Mama always said, "Stupid is as stupid does" (F. Gump)...and that would make me...wait for it...STUPID!

Nobody is any harder on me than I am on myself. It's a given. I have absolutely no patience for my own imperfections while I am forgiving of everyone else's. No, I don't think I'm perfect. I know that, for example, I have the memory of a drunken gnat. I hate that. It pisses me off. I know that I am somewhat OCD. I accept those issues, I'm just not tolerant of them. It is for that reason that I...wait, let me retrace some steps..

On Saturday, Feb. 16, 2011, I was invited by my friend and colleague, to attend a movie marathon in which we would see five of the Academy Award nominated movies. It was SUCH FUN! I made it through the first four movies and said, "You know, I'm really not looking forward to this last one and may not stay to the end." It was, The Fighter, with Mark Wahlberg. I thought it would be bloody and "Rockyish." I was wrong. When the movie was over I turned to my friend, Joyce, to say, "You know, that was WAY better than I expected...and nothing came out." Sometime during 90 minutes in a darkened theater I was viciously attacked by laryngitis...WITH NO WARNING! No coughing. No sore throat...to speak of. Nothing! Since that date I have not had one single day when I was not sick. No, not even one. The laryngitis hung on for almost 2 weeks. I went the doctor, got a shot...got a Medrol dosepak...got a Z-pak. It took a while but I got better. Not well, just better. Just when things were improving to the point of almost well, I started with this tickle in my chest. I coughed. It got worse. I coughed more. Soon I was coughing in fits and spasms multiple times throughout the day...and night. I went back to the doctor. I received 4 prescriptions and the assurance that I would be better in no time at all. That was last Thursday, March 24 (which was, coincidentally, my daughter's 30th birthday). It was also the day my dad was hospitalized...again...for congestive heart failure, COPD, etc. I faithfully took my medicine with no improvement at all. And then...

Last night, March 27th, I started coughing at about 11:00 p.m. and coughed constantly until well after 1:00 a.m. I could not lie down. I could not breath. I coughed until it felt like the top of my head was going to shoot off into the stratosphere. I had such a headache from coughing that all I could do was cry...which made the coughing worse. Finally I moved into a recliner in the living room where I could sit up and used my inhaler and prayed for sleep...which finally settled itself upon me. I pondered going back to the doctor (told you I was stupid...should I have even had to think about it?)

Today I got up and went to work, as normal. I had a dental appointment for a routine cleaning which had to be interrupted several times while I barked and hacked and coughed and cursed and griped and bitched and moaned and...you get the idea. I can't impress on you how bad this cough is. It reaches into the depths of my soul and starts ripping at my innards. I sound like a lonely seal in heat...barking uselessly for a mate that is frightened off by the rumble I am issuing from my lungs. Anyhoo, after the dentist, I was the chosen one to make a run to Target for a baby shower gift for a work colleague. Strolling through the baby items, I entered a row with the cute little onesies. The clerk working the other end of the aisle smiled at me and continue working...until I began my machine gun staccato blast of barks. I coughed so hard and long that I had to bend over in an effort to get my breath. My reading glasses fell to the floor, my face turned blood red and I barked and gasped. The poor clerk ran at me like she was going to tackle me and began hitting me on the back while blabbering,"WhatcanIdotohelp?ShouldIcallanambulance?Hasthishappenedbefore?Janice(or whatever her name was)tosecurityIhaveacustomerwhocan'tbreatheIthinkweneedanambulance." I am frantically trying to catch my breath while waving her off. OMG! An ambulance. I would die from the sheer embarrassment!! Besides, I had to get the gift back to work for the show after school! PRIORITIES!! Finally I caught my breath and was able to assure her that it was "chronic bronchitis" and I would be okay. I did notice, however, that as I continued through the store in other departments (gift wrap, dollar spot, etc.) that "Janice" managed to put in an appearance in my peripheral vision. Not OBVIOUSLY checking on me...just happening to be needed in the same area that I was shopping. Needless to say, as I was walking out the door I was dialing my doctor. Miracle of all miracles, I could get in at 2:45.(yeah, right).::insert aside here...I wish to go on record as saying that I detest illnesses that begin with the words "chronic," "severe," and/or "acute."::

I showed up at my appointment promptly at 2:45. I was called into an examining room at 3:15 and finally saw the doctor at 4:20. I was doing my horny seal imitation THE ENTIRE TIME. I was immediately sent for a chest xray (no pneumonia) and told, yet again, that I have "chronic bronchitis" which deviously invited it's friend, "acute sinus infection" to join the party in my respiratory tract. Bastard! I received a breathing treatment and after consultation was prescribed a steroid shot...a steroid tablet to take for 10 day...a nebulizer with a steroid to be used four to six times a day...and an inhaler with a steroid to open my lungs and used twice daily. Time for another digression...

My family and Scurry friends will tellyou that I should...operative word is should...know better than to take a steroid regimen...let alone FOUR of them. One year when I was working in Scurry, my husband and I worked on a play fort we have on our property during spring break. It's a really nice fort...two story...covered...the bottom level is enclosed and is a sand box. It was covered in these "dead" vines and we, in shorts and tank tops, proceeded to pull those "dead" vines off the fort where they were nicely climbing the walls. This was done with our bare hands. The next day...we both had poison ivy. I had never had it before but let me assure you that I never want it again!!!!! I was covered from head to toe. Face, arms, hands, stomach, back, legs, feet! I looked like a leper. I received numerous shots. I was place on 80mgs. of prednisone for over 2 weeks. I missed 11 consecutive days of work and the doctor threatened to put me in the hospital on an IV drip. Every time they tried to wean me from the drug, the poison ivy, which had gotten into my bloodstream, popped back out. Finally it was suppressed enough that they could wean me...then my heart rate jumped to over 200 beats a minute, my blood pressure went through the roof, I babbled incoherently, etc. I must say that while on the steroid, I would sleep 3 to 7 minutes a night (seriously) and feel like I had slept a full night. I ate like a wildebeest and was sooo jumpy inside my skin that I could NOT sit still. My husband got up at 2:00 a.m. one morning and found me stripping wallpaper in the hall bath. I completely renovated that bathroom in half a day...painting, redecorating, caulking, etc. By the time I was off the prednisone there was not a dirty washcloth, a cobweb, or a dust particle to be found in my home. Even after returning to work I was a nut case until that drug was completely out of my system. During that time I hired a teacher who later told me, "I wondered what I was getting into. You didn't ask me one question. You talked non-stop and so fast that I had to sit on the front of my chair to try to keep up with you." ::aside::it was good hire. She turned out to be an excellent teacher. But in summary...

.............STEROIDS ARE NOT, REPEAT, NOT MY FRIENDS!!!!..................................

So, when I went to the doctor today and got a STEROID SHOT, a STEROID INHALER, a STEROID MEDICATION IN MY NEBULIZER, and a prescription for PREDNISONE...what the hell was I thinking? Why did I not remember the weeks of sleepless nights. I have been up not for 21 hours after getting only 4 hours sleep and I am so wide awake that the idea of sleep is not even on the horizon. Why is this happening to me? Surely God isn't telling me it's time to redecorate again! Still...it has been a few years for that bathroom...

Like Forest said, "Stupid is as stupid does and I am just plain stupid!"

Spring Break 2011

This year, rather than try to take a trip somewhere, we stayed home for Spring Break and helped Kristin and Scott by keeping the boys. The didn't have child care for Trenton and would have had to take off work. No big sacrifice on our part. We LOVE keeping the boys.

On the first Sunday Ron and I took a quick trip to Winstar. I feel very lucky...came home with money. Not a winner...but didn't lose everything that I took. Yea me! On the way back from Oklahoma we stopped off at the Durbin casa and picked up the boys. By the time we got home it was bedtime for the boys.

On Monday morning we got up and had cereal for breakfast. I tried to alternate breakfast each morning, but lunch was a given each day...PB&J! Carter and I had a day of play and fun...Yo Gabba Gabba and Nick Jr. We played indoors since it turned out cool that day. Trenton went with Popaw to take Grandpa Harry to the doctor and pick out paint for the fort.


Tuesday was a different story. When I went in to check on Carter, I found him sound asleep with his nose buried in his Rocket toy and his naked butt shining for all the world to see. Too funny!


Once he got up we ate, played, colored, watched TV, etc. Popaw and Trenton worked on painting the fort while Carter played on the swings and with the dogs.



Wednesday found me at home with the boys while Popaw took Grandpa Harry back to the doctor for a checkup on his recent eye surgery. The boys pretty much entertained themselves that day and I was able to get lots done in terms of cleaning house, laundry, etc. I was also able to get all the cabinets and drawers in the wine room cleaned out while Carter was taking a nap. Big accomplishment. Wednesday evening we met Uncle Ryan at El Chico for dinner and Carter was actually friendly to Uncle Ryan. When Uncle Ryan gave him a hug he actually smiled. This is a running gag with our family in that Carter has his hierarchy of relationships. He ADORES Popaw, tolerates me most of the time, and scowls at Uncle Ryan. But Wednesday evening was different.

Thursday and Friday Popaw was tied up all all day with a softball tournament. The boys and I used that time to draw pictures, color, play, watch TV and generally just have a good time with each other. Thursday being St. Patrick's Day, we had green polka dot pancakes for breakfast, green peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and green chocolate milk for lunch, and a full on St. Patty's party with hats, blinking pins, and glow necklaces at dinner. Popaw grilled burgers and we had special cookies for dessert.







On Friday I got out some canvases I had purchased to let the boys each paint a picture for Mommy for her upcoming birthday day. Carter didn't get it at first, but once he did he would grab a new paintbrush, put some paint on it, dab it at the canvas, put it in water and grab another new paintbrush. Trenton divided his canvas into quarters and painted four Ben-10 characters for mommy. Needless to say, when she arrived to pick the boys up she was pleased with their presents.



Once the boys left with Mommy, Nana sat down in her recliner and fell fast asleep. I love having my boys, but I certainly understand why God gives you children when you are young!

What's on the menu? Family!

Left to Right: Barbara, Cathy and Carol
Daughters of: Dorothy, Mary and Jean

I had lunch today with two of my cousins, Barbara and Cathy. Why do we wait so long to get together? We have such a good time talking and reminiscing that we really should get together more often. It somehow comforts my spirit to get together and discuss each of our mothers and what we remember about the Whatley family. We have vowed to organize another family reunion and I vow to get to work on that right away. I always leave them with the best of intentions to get together again soon, but then life intervenes and...The older I get the more I feel a hunger to touch base with my roots occasionally. My mom and brother are gone and Daddy is 82. In the not too distant future my original nuclear family will be gone. These family members are the only ones who will be left that shared my childhood with me...that knew me when...that share my memories and my bloodline...my grandparents...my heritage. I don't want to lose them.

What is this thing called a "weekend?"

Seriously. Who came up with the idea that you should work 5 days and have only 2 days off? That is a lame-brained idea. Stupid in fact. While I guess we should be appreciative of the 2 days off, they fly by so quickly and you're never really "off."

Case in point. While I admit that this wasn't a typical weekend, it is far more common than uncommon. I got off of work last Friday afternoon at 4:00.I drove home, bit off my acrylic nails because they were chipping and I just didn't have time to get them fixed. Changing clothes, we headed out the door to go shopping for Saturday's birthday party. We ate dinner at Chipotle, ran by Sigel's for premixed margaritas and then headed to Walmart. It was almost 8:00 by the time we got home. I put away the groceries and then began cleaning house...really cleaning & not just straightening. I scrubbed bathrooms, dusted all furniture, vacuumed, unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher, washed and dried clothes...if I could think of it...it got done. Don't get me wrong. My house is relatively clean all the time. I can't tolerate clutter. It offends me visually and makes me jumpy and cranky. Uncluttered is different than clean. Clean is when the dust is gone, things are in their proper place and you can smell pine oil in the bathrooms. Clean is my cotton candles giving off their ambient light along with spreading their fragrance throughout the room. Clean is awesome. To me, it's like taking a hot shower and then crawling naked into a freshly made bed. I love, Love, LOVE clean. So...until 3:45 in the morning I sipped my wine and cleaned my house. My late arrival in dreamland caused me to sleep until 11:00 a.m. Saturday.

Okay. So Friday night is gone and Saturday morning is gone. I spent Saturday afternoon preparing the "birthday cake" for the party (see below) starting the queso in the crockpot and prepping the ingredients for 8 individual calzones. The pie shells had to be brought to room temperature and then folded out for pizza sauce, cheese, pepperoni, canadian bacon and Italian sausage to be added. They were so huge that my oven would only accommodate 2 at a time! Between 5:00 and 6:00 everyone arrived. Scott and Carter sat at the bar to snack on chips and queso and Carter saw the cake. He lost interest in everything else so it became necessary to distract him until Ryan and Richard got there. ::aside...they apparently can't read because they drove from Mesquite to Plano thinking it was at the Durbin estate and then had to drive to Rockwall:: Anyway...everyone got there, ate, played with the kids and then put the kids to bed for the adult portion of the evening...cutthroat games. We played Apples to Apples and Balderdash. We laughed,aruged, drank margaritas and cokes and crown. We had a good time. But, I am "old" and had been up late the night before so I could feel my energy draining. Around midnight everyone left and that was then end of Saturday.

Sunday morning I got up around 10:00 and got dressed for the big day. I had purchased platinum level tickets to the Stars game for our Valentine celebration. The game was at 2:00 so we left the house a bit after noon. We had to stop by CVS to pick up a prescription, then we had to wait 15 minutes for the DART bus, so we got to the game six minutes into the first period. The Stars had already scored their only goal by the time we took our seats. But we had awesome seats...complete with a waitress to take our order should we desire something. We had a gift card for Luna de Noche and planned to eat there after the game so we didn't partake of the waitress' services at the game. But how nice to have that option! Anyway...once the game ended we walked to Luna de Noche...WHICH WAS CLOSED! I was somewhat pissed...and hungry! We walked on and ended up at Hard Rock Cafe where I enjoyed a nice salad and a Bud Light while Ronnie munched on a turkey burger. We walked the remainder of the way to the West End DART station and caught a train back to Garland where we arrived at our car at 7:00 p.m. We then drove to Waffle House in Mesquite so that I could meet my cousin Sharon and pass on a couple of bottles of wildberry shiraz. We left there at 9:00 and drove home where I took a bath, laid out my work clothes for the next day, unpacked a pendant light that had been delivered while we were gone, and did a couple of other things (took pills, drank a coke, etc.). As I lay back on my pillow I looked toward the ceiling where the time is projected and it less than lovingly screamed at me, "It's 1:15 a.m. you ding dong. You have to work tomorrow. You need to get some sleep!"

So I ask you now, what is the thing called a weekend? I think I was supposed to have one but don't have a clue what in the hell happened to it!

Okay...five more days and I will try it again!

The cake:


The boys and their calzones:


Appa, the newest member of the Durbin clan:

Let it snow, let it snow, let it...warm up!

Seriously! Enough already! It's almost Valentine's Day and we have snow on the ground...again. No offense intended. I think it can be beautiful, but I'm tired of it. We've already had more snow in the last two years than we did in most of my entire childhood. It just doesn't snow in Texas! At least it didn't...until now...maybe there is something to this global warming thing. But then, wouldn't that mean it would be getting warmer...not snowing? I don't know...gives me tiredhead. I just know this snow is costing me serious money. No work, no pay. The only good thing is I've been able to watch NCIS almost non-stop.

On a totally unrelated note, I got the paperwork from my attorney and am fairly close to filing for my federal and state permits to open my winery for online sales. Can hardly wait to place my order for all the equipment and get the room set up for production! Till then I continue brewing small batches. I have a black raspberry merlot that will be ready to bottle in two weeks and an apple reisling that is about 5 days behind that. Yummy!

Coming up on Valentine's Day. Somehow that's not as big a deal as it used to be. We are going out to eat at Victory Park and then on to the Stars game on Sunday the 13th.

We are having Game Night at the house on Saturday. Scott has already had his birthday and Kristin's is coming up in March. We're going to combine the celebration at the halfway point and give them cash. They are going to Vegas at the end of the month and we're just going to give them play money. Maybe they'll come home rich!!

Looks like it's going to be a very busy weekend! Well, that fire in the fireplace isn't going to tend to itself so I've gotta run! Stay warm, all!

Monkey See...Monkey Do...

We had the boys for a short while this weekend. Ronnie picked them up Friday evening and Kristin & Scott picked them up today about noon. Not much time with our precious nuggets...but it beats nothing. Had enough time to go to the donut store (tradition when they spend the night) and play outside for a while.

Trenton, our oldest, is 7. He is a great kid and a fabulous big brother. Carter really doesn't like to let him out of his sight. Trenton is very patient and works to include Carter in his playing. Carter, who is 2, literally worships "Bubba." He wants to be just like his brother...and it is both humorous and inspirational to watch.

Evidence these photos...it's like deja vu. Trenton had my iphone and was watching Ben 10 videos while Carter had my ipod and was watching Yo Gabba Gabba.

If I Could Save (Wine) In a Bottle...my apologies Jim Croce

Where do I begin? When we came back from our cruise a month ago I started a double batch of wine...wildberry shiraz. I have walked by those carboys and smiled sooo many times. Couldn't wait to bottle it. Well, it was ready this weekend and so...

I came home Friday evening and got everything set up to bottle the wine. I knew I didn't have enough corks or bottles and that I would have to go to the wine supply store the next day, but I had enough to get about half of it done. Ronnie is sick again so this was going to be a solo project. I got started. Let me step aside for a minute and explain something. When you are a nice winery you can afford some equipment. If you're a REALLY NICE winery you can afford top of the line equipment. If you bottle at home...you have manual equipment. I have manual equipment. Thus I began. The first thing I had to do was use a siphon (called a wine thief) to pump the wine from the six gallon jug into a pitcher which I would then use to fill the bottles. Think six gallons. Think pumping motion (like a sawing motion...or that obnoxious thing men do when their privates take over). It took about 40 pumps to fill the pitcher. Then I took the pitcher to the bar where I would lift it to at least eye level and pour the wine through a funnel lined with cheesecloth into the wine bottle. Each pitcher filled 3+ bottles. I bottled 28 bottles on Friday night. 28 bottles x 40 pumps? You do the math...I am way to sore for that.

After filling each bottle I then had to put the bottle in the floor on a non-slip pad and use the manual corker to force a cork in and seal the wine. Again...times 28? Is it any wonder that on Saturday morning my shoulders and back were sore? But wait...more wine needed bottling.

After a quick trip to the grocery store to get milk shake ingredients for the sick hubby, I headed out to the wine supply store. I purchased more bottles, more corks, a bottle sanitizer (so this part didn't have to be done quite so manually) and more wine product before returning home.

Starting from scratch Saturday, I washed each bottle by hand. This involves filling them about half way with Cascade water, putting a top on them and shaking vigorously.Then rinsing several times the same way. Again...my poor sore shoulders! The sanitizer I bought involves inverting the bottle and pushing down several times where the sanitizing solution sprays up in the bottle. An aside: If you don't let the solution run back into the bowl before lifting the bottle you get sanitized, too. You'll be glad to know that I am quite sanitary! At any rate, I let the bottles drain in the bottom rack of my dishwasher while setting up, cleaning and sanitizing all the bowls, funnels, pitchers, siphon equipment, etc. Then it started all over again...the pumping, the lifting, the pouring, the corking,... On this day I bottled 27 bottles. That made a total of 55 bottles of wildberry shiraz which I call "Untamed." Oops...make that 54 bottles. I HAD to celebrate.

Once the bottling was done, the cleanup began. Washing those heavy glass carboys is no easy task. Everything has to be washed immediately because you can't let the sediment sit and harden. Things have to be sanitized as well. Got that done.

Step number whatever in the process...cleaning and labeling the bottles. Each bottle has the potential for being a bit sticky...Hey, I said I had to lift the pitcher to eye level. You try doing that 55 times and pouring into a funnel without spilling a bit. Anyway, each bottle has to be wiped with a cloth sprayed with Windex. Then each bottle has to be labeled...by hand. Patting myself on the back here, but I think I did a pretty good job. I made the labels myself and labeled each bottle before packing carefully back into the cases the bottles came in. Job done. Went to bed Saturday night exhausted!

It's Sunday morning and I can barely move. My shoulders are ridiculously sore...my back hurts...my right knee is killing me...my elbows are aching...and I have two batches of wine that I must get started today! Each batch involves "vigorous stirring" along the way in their creation. Will it be worth it? You bet!! In four weeks I will reap about 25 bottles each of "Avalon" (green apple reisling) and "Razzmatazz" (black raspberry merlot). I just hope the soreness is gone by then!!!

Enjoy the pictures of "Untamed." I know I will enjoy the wine!!

The first bottle


The cuter than cute label


The gang