Another Chance Ranch

Me & McD - Part 8 - Travel

McD and I began traveling together pretty early on in our relationship.   He took me to Colorado, and I took him to New Mexico. 

In Colorado, we went camping with the boys.  It was great! 

In New Mexico, we went for one of my family reunions.  It was, ummm, interesting.  My aunt, the same one that got us tickets for the Joe Walsh concert, wanted me to meet my great uncle.  I am a family person, so I agreed.  I wanted to meet my grandpa's brother. 

I wondered if my grandpa looked anything like him, or if they liked the same things.  As I packed for my first trip to New Mexico I thought of all kinds of questions I would ask him about my grandpa that had died before I was born.  Was he as tall as my uncle?  What was he like as a kid?  Ornery or passive?  Did he play sports?  The list of questions kept growing in my mind. 

When we arrived at his house in Jal, New Mexico I reverted back to the shy little girl I once was.  I met several cousins that I didn't even know that I had, but I don't remember any of their names.  That whole weekend is now a blur, except for a few things.

#1)  When I met my great uncle Floyd, he embarrassed me beyond belief.  Remember how I wanted to talk to him and listen to all of his stories?  Well, all of that went out the window when I met him.  My aunt took McD and I to him and told him that she had a birthday surprise for him.  He then looked me up and down and acted like "I" was his birthday gift.  My presence there was supposed to be the surprise.  He went to wipe his hands off (he was in the cookhouse cooking when we found him) on the towel on his apron.  He raised the towel and up popped a fake hangy-downy and friends.  Some fool had taken panty hose and stuffed them to look like male genitals, and then placed then in an apron.  And my great uncle was wearing it.  I was so embarrassed.  I was not brought up that way.  I was not just embarrassed, I was disgusted.  From that moment on I did not want to be in his presence alone. 

#2) Carlsbad Caverns.  A much better memory.  I think I have purchased more jackets and sweatshirts with destination logos on them than regular sweatshirts.  I always forget to bring a jacket, or don't think I will need one.  McD, my aunt, a couple of cousins and I left on a day trip.  And.it.was.awesome!  I'd never seen anything like it.  I had never been so cold either.  But it was a nice.

#3) The last thing I really remember is his house, mainly the garage that was enclosed and made into a bar/family room/dance floor/place to meet and sing church hymns.  He had the largest bottles of alcohol I had ever seen.  I almost fell over when we went to the enclosed garage for breakfast on Sunday morning and saw several family members sitting there with hymn books, just like the ones you see at church.  This is the same place we had just partied the night before.  Let me clarify, by partied I mean, we watched everyone drink and dance.  I danced a little, but I mainly stuck as close to McD as possible. 

After that trip McD and I vowed to never go there again, and so far we haven't.  Now we travel either to see the kids or for business.  This week I will share the details of our latest trip.  And, I promised I would be sending a souvenir to one of you for your help in planning our trip to Monterey.  The random winner will be announced on Wednesday.

Part 6 of Me & McD

Click here for Part 5 of Me & McD.

A couple of weeks after the concert and the big wreck McD and I were to meet my whole family for dinner.  I was so nervous. 

Why?  Well, let's see. 

My dad never said two words to any of the guys I had dated before McD.  In fact, I truly believe that he set out to intimidate them, and he did a great job at it.  Every guy I knew was scared of my dad.  Of course, my dad was quite an intimidating man.  He was the strong silent type, you know, the kind you are supposed to be scared of.  He was built like a brick house, buff doesn't even begin to describe it.  Dad did a lot of physical labor and you could certainly tell by looking at him.  Between his size, his silence and his stares the guys I dated were intimidated.  Needless to say, I don't think dad liked any of them. 

I just knew that dad would just sit there at the table, eat his meal and not say a word to McD.  For me, I just knew he would say something about my hair, or my lack there of.  I was wrong on both counts.  First of all, dad immediately shook McD's hand and began talking.  I remember looking at my mom like I was in complete shock.  She shrugged her shoulders and we went on our way.  The only people that said anything about my hair that night were the women.  Dad and McD even talked about the wreck, and all I wanted dad to know was that I spoke to Joe Walsh.  I knew he would get a kick out of that, and he did.  That was about the only thing I was right about that whole night.

I knew I loved McD before we met my family at the restaurant, but after we left I knew that I could never let him go.  Shoot, my dad spoke to him.  Shook his hand.  Laughed during the conversation.  I was keeping McD, no ifs, ands or buts about it. 

After getting the whole Meet the Parents thing out of the way, oh I love that movie by the way, we started focusing on getting me a new vehicle.  McD felt so bad about totaling my car that he more than helped finding me one.  He even co-signed on it.  Keep in mind, I was only 20 and I was trying to build my own credit so I needed a little help. 

I settled on a 1989 maroon Chevy 4x4 Step-side pick-up.  Oh how I loved that truck.  I think McD kind of liked it too.  Even P3 liked it, he wanted one just like it when he grew up.  Cars and trucks were another thing that I had in common with the boys.  I have an unhealthy love for vehicles, maybe not unhealthy but it certainly can break the bank. 

We took trips, went to the lake, camping, etc. in that truck.  We made a lot of memories in that truck.  (Oh get your minds out of the gutter!)

One time we took the boys and both of the dogs to Creede for a camping trip.  On our way home we drove into a storm.  We had the back of the pick-up packed tight with camping gear, and the dogs.  It was a single cab pick-up, a standard at that so the four of us were pretty well packed in there for the 10 hour trip.  Jer decided that he wanted to get in the back in one of the sleeping bags to sleep.  It sounded like a great idea.  We pulled over and got him all situated in the back of the pick-up and set out on the road again.  Everything was going smoothly until we ran into the storm. 

At first it was just rain, and we knew that if we drove fast enough Jer, the dogs, and the stuff in the back would be fine.  But then it started raining harder and we decided we needed to get Jer in the cab of the pick-up with us.  The lightning was flashing, lighting up the sky, and the thunder was rumbling like we had never heard it before.  The rain was coming down in sheets, heavy sheets and the dogs and everything in the back of the truck was getting soaked.  Then it started to hail. 

I was worried about the dogs, and I was worried about my new truck.  (See I told you it was an unhealthy love for vehicles.)  So we pulled over one more time and got the dogs in the cab with us.  Blackie was a mix between and Chow Chow and a German Shepard, and Gus was a yellow Lab.  They were not small dogs, and now we were all packed in the cab of the truck like sardines in a can.  Oh, and you know how pleasant wet dogs smell.  We found a car wash and parked in it for a while, and then finally when we thought the storm was gone we re-organized.  We put the dogs back in the bed of the truck and then we headed home.  I know that is one trip none of us will ever forget.  It is probably the most memorable trip we took in that pick-up.

Me & McD, Part 5

Here is where we left off.

I could have stood in McD's doorway forever and he wouldn't have noticed my new hair cut.  He just thought I had it pulled up in a pony tail.  It wasn't until I walked over to his desk that he noticed all of my hair was gone.  He didn't really say much at first.  He did mumble something about liking it, but I think he was just being nice.  I am sure he was just in shock though.

So here I was with my new car and my new do and my new boyfriend.  I was on cloud 9. 

Then out of the blue one day my aunt called me to see if McD and I wanted to go see Joe Walsh in concert.  Well, yea!  So, we got the tickets and made our plans.  I was a bit more excited about the concert than McD was, but I was more into music than he was.  When we met he listened to a soft rock radio station, and here I was taking him to see Joe Walsh.   His music wasn't head banging music, but it wasn't soft rock either.  I played the Joe Walsh's Ordinary Guy cassette tape for McD every chance I got, so he would know what to expect at this concert. 

The concert was at our zoo amphitheater, an outdoor concert, and it was the first time I had been to a concert there.  I had heard stories, so I kind of knew what to expect but I had not shared those stories with McD.  No need to scare him off just yet, I needed my knight in shining armor there to protect me.  He just didn't know that yet. 

We got to the zoo a little early because the seats were all general admission.  A lot of people take blankets to sit on, but I don't think we did.  We just were one with nature and sat on the grass.  The concert started and so did all the shenanigans. 

I have always been a good girl.  I've never touched pot, the only reason I knew what it smelled like was because I smelled it at a different concert.  So when this strange man to my left tried to hand me a doobie to pass on, I looked like a complete nerd.  Just say No, right?  Well, that is what I did.  I stepped back and said no.  Then I told McD.  I know I must have looked horrified because that was the closest I had ever been to that wicked weed. 

The music was playing loudly and we were rockin' out when I noticed a drunk Indian (Native American) start leaning backwards.  He was standing and if he had kept on going he would have knocked me down.  So, here I go looking like a nerd again.  I stuck my arm out, and with my index finger I pushed him back up.  McD and I took turns doing this most of the night.  What a memorable night.  :)

The music was great. Joe Walsh was great.  Everyone had a great time, and then it was time to leave.  My aunt had met a man and he was nice enough to walk her to my car and even buckle her in the back seat.  Seat belts were not law then, the Click-it or Ticket campaign had not yet begun.   McD and I never thought twice about not buckling up, it just wasn't cool.  Concert traffic is never fun, but we were making pretty good time.  We got out of the parking lot and onto the main road, laughing and talking about the concert the whole time.

The stoplight ahead turned red, and the traffic came to a stop.  We were listening to the same Joe Walsh cassette tape I mentioned early on, "I'm just an ordinary average guy" is playing.  The light turned green and the next thing we know, we are in a pile up on Martin Luther King Blvd.  Everything was a blur, yet so clear all at the same time.  Keep in mind, my aunt was the only one buckled in.  It is a good thing, because she was sitting right behind me and I could just see her hitting my seat and throwing me forward. 

We all got out out and started evaluating the damage.  My car was totaled.  My car, that I had just gotten a few months earlier, was totaled.  McD totaled my car!  Oh my gosh! The cops came and were asking all kinds of questions, trying to be as nice as they could be.  What had happened is that some drunk fool stopped in the middle of the road just yards from the stop light.  The person behind them slammed on their brakes, and so did the next person and the next and so on.  We were the last people in the pile up.  The car in front of us was a cadillac and that lady was ticked off.  I mean she was a hateful you know what.  It wasn't our fault that there was a pile up.

Someone sat me down on the curb in the middle of the road and put a blanket on me.  I was apparently going into shock, or so they said.  I didn't feel like I was in shock.  Until Joe Walsh's bus stopped right in front of me and Joe Walsh stuck his head out of the window and asked if we were okay.  Yep, Joe Walsh asked me if I was okay.  Here again, I am sure I looked like a nerd, sitting in the median with a blanket wrapped around me, my mouth hanging wide open and nodding my head up and down trying to say, "Yea man we are great Joe!  Great show!  Thanks!"  But none of those words came out of my mouth.  I just said, "Yes."   

Me & McD, Part 4

A man had just fallen from a cliff right before my eyes and now I was standing over him.  He HAD to be in shock, but he was very calm as he told us all not to touch him.  He repeated it over and over.  Then he began assessing the damage.  He knew that he was badly broken, but he was an EMT and knew not to move until help got there.  I mean real help, not all of us standing over him.  He asked a lot of questions.  "Is my right leg broken?"  "Yes," we all said in unison.  "Is my left leg broken?"  "No, but your left ankle is," said one older lady.  He then asked about each of his hands and arms.  After all was said and done, he learned that he had a broken ankle, broken leg, and a broken arm.  It was probably the grossest thing I had ever seen.  After I realized that I really wasn't needed, I headed back to find the guys so they wouldn't start worrying about me. 

When McD and I started dating I still had the first car I ever owned.  I was driving a red 1984 Chevy Chevette, aka The Vette.  I hated that car, and I wanted something else desperately.  Selling it was my first priority.  I put an ad in the paper and within 2 weeks I had it sold.  A nice Hispanic family bought it.  We were both thrilled, me to get rid of that car and them to get a car. 

I had already been buying Auto Traders, and reading the classifieds.  Then I found it.  It was a gray 1990 Chevy Beretta.  I got the windows tinted and put new tires on it.  It was a bit more sporty than I was used to, and I had fun with it. 

McD surprised me one day with a puppy.  It was a yellow lab and we named him Gus.  I took that puppy whenever I could.  He would sit in the front passenger seat when it was just he and I, and when one of the kids were with me he would either ride in their lap or in the back seat.  He outgrew that car right away, but he loved riding in the Jeep with me and McD. 

That is about when I got my wild hair.  I saw the movie Ghost, and I wanted my hair to look just like Demi Moore's hair in that movie.  I didn't tell anyone my plans, I just went for it.  At the time my hair was really long.  When I wore it down it was down to my lower back.  It was there one minute and gone about 60 minutes later.  As soon as I got my hair cut the first place I went was to McD's office.

Part Three of Me & McD

If you need to catch up here are the links:  Part One  &  Part Two

And now, Part Three....

McD was super sweet.  He called me to say Good Morning.  He called me to see how work was going.  He called to tell me Good Night.  Those are the typical calls.  He also called to tell me about a good trade, or to fret about a bad one.  He was involving me in his life.  First with his job, and then with his boys. 

The boys were kind of difficult at first.  P3 would hide my things if I left them at McD's house, and Jer was just very quiet.  I didn't want to push them, but I didn't want them to think they could run me off either.  Normally they were good kids.  They were just hurt that their parents were not together and they wanted to do whatever they could to get them back together.  I know it bothered me, but I didn't let them know it.  I went to all of the baseball games I could, or rappelling, or putt-putt golf.  You name it I did it.  I just wanted them to know that I loved their Dad and I wanted to get to know them as well. 

And slowly, very slowly, it began happening.  The walls they had put up began crumbling.  Well, at least P3's wall began crumbling.  He is the youngest, and he was ten at the time.  There were a few things going for me though.  I love baseball, and so does he.  I could even talk it.  I knew ERAs, RBIs, HRs, numbers, teams...baseball.  I even liked football, not as much as baseball but I would watch sports with the guys.  I showed the boys that I just wanted to have fun, I just wanted to be friends.  P3 wanted to have fun too.  Jer wanted to have fun, but he was a bit more reserved. 

Some of our fun started when we took a trip to Red Rock Canyon.  McD and the boys loved to rappel, and that is something that I had never done.  I never even dreamt about it, but I climbed in the harness and I climbed to the top of the cliff.  McD was up at the top with me, explaining how to stop myself, how to go faster, and how not to hit the rock wall.  He also explained to me that if anything were to happen, me falling I assumed, that Jer was on balay and he would catch me. 

I walked out to the edge of the cliff, turned around and started backing down the rock.  When I got just over the lip there was no turning back, and my life was in the hands of Jer - the one that didn't like me too much.  What was I doing?!?  What was I doing?   I was showing this punk that I was not a sissy!  That I could do anything he could do and WE were going to have fun doing it!  The little punk, 14 year old punk that he was, started playing with me.  He hung me out to dry.  Literally.  When on balay you can barely tug on the rope and it will hoist the rappeller in midair.  He loved it, and I played into it big time.  I yelled, I screamed, I laughed!  I pleaded a couple of times, but it was all in fun.  When he finally let me come down, he told me "Good job."  WOW!  A break through?  Hmmm.

He had to hoist me at least once every.single.time. we rappelled, but I loved it.  I wouldn't tell him that. 

After I got finished I planted my hiney on the tailgate to watch the boys show me their tricks.  It was quite a show.  As I sat their showing my support, that would read - whooping & hollering, I noticed something falling on the other side of some trees.  The boys & McD were hiking back around to get ready to show me some more tricks.  I knew I had about five minutes or so, so decided to go and investigate.  That is me, a regular CSI.  Apparently there were other CSI's there too.  :)  What I walked up on was a man lying at the bottom of a cliff broken into pieces.  He was conscious and he began telling a few of us what to do.... 

Me and McD, Part 2

if you are just joining us you should at least read the previous post to kind of catch up.

McD took me home from the Sunday night traditional trip to Mazzio's.  We sat outside in my grandparents driveway for a little while talking.  I thanked him for the ride home and he said he would call me.

I didn't hear from him right away, but I knew I would see him at church.  It just so happened that our Brothers Keepers group did pie ministries.  Our group would pick a person that we thought might need encouragement or support and take a few pies to their house.  We would eat pies, play games, etc.
Sunday evening came around and we were supposed to be doing a pie ministry that night, but the people we had chosen were not home. A light bulb went off above my head, like in the cartoons. :) I thought, I bet McD could use a little encouragement since he is going through a divorce and all. Plus I wanted to see where he lived. I know, sneaky, but it got me in the door.

He lived in an apartment above one of our friends' funeral home. Really!  It was a nice furnished apartment, if you didn't mind the fact that it was over the funeral home.  It was a fun evening.  Kind of strange really, but it was fun.  We all enjoyed our pie I know, but I can't remember if we played games.  We spoke a little, but there were too many other people around to really talk.  I did tell him that my grandparents were throwing a party for my birthday and I would like it if he came.  (Forward or what?)

My birthday was only a few days away and my grandparents were really throwing me a party. I just never expected him to come, but he did.  It was my 20th birthday party. It was so sweet of him to come, and he even brought a card. It was kind of a cheesy card, but it is the thought that counts right?   It had all kinds of glitter. It was such a "girly" card, I thought, "Wow, this guy has a lot to learn about me."  And he did.  I still have the card.  :)  He played all the lame games and even smiled and laughed, he even seemed like he had a good time. He wore his Levi's, a red long-sleeve Nike t-shirt (the nike and swoosh were navy blue), and Reebok tennis shoes.

After the birthday party we began talking on the phone everyday at least once, and seeing more of each other.  You know, the typical dating stuff.  He worked as a commodities broker at the time and had an office on the edge of town.  I enjoyed going to his office and watching him work.  He would explain how everything worked while I sat on his lap staring at his computer screen. 

We spent as much time together as possible.  It seemed that we were inseparable.  When we weren't together I was thinking about him.  When we were together I never wanted our time together to end.  We would sit in his apartment watching ESPN, or a baseball game until all hours of the morning because we just didn't want to be away from each other.  But then I would have to go home to my grandparents.  One evening we were getting into his Jeep for him to take me home and he told me that he couldn't father anymore children.  Before he told me that I knew I had feelings for him, but after he told me my feelings were way more intense.  I loved him.  For him to say something so personal, it touched me.  You have to realize that we had only been dating for two weeks.  I knew without a doubt that night that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with McD. 

More tomorrow. :)

Me and McD - Our Story

After I graduated high school I went off to college, met a guy, dropped out of college, moved out of state and in with him, my fiance, and his family. I just knew that we were meant to be.  My grandparents had been asking me to come and visit them.  So I did.

I packed up and headed back to Oklahoma.   I was planning on staying a couple of weeks, but when I arrived my Granny, the world traveller, asked if I would like to go on a cruise with her. Ummm, Yes! So I called Pat and told him about the cruise. The cruise was going to be in October and this was all happening in January.  I told him that I was going to help them out at their store while I was there, all in all I was just excited as all get out.  I was planning to stay the two weeks and then go back to Arkansas until it was time to go on the big boat.  A few days later he called and told me that he was coming to see me. I was thrilled!!  Until he showed up with ALL of my stuff! Not ALL of it but most of it. (I went back and got the rest - that is another story!) His reason for bringing all my stuff - he thought I might want it. We are talking about everything from all my clothes to the entertainment center and television I had. I didn't want to argue so I just went on and enjoyed his company.

On Sunday he left.

On Monday, the Dear Julie letter came. (Here is where the other story comes in, so I won't go there.) I was devastated.  My grandparents told me that I could just live with them and work for them at their store until I decided what I wanted to do.

About a month after the Dear Julie letter, I spotted McD. Okay, I spotted McD's Levi's. Yep. Right in church. It was a Sunday evening. We came in a little late and didn't get our regular pew. (My Granny and I were in a play and we had to practice on Sunday afternoons.) So we snuck in and grabbed the first available pew. It just so happened to be right behind McD and his boys.

I nudged my Granny and asked, "Who is that?"

She said, "Oh it is the saddest thing. That is McD (okay just pretend she said McD). His wife left him for another man. But he makes sure he and his boys are at church everytime the doors open."

My response. "Look at his, um, Levi's." Then we giggled. For some reason we stood at least three times during that evening service. I was just glad I knew all the words to the songs we sang. I certainly wasn't looking at the hymn book. The second time we stood I leaned over to Granny and said, "I am going to go out with him." She just looked at me and laughed.

Later I got the whole story about how he is older than me and he has two boys AND he is going through a divorce. I just listened. McD had seen me in church but didn't really "notice" me until one night when he brought a friend of the family to church with them, Newt. Newt was just a kid, but he was a few years older than McD's boys. Newt noticed me and asked who I was. That is how McD really "noticed" me. He asked one of our mutual friends about me and she spilled the beans. She told him my name, where I lived, where I worked, etc. Then she decided to play matchmaker.

The home & garden show was that weekend and we just all happened to be there.  Our friend asked me to register to win something, now I don't even remember what it was. I filled it out, and tossed it into the basket.  Then she asked me to fill out another one.  After I wrote down my name, address and phone number again she took it and put it in her pocket. She just grinned from ear to ear and said, "This one is going to McD" (pretend she said that instead of his real name). I just laughed and told her how sly she was. Then I left.

The next day was Sunday and I was probably going to church for all of the wrong reasons at this point.  I just wanted to catch a glimpse of McD. 

Mazzio's was the big hangout for our church crowd. So every, yes every, Sunday night after church we would go to Mazzio's. He didn't usually go with the dinner crowd, but he didn't have the boys that night. He asked me if I would like to ride with him to dinner.  I said yes, and then calmly went and told my Granny in a very laid back kind of way that I was riding with McD to dinner. Whatever! I nearly skipped over to my Granny and then could hardly get the words out that he would be driving me to dinner. I guess she got the jest of it, cause I took off with McD.  Then after eating dinner with the whole dinner crowd, he drove me home. Awww!

That was really our first date I guess.

(More to come.) 

Answers for Beth

I really thought I said I would be answering the questions asked of me over time, but we have one person that is impatiently waiting.  So here ya go.  :)  I had planned to do this answer with photos but it is a bit early for the photos I wanted.  I have to wait a week or so for the trees to get a little fuller, etc.  But here ya go Beth.  :)

Elizabeth asked:

What is your favorite thing about living on your ranch? What is your least favorite thing about living on your ranch? I grew up in a rural area any my father was a farmer but we lived in town, a small town. I was a townie. I could never imagine living on a farm or ranch. As I've grown older, I long for the serenity of it.

When I first read this question I thought it would be an easy one to answer, but then I realized just how hard it would be to put all my favorites in words.  As I sit here typing this I occasionally glance up and see the cattle grazing on the hill, the baby calves playing, and the horses grazing among them.  When I glance out the dining room doors I see the sun coming up.  I wouldn't say those are my favorite things but I really enjoy them. 

Typically when I drive across the first cattle guard I can feel the pressures of the day come off my shoulders.  It is a calming affect really.  By the time I drive over the second cattle guard I am pretty much at peace with everything.  At this point I have already driven past one pond and watched for the ducks, or turtles.  After the second cattle guard is the second pond, this is the pond Babe got stuck in.  For some reason I am drawn to bodies of water.  As I wind my way down our drive I almost always glance at the third pond, it is a bit smaller than all of the others, but it is a nice little pond.  It has a really pretty tree on the east side of it and the cattle love to hang around this pond. 

Driving around our place is another way to relax for me.  The canyons, hills, creeks and ponds are all so pretty.  Sometimes I am in awe that we really do live here. 

While typing this I have been trying to come up with my favorite thing about living here.  I guess I would have to say the isolation.  We are away from everything and everyone.  We can see the stars at night.  When the people who live in a town or city can see a star or two, we can see a ton of them.  It is quiet out here.  It is quiet enough for us to hear the birds, crickets, coyotes, owls, turkey, etc.  Just a few days ago we watched 7 deer graze just outside our window.

I am a nature girl, I love being right in the heart of it.  McD is the same way. 

My least favorite thing about living here?  Well, I guess I would have to say that my least favorite thing about living here is that I have to leave here everyday to join folks in the real world.  I have to leave the serenity.  I have to see and interact with people when I would rather be lounging on my porch watching the dogs play, cattle and horses graze or sitting on the dock watching the ducks swim and turtles rushing to hide. 

This is such a peaceful place, it has certainly made me a homebody, or a person on the edge of being a hermit. 

More Answers, 2

Joan in Mississippi (Is it just me or does anyone else have to say the whole - MI crooked letter crooked letter I crooked letter crooked letter I humpback humpback I thing to type Mississippi?):

How close are you to Ree's ranch? Did you know her before you married a rancher?

Well, in Oklahoma we measure everything with time.  I don't really care how many miles it is to the city or to Ree's, so I hope this answers your question well enough.  :)  It takes almost two hours to get there, but as you know it always depends on who is driving.  The two hour trip is going pretty close to the speed limit, as I tend to do. 

On your second question I will answer part of it here, but I am working on a longer response to My Life and Meeting McD so I won't touch the "marrying a rancher part yet."  I did not know Ree before I married McD, but we did know Marlboro Man before they met.

Tawnya asked:
OK, you asked for it! How did your parents feel about you marrying an older man? If I remember correctly ( I am not a skimmer) you two hooked up when you were like 18 or something. I expect a novel on this subject. Ahem. Hey- do an installment like Ree!

Well, Tawnya I am not going to answer the whole question today because I am going to write it all out for you.  But I will tell you this, it will be nothing like Ree's.  :)  I cannot write anything like that chick, she is just awesome. :) 

Just to give you a inside look at the upcoming story, my parents met McD under stress.  He had totaled my new car and I had cut all my hair off, well shaved part of it is more like it.  :) 

Stay tuned!

More Answers

Kristin asked:

Is McD's real name, McD? :)

Umm, let's see.  Well, it is real on here.  But no, it is not his real name.  :)

KS asked:

What have you been reading since the last time you posted about books?

Let me see.  I believe I told you about reading P.S. I Love You, now I am looking forward to seeing the movie.   I read Into the Wild, and I am not sure if I want to watch that movie.  I have heard it is really long and slow.  So, we will see about that one.

Now I am reading Duma Key, by Stephen King.  Muncy read it and said it is his best ever.  So, I just had to go and get it.   What are you reading?

More answers tomorrow...