"That really grinds my gears"

You want to know what really grinds my gears?

1. Cell Phone etiquette

-how many times do you see someone driving who is NOT on a cell phone?

-I hate those little earpiece phones that people wear around so they do not even have to hold their cell phone while they talk. I think people wear them because they think they look cool, THEY DON'T.

-I hate it when people come to drop off or pick up a prescription and continue their call while I am trying to talk to them. They even seem bothered that I would interrupt their call. That is just about as rude as you can be without actually saying, "You are worthless to me."

2. Beating up on Wal-Mart

-I know that Wal-Mart underpays its people, runs mom and pop stores out of business, and just generally ruins the areas that they are built in, but what is the big deal? Just because it is the biggest corporation in the world, does that mean it is evil? I about went through the phone this past week at another PHARMACIST because he said I was giving away my prescription counselling for free. He said that since we were selling prescriptions for $4 that we had to either not be counselling or doing it for free. I went back and forth with him some and he finally said, "Did you go to OU or Southwestern?" When I told him Southwestern, he said "That figures." Man I was hot. Just because I choose not to have my own pharmacy and work at a chain, I am selling out and devaluing my education? Give me a break.

I could go on, but I think that is enough ranting for one evening. Remind me to tell you about Abbie playing Rockband and Guitar Hero. It is pretty funny. She is becoming a glory hound.

Father's Day

"I tried hard to have a father, but instead I had a Dad." -"Serve the Servants," Nirvana


I have come to a conclusion. This is a serious issue and one that I have thought about long and hard. I know many of you may not believe this one but I am sure I am right. Ready? OK, here it is: I LOVE AND ADMIRE MY FATHER VERY MUCH. Shocking, isn't it? I came to this realization as I thought about how I have seen my father in people around me. My Chemistry professor and advisor in college, Dr. Baxter, reminded me of my father very much. A couple of pharmacists that I have worked with reminded me of dad. And, most recently, Hugh Laurie in House, reminds me of dad. Let me explain the last one, I do not mean he reminds me of dad in how he acts to people. He just looks like dad. His eyes and expressions make it seem like my father is playing that part. When House bought a motorcycle, and then had a migraine (even though it was self-induced) it was just like, hey this sure reminds me of dad. House is also very intelligent, and he does the right thing (even if his methods to get there are somewhat shady). I say all this to illustrate that when I see my father in others I feel like it is a tribute to him. I and my father are not the best communicators on the planet (just ask our wives), but the example that he gave me in his actions was far more than he could ever say. I just hope I can have a similar impact on Abbie.


This is one of the songs that Abbie learned at Mother's day out. It is heard in the halls of our home almost as much as the B,B,C's and "How I wonder what you are."

ABC's

If I have not stated that Abbie loves the alphabet song, let me say that ABBIE LOVES THE ALPHABET SONG. Although it is not completely intact, the tune is unmistakable. As you can hopefully hear in the video, B is her favorite letter. So if you can imagine her singing "B,B,C,B,E,F,G..." about 20 times in an hour, then you can basically hear what it is like around here. It really is cute.

You may also notice the counter that I have added over on the upper right of the site. Be sure to tell all your friends to read my blog, because now I can see who all comes to my site!

Crowded HOUSE

House, seasons 2 and 3 arrived today. I am pumped for this weekend. I can not wait to watch! Well, I guess I am happy to spend time with my wife and daughter, too. Amber watched an episode with me (the one with the pharmacist who made a mistake) and she was not as enthralled as I am. It was not that she did NOT like the show, but she does not like it as much as I do. I figured since Hugh Laurie is the star that she would be all over it. He is a cohort of Emma Thompson's (one of Amber's favorites) and has been in some of Amber's favorite films. I really am not as possessed by this show as I sound. I just have not found a TV show that I like this much in a long time. I also have to fill the void until college football and the NFL come back around. I used to watch ER religiously, but I just did not stay with it. I remember at some point when The Cosby Show, Seinfeld, Hill Street Blues, Knight Rider, The A-Team, and a whole host of other TV shows were what I could not wait to watch. Does anyone remember Max Headroom? How about The Flash? Those were two that I really liked, but were unfortunately short-lived (I must have been in the minority). I really have not gotten into the "reality" TV shows. Other than House, I have not watched a network TV series on a regular basis in a long time, and I have only watched House on DVD. I feel like I am rambling. Television shows get me blabbing, I guess. I am presently listening to Aretha Franklin's Eleanor Rigby. I love the Beatles' version, but if you have not heard Aretha sing her version, it is worth it. Abbie is sleeping and I can hear her breathing on the monitor. I am thankful she has not gotten the flu, and I pray that she continues to be healthy. The Flu is unbelievably rampant here. The pharmacist I worked with today said this was the worst flu season she had seen in her 20+ years in pharmacy. A doctor's office called yesterday and prescribed Tamiflu(R) for their nurse and PA to be taken daily for a month. They said the drug rep for Tamiflu(R) told them that the maker of Tamiflu(R) (Roche) is recommending that they take Tamiflu(R) daily to try to keep from getting the flu. I also had a lady tell me her son got sick with influenza A, got better, then got sick with influenza B. I have been wondering if these periods of rampant sickness could get worse. It just seems that these epidemics are growing in intensity and the way medications are prescribed, we could be bringing some of it on ourselves. We have been dispensing antibiotics at an alarming rate for some time. I am not saying that they are all unwarranted, I am only saying that the more we use these drugs, the more the bugs figure out how to beat them. Just look at how much MRSA (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MRSA ) has spread in the past few years. I am not a prophet or the son of a prophet, but I think these infectious problems are going to worsen, sooner rather than later. Wow, how did I get on that rant? Anyway, I will keep you updated on the fun that House and his friends get themselves into. Have a good weekend.

Cynics Anonymous

Hi, my name is Joby, and I am a cynic. It is nice to see everyone here (I know you do not believe me and I do not believe myself, but that is why I am here, right?). I recently purchased the first season of the series House, MD, and I think it could be one of my favorite (favourite for all of the British and Australian readers) shows of all time. I really enjoy the medical problem solving that each show goes through, but House is by far the best part of the show. He is so cynical and biting towards his patients and colleagues, I LOVE IT! He says some of the very things that I have wished to say to some patients and he gets away with it. I have watched the first four shows and I can not wait to watch the rest and continue with each season until I catch up. I used to be into ER, due to the technical medical stuff, but House is better by far. The episode I just watched had a misfill by a condescending pharmacist and I did not even take that much offense to it. I really like the show, but it also seems to implicate me as a cynic. If anyone out there who knows me wants to argue or agree, I am all ears.


ADDENDUM:
Upon viewing 4 more episodes and reflecting on an E-mail from my mother, I have revised my self-critique. Based on the fact that some of the episodes have me FEELING for the afflicted and their family problems, and the fact that I am hurt that my MOTHER agrees with me about my cynicism, I do NOT think I am a cynic. At least not in the truest sense of the word. I doubt a true cynic would care if his mother thought he was a cynic. Anyway, I still enjoy the show and will continue the self inspection regarding my own cynicism. Jami, I think you would love the show. It is currently in its 4th(?) season on FOX.

ABC's

I took this picture of Abbie today. She likes wearing my caps for short periods and this was about the best shot I could get of her. She really likes the "alphabet song" and even though it sometimes does not contain the right letters, the tune is unmistakable. She has been slower in beginning her speech, but it seems like she is turning the corner. Now, when she comes to me and grabs my hand for something I make her say "please" first. She is getting the hang of it, and the alphabet song is coming together, too. After a time of wondering about what was keeping her from speaking, it is wonderful to hear her saying words and jabbering all the time. I am so grateful to God for blessing us so richly with our little girl. Her reaction when I come home from work can turn a bad day around. I never could have imagined what a great blessing a child could be. I was so caught up in the fear of the responsibility involved that I did not realize all the good things a child brings to your life. I am not saying that I don't get frustrated, I am just expressing some joy that my daughter gives me.

Does anyone out there get headaches? Of course, we all do, I just want to know what that is all about? Why is it that sometimes it feels like a vice is tightening on my temples enough to make me ill? Man, I can not stand those things. I had a headache today and it was very aggravating and debilitating. I did not want to do anything. Then, gradually, it went away. What is the deal? I wish I understood that whole process better. I hope no one is rubbing their temples after reading this. Anyway, have a good weekend.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's day to everyone. This week has been a tough one, so we are not really doing a lot of celebrating around here. Amber took Abbie to the doctor today. Abbie has been fighting some upper respiratory stuff and a nagging cough this week. The doctor said she has ear infections in both ears. It has been a while since she has had to deal with that. She has been hanging in pretty well, but it is easy to see she does not feel well. I hate it when she is sick when I have a stretch of days without any off. I feel better if I can see her even if she is sick. If I am at work, I just wonder about what is going on at home. I open tomorrow, so I am cutting this short. I need to get to bed. Everyone enjoy your weekend.

Radiation Sickness

Today was day 2 of 8 in a row that I have to work. I realize that is not as many as I have had to work before, but I am just not as used to it as I was in Ponca City. When I was there, I would work 7 straight every other week. I had a couple of stretches where I worked 13 days straight. I am no longer a manager, but it just seems more stressful here. I enjoy being busy, but often times we seem to walk a tightrope trying to get things done and take care of the customers. Flu season is in full swing and if we have anyone call in sick (as we have this week) it becomes much harder to take care of all the things that need to be done (not to mention doing them correctly and quickly). The worst feeling I have is when I come home and I am not able to remember if I did or did not take care of something at work. In pharmacy, that is a very bad feeling to have. Usually, I am able to leave all of that at work, but sometimes it is hard to let it go. I work at a new store tomorrow. That is always a struggle to get used to. It is frustrating to try and get used to a new store while being just as busy as ever. Just another of the fun things to deal with at work.

If you are wondering what the title of this blog is about, let me explain. I have gotten hooked on Wikipedia.org. It is a reference website that is basically like an encyclopedia online. I have been reading about nuclear power and the accidents that happened at Chernobyl and Three mile island. That has radiation on my mind. I also was talking about the problems we have at work when anyone calls in sick, hence, Radiation Sickness. Yeah, it is goofy, but my mind is pretty scrambled after the past couple of days, so bear with me.

2 sides to every story

This is a picture of Abbie and our newest family member, Frisco. He is a black Lab and is a year or two younger than Al. He has stayed with us for brief stints before, but is now here permanently. He is definitely a switch from Little Al. Frisco is more high strung than Al (which could be said of most slugs on the planet). He (Frisco) seems to be fitting in well, but it is hard to bond with him as we have with Al. Doesn't Abbie look like a little girl and not a baby girl?

The title on this blog is a bit cliched, but is nonetheless true. I am seeing this more and more at work and at home. How is it that two sides to a story can differ so vastly? People at work will describe how a customer has treated them poorly, and the customer's story paints the associate to be the bad guy. Now I know that people tend to embellish stories somewhat, but other peoples' versions of events rarely seem to match up with the way I remember them. Case in point, the Roger Clemens ordeal. If you have not heard about this story, let me try to describe it in as few words as possible. Roger Clemens is a Major league baseball pitcher who pitched for a long time and seemed to get better with age. He had a paid trainer that worked with him in Toronto and when he was with the Yankees. Now that baseball is trying to get steroids out of the game and point out who used steroids in the past, Clemens has been tagged by his trainer as a steroid user. The two men have been deposed before a Congressional committee and will speak in public hearings next week on this issue. Clemens vehemently denies using steroids and his trainer says Roger is lying. His trainer even went so far as to produce syringes and gauze that were supposedly used to inject Roger with steroids. I say all this to show how different two sides of this story can be. I doubt that either one is the whole truth and probably neither is all false. It is just hard for me to hear how someone else viewed events that I viewed in a very different way. I am not able to put this in words very well, but I see things the way I see them, and I have a hard time believeing someone else could have seen them differently. I am sure that this makes no sense, but I have been thinking about it some, so I tried to spit it out. Understand? Then, you must have seen it differently.

Super Bowl thoughts

I watched the Super Bowl last night (as did 97 million+ others according to Nielsens). I thought it was good game, with a GREAT finish. The game seemed to plod along for awhile. But, you get that when you have defenses that are playing well. The fourth quarter made the game. There was one play (if you watched, you already know which one) that determined the game as far as I am concerned. When I watched this play, I knew, without a shadow of doubt, who would win. When a much maligned and generally quiet quarterback makes 3 defenders (who have a hand on him) miss and then steps back and throws downfield to a well covered receiver who makes a catch using his helmet to hold the ball on the way down, you know that they have IT in their favor. Whatever IT is, they had it. I knew it then, the rest was just details. I am not kidding. My first thought when Eli made that play was: The Giants are NOT going to lose this game, PERIOD. I wanted the Patriots to win. Not that I am a Patriot fan, but I enjoy perfection in sports, or at least near perfection. I loved watching Michael Jordan. I watch golf only if Tiger is playing. I wanted the Patriots to win because it would have been the perfect season. But, I am happy they did not win. I saw Peyton Manning's reactions watching his brother, and I saw how Eli handled himself as a winner (he has handled being a loser and the goat of the New York media before) and I felt good for him. He deserves it. What an unbelieveable story. New York loses their probable Hall of Fame running back to retirement, starts the season 0-2 (almost 0-3 except for a goal-line stand), loses their "star" tight end with a broken leg, then win 10 straight ROAD games to become Super Bowl champs. I really enjoy the NFL. I am not an NFL fan of any one team really, I enjoy the players, games, stats, and stories. I think it would be even better if Brett Farve made it back next year to win another Super Bowl. One last thing, as I was watching the game, Abbie was playing and watching some, too. At one point she was sitting with me and we watched a kickoff return in which someone got plastered. I exclaimed, "ooooo" and on cue Abbie exclaimed, "ooooooo". I laughed and she laughed and we both decided that "Boom," he got pounded.

Changes

Since I have had some time off this week, I have been playing around on the computer. You will notice changes to the blog's appearance, and the addition of a poll on the right side. Please vote on the poll, I am interested to see what kind of response I get. I also added a link to my ESPN page, which has my other blog on it. I may try to get some more video on the blog, but bear with me. Keep checking in, I will continue to post stuff, too.

Time Off

Boy, I sure do love having time off. I do enjoy my job, but I am beginning to covet my days off more and more. I realize this is not something new. But, you have to realize the household that I come from. My dad worked more days, and longer hours than I do now and he seemed to do it easily, thank you. I can not begin to think what frame of mind I would be in at 7PM if I had to get up at 6AM just to be ready to be at work at 7AM. I am sure I would get used to it, but I would not be the jovial and charming likeness that everyone knows and loves (Yeah, right). I am not saying that my dad talks like all the stories that you hear, "I had to walk 10 miles to work uphill bothways in the snow barefoot!" No, he has never said once that he had (has) it tougher than I do. But I remember how much he worked when I was growing up and I am thankful that my job does not require quite as much of my time as his did.

Another thing I remember about growing up was going to shop for home theater equipment with my Dad. It is mind blowing to think back to the "hot, new items" that we looked at back then. When I say back then I of course mean no earlier than about 1989-1992. Less than 20 years ago, and the hot thing we looked at was a Sony VCR that was able to define stereo surround audio tracks. It makes me laugh when that is compared with what we have today. Blu-ray, HD-DVD, and HDTV produce jaw dropping video and audio. I have been having some fun watching some Blu-ray and HD-DVD movies since I have been off. My wife watched an old movie on the VCR the other night and it was just awful. The sound had that "hiss" and the picture had lines and "hiccups" that made it a chore to watch. Isn't something that I make those comments about something that was state of the art when I was younger? I wonder what my daughter will think when she looks back at the stuff we use now.

Moving

Let me tell you, I do not want to move ever again. We moved last September, and some things still are out of sorts. The move itself is bad enough, but adjusting to a new home and job are not things that I want to do again. I think Abbie and Al handled it the best, they both showed no ill effects and seem happy as clams. I like it here, but it has been tough to get settled.

Some things are much better here than in Ponca City. For one, I receive 3 sports talk radio stations here versus 1 (sometimes) in Ponca. That has been great. I really enjoy listening to others opine about the sports of the day. That may lead to more sports posts in the future (especially during college football season). It is also much easier to have shopping centers or nice restaurants 20-30 minutes away versus 2 hours. I am not saying things are perfect, but there are some things here that make it more enjoyable.

We still miss family and friends though. That has been tougher than expected. If anyone has any recommendations for helping to settle in, I am all ears.

Here's Johnny!

I doubt that anyone still looks at this blog since I have not touched anything in a LONG time. I am going to work harder to get back into the ole blog. Since the last blog, we have moved to a new city, I am working at a new store, our daughter is 2 1/2, and we have a second dog to go with little Al. I am sure there are many other things to put in, but you get the point. Suffice it to say, I have neglected my site for far too long and I will try to remedy that.

I have returned...

Yes, I am back. For those of you (probably all of you) that were happier with the writing style of my wife, let me just say that I am sorry to disappoint. But this IS my blog. My wife mentioned that she did not want to have a blog of her own. She felt like she was correcting everything to try and make it "perfect." She has read my blog before, so I have no idea what she was worried about. Anyway, I was glad she wrote about the trip to Kansas City. I am still kicking myself that I did not go, yes I really am.

Now on to my thought for tonight. I have been thinking about this for a few days now. I have had many memorable days in my life thus far: the day I married my wife, the birth of my daughter, the day I was baptized, graduation from college, to name a few. But recently I experienced an event that few have the pleasure of experiencing, and even fewer who take note of the memorableness of the occasion. Last week, Abbie was sick with a stomach virus and twice I happened to be holding her when she vomitted. I am not talking about little baby spit up that you wipe away with a burp rag. This was empty-the-stomach full bore chunky clam chowder vomit. You know, there is nothing like the smell of stomach acid. I did not get hit by the full blast, but a glancing blow was enough. The thing that makes it a memorable moment is not that my daughter threw up on me (that makes it a humorous story). The thing that makes it memorable is how bad I felt for my daughter as she was as sick as I have seen her in her young life. I was unable to do anything for her except hold her over the sink as she finished up and then try to console her as best I could. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are very hard on the little ones, and unfortunately often just have to run their course. She is back to normal now, I am happy to say. But, I will not forget that vomit, believe me.

Abbie Meets The Wiggles

Hello! I’m Amber, Joby’s wife. He’s asked me to make a “guest appearance” on his blog to tell you about our recent trip to Kansas City to see The Wiggles Live. My mom and dad (Ralph & Janice Wilcoxson), Abbie and I all had an awesome time. Poor Joby—he couldn’t get off work to go.
We left for Kansas City Monday morning. After checking into the hotel, finding the concert site, etc., we decided to have a nice dinner out. Now, my dad is known for taking “scenic tours” (my mom’s phrase), so we got lost looking for George Brett’s restaurant. After about an hour, Mom and I were ready to call it quits and just go to Sonic when we finally found it.
We walk in the door, and LO & BEHOLD, I spot Murray Cook,The Red Wiggle sitting right there. I almost had a heart attack. We get to our table and I am so nervous and excited I’m almost shaking. Once I’m sure its him, I know there is NO WAY I’m gonna miss a chance like this. I check with the waitresses who are shocked, but agree that it must be him. So with Abbie in tow and my Dad trailing closely behind with the camera, I get up the nerve to introduce Abbie to MURRAY! I told him that we were in town for the concert and about how much Abbie LOVES THE WIGGLES. He was sooo nice. He asked where we were from, etc. Dad took a picture of the three of us (Murray, Abbie and me). After he took it he said, “Darn! I thought I was coming over here to take a picture of George Brett!” HA! Well, Murray and his whole table just died laughing!
(At the concert, cash was required to purchase souvenirs and I did not have enough. I tried to find an ATM machine and after a long search in another building, I still did not find it. I was wearing my stylish (uncomfortable) shoes and it was 15 minutes to showtime. I was disappointed about not finding an ATM, but was very excited about the show.)
After our exciting night, we were all more than ready for a great show. We would not be disappointed. (I was not-so-secretly hoping that Murray would call Abbie on stage since he "knew" her.-HA!) When we got to our seats we saw that in every one there was a little box of crayons and a paper Wiggles frame. How cool!

The Wiggles usually come on stage in their BIG RED CAR to the song of the same name, so when the song started-DO,DO, DO DO DO DO.......TOOT, TOOT, CHUGGA, CHUGGA BIG RED CAR the crowd went wild. I, for one, was completely star-struck. I mean, we watch these guys on TV everyday-most of the time several times a day. It was just so cool!
Our seats were right by the stage(on risers) on the right side, which just so happened to be where Murray spent a lot of time playing his guitar. Believe it or not, he did recognize us and pointed to us TWICE during the show. Our only problem was that we couldn't get Abbie to look at the stage instead of the big screen that was right beside it. But she finally got it.
I made a sign to take that read "Abbie Kay Loves The Wiggles!" Dad held it up, and, during the show Anthony read it to the crowd. (He usually reads the signs people bring.)
Mom finally talked me in to taking Abbie down front, on the condition that she go with us. So we sat in front of the stage and Abbie just loved it. We called out the Wiggles' & the Wiggly dancers' names and they would wave or smile at us. It was so much fun! I think Abbie was in awe. She would just clap and stare.
They sang all, or most, of our favorite songs. During songs like, "Hot Potato" & "Rock-A-Bye Your Bear" Abbie actually did the motions. When Anthony went into the crowd on our side, my mom snuck back there and got his picture AND shook his hand and met him.
Finally at the end of the show, the Wiggles ask everyone, including adults to stand and dance to a medley of their songs. We all got up and danced, BUT Dad really got into it. Sam, the new yellow Wiggle, even noticed him and was like "Yeah, cool.", and motioned to him. He seemed impressed that an "old man" was getting into it so much.-Sorry for the old man part Dad. By the time it was all over we were all exhausted
Well that's about it. I hope I haven't bored you with too many details. I'll say one thing. If you ever get a chance to go to a Wiggles concert-GO. I highly recommend it.

Getting rusty

I took a couple of pictures of Abbie this morning and one thing is pretty obvious, I have gotten rusty. As you can see, the pictures above and on the right are fuzzy. The one above was so bad that I had to make a "poster" out of it just so I could use it. I am going to have to work on the old photography skills again.

Abbie has started grinding her teeth. That is a habit that I never picked up. It just felt bad to me. My wife grinds her teeth once in a while (usually when I am antagonizing her), but mostly in her sleep. I do not like hearing Abbie grind her teeth, it is not a pleasant sound. It makes me afraid that she will break a tooth. Sometimes I feel like I shelter her too much and that I am too afraid for her to get hurt. It is just so different being the parent, I just want everything to be perfect for my perfect little girl. I guess I should wake up to the reality that the world is not perfect. That is why I want Abbie to know God, because without Him, this world would be very sad and absolutely without hope. Can I get an Amen from the congregation?

Is anyone still listening?

Well hello there to everyone still watching for my return. I would say that a few things have been going on, but since more than 2 months have past, I think it would be implied anyway. There is way too much to get caught up on in one blog, so I will try to make this brief. For starters, my good friend and co-worker left for Walgreen's just before the end of the year. I did not realize what a big deal it would be to me until his replacement started working. I guess when you jive with co-workers you just take it for granted and do not realize what a blessing it is. I have seen just how good I had it in these past two months. On top of the flu season hitting, we get our new pharmacist and he has struggled to say the least. There have been times that I have felt like I was carrying the Pharmacy and was not going to make it. I went in one day at noon and did not get caught up until 7:30PM that evening. That is not an exaggeration, just ask my wife. It has been hard to leave work at work when I come home. Sometimes I have been so on edge that I just want to explode on everyone. Unfortunately, everyone ususally ends up being my wife. She has been having health problems that just will not quit, so it has been a tough couple of months for her, too. Then, in the middle of everything, happy as a clam, is Abbie Kay. She is the best little girl in the world. She now sits at her little table to feed herself (and dump her water on the table). Her little smile makes it hard to stay uptight about work. Amber and I thank God for Abbie every day. If you notice the time that I am writting this, yes, I am up real late. I had a brutal headache this morning and had to sleep a good portion of the day to get rid of it. Now I am paying for the extra sleep. Anyway, I will try to get back into the habit of blogging. I hope someone still watches for me.

BOOMER SOONER

BOOMER SOONER! Congratulations to the Oklahoma Sooners for winning their 4th Big 12 Title! Bring on Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl!

Let it Snow

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I just have not had the time to get in here and write anything. As you can see, we received about 10-12 inches of snow on Wednesday and Thursday. When it was snowing so much on Thursday, Little Al would not go outside unless I went with him. He sure is a tough ole dog, yeah right. Once we got outside, he wanted to play with his football, so I took a couple of pictures to show just how much snow there was.

It really has been awhile since I posted anything. Thanksgiving was a good day, although different from usual Thanksgivings. We went to my sister's home in Ada, which is about 3 hours from here. Abbie did very well on the trip. We stopped off in Moore at Amber's sister's before going on to Ada. Everyone loves to play with Abbie and she is most at home with ALL of the attention on her. My sister had chicken and noodles, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie made for us. I was very impressed, it is different to see my sister in the role of host on Thanksgiving. I know that Grandma was proud of her, too. We gave Jami a picture of Abbie that she had asked for and I think she really liked it. I messed with stereo stuff with Scott, and mom messed with Abbie. Dad had to work, and we missed him, but otherwise it was a good day. It was good to see Jami's home. They have put a great deal of time, energy and money into it and it really looks great. Unfortunately, I did not take the camera, so there are no pictures even though there were some definite photo opportunities. Abbie warmed up to Scott and even reached to grab his hand as they walked outside. Scott warmed to her, too, he will be a great daddy (as if I am an authority). Thankfully, Abbie was asleep by the time we found our way out of Ada and she slept most of the way home. Al had been by himself all day and was very happy for us to be home. I had to work the next day, but I did get to see Texas lose to A&M. That was very satisfying. I had to work on Saturday, too. I decided to tape the Bedlam game and not listen to the radio so I could watch when I got off. I did not hear anything about the game until 20 minutes before leaving work. A guy came in and said "How 'bout them Sooners?" I told him I did not listen and was going home to watch. His reply was, "Oh, then I won't tell you the score, but you will be happy with the outcome!" I was not happy with him. Anyway, we did win and are playing Nebraska tonight for the Big 12 championship. I had an offer to get tickets about 3 weeks ago. At first, I wished I had gotten the tickets, but now that I see the weather I am thankful we will be watching in the warmth at home. I will try to post more soon, but I am going to watch some football now. BOOMER SOONER!