Logan, The Sky Angel Cowboy

Advice Forum Friday

Hey, y'all. So glad you could make it over to my little neck of the woods today. I hope your Christmas preparations are going well. I think I'm doing all right, unless my faulty memory has screwed me and I've forgotten something important.

We're hosting Christmas Eve at our house this year, so I'm looking for some menu advice again.

P.S., Thanks so much to Jennifer, WendyDarling, Meredith and shoeaddict for the great suggestions last week. We ended up adding Eggs Florentine, combining Jennifer and Meredith's recipes for the breakfast casserole, and winging it on the fruit salad recipe. Everything turned out yummy.

So. I am not so much a fan of sit-down dinners, especially since our house is so small, so we're having munchies. So far, here's what's confirmed:

Honey-Baked Ham. Yum. (I'll probably have rolls and condiments so we can make small sandwiches. What about a yummy sandwich spread or unusual idea you have for something to add?)

Tamales. Is this just a Texas thing or what? We love tamales year-round, but especially on Christmas. I wish there was a place nearby that had more varieties, but the old-school pork tamales from our favorite little place will be just fabulous.

Fruit Salad. It was so good last Sunday. If I don't post the recipe soon, remind me, 'kay?

Toll-House Pie. Dang, y'all. This stuff should be illegal. But it's not, at least not until Jan 2, so I'm making it, dadgummit.

Fudge. Yeah, baby.

Truffles? If I can find the recipe that's just canned icing, chocolate chips and liqueur/flavoring.

Divinity, if we can find a good recipe and we have time. Big Daddy used to work for a candy company that made the best divinity in the world. He's just itchin' to try his hand at it again.

Obviously, I need some more suggestions for non-sweets. I think we've got the sweets covered, don't you? Especially since my Mom will be bringing Bon Bons, Pralines, Pecan Pie and Coconut Pie.

And if you need advice for anything this week, you know the drill. Just write about it on your blog, link back to me, and post your link down below.

Merry Christmas, People!

Come on in!

Hey, people! Did you miss me again?


I have been oh, so sick, ended up in the ER Monday night, but I am on the mend and trying to get caught up with humpteen million things. Things like...oh, I don't know...wrapping and mailing gifts maybe? Or finishing Christmas cards? But my priority, of course, is posting photos of my favorite Christmas decorations, and getting in on the tail end of BooMama's Christmas Tour of Homes.

Behold my tree. And what's that underneath? I believe it's a little girl! Thank goodness, because I have been wanting one of those forever!


And speaking of little girls, this ornament is a special one to us. Big Daddy and I bought it after my miscarriage several years ago. Even then, we must have known God had blonde, blue-eyed girls in our future!


What? Another treasure 'neath the tree? That's right, ladies and gentlemen, it's Mr. Buster Brown, who took up residence under the tree as soon as we put it up this year. He's senile, bless his heart, but we love him.


Here's one of our nativities. I just sit 'em wherever I can see 'em real good. Also in the picture, you can see my paternal grandparents, Grandma and Daddy Jim. Grandma died before I was born, and my Daddy Jim when I was 3. I can really still remember him; I love that.

And yes, that is our wedding picture up there on the left. Talk real sweet to me and maybe I'll post a good one some day.

My Department 56 Dickens Village. I started collecting it years ago when I worked at a snooty Christmas Store, and I've been cursed with expensive taste ever since! I haven't gotten a new piece in a few years, and I don't even think we put it out last year, but isn't it cute? I'll have to take some more pictures later, cause there are dancing, spinning people in Fezziwig's Ballroom, and smoke comes out of the chimney on The Christmas Carol Cottage Revisited.


My Santas. They're little and I love 'em! Please disregard the fact that my mirrors look dusty. There must be something wrong with my camera. Couldn't be that I never even THINK about getting those suckers down and cleaning them.


Oh look! You can't see the dust nearly as bad when I add sepia tones. Or can you?

And my final treasures, y'all. My sweet little Bear, who's been with me the longest, before there was a Big Daddy, and before there were three little angels underneath my tree.

And those precious angels. Merry Christmas, everyone!

Advice Forum Friday - QUICK!

Hey, guys! I'm looking for some quick suggestions from you this week, so I'll get right to it.

We're having a Christmas Brunch here at the Dirty Laundry household, This Sunday. We've pretty much got the menu set, but I'm always looking for suggestions and new recipes. Here's what we've got so far:

Breakfast Casserole (eggs, sausage, cheese, etc.)
Quiche (Probably bacon & Swiss)
Sausage Balls
Paula Deen's Ultimate Coffee Cake
The Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
Crystal Paine's Banana Bread
Fruit Salad

So where do you come in? Well. Turns out Big Daddy is going to have to do most of the Sunday morning work himself, because I have to stay for the second service at church, when I had intended to be home getting everything ready. So I'd like to simplify things a bit.

First of all, I need a tried and true recipe for a Breakfast Casserole. Preferably something I can put together the night before and just pop it in the oven on Sunday morning. I've made a pretty good one before, but of course can't find the recipe now. I have a yummy sounding recipe for breakfast casserole that has a crescent roll bottom, but I think it would probably be best fresh out of the oven.

Also, do you have a recipe for Fruit Salad that uses pudding mix? You know, it kind of makes a creamy glaze in there? I've had it, but I've never made it. Have you?

Finally, since we're not doing our grocery shopping until this evening, I'm open to any other suggestions. Let me reiterate: Easy, oh and did I mention frugal? and bonus points if I can make it in advance.

If you have recipes, you can post them here in my comments, or post them at your blog and sign Mr. Linky. Whatever floats your boat. If you have suggestions, lay 'em on me.

And as always, if you have a question to ask the internets today, just post it at your blog, link back to my post, and sign lonely Mr. Linky down there.

I leave you with the results of our impromptu Dirty Laundry Christmas Photo Session. They clean up pretty good, don't they?

Holiday Q & A

Welcome to the 2007 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!

I've gotten this e-mail from humpteen friends, so decided to use it for blog fodder. I'm just doing the first few today.

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Yes, please. But I've never had egg nog with brandy or whisky or whatever in it. Is that weird?

2. Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa just brings one, and it's not wrapped.

3. Colored or white lights? White!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Not usually, but I'm not opposed. :>)

5. When do you put your decorations up? ASAP, but this year it's slow going. The tree's up but no decorations on it yet. So we keep them up until the first week of January.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Yes, please. All of them. Oh, specifically? Fudge, Mom's bon bons, good fruitcake, divinity, oh, and maybe some sweet stuff.

Play along at your blog if you want to, and be sure to let me know so I can check it out! Or just tell me in the comments what your answers are.

Happy Tuesday!

Win an Insignia Shelf System!

Those great girls over at 5 Minutes For Mom are at it again, and I couldn't be happier!

This time, they're giving away an Insignia Shelf System (with iPod dock, USB port, CD/DVD player, digital AM/FM, HD radio and more), courtesy of Best Buy!

Run over to 5 Minutes For Mom and check it out!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

God's Provision

So this morning I'm wandering around the house, getting people dressed for church. I still don't know what I'm wearing, because my clothes on air fluff in the dryer are still wet. I opened the upper cabinet to our fancy dryer, and lo and behold, there's my favorite shirt just waiting for me. I may have had a Hallelujah Moment.

Me: THANK YOU LORD! Thank you for your bountiful provision! Thank you for taking care of Mommy, even in her procrastination. I LOVE YOU LORD! Thank you for taking care of me even though Tinkerbell thinks that I'm crazy!

Tink (6): (Deadpan) Well you are.

Alrighty then.

PLEASE NOTE: Although I may have been more exuberant than usual, my Thanks were extremely sincere. I love my God and the fact that he takes care of me even though I'm a procrastinator.

To Santa or Not To Santa

Y'all, I sometimes feel like a ginormous insecure failure as a parent. How's that for an intro, huh?

It's Santa. I have a love/hate relationship with Santa. I like the fantasy of Santa, but I don't like lying to my kids.

I think that if we'd raised our girls from infancy, we probably would have done things differently, BUT...

When we adopted our girls, they were 2, 4 and 5. The 4- and 5-year-old already believed in Santa, so we didn't tell them otherwise, but we downplayed the whole thing. Santa brings them one gift each, and since Tink has doubts, we tell her this: "You can believe what you want to about Santa, but don't tell anyone else that what they believe is wrong."

Do you know that I've heard parents say that the rule in their house is, "You have to believe to receive." In other words, when you stop believing in Santa, you stop getting presents. WHAT?

My girls will all tell you, "Santa's not important. Jesus is important." But Santa sure is a fun little fantasy, isn't he?

I think I was maybe 8 years old when I figured out that Santa wasn't real. It was actually Easter, we were at my Grandmother and Granddaddy's house, and I was ticked off because all of my aunts and older cousins were in a bedroom with the door shut, going through a bunch of shopping bags. I sat out there ticked off, pouting, trying to figure out the big secret, when VOILA! I got it. I talked to my Mom, she confirmed my suspicions, and the dominoes started falling...Easter Bunny...Tooth Fairy...Santa? I don't remember being upset or disappointed at all. I just knew.

The next Christmas, I remember laying in the bed at my grandparent's house, listening to the screen door slam, knowing that my parents were bringing in the "Santa" gifts. It's really a kind of neat memory to me, the first time I KNEW.

Around the time I learned the truth about Santa, I guess I became aware of the fact that my Granddaddy was a Scrooge. And reason for his Scrooginess? When he was a boy and learned the truth about Santa, he was devastated that his parents had lied to him, and he never got over it.

I'll try to remember to tell you more about my Granddaddy and Christmas later, but for now, let's get back to the point, shall we? The point being: I'm conflicted about going along with the whole Santa's Real thing, but I don't want to come right out and burst my kids' bubble, either.

So we won't. We'll probably just continue along the road we're on. Downplay Santa, but don't come right out and blow his cover. And be more confident in the choices we make, worrying less about what others think.

How's that for the most rambling post you've read this holiday season? Thanks for sticking with me; I needed to get that off my chest.

Advice Forum Friday

Hey, y'all! It's time once again for Lori to show how little she knows about...everything. Cause I'm runnin' to my internet buddies to ask your advice yet again.

Can I just tell you that I love hearing what you have to say about...everything? Seriously! I appreciate it more than you can imagine!

I guess, heck I know, that I'm an insecure type. I always wonder how other people are handling situations, whether they be minor or earth-shattering. And even when I KNOW without a doubt what I should do, it's always nice to hear from someone else's perspective.

So Thanks.

And on to my question for you this week. I would love to hear about your paper organization system. I have a mountain of paper on my desk, and it makes me very sad. I've got homeschool stuff, public school stuff, bills, coupons, church stuff, medical stuff, all kinds of stuff, just like I'm sure everyone else has, too. Where do you put it all? I have files all over the dang place and I've tried 40-eleven different systems, and I still haven't found something that works for me.

I'm hoping that hearing how other people handle this yuckiness will inspire me with a new and successful plan. So lay it on me.

And you know what, if you want to post the answer at your place and then just sign the Mr. Linky down below, go ahead. If you want to post your advice here in my comments, go ahead and do that, too.

And as always, here's the way to get your question seen by all 6 of my readers:

Write a post at your blog
Link to me in that post
Sign Mr. Linky down below

If you don't know how to use the Mr. Linky, please e-mail me and I'll be happy to walk you through it. It's one of the few bloggy things I know how to do.

Gimme!

Look at the great giveaway going on right now at 5 Minutes for Mom! The package includes oodles of toys from the award winning Parents® Magazine toy line.

Go check it out - they're announcing the winner (hopefully me!) on December 9.

Warning: May be Too Much Information

Tink (6): Mom, this is true; my poop was really standin' up.

Big Daddy: Like we really needed to know that.

Tink: Well, it was.

Scooter: Let me see! Let me see!

Tink: It's already gone Bye Bye.

Scooter (4): Aw, man.

We're a high-falutin' family over here, y'all.

What a Monday it was!

Y'all, my big girl learned to ride her bike yesterday. I'm so proud of her, and her Daddy was almost a blubbering mess.

Our girls have always had bikes, but we live in a very busy neighborhood and their Mommy is a worry wart, so they've really only ridden in the driveway, and with training wheels. Yesterday, Big Daddy was outside working on a project, so Pooh asked him if she could ride her bike. He helped her out a little, and before long he was yellin' for me to come see that girl racing up and down the street! Since it was the middle of a weekday, the neighborhood was quiet, so her Mommy didn't even have a conniption.

Have I mentioned we're proud? So that's my first Happy for today.

And here's my second Happy: Look what Big Daddy and our friend Andy made! It's for a display at church, and I think it's just gorgeous. Right now it's in front of our house, and I love looking at it when I come and go. Isn't it gorgeous?

Number Three on my happy list today is my pair of fuzzy slippers. I love these dudes so very much!

What's making you happy today?

Good Morning, Monday!

Hey, y'all. Don't you love it when you're in a good mood on a Monday morning? Let's get right to my 3 happies today, shall we?

1. Have I mentioned that it's Big Daddy's Day Off? He's right over there snoring because it's his only day to sleep in. I didn't love getting up by myself this morning after staying up too late, but I do love giving him the treat of unlimited sleep!

2. There's banana bread in the oven! I used this recipe from Biblical Womanhood. I can't wait for that timer to ding!

3. How this for a segue...I'm happy because I have a menu plan for this week that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that I did it almost completely from my fridge/freezer/pantry. We bought some minimal groceries last night, and we're set for at least a week. Yay Us!

So without further ado, I present to you Menu Plan Monday!

Monday
B - English Muffins, Yogurt
L - Spaghettios, Fruit
D - Dinner out with Grammy and Grandaddy, and then looking at Christmas Lights

Tuesday
B - Cereal, Fruit
L - Cheese Pizza, Carrot Sticks
D - Potluck Soup (Odds and ends from the freezer/fridge/pantry with some mushroom soup and Mommy Magic)

Wednesday
B - English Muffins, Fruit
L - Ramen Noodles with veggies
D - Grilled Sausage Sandwiches

Thursday
B - Cereal, Fruit
L - Mac & Cheese, Carrot Sticks
D - Crockpot Chicken and Rice (rice, chicken, cream of whatever soup, in that order)

Friday
B - English Muffins, Fruit
L - Oatmeal with cranberries and nuts
D - Life Group Christmas Party - We're bringing Big Daddy's Famous Ribs and a Toll House Pie.

Saturday
B - Probably a bunch of unhealthy sweets leftover from the party, with milk for calcium!
L - Pancakes and Sausage
D - Sloppy Joes

Yes, the breakfasts are boring, but we're on a budget here, folks, and we have lots of English Muffins in the freezer!

Y'all have a great Monday. Oh, and tell me what's making you happy today.

Still Happy!

Hey, y'all. Hope your weekend was lovely. Mine was, and here's what made it that way.

1. My church. I love our church, our pastor, and most of all, our God.

2. My Sunday Nap. Man, what is it about Sundays that makes me so sleepy?

3. Big Daddy's work party was at Johnny Carino's tonight; they rented out the whole restaurant. Cool, huh? We had a sitter, so we had a nice, leisurely dinner with adult conversation.

Tomorrow's Big Daddy's day off, so we're finally going to start decorating for Christmas. I hope.

What made you happy today?

Merry December!

Making me happy today:

ONE. I inventoried all of our cold food (deep freeze, fridge and freezer) and am doing my own personal freezer/pantry challenge until it all runs out. More money for Christmas!

TWO. Christmas movies All Over The Television! I can let my kids watch something other than Disney and Noggin without worrying about it!

THREE. Big Daddy's off work for the next two days. They're always my most favorite days of the week!

Hope your weekend is going great! And that you don't have a seizure from all my exclamation points! !

Friday Happy

Making me happy today:

ONE. 11 years ago today Big Daddy and I were married. It's been oh, so hard and it's been oh, so worth it and oh, so wonderful. I love that man ~ He Rocks.

TWO. My new shorter haircut. Yes, I'll post a picture. Eventually.

THREE. Kid Nation. I love watching the show with my girls. Their insights are incredible!

Have a great Friday, y'all, and a great weekend!

Advice Forum Friday - Christmas Pix

Yo, yo, yo! It's Friday, folks, so it must be time for Advice Forum!

This week I've got Christmas Pictures on my mind, and I want some great ideas from y'all. Here's what I've got planned so far: I'm making ivory tutus (I heart tutus!) for the girls, and they'll probably wear a black leotard underneath. I spent around $20 on tulle, and we already have the leotards.

I'd love to take the pictures myself; I figure if I take about 100 shots, I should be able to get 2 or 3 that rock, right? I've got some white and ivory vintage tablecloths, I've got some gold lame, and I'm thinking about doing some kind of backdrop with those. With me so far? And I think we'll also go over to my parents' house and do some in their back yard, cause I just love their landscaping. And finally, if we get the Christmas tree decorated in time, we'll of course take some in front of the tree.

Now here's where you come in. Tell me your favorite kid photo tricks, the best Christmas picture you ever saw, anything that comes to mind. I know there are all kinds of brilliant tips and tricks out there that are just waiting to be introduced to me. So spill it, sister!

And also, I'm still looking for a digital camera, and I would love to know what kind you have, and how good the photos are. Also, what photo software do you use?

Okay, that's it for me this week. Do you have a question or need some advice? You know the drill - write a post, link to me, and sign Mr. Linky.

Saw this at Jennifer's and had to steal!

Your Elf Name Is...

Twinkles Twinkle Wink

What's Your Elf Name?

Didja miss me?

Hey, y'all. The absence of brilliant posts here has several causes, some of which are:

Laziness
Faux Knitting
Carpal Tunnel
Crankiness

Every post I've thought of lately seems to start out, "Don't you hate it when..." or "It just drives me crazy that..." And since I don't want to turn into Complainer McFussyPants, I haven't posted.

So here's what I'm gonna do. Every day for the next however long, I'm gonna write a post about Three Good Things. They may be serious, they may be silly, they may confuse you, and the post may be short. But they will be Things That Make Me Happy.

Today's Three Good Things:

One. Limited Edition Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper. When Big Daddy brought me a bottle, I was skeptical. I love my Diet Cherry Vanilla DP so very much, and I didn't want to cheat. A friend of a friend said it tasted terrible. The first time I tried it I was uncertain. But then I tried it again. And y'all, it's like drinking chocolate with no calories. Granted, there's no yummy fat either, but I can't get over how chocolately this stuff is! So even though I drink Way Too Much DP All Day Long, I save this stuff for one yummy treat every night. Amen.

Two. Faux Knitting. So far I've made three and a half hats, and have three scarves in progress. The stinking Carpal Tunnel is slowing me down, though.

And Three. It's Christmas, y'all! I wish I could slow time, but past attempts have been unsuccessful. I'll just have to enjoy it fast while it zooms on by.

There you have it, friends. Today's Three Good Things. What's making you happy today?

Christmas Giveaway

Wow, talk about spreading the word at the last minute - there are some absolutely wonderful prizes in the Christmas Giveaway over at 5 Minutes for Mom. Hurry on over right now and maybe you can still get in on them!

It's a minor Christmas Miracle!

It's a Christmas Miracle, y'all. I'm getting a free review copy of this:



I will definitely be telling you all how much this means to me - later.

In the meantime, Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!

My brother is a Sneak

E-mail from my brother: Should we have a birthday cake for Mom on Thursday? (Her birthday was last Saturday)

My response: Sure, if you want to. It would be a nice surprise for her. What time are we supposed to be there? 12:00 or later?

And he's got me: Can you get it? Around 11:30.

You know, I saw it coming, but I just couldn't figure out how to duck.

I couldn't be more proud.

Get a Cash Advance

Menu Plan Monday - Back in the Saddle...AGAIN

Well. When it comes to Menu Plan Monday, I am nothing if I'm not inconsistent. But here's what I know - on the weeks when I make a plan, even though I may only stick with it 75%, things run much more smoothly in the kitchen department around here. And my life needs all the smooth it can get.

This week, my plan began on Saturday (the day I planned it) and goes through next Friday (when I ran out of ideas). I covered breakfast, lunch and dinner, although roughly. You'll notice a lot of leftovers for a couple of days. My poor, poor family has got to clean out that fridge. Plus, have got to save money for Christmas!

So without further ado, here it is - my Grand Plan.

Saturday
B - Waffles
L - Out (running errands)
D - Chili Pie (Fritos, Wolf Brand chili, shredded cheese and sour cream)

Sunday
B - Oatmeal (although it may have been Pop Tarts)
L - Out (Grammy's Birthday)
D - Leftovers

Monday
B - Cereal
L - Leftovers
D - Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Tuesday
B - Pancakes
L - Tuna Sandwiches and Chips
D - Baked Potato Soup (from a mix, adding bacon and cheese), Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Wednesday
B - Oatmeal
L - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
D - Sausage Rolls (can you save roll dough to use later?)

Thursday
B - Muffins
L - Dinner at my brother's - I'm making Paula Deen's Macaroni and Cheese.
D - Friends are coming over, we're having snackies, watching football, and planning for Black Friday

Friday
B - Cereal
L - Leftovers (I hope!)
D - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thanks for checking me out! Now be sure to go look at the other Menu Plans at Org Junkie!

Mornin', people.

So it's 10:12 a.m., and here's my day so far.

6:00 Wake up to potty, decide to stay up and make sure Big Daddy gets up for work. Too often, when I go back to sleep at this time of the morning, I become unresponsive.

I read blogs and research digital cameras.

7:15 Big Daddy gets up - I ask him to go check on Scooter who went to bed with a fever. I haven't checked on her yet for fear of waking the other natives.

7:16 Scooter comes toddling in - NO FEVER!

7:20 Remaining natives come roaring in. YUCK.

I lay down the law - I will be getting into this bed and dozing until Daddy leaves for work. You will be quiet and watch Quality Children's Programming until such time as I arise.

7:25 Pooh gets sent back to her room for playing on my bed

I am unable to doze. Instead I watch WordGirl. Oh Yay! At some point I make oatmeal for breakfast.

8:30 Remind Big Daddy that he has to do his Fantasy Football roster before he leaves for work. Discuss FF with him until he leaves at 8:45.

8:45 I get out of bed and sit down to do my FF roster, Menu Plan and Grocery List.

58 Interruptions ensue. I'm still not dressed, Scooter's not dressed, and I haven't printed out my grocery list yet. I guess I'll shower after my errands.

I did have time to blog about it, though.

Advice Forum Friday

It's Friday again, y'all! One week closer to Thanksgiving - heck, it's practically here - and more importantly, Christmas!

This year, I'm asking Santa for a laptop and a camera. I'd love a camcorder too, but I'm hoping to find a camera that also takes short video clips. And here's the kicker - it has to cost practically nothing.

I'd love a great, fancy camera, but let's face facts - it would take me forever to figure out how to use it, and I can't afford more than about $300. I want great quality photos, quick shutter speed, video clips, and lots of zoom.

Now, for the laptop, all I really want to do is access this here internet from wherever I am. I'm gonna need Word and Excel on it, and I'll probably use it to download my pictures and video clips, and hopefully burn the videos to DVD. So, I want 1GB and a DVD burner, right?

This is where you come in, my friends. Tell me what laptop and digital camera you have, and what you like and don't like about them. Anything else I forgot to ask? Tell me that, too!

And if you need advice, help or input today, just write about it at your blog, link to my post, and sign the Mr. Linky down below.

And have a great weekend!

The Amazing Race

Are you watching The Amazing Race this season? Be sure and check out my disjointed commentary on the Entertainment Blog.

We survived The Garage Sale!

Hey, guess what! I survived the Garage Sale. It wasn't that bad at all, but boy was I exhausted!

Overall we made almost $800, split between my friend Karen, my dad and me. Not bad for sitting around telling people "No, you can not have perfectly good blue jeans for 25 cents."

Here are some of our highlights from the event; funny, annoying, and sweet.

My Dad took care of the money, which was a real blessing. Pooh said he looked like a Tax Collector, sitting at his little table with his money box and notepad.

A mentally handicapped man rode his bike to our house about 5 times over the two days. He bought VHS movies, several every time. On Friday he was counting out his change and gave me a totally demolished dime. I gave it back and said, "That's okay. This is enough." On Saturday he gave me that same old demolished dime, and I just took it and handed it to the Tax Collector, who said, "Hey, who took this crappy dime?" I told him, "Just throw it away, the sweet guy wanted to pay with it."

A stray cat took up residence in our driveway Saturday and didn't leave until we packed up. He slept on the furniture we had for sale, and when it was all gone, climbed into a box of linens and went to sleep. We hoped He wasn't a She, looking for a place to have babies. Thankfully, nothing biological happened.

Some people ask you to take less for absolutely every single item, no matter how cheap it's priced! For example,
"How much these jeans?"
"Jeans are One Dollar." (This already down from $2)
"You take fitty cent?"
"No, jeans are One Dollar."
"Oh, come on, you take fitty cent?"
"No, jeans are One Dollar."
"Fitty cent?"
"One Dollar." BIG FAT SMILE

Same customer, different pair of jeans:
"How much these jeans?"
"Jeans are Two Dollars."
"You take One Dollar?"
"Sure."

I understand that some dickering is intrinsic to the Garage Sale Experience, but for goodness sakes, when I find something that is reasonably priced at a Garage Sale, I Just Buy It. For The Price That's Marked. Because that's fair! If I don't want to pay full price for it, I offer less. But to offer less just to be a butt? Ack.

So I'm a mean Garage Sale Lady. Because of you ask me to take less on every single item, I'm gonna start saying No to everything. But if you're sweet, and ask about some stuff, but pay my price for others, I'm gonna give you half of the stuff you've picked out for free. Because I like polite and not-so-pushy people.

I warned my friend up front that I'm Jekyll and Hyde when I'm running a Garage Sale. I sent one pregnant lady home with all my crib sheets and baby bedding, FOR FREE. But the rude people before her had to pay full price for everything.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how tacky do you think I am?

Advice Forum Friday

Hey, y'all. Guess what - I'm having a Garage Sale! Oh My Goodness, I am going to be SO TIRED!

So my question for you this week is short and sweet. Do you still have a (telephone) land line in your house, and if so, what services are included?
And here's why I ask. I almost NEVER answer my home phone these days. Everyone I know has my cell phone number, and if I'm busy, I just don't even bother to check the home phone when it rings. And I also forget to check the answering machine, although when I do, it's just recordings and hang-ups. UGH.

I am oh, so tempted to just cut off our local phone service altogether, except for one thing: 9-1-1. I want my kids (okay, and me) to be able to call 9-1-1 if we need to, and if we aren't able to communicate our location, I want the dispatcher to know where the call is coming from. Which isn't the case with a cell phone. And that's the only reason I haven't dropped my phone service.

So what do y'all think? Lay it on me. And if you have a burning question to throw out this week, just post it on your blog, link back to this post, and sign the Mr. Linky down below.

I'll let ya know how the Garage Sale goes. Ack.

Protective Mother

CAUTION: Rambling, neurotic motherhood crap coming up. Be Ye Warned.

Y'all, I think I might be an over-protective mother. And I didn't want to be, really. Let me clarify. I want to protect my children from physical injury, illness and life's big bumps, but I didn't want to be the kind of parent who interferes or is always making excuses for their child.

My Aunt Lulu raised some spoiled useless kids, because in her eyes, they could do no wrong. In trouble at school? "Well, that teacher has it in for her, bless her heart." Get fired from the job? "Well, he was only a little bit late, for heaven's sake." Yeah, every dang day! Quit his job? "Well, his nerves were so bad, you know."

So even though it's not Advice Forum Friday, please tell me if you think I'm becoming Aunt Lulu.

Tink has always had very good luck with teachers. Even in the beginning, when she was fresh out of a shelter, and behaved HORRIBLY at daycare, she had a teacher who really got her. Miss Lori was firm but understanding and kept me in the loop, so we could work together to help Tink feel safe, and at the same time improve her behavior.

Pre-K - GREAT first-year teacher who didn't take any crap, but was sweet. She went on maternity leave six weeks before school was out. Their substitute for the remainder of the year was Mrs. Holly. Not so sweet.

Kinder - WONDERFUL teacher.

1st Grade - I talked about Tink's teacher here. Unfortunately, she was in poor health, and in the first 4 weeks, missed several days of school before leaving permanently. Then there was another sub for 2 weeks, and now a permanent sub has been assigned for the remainder of the year. More on that.

So. My child who has issues with change because of her time spent in the foster care system has had at least 4 teachers in 8 or 9 weeks. Oh, and p.s., so has the rest of the class. So - they're crazy. Are you surprised?

Here's the deal. The substitute Tink had at the end of Pre-K was VERY rough. Even physically. So much so that another parent reported her for shaking and spanking Tink. And when the other kids in the class were asked about it, they said, "Oh, she didn't spank Tink. The only one she spanked was Christian." Nice.

Guess who my daughter's permanent teacher is. That's right - it's Mrs. Holly. Oh Holy Night. I have been trying and trying and even trying to be objective in this situation. I Mean It. But here are the things that Tink has been given bad marks (and missed recess) for:

Looking in her desk while the teacher was talking.
Getting her crayons out before the teacher told her to.
Having a messy desk.

Now look, y'all, I know my kid acts up. She talks too much, just like her Momma, and if she came home with a frowny every day for talking too much or running in the halls or kicking or talking back or etcetera, I'd sign that sucker and send it back without a second thought. And talk to her about her behavior. And make sure she corrected her behavior.

But a messy desk? You should have seen Pooh's desk AND locker in 1st grade - they were disgusting, and I corrected her for it. And while all the things I listed above may have been disobedient, did they warrant a "frowny face" or "walking the line" at recess? I just don't think so!

I guess I'm just frustrated, y'all, because Miss Holly just called me to tell me that Tink hurt herself at school, but she's okay. But she didn't just say,

"Tink fell and hit her head, but she's got ice on it and she's okay."

Oh, No. She had to say,

"Tink was scooting around on the benches, and she shouldn't have been, and that's why she fell and hit her head...blah, blah."

I just really feel like this lady is gunning for my kid. And the feeling sucks.

You know what, though? It's my job to stick up for my kid. I may have a little Aunt Lulu in me, but mostly I'm just a Mommy, and if a girl can't count on her Mommy to have her back, then what's she got?

How cute are they?

That's right, I made the tutus. Uh huh, you're just a little envious, aren't you?

Problem is, I'm a bit addicted. I'm already thinking of making red and green ones for Christmas pictures. My poor girls may wear tutus for every special occasion until they're 13 years old. OOH, OOH, I could make a homecoming tutu...and a prom tutu...a graduation tutu...and a wedding tutu...and...I'd better start cutting!

Advice Forum Friday - Questions, Questions, Questions!

Hey, guys; how was your week? Mine was BUSY and SICK. Great combination. But it's almost over, and I can't wait until Saturday so I don't have to get up to take girls to school or pick them up, but can just hibernate in my house or run around all day if I want to.

Anyway.

We're back for another scintillating edition of Advice Forum Friday. I just have to thank you guys for answering all of my questions, REALLY. I'm the kind of girl who likes to know what other people are doing and how they're doing it. Not because I have a need to conform; it's more that I just want to know I'm not alone, you know?

So here's my question for you this week. When your kids are asking questions, and trying to learn, do you ever say, "Enough! Time Out!" For example, today Tinkerbell apparently learned about compound words at school. You know, blackboard, whitewash, that kind of thing. So this afternoon at home, she's big into the compound words. Except she really doesn't get it, so she's just trying to make everything a compound word.

"Pencil. Pen. Sell. Is that a compound word?"
"No, honey. It has to be two words that keep their meaning when they're stuck together. Like blackboard. Black. Board."
"Okay. Hmmm...Burger. Bur. Ger. Is that a compound word?"
"No, honey. Ger isn't a word. They have to be real words."
"Oh, I get it. How about dinner? Din. Ner. Compound word.
"No, baby. Ner isn't a word. Breakfast is a compound word, though. Break. Fast."
"Really? Oh. Well how about Daddy? Dad. Dee."

You get the picture. This goes on, on and off, all afternoon. She obviously doesn't get the idea, and I'm trying to cook dinner or pick my nose or whatever, but I'm so over teaching her at this point. But I feel guilty because I don't want to discourage her from trying to learn.

Have you ever felt this way? And if so, how do you handle it? I generally just say, "Okay, that's enough compound words (or whatever) for today. Let's go over it again tomorrow." Problem is, she is so into it that she doesn't want to stop and ends up getting her feelings hurt because I do.

Bring on the wisdom, people.

And if you have a question for our friends out there in the blogiverse, just write about it on your blog, link back to me, and sign the Mr. Linky down below.

And have a great weekend!

Blessed Devotional

Big Daddy was reading our family devotion last night. The topic was controlling our tongues.

Are there "tongue traps" your family needs to work on (e.g. critical remarks, negative talk, interrupting, speaking without thinking first)?

Pooh: Lying.

Tink: Talking smack about Mommy and Daddy.

That Tink just cracks me up.

Advice Forum Friday - Bread Machine Dough

Hey, guys. I absolutely can not believe it's been a week since I've posted. I've thought of forty-two different things to write about, but just never sat down and did it. Gotta sit down for Advice Forum, though! If you have a question for my vast readership (all 12 of you!) then post it on your blog, link back to me here, and sign the Mr. Linky down below.

Here's what I need help with this week. I have a good recipe for roll dough specifically for the bread machine. I've made this recipe probably 10 times, with varying results. Today, however, was the absolute worst batch I've ever made. Here's the basic recipe (from memory; the quantities may be off).

1 c warm milk
1/2 c softened butter or margarine
1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t salt
4 c bread flour (I always use regular flour and 1 t baking powder)
2 1/4 t yeast

Guys, I have made this recipe exactly the same every single time (The only variables are the milk temperature and the softness of the margarine). Today the dough was a wet, sticky mess. It POURED out of the pan. I added a ton of flour and kneaded it until it was the right consistency, then went ahead with my rolls. They turned out all right after my adjustments, but I just don't understand why the consistency was so different to begin with.

Any ideas?

Well, color me embarrassed.

Y'all have spoken. All four of you. And I can't believe how wrong I was on the holey jeans thing.

It's not that I don't care how my girls look. It's not that we can't afford new jeans. I am just so delusional that I actually think it looks cute.

But I'll keep it at home from now on. Wah.

Thanks, though. I needed that.

Another wonderful giveaway!

The Preacher's Wife has been blessed with Beth Moore's 'Loving Well' Retreat in a Box, and is passing the blessing on to one of her readers!

It sounds like such a great study; I'm not even going to be selfish and insist on winning like I usually do. Whoever wins will obviously be receiving a great blessing that they can share with their friends or Bible Study Group.

Check out the giveaway and enter here.

Advice Forum Friday - Holey Jeans

All right, my peeps. Time for Advice Forum Friday, that overwhelmingly popular weekly feature here at Queen of Dirty Laundry.

I guess I was a little morose last week, and thinking about giving up, but you know what? I'm gonna keep this sucker going, cause I love asking the questions. And if you want to answer my questions, please do. And if you want to post a question of your own, please do that too. Just remember to link to me in your post, and sign the Mr. Linky down below so we know where to find you.

Here's what's on my mind this week. You may know that almost 3 years ago I became the mother to three dainty girls. Or two dainty ones and a tank, but whatever.

Now even though my girls are dainty, they can wear out some jeans, y'all. And because I thought ripped jeans were in style, I've always just kept dressing them in those jeans even when the knees are worn out and frayed. Because did I mention that I thought it was stylish? But someone made a comment a few weeks ago that made me doubt my choice.

Let me just stop right here and mention that I don't really care about trends and the most current fashions, but neither do I want my kids to look like Little Orphan Annie. I'm not in the fashion loop at all; I buy them classic, simple clothes and shoes, for the most part.

As a matter of fact, often I'm actually resistant to current fashion trends. Take, for example, the color brown. Hated brown for almost 20 years. With a white-hot hatred. Hated brown. One of my favorite things about this house when we bought it was that it didn't have brown trim. And when brown became the new black, I rebelled. I haven't bought one brown thing since it came into style. Until last month. Now that brown is probably on the way out, I've fallen in love with it. Yeah, have you noticed the brown all over my blog? That's what I'm talking about.

How many more times can I say b**wn?

So I digressed big-time there, but my point is, I don't always trust my fashion choices. And here's where you come in. What's your opinion about the holes in the knees of the jeans? Yay or Nay? Is it cool, is it okay, or is it ratty looking?

Let me know.

Oh. My Goodness.

I found this YouTube video on WendyDarling's.

Let me explain first. I love music. But just like my fashions, I am oh, so stuck in the past. I like new music too, but I never get over the old stuff.

In the 70's and early 80's, I loved Larry Norman. He was Christian Rock before there even was such a thing. I don't even remember why, but my friend Deon and I called each other Larry. Every time I see her (it's not so often these days) that's the name that pops into my head. Not Deon, "Larry!"

So check out DCTalk's version of this classic Larry Norman song.

WFMW - I Made A Tutu, Oh yes I did!

Y'all, I love tutus. I love tulle, I love petticoats, I love crinoline. And I don't even know what crinoline is, but I know it sticks out and it's puffy.

I love tutus so much that I have pictures of ballerinas on my bedroom wall. That's right, I do. Lovely, tasteful, antique framed ballerinas. On my bedroom wall.

So this year, I really, really wanted to make my girls tutus for halloween. I looked and looked for free patterns or instructions online, and I decided to try this one. (She's got instructions for making hair bows, too!)

Last weekend I cut up a bunch of the girls' old clothes to make a rag rug, and on a whim I saved the elastic waistbands from the shorts and skirts. That proved to be a great decision.

Next, I bought one spool of 6" pink tulle in the bridal section at Michael's. And instead of buying elastic, I tried using one of those old waistbands, which did I mention the idea was brilliant? Reuse and recycle, y'all!

My first attempt wasn't very successful because I misunderstood the instructions and tried tying on the tulle instead of looping it through. I let it sit for a few days, and when I looked at it again, I realized what I had done wrong. So I did it right. And it was oh, so right.

Y'all, I am so happy. Giddy, actually. Because did I mention that I love tutus? Thank goodness my girls do, too. I went yesterday and bought enough tulle to make all three tutus*, and I am now ready to go crazy.

I'll probably post more pictures.

Now head on over to Rocks in My Dryer and check out everyone's tips for the week.

And don't forget to check back here on Friday for Advice Forum, where we're answering the hard questions, like...uhm...I don't know...how do you make a tutu? Or what's your best roast recipe? Bring your burning questions, and some advice for the rest of us.


*FYI - Each tutu will take 2 or 3 spools of 25 ft. x 6 in. tulle, depending on the waist size and the length. The tutu in the picture isn't finished in the back. What you see (about 40%) took 1 spool.

I'm desperate for something to post.

I got this in my e-mail today, and since I'm still fighting the epizootus, I'm a sucker for an easy post.

Four places I have lived: North Texas, North Texas, Mexico (for six weeks), South Texas

Four Places I have been on vacation: Las Vegas, San Diego, Albuquerque, The South

Four of my favorite foods: Mexican, Fettucine Alfredo, Fresh cherries, Chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now: In a casino in Las Vegas, On a cruise ship, At the Texas State Lottery Commission picking up my check, In my grandmother's kitchen, WITH HER.

To make it a bit more interactive, tell me if we have any of these in common, and do this on your site if you want.

Also, please pray my lungs don't collapse before my insurance kicks in. Thanks.

They crack me up.

Scooter (4): Pooh, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

Pooh (7): (ever so calmly) I don't need you to tell me what to do. Thanks for the information, though.

She never even looked up from what she was doing.

Advice Forum Friday...What would you do?

Have I mentioned that I've been sick? Yeah, with the epizootus. So I totally spaced yesterday and forgot to post Advice Forum Friday. I know, I'm not a very good hostess. I think...no, I know that I've been discouraged because even though I LOVE asking other people's opinion, it seemed that no one else much liked the idea.

But then Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer added a backwards twist to WFMW, which made it just like Advice Forum Friday. So I'm thinking she likes the idea. And then a grillion people said what a great idea it was when she did it, so I guess they liked the idea. And she scheduled another backwards WFMW for next month, so she still likes the idea.

And here's what I'm thinking. I have like 40 readers and 8 commenters, and Shannon has a bajillion readers and eleventy hundred commenters. And my friend Kristin said maybe I should just take the high road and bow out.

What do you think?

More than you wanted to know

I have been under the weather, my friends. With the epizootus. Which in our house translates to the allergy/sinus/upper respiratory triathlon that runs through my body several times a year. This time, I wasn't even over the last episode before this one hit me like a ton of bricks.

Seriously, I slept all day long yesterday. I took two kids to school, went to Target for some desperately needed groceries, slept, picked one kid up, slept, picked another kid up, slept, organized a closet, watched TV, tried to sleep.

Right now I want to crawl back in bed, but I'm trying to wait until after that first kid pick-up at 11:00. So this is an ideal time for me to finally answer the interview questions that I got from Carissa at SAHMmy Says.

Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.” I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions. If you don’t have a valid email address on your blog, please provide one. You will update your blog with a post containing your answers to the questions. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. I'm drawn to the picture of Big Daddy and you on the front page of your blog. There's a story there. Do tell.

There's a story, but it's not interesting. We were at a marriage enrichment seminar/retreat for adoptive parents. We've been blessed to be able to attend two of these events. One was in Austin at the Embassy Suites (love Embassy Suites!) and one was in Dallas at Hotel Indigo (eh...).

2. You just started at Rydell High. Who's your new best friend? Sandy, Frenchy, Rizzo, or one of the guys?

I'd be scared of Rizzo, friends with Frenchy (cause she's friends with everyone!), but want to be best friends with Marty. She's always been my favorite. Plus, I'd be friends with the guys, because for some reason, in High School guys always saw me as great "buddy" material. Thanks, guys.

3. Off with her head! Which teen idol does the Queen wish to eternally exile?

Oh goodness, I just hate that the media has gotten totally out of hand with these girls. I'm not really in touch with who the teens really like, as opposed to who gets all the press. I'd have to say, though, that Lindsay Lohan drives me crazy. And the Olsen Twins are probably actually aliens. Britney, I can't even go there. That's a train wreck of monumental proportions.

4. You're a serious bargain shopper. Anything you'll pay full price for--without flinching?

Good shoes. Red Wing Boots for Big Daddy; they last and last and last, and they professionally fit them in the store. I'd like to buy some Birkenstocks for me, but haven't been able to part with $100+ yet. But when I do, I won't flinch, because I know they're worth it.

Diet Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper.

Seriously, though, most anything I want, I try to wait until I find a discount or lower price on it.

5. What do you pray for when thinking about the future and your girls?

I want my girls to grow up feeling safe and secure. They had a rough start, and I hope we'll be able to overcome the insecurities and uncertainty that came with that. I pray that my girls won't be so desperate for love that they'll let men mistreat them. I pray that my girls will have ambition and direction when they reach the age where it's needed. And more than anything, I pray that my girls will love God with all their hearts, and seek his will for their lives.

Thanks, Carrissa! That was fun!

Who wants to be interviewed by me? Email me or leave a comment on this post with "Interview Me" in the copy!

I need a new camera.

Have you heard about the latest at 5 Minutes for Mom? In addition to birthin' babies, they're giving away a camera over there!

They’ve taken their pink EX-Z75, a 7.2 megapixel digital camera which is part of Casio’s highly-regarded zoom line of EXILIM cameras, and are offering it with this special camera case and pink-ribbon lanyard for the month of October.

The special-edition pink EX-Z75 will be available beginning October 2007 and can be purchased at Sears, La Curacao, Fred Meyer, BJ’s, Nexcom, AAFES, Staples, and Future Shop. The bundle package will have an MSRP of $179.99, and will proudly sponsor the National Breast Cancer Foundation. For more information, please visit http://www.casiousa.com/.

Y'all, my current digital camera is over 5 years old, and has a whopping 2.1 megapixels. Wouldn't it be great if I could pass it on to Pooh, and then I could take lovely photos (I wonder if it does short video?) of my sweet girls.

Go check it out! And enter if you must, but please cross your fingers for me. Cause I need it. Really.

LYLAS!

Advice Forum Friday - Dang Fleas

It's that time again, y'all. Time for me to ask your advice about whatever's plaguing me this week, and vice versa.

Right now, it's fleas. On my dog. Little Bear is highly allergic to fleas, and thank goodness it's been two years since he's had any trouble with them. But his lucky streak ended about three weeks ago. At this point, my poor baby is about half bald, bless his heart.

So far I cut his hair to about 3/4 inch, I picked off every flea that I can find, and I gave him a bath in Dawn Dishwashing Liquid. Oh, and I gave him a cornmeal soak to soothe his skin.

The problem is that my poor baby is going crazy from the itching. Any suggestions for something to soothe his skin and/or help his hair start growing back in? Bonus points if it's organic or as non-toxic as possible. Thanks.

Now, what's bugging you this week? Boss driving you crazy? Can't get the soap scum off the shower curtain?

You know the drill:
Write a post about it.
Include a link to this post.
Sign Mr. Linky down below.

Oh, and be sure to give me your brilliant ideas for getting rid of my fleas.

Later.

Works For Me Wednesday - Or Not

Hey, guys! This week's edition of Works For Me Wednesday is backwards! That's right - instead of giving tips, we ask for them. Sort of like we do around here (on a much smaller scale) with Advice Forum Friday.

This backwards business is right up my alley - I'm always wondering how other people, moms in particular, handle certain situations.

So let's just hop right into it, shall we?

I have the hardest time finding activities to keep my 4-year-old engaged. When she has someone to play with, she does okay (although she's not the most considerate playmate) but when she's alone, her attention span is very short.

Up until about a year ago, Scooter would happily play by herself, with Little People, dishes, Pet Shop, Doodle Pad, whatever, and have a great time doing it. These days, though, she needs constant interaction, and I gotta tell ya, it's killin' me. She'll ask to play with a certain toy, and five minutes later, she's back, "All done! What I can do now?" She ALWAYS wants me to play with her, and I do to an extent, but after a while, Mommy's done.

Oh, yeah, and I can't let her play in another room, because almost every time, she tears up the toys or gets into something or colors all over the room or smears toothpaste all over the bathroom. Again, this has only been for the last few months to a year. Before that, no problems from her.

I probably sound very naive, but I think my biggest issue is that I would expect this behavior from a 2- or 3-year-old, but Scoot's 4 1/2!

So tell me, my Internet peeps, what suggestions do you have for this Mother Of Three, One Of Whom is Wearing Her Out? Activities, methods, anything you've got! Give it to me!

And be sure to check back with me on Friday, cause I'll be asking more of the hard (and often silly) questions on Advice Forum Friday.

Peace out.

Does this happen to you?

Do you know that even though I've been typing - very well, I might add - for over 20 years, I still get the Z and the Q mixed up, all most every time.

What's up with that?

Do you have typing mistakes that you make, Every Single Time?

The Queen's Opinions on Driving and Traffic

People, I sit in my car every day and marvel at the way that some folks drive. On the highway, in school parking lots, on the plain old city streets. I'm starting to believe that I may be living in an alternate universe, because what makes sense to me does not seem to make sense to the rest of the world.

So. As an alternative to implementing a mandatory Queen's Driving School for the entire country, or at least all of Texas, I'll start here. With the Queen's Opinions on Driving and Traffic. Also known as Good Common Sense While Driving.

WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY

Dude, WHY ON EARTH do you have to ride my bumper? Seriously, can ANYONE tell me the purpose of this? It DOES NOT make me drive faster. In fact, sometimes I slow down, just for kicks. It also does not get you anywhere faster. Oh, and if I slam on the brakes, you're bleeding. Think about it.

And if there's a lane closure coming up, Get Over Now. When you see the sign. Because I did, and if you speed all the way up to the end of your lane, I'm Not Letting You Over. Because you're pushy and rude. If you and your pushy friends had gotten over when traffic was still moving and there was plenty of space, traffic would still be moving. You and those of your kind are the reason traffic is stop and go. Because people have to stop to let you in. Cut it out.

IN THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT OR OTHER MOB SITUATIONS (This is my Pet Project)

If the principal has come out to your car and asked you not to pick up your child in the through lane, OBEY HIM. Do not pull up in the same spot tomorrow and GET OUT OF YOUR CAR, thereby blocking EVERY CAR IN THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT. Thanks.

When everyone else is going in the proper direction, what makes you think you don't have to? See those big yellow arrows? They're there for a reason. You should be required to drive a Mo-ped.

Do you see my blinker? I need over. All you have to do is pause. Please do not rush to close the gap. How mean ARE you?

When I stop to let someone in, that doesn't mean for the entire free world to try to squeeze in front of my car. I'm being nice, people. Don't tick me off.

There should be a law about blocking the entrance to a school parking lot. And there should be a special place in H. E. Double Toothpicks for people who block said entrance. Actually, I think it should be a law that NO entrance should be blocked, EVER. What's it gonna hurt you to let one little person out of that driveway, huh? Be Nice.

CITY STREETS

First of all, I think it's maybe unwise to make the speed limit 45 on a city street. There's too much turning in and pulling out and mind changing and garage saleing going on. 30-40 is sufficient.

Stop running red lights. You're gonna put an eye out.

If you're not at an intersection, please don't try to turn left across three lanes of heavy traffic. It's selfish. You're asking at least three other cars to stop for you, just so you don't have to go up half a block to the next light.


Okay, y'all, that's what comes to mind right now. Too much?

If you have a differing opinion, and you're nice, I'd love to hear it! And I DEFINITELY want to hear what you consider Good Common Sense While Driving.

Let me have it!