Yakov and other disturbing things...

Ok, so I spoke too soon, as usual. Fall only lasted a few days, and Summer has made a reappearance. Ugh. At least it’s only slightly uncomfortably toasty, not the blistering melt-your-tongue-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth oven-like heat of July and August.

Yes, I’ve been absent once again, but I have a good excuse. Mr. Hooter and I made a much-needed trip to Missouri this weekend to attend the “Big Doin’s that was a transpirin’” (words of my brother Trent) for my Grandma’s 90th b-day. A great time was had by all, especially me, who hadn’t seen much of my family since I became a Mrs. I also got to hold my new month-old cousin Cole for the first time, which was awesome as long as he didn’t cry. I do hope the crying-baby phobia goes away when I have my own…as of now when I hold a baby and it cries, I’m like a quarterback handing off to a running back in the backfield. And I got to eat cake and homemade ice cream…that in itself always constitutes a good day.

Seeing the rest of the fam was great, too, though they gave me a hard time for not being around much over the past year, and Marden started feeling like he was thought of as a controlling husband. I told him that was ridiculous…my family knows any attempt at control will result in numerous body abrasions for the prospective controller. Nope…all home absences have been due to my controlling job, on which unfortunately I can’t inflict bodily harm.

Well, the week turned a bit sour when the day after the birthday festivities, when my OTHER Grandmother passed away. She had recently been admitted into the hospital and hadn’t been doing well at all, so in a way it was sort of a relief that she’s not suffering anymore. While its customary and expected to be sad at someone’s passing, it’s pretty uplifting believing that they’re in a better place, which I firmly do. At the risk of sounding callous, it wasn’t all negative – I got in some much-needed family time, Tye made it up from Shreveport, and I met some family from St. Louis that I had NO IDEA even existed, and hopefully some correspondence will continue and I’ll get to know them better.

In addition, a lady from church made us the BEST PIE EVER, which was a gooseberry/blueberry pie, called a BlueGoose. I’d never had a BlueGoose before, but I sure would like to have another. Anyone have a recipe?

Another great thing about being home was getting to watch a Chiefs game. Well…it should’ve been a good thing, but they lost. Again. My Chiefs are now 0-2, not counting all their pre-season losses. Matter of fact, I ditched the game to help mom grade papers. You know your team sucks when grading 7th and 8th grade papers is preferable to watching them play.

So today is my first day back at work. Since Marden had gone to the new house the night before, I had a long solitary reflective drive yesterday back to Lake Frierson in mom and dad’s old truck I borrowed so I could haul the trailer without blowing a second Explorer transmission. When you drive that long on your own in an old truck, your mind tends to wander and begins to contemplate the universe.

For example, you wonder things, such as - Why does every Barbara Mandrel song sound like a show tune?

Who in their right mind labels a tanker truck with the tagline “Lubrication Specialists”?

Just how many billboards does Yakov Smirnoff need? And really, hasn’t he been in the U.S. for like 50 years by now? When does one stop being a crazy Russian?

And speaking of crazy things, I missed one of my most favorite days of the year on the 19th - Talk Like A Pirate Day!

:( I guess there's always next year....arrrggg.