How wonderful are
the children of my children?
They are grand, indeed.
Smart, sweet, and sassy;
loving, amusing, and kind.
Cute beyond belief.
I’d tell everyone
that the kids take after me,
but I’d be lying.
Grand Children
Tag: Studly Doright
Cooking for Studly: July Update
As July 2015 fades into history I must confess that I have faded as a cook this month, as well. I’ve relied heavily on frozen entrees these past 31 days, blaming my lapses in the kitchen on a number of worthy excuses:
- Time spent working in Studly Doright’s shop
- Oppressive heat
- Menopause
- Humidity
- Blogging
- Travel
- Cat videos
- Politics
- Sinus issues
I’m running out of excuses, and once I return home from visiting my daughter in Illinois I’ll need to either start cooking again or come up with some better evasive tactics. I’m open to suggestions.
Peace, people!
38 Plus One Reasons Why
Last year at this point my blog was just a newborn. It has grown and so have I, physically, emotionally, and mentally.
This was my post one year ago today, with an additional reason tacked on at the end.
On the eve of our 38th wedding anniversary
I thought it might be interesting to challenge myself to list 38 reasons I’m happy to be married to Studly Doright.
1. He thinks I’m smart.
2. His sense of humor. It’s corny and quick and keeps me on my toes.
3. He’s a great mechanic. That ability has been ridiculously valuable throughout our 38 years together. No matter how broke we were we always had reliable transportation.
4. He is handsome. Much better looking than I deserve.
5. He’s honest in his dealings with others. His golf buddies refer to him as the Boy Scout. He never cheats. Never.
6. He can admit when he’s wrong.
7. He isn’t afraid to show emotion.
8. He loves our kids fiercely.
9. The grand kids have compared him to a jungle gym. And he would do anything in his power to make them happy.
10. He is loyal, sometimes to a fault.
11. He treats his mother like a queen.
12. He is generous and big-hearted.
13. His laugh. Oh, wow, his laugh. Sitting through a funny movie with Studly is one of the best mood lifters in the world. I highly recommend it.
14. He is a really good kisser.
15. He is an incredible leader.
16. Have I mentioned how smart he is?
17. He will dance with me if he has had enough to drink.
18. He is a good driver.
19. He taught me to ride a motorcycle without wringing my neck.
20. He likes to hold hands.
21. He does everything in his power to make sure I’m happy.
22. Studly loves our cats as much as I do.
23. He is consistent. That might sound boring, but he’s the perfect counterpoint to my Inconsistency.
24. Punctuality is important to him.
25. He makes kick ass obstacle courses.
26. He is a decent amateur auctioneer for our family reunion fund raisers. What he lacks in speed he makes up for in witty repartee.
27. He is really good at mental math. I never need a calculator when he’s around.
28. My parents loved him.
29. He insisted that Daddy move in with us so we could care for him after Mom passed away. The two years we had with Dad before he died were some of the best of our lives.
30. He never lets me take myself too seriously.
31. He doesn’t worry.
32. He respects my opinion and listens to my points of view.
33. He sees me as an equal partner in our marriage.
34. He can cook much better than I can.
35. He can laugh at himself.
36. Studly has a stellar work ethic.
37. He knows how to enjoy life.
38. And, he loves me. He really, really loves me.
39. No matter how crazy his work becomes, he never brings it home.
I made it! Truth is I could’ve gone on and on, but I probably lost most of my readers half way through. That’s ok. This one’s for my husband.
Peace, People.
Ray Donovan–almost a review
Studly Doright and I have been working out in his new shop every evening. We’re building workbenches and shelves and the interior is coming together nicely. By the time we come in the house we’re tired and sweaty, so instead of going out to a movie or to dinner lately we’ve been watching the first season of Ray Donovan.
Liev Schreiber is the title character. He’s a guy who fixes situations for Hollywood elites, even if that means inflicting physical pain. His father, Mickey Donovan, is played by Jon Voight, at his sleaziest, skeeziest best.
Holy crap is all I have to say. It’s dark. Really dark. But well done, too. If you loved Breaking Bad and are looking for a new series, I highly recommend Ray Donovan.
Peace, people!
Blame the British Open
My Monday has been a most unproductive day. Laundry has gone undone, dishes have been ignored. Heck, I haven’t even showered yet! I blame it all on the British Open. Normally it would have been over and done with yesterday, but rain delays messed with the schedule.
The final groups should be finishing their rounds soon, so I might be able to at least shower and make the bed before Studly Doright gets home from work this afternoon. Except, the leaders’ scores are tight and there is a very real danger of a playoff!
Thank goodness Studly is a golfer and won’t think ill of me for watching the Open all day. In fact, he’ll probably high five me.
Walking St. Andrews
on golf’s
most hallowed ground
men strive for the
claret jug
battling nature’s
elements
and unimaginable
pressures.
accompanied by
ghosts of
Bobby Jones and
Tom Morris,
wide-eyed
amateurs and
stone cold
professionals
stride historic
fairways on their
way to cross
Swilcan Burn Bridge
at St. Andrews
hoping finally
to lift
the jug
joining the most
elite of
fraternities.
Everything Goes Better with Coke
One of Studly Doright’s coworkers, Mr. Z, found this beautiful piece of rusty history on Craigslist.
The asking price was $1100. Mr. Z really wanted it, but didn’t have anyplace to put it. Mr. Z decided Studly needed it for his new shop.
“No way!” said Studly. “I can buy a small fridge for $400.”
A couple of weeks later Mr. Z told Studly the seller had come down to $600, but Studly remained steadfast.
Mr. Z remained in contact with the seller who was becoming more anxious to sell the machine. Finally he agreed to Studly’s price, and we are now the owners of a 1961 model Vendo56 Coca Cola machine.
I can’t wait to stock it with Summer Shandy and Blue Moon!
To Drive or To Fly?
To say I am a logistics dunce is an understatement. Creating schedules, arriving at informed decisions around dates and times, brings on a headache every time.
I stand in awe of those who fit together master schedules for schools, making sure each child in every class in every grade gets the required amount of time for the core subjects as well as physical education, music, library, and art, and builds in time for lunch and a recess as well. I’ve watched the process and trust me, it’s incredibly difficult. Never did I complain about scheduling lest someone hand the job over to me.
But I digress. My current problem is trying to figure out whether it’s more cost efficient to drive or to fly to my daughter’s home in Illinois. If I were working it’d be a no-brainer. I’d need to fly to cut down on lost time at work. But, that’s not an issue.
Help me figure this out:
Flights: The lowest priced flights start at $456, but they have multiple connections. I hate multiple connections.
Driving: The distance from Havana, FL, to Rapid City, IL, is 1004.6 miles. Let’s call it an even grand.
My car averages 27 miles per gallon.
Studly and I used all of our hotel points on our last vacation, and I’ll need to stay two nights on the road. Let’s say I’ll spend about $120 per night.
If I choose my meals carefully I can eat for an average of $10 per meal. If I eat 10 meals on the road that’s $100. Let’s add in some snacks and call it $130.
Have I left anything out?
There’s no prize for figuring out my best option, and I’ll most likely do what I want anyway, but if this stuff turns you on, go for it!
Peace, people!
St. Andrews
(This is mostly a reblog of a trip Studly Doright and I took to Scotland in the summer of 2013, but I’ve added some photos. One of the most memorable courses the men played was St. Andrews, the very birthplace of golf. The old course at St. Andrews is the site of this year’s British Open and was a highlight for all of us during our week in Scotland. I asked Studly if he’d recognize any of the holes as he watches the open this year. His reply: “Only if they hit into the bunkers or the gorse.”)
Golf in the Kingdom with Studly
Last summer at this time Studly and I were still recuperating from our trip to Scotland. Way back when we lived in Great Bend, Kansas, he began playing golf with a group of men, and they’ve kept up the connection even through our moves to Florida, Illinois, and back to Florida.
These men take an annual golf trip to sharpen their skills and to exchange (mostly) good natured insults. Usually the group heads to Arizona or Myrtle Beach, but last year the men decided to take a big trip and invite their wives. And what better golf destination than the home of golf?
When Studly mentioned the possibility of a trip to Scotland my first thought was, “yeah, right, like that’s ever going to happen.” Studly doesn’t do international. Studly barely does national. He likes his own bed, his own town, his own state. He travelled to Jamaica once on business and swore to never leave the U.S. again, so when he asked me to dig out our passports I thought I was hallucinating.
The trip was booked and away we went. This was the Cadillac of tours. Eight couples flew into Edinburgh (to say it properly think “Edinbutter” and leave out the “t”s) and were met by our driver, Ken, who took exceptionally good care of us all week, dropping the men (and occasionally a couple of the ladies) off at some of the world’s most famous courses and taking the rest of us on excursions to castles and lochs.
The men played both the Old Course and the New Course at St. Andrews. Our hotel for two days was just across the road from the famous 18th hole of the Old Course, the very birthplace of golf. It sounds corny, but the air felt almost sacred, blessed by over 400 years of golf tradition. The beer was darned good, too.
We explored the cathedral ruins at St. Andrews and saw the cafe where Wills met Kate (for tea).
We drove through the village of Pickletillum the name of which tickled my tongue. And Anstruther, home of world famous fish and chips, which tickled my taste buds.
Note: I have since figured out the secret of posting photos; however, I have no idea where my photos of Nessie have gone. The mystery deepens!
I’d love to visit Scotland again. There was so much we didn’t see, and I’ve lost my Scottish brogue!
Peace, People!
Studly’s “It’s NOT a Man Cave!” Man Cave
In the beginning,
…there was a big mess.
But little by little… 
…there was progress.
And today…
…the “It’s NOT a man cave”
…is beginning to look like a man cave.
Studly still has quite a bit of inside work ahead of him, but just having a spot to park all of our motorcycles is heady stuff.
Inside Out (Sort of a Review)
Wednesday is Studly’s night to play in the men’s golf league at Southwood in Tallahassee. One might think that playing both Saturday and Sunday morning would satisfy his golf addiction, but one would be wrong.
I don’t mind this Wednesday ritual, though. For one thing I don’t have to cook a meal on Wednesday nights, but more importantly I am free to do just about anything my heart desires on Wednesdays. As long as I’m home by 8:30 p.m. After that I revert to a pumpkin I think. I’ve never tested the theory, but it could happen.
Some Wednesdays I head to the beach. It’s a great day for that because apparently tourists believe the beach to be closed mid-week. Please don’t tell them otherwise.
Other times I see a movie that I’m positive Studly Doright would rather die than see, such as Magic Mike XXL. I saw that last week. Ok story; great nearly naked men. I should have waited to see it on tv.
This afternoon I watched Inside Out, the new Disney/Pixar offering. Of course the theater was full of moms and grandmothers each with one or more kids in tow. My first thought was, “Crap. Darn kids are going to be fussing, and crying, and raising Cain all through this movie.” And it started off a bit slowly–typical Disney. But then it sucked me and all the other little darlings in.
The children in the audience ranged in age from two to fifteen and they were spellbound. The younger ones were captivated by the colorful emotional characters: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, who live inside the control center of a little girl named Riley. I’d worried that they’d be uninterested in the storyline, but the action was enough to keep them in the game.
After explaining a little about Riley’s core memories, Riley’s emotions are set to enjoy smooth sailing. Then Riley turns 11. That in itself would have brought about changes, but to add insult to injury her family moves across the country from Minnesota to San Francisco and a series of unfortunate events throw her emotions into chaos. To fix the emotional train wreck, Riley’s emotions have to work together in new ways.
This is a great movie. Go see it by yourself if you have to, but go see it. If there’s a pre-teen in your life make sure they see it, preferably with you or someone that cares about them. There are some emotional moments, given the characters ARE emotions, but there are some excellent conversations just waiting to happen once the lights come up. I heard the beginnings of a few as I lingered during the closing credits.
I’m hoping for a sequel. After all, Riley’s new control panel has a big red button with PUBERTY stamped on it.
Peace, people!
Praying for Eyebrowz 