What did you buy today at Wal-Mart?

Have I mentioned that the DD is a songwriter?  When she was nine or ten or so, she penned the Wal-Mart Song.  While at the University of Arkansas, a friend of hers sang it with guitar accompaniment and background vocals.  DD then burns it to a CD and gives it to me for my birthday.  It is hysterical, and now because it is on my ipod, several of my students have heard it.  I played it in class the other day, and it is almost as good as Pants on the Ground! 

"People look at me and say

 you're as dumb as dumb can be 

but I say I'm just fun 

'cause I go to Wal-Mart

People look at my parents and they say

what's the matter wit your girl today

and they say

she would have been like this anyway

cause we shop at Wal-Mart

At Wal-Mart you can buy everything on your list

and you don't have to have a list at all

no no no

you can go by the electronic department

and drive by the underwear

and I like to buy my underwear 

at Wal-Mart

you can buy some underwear and buy some DVD's

and we can go back to my place and watch them all night long

and talk about our adventure

at Wal-Mart

People look at me and say you're so smart

'cause you go to Wal-Mart

What did you buy today at Wal-Mart?"

We do keep the tradition going- 

I have a day off, so what to do?

Happy MLK Day.  So here I sit, listening to (not watching, mind you) A Knight's Tale for about the 20th time, and trying to figure out what to do to occupy my time until I have to go to JoCo and catch a bus for a ball game.  Let's see, I am caught up on Facebook, have washed all my clothes, dishes done, living room reasonably clean, DAR reports finished, pretty much.  Beckett is looking out the window like she wants to go for a walk, so I suppose I could do that.  I have been planning my salsa garden for next summer, though, except I won't be planting button or calico peppers or or garlic chives, or Better Boy tomatoes.  Roma tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, and bell peppers- that will be my garden! Maybe the tomatoes will actually grow this year!

Until planting time, I will have to be satisfied with making this fabulous salsa that I got off of Pioneer Woman's blog.  Nectar of the gods!!

OK, of my carcass and take the dog out!

ADDITION:

OK dog walked, or she walked me, one or the other.  Second best lunch in the world made- kitchen sink chicken salad.  As in everything in it but the kitchen sink.

Easy peasy lemon squeezy:

2 cans of white meat chicken- I use Hormel, but you are more than welcome to cook, debone and chop your own

1T ranch dressing

2-3 T mayonaise- the real stuff, I use the kind with olive oil in it

2T dill pickle relish

2T sweet pickle relish

handful of nuts: almonds are my current favorite, but pecans or walnuts are good, too

1/4 c craisins

1/4 c matchstick carrots

if you love 'em, sliced ripe olives  about 2T

a couple of shakes of minced onion- the dried kind

salt to taste

pepper to taste

paprika to taste

Drain the canned chicken and put in bowl.  Use a fork or wooden spoon to break up the big pieces of chicken.

Add everything else and mix well.  Add more mayo, pickles, etc. if you feel the need.

Slap a heaping helping on a slice of bread, or my personal favorite, eat it with Wheat Thins or melba toast.  

Don't allow the dog to shame you into giving her any!!!

I fought the Tupperware cupboard- and won!

I love Tupperware!  It's so bright and squeaky (when it's clean), and mighty handy to have around.  But there comes a time when the other half says, "For the love of God- NO MORE TUPPERWARE!!!"

This is true.  I have (don't lie, everyone does!) a cupboard in the kitchen that is the catch-all for plastic storage containers.  This is the cupboard that gets so much crap pushed into it that the doors won't stay closed, and you take your life in your hands when you open it.  Today, as I was getting ready to find room for my bright NEW Tupperware pieces, I decided to tackle the hell that is this cupboard.  All orphaned pieces bowls and lids alike, went to the trash.  Lids were attached to bowls.  A big basket was put in to hold the tens of thousands of dishtowels I have.  Yeah, I can't pass up buying a new dishtowel either.  An hour or so later, behold, an organized cleaner up cupboard.  Miracles never cease, and now I probably won't get popped in the head when I open this cupboard- for a few days, anyway!  

Curses! Foiled again!

Once again, the weather prognosticators have dashed my dreams against a stonewall.  No ice (good!), no snow (bad!), no school out for us!  All in all, this is not a bad thing- I really don't want to be in school in the middle of June, but when you are not going to be at school anyway and you forget to leave the stuff out for the sub, and you leave your desk looking like a mess, then you have no choice but to say CRAP, NO SNOW!

Also I have to get on a very crowded school bus at 3:45 and ride for an hour and a half to a basketball game.  On the surface, not bad, it is so cold that it will be miserable, and some idiot child will insist on opening a window at some point.  Ah well, this too will pass!  

Oh, yeah, the picture on the top- not in Arkansas. June 2008 in Yellowstone NP.  Yes, Virginia, a frozen lake- on Father's Day!   

10 years ago...

One of my friends from work ( shout out, Jeanna Cook!) did a look back at her decade.  While I cannot say I birthed a child in the past 10, I can put up a pretty solid list of stuff, so here we go:

1. 10 years ago, I did not have a job.  I was getting ready to start subbing and attempt to get my foot in the door somewhere.  8 months later, my friend Chris Foley vouched for my character and Jo Kenner decided I would be a good fit at Lamar Middle School.  Must have been a good fit, I'm still there!

2. 10 years ago, I had a sophomore in high school and a freshman in college.  Today, they are both gainfully employed, paying taxes and are now part of the adult world.

3. 10 years ago, I did not have a daughter in law, in fact, she was a freshman in high school.  Today, she is part of my family.

4. 10 years ago, I did not have a Mustang.  

5. 10 years ago, I made serious fun of cheerleaders, particularly non-college ones.  Who'da thought I would be a cheer coach today- and love it.

6. 10 years ago, the highlight of my week was to go to a high school football or basketball game.  Well, some things don't change... just a different cast of characters.

7. 10 years ago, I was getting ready to watch the Hogs play in a bowl game.  Again, some things don't change.

8. In the last 10 years, I feel I have grown younger, not older.  Reverse aging, nothing like it!

9. In the last 10 years I have come to appreciate the fact that you can't have everything your way, but your way a lot of the time is OK.

10. 10 years ago, I would never have dreamt of having a inside the house dog- today, Miss Beckett OWNS the house!.

So, in closing, no regrets, few missteps, and looking forward to the next 10! Happy New year, ya'll!