A Treat From Friends

Last night, after a long practice for the Dinner Theater, my good friend Mr. Sprinkles called to tell me he and his lovely bride were at the A&W. I asked them to bring me and my lovely bride an orange cream freeze. They are yummy and refreshing.
Practice last night was not so great, so we were a little worried about the performance this evening. Everything went GREAT, though! The audience laughed nearly non-stop. I think that they were especially mesmerized by the way I used Duck Tape. Abbey will take pictures tomorrow night, so that we can share them with all our blog-subscribers.
Mr. Sprinkles gave me his bird feeders when they moved last week. I caught a bird ON the bird feeder today with my camera. Apparently, they really like the feeders alot, because one of them is almost empty already. Maybe things will slow down soon and I can have a chance to watch them.
 

Should we be offended?

Okay, so read that description above? Doesn't it sound great. Don't you want to buy this? Apparently, no one else does. We have had NOT A SINGLE LOOKER! Abbey says it only takes one, and that is true. The good news is that we have found a plan that we like in case we do actually sell our house.
Now for the revelation that Abbey and I had today:

Abbey has had a wart on her hand, for oh, I don't know, as long as I have known her. A few weeks ago, she finally decided to get it removed. She went to the dermatologists and after a few seconds of discomfort the wart was nothing but a scabby memory.

I have NEVER been known to keep my office neat and clean. However, I decided when I got my new job that I would do my best to keep it tidy. That means, that I don't leave until my desk is cleaned off. When the office is clean, then I leave work for the day.

Now for the revelation:

Abbey had put off getting rid of something that she did not like, just because she was scared of the pain. However, when she took the little bit of time to go to the doctor, it didn't take that long ago. Now the scab is healed and you would never know that once a wart lived there.

Yesterday I was getting ready to leave and I put everything away. It took me about 1 minute. When I was done, it was still a little early, so I couldn't leave and didn't have anything to do.

The POINT:

We put off things or don't do them, because we are scared of the cost. Abbey put off the wart removal because she was scared of the pain. Instead the wart continued to grow until she was so annoyed by it that she had it removed. I used to not clean my office because I didn't want to take the time. Instead, it grew into a huge, discombobulated mess. Now, both of us could have avoided past nuisances, if we simply would have dealt with them, when they needed to be dealt with. That is the way life is. Don't let problems fester until they are too big to control. Take care of them, pay the MINOR initial cost in order to gain piece of mind.

Now, I am trying to translate this into "car care".

So, we might not sell our house, however, this lesson has taught us something. Keeping our house SPOTLESS everyday, just in case we have looker, isn't all that hard. We just have to take care of things right away, instead of just putting them off and letting the piles get bigger. 

Oops! I Did It Again (or twice in one night)

The title of this post is dedicated to my fabulous, soon-to-be married sister, and anyone else who wants to envision her singing this Spears' favorite in our swimming pool a few years back. In case you haven't figured it out by now, it's not Jeff posting, it's me, Abbey! Jeff is at play practice pretending to be a redneck or something another. I truly wonder how much "performing" he is having to do. I digress, which I seem to do a lot. Anyway, I thought I'd share my day with you, minus several thousand long details.

I made a mistake today. I know it happens, but Drakes aren't used to this. As you see in this picture, this is my Java Blue purse purchased by my wonderful husband. What you can't see is the cell phone that is in it. After leaving our Chick-fil-A date tonight, Jeff and I parted company. He headed to play practice and I planned to go to Target. However, I decided to make a detour to the Parent Teacher Store to check out the merchandise. Since I was only going in for a minute, I just took my keys. Big mistake! Jeff forgot his wardrobe - aka overalls - in my car and was desperately searching for my car at Target. Needless to say I got one pretty frantic phone call and another where he discovered my car at the Parent Teacher Store and retrieved his costume. Mistake #1: Never leave your cell phone in the car; you never know when someone might need their clothes. It might as well be in a bowl of peppermint!

Now, am I alone in the oh-no-I-just-realized-what-I-did-one-nanosecond-after-I've-done-it club? Well, I definitely was a member tonight. I was loading up school items while Jack, now our only cat, was spending his quality time with me for the day. I realized one nanosecond too late that he was also very close to the door of the highlander that I happen to be shutting. Unfortunately, my instinct to open the door occurred much slower than my realization of his tail being in the door. He screamed. Yelped. Howled, even. The great thing about pets? He came right back to me purring a few seconds later.

Stay Tuned: Apparently God revealed a life lesson to both Jeff and me today, using strangely different items, one of which is a wart. I'll keep you in suspense for a few more hours.

A Delicious Meal and the Crazy Umbrella

We had a great supper tonight. Abbey fixed pork tenderloin (I grilled), homemade Paula Deen Macaroni -n- Cheese (YUM!). fried okra (double yum), and a nice cold glass of fresh sweet tea. It was a great meal. It's only 5:30, but we have already eaten because I have rehearsal all this week at church for the dinner theater. Abbey is going to do some housework and watch TV tonight.
Well, that crazy umbrella has done it again. Last night when we got home from the wedding, we were greeted with a big, striped umbrella outside the French doors in the living room. The picture above is what we saw, the picture below is what it was like when I opened the door. Apparently the weather got rough over the weekend. Our yard is strewn with leaves.
 

A Beautiful Ceremony

Abbey and I had a great time this weekend with family. We were able to see all of Mr. Roy's siblings and their families. We were especially grateful to be able to be a part of our dear cousin Jason's wedding. He married Leslie this weekend. You may remember meeting them on our blog some months back. The beautiful baby in the picture above is our new cousin Brady, Molly and John's newest addition.
Yes, that most handsome officiant in the background is me. That's right, Jason and Leslie asked me to perform their wedding ceremony. It was the first one that I have ever done. It was an absolutely beautiful setting for the wedding. It was on a lake in Oxford, Mississippi.
Above is the groom, who by now is enjoying himself in St. Lucia. I think that they should have offered to take Abbey and me along with them. They probably didn't want us to come this time, though.
Leslie was very happy and she was cool, calm and collected the whole time. She's going to be a great addition to the family, one everyone is happy to welcome in.

It was a great weekend. We were able to see Ava and Brookie again, and the wedding plans seem to be coming along. Just don't ask about the place we stayed. The MIL got a little miffed by the whole experience.

So...You Probably Won't Be Surprised

Just what a husband, whose wife is never going to be a prostitute, wants to see when he comes home. His dearly beloved slaving away painting the home's front door. To my knowledge, Abbey has never initiated a home repair project.
Please notice Abbey's cute grey on grey outfit. She made me promise that I would explain that generally she would not wear grey on grey. I am not exactly sure how she wanted me to prove it, though. But, I guess you'll just have to believe me.
Why is she painting the door? Well, first of all, because it needed it. Secondly, because we have put our house up for sale. The market value has increased greatly over the past couple of years and we want to build our own house. So, don't start wiggng out everybody, we aren't going to move far. IF we sell our house, we are going to move into an apartment and look for land. So, if you know someone who wants a two-story with a freshly painted white door, call our agent!
 

You May Already Know This...

The other night we were out to eat with friends and we started talking about different things. I am not really sure how it came up, but somehow it did. I have never been so proud of my wife. She really is a gem. You know there are times when the people you love say or do things that make you just love them that much more. I think that we were on the interstate when it occurred. Somehow the conversation got to "unique professions" when Abbey made her big announcement.

She said, and I quote, "You may already know this, but I could never be a prostitute." I was so proud. I was also glad to know that my wife would never be that profession. I think she is a much better language teacher.

Needless to say, we were ALL cracking up at this amazing revelation. By the way, we were running low on inspiration for pictures tonight, so I took pictures of our feet and hands. Abbey just had a manicure and pedicure. I on the other hand, just have lots of hair on my feet!

 

Our New Pets!

Admit it! I really scared some of you didn't I? Our new pets are also my new hobby. Buying pottery cheap off of ebay. We have a new Peter's Duck that I got a great deal on a few weeks ago. He is brown although most of our pottery is blue. We have decided that we can branch out and maybe get some different colors.
Here is our most recent addition. I got this McCarty Bunny for a real steal off ebay. Currently I am bidding on a strawberry basket. Abbey has been wanting one for quite some time. I also bought a Peter's martin for $5.00.
If you have never used ebay, let me recommend that you don't get caught up in the heat of the bidding. You have to set limits for yourself. I don't ever bid more than $15.00 unless I verify through Abbey that something is worth it.
I guess that is all for this evening. In case you are wanting a pet, remember that pottery pets do not need any physical care other than a little dusting every now and again. 

Movin', Sprinkle Style

Act I: Setting: Frank and Sheila's new apartment. (Jeff and Abbey are curiously watching the conversation between the couple.)
Sheila: Frank, what are you doing? You are looking a little red in the face.
Frank: Honey, I am trying to figure out all of these cookbooks that you have. I mean, don't you just use the the recipe box.
Sheila: No, Frank, you know in this one, I get that recipe for that beef stroganoff you love. And in this one, there's that one for the marshmellow salad. See, I use them.
Frank: Honey, could you not just take those pages and put them in the box.
Sheila: No, Frank, now did you get the steel wool for me to stuff in that hole. You know, I'm going to Walt's if I see a mouse.
Frank: Yes, but all we could find was the kind with the soap in it.
Sheila: Did you look with the sandpaper?
Frank: Yes, honey. (Jeff nods his head in agreement.)
Act II: Back at the original homestead to get the rest of Walt's things.
Abbey: Do you want to take the pictures?
Sheila: Well, I guess we could. (They take a couple of pictures down and then get lost in conversation.)
Jeff: Don't you think we could leave the baby bed put together and get it out the door.
Frank: Sheila says it won't fit, but we can try. (They try, to no avail.)
Jeff: Let's take off the front and then it will probably go through. (They do so, and still no going.)
Frank: Well, it's not that hard to take apart and put back together. Let's just do that. (they continue to unassemble the bed, the women are still talking in the next room).
Frank: Okay, let's load it in the Tahoe.
Jeff: Yes, sir.
Frank: (to the ladies) What are y'all doing?
Sheila: Taking the pictures down (although there are only a few down).
(Everything gets loaded up in the back of the cars).

Now back at the apartment.

Frank: Okay, Jeffry, let's put this back together.
(The women are still talking)
Abbey: That doesn't look right (as if she is quality control).
Jeff: All, we have to do is just move it down a bit.
Sheila: I don't want my grandbaby to be tilted in his bed.
Jeff: It's really easy to fix.
Frank: Let's go eat.
Jeff; Okay, let's go somewhere in Hendersonville.
Frank: And then we can go look at houses.
Sheila: FRANK! Not until next Saturday once we have moved into the apartment.
Frank: Not for us, for Jeff and Abbey (wink, wink)! 

Life On the Pig Farm

Today, I went to a pig pen. No, I am not talking about my Jeep. The owner of the pig pen is the man (the one that is not me) in the picture. I was filming a commercial for our church's upcoming dinner theater. It was a very interesting experience. I have never been that close to a pig in my life. That is if you don't count bacon, pork chops, ribs, cracklins, and pickled pig's feet (just kidding).
The pigs were really great. We had lots of fun filming. I am Delbert Fink in the program. It is going to be really funny. If you are in the area, you should plan on coming. It's going to be a blast, I gaurantee it.
The pigs were nice, except that they kind of stunk. Okay, so that was the understatement of the day. They were RANK! I was also rank when I came out of the pig pen stinkin! Partly because the pigs liked chewing on my shoes and my overalls. Speaking of overalls, do you like my attire? Abbey helped me pick it out at Goodwill shortly before the shoot.

Be sure to check out our post tomorrow: "Movin' Sprinkle Style."
 

The Projects: Revealed

On Independence Day, Abbey and I went to the mall. We bought the mirror seen in the picture above at Kirkland's on sale for $20.00. It was WAY marked down. I hung it finally! Note, there is still a mirror underneath the one in the picture. Fortunately, the new mirror fit perfectly right over it. I also realize that our light above the mirror is NOT even. I kept trying to get the mirror even and then I finally used the laser leveler that I had been using to make sure that the screws were even, to see if the light was level. Guess what? It wasn't!

A LONG time ago, I bought a pot rack for Abbey. I have been delaying putting it up because I could not find a stud in the ceiling. Apparently, I am the only stud around here! (Don't laugh!) Anyway, I bought a nice, heavy-duty anchor and cautiously drilled a 1/2 inch round hole in our kitchen ceiling. Thankfully, everything worked out and above you can see the finished project. the picture below is just one that I thought had a neat perspective.
Below you can see what I am doing right now! Missing my wife! I can't wait until she comes home tomorrow! I will be so glad to see her. However, if I don't get upstairs to fold the laundry, she will probably not be too happy to see me!
 

My Office

I took the above pictures on my way to see Abbey for my birthday yesterday. I was bored, so I got the camera out. Do I look older? I know that my face is a lot more full than it was this time last year, and so is my belly.

Here is a picture from one view of my office. You can see one of my desks, my Mac computer, and an assortment of frogs and my ONE bookcase. But, I got a new one today, so there will be more books coming from home. Most of the frogs are in the window sill. Wait until you see my view.

The next view is just another view of the rest of the window sill and my other desk. In the bottom middle of the desk you can see my wicker frog candy holder. It's gotten a lot of attention.

AND now...Here is my view. I look out over Union Station, the old depot from the 8th floor. Isn't it a beautiful view? I really like it.

(There were supposed to be two other pictures, but I don't know where they have gone. I will post them later, because I am going to go to sleep now, because I wake up at 5:30 to go to work now! Have a great day!) 

The Amazing Umbrella

Look at the umbrella in the picture below. Nothing special about it, right? Just a striped umbrella that could be purchased at any mega retail store (Wal-Mart in our case). Don't let the first glance fool you, though. This umbrella is an amazing flying umbrella.


Before you start thinking I have been drinking my strawberry fresh fruit slush from Sonic too quickly and I have gotten brain freeze, I am not! This umbrella really flies. A couple of weeks ago, we came home and the umbrella was not in the stand but it was just laying on our deck. Then about a week ago, we came home and it was on the side of the deck. We put it back, and then on Sunday we came home and it was in the empty lot beside our house!


See, I'm not really crazy. I have tried closing the umbrella completely and I have tried leaving it open. Nothing seems to deter the umbrella from flying away. Once it gets better at flying I think that I am going to use it to fly downtown to work. That should be a good way to avoid the crazy traffic on 65.

Not a lot to report tonight. Abbey is gone to Centrikid camp for the week. I worked pretty hard today on some editing. Tomorrow is my birthday and I am going to leave work and go see Abbey at camp. My IL's are also going to come and go to supper with us. I came home and mowed the yard in the sprinkles (Note, I am not refering to our friends the Sprinkles, it was really, sprinkling outside.). Now, I am watching "Treasure Hunters." It is SOO dramatic, NOT!