OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING...

...oh what a beautiful day! In case you're wondering, yes we had a marvelous time on our little jaunt.

Our trip began at 5pm (a little late because Daddeee got held up at work). We drove for about an hour until we reached highway 7 which turned out to be a very scenic route to which we were treated to a magnificent sunset. With the exception of the 2 times we came upon deer, the drive was spectactular. We missed our turn once and ended up out of Kansas and into Nebraska but that's ok. I can say now that I've been to yet another state.

We checked into our lovely little cabin around 7ish. There were indeed only 4 cabins. We were in cabin #1, the non-smoking cabin. It was a one room and a bathroom cabin that included a queen-sized bed, a table and chairs, a microwave and mini-fridge, and a tv with Directv. I was extremely impressed with how nice the cabin was.

We left our cabin and went to have dinner at the casino. It was a buffet and the food was decent enough that we left stuffed. The casino was small but included all of my favorite games. We enjoyed a night of slot machines and each other's company. It was little after ten when we went back to the cabin.

I awoke at 7am the next morning and opened the curtains of the cabin to discover we were surrounded by fog. I could barely see across the porch of the cabin. I flipped channels on the tv until 9am when the local convenience store opened so I could walk down there for coffee.

We checked out and headed to Hiawatha, Kansas where we had a scrumptious breakfast at LoriLou's. The food was truly made by (to quote Pauly Shore from The Son-in-Law) "down home cookin' people". Fried eggs, thick cut crispy bacon, hashed browns to which I had them add onions and peppers (hey, I needed my veggies), and wheat toast. I know it's not the healthiest of meals but it sure was yummy!

The rest of the day was spent touring small town Kansas. We drove through Atchison and saw the birthplace of Amelia Earheart, followed part of the Lewis and Clark trail, and even did some "muddin' " in the 4-wheel drive.

It was a nice relaxing time that left me completely exhausted. How is that possible?

Good thing I took tomorrow off to recoup (and hopefully find time to post pictures.)

BAD BLOGGING MOMMEEE...

Someone slap me on the wrist. It's been too long since I've last blogged. Really, I do have good reasons.

First off, I'm on 8 hours of overtime AGAIN this week. I'm so tired. I feel like I never get to spend time with my family.

Second, I came down with a horrible cold 2 days ago that knocked me on my butt. On top of the cold, I couldn't call in sick so I had to suck it up and work sick, which is probably why I caught the darn bug to begin with. Everyone continues to come in sick. Touching the printer or the fax machine is like touching a big ole nasty kleenex.

Other than work and being sick, nothing much is going on....except for the BIG WEEKEND GETAWAY!!! that starts Saturday afternoon promptly at 3:45pm. Oh let me share this with you.

Daddeee and I are going on an overnight getaway! He gets off work at 3:30pm on Saturday, all bags will be packed, and as soon as he honks to let me know he's home...we're wisking away to...BIG DRUMROLL PLEASE...Casino White Cloud in podunk White Cloud, Kansas.

Now this might not sound very exciting to all of you jet-setters out there but for us little folk, this is big stuff. This evening of excitement includes no screaming children/preteens, nothing but adult entertainment, and total relaxation. Our accomodations include a reserved cabin (one of their Four, count them, Four cabins), liquor, dinner for 2 (not sure about the restaurant yet), more liquor, an evening of penny slots, did I mention liquor?, and more adult entertainment in the cabin to top off the evening. What more could a sleep deprived, sex deprived woman want?

IT'S OFFICIAL!....

We're officially going on vacation this year to Lampe, Missouri. We reserved the cabins for the last week of May. Vacation time at work has been scheduled. I can't wait!

We've been there many times before and have never had a bad time.

The cabins are 2 bedroom cabins with a small living room and kitchenette. The greatest appeal of the place is that it's many miles away from anything other than lake and woods. It's nestled at the bottom of a huge hill next to Table Rock Lake. Another plus is there's no cell phone service. Yes, I shall repeat...no cell phone service. It'll be just us and nature.

Ok, so not just us. Our long time friends will be going with us along with their kids. (Ruizster, remember to pack cigarettes this time!) It's going to be a BLAST!

Our itinerary includes a play day in Branson, Missouri, go carts, waterboats, and shopping galore! Hopefully, I'll also be able to find us a show to see while we're there.

I'm sure I'll post more about this because as you can tell, I'm super revved about the whole thing!

SHOCKING SATURDAY...

I know. It's shocking. Me, posting on a Saturday. Doesn't seem right. Well I'm sitting here waiting for the alarm clock to go off so I can go to work. Yes, I'm working today. It's awful, isn't it?

Notice I said I'm waiting for the alarm to go off. I'm so used to being up and out of here before 5 that this morning, even though I don't have to be there until 7, I couldn't sleep. Habits can be cruel.

So a quick recap of the previous week (and I did say quick because not much happened). Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty much average, ordinary days. Thursday we shook things up a bit and had dinner at Cici's Pizza for Bubba's old school's night out. Our neighbor's kid still goes to that school and she invited us to go along. It was fun. Mrs. Principal was there along with a few of the teachers that we knew. They all praised our growing Bubba and how "mature" he acts. <---you come live with him and you'll see just how mature he acts at home LOL.

Last night, Daddeee and I stopped for drinks after work and it was a pleasant time. A few of our friends were there and we enjoyed a couple Bloody Marys and some entertaining conversation.

For dinner last night, Daddeee grilled up some most scrumptious steaks and I made some more of the Peppery Shrimp. Per Daddeee's suggestion, I replaced the pepper with cajun seasoning. I think I prefer the pepper version better.

The rest of the evening was spent playing catch up on The Celebrity Apprentice. I'm loving this season! I'm beginning to wonder, though, if Trump and Omarosa aren't having some sort of a fling because I just can't see why she's still on there. I think she's the William Hung of The Apprentice. What is it with these people that have no talent yet still become famous? If that's how it works, I should be rich and famous by now.

Anyway, I smell the coffee brewing and calling my name so I'm off to go put on my face and get my rear in gear.

Have a wonderful Saturday! I'm sure I'll be back for a Sunday dose.

MONDAYS SUCK...

I know that's not the most creative title to have ever been used on a blog but I'm too tired to come up with anything else. Besides, it's true.

I started out the day a little later than normal so I didn't have time to make coffee. I'd have been up at a decent time but staying up late last night to watch House did me in. I stopped at the convenience store by work to get some coffee and just couldn't pass up the white chocolate flavored cappucino. At least I wasn't completely a bad girl and I mixed it 50-50 with plain coffee. I still paid the price for too much sugar and didn't feel at the top of my game for most of the day.

I got to work and found out we're twice as far behind as we were last week so we're once again on 8 hours of overtime. Ugh! I'm already tired. How am I going to find the energy to fit in another 8 hours?

Adding to this, Gooey's been sick for 2 weeks with a cold and as soon as it begins to go away, it comes back full force. Today, it came back with a vengeance. Runny nose, terrible cough, and just sheer crabbiness is how it's been with this poor kid for weeks. He's barely eaten anything for 4 days. I sent Daddeee to the store (in truth, he volunteered) to get Pediasure so that at least some vitamins get into the child, and he comes back with gatorade. What? Gatorade for a 2 year old? He says the Pediasure was too expensive. He doesn't know it yet, but he's going back to the store for Pediasure. Hey he volunteered, didn't he?

I also had every intention of posting a meatloaf recipe with pictures to my blog today. It was going to be Monday Meatloaf but when I got home from work, one of my neighbors was outside dealing with drama with a neighborhood child. I feel so sorry for the kid. The mom's rarely home and he's left with his 14 yr old sister. When he got home from school today, his sister was no where to be found so he was home alone....he's only a kindergartener. We made a call to the school counselor to find out what our options are. Maybe the mom just needs a wake up call.

So the meatloaf was quickly put together and thrown into the oven without it's photo session. Maybe next Monday.

So now that dinner's all done, I'd normally sit down to watch my favorite Monday night TV shows but because of this writer's strike I have nothing to watch.

I guess I could just call it an early evening and go to bed. What an exciting life I lead.

SUNDAY SUPPER...

I found a another recipe at The Pioneer Woman Cooks! that I just had to try. Shrimp is my absolute favorite food. PW calls this Barbecue Shrimp, but I thought it more of a Peppery Shrimp. It's a simple recipe without too many ingredients. Here are the players in the SuperBowl Sunday Supper:

I used 2 lbs of shrimp, fresh cracked pepper, salt, worcestershire sauce, tabasco, and good old real butter. The actual recipe can be found at The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

I spread all that yummy shrimp out on the pan. I couldn't just have shrimp for supper (well I could have but it seemed a bit lonely) so I made some scrumptious cheese bread to keep it company.

Doesn't that look delightful?

Here's a sneak peak at the shrimp before it slips into the broiler.

While I was waiting for the bread to cook, I decided to get myself a little something to drink. This is my favorite glass. We call it my "Ogre Glass".

OK so I was so intent on wetting my whistle, that I almost burned the bread. Ok, so I burned it a little. We'll just call it bread with character. Maybe no one will notice.

And now for the star of the show. This is the shrimp right after I pulled it from the hot broiler. Doesn't it just look yummy?

Here's a closer look. See all that juice? That's why I wanted to make the bread. There's nothing better than bread dipped in drippins.

I moved the shrimp asside so you could get a closer look at the juices.

I can't take all the credit for this meal. I do owe the credit of the recipe to The Pioneer Woman Cooks! She's my idol. And this little man picture above was the bestest helper. I couldn't have cooked all this deliscious food without him under my feet and tripping over his toys. Plus, he's just too darn cute to not include in this post.