met her in 2001, I had the braces! It was great to see her and hear about everything.

Renae, Steve, and I went to a Chinese buffet for lunch before Renae and I had our annual girls' afternoon out. I used to love this buffet. It has either gone downhill or is not quite what I remember! There was only one dish that was as good as I remembered it being (General Tsao's chicken). So, perhaps it has gone downhill!

Anyway, as I mentioned, Renae and I went shopping. We hit Michael's and JoAnn Fabrics. I found some deals at both places. I bought wooden xmas ornaments to make for Michelle and Jacob. I also found a great basket with red trim that has penguins on it! It's very cute and was on sale for under $4. We also went to Target where I found this year's Target cookie jar on sale for $3.54. The Sis' response was something like, "Cuz you needed another one??" Hey, I collect penguin cookie jars! And how could I resist that price?? Plus I had a Target gift card!

We didn't have time to go to Barnes and Noble before they closed so on the way home, we stopped by the Dairy Queen and bought an ice cream cake to bring home for everyone. It was a nice afternoon, even though I froze my ass off!

Oh, and the best part of the afternoon was going with Renae to Lowe's to buy recycle bins! Yes, they've finally decided to recycle! They were just going to start with plastic and they already recycle newspapers and magazines. Well, they're now jumping in full-force! I'm giving them some guidance on what can be recycled, etc. They are really noticing how much they have been throwing away! So, it's very exciting because it has been agony for me to visit and have to throw cans, etc. into the trash! I mean, I know I've blogged about this, but even my 74 year old mother recycles! Anyway, it makes me very happy!

Now I'm sitting here watching TV and relaxing. I am heading back to Sioux Falls tomorrow and I'm glad to get going. I'm cold. I'm tired of being cold. My brother and his wife only turn the heat up to 65 at the highest. The other afternoon, it was turned down to 62. At least the Sis keeps it at 70! So, perhaps it will actually be warmer outside, and I know it will definitely be warmer inside!!

Okay, it's time to put the computer aside and relax…perhaps a little nap??

Have a Happy New Year!

©Suz 2008

Well, it's been a few days since I last blogged. It's been an incredibly busy week and I haven't had much time. The Sis left and returned from her trip to ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Boston. The nephew was very good while she was gone. I also managed to finish my history paper and autobiography paper. And then I graded papers and submitted grades. And then, of course, the emails started from students. I mean, seriously?? It's a holiday for heaven's sake! Give me a freaking break! Anyway, Monday and Tuesday were super busy. The Sis returned on Monday and I was trying to get a bunch of stuff accomplished to prepare for the holiday. There was baking, cleaning, and wrapping gifts.

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The excitement of the holiday began on Tuesday night. My older sister, Karla, has not been home for the holidays for 21 years. None of us had realized it had been so long, but it was! Anyway, she was supposed to arrive on Tuesday evening. Well, she flew through Chicago, which was the first mistake. Her flight was pushed back and pushed back. She called to let us know that she was on standby and trying to get on a plane but wasn't sure if she would be in that evening. Well, this sister does not carry a cell phone. Makes getting hold of her a little difficult. We had to wait for her to call and give updates. She didn't remember the pin to her calling card so she had to call the Sis' cell collect (which you can't do…you give the phone company a credit card number and they charge the call to that). So, she called collect and updated us. As far as we knew, she was getting on the next flight.

 

That flight, of course, kept getting pushed back and back. We never heard back from her. So, when the plane landed at around 2 AM, I was at the airport waiting for her. She never got off the plane and never called. For all we knew, she was mugged or taken in by a pimp! I was not thrilled as it was quite cold. Drove back to the house. The Sis hadn't heard from her either. So, it was now around 2:30. We went to bed. I had to get up at around 7:10 to drop the Sis off at work so that I could have the car and take care of the boy. I was completely exhausted. Karla had called from Chicago and was still on standby. She was hoping to be on one of the 4 flights to Sioux Falls that day.

 

So, took the Sis to work, grabbed a McMuffin (no meat, of course), and drove home with the boy. He was sweet and let me grab a nap for about an hour and a half. He'd come in every once and awhile and ask for help with something, etc. He was very good. Finally got up, gave him a bath, took a shower, and did a couple of things to get packed up to head to my mom's if Karla did come in. Well, luckily she was able to get on the 11 AM flight and arrived shortly after 1. The Sis picked her up from the airport (she only worked until Noon, so the boy and I went and picked her up).

 

They sisters returned from the airport and there was much rejoicing. Then Karla showered and I loaded the car. The Sis didn't want to get in my way and she's currently not allowed to lift anything heavy. So, I did that and looked at the extra space figuring we must be missing something! We never have space left over! It's usually only the Sis, nephew, and I, and we're crammed into the car!

 

So, once Karla was out of the shower and dressed, we all loaded into the car to head to Target so that Karla could finish xmas shopping (yeah, she still had to finish that). It was approximately 2:20. As we drove down Minnesota in Sioux Falls, the Sis whispered to me, "Crap! I know what we forgot. His blanket." Well, the boy has a blankie that his father gave him that he adores. Life would not be good without it. The Sis asked if we should go back and I agreed that we had to. So, back we went and I ran in and grabbed the blanket. We were off again!

 

This time we made it to Target. The Sis dropped us off at the entrance (she and the boy were heading to Starbucks so she could get a latte!). So, in we went. It was actually pretty quick and easy. Before we knew it, we were back in the car and ready to hit a drive thru for lunch. We could then hit the road. Well, after some discussion, we agreed to hit McDonald's. So, we're waiting to get into the drive thru at McDonald's when the Sis exclaims, "Oh no! We forgot the sweet potatoes!" Every year she makes the sweet potato casserole for the holidays. We knew that if we left that, we'd never hear the end of it from our mother.

 

Now, you must realize that we were across town from where she lives at this point, and dealing with holiday traffic. At this point, it is 3:10. We know that there is no way we're getting out of town until at least 3:40 now! So, we left McD's without food and drove back to the house so I could run in and grab the sweet potato casserole.

 

I would like to say that all ended happily ever after, but well, life isn't that simple. After I got back into the car, the sis began to back out. Well she has a very long and narrow driveway. She was turned a little too far to the right and before we knew it, she was stuck in a snow bank at the end of the driveway. I think she thought she could just drive through it because then she decided to floor it and got even more stuck! Well, at this point, we are all busting a gut laughing. Karla and I get out of the car and push the car forward out of the snow. When we get back into the car, Michelle is almost crying with laughter. We were almost in hysterics. We figured that at this point, the trip could only get better! I mean, Karla was stuck in O'Hare for 16 hours or something, and then all of the other shenanigans in Sioux Falls!

 

Of course, we still needed lunch. So, we continue to drive and decide to go to Taco Johns. We're in the drive-thru looking at the menu and Michelle starts ordering for us. It's time for her and she comments, "I don't even like Taco Johns." Great. There goes our lunch! We can expect spit in our tacos now!

 

At any rate, after waiting for what seemed like forever in the drive thru, we finally got our food and headed out for town. We made it to Milbank without further incident. The boy recited all of the Charlie Brown Christmas, out of sequence, of course, and there was much laughter on the drive.

 

Now it's the day after Christmas and we've all survived overeating and the orgy of greed. It's finally quiet in the house and I'm down to under 24 hours in Milbank. I leave for Fargo tomorrow at Noon. Hopefully the weather stays nice and it doesn't drop to -20 while I'm there. It's currently in the 60s in Lawrence, and 25 degrees in Milbank. Not too bad. I miss the cats, but know that they're in good hands.

 

All right, time to head to my brother's for a little internet access. My Mom has some and I'm dying here. I'll put up this blog and update Mom's mp3 player while I'm there (she doesn't trust my brother who lives here after he deleted all the songs on his daughter's iPod. So, she has me update it once a year when I'm in town). So, off I go!

 

©Suz 2008

Well, I've been frequenting Caribou Coffee all week to work on my final paper for my autobiography class. I drop the Nephew off at school and then head on over to the coffee shop so that I can be working on my paper by 8 AM. Damn, that sure is early for thinking (this is why I don't teach 8 AM classes!). Well, today as the morning went on, I noticed a number of tables filling up around me. No biggie, it IS a coffee shop. And then I noticed that a lot of people had Bibles. And then their discussions began to drift over to me and I was hearing about "Jesus" and "Satan." Oh dear. It seems as though I am in the Bible study capital of South Dakota. At one point, I noticed that there were 4 different tables with Bible studies. Oh my. And here I am, the Jewish queer working on her paper about the black coming out story.

Now, I do have friends who are religious and gay or lesbian. I, myself, consider myself to be a bit religious (probably more spiritual these days than organized religion). However, Jewish people don't proselytize, and many Christians do. You see, in the past, I've been victim to the 'drop and run' Christian. Either these people have dropped a rude comment and moved on (or been deflected by a friend), or have dropped their testimony on the table and run (I blame that one on Daniel's beacon beanie...we were in The Fryin' Pan after services and he was wearing his yamulke still, and well, it WAS Fargo!). So, I get nervous when surrounded by these people (besides how I'm supposedly going to hell because of the whole queer thing...and they don't know I'm queer, but hey, I'm sitting here with my obviously queer lit all over the table--you know, the book that has the bold title Black Queer Studies on the front--so I must at the very least be a sinner!).

They did leave me alone, but it did give me opportunity to go to the counter and chat up the cute dyke behind the counter and have something to talk to her about. I've been quite forward and flirty with her. Very unlike me. Perhaps Taylor has possessed me, or at least given me some courage.

Anyway, that's been my morning. I'm only on page 9 of this damn paper that is due tomorrow. It needs to be 15-25 pages (read 20-25 pages). Guess I'll just see how far I can get and where I can expand.

Oh, one more thing. I've had an inquiry about my last blog title...Eleven Pickled Herring. Well, there is a story behind it. When the Sis, Nephew, and I were traveling back to South Dakota on Saturday, the boy wanted us to sing the 12 days of Christmas. Well, everyone always knows the first 5-7 days pretty well because they're repeated so often. We got to 11 and were lost. We couldn't for the life of us remember days 11 or 12! So, to keep the song from completely falling apart, I sang, "Eleven pickled herring!" The boy knew no different (you should hear his version of 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing!'). I had a little warning for Day 12 so I chose "Twelve wrapped gifts," which was far more appropriate!

Okay, let me stretch and get back to writing.

©Suz 2008

So, it's Tuesday. The Sis left for Boston, leaving the lad and I alone together. So far, it's going okay. I picked him up from daycare and brought him home. I asked him how his day was and he said, "Good." I asked him if he stayed out of the 'Take-a-Break' chairs and he said "Yes. Leave me alone." Okay. So much for conversation. Perhaps I was pushing it too much with that last question. He's sensitive about it. He spends some time in those chairs because he talks too much (often just to himself) and fidgets. I mean, he IS 7. Kids do that.

Anyway, it was a semi-productive day. I went to Caribou Coffee and elbowed my way in for a hot chocolate and a seat. The place was packed as it is finals week for the local colleges. I managed to get a seat (after being a little flirty with the cute lesbian behind the counter) and pulled out some reading. By 10.30, I was deep in thought about my paper and working away. I had to leave at around 11.20 so that I could stop at the house to pick up the Sis' suitcase and casual winter coat and then pick her up from work by 11.45. It was snowing like crazy so I made sure that I had plenty of time. I arrived about 4 minutes early.

Once I dropped her off, I decided that I didn't want to be out and about because of the weather. So, I came back to the house and worked. The snow grew heavier and then I finally decided that I should go out and shovel the driveway and the walk. Damn, the Sis has a long driveway! Goes on forever (or so it seems!). By the time I finished I was dripping. So, put the shovel away and went inside. I guess I had my workout for the day!

The plan for the evening is to lay low. I need to check out the boy's bookbag to see about what books he brought home to read. Then we'll just hang out, read those books, and then head to bed (well, I'll lay down with him and once he's asleep, I'll get up and hopefully get some more work done!).

Okay, need to call the mother to give her the update on the Sis. The Sis is sitting on the tarmac in Chicago, waiting for the wings of her plane to be de-iced. She said there's a 2 hour wait. This is after missing her first flight out of Chicago and having to rebook her ticket. Poor woman will be exhausted by the time she arrives in Boston.

©Suz 2008

Well, I'm in South Dakota, and made it a day earlier than planned! There were some concerns about the weather between here and Kansas so we made a hasty retreat out of Kansas. It was an adventure as it always is when the Sis and I travel together.

At around Noon yesterday (Saturday, December 13th), the Sis and I began to text about returning to SoDak that very day to avoid an impending blizzard that was going to run through the states of Iowa, Nebraska, and SoDak. While it would be a lovely 60 degrees in Kansas on Sunday, there was certain doom after we drove north. So, the Sis spoke with the Nephew about making a long car ride even longer (his biggest complaint was that she hadn't discussed this impending snow storm with him that morning before they'd left). He was quite certain that he could handle it. We therefore agreed that we would indeed depart a day earlier than planned.

Well, that meant I had to do some very quick packing. They were still a couple hours away, but hey, I'm going to be gone from home for 4 weeks; a person has to do some planning. Well, I knew that I needed to bring a bunch of research for the paper I need to write and the one I need to finish. So, I tackled that first. I then threw a bunch of stuff in the suitcase, making sure that there was underwear, socks, sweaters, and long johns. After that, I made sure to select shoes, some fun reading (Yaoi), and some DVDs (the Torchwood series). Once I had everything but the kitchen sink, I waited. I heard from Kristina so I dropped my car off for her. The Sis and Nephew rolled in shortly after 2. By 2.30 or so, the car was loaded and we were on our way.

We had to make a couple of stops in Lawrence that included the bank and stopping by Daryl Lynn's to give her some money so that she can ship my papers to me later in the week. The woman is a goddess for all that she does for me! Love her!

After a quick stop at the gas station for gas and snacks, we were on our way. Well the adventure began within the first 5 minutes of the ride as Michelle decided not to go through a yellow light but to slam on the breaks. At this point, her hand shot out to make sure I didn't fly forward (you know, that basic reaction we all have, even though our passenger is safely strapped in!). At this point, she looks at me and says, "I think that I just violated you." Oh yes, she'd grabbed my boob. My response was, "And you didn't even buy me cake!" Well, this was our first laugh attack of the trip. There would be more. There always are.

So, along we drove over hill and dale towards South Dakota. We ate our snacks and listened to very animated renderings of 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' that emerged from the backseat (it is my nephew's favorite show right now...every once in awhile "Christmas time is here..." would come forth in a falsetto). We had snacks and Diet Coke. It was lovely.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was after we'd hit McDonald's. Once we were back on the road, the Sis kept commenting on what a great chicken sandwich she'd had. I mean, we're driving along in silence or talking about something completely different and suddenly she would say, "That was a really good sandwich. I could go for another one." Okay, perhaps you had to be there.

After going through Iowa, which the Nephew had to comment every 3 minutes that it was the LONGEST state, we finally hit SoDak. We'd been holding off calling our mother to tell her we were driving back. Basically, we were trying to keep her from worrying. We figured that once we were an hour away from Sioux Falls, it would be safe to call. Well, first I had to hear about how we didn't call once the Sis had arrived in Kansas. Then I told her we were in South Dakota. There was complete silence from the other end of the phone. And then, "You're driving back today??" I explained it and she was relieved; it had just started snowing where she is. So, onward we traveled.

We finally made it to Sioux Falls and there was much rejoicing in the car about being there. As we drove towards our final destination, we saw the DQ coming up, at which point I say, "Mmmm...ice cream." The Sis' response, "Quick! Run in and get a cake!" Well, we both busted a gut at that. Her reasoning was why pussyfoot around with a cone?? Just get the good stuff and go to town! We drove on by without stopping and finally reached the house. The car was unloaded, the boy was joyous and happy to be home, and the Sis was exhausted.

Today, we woke to find that the storm had gone around Sioux Falls, but the temp had dropped to 1 with a wind chill of -47. Ah, yeah, I'm home! If we would have stayed in Kansas today, we definitely would have hit the storm in Iowa and Nebraska.

We're all very happy to be here, even if it is damn cold. Hey, I brought long johns!

©Suz 2008

I received pictures from Daryl Lynn's mom:



What a beautiful bird!! It's just falling off the breast bone!



Me, Ceddy Ced, and the bird. Thanks for hosting and helping me out, Baby!