And what a weekend it was...

It was a good genealogy weekend. I finally made it down to Wyuka in Lincoln on Saturday. Unfortunately, my Gmail account had some sort of meltdown and I'm missing some important e-mails that I had in regard to RAOGK. I know I had one that someone had asked for about 6-8 graves in Wyuka and that's totally gone. I can't even remember the name of the person who asked for it. Drat. The ones I did have didn't take long to get, so that only took about 3 hours total.

I have a friend that I met through RAOGK who lives in Colorado and she went up to Denver this weekend for me and got pictures of my great-uncle's grave at Fort Logan National Cemetery. I got an added bonus with the pictures, my great-aunt is buried with him! I had been looking and looking for her grave with obviously no success. Their son, who has since passed away told the funeral home he didn't care what they did with his mom's ashes after she had been cremated, so I was thinking the worst. Luckily, someone in charge had more than 2 functional brain cells and she's buried with her husband. I was glad to get that information, and the pictures. Thanks, Jodie!

Then, for some reason, I got on familysearch.org tonight and found my grandmother's brother who died when he as 9. I knew she had a brother who had died before she was born, bur I had no idea when he was born or when he died for sure. I wasn't even sure where he died, since my grandfather was a minister and they traveled literally all over the country. Anyway, tonight I happened to be on Family Search and I thought I'd just give it another try and there he was! I was so surprised, I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing. He was only 9 when he died, and he died in Rochester, Minnesota, but I couldn't find a death record for him anywhere in the death records that were on line. I have a whole list of people to look for in Rochester cemeteries for my family, so when I can get someone to watch the dogs, and maybe Steve, I'll have to head up for a weekend and see what I can find. All in all, it was a good weekend - in that respect.

Now, we can turn the subject for a bit to my weekend as a dog-sitter...


Amber called me Friday night to see if I could watch their dog, Taber. (Tabor? Whatever...) Of course I could. I mean, once you have 6 dogs, what's one more, right?






Apparently Buttercup did NOT share my enthusiasm.



We had one or two minor skirmishes on Friday and during the day Saturday, but then mom and Bob brought over the movie "Wild Hogs" to watch on Saturday night. Everything was going well until Taber and grandpa started playing fetch, which seriously offended Princess Buttercup. This was her grandpa darn it and she wasn't sharing him with some interloper with wiry fur and long legs. She waited under Bob's rocking chair until Taber brought the toy back for another toss and then all hell broke loose. It took Steve and I both to separate them - because if there 7 dogs in the house there are not going to be only 2 dogs in the fray, let me assure of that! Buttercup got kenneled for the rest of the night and Taber got babied, which I'm sure would have made poor Buttercup even more put out, had she known that. I was worried because Taber was limping. I felt her paw and her leg, there were no bones, broken and no bleeding, but the poor thing was shaking and scared to death. I'm sure part of Buttercup's annoyance was because Taber got to sleep with us this weekend, too. She sleeps with Amber and Jason, so refused to sleep in a kennel and since her legs are longer than a dachshund and, I hate to admit it, she weighs considerably less too, jumping up onto the bed was no problem. Buttercup normally commands the middle of the bed between Steve and myself, but 2 dogs in bed it too many, she was unceremoniously dumped on the floor and Taber sailed up over her head to land in the middle of the bed. Oh, if dogs could talk...

Anyway, I felt terrible about it happening so I had to call Amber and tell her what happened. I suppose any hope I had of babysitting the real baby due in February are now going to be in vain. If I can't take care of a dog, how can I be expected to take care of a baby? Luckily, she woke up this morning 100% recovered, with no more limping, but obviously giving Princess Buttercup a wide berth, and I certainly couldn't fault her for that. Buttercup, in turn, growled a couple times at her today to show that she was still in charge, but no more physical contact.

However, Taber must have been feeling a little put upon because when the neighbor girl came over to deliver some candles I'd gotten from her school fundraiser (Oh yes, it's that time of year again! LOCK YOUR DOORS! I didn't even see this one coming!) As I was saying, I opened the door to get my package from her, I didn't even feel or see Taber until the neighbor girl said, "Is that your white dog that just went running down the street?" OH MY GOD! I took out after her. I yelled, Taber! Stop!" And she did. I thought, "What a good dog..." Until she waited for me to walk up to her and get so close I could smell her doggy breath before she bolted and tore off down Keystone Drive. Dammit! I came running back into the house screaming for Steve get his car keys Taber had made her escape! Seriously I was petrified. I knew at this point I was never going to get to babysit the real baby. Never, never, never. Jason isn't going to trust me with anything again.

Luckily we caught up with her about a block and a half down the street where she stopped to visit some other dogs out in their yard. Whew. I did NOT want to explain to Amber why I didn't have Taber when they came home later on tonight. I calmly went home and finished cooking dinner and decided Taber was going back home immediately after dinner. I couldn't take any more! I'm getting too old for this kind of thing. I wasn't going to wait to see what else would happen next. I surrendered! By 8 o'clock Taber was back in her own house, in her own kennel waiting for mom and dad to get back. She was all in one piece and home. That's all I wanted!

Now, about Wild Hog... It was funny, but it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. To be honest, I think it would have been a lot funnier without John Travolta. He wasn't funny. He was irritating. Tim what's his bucket.... He was funny. Even William Macy was funny! Of course Martin Lawrence is funny... But John Travolta? Not funny. I'd watch it again, but I was unhappy that it wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. Oh well. I haven't seen a really funny movie in a long time. Too long. WHERE ARE ALL THE FUNNY MOVIES?!?!?! Oh Shrek 2 was funny, I love those movies, I'll have to check out Shrek 3 next, I suppose. The Blue Collar Comedy Tour? Hysterical, but more than a little off color. I need some good clean funny... If anybody finds any, let me know.

Sunday we had to go to Steve's Stepmom's for lunch. Her Birthday was the 31st. For some reason we can never take her out, she always want to cook. Fine. Italians should cook, if you ask me. And cook a lot! It was great. Salad, garlic bread, ziti with meatballs or ribs in spaghetti sauce, two kinds of birthday cake and ice cream. Good lunch. But I had to miss church to go and I have to start going to church again. I have to. I haven't been for awhile and I need to get back. Maybe next week.

Today we didn't do anything. Hey, The Closer had a marathon on. I watched a couple episodes and taped the rest. Then we had to go buy a new shower curtain for the basement bathroom because Meg took the other one with her. We have to use that shower because I pointed out some cracks in the walls of our bedroom shower, so he's giving it time to dry before he fixes it. How long to you think we'll be showering in the basement? Come on.... Don't be a party pooper, I'm taking bets. I'm thinking after Christmas, maybe even after new years. Oh, I'm not taking showers in the basement after it gets cold. That's what whirlpool tubs in the bedroom are for! No moisture in the shower and I don't freeze my nether regions off. Happy compromise. But, I know he's got painting to do for Nell, so our house isn't a priority, before you know it deer season will be here, it won't get done by then! Then Christmas comes with all those preparations... I'm thinking spring. Seriously. He could prove me wrong, you know. He could, but he won't... We'll seeeee about this one.

Okay, now I"m tired. It's almost 1:30. I think I'll grab a pillow off the bed and go watch a couple episodes of The Closer and by then I should be ready for bed. Night all...