Love Stinks

When you love your friends, you will do anything for them. Especially when they call you for rodent removal advice and especially when they sound desperate. Apparently, we are now "experts" in rodent removal since we have had a bad case of Rats. Cindy calls last night--whispering--"I need some advice. I think there is something alive in my dryer vent hose!" I said, "Well, pull out the dryer and lift the hose so the 'thing' will scramble back out."
Cindy: "NOOOO! I am standing on a stool looking over the back of the dryer! I am not getting that close!" Me: (trying to be supportive yet not enabling) "Gee..wish I lived closer so I could come over and help.." Cindy: (squeals) "It moved!! and there is a little rip in the dyer tubing!!" Me: Where is Tim?? Cindy: At Youth group at church. Me: Alright. I am coming over.
So with rat cage and a miniature baseball bat in hand (for effect), off I went. Long story short, I went outside holding the cage up against the vent HOLE (no cover on this, people) and Cindy banged the dryer tubing and turned on the dryer. Well, he must of thought Christmas had come early, because he didn't budge. Me:'Turn off the dryer and bang on the vent again, Cindy.'
Picture this, she is perched on top of the dryer with a broom partially covering the ever enlarging hole in the tubing, and a mop banging the poor creature to move on out of his personal sauna! I am standing outside with a flashlight between my legs holding the cage handle with one hand and the cage trap door with the other. Well, disrupted, the animal comes scrambling out of the vent, into the cage. I can't get the door down and am hollering at Cindy that "I've got it!!!" Well, it has enough of that and realizes where it is, does a 180 and back into the vent it goes, but not before it let me know that it was indeed NOT a rat, but a POLECAT as we call them in Arkansas. Commonly known as a SKUNK. Back into the house I go, crawl on top of the dryer and bang the Bejesus out of that tubing so Skunky evacuates AGAIN and is Gone Daddy Gone out into the cover of darkness. PEWWWWWW! Cindy lights big vanilla candle and leaves it in the laundry room checking it about 15 minutes later she says, "I think the smell is gone!" Sniffing the air I observe, "Not unless it has been replaced by a Vanilla scented skunk fart." Needless to say, I had to 4 bag my jeans and shirt and put on a pair of Tim's big orange basketball shorts. I stopped by church on the way home and wielding my mini-bat, gave Tim a hard way to go re: home maintenance and rodent prevention. Do you know what he had to say in his defense? "Hey, those shorts look pretty good on you!" Those shorts look pretty good on you too in the pic below... :)

This is Tim checking out the skunk sich. (as in situation)
What is going on here???? I hope the gentle cycle is on...He owes me big. I am now praying over my favorite jeans and soaking them in Hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and baking soda. *Sigh* I love my friends. They really give me good blog material. OK maybe Good is too STRONG a word...

Catch up...

If not keeping up with my blog is any indication of how I have over scheduled myself... Woo..did it to myself, but October was a fun month! Definitely not complaining. It's been full of Arkansas visits, musical, Pumpkin Carving Party, Rock Band Competition, Pampered Chef Party, Will's Halloween Party and into November with my 45th Birthday!! Crammed a year of parties into October and hopefully will not feel compelled to do that again too soon! Oh, and did I mention RATS again. Heaven help us. Although our Jack Russell/Rat Terrier is feeling like she now has a purpose. Our cat, however, knows that his purpose is to stay on the bed and sleep through it. There ya go. My mom returned home from her treatment in Houston and is tired, but doing well. She is scheduled for treatments on Thanksgiving and again on Christmas. What are the chances for that? Geez.
Anyway, I feel so blessed to have friends and family. I spent my birthday EATING :) After church about 20 of us dined at a new Deli in town complete with Carrot Cake at the end! Last night after making dessert for the youth group at church, they all stood and sang happy birthday to me and my friend, Jeannie and Craig presented me with a delicious piece of chocolate cake from the "Olive Garden". When we returned home. Jen, Mal and Casey came down bearing angel food cake and fruit and b-day presents! Wow! what a day! Bloggers were sending best wishes all day and I was receiving texts as well! How fun for me! D and Anonymous D sent me fun monogrammed gifts AND a bag of chocolate chip cookies this week too! Of course I didn't wait until my birthday to open the package! No way! Curt and the boys gave me a virtual bike with a basket on the front. I need to go pick one out! Quite a change from my Trek road bike from a few years back! Think Ella will ride in the basket like Toto???!!
Here are pics from this month!

Will and the female lead in The Music ManI just like this pic and thought I would throw it in---The 3 D's!

OK..this is what happens when you spray paint in the garage and don't wear shoes. It actually makes a heart if you can get past the black feet!!! Ewwwwww! I always end up spray painting something before the Halloween party! This time it was the server in my dining room!

Sam's friend and Sam on Halloween

Halloween Curtains that I made while visiting my parents in Arkansas

Cupcake bites! I am addicted to making them! OK almost over the addiction now...

I was glittering everything I couldn't effectively spray paint including this skull and bones! Everything is better when it's shiny ya'll ...

Pumpkin carving party!

Jack-O-Lanterns

Jen, Carol and Shana

Those crazy Moore kids!!!

Will's Halloween party!
Will as "Snake". I think he is "sneaking" at this point...

Ella "ratting out" a rat...to no avail...

Will doing his best British "Rock Star" imitation with my (now vintage)1980's Sex Pistal's t-shirt

The 3 D's...

So lucky to have such great friends!!! "I get by with a little help from my friends..." Have a great day everyone!

Perspective

One thing in life that is guaranteed is that seconds will tick by and what your perspective is at second #10, may not be what your perspective is at second #11. My life perspective switched at about 0915 on Leap Day. Issues that were important at 0900 were not even on the radar at 0930. And what about the blood tests that take "several days" to come back? I mean, honestly...should we have to wait this day and time? Waiting has it's merits, though. It gives you time to sort things out, look up information and look around you. You find out within seconds who you think of first. "I have to call.....". "I Need to talk to.....". "I want ____ to pray for me." It's a bit overwhelming, actually, but who has a choice? Peace, Peace, Peace....that seems like a good prayer right now. When there's peace, thoughts can be gathered and organized much easier. Yep, that's what I am praying right now..... :)