Holidays in a Nutshell

This Thanksgiving weekend has been a busy one for me and my Texas family.

My son-in-law's mother came in from Tucson Wednesday night, and has been sleeping with JJ....or rather JJ has been sleeping with her.

I tell myself he remembers her from last Christmas when she came to town with Tabatha. And he probably thinks Tabatha is stashed somewhere in her luggage or under the bed

We had a great dinner this year with the whole family present. After calling my granddaughter in Florida, daughter and grandkids in Colorado, son and his family in CA, and oldest daughter in So CA, I headed over to help cook here in Texas.

Last year SGT John was in Iraq, so this year the kids are thrilled to celebrate with him.

I took my granddaughter on a couple of driving lessons, and of course JJ always rides shotgun.

Then the whole bunch of us went to Bingo. Here in Texas kids over six years old can play bingo...for money. It was a long day.

Today, none of us were in a Black Friday shopping mood, and thank goodness. I read where someone got trampled to death at a Walmart in New York, and two people got shot at a Toys R Us in Palm Desert (or was it Palm Springs?)

Instead the four women went to get pedicures and manicures, then to Jason's deli. On my way home, I stopped at Walmart for a few staples and ended up finding a few bargains. How about Four dollars for a two qt. crock pot?

Now, it's off to bed....maybe sleep in tomorrow, maybe not.

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
the light being the sun rising in the east

*disclaimer: Please don't adjust your set computer monitor, the images you see are blurry on purpose the results of absolutely no pixels....or maybe no coffee.

I had the honor of spending some quality time with my best guy JJ, this weekend. We did the usual cruising the hood every hour or so, then we headed out for Mexican food for dinner...because he's half chihuahua, Mija!

We stayed up pretty late playing gin rummy Who has the Toy. It's a game we play where one of us hides the toy under their shirt or down their pants and the other one has to find it.

We finally turned in at about 2 a.m. Turning in is going upstairs to JJ's big sister's room...the one with the comfy bed and wide screen flat panel TV. At the break of dawn, when the rooster crows, I woke up to some whimpering, causing me to sit up and look around. This is what I saw.........

JJ was in the loft, looking out the window whining.

What is it, JJ.....that makes you risk being blinded by the bright sun so sad?

I raise the binds and....well, looky there! The neighbors have a new dog! A dog that is totally ignoring your cries of friendship. He will be sorry when Tabatha comes for Thanksgiving and you don't let him play with her. Yeah, he'll be sorry....unless he redeems himself.

WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS...
..is no secret

Because, when Grandma J steps into the world of gambling, corruption and brothels, she shares it all with her peeps! As my oldest daughter alerted you to on my last post, my flight out of the local regional airport, who's slogan is "We'll Take You There" was canceled, as were all flights to Houston, where I was supposed to connect to Vegas. The weather was fine, so why were all flights cancelled? Let me tell you...it's because it's the same friggin plane that travels to and from this local regional airport and Houston all day, and the next day. And because this condition is permanent and terminal (as in airport terminal), Grandma J wasn't happy with rescheduling for the next possible flight...the next day! So she walked all the way over to the only other airlines and got booked on their next flight which connects out of Dallas to Vegas.

Because this other airline is located about ten feet away, they arranged the change with the original airlines electronically. So, off we go, and because of the changes, Grandma J arrived in Las Vegas five hours late, but at least it was the same day.

I met Tabatha's Mommy, Marianne, who is also my son-in-law, Sgt. John's Mommy too...and my friend.
We stayed at the Four Queens downtown....
which isn't ritzy like The Strip with all the panhandlers and prostitutes. It's where the whole Vegas thing started way back when. It's also where the fabulous Fremont Experience is. Several years ago Fremont street was closed off for two blocks of hotels, that were renovated and covered to create a plaza with kiosks and a great laser show several times a night with great music.
Our room was on the fifth floor, and this is the view. This is what the covered Fremont Plaza looks like during the day from the street level.

These next pictures are from our room for the light show...which moves too fast for Grandma J's cheap camera.

And lookie who Grandma J found in the casino?

We had a blast, meeting old friends.

And getting chummy with people with familiar names, like John Wayne.
And maybe inhaling too much laughing gas...or developing a food allergy or something that might affect our small motor skills....just saying.

But two days later, the fun came to an end... or did it?

The final chapter of this junket is still raw and painful. Spending 22 hours to get home, with eight of them hanging with my new roomie was not the icing on the cake, just saying! The icing, if you want to call it that, was the fact that out of the zillions of others who attended our sleepover in the Houston airport, my new roomie and I were the ones who found the only four comfy chairs to make matching beds.

GRADUATION, BIRTHDAY,
and all things fattening

This has been a week of family celebrations here in Texas. If getting cornered to look at family photos nauseates you, then this post won't be your cup of tea or glass of tequila. It started with the graduation of my granddaughter who's Miss All That With a Cherry on Top.
I know you're thinking, Gosh Grandma J sure is short and fat, but really? my granddaughter is extremely tall. Don't be fooled by her looks...she graduated from Middle School, and will be entering the ninth grade in the Fall.
Here's another picture of Miss Graduate with her brother, who's also the Birthday Boy. I don't think he's pinching her because I can see both his hands. Could it be she has to go potty shoes that hurt her feet?
Then we grab some poor soul who's trying to take their own pictures, to take a family photo of all five of us. Besides the Graduate and Birthday Boy we have Grandma J, her Middle Daughter and her handsome husband, Master Sergeant John...who has served two deployments to Iraq. Those deployments were sandwiched with two deployments to Korea. Don't tell anyone, but I heart John. John is also Tabatha's big brother.

The Birthday Boy turned 12! He is on a traveling baseball team, when he's not on his traveling basketball or football teams. Because of all his sports obligations, the party with all the boogie woogie...get down stuff was "on the road".
Imagine if you will, about fifteen families staying at Motel 6 partying. Does anyone wonder why Grandma J likes hanging with JJ on weekends?

If you think the partying is over, think again. I won't let celebrations like these go without a trip to our favorite restaurant. Well, it's really the Birthday Boy's favorite, and that's all Grandma J needs to know.
Then we had some of this.....
And these....
Topped off with four crazies digging their spoons into this.

DIVA UNLEASHED
or Lady And The Tramp, the sequel

I'm a dog lover. I don't own a dog anymore, and I don't plan on getting one any time soon. I don't have a yard for a dog to play in, and I think a dog needs a place to romp. I also have some travel plans that would take me away for up to a month at a time, and dogs are pack animals, they thrive on being part of a family. You can't train a puppy in increments either. Besides, I have JJ to play with, have sleep-overs and car rides.

Last Christmas, I was staying at my daughter's home. Her mother-in-law, Marianne, came for a week to celebrate the holidays with her son and his family. This was a special Christmas because she arrived in Texas the same day her son (my SIL) arrived home from Iraq.

I always enjoy seeing Marianne. When I drove to Texas from SoCA last year, I stayed at her beautiful home in Tucson for two days. Now, a bit of background...Marianne is the mother of six grown men. That's right, six boys, and no daughters....until she got Tabatha. So how excited were we when Tabatha came to spend the holidays with her big brother us too?

Now JJ is quite hyper, and neither he nor Tabatha are used to being around other dogs, let alone share the same territory for a week. To our surprise, they couldn't get enough of each other. Romping and playing, chasing each other, even lying down together when they got tired. Luckily they were both fixed, so we didn't have that worry. JJ was so attached to Tabatha that he threw a fit when Tabatha and Marianne went to bed at night and shut the bedroom door. He won that battle and wormed his way in to sleep with them every night.

So fast forward to this May. I emailed a picture of JJ to Marianne. One that I took with my cheap digital point and shoot camera. Similar to these two that I took today.

JJ loves to dare me to take his toy..within seconds of my arrival.

And he listens when I ask him if he wants to see Tabatha.

Yesterday, I got a lovely note from Tabatha and Marianne, with these pictures.

Can you tell "someone" is thrilled to finally have a little girl? Does JJ have good taste or what? and really? I don't think I could be as dedicated to a dog as Marianne is to Tabatha, but I'm tickled pink that she gets so much enjoyment from this pampered little princess. It fulfills a small little void, and she has her little baby girl to spoil. And my son-in-law has a cute little sister (oh, yeah, he will love me saying that). Tabatha is a lucky little lady. JJ like so many guys loves him a high maintenance lady!