Everybody's goin' off the deep end

Yes, we work for the weekend. We work for deliverance, money, freedom, the lottery. Clif came in this weekend, new/used vehicle in his sights...the previous starter truck.....outgrown and not wanted. Silverado single cab, V-6, standard transmission that he coveted on the lot at Chevyland, in July, 2004, embarking on his senior year in high school. Now, it's abhorred - not capable of transporting fraternity brothers en masse.

In high school, no matter what apparatus Clif had, he took it apart, piece by piece, to find out how it worked. It usually did not get re-assembled, but that is how I guess the male species is driven. Jim and I have both threatened him, he may not modify, lower, lift, etc. anything on this new "used 2005 Sierra" unless he wants to take over the payments...pictures of new ride below, 4WD, Z71, all electric, XM Satellite, more bells and whistles than my new Sierra has.

Blogger won't let me upload any other pictures, but the truck is very nice, and something he has really wanted. If I can afford On Star for his truck, we will get that. However, with gas prices as they are, we might have to consider bank robbing.

I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I know all the environmentalists don't care if we drill in the Gulf, but come on guys, let's drill everywhere we can in the U.S. You're not going to intimidate people into alternative energy. I'm so tired of these NIMBY's (Not In My Back Yard.) Had we started this drilling off the Atlantic & Pacific Coasts and Anwar during Clinton's Administration...had we been that farsighted, there would be no problem. But we have so many people in the U.S. that seem to think we need to be a "part" of a "global" economy that they have lost sight of the wonderful, ADMIRED (yes), good ole U.S. of A. We don't need anyone but ourselves (as the founding fathers' said.)

We don't need the French, the Germans, the English, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Russians to take their temperature, to intimidate us. WE ARE THE BEST NATION IN THE WORLD, the most giving, the caring-est...the most tenacious, the most self-supporting, defending all that is right.

OH COME DOWN OFF THE SOAP BOX SUSAN, IT'S SOMEONE ELSE'S TURN. But God help us if we need to take a global poll to be a better leader. That is so NOT what a leader is all about.

The Ruffin family had a good weekend. After we bought Clif's truck on Saturday, we headed to S'Port to get a new bed at Sam's for his old bedroom. Then lunch at El Chico and grocery shopping.

It's now Sunday, Clif went back to Baton Rouge around noon, and am enjoying the short time off.

Ruffinism for the day: A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice. - Bill Cosby

Eric Hall, Husband, Father, Hero

Last Friday night, the Hall's and the Bagley's/Gamble's had a hero's homecoming for Eric Hall, Haley's husband, Brenda and Calvin's son, Scott's brother, Joye's son-in-law, and so on and so on. Eric is a medic that has served in Afghanistan and just recently came home after his second tour, and was presented with the Medal of Honor. What a hero, I have spoken of him before here and now he is home for approximately 8 months. They had a hero's welcome for him last Friday night at Southern Trace Country Club and Jim and I were honored to attend and welcome home a young man that has more than served his country and continues to serve. I have some pictures:

Eric, the Hero in baby blue and Haley, supermom in white

Redux

Joye and Mr. G
Mr. G and Hanna-Ms. Boston College
Bill Garmany, Crystal Stone, Jean Calvert
Linda Whatley, left, newly leased and happy woman, Brenda Fleniken, right
Lauren and Haley below

The Herring Girls
Reagan, Nanna, Sonny, Lauren

Al Ruffin, Pat Herring, Jim Ruffin

Ruffinism for the day: Oh, this one's easy, be the photographer, not the subject!

New Truck

I got a new truck. My old Sierra was leaking coolant from the head gasket and is sitting in the driveway ready to be fixed. Clif and his girlfriend came in last weekend and we all went truck shopping. We get things done when Clif comes in. He takes the bull by the horns. Got a good deal, and upgraded towing capacity and Jim and I are determined to get an RV this summer to take advantage of being old people.

We had the nerf bars put on aftermarket along with the bed pad and the tailgate pad.

Busy, busy, busy, have not had time to breathe - new truck smell:

Back doors that open all the way up, especially the drivers' side. Yea! 20-Inch Tires. And Happy Father's Day to all and Clif called Jim. And LSU lost to North Carolina but Tiger Woods sinked a birdie on 18 at the US Open to pull a playoff tomorrow. Should be fantastic......we have a reservation for the 4th of July at Rayburn and am looking forward to it.

Ruffinism for the day: Middle age is when you're sitting at home on a Saturday night and the telephone rings and you hope it isn't for you. ~Ogden Nash

One Good Breakdown Deserves Another

Closing in on the end of vacation. Clif is coming in from Baton Rouge on Thursday with his girlfriend that I've never met, and now must do a marathon clean so she won't think we are who we really are...lazy, old, dirty working people. The Oreck, THE ORECK broke down this morning about 10:00 o'clock. The WONDERFUL vacuum cleaner that Jim has not been allowed to touch for a year and a half has gone to the great Hoover Heaven in the sky. Took me two hours to do the post mortem on it. It smelled like burning rubber. Checked the belt, old belt was almost cut in half. Changed the belt. Turned it on, smoking. Unplugged, checked the roller, cleared small bit of hair, dental floss (oh I know you wanted to hear that). Took the bag off, dis-assembled the tube assembly, clear. Took bottom plate off of torso for emergency surgery. Hmmm, copper wiring looks fine (like I'm Ms. Motor Repairman), no cancers visable, no internal bleeding. Replace plate. Change bag, that could always be the source of smoking (right). But it's a fresh start. Plug in vacuum again. Start your engines. Determined to get some dirt off of kitchen mats and floor. Rolling right along...is that burning rubber again? Pretend not to smell, positive thinking, push back and forth, back and forth. Ignore that smoke coming from the motor vents. Fire, fire! Smoke, putrid black smoke. Turn off vacuum, unplug vacuum, throw plug at vacuum in disgust (like shooting a dead man). Picture of victim on dirty floor.



Ok, Clif's girlfriend will just have to walk among the dirt and dust. Head to bathroom for major washdown and chiseling. Dump box of Comet in bathtub. Add water. Scrub with Mr. Clean four-foot handy rod cleaner/spongy thing. Not getting a lot of scum off. Have owned this house ten years and I believe those bathroom tiles were white when we moved in...hmmm, now they're yellow. Note to self: paint bathroom walls yellow to match tile. Heretofore, Jim and I have just usually used Mr. Scrubbing Bubbles push button twirler that sprays nice sheen on bathtub after each shower. He's fired.

Move on to toilet. I have been a great fan of Clorox drop in the back tank cake rounds that keep that toilet sparkling clean. Wait, is that a dirty water line in the bowl? OMG, it's MOLD! Never noticed that before, however, do not wear glasses in the bathroom. Hope girlfriend is blind. Clean toilet bowl with rest of Comet. On to clean tile floor. WHOA, the great talcum desert with snow banks in the corners. Jim and I must each stir up great snow storms every morning after we get out of the shower. Since Oreck is dead and am forced to use the broom, need way to get caked-on talcum powder from corners and sides. AHA! A spatula will do the trick. One hour later, the spatula, twisted and bent, is in the trashcan. Snow covered corners it is. Push bathmat into only corner visible on entering bathroom, hope the others are overlooked.

I went to great trouble this week fixing things on vacation that I don't normally get to fix in the hectic hustle and bustle of everyday working/collapsing at night. I finally fixed the hutch light in the dining room. But as I was polishing furniture in there this morning, I noticed all of the tarnished silver in the hutch. No time to polish. Hmmm...unplug hutch light for a few more days.

Late this afternoon, I blew out the garage, driveway and moved on to the patio. Looks pretty nice, I think. Just hope she doesn't notice all of the dead cape jasmine blooms that I blew into the patio trees. And all of my patio planters and pots are sporting dirt this year. Where does the time go?

Ruffinism for the day: Let the world know you as you are, not as you think you should be, because sooner or later, if you are posing, you will forget the pose, and then where are you? - Fanny Brice..........Not in my bathroom - Susan Ruffin

8 O'Clock A.M. Times 4

OMG, I have never had such a wonderful relaxing vacation. Mr. G and Joye went far and wide for a shopping vacation. We all needed it. Landmen and clients have taken their toll on him and I am very weary. We were burning the candle at both ends. This is the first time in at least 8 years that I have had the pleasure of waking myself up at eight in the morning, not for work, not camping, not anything. It has been so nice.

The first day (Thursday) I went shopping for gifts for Jim and sent money down to Baton Rouge for Clif so he could buy him a gift. Mr. G paid me a commission on one of his leases and I'm very grateful. Of course after one takes withholding, social security, medicare and state tax out of it, I might as well consider myself rich because the government even takes one-third of the little peoples' money no matter what.

So I go to Bossier City on Thursday, a great venture for Susan Ruffin who does not venture far - panic attacks and all. I looked for a new cruiser bicycle for Jim, his love in life (his present cruiser sheds its chain for no particular reason at present although he has been known to torque it often). I went to Toys R Us, Walmart Bossier City, Walmart Youree, Walmart Barksdale Highway and finally Academy (the closest place to Mansfield) and found a great bike on sale. Jim loves it. Norman loves it and chases Jim on it and barks.

Back to the eight o'clock thing. I usually get up at 6 in the morning, but it has been a pleasure to sleep until eight. Course you cannot sleep past eight in the bedroom because the sun burns the bed by 8:30 every morning, no matter how low the a.c. is kept. I have puttered, I have fixed lights, cleaned cobwebs, felt ALMOST like a gardner and have great plans to redo the kitchen (just kidding but I wish I could).

Today Jim and I headed to Sam Rayburn to switch out vehicles at the boat stall. We took the pop-up to Rayburn to put it in the stall and brought the boat home. It needs servicing (has not had one since 2006) and Clif is coming up to pick it up this weekend. He and his frat brothers are going to go down False River on it to some festival. Oh Lord, although I remember some of the best times in my life were when my sister, Becke and I went up to the lakehouse near Corsicana, TX and got the boat out and pulled each other skiing. Seems like a lifetime ago.

I have a few more days off, although I need to go in and check mail and messages....and I am grateful. I don't get many days off. Prior to this, I had Good Friday and a shopping day with Clif off so far this year, not even Memorial Day.

No pictures to share, although I will leave you with this. We took the pop-up this morning and Norman wasn't around (he tends to hang out on the next street at the Cobbs' house). However, when we came home, he was at the back door and not very happy. He thought we had gone camping without him. While we were getting out of the truck, he jumped in the backseat and refused to get out. He sat there in the heat with the door open for 30 minutes before he realized we were not going anywhere. My heart hurt for him. You know, that little feller likes to camp...I gave him most of my pork chop tonight under the table. Comrades.

Ruffinism for the Day: My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. Susan Ruffin