* tap tap *

Is this thing on?

* tap tap *

It's just me, checking in again, albeit way late ...

It's cold in McKinney, there's ice on my car, my garage is full, my storage unit is full, my daughter sold her car and she's driving Rick's now.  He's carless and hating it.  We spent the evening at WalMart last night (whee) and I came home with a new trash can.  Again, whee.  We're headed to a basketball game tonight and I'm looking forward to eating the peanuts.  I'm carb-free now ... so I'm hoping I can have the peanuts. 

Liz has a new job at a book publishing firm and she's just been promoted to a publicist.  Ted Danson's ex-wife is one of her clients and that seems to be all she can talk about ... Casey Danson this and Casey Danson that ...

And I'm in the process of buying a new car.  My lease is up in April and I want to have another car all ready to go.  Like now.  I can't seem to stay off of car-buying websites.  Jeep. 

Low carb, SUV, Cirque D'Soleil, Sunroof ... those are the only words in my vocabulary anymore.

Maybe summer.  That word figures in there pretty often, too.

Jeep.

October 3rd and counting

Elizabeth is home from Hawaii, possibly for good.  Ben is coming home (to what will be his new home) on the 30th of October.  We have finally vacated our beautiful apartment in Frisco and moved into our horribly hoarder-ish house in McKinney.  There are boxes everywhere and no matter how many I unpack each night ... more boxes appear each day.  I wake up and there are six more boxes blocking my view of the backyard.  Only the dog is happy.  He gets to sit/sleep/lounge on the couch at will.  We can't find his bed.

Elizabeth's best friend is getting married on Saturday and tonight is her wedding shower. 

Every night this week and next and next and next ... are all booked.  And then, of course, there's a wedding coming.  Hers.

How are the wedding plans coming along, you ask?  Well, we have a dress.  And a venue.  And that is darn close to all we have.  This move has been the death of us ... and nothing else has gotten done.

So here I sit.  "I Love Lucy" is on in the background and there's a water bottle in my hand.  And a laptop in front of me.  So much to do and ... absolutely no desire to do it. 

Remind me not to move again.  Ever.  Not even off of this couch.

.

Warning: Graphic Images Warning: Graphic Images Warning: Grrrrrr.....

Sometimes I just don't have the strength to ................... and other times I just don't have the strength to ......................   You may fill in those blanks for me cuz I just don't have any strength left.

Yawn.

Wait, I'm typing.  That's a good sign.

So ... here's the latest.

Our being-built house began to get ready just a little too quickly.  Suddenly we had a date for closing and we hadn't even put our current house on the market.  I brought in a friend to help me de-clutter the current house ... and the job was so big that we filled up a giant pod (still sitting on my driveway) with clutter still being found everywhere, around the house.

Know what ISN'T CLUTTER?  TV remotes.  My packer packed and packed and packed.  She packed up everything.  She packed up remotes.  Yes, we are TVless.  And yes, we are sad.

But the house finally began to take shape and look purt near ready to put on the market, which it now is.

However, we still couldn't slow down the progress of the house we were having built.  So, we cancelled that one, and bought us a new one.  This is now HOUSE #3 that we have attempted to build.  I've chosen tile and flooring and bricks and carpet and cabinet colors and drawers and who knows what else for TWO HOUSES so far ... and this Friday, I'll go at it again.  Whee.  Picking all those colors and textures and styles and carpet just isn't the fun that it sounds like.  In fact, it's a four hour long experience of realizing that you can't afford what you want and you can afford everything you don't like.  Harumph.

So, the house is for sale, the new house is selected and right in the middle of it all .... Rick does this:

The boy done got the surgery that he has wanted for so long.

This is good.  Except we have our current house on the market and getting Rick and the dog out of the house for the showings is also not the fun that you'd think it would be!

Wanna know what else?

Those pictures you see above?  They upset someone.  They caused someone to say that I had no right to post them.

Know what else?

I don't care!

Ya know that address of my new, soon to be built house?  Said person ain't gonna get my address.

And that makes all of this worth it!

Hello new house, goodbye old house.  Hello surgery and new back and goodbye person who got squeemish!

Life is fun.

Graphic photos are funner.

.

Hooray for Hollywood ...

If you're going to be a KAHLE, you have to perform.

Here's the latest performing Kahle ... BUDDY.   Advertising for Melissa Bankard's Farmer's Insurance ... PET INSURANCE!   Go, Buddy!

Nice hat ...

Click on Buddy's little nose ... or click here.

.

so ... why was Rick ticked off?

Because we were having to have new flooring put down in his office (we had some water damage last year) I had to pack up EVERYTHING in Rick's office, STAT!.    E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.   The floor removal/putter-downer guys said that they would move the furniture, but there could be no trinkets out on shelves or in drawers.  And wow ... did he have stuff out of shelves and wow ... did he have stuff stuffed in drawers.  And WOW ... did he have stuff ALL OVER THE FLOOR.  That man is an absolute ... well, never mind.  And I won't even tell you about all of the dust ...

So, I packed.  And I packed.  And packed.  FOUR HOURS LATER, everything was packed. 

And you know what Rick said (after the new floor was laid and he could go back into his office)?

"Why did you pack up my remotes?"
"Why did you pack up all of the batteries?"
"You know, I needed those papers you packed."
     and
"Where on earth did you put my pens?"

My favorite .... "How come you packed up all of my Gilligan's Island DVDs??

Sorry, Rick ... even Gilligan had to go.  The floor could not wait for the Skipper and his Little Buddy.

Rick swore at me (in his head) and told me where to go (still only in his head.)  He smiled on the outside but I could read his mind.

Rick no longer wanted to move if Gilligan couldn't come with us. 




.

I've said it before ...

... and I'll say it again.  "If you're going to be in the Kahle family, you have to be willing to perform."

Meet Buddy.  Buddy became a Kahle on December 9th of 2016.  He was Rick's birthday present ... as we had just lost our dear Midnight.

Buddy had no idea what he was signing up for.  None.

Not only has he endured costume after costume, he now has to endure my love of the theater.  And film.  And television.  Yep, Buddy has just entered the world of television.  How and why, you ask?  Welp, I auditioned him, I took him to a "set" and I enticed  begged  forced him to perform.  Silly dog.  He did it, too.

Buddy is a "spokes dog" for Farmer's Insurance.  Apparently they offer pet insurance now ... and Buddy is there to help entice everyone to buy it.  I'm not gonna ... but you should.  'Cuz you're rich.  Everybody's rich.  I'm not, though.

Here's the cast:

We're partial to the little guy in Greg Brady's spot up top.  Although, honestly, they're all cute.

They were welcomed like the stars they were ...

Here's Buddy acceptance letter:

First stop ....  the potty room.  

Placed down on doggy level, as if they could read it.  Buddy can't read yet, though.  I know this because he christened the wall of the studio the moment he got there.

Ugh.

Next stop ... Craft Services.  Dog treats for everyone!

And ... the star!

 

 

... sporting each of these fine costumes.  Never mind that they are from his Halloween trunk.

This beautiful gal was the hostess.  I hope to look like her one day.

Meet Melissa Bankard.

She hired Buddy.

Buddy has a crush on her.  I know this, because he didn't want to leave.

And there you have it.

All Kahles have been "in the movies" now.  Except for Jeannie.

We don't let her perform ... since she's only interested in adult films.

;)

hello? GOODBYE!

Remember that condo in Idaho?   I've been busy releasing it.  I didn't really want to ... but it will keep peace within the family, so it's the best idea I could come up with.  It is no longer a vacation rental, it will be a full time rental as of October 15th.

I had it stuffed with beautiful decor and wonderful furniture ... and I gave my "sister" permission to sell the furniture and pack up the decor for when I next come to town. 

She got it backwards.  She sold all of the decor and packed up a bed.  Yep, I'm stuck with one bed now. 

Wait, what?

I simply said to save all of the travel motif/decor for Elizabeth since I was saving it all for her ... and poof, it's all gone.   My dear, darling sister was so proud of herself for selling everything, too.   She'd say, "I just sold the coffee pot!" and I'd say, "NO, NOT THE COFFEE POT!"  And she'd say oops.

My sister's funeral is Thursday.  Or sooner if I can get up there.

Memories .... light the corners of my .... wait, she probably sold that, too.

Nice bed.  But don't come visit us ... it isn't there anymore.

Nice table and lamp.  Gone. 

I used to have a bookshelf.   With books.

I loved this container.  Why of why did she sell this??

Hey, the lamp came back.  Oh wait.  Just the photo did.  Nice lamp.  Wish I had it.

Good thing I didn't really like these coffee pictures ...

Ten to one, I no longer own those dish towels, either.

 

I was given this couch by my new mother.  Bye bye, couch.

  

I loved this heater.  It kept me warm ... once.

 

I loved that TV.  It kept me happy ... once.

I STILL HAVE THE FRIDGE!!!!

I guess Jeana couldn't lift it.

Somehow I'm doubtful that I still have a guest book.

Or a sign.

I loved this bulletin board and key rack.

No, not really.    Still...

I really DID love these items.  Those are keys hanging over the sink.

How am I going to get into the sink now, without the keys???

Jeana gave me this sign.

I used to love this sign ...

The only piece of furniture left standing.  Or left at all.

I guess you can come visit us.

You can sleep here! 

She managed to save that sign on the wall.

Too bad I hate that sign.

Gone.  You can no longer Relax, Refresh nor Renew.

You can't tell time, either.

And don't ever plan on toasting your bread again ...

.

Sigh.

I guess I'm homeless now.

Well, I'm at least toastless.

.

tap tap tap ** is this thing on?

Sheepishly she asks, "Is anyone still out there?"

If so, I'm back.  Something called life hit me in the gut.  We've had a hospital stay, a new school year starting, the purchase and loss of a new home and the realization that my beautiful home that I KNEW would sell overnight, won't.  I stood back, took a long look at it and said, "Nope.  Not pretty enough.  We'll be lucky to take a loss on it."  There were three floods in our house last year and they have certainly taken their toll on our house.

So ... here we go.  The house hunt continues, school has started, Rick is home from the hospital and ... yes, life goes on.

Oddly enough, the song "Life Goes On" is currently playing on the radio.

It figures.

And ... Houston has flooded.  And not just flooded, but flooded its brains out.  Being a hurricane survivor myself, I'm extremely interested in this weather event.  Not just interested, I'm nervous.  Nervous WITH them and nervous for them, too.  I can live without hurricanes, I can.

But, I promised a few photos and I'm making good on my promise.  If nothing else, I've chosen a few light-hearted ones ... 'cuz, you know, life is funny?

It really is.

So, in no particular order ...

Here's the house we were having built.  Looks small here ... but it really wasn't.  It was my dream house.  And nothing else will ever compare to it.  No, I'm not bitter, YOU'RE bitter.

The condo that we stayed in in Idaho for two months.  Felt like two years while we were there ... it's like the blink of an eye now.

It is going up for sale, too.  Long story, don't ask.

I SAID, "Don't Ask!"

We came home to our little house on this little lake.  

Were we glad to be home?  Yes.  Will we leave again for another summer away?  I hope so.  But being gone for a summer was a bucket list thing.  And I get to cross it off now.  It's time to move on to sky diving and bungee jumping.  Oh wait, wrong bucket list.  Those aren't one mine!

Highlight of our trip this summer?  Denny's.  You think I'm kidding?

When there's nothing around you for miles and miles and miles and miles and ... well, Denny's can look pretty good to you.

Not really.

But I will take Denny's over these two beauties that we ate this summer.

Seriously.  Keep the elk, please.

One last highlight.  We went searching for a church that Rick used to attend when he lived in Spokane.  He was baptised at the little church in Spokane, too.  And ... he wanted to find it.

We think we did.

Windows were all boarded up.  Church was apparently a thing of the past here.  In fact, it weren't even a church when it bit the dust.  I guess weddings and events were a thing of the past, too.

Remind me not to get married in Spokane.  Probably wouldn't last.

And shortly after that, we headed home.

Saw some more of this ....

and a lot of this ...

(which is a lot of nothing, come to think of it)

I looked like this a lot (most of the time) ...

Saw some more of this ... 

And now?

We're trying to get ready for this:

Not really.  I'm not quite ready yet.

And Kitty is just praying for anything from Santa.

She hasn't been so good this year.

;)