Kentucky Disaster Recovery Trip

We got back from Kentucky late Sunday night- I'm still tired! As a group we worked on about 12 different homes- we helped a lot of people and the trip was well worth it. We used a lot of chainsaws and pulled a lot of heavy limbs. Seriously people a lot of HEAVY limbs. There are advantages and disadvantages of being 1 of 3 women on a trip like this (although honestly only 2 of us did any heavy lifting).

Disadvantages:

- In a group of 26 men we do not blend in- its obvious if you are an asset or if you're just taking up space.

- I felt like I had to work twice as hard as the guys to be viewed as aforementioned asset

- When the men are running chainsaws, driving tractors, and hanging from the treetops who do u think is left to pull all those limbs?

- The guys try to be gentlemen but they kept getting in my way- "I don't need help with this 50 pound tree branch and you're slowing me down Bubba so speed up or turn loose and get outta my way!" (I'm very strong and underestimated all the time!)

- When you add a GPS to the already out of control male stubbornness- they will NEVER stop and ask for directions- even when it's 10:30 pm and you've been lost for an hour and the GPS keeps insisting that you have arrived!

Advantages:

- One of the guys on the trip has a wonderful sister who lives in Lexington, KY about 45 minutes from where we were working- with 3 beautiful, plush guestrooms. She offered them to the women bc the guys were staying in the baptist association's bus warehouse- yes really (there were no churches big enough to accommodate the group in this rural area). Her home is amazing and I didn't want to leave!

By the way, the guest room had queen size beds so logically my husband was invited to stay with us. The other guys on the trip got jealous bc of their less than desirable "Accommodations" and one specifically got ticked off at my husband. My husband quickly pointed out that no one else was going to be sleeping beside me so it didn't affect this guy in the least lol.

- With 26 guys who couldn't wait to get a turn at driving- I didn't have to drive one mile.

The above photo is of me standing in front of 1 of 3 same size piles of tree branches at one home.

Grown Up Friends

A topic at GDNNOP got me thinking about a game I used to play with my mom when I was little called Grwon-up Friends, and I intoduced our little girl to that game this morning while we waited for her school bus.

How to play: Child pretends to be the adult friend of the mommy, the friends discuss their day, their jobs, their families etc.

What I learned about my "grown-up friend" today:
Her plans today are-
stapling papers together (3 at one time), buying 80 eggs, going to the milk station "for 5 milks", cutting down the grass, and going to work

And apparently her husband "died in the 80's". I didnt know she knew the 80's ever existed.
She wants to play again when she gets home and I can't wait to hear about her day.

I've Been Tagged: True Confessions

I've been tagged by themrs.

Okay..... true confessions....hmmm......

1) I had a PHOBIA of dogs til I was 11 and my parents bought one to "get me over it"- a fluffy little mop of fur... the horror! But it worked! I hated it to begin with, I felt like a prisoner in my own home, but within a few weeks I was no longer afraid of dogs.

2) I HATE mayo, cream cheese, whipped cream, sour cream, salad dressings, seafood, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, marshmallows in my hot chocolate, veggie dips, broccoli, coffee, and pie to name a few. . . .

3) I'm slightly (majorly) addicted to hand sanitizer

4) I refuse to watch sad movies, read sad books, or listen to sad songs: I cry easily and I want my entertainment to be happy- there is enough in real life to feel sad about.

5) I avoid petting zoos bc I'm . . . . afraid of goats. I was once chased by a billy goat. .. . I was 5 and it was huge. Enough said :)

Monicaw42 consider yourself tagged!

Kentucky or Bust

My husband and I started volunteering with a Disaster Recovery team in our town, I've been on one trip, he's been on two, and we are embarking on another one on Thursday. We are heading to Kentucky in the wake of recent ice storms- not quite sure what to expect yet, our "briefing" is tomorrow afternoon. The last trip that I went on was because of the Ice Storms in Oklahoma in 2007- it was a a lot of work and in less than desirable conditions. (The wind really does go sweeping down the plains!) Down trees covered peoples homes, vehicles, and property- we mostly helped the elderly on our last trip, there was no way they could do the work themselves and certainly couldn't afford to pay someone to do it. They were so grateful and it was very rewarding. They couldn't understand why we spent our New Years traveling 20 hours away to help people we didn't know in frigid cold temperatures. According to reports from mission leaders until very recently (in rural areas of Kentucky) people were still being found frozen to death in their beds.

I can't wait to let you all know how it goes, say a prayer for our group :)

Little Debbie: You Deceitful Witch

Still plugging along towards my weight loss goal (I'm down one dress size so far) and I'm always looking for new low calorie options. I was pleasantly surprised to find 100 calorie Little Debbie cakes in the store a few days ago. Until I got it home and opened the box. Note the size in the picture. I wasn't expecting anything gigantic but seriously? I would rather have a little more of a less tasty treat- this is just enough to make me remember what chocolate tastes like. It looked like a regular size portion on the box. Little Debbie, how could you?