Of Ladders and Such

Here is the ladder. I realize it doesn't look impressive.


If you look closely, it tells you it can grow to SEVENTEEN FEET!



And here's where it shows you that it can go on STAIRS, or even be like scaffolding... I'm not kidding.


And today Daughter and I played Beauty Shop. Because I used to cut guys' hair when I was at ORU. Hair check and all. I was no dummy - I knew I could cash in on it. $5 a cut. Yes SIR!

Before


After. THe part that looks a little scraggly is actually a shadow. Seriously.

By Request

Here's the purse. lovely, isn't it? He has really nice taste.


and the watch.


photo by Daughter

Tiling Part Two and Christmas OKC Style

We finished! Yippee!!!! Okay, we still need to seal the grout, and my father says to please apply liberally. And, seeing as how he has had a side business as a Handy Man for the past 30 years, I'm going with his opinion. Methinks he's experienced bad grout. Cowboy didn't seal his tile, (on the advice of someone in his family), and it's kind of a mess. Good thing same "Said Opinion Man" gave him a Dreme*l for Christmas, so he can remove the stained, nasty grout and replace it, if he should choose... Cowboy also recommends grout sealant.


So... can we talk for just a minute about GROUTING? Or, perhaps, grout CLEANUP? The first half went really well. Cowboy grouted, and I waited the suitable time before cleaning up and it was a lovely rhythm. Then... Cowboy continued to grout, and I was distracted by filling in the crack between the tiles and the walls... and the grout clean up was delayed... and yes, it took about TEN minutes per tile to clean up. You know I wish I was kidding, but I am not given to exaggeration... sigh...


but it looks good, now. We will put the 1/4 round at the base of the baseboards. And the refrigerator and oven are back in place.

and when Cowboy was giving me a foot massage last night (yes, he's wonderful, but he's NOT perfect) - he found some grout on the bottom of my foot... seriously? We grouted on the 23rd... sigh... I need to take better care of myself?

I spent Christmas with Cowboy and his daughter and his mom and dad and sister. It was a quiet, low-key affair, very similar to Christmas at my parent's house, so it was nice.


Cowboy's Sister and Mom


Cowboy's Dad in his new fishing hat for fishing in his new old boat

I gave Cowboy the ladder. I know, kinda pathetic. Especially seeing as how he gave me a Coac*h purse (are you kidding me?!) AND a beautiful watch. And now, of course, I'm thinking of a million things I COULD have given him. But, none of them are very romantic... what did you guys get your men for Christmas? I'm not very good at it.


Is he not the most beautiful man... and as absolutely lovely inside as out. As a matter of fact, I think you can see the lovely inside shining TO the outside.

Tiling Part One

We started Saturday morning. With plenty of this:


Although Cowboy may have preferred this:


I was told the tile saw I purchased was just as good as the one I would rent...
(perhaps too much of the above photo on the part of the Sales Guy)

Safety first (seriously, have I NO pride?!)...


First we measured. Then we chalked. Then we laid out. Then I thought the project was a burden and WHAT WAS I THINKING. WHERE'S THAT OLD DISGUSTING CARPET? oh yeah - Cowboy hauled it away a month ago... back to the pre-tiling experience.


2 1/2 hours later we were ready to mix the thinset and lay our first tile.



I remember from my THREE CLASSES (same one, three times) at Hom*e Dep*ot, that you are NOT supposed to trowel the thinset this way:


But THIS way... (Cowboy, of course, already knew that)


1 1/2 hours in


3 hours in


5 hours in


Cowboy handling the Tile Saw


8 hours in and that TRICKY PIECE BY THE PANTRY... I said, "If the door needs to come off that's fine. I'll just throw it away." The door came off... I'm not throwing it away...


Sunday... last piece...






grouting comes tomorrow (Thursday).

Setting the Record Straight

I can't believe it was a week ago. A week ago today (Friday), Cowboy and I were hanging out with Terry and Karen and Daniel and Gina. I wish I knew how to link to Karen's blog, because she did a fairly good job recapping the evening. She was "right on" with the sights we saw, and how good the drinks and meal were. She was a little "O-F-F" on her interpretation of her head in the subway and painting a picture of me as the one causing most of the trouble when we were together. Seriously?!

For the record... SHE is just as misbehaved as I am. Okay - she didn't start to climb the Brooklyn Bridge, nor did she put a cabbage in her coat, but that cabbage was for HER yard...SHE'S the one who wanted one. And apparently, if my friends tell me to jump off a bridge... well...

I did ask Cowboy if I seemed different around Karen, and he said we were "two peas in a pod." He's right. Something comes over me. Free-ness, I guess. (Nice word, huh?)

So... about the Subway. Just thinking about it makes me almost start laughing hard enough to pee my pants. I'm not kidding. I have always told my students on tour that they need to get on and off the Subway quickly, because I don't want anyone getting their head stuck in a subway door, because it would give them a heck of a headache. I've seen people get their torso hit by the doors. Even their hips. But, I am NOT kidding you when I tell you that her HEAD got stuck in the door. I don't even know how she did it. But... somehow... her HEAD, and her HEAD alone, was the point of contact with the doors. And they closed. And stayed their for a few seconds... Terry had already gone out, and Cowboy and I were behind her. Fortunately, she held the door for us... hahahaha... I could hardly stand up for a while. And then we all had to talk about imagining her if the doors HADN'T opened, and what she would look like with her arms and legs flying, one on each side of the door.

Seriously... so funny.

And I didn't get to play the foot pedals during the actual service... Cowboy wouldn't let me out of the pew. I tried. He's stronger than I am.

So, Karen showed you most of the good ones, but I'll add a few more. And, guess what?!?!? Cowboy has given me Carte Blanche to post pictures of him... Woo hoo!!!!

From left to right at Washington Square...


Daniel, Gina, Terry, Karen, Cowboy

I was making dinner Monday night, and Caleigh(Karen and Terry's 8 year old) came into the kitchen. I asked her if she knew where Cowboy was, and she said, "HE's watching i-Carly with me. AND he's reading, too. I can never do both at the same time, but he can." She was so impressed that I told her she could take a picture.


We ate lunch in Little Italy. Because Cowboy is a GREAT sport, he let Karen take a picture WHERE. EVER. SHE. WANTED. TO. Even here.


And then we sat down at the bar to wait for our table and saw this picture.


DO you see it? And then it became a bit of a theme.


Tuesday, Cowboy and I left LI and went back to the City. We had fun, but we sure missed the Hochstedler gang. How LUCKY am I that I have such great friends and a wonderful man and they all LIKE each other?!

Some Clarification

MY Cowboy is NOT the Naked Cowboy some of you may have heard about.

Although BOTH are from Oklahoma, THIS is not my Cowboy...


In case you haven't seen him or heard of him before, he really does call himself the Naked Cowboy. See?


Mine doesn't wear cowboy boots. Or a hat. Or have blond hair. Lots of differences.

Emily and Other Interesting Observations

Namely, Cowboy's bachelorhood is repeatedly confirmed... in all the best fashions.

OK - he DOES have a tree stand. And he is a "real tree" lover - a man after my own heart. And... he even has a cute tree skirt. I thought maybe it could've used an iron, but...

I went out to Ho*by Lobb*y to get a few things to make a wreath for his front door. And while I was at it, I decided I'd get myself stuff for a lasting wreath for my front door. (Since I was making his out of the leftover boughs from the tree).

Every single Christmas item was on sale. Wrapping paper, bows, you NAME it. On sale. 50% off.

So... I got a few more things than I intended.

One was something I've longed for for years, but seemed pointless to have in a house all by myself.


SOOOO cute, don't you think? We call it the whimsical Noel. A bit Dr. Seuss-ey, but we love it. I put it in Cowboy's house, but did tell him I'll take it back if things don't work out... (I don't think he's too worried. Me either)

I bought some Christmas bells to put on the wreaths. Didn't know what I'd do with the other 25 bells. And then I saw Cowboy's tree ornaments...


13 of these bad boys. All red. That's nice.


Here's the angel. She isn't actually missing a hand. It's in there. And he eventually found the wings...


Oh - don't forget THIS one. 12 or 13 ornaments. Period. And yes, all of this ilk.


The bells. They work, right? And Dora came down - (Cowboy's decree, with which I was happy to comply)

As we took out the stockings, I noticed one had an embroidered name on it. I LOVE when stockings are personalized... generally, I prefer when the names embroidered on things belong to the members of the home in which they are. Seems more, I don't know, personal, perhaps.


Huh. Do you see it? "Emily?" That's what I asked. "Who's Emily?" He has but one daughter, and her name isn't close to that...

This is when Cowboy told me that this was a free stocking from a sewing display from where his mom used to work... Yes. True. He is a bachelor.

And then, I start wondering if I am perhaps, bull-dozing on into his life, with all of my "great ideas." He didn't ask for ANY help with decorations, or ideas. But, the sweet, wonderful man said, "Sometimes when you are a bachelor, there are areas of your life that need to be bull-dozed, so they can be started over." (sigh...)


Oh - here's the wreath I made for his door.

As for my wreath... well, it's nice, but it's probably not going to be up. Since my door is blocked by my refrigerator...

Before and After

It's done.

Natural Instincts and I had a little date, this morning. I did my five mile run (in BRUTAL wind, I might add), and then hopped to it.


Before


Here's hoping


In 20 minutes we'll know. I was a little apprehensive about the non-permanent hair color, because I have heard that gray hair can be hard to cover with it. And, I will say, that my gray shows through a little bit.

But... I'm really REALLY glad I did it. And I am going to go permanent.


I asked Cowboy which one he liked better. (Yes, he looked like he was going to stand before a Firing Squad - was that mean of me?) And he said, "Which one do YOU like better?" HAH - I said, "Nope. I asked you first." And he told me he liked it this way better. And I told him I did, too.


So, now I feel like I look as young as I feel.