Come Shopping On My Street

Ok folks - 'xplain me this one. Why would a person set empty boxes, proudly displaying their newly opened Christmas gifts, out on the curb for the garbage man?! Seriously? Don't you have enough sense to realize if that box has a picture of a 42" TV on it, a burglar is gonna figure out you got a brand new flat screen in that house? Sheesh. If you wish to commit a crime of theft, come shopping on my street.

And the kicker, our trash comes twice a week, one of which is Monday mornings. Well, my brilliant neighbors put their trash out Sunday night and we didn't have trash pick up Monday. It's now Wednesday and those TV, kiddie toy, and small appliance boxes are all still sitting out on the street. For their sake, I hope we don't have any dishonest thieves lurking around.

Folks were giving me a hard time recently when Bo and I bought a new TV because I cut up the box with a serrated bread knife into 1 foot by 2 foot pieces and put it in a garbage bag. But, you know what, no one knows what's in my house and that helps me sleep at night.

She had a cocktail in her hand and confetti in her hair

As I struggle with the concept of aging, I grudgingly accept it as long as I have reminders of years gone by - that little black dress still hanging in my closet, my old softball glove in the garage, TCU tshirts in my drawers..

Just as the seasons change, so does hair color, nail polish, clothes, and now, perfume. Although that last one I was content in never changing. I am Kate Spade - always have been. It's as if she knew I was down to my last few spritzers. Kate Spade original....



....is discontinued. Just like that.

Now, Kate Spade Twirl...



...and who asked me?

That scent identified me. And Twirl's resemblance of her predecessor isn't similar enough to consider her a sibling. I'm not ready to move on.

Merry Christmas from the Familyyyy!

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,
Bo, Jenny, Shooter and Stella Rickner

Oh, the Memories!

I was thinking today - this use to be one of the two worst weeks of my life for four years - FINALS WEEK. Oh how I blocked those memories out the day they gave me my diploma, which was about 2 weeks after my last hell week and I was still dazed from the lack of sleep. I recall an average of 2-3 hours of sleep a night. Yes, average. There was very little sleep, very little information retained, but years of memories with some great gals late into the mornings I will never forget.

This then got me thinking about college in general, fretting over presentations, the house on Highland Ridge and how quick those semesters seem to have flow by now that I am not living them. As I checked off more required classes on my degree plan, I spent less time studying up to the point of my 21st birthday, after which there was absolutely no turning back, or sleep for that matter. Back in my younger days (haha) I survived on fast food, red bull, and beer. :)

Junior year of college, I was a newbie in the interview circles. I had come down with a cold leading to laryngitis a day or two prior to my first early morning interview with Corning. Now, when your 19, you don't realize the importance of landing an internship. That experience will eventually be the only conversation of substance you will be able to reference when big girl job comes down the road asking what you know about the real world. You don't think about this the night before internship interview. So, if you had been me what would you have done? Gone to bed and rested up, call in to cancel the interview....? Perhaps. Instead, I remember it was a cold 4AM that morning, sitting outside on a trampoline, discussing life voiceless with several people, whom of which I can only recall was Miss Kaleigh Roberts. I got the internship. I knew nothing about anything, but because I showed up with literally NO voice, I believe they had pity on me. Six years later, I am still in the same department that internship taught me - Purchasing.

A few from memory lane...














I'll have to dig out my old laptop to get the good Freshman year ones. Hahaha

A Week Not So Ordinary

Finally home and recovered from my week of grandpa sitting while mom and grandma were in Prague. Two observations of the week: Papa is a pretty cool World War 2 veteran. A friend and her 10 year old grandson stopped by as he wanted to talk to Papa about the war and I learned a little as well. Papa was on the USS Nevada during his time with the Navy and actually witnessed the placing in the Iwo Jima flag. He also dug a wooden box out of the garage with a piece of warped metal from the Japanese plane that hit the Nevada. Twenty-five years and I never knew much about Papa's time in the service.

Second, getting old is a bitch. That's not quite as insightful of an observation as Papa's war hero stories, but damn, I'm not looking forward to it. Being young with all my mobility and five senses intact, I struggled to slow my pace and raise my voice when talking. It was a good reminder to appreciate my health and family. Days are numbered and I don't spend near enough of them with those who raised me.