The Hammer

There is a commercial here for a local personal injury lawyer.  You know the type...angry for you that you have been wronged, angry at the person/place/thing that wronged you, angry that they have money that they should give to you for having wronged you, angry that his boxers are riding up his behind...overall, just an angry guy.  He yells from the beginning of the commercial to the end, telling you how you should be angry, too.  You should call him so that you can commiserate with him over both of your anger.  He can take away your anger.  He will make it his personal crusade to take your anger out on everyone who ever crossed your path.  You have been wronged!!!  You must be righted!!!  He can help!!!  

What I want to know is:  are there really people that call him?  1-800-You-Hurt?  Now, this is coming from a former legal assistant for a personal injury lawyer, so, I know that there are truly folks out there that have been wronged, either by the negligence of someone else or by a corporate giant who doesn't care about the little people.  However, all of the clients of the firm that I worked for were truly, truly wronged, in this case, by a large corporation.  Their negligence led to the painful cancer deaths of many, many skilled laborers and the equally painful illnesses of countless others.  These people (and their surviving families) deserved to be compensated.  They did their job and they got sick.  

My problem is with those ambulance chasers, those unscrupulous bloodsuckers who prey on people in their hour of need.  America is a litigious society and it has created an angry atmosphere everywhere.  Those lawyers who prey on the less informed and create lawsuits where there really isn't one are the root of evil.  If we lived and learned to take responsibility for our actions and not expect to have our mistakes paid for by someone else, we would be a much happier society.  Those lawyers should be outlawed.  I know they are just trying to make a living, but if you are so desperate to make a buck, go work at McDonald's and quit making those obnoxious commercials.  

OK, off my soapbox...thanks for letting me vent.

Foto Friday

On this day, 14 years ago...

I married my best friend.  I love him more today than ever.  He is my best friend, my hero, my confidante, my own personal joker, and my greatest champion.  

I love him for many things...

how he puts the towel over his shoulder when he is creating masterpieces in the kitchen,

how he waits for me to put my corners on the bed when we are making it together,

how he makes sure my car is always locked,

how he pretends not to like our dog even though secretly he is giving her treats,

how he looks in the mirror every morning and says, "Damn, I'm good lookin'!"

how he makes all of BoyBoy's stuffed animals talk,

how he makes the best mixed drinks,

how he served our country for 22 years and, now, is excited about the next phase of our lives,

how he loves our son with every bone in his body,

how he loves me.

I love you, Bubba!  Here's to 50 more!

Happy Memorial Day

Today I am grateful for every soldier's sacrifice.  

And I am proud of my soldier and my son.

Just Askin'

Did I not get the memo that yesterday was drive like an idiot day?

Not Me!!!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This is my first foray into the Not Me! Monday! carnival.  I always chuckle at MckMama's shenanigans but can never think of any for myself.  This week, however, is different...so here goes.

I certainly did not forgo a shower almost everyday this week, even after working out, so that I could watch the workers put in our new patio.  Nope, not me!

I also did not sit in a lawn chair, tanning my legs, drinking iced tea in the 90 degree heat while those same workers sweated buckets.  Again, not me!

I did not get really upset when Danny Gokey was voted off American Idol.  I also absolutely did not swear not to vote in the finale.  Wasn't me!

I did not secretly wish that Victor and Tammy would trip and fall and lose the Amazing Race so that Margie and Luke would win.  Uh uh, not me!

Bubba did not cook 8 burgers on his new grill the first night even though, as a family, we only need three.  Nosiree, not him!

The Cheeze family did not eat burgers for lunch for three days straight because of Bubba's over-excitement over his new grill.  Nope, not us!

We also absolutely did not stay in our pajamas yesterday until well after noon.  Lazy?  Not us!!!

And that is my first entry into Not Me! Monday!

The Big Patio Project!

Ever since we got married, Bubba and I have dreamed of having our own house and being able to have a great grill, patio, basketball court, and basically awesome outdoor space.  Finally, after 14 years of marriage and 22 years of moving for the Army, we have our home for good and are able to make our dreams come true.  This past week, we had a patio, basketball court, and new front walk installed by a great concrete company.  I wanted to maintain the integrity of our old house and so we chose stamped concrete (way cheaper than brick, pavers, decks, or composite).  We are very happy with the results and have already had a dinner cookout as well as a breakfast cookout this morning.  Here are the pictures I promised.

The front walk in progress:

Stamping the pattern:

The finished product:

The patio in progress:

Putting in the color:

The finished patio during cookout #1:

Bubba and the Concrete Guy discussing world peace:

BoyBoy and his boys on the trampoline with the bball court in progress:

The first cookout!

Whew!

I am slacking on the blogging lately due to the fact that Bubba is home for a month before he starts his new job.  We are tackling the honey-do list daily and beautiful weather has given us much time to work outside.  Phase two of the patio was completed today and hopefully, the last phase will be done tomorrow.  I will post photos when it is done and prettified.  The list is still long and will probably demand many more trips to Lowes, Home Depot, the emergency room, etc.  I promise to keep you posted.  I am still reading and commenting as much as possible.  I can't function without my daily bloggieness!!!

To Nannie

Today is the day that we honor our mothers.

And so I am giving thanks.

For my mother is one like no other.

Her love is stronger than the Federal Reserve Bank.

She raised me with love and with caring

Even though I plucked on her nerves.

The patience of Job, not overbearing,

Even when I didn't deserve.

She laughed with me and she cried,

When I was too much to handle.

She taught me to read and ride.

No one to her holds a candle.

Appreciation for others, manners, and grace.

A love for the beach and for books and for food;

A place for everything, everything in it's place.

Tolerance for even the worst of my moods.

She raised me to believe in myself,

To be strong and soft and brave.

She was an example of beauty herself;

To be like her is what I crave.

She loves me in spite all of my faults,

And I love her in spite of hers.

It is my mom that this poem exalts.

Nannie, you're the cat's pajamers!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!!

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone!  

Please feel free to have one of these....

or these...

and try not to end up like this...

Jenna-isms

Back in April, we went on a cruise with another family.  They have two smaller children and their youngest, Jenna is four years old.  She is a precocious four year old and princess of quite a lot.  She worships BoyBoy and tells anyone who will listen that he is her boyfriend and she is going to marry him.  Poor BoyBoy tolerates it as best he can and is remarkably kind to her.  It makes her love him even more.  

Being four years old can be brutal.  No one understands you.  You have many demands that no one seems to want to meet.  You are your own island.  Being your own island requires your own language.  After spending a week with her, I was able to translate some of her language and I am pleased to share some of it with you.

Boyly:  Not girly.  "These toys are too boyly for me to play with."

Lookinat:  Picture book.  "This is a lookinat book not a reading book."

Pinkiesup:  The proper way to do anything if you are a princess.  "You have to drink with pinkiesup!"

Wrestle time!:  The time in the afternoon or evening set aside specifically for wrestling.  "C'mon Mr. Bubba!  It's wrestle time!!!"

Rubber:  Rub.  "I need you to rubber my back so that I can fall asleep."

Job Changer:  Walk-in closet.  "Daddy goes into the job changer when he gets home to get out of his uniform."

Trustes:  believes  "Nobody trustes me."

It's tough being a princess...