A Brand New Goal - Gotta Love the Olympics!

This is the next big thing in Caity's life! (Maybe)

Reuben and I have decided (and we do that, we make all these life decisions for everyone we know and for whatever reason we think it's OK.) that Caity should focus on her NEXT four years. We're thinking she could be the next American to win the Gold in Air pistol...here's how we got there:

A couple years ago we (family) took a trip to Seattle and visited the Ft. Lewis simulators for fun. I chose to sit it out, I wasn't into shooting people whether they were real or not. I understand the need to learn, I want to practice, but there was something about the simulator that freaked me out. It may have been the 3-D goggles, the sound, the smells, something - but the kids absolutely loved it. Well, there she was - Caity - shooting both with her left hand and her right hand. She is a natural left-handed person, but guns and everything else in the world (for the most part) are made for right-handed people. She was awesome. She was just taking the fun of it - her face was focused and she was a killing machine.

When the results came in after all the games they played over several hours, Caity was the one that came out on top! She flat out surpassed anyone's expectations. She wasn't even 16 at the time. Soldiers were staring at her - asking her if she was thinking about it or it just came naturally to be such an assassin...we know the answer - she's been pissed for years!

There's a joke about Oklahomans - it goes like this: You know you're from Oklahoma when the weatherman(woman) calls for a tornado and you go outside to watch it. That's Caity. She goes out to GREET it because that storm is so very much akin to what she is thinking, what she is breathing, what she is feeling - she's like a little twister; anything can be destroyed, but it does take the right elements to start the debris flying, she's not going to combust instantaneously - there's usually a bit of a build up - a warning - a reason to go out and watch!

So, Reuben and I decided that we're going to encourage Caity to embrace both her passions and her talents - she wants to shoot something - shoot something! She wants to be famous, be famous! She wants to be a stand out - STAND OUT - with a gun in your hand girl - as long as it's controlled and inside where she can be watched, monitored, guided, coached and held accountable! ON A TEAM! (She played volleyball once, she knows what a team is.)

That's right - 2012 in London! Caity! Caity! CAITY! I think it could work - what damage can she do with an air pistol? Don't ask....and don't give her any ideas either. She needs to realize there are limits - - I'm just not going to be the one to break that news to her. LOL....I've learned. Hey, I put in my 18 years!

Dead Men Tell No Tales! PYRATE NIGHT!!

I just bought this flag!!

This one flies tonight!! Over the pool, over the charcoals! To be honest, we're not cooking meat tonight, but the smell of burning charcoals bring the men to the fence! Hahahaha...oh, but they can't come through the gates! Not if they want to leave standing. It is Pyrate Night! August! HOT SUMMER NIGHTS...and for tonight that means a PERFECT 7 of us. We're all celebrating, or blowing off a little heat for whatever reasons. (Craig can figure mine out) Niki's had to work several double shifts this week, Julie's never been to one of these all-girl parties, but she's looking forward to it, her husband's been a bit of a bother lately. Jeannie has a perfect husband, but even he has his days right? Well, tonight she has HER NIGHT!! We have Valorie, her twin sister Malorie, two dancing queens - look out stereo, we're rockin' the 80's, and just to round it out we're asking Kelly to come by with her portable stripper pole! You never know exactly what you'll see at that point - but you know what you'll hear! HOOTIE, YOAKAM, BOSTON, JOURNEY, CHEAP TRICK, FOREIGNER, TRAVIS TRITT - and of course a little DYLAN....of course, a little Dylan.

Captain Morgan reigns supreme tonight, Rum Runner cigars will be held tightly in our mouths as we attempt to hang upside down on the pole by our thighs...I'm actually getting better at this one. I can do it holding on with both hands but the rules require that we let go with one. It may take a while, a bruise or two may have to be incurred, but that's OK with me - badge of honor! No video - and no men - no, no, no, no men - not unless they WANT what we're thinking about - and that could a bit hazardous to any man's health - - even the sturdiest of detectives! NO, keep your distance sir! Let the women play! The flag speaks for itself.

Around 10 we'll stop drinking so we can swim a bit safer than ordinary pyrates. No swimsuits required really - lingerie is best...rum warms you up, and by midnight we can start to say good night as the ladies make excuses about Sunday and their men show up and honk their horns...not one of them brave enough to actually ring the bell or cross the salt line - we do have a salt line - and we know how to use it. LOL

I think I have just about enough time to run by Victoria's Secret and let her whisper in my ear! Forget the Olympics! Let the GAMES begin!

Baby Bird

Poor little baby blue jay. After yesterday's fruitless battle of going head to head with a person pretending to be someone she wasn't - wasting my time, and making me chase down sources she had spread rumors to, it was great to get out of the negative hole she dug for us and into the world of positive thinking again! I swear, every time I allow myself to fall like that I end up really damaging my psyche...I feel drained and worthless for hours - - so I prayed about it, meditated, and got right back in the world of good sense. Poo poo to her and her games. 

THEN, because He is soooo very great, God gave me something really cool to deal with today. A baby bird! I found this little guy in my garden outside. He must have ran into it for cover or protection after he fell from somewhere. I think maybe he fell out of the tree or the porch up above me. He must have broken his leg. He has been sleeping now for a little over an hour and like I did when I had little babies in the house I am constantly getting up and checking on him to make sure he's breathing, make sure he's OK. I can't take him to the bird sanctuary until around 6:00 p.m. so I've got him for another 2 or 3 hours. I did call them to see when their bird lady would be back. She's out gathering up broken and hurt birds until 6:00 p.m. I'll meet her at the gates with this one and she'll take over from there. I love GOD! He just knows my heart. He knows exactly what I need to feel better - I am so happy to have stumbled out into the garden today to see this little guy. 

 Blue Jays are very common for Oklahoma. I don't know if they go all over the country or not, but they are the only bird that I know of (domestic) that you can't tell if they are male or female. The fact that I'm calling this one a boy is significant. My son always breaks his ankles - therefore, this bird is a boy. Had it broken it's wing it would have been a girl - for Laura. I'm calling this one Spunk. He's got it. The first thing I had to do is save him from the new little puppy who wasn't quite sure if he was suppose to help it or eat it. I didn't want him doing either! I have shown Rupert (dog) the bird a few times, he's sleeping and I don't wish to disturb him now - poor baby. I didn't know how to treat him but knew it must be terribly hot for him in the garden. It's 104 degrees outside, maybe 85-90 in the shade of the Lambs Ear that we have in the garden, but still. He only had a couple of stone turtles to keep him company - I do love my little turtles...so sweet and so loving. They weren't much help with catching the broken birdie who still tried to fly away. 

When I caught him I was sure he needed food and water. I called the vet who told me NOT to give him water from a dropper - their little nostrils are under their tongues...I could drown him. Oh, I am so glad I called. He said to put a little cat food in the water and let that soak. The bird would pick at it and get the water out. Wow...now I know why the Jays attacked the cats on the porch! Makes perfect sense. There you have it - I am in the best and most glorious mood again. My bio rhythms are doing just fine. 

Veterans! I LOVE Veterans!

The Oklahoma City Veterans Administration Hospital is one of the greatest places to just go and hang out if you're wanting to meet a bunch of old guys with the best humor known! They were so cute. I wanted to adopt every last one of them.

Faith was asked to do a little rehab film for Better Times Productions. We choose the Oklahoma City Veterans Administration Hospital because we're from OKC, and what better place to show the love? We have some really cool vets here. Many of them were able to wheel themselves down to the dining room to gather in a larger group so we could film their reactions to seeing Faith, but many were not able to come down so we went door to door to greet as many as we could. We didn't take the Beta camera into every room, nothing like that, we were there to film yes, but we were there to love too.

We've decided to go back on a monthly basis if we can. The boys didn't mind, they were all up for that. One even challenged me to a shuffle board contest when I came really close to beating his score the first time out. I must have the luck of the newby! I was smokin! He just let me have it with his cane too - you gotta watch those men - they've been through battles. They know!

What I found to be so warming and so wonderful were the way they interacted with Faith. She's a little dog first, and handicapped or disabled second. They were just thrilled to see her hop right up and be their buddy. She didn't care if they had missing limbs - she has missing limbs. She was much much more interested in their sandwiches believe me. She was all about the bacon and chicken bits this one lady passed over to her, but she wasn't about to be rude about it - she offered to share! The boys declined, they let her have all of it for herself. They asked us to come back and we made a real promise - a salute was given, and you know you can't break a salute!

Many of the men were less ranked than Faith - they were E4 Specialists and Privates when they became injured in Viet Nam or Korea and had to leave. Her E5 Sgt rank left them feeling a bit giggly when they had to pretend to stand at ease and listen for her to bark out orders - but they did so with grace and love in their eyes as well as their hearts. OH, I love the vets! Can't wait to go back. We will too - you don't promise a soldier something and renege on it - that is NOT American! Love to you guys, Travis - thanks buddy!

The Boy is HOME for 17 Days

It's so easy to see that the boy is home! (Laura was working)

Reuben and Caity have played hard for many years. He used to say he never really missed having a brother because Caity was mean enough for 4 of them. She is too. He can pull on her hair, kick her, roll her over, bite her if he has to, and that's just to free himself! She's not going to give up the fight - - not if the prize is something as great as sitting in the front seat on the way home! We went to the airport when we were suppose to, his plane was a bit early, so she hugged him down in the baggage claim this time. Caity always gets the first hug. We give up the right immediately, we're not stupid. She's very territorial when it comes to these things. We're OK waiting - we're OK with our eyeballs intact.

So, we picked up the boy in his uniform. He always wears his uniform on the way home because he knows how much I like it. Others on the same plane were telling him he didn't have to do so - but the boy said "Yes I do. It's not the Sgt I'm trying to impress this time. It's Mom." They got it. I met a few of them today too. They were a bit disappointed that I didn't bring Faith to the airport. I would have if he had called and asked me to. I have no problems bringing the little girl down to the USO or anywhere there are going to be a few good looking soldiers! We did go out to dinner, and Reuben stated that he enjoyed the attention rather than it all going to the dog - we know where the eyes fall when she's with us. Not a chance!

You can always tell when he's home too. The refrigerator has meat in it again! He went straight to the store and loaded it up. He doesn't like my salads, egg whites, yogurt, and fruit I guess. You'd think I'd be thinner by now, I swear there must be something else going on in my body - I'm doing everything right. Reuben told me he'd give me a few good exercises to do - - I bet. Army diet! I may have to take him up on it. He was 240 when he went in and 185 now. He was also 6'3" when he went in and on paper he's 5'11 so he can drive tanks. Oh, and he just sort of let it slip that he's changing his MOS from 19 Kilo to 11 Bravo. (See, I didn't get it either, but he was pretty adamant about it) which means he'll go from driving tanks to being a filed beater, a man on the street - with a gun I assume. He's going from Strkyer to Ranger soon - after Iraq I think, but before he gets out completely. I haven't figured out the Army talk for "I'm doing this" or "I'm doing that" yet - it's all very official sounding and there are usually colors, numbers, and letters involved.

We ate a big meal - me and my salad, but the boy had a few thousand calories. Caity and he were at it immediately with the evens and odds to decide who carried what, who sat in the front seat, who got to drive to the store, who got to listen to whose CDs, and so forth. It's constant....they'll fight over who sleeps on the couch tonight. (I gave up my 4 bedroom house and got a little apartment when I moved Laura to Stillwater and Caity to her place. She lost her place and lives with me, so now we're really crowded for 2 weeks). Caity won. Reuben's on the air mattress - with the dogs. I could take the dogs, but he wants them...all of them. He doesn't get much dog-sleeping in the Army.

17 days will be just about all I can take of the screaming, cussing, yelling, fighting, rolling, punching, and chasing - but I know I'll miss it again. I always do. MY BOY IS HOME!!!!!!

CBS - SCREWED the Pooch! (Tillman and Ron)

TILLMAN!!!!


Episode 4 of the Greatest American Dog (Ha!) is in my opinion the LAST episode of the show. You can't expect the audience for next week's show to be kind to you CBS, not after literally throwing out the TALENT and the ONE team that carried the show! Bill and Star are great, but Ron had the remarks that people listened for. Like tonight when he asked Brandy how she even got through the doors of the show, it was priceless. Those remarks are not written for him,his down-to-earth surfer-boy talk is real - that is RON. That's what made the show watchable, and Tillman's good looks, come on!

Tillman is so adorable, so talented, so off the wall GREAT but you didn't even capitalize on his abilities! Why? Hey judges - Teresa used citric acid to make her dog look mean. KICK HER OFF the show for cruelty. Then she lied! Hello - video! Remember when producers asked me to be on the show and I said no? I smelled the controversy. I sensed that you wanted to play it, you wanted to jimmy it. How would they have overlooked Faith's lack of arms if we were expected to swim or shake hands? I can't tell you how happy I am for saying no to money - sure the exposure would have been great, but not at that cost. I won't HURT my dog for it. It never was about the dog now was it? It couldn't have been, otherwise you wouldn't have hired so many TRAINERS.

Another thing. Who paid these judges to open their mouths tonight? They were so inconsistent, so very broad, completely off the topic usually - and given their mightier-than-thou attitudes I won't be surprised to see the record of all records broken this week - millions and millions of would be viewers (Yes, including me) STOP watching. The ONLY thing good about Tillman and Ron going home tonight is that I have that one hour in my life back to trim my nails, wash my hair, pick the neighbor's dog's poop up before I go to bed - - without Tillman and Ron on the show there is no show. CBS, are you listening? Because you don't listen to the viewers, so why should we watch your show? Oh, I remember, Criminal Minds came on after the Greatest American Dog did tonight. That's why people tuned into the last 3 minutes of the show to see the executives of CBS shoot themselves in the foot! Did it hurt? It will next week when Neilsons come out - do yourselves a favor - apologize to us and put Tillman on a regular weekly show so we can see his precious mug over and over again...call the show Surfer Dude and have Ron and Tillman running a skateboarding shop on Venice Beach. It may not be Baywatch, but I'm sure we can convince Tillman to jog in slow motion and let his jowls flop around.

Sorry Ron, sorry Tillman baby...I just had to rant. You guys rock and they know it by now I'm sure. Faith said to tell you guys hi, and we'll be out in L.A. soon enough. We'll stop by and get the mutts together I'm sure. Kiss kiss to Erika and Reef. You got some great guys, I'm sure you're glad they're safe and happy. Feed them well. (Hey Mikey, you thinkin' reality show? I am! Have your people call my people - wait, you are my people! Call me.) LOL

ROCK BAND - ROCK STAR! (Laura)

OK, so I own the rights to LAURA, but Rock Band isn't my logo....or my kid.

Laura has been so cute lately. She's a singer and a songwriter, but she's just now getting really excited about it and showing off in front of strangers that may or may not have any idea that she's been singing for a few years OUT THERE in the big, fat, scary world. She's been to places like Los Angeles, NYC, Chicago, and even Dallas and Seattle singing at military bases. She toured with a rock band festival last year but they were metal and she only performed as a side show artist at the set ups. She had fun though. NOW, the crazy woman is out in the supermarket where she works singing and rocking out to people who come through her line if they're not the uptight stuffy types. If she thinks they'll nark on her, or try to get her in trouble with the boss - who by now realizes she's a temporary employee - then she's apt to sing right at the customer when she takes their money! Usually something from Kelly Clarkson, but she and singer/songwriter buddy Wally Cox have a few new things to add to the CDs she's creating.

Like Clint Eastwood making two films from opposing sides of the war, Laura is creating a Japanese CD and an English CD with some of the same cover songs being sung in both languages...isn't that cool. You can actually hear the girl sing at: www.showcaseyourmusic.com/Laura and hear for yourself, but it wasn't produced professionally - so don't think it's CD quality. (The video, not the songs recorded under the word SONGS - they were recorded professionally. Laura was just screwing around on the video) People like her! She's likable and she's cute too - if I don't say so myself, I mean yeah, I'm biased, but she's really cute. Talent must run in the family - her brother writes, her sister writes and sing - I write...to be honest with you I think Laura is the better singer of any of us - better than me anyway, and God knows she's better than Reuben! I love you son, but you did NOT inherit your father's vocal skills. Reuben's dad actually sang professionally for a while - you'd think he'd have passed a little of that down the pike - but no, the boy sucks. At least he DOES sing though. He's out there.

Laura's agent Mike Maguire is working on her appearances including her singing at several baseball and basketball games this year - not award winning, but you can't beat having 35,000 people listening to you at one time. (18,000 at a basketball game I guess) If they let her she'll do a half-time show or the equivalent to it, can you tell I don't do other sports, I'm calling it a half-time show! Damn, I have football on the brain. 34 more days to kick off! OU baby!

So, Laura just talked me into getting her the Rock Band for the XBox 360, but we didn't have the Xbox either - so I bought that too. I'm one of those sucker parents that really loves hearing my kid sing, so anything to help right - I just bought the machine, got the software, got the microphone and now all I need is the brat - I need the kid! She's about 70 miles away, and I have to wait! I hate waiting! I don't want to wait - so, I called her up, forced her to sing to me on the phone while she's working and people in line jammed right along with us. The manager thought about getting onto her, but my darling turned to him and said "You don't want my mom coming in here and bopping you on the head do you?" (We went to middle school together, and I wasn't very nice to him then, I'm better now.) He let her sing....thanks Matt! I mean, Mr. Bridges!

Have fun at the store singing and dancing little one..I'll go alert the media and get the press releases in order.

The Gray Man!

Formerly known as "Wisteria"

This film may have been released as a DVD or in theatres in 2007, but it was filmed almost entirely in June 2005! My son Reuben is in this movie and I want to see it. It was so funny too, the way he was hired for it. Reuben attended Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City through the Putnam City School District. He was a senior in 2005 and during the month of March, just 8 weeks before he was to graduate, we found out that his counselor had screwed up his credits - - not Reuben, a kid can't do that despite what appears on paper - the counselor has to approve everything a kid picks and chooses. Of course a kid is going to seek the easy route, of course a kid is going to try to get out of the things he or she has to take to graduate if he or she can be an office aide every semester! The office absolutely loved it when Reuben was there - the boy was MADE to run errands. He'd make it a game and time himself as he would blast down the halls literally ramming into people he liked, tackling friends in the name of having-to-get-there! The boy was exciting to say the least. HOWEVER, you can't be an office aide every semester and get credit! That's something his counselor should have put a stop to. So, he didn't qualify to actually graduate in 2005....this was an absolute disaster!

I had already opened my home school for the girls, and they were under a strict curriculum, but I decided to add Reuben as a student for the 1.5 credits he was missing. If I could get him those credits before June 30, 2005, I could see him graduate and he would have a real diploma issued by the home school yes, but it would be official, signed by his principal, me and an officer of the district itself. What to do? OK...I gave the boy an 8-week crash course in POETRY....yes, you heard me, POETRY for 1 full credit. He had to read it, analyze it, write it, research it, and read it out loud to an audience. It wasn't as difficult for him as I first thought, and as a reward for the boy I actually published 4 of his poems in a book I wrote called "Periwinkle" so now he's even a published poet. For a half credit course I thought about Drama since he had failed it in his freshmen year. Same trappings - I would have him read about it, write about it, and maybe put on a little play for me - but then I found out that they were filming WISTERIA, a feature film just 30 miles from where we live. I took him there to WATCH them film - no idea they'd hired him on the spot.

We were watching, just watching, when someone suggested that he fill out the necessary forms and take a head shot just in case the director needed a big country boy for the background. All of the extras in the film were from Oklahoma - it was perfect. Well, they did hire him that day, but not for the role of a town dweller or country boy - he is the "young cop" under credits. He's the taller one, the thicker one, the one tackling the bad guy. He's in about 9 scenes I think, I haven't seen the finished product but we were filming every day for 2 weeks and he used in all of the street scenes as well as the court house scenes. The one I really want to see, but it was edited, was where the director tells Reuben to chase the bad guy (stunt man) and he used the quote "tackle his ass"....OH MY GOSH, did he really say that to a 6A state qualifying high school Defensive End? FLASH! BAM! DOWN!

"OK", said the director, "that was...that was....good. This time, let's give the guy a little more room to try and I don't know...run. Could you be a little less aggressive, and maybe not smile so much? You're a cop, he's a bad guy." What can I say, the boy was thinking football. It was hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing, and there's no way I could have approached the director in time to correct his error, he was too far away. I could hear him through a box, but I couldn't even have waved him down - the boy was GONE the second the stunt man broke out of the barn! It took 4 or 5 takes and the stunt man was laughing his butt off with each new and developed try - I just wonder which take they used...and if the boy is smiling or if they finally convinced him that he was a cop rather than a lineman.

So, there he was in the country tackling the man, on the streets holding people back from the court house, in the court house as a guard and opening doors. That much I know. At the time he was filmed Reuben's hair was all the way to his shoulders and the hair/makeup artist was so sure he wouldn't want her to cut off his golden red locks to make him look like the 1929-1935 era New York City beat cop that he was portraying - but he was all over it. "Damn, I just saved myself $15!" was his answer. He didn't have to go get his hair cut! The fact that the role of an extra in this particular film didn't pay a single penny meant NOTHING to Reuben. He was having the time of his life. You should have seen his face when I mentioned that he actually got to eat for free as well - it was catered by the company....WHAT? Oh, that was all she-wrote! "Hell Yeah!" was all I heard for weeks...free food, chasing people, tackling them in cornfields, beating people up on the streets and driving old Model-T cars? Could it be this much fun and still be legal? You just had to be there.

We were there in the 90 degree weather filming 12-15 hour days. Reuben wore a wool suit the entire time - I know because I was his personal assistant! Can you imagine what that pays if the extra isn't paid anything? He did however, have the best (bar none) personal assistant on the set. Even the stars complained about it. "I wish my mother was here to bring me drinks and wipe my sweat" was a great quote from my good buddy Vyto Ruginis (Star Wars and many drams as well as commercials. Google Vyto!) Yes doesn't everyone wish their personal assistant would run up to them between takes and wipe their sweat, feed them granola bars, give them drinks, and ask them if they need a pee-break? I even straightened his clothes, tied his shoes, and brought him back to the 1930's by removing his wrist watch and telling the director so he could edit accordingly...I'm nice like that.

I want to see this film now. I could care less about the terrible twisted man that it features - gross and disgusting man this Albert Fish. He's literally one of the worst people I have ever read about - not joking. I may only watch it for Vyto's parts and of course the "Young Cop". I swear if they didn't give him credit I'll be all over them....hahaha..not really, but a P.A. has to have their client's back right? Should I get my boy an agent? Suffice it to say, he earned the half credit baking in the sun for weeks filming the movie. I just can't wait to see it!!

Smile - Army Smile

It took a great deal of work to get that one-of-a-kind shot of my son NOT smiling.

When I first heard the news that I was going to have a baby I already knew it was going to be a boy. In fact, I had already been told by a real live gypsy years before exactly what kind of boy I was holding in my belly. My family has a history of psychic behavior, much to the chagrin of so many of the overtly religious (I didn't say Christian purposely, because we are all or most of us Christians, but there are some who take the religion part of faith a bit too far) family members - we do have a cousin on my mother's side that makes a living telling fortunes and spinning tales. I wasn't sure I believed a single word she said to me growing up, but she was older and therefore cool - she wore beads and braided hair, she was a true true hippy to say the least, bare feet and all. I loved the girl - but when she told me I would be having a child both out of wedlock and that he would have the spirit of Cowboy-Outlaw Cole Younger - - I was a apprehensive to go to the next family reunion.

Enita was right though - and the proof is in the life of the boy you see in this blog. My baby boy is one of the most daring this-side-of-the-law men you'll ever see. I'm actually quite surprised most of the time that he hasn't been caught skating that thin (ice thin) line of his. He has actually been caught driving a bit wildly, $1508 in speeding tickets alone had to be repaid before he could go to the Army. I know because I had to both pay them and hide him for four days while the warrants went away - can someone please explain a few things to this young man? Cole Younger was the good guy of the bad guys, and he was the one that tried to talk the others out of robbing the banks. He didn't really participate "all that much" and therefore he was given a bit of leniency when it came to sentencing - he got out of prison alive, set off for the new world out West making films, and to this day there hasn't been a cowboy-outlaw type that doesn't use his free form dare-devil racing or riding style - he was a character, all reins free, let the hoss run kind of rider...and yes, my son drives his Stryker tank-types just the same way. He's always out there making trouble, but not all of it on his own, and he does actually try to talk the boys out of most of the really bad stuff. He's the one hanging around the gang at the bar to be the extra set of hands if they're needed - sort of the Buddy-gots-your-back bar-room brawler, not the cocky mouthed one starting the mess. My boy just ends up finishing things...and smiling about it. I get the call and can't understand a single word between the hoots, the breathing, the screaming, and the laughing - - someone got their butt kicked.

Well, that brings us to the picture. It was the first time I had EVER seen my son not smiling in a picture. EVER. How did they accomplish this feat? I know it's the Army, did they threaten him? No, Reuben said after a dozen or so times of trying not to smile, and not quite getting it done - one of the assistants said to him sort of off-the-cuff "Hey, didn't you say you were from Oklahoma?" This was during football season too. In Oklahoma we have 3 seasons a year: Winter, Summer, and Football. The guy tapped the photographer as if to prime him to get ready for the shot.

"Yes, I'm from Oklahoma why?" said Reuben with an interesting quizzical face.

"I just read where your quarterback Sam Bradford came out of the closet. He's gay!"

SNAP! GOT IT! That's the worst thing I'll ever write in one of my blogs, but it was hilarious! Sam is no more gay than Reuben is - but the jolt of the words sent the rage of kinship (they played against each other for years in high school) through my son, and he wanted to shoot someone - but the bottom line is, they got the shot off. I think the guy laughed it off and apologized, but Reuben just shook his head and took his hat off swearing to himself. Sorry Sam, baby we love you and we hope you'll appreciate the boy standing up for you sir...just ignore the bullet holes he shot through the man with his eyes - it was a moment!

Smile - Army Smile. There is a difference. Spirit is EVERYTHING! (one very interesting side note: Cole Younger died late in the night of March 21, 1916. It could very well have been past midnight making it March 22. My son was born March 22, 1986)

Blitz / Rupert LOVE at First Kiss

I'm going to call him Blitz, Caity is going to call him Rupert. Either way - he's the kissing bandit everyone loves.

It wouldn't be fair or right to say that I went out and bought Caity a new puppy to replace her dog Cookie who was murdered last month. You can't replace a soul, you can't replace love. But, I think it would be quite fair to say that I went out and bought Caity a little puppy to ease her pain, to mend her heart, and to help her heal inside and out - - just what the mommy ordered. But, there is a problem. I fell in love immediately, and now I don't know if I can actually give Blitz to Caity if and when she moves out again. This could be a problem.

You see Caity went to San Antonio, TX to be with the whales and dolphins for her 18th birthday and I was thinking of the best way to surprise her when she came home. She kinda sort somewhat thought I might be going out and getting her a puppy, and she'd be sorta somewhat kinda even maybe right, but now I'm hating the fact that I'm feeling like a schmuck because I just don't know if I can surrender this guy when she leaves my house. If I thought about it I'd say I'd much rather have the dog stay for the next 16 years than to have Caity tag along another 6 months. She is the worst roommate in the world - - and the thing is, I'm not really into roommates. I prefer living alone - or well you know, there's that fantasy guy that lives with me, but even he picks up his towels and puts the flushes the toilet. She's disgusting!

Anyway - I went through the ads. Worst thing you can do when you have the money in your pocket, the gas in the car and the time on your hands. Don't go through the papers....you'll find one. You'll find 10. You'll go to one and buy them all. You'll bring home a dozen puppies - I know you, well in this case "I know me". I'm laughing because I texted Caity and told her I had a present for her, but that I wasn't sure she could have it - she said "I bet it barks" and I wrote back "only every once in a while, right now he's snoring." Can you imagine? Snoring little Dachshund breath on my leg while I type this very blog. Oh. I'm smitten.

I decided to call him Blitz - that is exactly what he did to my heart. I could have called him Colossal Heart Wrencher but that's a bit much for such a cute dog. Caity wanted a girl. She wanted a black and tan dapple or piebald Dachshund and me being me, I don't really have that color thing worked out in my head when I go look at little faces. I go for the eyes - what are the eyes saying to me? This guy was not the least bit shy about coming to me, he was all over me in a matter of seconds beating the others out of the way - running straight to me and saying in that little puppy way "Hey, there you are. I've been waiting an hour and a half since you called! What took you so long?" That's a good story actually?

I went to Borders Bookstore last night and bought a few things for Caity, but then thought better of it and decided to return the items and use the money to pay for Blitz (who Caity is calling Rupert, I don't know why). I approached the counter, told the clerk what I wanted, but found out that the items I had purchased had been either miscategorized, or the guy that was my cashier last night didn't register it properly - they wanted to give me a gift card. I don't think so! I paid cash I wanted my cash back - show me a breeder that takes Borders gift cards! It took a good half hour and the whole time I'm driving to the place way out in the country in my head - I'm maneuvering through cornfields, passing cattle, counting painted horses trying to get to my little dog faster. It finally happened.

Just south of Boomer Sooner land - Norman, is a town called Purcell, and that's where the baby was. Oh, and here's the really good news. Alice, the lady that breeds the puppies has a few females that will all be spayed this year. She has one more litter coming out of one of the piebald twin dapple black and tan girls she owns and in about 5 more weeks my daughter can start thinking of new names for her new dog, because 6 weeks after that I'm running away with Blitz and she won't be able to find me!! I'll leave a check on the table for Alice, give Caity directions on how to find the breeder and be gone - gone- far away with my new baby puppy. I can't say I'm a bad person for thinking what I'm thinking...I'm "lending" her my dog for a while - sort of a - therapy until she gets her own dog...and her own place.

That would be nice. Wait, I feel a real fantasy coming on...Caity out of my house. That was a good one. That will last me a good week...I'm happy now.