I Thought My Ears Were Going To Throw-up

 Just because Grandma J has been AWOL for over two years doesn't mean that her world stopped spinning.   Nope, not in the slightest.   There have been numerous road trips, some involving blizzards, buzzards, lizards......

......... and even a Javalina or two, the Arizona State Bird.

 Eventually, all the dirt will come out in the wash, so to speak, but for now, she wants to tell you about a phone conversation she had.

Ever since Grandma J moved to the spa, she has had cable TV and Internet service provided by Time Warning.  Not always the best, and as she recently discovered, not the cheapest by a long shot.

When she won a new TV at a casino, along with hook-up instructions, there was a coupon for satellite service through IndirectTV at a much cheaper price.  Wasn't that one heck of a run on sentence? 

After a bit of research, and an in-depth conversation with her son-in-law.... she seriously considered switching.  The free DVD recording, the Genie remotes and NFL Ticket all made the decision easy.

With the discount coupon, and her cell phone fully charged, Grandma J called the toll free number for satellite TV.  After hitting 1 for new service, 3 for bundled service, then 7 for "I don't know", she pushed 0 to speak to a representative.   Does anyone know why that can't be the first option?  
Seriously?

Pamela was the lucky representative to have the pleasure of signing Grandma J up.  Part of the sales pitch is determining the end user's TV preferences and internet usage.   In the course of this conversation, Pamela asked if Grandma J did any online dating.....Grandma J told her "no".  

Once all the details were ironed out, once again, Pamela asked Grandma J if she went to any online dating sites.   Now this question wasn't just annoying, it was getting a bit insulting. 

 Finally she asked Pamela, "Why do you keep asking me if I go to any online dating sites"?

"Huh", asked Pamela?

 "I don't recall asking you anything about online dating.  I did, however ask you if you did any online gaming."

Just about then, Grandma J thought her ears were going to throw-up.

A Gift Words Can't Describe


*click picture to enlarge

Happy weekend, make the most of it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LITTLE GIRL

I'll never forget the day you were born. You were perfect. Not just healthy perfect, but so beautiful that my internist stopped by and would hold you and rock you ....in awe of your beauty....and that's the truth. You continue to be beautiful inside and out. I am proud of the woman, wife, mother and daughter you are today. I love you.

That's right, it's my little girl's birthday. Well, my middle daughter. Since she works long hours and yes, her husband just left three days ago for Iraq, the kids wanted to fix dinner for her. Actually, my granddaughter made the dinner with my help, and her brother decided on the menu. Stuffed baked potatoes with the works.


JJ bought his Mommy gifts and flowers.


He also bought her a tiara...

The kids were happy to smother their Mommy with love.

And when my grandson got carried away, You-know-who got jealous.

My granddaughter made a chocolate cake with ice cream filling in the center.

And yes Grandma J dove right in.....my bad!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

That's right....we stayed on target and all's well that ends well......minus a few bumps along the way...whipped cream anybody?

My middle daughter and her husband went to an Army Deployment Ball tonight. A formal affair with over 1,000 in attendance for the 1st Cavalry Soldiers deploying to Iraq in January.

Our mission was for a dress. Dillard's was the only local store that had anything suitable, but the selection was still sparse.

We ended up with this short number.....but the next morning she asked me to go back and get the long one....something her husband rightfully wanted her to wear.

This is the top portion of the long one. The bottom portion is just plain old long and black.

These are the shoes she picked.

This is SGT John getting ready.

Middle daughter doing the same.

Wishing these were perky-er!

Putting the finishing touch on.....

Such a handsome couple, don't you think?

THE CAISSONS GO ROLLING ALONG



Mother Nature was kind enough to give us a break in the rain so we could enjoy the Veterans Day Parade.

Killeen Texas is home to Fort Hood. Fort Hood is the largest Army base in the Country, and Killeen is a great place have a Veterans Day Parade in the older downtown area.




The 1st Cavalry Division Band leads off the parade!

My son-in-law is 1st Cav.

There are several High Schools in the Killeen ISD, but Killeen HS was the first, and they are the ROOS....well, actually, they are the Kangaroos...but be careful what you say because their pride runs deep.

Every high school has ROTC program, and they are huge....and considered a valuable presence on campus......

....every single one of them


If I had known about this guy representing the Y....

...and this guy, who represents himself, JJ would have been marching too, and he will next year!


Veterans from every war were honored



Our debt to some is enormous

The First Cavalry, First Team covered wagon has a dog....



And they ride in the Rose Parade in Pasadena CA on New Years Day...
And last but not least....

Hot cowboys soldiers on horses!


Waving at Grandma J
I loved this small town Veterans Day Parade!!


* FYI, I stood on a corner, and the formation of some of the groups look a bit askew as they made the turn.

SATURDAY Part I

Just a quick update about my early Saturday morning rendezvous.

I got up early.....traveled to Hastings Book Store an hour before they opened. I wasn't the first one there, but I was second in line.

Then my son-in-law, 1st SGT. John showed up.

When the store opened we were privileged to meet Col. Oliver North, and have him sign his lasted book...

He signed it: To John, Soldier on....Oliver North

For me and my soldier, it was an honor to meet Col. North.

WE INTERRUPT TODAY FOR A BRIEF UPDATE

By interrupt, I mean one of the following..

1.Take a break from something
2.Cause something to stop
3.Disturb somebody or somebody’s work
4.Obstruct view

Here is exactly what happened. By exactly I mean sort of.

I boarded my flight, and took my coveted First Class seat....4-D, and buckled up without the assistance of a seatbelt extention the young guy next to me.

Please understand, I was only able to fly First Class because I upgraded to First Class using my frequent flyer miles...because I get one mile for every dollar I spend at Walmart and Disneyland. Those miles add up, and my bank account goes down at the same rate? Some coincidence!

By the way, did you notice how much I like saying First Class?

I had a yummy breakfast of pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit and a croissant.

This is what it looked like....after I finished.

When I arrived in Dallas, I had a two hour layover before continuing my journey to the local regional airport where I live.

I found me a nice little cubicle-like niche with electrical outlets and free wifi.

I couldn't wait to post and keep my readers reader abreast of my journey.

I plugged this in....

Then I connected this..... and I tried and tried to connect to the internet. Everything indicated that I was in fact connected....but I wasn't. As time dwindled down, I had to give up on my efforts. As I was unplugging stuff that I plugged in, I noticed this.

Yeah, I never connected this. NEVER!
That is my lame explanation for the late update. Seriously!

When my son-in-law brought me home to the compound...

This was on my door. They missed me...yeah, my aqua aerobics pals.....who would have thought?


But my favorite neighbor didn't know I was gone? Seriously!

A TWO - FER, JUST FOR YOU

I didn't forget about my regular Friday Matinee on Monday. Just because it's Labor Day, doesn't mean I would let you down. Nope, it take a lot more than a silly Holiday to make me break my promise.

My daughter and her family invited me over this afternoon. I figured we were just going to hang out, watch some TV, and wrestle with JJ. Especially since my daughter already took me out for my birthday Friday night, and I spent the night Saturday. But I was surprised.

My granddaughter made me this nice cake in her Susie Homemaker Oven all by herself, proving once again, she can be productive and still punch out 600 text messages a day.

Then my middle daughter and JJ invited me to join the family for a movie of my choice. I chose Long Shot. Luckily, everyone was happy with that decision except JJ, so he stayed home.
Ice Cube was fantastic as the unemployed uncle in a depressed town whose factory has closed, leaving the towns people struggling to make ends meet..including him. He didn't have much motivation to do much of anything, and gets roped into watching his niece Jasmine, a few hours a day to help out while her mom worked late at the cafe.

The relationship blossomed, but not without a few bumps in the road. Keke Palmer was fantastic as Jasmine Plummer, the first girl quarterback in Pop Warner Football. True story!

I loved this movie...everyone did! We laughed and wanted to cry at times. The acting was exceptional, and the story wasn't corny. I recommend it for all ages.

I won't be able to do a movie review the next two weeks unless there is one on the ship I haven't seen, and I can talk one of my friends to watch one with me. I will do my best....you know I will.