4300...

...miles logged on this trip. Wisconsin to OKC to Phoenix to Tucson to Wisconsin.... In eleven days.

But we are home now. Family obligations all covered. Whew!

Pictures and more soon to follow!

(Anyone know how to cure a numb a$$?? Good grief...)

Vaca...

I am currently at my brother's house in Phoenix. If you need me I am the one by the pool - umbrella in my drink....

Not a bad way to live, if you ask me. :)

All dogs go to heaven...

And Miss Taylor was certainly worthy of a ticket to enter. She was nearly 16 years old and went down peacefully with both WxMan and I comforting her today. Sadly, it was time...

She always looked a bit regal even when putting up with shenanigans from me.

Go play and enjoy the treats. I will see you at the Rainbow Bridge. Good girl...

Rocket Man Chick!

The school year is (finally!) winding down - and there have been some fun projects distractions for the kids to focus on of late. Most recently, it was a grand scale launch of the end of the year rocket project.

As I have a lot on my plate right now - I welcome the distractions more than ever. And rockets?? Well, rockets are just damn cool...

Sporta and her teacher Mrs. D prepare for the launch...


Fire in the hole!


You can hear the countdown now, can't you?


Whoohoo!

Really - Rockets are cool...

And if we didn't already have the 4th of July bug around here, we've got it now... Hoo boy!

But they're HAPPY skulls!

Only in *my* house - swear to God...

Computa has entered into a bit of a "wear funky tee shirts, paint your fingernails bizarre colors, do odd things to your hair" indie stage. She's twelve and while it all remains fairly benign, I am going with the flow at this point.

My folks are here for a bit, having done some follow up at the Mayo Clinic, and the following conversation happened out on the patio the other day...

Grandy: "Computa! That is such a darling shirt! I just love it!! The designs are so cheerful!"

Computa: *blink* "Uh - thanks."

Me: "Mom - those are skulls."

Grandy: "Skulls? No they're not..."

Me: "Really, Mom - they are. Look - skulls."

Grandy: "Well, they're happy skulls. I like them."

Computa and I simultaneously *blink*.

And then I started to laugh...

Happy skulls - who would have ever thought. So here you go - you tell me. Do they look happy to you??