A list of Never's.

I do know, to never say Never.

I learned that lesson a long time ago.

But that doesn't mean that I didn't have a list, in my mind, of things that I had come to expect would never happen for me.

I never expected to buy a house. I knew that I would need a strong, reliable, working partner for that.

Enter, Mustang Man. My strong, reliable, working partner.

I won't say I never expected to find him, because to be honest with you? I KNEW I would. It just took a little more time then I expected it to.... :)

I never thought I'd be a Mom.

Enter, Mustang Girl.

just because I didn't give birth to her does not make her any less mine. Despite her being entrenched into her teen years, she and I still have a very good, very strong relationship. There is really not much I DON'T tell her. It might sound sappy to you, but that kid is one of my best friends. Yeah. We have the typical ups and downs. But she is someone I am proud to know. Always will be.

And the biggest Never?

One that I've kind of wrestled with, for the last 10 years or so?

The biological clock never.

I have come to, and accepted the fact, that I will not have a child, of my own. My own genetics. One that I have known since conception. As time went by, and I became older, accepting that got a little easier. Sure, I had moments of regret. But, I chose not to have a baby while I was single, and on my own. I wanted a partner for something like that. Even my own MOM asked me one year to go get knocked up while I was single...

Turning the big 4-0 this year pretty much cemented this for me.

Well

God laughs when you tempt him so, doesn't he?

Thats right, ladies and gentlemen, Aunts and Uncles. Whomever is still reading this.

When I wasn't looking, wasn't expecting, I was uh, minding my own business....

that never turned into NOW.

There will be an addition to our crazy, loving house in August, if all goes well. And I am focused on it all going well. So far, so good.

We are surprised, we were shocked. We are happy. We are hormonal (well, I am hormonal). We are looking at this as an enhancement to our lives. We are grateful. We are humbled by our gift.

We have a "Hun in the oven". (yes, the baby already has a nickname. "Hun". He or she is very good at telling me what they want so far. ("eat, puke! eat more! puke! sleep! wait! don't sleep, go pee! now, cry at a stupid commercial!") I have this vision of this little tiny kid pulling and tapping on my organs (especially my bladder) to his or hers hearts content....

as long as he or she is healthy, and growing, I'm all for it. He/she just needs to keep going, all the way until August. (but don't be late, please!)

So, there it is.

my last never has been rejected....

and now, if you will excuse me, I am going to go puke, cry, eat, pee, or sleep. Or all of the above.

I'm still here

And I have a doozy of a blog post to write you all, I really do.

But

I can't write it all down yet, I've gotta get through work, and then Christmas.

But I promise. It will be good.

So good, some of you will happy dance

and some of you may even cry...

seriously

I promise.

See you soon

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that rot.

(I will try and get the new post up before New Years, if possible)

Wordless Wednesday

Santa has a hard life in our house....

just catching up...

Saturday did totally rock, what with the Navy winning and all. Next year, will be a decade of wins. I already can't wait....

We also went and got our lovely Christmas tree, and decorated it. This tree smells SO GOOD. I love a live tree for that reason. You can all keep your artificial, easy to put up trees. And call me a tree murderer.

I am, and always will be, a live tree girl. Yeah. I realize I should get the plantable kind. But those are so small.

I am, once again, badly procrastinating Christmas Cards. You all might be getting New Years Cards.

I have the best of intentions, I really do....

Go Navy!

I can't let this week go any further without mentioning that Saturday is the Navy-Army game.

Anyone who knows me, or has been here knows that I am DIEHARD for this game!

I have all the faith in the world that my Middie's will kick some Army ass, for the NINTH year in a row!

It's going to rock....

I can't wait for Saturday...

so I have to ask...

When did it become okay for children to be getting coffee?

I ask because, well.

The dentist I go to, she sees many kids, because they do those Invisalign braces at her practice. And, in their waiting room, they have this little beverage center thingy that has one of those one cup drink makers. And little snacks.

I already think that's weird, because, you're going to the dentist. Why do they want people eating and drinking before their exams?

Ok, I get that its probably for the people waiting for their kids or spouses or whatever. But what's to stop the person getting the exam from sitting there and using it?

ANYHOW

so, I was early for my appointment, because the DMV and my other errands didn't take as long as I had expected them to. Kid number 1 walks in, a boy, probably no more then 12 years old, I am guessing closer to 10, though. A few minutes later, Dad comes in.

"dad! dad! dad!! Can I get a drink!"

"yeah whatever" waves away Dad, who is too busy telling the receptionist she looks "gorgeous" and calling the hygenest sweetheart. (true story)

Kid starts pushing buttons, hemming and hawing. Finally, he turns to his father, who was still ogling the receptionist and says "All the buttons are flashing and I don't know what to do!"

Dad comes over, pushes a button, and voila

juniors cup starts to fill.

"I had a hard time choosing between the French Roast or the Green Tea" says jr. conversationally, as his cup fills. "I chose the tea".

"Well there's the sugar, hurry up" answers pervo-dad.

And with that, said 'sweetheart hygeinest' calls the child in.

As they were leaving, later, Dad hands kid the next appt. card. "Give that to your mother" he instructs.....

Kid 2 comes in

with skinny mother

doesn't even ask

right for the French Roast.

He was probably 13.

I never even considered drinking coffee at their ages...

RamLoach-the story

This is Rambo Loach (RamLoach), and Mini Loach is in the shot, too...

They are "Golden Dojo Loaches", or, also known as "Weather Loaches". They are called Weather Loaches because they become much more active when the weather is about to change. They used to carry them on Navy Ships.

I think they are very fun fish, when they are doing laps in the tank they look like golden spiralling ribbons.

But I digress.

When we had just the 29 gallon tank I bought 3 of these loaches for it. They like their own company, and need a friend. The silly things kept disappearing, though, going over the back wall, and down through a hole underneath the filter system built into the tank. All three of them disappeared, and I stopped getting any, having learned my lesson.

Well, then the advent of my 75 gallon glass tank at an unbelievable price came about. We got the big new tank all set up, water parameters happy, got it landscaped. Then moved all the fish over, and unplugged the biocube, until I had time to clean it out and prepare it to become our Salt Water tank.

Fast forward, about 3 weeks. MM took the biocube outside, the tank that had been unplugged for 3 weeks, no light. No air. Just a little water at the bottom....

He dumps out said water, and I hear him hollering from the front yard

"Fish! I've got a Fish! Open the door! Fish!"

I go out the screen door and MM runs past me, hands cupped, throws open the top of the new tank, and practically throws this fish he's found into the tank.

RamLoach.

He'd survived the entire time under the filter system. And for the last 3 weeks, with nothing to eat, no lights. NOTHING. Hence his name, Rambo Loach.

He also survived the 5 days of no power.

I really shouldn't be surprised. RamLoach might outlive us all....

Wordless Wednesday