Floating along...

Nothing much happening around here still.  I was off yesterday and am off today and SOOOO happy about that, it was a LONG weekend.

Let's see what has happened.  OH, Courtney and Mike went to see Brian White (whoever that is) at the Maulding festival over the weekend....

Court has band practice tonight in Travelers Rest.  At least it's not all the way up past Hendersonville.

Britt is doing great!  The Anatomy and Phys. class is kicking her tail pretty good tho.  The daycare center where she works is keeping her employed, so all is well! Her boyfriend P.J. has an interview with Greenville County Sheriffs or Police department this Thurs., so everyone wish him well!  He has a good job now, but he really wants to go into law enforcement.

We haven't heard a word from Ashley...all our emails are coming back "DELAYED DELIVERY", so no email on or off the boat right now.  She sure did a load of shopping tho while in Key West!  Makes a Mama proud!

That's it for here...I think I'm going to go start my Christmas list now.  Not what everyone else wants, but what I WANT!  HAAAAAAAAA  

I'm thinking gas cards (Spinx please), a carpet spot shampooer (Bissel's Green Machine for instance), towels, every day dishes...the cheaper the better since they seem to vanish from my house, another long Moo-Moo since Courtney has taken up residence with my old one, Wal-Mart cards (I'll definitely have to hide them from Courtney)....hmmm....that's it for the moment!  

I figure I'll get my list out early this year...that way when all my loved ones are out shopping and thinking of me, they can SHOP for me!  heeeeeeeeeeee

Have a good day!  OH...Ashley...my emails ain't getting thru...just in case you're wondering why we ain't wrote you.  We misssss you!!!!

Joan

T.G.I.F. at home

Hello all of my small number of readers.  I read on Sarah Palin's "stolen" emails that a better word for "small", as in a small group of readers, would be "intimate".  I have an intimate group of readers!  HA

I actually don't have alot to post about today WHICH IS A GOOD THING. That means all we did this week is work, school, practice (Court) and work.  Did I mention WORK?! I have put in a TON of overtime and I'm bout ready to put a halt to that.  I miss going to Wal-Mart at 0dark:30am and wondering up and down empty aisles.  If I ever get a job there, it will be the early, EARLY shift.

OHHHH....geeeeze, I hope Court isn't reading this...wait....READING?  BAH-HAAAA  Course she ain't!  Anyways, I ALMOST forgot, her birthday was Tuesday....HA!  NUMBER 17!  

Dang, Mike's getting OLD!  HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

So, I just, as I was typing this, downloaded all the pics from that night and I wanted to share with ya'll my FAVORITE PICTURE....

Isn't this the BEST PIC EVER!  YES, Dad, I took it, NOT MIKE.  

I don't want ANYone to think I pick on any of my daughter's boyfriends.  I would NEVER do that, nor would MIKE.  HAAAAAAA  BUT, included in all the great pics I took at the party, was this one.  I tryed to get a pic of everyone....

  

Isn't that AWFUL!  hee

This is another of my favorites...

Here is a slide show of all of them...I have too many to put individually on here.

I also wanted to show you two pics that Ashley sent me from Key West.  It seems they ported there this week, but left back out yesterday...

She had taken this one of her self at a Subway in Key West.

This next pic was taken on board her boat.  

She had written underneath this pic..."sunset on some island".  

Well, that's about it for me!  I have to work all weekend, so I won't have any photo ops, but know that I carry my trusty cell phone with me with awesome camera in it and I am always ready if opportunity calls!

Ashley...if you're reading this. EMAIL ME.

Joan

Mauldin High Football Game AND The Band performs

Well, alot has happened since Firday. Court, as I mentioned I THINK before, got the opportunity to sing for the Mauldin High Varsity Football team Friday night and did great AND Mauldin BEAT T.L. Hanna (Remember the movie "Radio", it's his team and Radio was there). Dad has the good pictures of that night, and he put his here....
http://picasaweb.google.com/larryandjewel/CourtneySingsNationalAnthemAtMHSFootballGame12Sep2008#5245928024346477682 I LOVE this picture...she's looking up at the Mauldin Cheering section in the stands and they were hollering her name out.....
Then, last night, her band performed in Hendersonville at the VFW there.

Let's see who all was there...ALL the Arnolds, Grandma Terry, Doyle and Ellen...then My Uncle Harry and Aunt Esther, Aunt Aurelia, Mom and Dad and their friend (and mine) Dot.

So, Esther decides she wants to dance and DRAGS Aunt Aurelia on the floor with her! I looked at Uncle Harry when they were on the dance floor and he had his head down! HAAAAA

So, I looked around to see what Silker and Grandma Terry were doing and LO and BEHOLD.....AY Lawwwwwwwwww........HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Mike's Dad and his cousin were video taping in the corner...Here the rest of us were...I think we were mesmerized by the dancers!

And of course, there was a line for the bathroom....ain't these pictures great!

And Mom and Dot..mostly Mom...talked, and talked and talked etc.....................OH yeah...and the band still played....and Silker and Grandma Terry got done with the buffet line and then THEY started talking!

I also wanted to add this pic...notice how they are dressed alike! Who's that I see in the top right corner...OH....Silker and Grandma Terry still eating.....HAAAAAI thought that was neat.

Anyways...we had a great night and Court's band did great.

Courtney was SOOO happy everyone came out to see the band!

Dad is working on fixing up his pictures, so I'll post the weblink to those when I get it...I'm sure his pictures won't the superior quality as mine, but he's learning! BAH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

More later...and THANKS for EMAILING us, ASHLEY...she finally emailed!!!!

Joan

Courtney's Band

I don't know if I mentioned it before, but Courtney is in a band now! I don't know if they have a name or not, (Courtney keeps forgetting to ask) but they have been practicing and they perform this weekend at the V.F.W. in Hendersonville, NC. They are a traditional Country Music band and all of them are great musicians. I can't wait to hear them!

We haven't heard from Ashley is a few days and I have been worrying over the weather, the Russians and whatever else I can come up with.

ASHLEY, IF/WHEN YOU READ THIS, EMAIL YOUR MAMA.

I know she's having the time of her life and she keeps telling us how much she loves the Coast Guard, but we miss her. Even the dogs miss her.

Well, that's all from me. Britt just got off work and Mike and Courtney are in the den watching TV and I'm fixing to get my clothes ready for work tomorrow and go to bed and watch the weather channel till I fall asleep.

More later....

Joan and Herd

Video from Grandma Terry's Birthday Party

I was reminded the other day that I hadn't put any pics on here of Grandma Terry's 90th Birthday Party.

Well, sure enough, I hadn't - WHICH is a humble reminder to myself that I am only one person!

My head is so full of knowledge, things sometimes gets stuck.

SO, I created a little movie of the pictures. That way, I can get them all on here at once. MUCH faster!

I have to work this weekend, so today is "clean the house up" day. Yesterday was "go grocery shopping and take Court to the eye dr." day. I actually took a pic of Court waiting on the Dr. to come in...un-beknownst to her! hee hee!! She HATES it when I do that! HAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAA! Don't she look THRILLED to be there!!!!
Well, that's about it for the moment!!!!
Have a good weekend....
Joan and Herd

Thrusday....

As I stated in my previous blog, this morning, I arose at my usual 0dark:30 and as if on autopilot, I hopped in the van and took off to McDonalds and got my large cup of coffee and headed Verizon, my 3rd home. It seems as if my camera lens on the back of my cell phone had cracked and I had to get it fixed. So I did.

THEN, I headed to Wal-Mart. Woo-HOO! Ours ain't nothing fancy, just functional. It looks as if there are alot of cars here, and I was amazed! Could it be that other people do as I do?

Well, in I went and it was mostly empty. Good

Notice the empty asiles (sp?)? My kinda store.

I would actually have been in the store earlier, but I sat listening to talk radio in the van and I drank my coffee.

Sarah Palin. Now, THAT'S a woman!

Which, then left me perplexed.

I thought finally I would vote Democrat since Hillary is gone and Obama hates war. Now, here comes Sarah.
Geeeze.
Now I'm gonna have to make a choice. But then I thought, hmmmmm...I'll just do what I've always done in these elections when I can't make my mind up....

I'll let the dog decide!

Not Cujo, because he doesn't speak a lick of english...he REFUSES to learn english, only spanish.

Boomer is only in it for the food. he wants lower grocery prices and lower sales taxes so his double cheeseburgers and strawberry milkshakes (his FAVorite) I get him from McDonalds don't cost so much. period.


Now, Buddy....
He helped me with the last election...in fact, he even went with the to the polls! He had to wait out in the car tho. We're going to take this very seriously this time and watch the debates. He's SO excited!
Well, that's it for today!
Courtney gets to sing the National Anthem tonight at the volleyball game at Mauldin High School and Britt has to work. OH...Big Brother comes on tonight too! Mike likes that one!
Ya'll have a great day!
Joan

Heard from Ashley...FINALLY!

The baby called FINALLY. First, she emailed and said she was fine. She was a little sick the first two days they were out, but got over that.
She is tired from working so many hours, but today, they got to their first port...the Keys, in Florida! Only for 2 hours tho, which gave them time to gas up before they head out again.

She LOVES the sea! She said she saw sea turtles, dolphins and flying fish!. Anyways, she called me just when I got off work today and was SOOOO excited, she was talking a hundred miles an hour about everything she could see.....which is where these pictures come in.

This is a view from where she was standing watch....At first, I wondered if there was hedges IN her boat, but I realized that was on the pier BESIDE her boat. DOH!


This second pic is of the boat beside them...it looks like a buoy tender to me, but what do I know! I watched "Dirty Jobs" one episode and they had this on there...



Anyways, that's all the pics she sent...these are from her cell phone. She said she hopes to go snorkeling at their next port, wherever that is.
Picasa has revamped itself and I quickly, and with my usual expert abilities, put this together of Haley's birthday party pics...I will be able to add music to it and other neat things after I figure it out...

I'm off work these next couple days and I am SOOOOOOOOOOO excited about that! I like my job, but it sure is nice to not have to set the alarm clock. NOT that I sleep any later...I always DREAM of sleeping till like, 7am, but I still wake up around 4:30-5am.
Mike and Courtney have gone to the fairgrounds. I didn't want to go because i don't Habla de lingo piquito whatever.
Britt has gone to the firing range with P.J. or Peeeej, as we call him. She BETTER get home and study for her Anatomy and Phys. class.
Well, I'll post more tomorrow after I sleep in till like, 5:15am! ha I think I'll get up and head to Wal-Mart when I get up..what a better way to start your day than sunrise at the Wal-Mart parking lot.
I think I'll even stop by McDonald's and get a cup of coffee on my way there... Ahhhhhh yes....living the dream!!!
Joan

Happy Birthday Haley!

Today was little Haley's birthday party and it was SOOO wonderful seeing everyone. I can't beLIEVE how much the kids have all grown. The last time I saw Haley, she was just an infant and Kim's 3 have GROWN! Ian is the spittin' image of his Mama...sorry Randy! HA Carol's two are beautiful as are the rest.

Lauren and Alex surprised me the most...Lauren has BRACES and has grown 2 feet and is more beautiful than the last time I saw her and Alex is just too pretty to be a boy....his eyes are so pretty!

Alot of other people took better pictures than I did because I talked alot, so if you took pics...add a comment on the bottom of this entry with your web site so we can all see!

Randy- thanks for telling me that you read my blog...that makes 3 whole people...and I am humbled! hee

For those family who want to see his...go to http://www.jillandrandy.com/

I'll post more soon, I wanted to get these on here and Courtney is pestering me to death to get on the puter, so let me go.

Ashley, as one of my faithful readers...be careful and please don't fall off the boat.

IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN EMAILING HER...SHE DOES GET EMAIL ON HER SHIP, EMAIL HER AT Ashley.L.Arnold@uscg.mil (don't forget to put periods between her fist, middle initial and last name). She would welcome any and all email!!!

More soon-

Joan

Ashley Update!

Ash just called, she was at a family party on the ship (I think) and seemed to be having her usual blast! I even talked to one of her buddy's, Patrick.
It seems they are leaving out next Sunday, Aug. 31. She was told she is the "Frisker" for when they do their arresting on the high seas! She said she was VERY good at it! Bah-haaaaaaaa...that's my girl! Her other job is to assist in tieing the helo down when it lands on the boat. I told her to PLEASE be careful because this is hurricane season and I didn't want her blown overboard. She said not to worry because she would be wearing her life vest and helmet. Now THAT was comforting!
She is doing great! She is off work for starting Sunday for 6 days and said she may ride to Myrtle Beach with some of her friends. I told her if she did, to CALL US and we could meet her for a day of something. She also gets off for 6 days when they come back into port and she wants to come home then. This long of a liberty was totally unexpected...she thought she only got liberty either before or after they leave, not both. Isn't the Coast Guard thoughtful!
That's all my news for the day! Courtney has gone to the high school Jamboree football game, Britt is with Peeeeeej and Mike has gone to Guadalajara. I'm home with the boys fixing to go to bed because I gotta work this weekend.
Have fun!
Joan

HELLO???!

Well, after a lengthy talk with Dad, it appears I am the sole reader of my own blog. I thought Dad was reading it and when I asked him something about an earlier post, he said, "Post?" "Don't you mean picture?" He thought this whole time, I was adding pictures to my web ALBUM, Dad, not B-L-O-G. There is a difference. I suspect Darrell in California MAY be reading it, but who knows. Maybe he thinks it's my picture album too.
So, I'll continue to bore myself.
I actually don't have any pics to add to this...with Ashley gone, Britt in college, working and seeing P.J. and Court in school and practicing with the band now, that leaves me and the dogs. AND Mike.
Maybe I'll go to Wal-Mart today. I need a mop bucket and Mike's Grandma Terry wants to go with me. I'll take my camera and sneak a pic of her shopping! YEAH!
Lone Joan (hee)

American Idol 2008 Audition

We're back! OMGEEEEE....what a trip! Courtney and I left Sunday afternoon at around 4pm and got down to Dee and Robins around 9pm and was worn OUT! We had to be up at 3am so we could go get in line at the arena in Jacksonville as early as possible..that was fun! Actually it was! We met alot of really nice people. We had our wrist band and tickets for Wednesday's audition by 8am so we had the rest of the day to...sleep!

So, the next day, Dee and Robin took us to this really neat restaurant in downtown Jacksonville on the river...the James River.

The food was great and it wasn't even hot there! The waiter asked us if we wanted to eat "Al Fresco"...No, I told him, I wanted a cheeseburger! BAH-HAAA...I didn't know that meant eating outside! Why don't they just call it that..."Wanna eat out yonder by the river?" Makes alot more sense to me! Who's Al Fresco anyways?

So, I then took Dee, Robin and Courtney's picture by the river. There was supposedly some dolphins in there, but I think the waiter only said that. Who ever heard of Dolphins in a river. Geeeze.

So, then the next morning, it was back up at 3am to head back to the arena to get back in a LONG line to get back inside. And BOY did it rain...we were absolutely DRENCHED by the time they opened the doors.

So, first we had to dump all our food we brought out into the dumpster. We couldn't take it inside. We had like, Oreo's, cookies and peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches. GOOD stuff. Then we went inside and found out seats and people started filling up the stands.

The arena never filled up...wasn't even half full, but we sure was a rowdy bunch! They had a guy down on the arena floor getting everyone all roused up and singing and dancing and hollering.

THEN, Ryan Seacrest came out there and they filmed some scenes all round.

Then after about 2 hours of all that, the auditions began. We had gotten our tickets and arm bands early Monday, so Court was one of the first 500 or so to audition out of 6000.

Court did real good. She sang the Bee Gee's "Words" and even tho she wasn't chosen, she was told that she did great, but didn't meet the needs of the show. They had to get in rows of 4 people and step up to the producers table and sing about 30 seconds of a song...one at a time. This is her in the line. There were some REALLY great singers there...REAL good that didn't make it. From what we saw, they were mostly letting thru guys and black females. There were alot of "weirdos" they let thru, like this guy who dressed like James Brown and a girl in full fire-fighter uniform. We were reminded at the beginning of the audition that it was a TV show and they had a certain critera they were needing to fill and that's who would get thru. Vocal abilities had little to do with it. OH well...their loss!

Court was disappointed, but not for long. A LOT of very talented people didn't thru and she saw that and that made her feel better.

Now it's back to reality! She still has alot to look forward to, including being in a band singing her favorite country music and going to Hiawassee, Georgia in October to sing. The band is SOOO excited to have her and they can't wait to have her join them. They're a traditional country music band and they are great. The pianoist is fantastic as is the steel guitarist. I'll tell ya'll alot more about that as I find out.

Well, I'm off to bed and up to work in the morning. OH...today is Ashley's birthday...HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!! The Officers on the ship woke her up this morning singing to her, then the whole ship sang to her and another boy's whose birthday was also today, Happy Birthday! She celebrated by sanding all day on the ship, then going to Virginia Beach and playing Volleyball. What a life. If you're reading this, Ash, CALL ME!

Joan

Smooth Sailing and Calm Waters, Ashley!

We all went out to the Tadpole for Ashley's going away dinner last night at the Tadpole in Greer! and it was good!

I also wanted to say that my freaking computer's hard drive went out on me yesterday morning at 6:22am' and I ain't been right since. It was 71/2 years old and contained SO much...sniff sniff. Thankfully...THANKFULLY...THANKFULLY...I had all of my pictures off and stored on my web album and everything else can be replaced if needed. Courtney's bio was on it, but that can be rewritten. I'm still kinda twitchy. I went on Dell and ordered a new system. It's great and comes with a 20" flat screen with built in webcam and mic. NOW we're talking!!!

Then, this morning, we had to take Ashley to the airport for her flight to Norfolk to head to her ship in Portsmouth. I hate airports...well...half the time I hate them and the other half, I love them, depending on who's coming or going. Today wasn't NEARLY as awful as when she left for basic training. She has communication now. She took her laptop, but while getting her baggage checked at the x-ray machine, changed her mind. She had SOOOO much stuff crammed in her seabag, suit bag, carry on bag, hat box, orders envelope, purse and her hat she was wearing, she couldn't manage the laptop too. So, we brought it back home and will mail it to her when she wants us to.

There were no tears this time. She was SOOOOOO excited to go! Either we bored her to tears while she was home, or she was truely excited to get there. That's her at 6am this morning headed out the door.

So now, it's back to semi-normal....at least until Sunday when I drive Courtney to Florida to audition for American Idol. Now, That's going to be some trip! I'll keep everyone posted!

I'm on Britt's laptop now and it's hard to type...smaller keyboard.

Well, I'm off to Wal-Mart....bye for now...

OH...update, Ash called from the Taxi in Norfold headed to Portsmouth and she sounded SOOO nervous! I sent her a picture to her cell phone of Boomer holding a note that said, "GOOD LUCK MOMMY". I'll let ya'll know how she does.

Joan

Tuesday........

Not a whole lot going on around here. Last night we were ALL HOME AT THE SAME TIME! So, it was family entertainment night. Britt and Ash was our entertainment. Ashley was showing us how they did their "incentive training" in basic training. Mike was on the floor showing us HIS version of Flutter Kicks. BAH-HAAAA
Well, Britt decided she wanted to try a few push-ups, sit-ups etc....OMG. It was hilarious. Ashley was acting like a drill instructor (or CC as they're called in the Coast Guard) getting down and screaming at Britt..."ARE YOU KIDDING ME...DO YOU CALL THAT A PUSH-UP" and "GET DOWN AND PUSH ME SOME EARTH". Britt was laughing SO HARD, she couldn't move, which made Ashley scream even harder at her. The dogs were going crazy barking at them, then Buddy got so worked up, he had a seizure!
Then, Ashley got her black boots out to polish them. So, we were all entertained with the intricacies of boot polishing. There has GOT to be an easier way! She used cotton balls, Kiwi black polish and a brush. Geeeeze. I think the CC's at basic teach them that way so it takes longer...occupies more of their time. I think they got these spongy things you can buy that instantly polishes a boot in like 2 seconds.

It was midnight before we all went to bed!


So, I'm always adding pics to this blog and this is one I came across this morning of her boats emblem. I thought it was pretty cool!
I was going to take pictures from last night...especially of Mike trying to do flutter kicks, but they forbid me to even touch the camera. Just use your imagination!!!ha
Have a nice day!
Joan

MONDAY, Monday...monday

Today is Monday. Yesterday was Ashley's "Welcome Home/Birthday" party! Woo-Hoo!!

Before her party, she tryed on her uniform or "ODU" for us to see. That's her uniform that she works in everyday. I'm glad the Coast Guard picked Navy blue as their main colors....MUCH easier to acessorise! hee


The party was great...I'm glad P.J. came over
That's Britt's redneck truck out the window!
Mom and Dad came over too... and alot of Mike's family.....
That's Deanna's boyfriend, Travis there with Grandma Terry.and Will.............

it was a great day! I just realized FOR ONCE, I didn't take a picture of Courtney! OMG! Don't tell her...I'd never hear the end of it.
Today will be spent in recovery. More later!!!