Whew!  Has the last couple of days been fun or WHAT??  As most of you who watch the national news know, we have had us some really FUN weather here in Oklahoma (NOT!!).  One thing about working where I do is that no matter WHAT the weather or HOW bad the roads, they expect you to be at work.  Yesterday I went in and even though the weather grew worse and worse through the day, I stayed.  A little before 4 my boss called and said they had closed our other office and perhaps I should head home.  I finished what I was working on and tried (the operative word here) to head home.  Mind you, I only live 3 miles from my office.  Anyone want to hazard a guess as to how long it took me to get those 3 miles??  Anyone??  Well let me tell you.  It took over an hour to go three miles.  There are twin bridges leading into my town.  They are the ONLY crossing across our river unless you go MANY miles to other towns and snake your way back in.  So, I had to go across said bridges.  There had been a 12 car pile-up on said bridges about an hour before.  But when I finally made it onto the bridges, there was no sign of a wreck.  People were just crawling because of the weather.  Fun times, people, fun times!!

Oh, and the fun times continued today.  I went in to the office yet again and it continued to sleet all day.  I was one of only three idiots who went into work in our building today.  And the sleet continued on and continued on.  I worked all day.  The trip home this evening was even MORE fun than the one yesterday.  The sleet was deep.  I drive a car which is small and sits low to the ground.   I tried to turn onto the side street which leads to my home and......got stuck.  Luckily, I was able to back up then pull forward and repeat the process until I got moving again.  I must say that my little car just doesn't do well in this stuff.  Hubby is driving my truck which has four-wheel drive.  So no problems there.

I have a call in to the boss.  If he doesn't pick me up (in his brand new four wheel drive) I am going to be keeping myself home tomorrow!!  I don't fancy myself WALKING in this stuff due to a stuck car.

Well, now that I have sufficiently complained (and I know there are people who are in MUCH worse shape), I am finished.  Thanks for letting me vent. 

It is NOW time to sign off here and watch my new favorite man on TV.  I need my *Simon Baker* fix.  He is THE prettiest man since Robert Redford, at least as far as I am concerned.  That is ONE beautiful man.  And, he can act too!!  So, I am off  for my *Mentalist* fix.

Hugs to you all!

BBB

I am back here in my bedroom plunking on my laptop while my son-in-law and hubby are in the kitchen....putting up cabinets.  Woooooohooooo!!  Can  you color me EXCITED??  We still have a LONG ways to go to be finished, but just to be making some REAL progress is so exciting to me.  SIL still hasn't built my island cabinetry or the custom hood cabinetry for over the cooktop, but he knows we are getting down to the nitty gritty and HOPEFULLY he wants to keep a certain mother-in-law (namely MOI!!) happy.  Thus, my hope is that he will get after it so we can get this DONE!!  The lady who is doing our tile back-splash is supposed to be finishing them up this week.  She was supposed to have them to us this last weekend, but didn't make it.  We happened to see her Saturday night at our kids' house and she apologized for not having it done.

Hubby has also taken out ALL of the NASTY paneling that was in the family room.  Behind it was unfinished sheetrock.  SIL assures us that we won't need to hang new.  There is a finish we can put on the existing sheetrock that won't be super expensive and will look nice.  I can't believe the difference in the family room just by taking down the paneling.  It is so much LIGHTER and seems more open and large.

I have a few pictures for you:

Notice how my weimie is trying to be "helpful"!!  I call it being in the WAY.  She thinks she is an integral part of ALL that goes on in our home.  I now have her back in my bedroom and let's just say that she is NOT a happy dog.  She is intermittently pawing the door and barking. 

Here are a few views of the family room sans paneling.  It looks pretty bad now, but won't for long.

You will note that there are beams running across the family room.  We will be removing the popcorn ceiling (yaaayyyy!) and painting those beams as well.

So, there you have it.  That's about all going on in BBB world except for work.  So far, everything on the health front is good.  Let's hope it STAYS that way!!  Hubby is repairing the treadmill and when he gets it done, I need to be hitting that thing.  Seriously.  I need it badly!!

I hope everyone has a happy hump day tomorrow!!  Take care!

Hugs!

BBB

Thursday, February 25, 1943:

Dear Mom & all:

Was really happy to get your letters.  Sure does make me homesick.  Of course I'm sorry I grumbled about you all not writing, but it sure seems like hell just waiting and waiting for letters.

They assigned us to the various technical schools this morning.  Forrest got airplane mechanics.   Gene got radio operation & repair, and Harold and I were put in armorers school.  The corporal interviewing me was swell.  He said all my test grades were high except for the radio test where I was a little low.  He said I was eligible for 4 schools but that the radio test knocked me off two.  The the two choices I chose the armorers school.  He also recommended that I be placed in clerical school if the armorers school was too full.  He also recommended that I apply for cadet training.

We took our typhoid shot yesterday.  It didn't hurt until bedtime & then it hurt so that I couldn't sleep on it (the left arm).

You won't need to send the outfits I asked for.  My razor set is ok and we don't shine our clodhoppers, we dubb them with saddlesoap.  ......I bought a pair of bathing sandals yesterday.  Cost 59 cents and are really swell.

Gene and I went to the classic music room yesterday evening.  Played "Rhapsody in Blue."  Which reminds me that I want you to buy Paul Whiteman's record of it.  Also get "Night & Day" and Artie Shaw's "Begin the Bequine."

Give everybody in the neighborhood my best wishes and keep yourself out of trouble.

Your loving son, Peegie

So, Uncle Peegie FINALLY got some letters.  I was happy to read that my own self.  I was feeling bad for him not getting letters.

Friday (February 27, 1943)

Dear Mom & all:

Just a few lines to let you know that in spite of aches, pains and all, that army air corps life is getting me down.

Got a letter from Mrs. Chandler yesterday and guess what.  Dale's here and I know where, having seen him & tonight (if I can float a loan) we'll have dinner at the service club.  He's in 404 Tech Sch Sqdn.  About 4 blocks from me.

Wednesday we took our first hike.  9 miles altogether.  I rather enjoyed it although we doubletimed most of the way back.  When we got back I was limp as a wet mop.

Today, so far, we have drilled with rifles, getting our first taste of the manual arms.  Its hard as hell to get, but I guess I'll get it eventually.

We received a gob of new recruits & they seem to be hurrying us through basic training so I guess I won't be here much longer.  Place is crowded now  so that when one exhales, the other has to inhale.

Tell Leon that I'll write as soon as my weary bones allow and tell Skipper hello for me.

As ever your loving son,  Peegie

I hope you all are still enjoying these letters.  I have SO loved reading them.

Ya'll have a great week!

BBB

Yes.  That slacker would be me.  I am sorry for not doing more blogging but to be honest, I am just so thankful to finally be feeling well again that I am playing catch up on a LOT of things. 

We had a wonderful Christmas around the BBB world.  We were able to be with our kids on Christmas eve and then go over to my sister's to see my Dad and the rest of the family on Christmas day.  I spent lots of money on gifts, watched a lot of movies on my puter, rested, shopped, ate, visited and just generally chilled.  All whilst feeling better than I have in MONTHS I tell ya!!   I didn't have to do ANY cooking since my kitchen is still not complete.  But we were able to have lots of home cooked food thanks to family and friends.  Two friends in particular, who are from our former church, have had us over twice.  We took the meat and they provided the side dishes.  What a BLESSING that was to be able to sit down to a nice meal with good friends.

I know the last few months have been difficult healthwise, but I am determined to get a handle on everything in 2009.  I am off to a good start so far.

For your blog surfing enjoyment, I am posting a few pictures.

First, here is a picture of my little Piper who actually has HAIR again!!  She was cute with no hair, but is cuter WITH hair.  I will have to look back through my pics and see if I can find her hairless pics and post one.  Here she is as of a few moments ago:

AND......I am just about to go nuts with happiness because we are THIS close to being ready to put in cabinets.  I don't even have a hole in the floor anymore!!  Woofreakinghoo!!  The new waterlines are run, the new electric lines are run, the new gas lines are run and hubby is putting up NEW sheetrock as we speak.  Here are some pics of my kitchen as it is now.

Here is where my new ISLAND will be (and where the big HOLE used to be):

This is the main wall in the kitchen where my cooktop, oven and cabinetry will go.

And here is a sample of the tile we will be using for our back-splash to the countertops and on the island.  I think it's gonna ROCK!

I love the small glass tiles and can't wait to get it in.

Well, for now, that is all I got.  Again, I apologize for being such a slacker.  I have been reading everyone else's blogs.

I still LOVE ya'll!  Hugs!

BBB