Free Starbucks Gift Card - Janie's Contact Contest

I've been TRICKED.

I killed my iPhone today. I don’t know what happened. I didn’t drop it. I didn’t go swimming with it. I didn’t even cuss it overmuch before or after it cratered. So, no, it didn’t get its feelings hurt. iPhones are sensitive, but manhattan!! This was too much.

I could call out, as long as I was on my bluetooth in my truck. When I tried to make calls without the aid of any devices (and yes, before you ask, my household has arrived at that point in technology today.) I couldn’t hear who I was calling.

They could hear me, mind you, especially when those vibrant words started coming out of my mouth. Okay, the only one that could hear me was ThatManILove, because that's all I called. I was SO frustrated.

But, I have the special, whoopteedoo, bells and whistles Best Buy Geek Squad replacement plan made especially for smart phones. The one I pay $14 a month for, on our phones + my boys phones. That way, we can drop them, go swimming with them, etc., and get our phones replaced for free. (Did I just say free? I mean $14 a month on top of all the other goofy charges.)

But, hey, it’s better than the Apple Care Plan. Which has NO replacement warranty.

So, I bop into Best Buy. When we bought MY iPhone (which was, by the way, after we bought our sons’ iPhones) , we had the Best Buy guys go over the replacement plan.

As I understood it, I bring my phone in. If they have to send it off, and if they have one, they’ll give you a loaner iPhone. And your phone will be back in, say, 5-8 days. The quick return plan.

That’s not what happened today. And they don’t give out loaner iPhones. Nor will Best Buy’s loaner phones handle my massive amounts of contacts. Maybe I should have discussed that in more detail prior to buying the iPhone.

My options:

Take their loaner phone and wait on my phone to be returned.

Don’t do anything, and just rely on “devices”. That won’t work, it’s a business phone.

Buy a new phone...at full price. Oh, yeah. I’m hopping on that - that’s a horrlble idea!

I thought about it. Hard. And then, I realized - 3/4ths of this family has iPhones with replacement plans. (ThatManILove still hasn’t given up on his crackberry, and I’m beginning to realize why.)

I bought the new phone. And this time, I got the iPhone 3GS (Woohoo, Yeah!) but, no, I wasn’t looking for an excuse to upgrade. Don’t go there. I couldn’t even work the one I had!) Now, should the boys or I crater another iPhone, we’ll have a replacement within the family to have while we wait on Best Buy to send us a new one.

ThatManILove says our favorite fix when anything is broken is to throw money at it. We’ve found that solution most often isn’t the correct one.

Hopefully, this time, I did the right thing? Anyway, during all this drill, I thought of a contest. (It helped me keep my cool at Best Buy, I promise.)

Here’s the contest for you:

Guess how many contacts I have in my iPhone and I’ll send you a Starbucks Gift Card with exactly that much money on it! Each contact will have the value of a penny...so, if I have 2678 contacts, you’ll get a Starbucks card worth $26.78.

Hint: Top number has been 5237, but I’ve cleaned up my act a quite a bit. Bottom number is more than 4850. Pick a number between 4850 and 5237 and write it in the comments!

Contest will end Monday at 6 p.m. Closest one to the number by 6 p.m. wins the Starbucks Gift Card. You must enter by commenting on the blog (no e-mail entries!).

Have fun!

Baby Can I Sleep A Little Longer

Know what will mess you up when you’re traveling?

The alarm clock on the side of the bed. I’ve been here all week, and every morning, the clock in the hotel has matched my iPhone time.

I set my iPhone alarm for 5:30 a.m. We have a 7:15 a.m. breakfast date, then have to drive through traffic for a 9:15 appointment some 30 minutes away. And we’re checking out this morning.

My alarm just went off...it’s 5:30 a.m. I hop up, hit the snooze, and glance at the hotel clock beside my bed.

It says 4:30 a.m.

Uh-oh. Did time change last night? (My iPhone automatically updates wherever I am.)

Thinking Daylight Savings Time must have changed last night, I pop on the computer, and type “What Time Is It?”It says 5:30 a.m., CST.

Guess I’d better get up, and trust my iPhone instead of the hotel clock. Time will tell which one’s right and which one’s wrong...but if I'm wrong at least I'll be early to my appointments!

The Game Warden's Coming! The Game Warden's Coming!

The first dove season in Texas runs from September 1st to October 25th. I pay for a yearly dove lease from a local gentleman named Earl. Several people are on this set of leases; it's a really neat deal. You get several places to go hunt, all for a small fee. You may see another hunter on the lease, but that's part of the deal, and usually, you know him. It's a bargain, and I lease this same land every year.

Today, I received an e-mail from Earl's office and I cracked up.

GUYS, (WED 28 OCT)

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON’T KNOW…..DOVE SEASON IS OVER, IT ENDED SUNDAY THE 25 OF OCT……THERE WERE HUNTERS ON OUR 420 FIELD THIS AM. ACCORDING TO THE HUNTERS TO THE WEST OF US…..WHO WERE ALSO OUT HUNTING….AFTER THE SEASON CLOSED….

EARL

Do You Really Know Where You Are? Because I Don't!

Tonight, my friends Kyle and Becky were to meet me for dinner. Yes, the Becky and Kyle of the April wedding.

Anyway, Becky called while they were en route to my hotel.

Becky: Okay, girl, you’re at the Hilton, right?

Janie: Yes. Just north of 30 on 360 in Arlington.

Becky: Okay, we’ll be there in a minute.

10 minutes later...

Becky: Hey, I just wanted to check. You're at the Hilton right by the Saltgrass, right?

Janie: Yes. It's right across the street from me. Are you here?

Becky: Yes, we’re pulling into the parking lot now.

Janie: Can you see a yellow Dodge just like yours? There’s one in the parking lot.

Becky: Yes.

Janie: Okay, you’re here, then. I’ll see you in a bit.

5 minutes later...

Becky: Okay, we’re inside, at the bar.

Janie: Y’all wanna come up? I’m in 704.

Becky: Nah, Kyle just ordered a drink. Finish your e-mails and we’ll see you in a minute.

3 minutes later, I grab my keys, and head down. Straight to the bar, I go. No Becky. No Kyle. So, I saunter over to the hotel restaurant. They’re not there, either.

I call Becky back.

Janie: Hey, Blondie, I can’t find y’all, where are you?

Becky: We’re at the bar of the Hilton.

Janie: Are there two bars here?

Becky: (Pause) I don’t think so, it doesn’t look big enough.

At this point, the concierge notes the puzzled look on my face, and asks if I need help.

I inquire as to the proximity of the next closest Hilton. Answer? It’s almost one block east, next to the Saltgrass.

I’m across the street from the Saltgrass.

Why on earth would they put two Hiltons less than a block apart?

I found them...at the bar of the Hilton Garden Inn. Less than one block away. The only yellow Dodge in the parking lot was theirs. And the Hilton Garden Inn? Only had 4 floors, so if they'd tried to come up to my room, they would have figured it out earlier. Who knew?

I'm So Going To The Mailbox Every Day!!!

Another surprise came in the mail!! Woohoo!!

Remember when I had my James Taylor Concert Tickets giveaway? Well, my friend Terri from Kansas won a set of those babies, and she and her recently-graduated-from-college daughter went to the concert.

They had a blast.

And so what to my wondering eyes did appear in my mailbox?

All this, plus a thank you note from Terri!

The book, "The Girvin Social Club". This is written by a man who comes from a small (very, very small) town in West Texas. This same man has since moved to Terri's home town in Goodland, Kansas. Coincidence? I think not!

And these cool books about German Shorthairs and the dogs we love! Terri knows my heart, doesn't she?

And, oh, yeah....Sunflower Peanut Brittle - gotta love it! And it's yummy!!!
And no way are Pepsi and Sierra going to forget their doggy friends Zack and Zanna!
I'm telling you, going to the mailbox is fun! Fun! Fun! Thanks, Terri-girl. You're too sweet!

Nature...Rocks!

I just rolled into Arlington, Tx. for sales calls tomorrow in Dallas, and then Tuesday in Fort Worth. I thought I'd share some pix with ya. I took this rare shot on one of my hunting trips. I love it. That chukkar was praying, I promise! (And with good cause - he lived!)

I've Been Boo-ed!

I love surprises!

The other day, I got a package in the mail. A Halloween Boo Package! How cool is that?!!

I was wondering, “What did I order from eBay this time?” I put it in my truck, and forgot about it for a day or two. And then, I hauled it into the house, and opened it up. The sender tried to surprise me, but I follow her blog. And my Sherlock Holmes senses kicked in, and yes, I can add 2+2. The answer is:

Look what I got, from Lani at The Never Ending Adventure! Spicy dill pickles, and pomegranate jelly! Yummmmmmmmm. Lani is amazing. Not only is she a cancer survivor, she never slows down!

Lani, how on earth do you have time to do this? You work, you babysit birds, your household belongs to the world of roping (which is never a sedentary sport...horses take lots of care, and ropings are never in your backyard), you cohost a radio show, and you take time to can pickles and make pomegranate jelly? I know you had help, but, Lord, how do you get all those little seeds out of those pomegranates? I'm WAY impressed.

I had the jelly on toast this morning and it was awesome. (So your friends and relatives aren’t blowing smoke up your behind, it is really, really, good.) ThatManILove does love him some pickles, so we’ll be breaking into those soon.

Thanks so much for my surprise, you crazy Lani-girl! YOU ROCK!!

I love you!

Zanna's Growing Up

Zanna at 11 months...

Zanna at three months:

It has happened.

A first in our marriage. I guess we’d been holding our breaths, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t happen to us. Dreamweavers, that’s us! Really, we were delusional.

It has happened, full out, all the way, happened.

When we came home from Memphis, Zanna jumped up on our bed as we were unpacking. I don’t even know what made me look, but I did.

Janie: Oh, no!

ThatManILove: What?

Janie: I think Zanna’s in heat, this time, for real.

ThatManILove: What makes you think that?

Janie: Ummmm, look.

ThatManILove: Oh, yeah, she definitely is in heat. Our baby’s not a baby any more!

Zanna is 15 months old. By rights, she could have been in heat one or two times now, but she’s not been. There have been times I’ve wondered, but I was always wrong. (Well, I’ve not had a female dog in a long time!)

PetSmart has all these cool things now for dogs in heat...diapers. Pads. Cute little ruffly panties.

I had a set ready, just in case this thing ever came to pass. Not that I wanted it to, but, logic says, ya know? And mommies have to be prepared for that special day.

I got ready to go to work.

Janie: Here’s everything, honey, we’re going to have to diaper her. Please help me.

ThatManILove: It won’t be that bad. It will only last 2-3 days.

Janie, smiling: That’s not what I read. Again, here’s everything, honey, we’re going to have to diaper her, now.

Zanna handled the diapering pretty well, and since, has grown accustomed to all her new “finery.”

ThatManILove, however, is having a problem with all of it. You see, he’s home from the field this week, and as such, has most of the doggie duty while I’m working. Zanna has become really huggy, which is cool, but when TMIL has something to do, she won’t get out of his way and has to be in the middle of everything he’s doing. And she’s also very smart, and can strip those little doggie panties off in a New York minute, velcro and all.

She has to be under supervision at all times.

We attended a party tonight, came home, let the dogs in. We got Zanna dressed, and went into our room. The dogs followed. I was putting up some clothes, and realized Zanna was no longer around. I turned and looked out our bedroom door, and saw she was on the living room couch, walking up and down.

We ran into the living room. Zanna had (1) taken off her panties and diaper, (2) walked through all the laundry TMIL had folded, thus unfolding it, and (3) had torn her panties to shreds. All in about 10 minutes times.

TMIL was furious. I was laughing. At 15 months, Zanna still has a lot of puppy behavior in her. Clothes can be washed again, it’s no big deal. And for some unknown reason, I had purchased an extra pair of doggie panties last night.

Thank God.

Now, how long will this stuff last? Because if it’s not over soon, I may have to take vacation and give TMIL a break. He may be experiencing PMS himself.

Comfort Foods For the Soul

Do you have a “comfort food”?

It might be something from your youth. For example, ThatManILove loves him some New York style hotdog. If you don’t know what this is (for they rarely serve them in West Texas!), it’s a hot dog with mustard, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. No chili. And the only place locally he can get them is (1) at home, when he makes them, and (2) at Der Wienerschnitzel, which is located 20 miles away in Odessa.

For me? It’s Starbucks Venti Chai, no water.

Foodwise? Cornbread, with a little bit of sweet to it. Lordy, I do love me some cornbread. And blackeyed peas, please.

My comfort food used to be Cool Ranch Doritos and a Dr. Pepper. I really thought that was great food for breakfast (oh, yeah...I’m an oilfield gal!). I rarely drink Dr. Pepper now, but I will sneak a Cool Ranch Dorito chip or two!

When Outback came to town (I celebrated that day!), we would always start out a meal with Aussie Cheese Fries. Until I read the calorie count in those puppies a couple of years ago. I couldn’t believe it.

And now, the Aussie Cheese Fries have made the #1 listing in the Me n’s Health.com article “The 20 Worst Foods In America” - with a rocking 2900 calories per order.

My Chai didn’t make it, but it should have, at 300+ calories, and that’s with low-fat milk.

I quit. If you see me going thru the Starbucks drive-thru, feel free to stop me and check me for drinks.

So, what's your comfort food?

Sayonara, Twitter!! I Won't Miss You When You're Gone

I did it.

I deleted my Twitter account. Twitter did nothing wrong, seriously. I just couldn’t hack it, and didn’t have any more energy to put into Twitter. Because, you know, Mi Vida Loca. My life is not my own.

So shoot me.

Eric likes Twitter. Suzy loves Twitter. VodkaMom freakin’ rocks at Twitter. Of course, that heifer rocks at everything. But I enjoy her blog posts so much more.

Me? I can’t figure it out, this Twitter thing. And I got tired of being followed by wanna-be porn stars. I had to block them all the time. (Get a freakin’ room and leave me alone already. I got me some man, I promise! And he's awesome!)

I admit it...though I work for one of the greatest technologically savvy companies of all time, I’m just not Twitter-savvy. I don’t think I want to invest the time to be Twitter-savvy. Though my friends consider me the queen of one-liners, I just can’t make it work on Twitter. I don’t really have the time.

I prefer the story. The written word. The funny anecdote that’s more than a sentence long. Something I can savor. Taste for a while on my tongue before I digest it. I don’t think a Twitter post will ever make me wanna go read it again and again...or cry. Or laugh until I cry. Or circle in my brain for hours. Or cause me to cry out your name to God because you're hurting, or to praise Him.

But bloggers, now, that's another story! The Irish at Irish Gumbo? He's a prolific writer - blows me away. He's been through it lately, and he keeps on going. I like that. Braja at Lost and Found in India? She constantly amazes me, and has shown tremendous strength through the last year as well. And that Jilly at JillJillBoBill? She is one seriously funny chick (when she blogs, ahem, Jill??) and she's become like a sister to me. There are many more of you I'd list, but...I have an early breakfast date!

As for my personal posts, well, that’s just how I debrief. Breathe. Heal. And ThatManILove likes “my voice”, as he calls it, in my posts and in my more serious writing. Good enough for me.

Throughout my day, as things occur, I wonder how I can translate them into the written word, and keep my life as entertaining for you as it is for me.

So call me old. Decrepit. Behind the times. I barely watch television or listen to the radio. I get my news on...(gasp!) blogs! Seriously. The news got so depressing, and their perspective so twisted, it was killing me. And if something truly newsworthy happens, I can count on bloggers to let me know. Music? On XM Radio or iTunes.

And the 365 posts challenge thing? A personal number, set merely to keep me writing regularly...and mostly reading your blogs. I’m almost a month into it, and I’m just now catching up enough to read your blogs on a regular basis again. Getting back into the drill of it. Because I’ve found this blogging thing is all about relationships. A give and take type of deal. And I like that.

I treasure your comments, relish your stories...but mostly, it’s all about friendship. Your friendship.

I love having you for friends. So shoot me.

Restaurant Owners - Get A Clue, We Don't Want The Flu!

Last night, we arranged to meet some friends for supper at a local establishment. Our friends have two young children, who often go with us on our dinner dates.

We beat our friends to the restaurant, and had the table set up for them, including a booster seat. Then, I waved to one of our favorite waitresses.

She said, from across the room, “You don’t want me around.”

I said, “What’s up? Are you sick?”

She nodded affirmatively.

I asked, “Do you have that flu?” and she again nodded.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

She said, “No-one else could work.”

I looked at ThatManILove, and said, “Jena’s sick.” We took one look at each other, and turned to walk out. Our friends had just walked through the door. We told our friends we were leaving, and once they heard the story, they agreed with our decision, and we all walked out.

We’re all doing all we can to keep from getting this flu stuff. And even if it means not eating out, we’ll do it.

The owner came outside forthwith, and asked us if we wanted to order out instead.

Ummmmm, no. No freaking way.

To restaurant owners and managers: I know you have to make a profit. Newsflash: Your health, and the health of your employees and customers, is more important than losing a day or two of revenue.

I don't go to work when I'm sick...my co-workers have small kiddos and I don't want to be responsible for getting people sick!

If all your employees were sick, I for one would totally understand if you closed for a couple of days. Just put “Our Employees Have The Flu and We Care About You!”

I would SO understand. And I’d be back in a week or so - instead of running me off, this would make me way more confident in the cleanliness and the health of your employes, your food and your restaurant.

What say you, vibrant readers?

Citibank Sticks It To Us

What the heck?

I opened my mail today, and in it was a letter from Citibank raising our credit card interest from 8.9 to 29.99%!

We’ve never been late. We usually pay off the card monthly. And we have a 22K credit line on that card. (Don’t ask me why or how, they just kept increasing it!) And did I mention we just got this card to rack up airline miles?

What on earth are they thinking? We bail them out, and they stick it to us? Yeah, baby...your tax dollars at work.

We’ve been given two options:

Take it and like it.

Opt out and the card will be cancelled.

I want to cancel the card, but am wary of the effect it will have on my credit rating. I definitely want to be wise about it!

I decided to search the web, knowing full well I wasn’t the only gunzel to experience this most glorious event, and sure enough, plenty people have been hit with this since the first of the year.

I found some really good information on LaToya’s Credit / Debt Blog. And be sure to read comment #13 on her blog...it hands out good advice from Scott.

Go read it while I stomp around the house, fuming and saying bad words. Even the dogs are cowering. (Not really, they’re eating rawhide ears and having the time of their lives - don't you EVEN call SPCA.)