weekend of gettin stuff done

Quick update...

Millie continues to get better. Her tail is actually looking good. We spent the weekend making sure she didn't miss a benedryl. In fact I actually set my alarm on the phone to make sure I didn't forget. The rough times were when she had to wear the flotation device because either the benedryl was wearing off or she had just been outside and was itching.

The vet suggested that I wipe her down everytime she comes in from going potty. This is a chore. But it is part of our routine now. She also suggested that Millie get a weekly bath in oatmeal shampoo. This is ok, except that she is supposed to sit in the bath for 5 minutes and let it soak in. The first of these 5 minute spa treatments was Saturday night. We were about 5 minutes into the soak when Oprah Mae decided she needed to be in the bathtub also. It was a very interesting 10 minutes.

Since I had forced myself to stay home and nurse my ailing dachshund... I found a peach salsa recipe and made it. OMG it is sooooo gooooood.

I also tacked and hemmed a blanket for myself. Not to mention getting some work done on Aunt B's quilt.

Had a fast dinner with my kids. They had the 2nd meeting with the priest. I asked how marriage class went - they both answered - it's pretty easy. lol They met Fr. Bob at his church in Sapulpa and Ryan saw a sign for Billy Simms BBQ - so we just had to go try it. My salad was good, Ryan said his pulled pork was decent - Nicole ate her sandwich so fast I'm not sure she even tasted it.

Long days and pleasant nights to ye...

More changes

You know the end is near when major changes happen. I don't mean the fact that the roster changes daily. Hell, that's the only way LaRussa knows how to manage a team. I mean when literally names change on uniforms.

We are about 6 weeks out from the end of the 2009 regular season. Rumors have been flying that controversial, future hall-of-fame pitcher John Smoltz was in talks with the Redbirds. He is 42 and has played most of his professional career in Atlanta. He went to Boston this season. The AL and he didn't agree. As of noon today he became a free-agent with blessings from the RedSox. About one minute after becoming a free-agent he became a Cardinal.

Here are my thoughts... He has an incredible arm, yet it is very old for professional baseball. He has experience yet he lacks tact. I remember the summer he had to travel with armed guards everytime the Braves went to NY because of his mouth. I saw him pitch that year and he was very impressive as a pitcher. However, he is no Carpenter.

So, I will withhold my opinion on whether this is a "good" thing until the World Series.

Long days and pleasant nights...

Happy Birthday...

My kitten is no longer considered a "kitten." She is now officially a CAT. SSSHHHH don't tell Millie.

Oprah Mae was born sometime in the middle of August 2008 - so the vet and I gave her a birthday of Aug 18. I am still waiting an officially notarized birth certificate from her country of origin. I'm pretty sure it is the US - but you know how things are on the Mazie Prairie with the Amish/Mennonite population.

She has been raised as an Episcocat on the West Side of Tulsa. She has no problem integrating with dogs of other color either. In fact she loves her half brother and sister very much.

In other and terribly more exciting news...

You heard it hear first that the St. Louis Cardinals were the sleeper team of the NL to watch out for this season. Well, at the halfway mark still no one was taking them seriously. All the news was focussed around the Dodgers and Manny or when will the Cubs wake up. Well here we are mid-August and the Redbirds have pulled ahead of the Cubs by 6 games! We even shutdown the Dodgers when they came to St Louis, then we beat them at their own park last night.

How did we get ahead? Well, we played one game at a time. Each day was a new day and La Russa never has the same lineup two days in a row. No one knows how to pitch to my boys. We had a modest lead coming off the All Star break. Then, DeRosa and Lugo were added. Two pretty major bats that were needed in the middle of the lineup. Then days later Matt Holliday arrived. Since that addition - with Carpenter and Wainwright healthy, we haven't looked back.

Nicole had better hope that there isn't a Cardinal play-off game the evening of Oct 17...

Long days and pleasant nights!

Life with the Kolker's

It has been a relatively short time since I've blogged. In the world of the internet - it has been a lifetime!

A lot has happened in the past week.

First we had Nicole's bridal shower. It was a blast! Laura is the hostess that I never had to be because I have her. =) Aunt Becky, Patty and Miranda all made the long trek to Tulsa town to enjoy Nicole's day. After the shower was awesome. Nicole and I actually were able to spend some quality Mom and Daughter time. I miss the time when we could grab even 15 good quality minutes a week.

It seems like just yesterday I was rushing out of the office and manuevering the Tulsa traffic to reach her pre-school before they closed. She and I would chat and sing for the whole 30 minute drive home. When she was in grade school we always found time to talk about our day to each other. In junior high and high school finding time became tougher, but we managed. Now that she is a college graduate and has a home of her own, it feels like I am missing so much.

Then, I had the boys for Hayden's 3rd and Skylar's 1st "Aunt Tammie Vacation." This year the vacation was very short - but memorable... We went to the Drillers game on July 31. The day started with lunch at DQ complete with an ice cream cone for each boy. Of course Aunt Tammie and Poppie had to help them finish before they were melted. Then we came to the station so Hayden could see his favorite TV person - Frank. One of our directors let Hayden turn on the studio lights and then actually do the Weather like Frank! No amount of money could have bought a present better than that! The highlight of the time at the station for Hayden was getting to talk to Frank... for me it was when Skylar ran thru the newsroom screaming at the top of his lungs - Chuck just about bust a gut laughing so hard.

The boys had fun at their very first professional baseball game. Hayden made my week when he looked at me and very seriously asked "will they play again next year so we can come back?" I smiled and promised we would come back again. They ran and played so hard - the bath tub was full of mud by the time they finally exited it - then collapsed on the sofa bed watching Sponge Bob. The next morning we had breakfast at Ollie's before meeting Aunt Dada officially ending our vacation.

Mom saw the oncologist. The good news is that the tumor is now stable. She sees the urologist next week to schedule the surger that will make her cancer free!

On my way to work from Mom's doctor appt - my car died. It was so dead I couldn't even move the gearshift in neutral. Two days and a LOT of money later - hopefully I finally have a car that will work for awhile. During this adventure, I found out that the dealership is 3.2 miles from my house. The post office is 1 mile. How did I find these things out? Well, I walked to and from both places...

And finally, I refinished my dining room table. It is the same age as me and was really beginning to show it. I'll place the sealer on it this weekend and work on the leaves that go with it. The reason I mention this is to say a funny story about Oprah, the black panther. She knows she isn't allowed on the table and always swears she never gets on it. Well, she left tracks of varnish on the kitchen counter that led away from the table and to her food dish. She couldn't blame Millie this time - they were panther paw prints!

Long days and pleasant nights...