Sleepless in Selmer...

It's late and I can't sleep. Wouldn't you know it? I'm tired as can be but my little eyelids won't stay shut tight. I've got to be up early in the morning too. I've got a long day ahead of me. Mary Winkler's attorneys have a court date tomorrow on a motions hearing. Mary doesn't have to be there. I wonder if she'll show.

My dad isn't feeling well at all. He's been sick the last week or so with kidney stones. Mom is taking him to the doctor tomorrow (he's been already and to the ER a few times) to see what can be done to give him some relief. She's packing him a bag just in case they put him in the hospital. I sure hope they let him go home to rest in his own bed. I've been so worried about him. My dad is never sick. Never misses work. The last few days, he's been flat of his back doped up on pain meds. I know he hurts. I got hit hard with kidney stones a few months ago. Bad, bad stuff. Dad, if you feel like reading this, I hope you feel better soon. I love you more than all the sand spread across every beach on earth and then some!

My GG (grandma) hasn't been feeling well either. She's got to wear a heart monitor for a few weeks. GG's never been sick either. She's tough as a horse. Even if she felt bad or broke a bone, she sure wouldn't tell us unless it was something really bad. GG I hope you feel better soon too. I love you bunches!

Also on the sick list, my brother's kids. They have snotty little noses. I hope they are better. I do have some good news. My mom no longer looks like a little Chinese lady. Her kidney infection is much better and the swelling in her face is gone. Geez, have I left anyone out? It seems this hasn't been a good year already. As always, keep your families, and mine, in your thoughts and prayers.

Don't you just love this warm weather? Thanks Chris for sending me those awesome reminders of summers at the beach with our family. Those were cool snapshots! Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful too. Ahhhhhh...spring is in the air!

Hope you all have a terrific Thursday! I'll try to post more when I get home tomorrow night.

Property values decreasing...

Sometimes I carry my digital camera in my work bag. Last week, Juergen and I got lost on a back road in Morgan County. We had to turn around in this swampy driveway. Before we backed into the road I couldn't resist taking a shot. This is typical county living in a lot of places. If its the best you can do, ok. If not and you are lazy, haul off the broken down vehicles, patch the gully holes in the driveway and spruce up around the double wide. Welcome to North Alabama.

the first signs of spring...

Sorry this picture is blurry. not sure what happened. these are buttercups already in bloom at dad and mom's house. buttercups are one of my favorite flowers. they grow wild near the pond. they are so pretty. this is a sign spring is not far away.

Mom's birthday...

Saturday was my mom's birthday. Our family had a delicious lunch at my grandmother's house. This is a shot of the birthday cake I made her. Yes, it says "Happy Birthday Pickle." That's the name her first grandchild branded her with and it stuck! ha ha She looks nothing like a pickle so I'm not sure why he chose that name over grandma. When I was little I couldn't say grandma or grandaddy. So I called my grandparents (mom's parents) ge-go and ge-golly-ga.

Snow Saturday?

There is a decent chance we'll see snow over the weekend. It would happen when I'm supposed to be off. I'll find out tomorrow if I will be one of the unlucky crew members having to come in and report in the elements.

By the way, this is a picture of winter weather woes before last. Not much to look at but snow none the less.

Happy Valentines Day...

No autographs, please.

Even as a little girl, I hid behind my purse to get away from the paparazzi. ha ha

Pilgrim's Pride...

Yeap. That's me. My grandmother made that pilgrim costume. I can't quiet remember why I had to wear it but I'm sure I needed therapy by the time I got home from school. :)

Its my blog so I'll rant if I want...

You know, I try to be a fair person, not only in my personal life but professional as well. My New Year's Resolution was to try and not let petty people get under my skin. I've done pretty well so far. That is until today.

I've been doing this job since 1994. By now, if I don't know what I'm doing then I need a new career. I'm a talented reporter, burned out a little maybe, but I can hold my own with anyone in this market!

To clear up misconception, I do -not- watch the competition from my office window. I don't have time to keep up with them because I'm busy running from one county to the next turning twice the stories they do. Plus, I don't have to spy. I know what I'm doing. Not to mention, I just don't care what they do. By the way, if I happen to go by the courthouse to look up background checks on criminals, its not because I got the idea from a certain reporter. Its because I know how to be a good journalist. I know how to do my job and do it well with little or no direction from anyone.

Now you may be asking yourself, why is she saying all this? Let's just say, word got back to me and I didn't like what I heard.

Peace out!

Spring like temps should be here soon...

Maybe then we'll start seeing pretty flowers in bloom again.

A long day of civic duty...

Monday, I spent the entire day at the Morgan County Courthouse. Nothing unusual about that except I wasn't their to cover a story. I was part of jury duty. I've sat through hundreds of jury selections in the last 12 years. This is the first time I've been part of one. You meet some interesting people, that's for sure. Luckily, I was dismissed from two cases because I had covered both in the news when they happened.

My home computer is on the fritz. I installed an updated version of Internet Explorer. Now, I can't do squat on line. My computer genius brother sweetly agreed to fix it for me. I wish I knew just a little of what he knows about technology. I'm what you call "challenged."

I took a few pics of last week's snow event. I haven't had time to download them to my website. I'll do that soon.

This weekend is my mother's birthday. We are having a yummy dinner at my grandmother's house. I have to stop by Kroger's and pick up a birthday cake for those who can eat sugar. Friday night I will bake a sugar-free red velvet cake for me and my dad. I tested the recipe already. It's so yummy tasty!! I'll post the recipe soon.

Have a happy day, ya'll!