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You know that recurring dream I have? That I’m back in Dallas - preparing to move out here to Alabama?

Well, good gawd - if I didn’t have it TWICE last night!!! Two different variations - but, still the same thing - preparing to leave, feeling so sad, ugh, ugh, ugh….

It’s like I need grief counseling or something!! Crazy - totally crazy!

There is only one other recurring dream that I’ve ever had, and if it stands as a measure, oh me, oh my! I am going to be stuck with the ‘moving to Alabama’ dream for a loooooong time!

My other one is that I am back working at the private tennis club where I used to work. I haven’t worked there since, about…uh…I think - 1991 - yeah, that’s it. 1991 - and I am STILL dreaming about working there.

This could be a long show….

That is what we’ve had here in Alabama today - a whole day of night. It has been cloudy all day, but, not a typical cloudy day - it was odd.

It looked like and felt like night all day. Not really dark night, but, night still the same.

And it’s cold - not good for an already gloomy mama. Ugh.

I took Puppy out a while ago, because he needed some exploring time, off his cable - and I needed some fresh air. It did do me some good.

But as I was sitting on the front steps waiting for Puppy to finish all of his investigations of the various places of the yard he can’t reach on his cable, I noticed how still and quiet and night-like it seemed.

There were no birds chirping, no bugs doing their noisy little thing, hardly a dog barking - just stillness and quietness.

And while we were out there, there was oh-so-slight precipitation. If only some of that snow up in Tennessee and those areas would come down here. Just for one day - one day of snow for my monsters.

I looked it up on the internet when we came inside and it doesn’t look good for us in the snow department.

Such a bummer.

It’s unbelievable how much Americans spend on Valentine’s Day every year!

The outrageous amount spent on Valentine’s Day by Americans last year is $13.7 billion!! This figure comes from The National Retail Federation and puts each person’s spending amount at $100.89.

It’s really sad how materialistic this special day has become for some. It is, however, completely mind-boggling and utterly jaw-dropping the amount of money that is spent by some uber-wealthy people!

How about a $48 million jet? Alrighty then. That speaks of love, don’t you think?

What about a wedding dress covered in diamonds that costs $12 million - that literally makes me queasy. How could one dress be worth t
hat much, and how could anyone, in their right mind, spend that much on one dress? But, you know what, if you can afford a $12 million dress, and you want to buy it, I guess this silly hippie has no say in the matter.

I was reading BELISI on Valentine’s, and along with all of these extremely what-I-see-as-ridiculous gifts, he has some lovely, more rational suggestions.

One of my favorites is the King Bed for pets - it is so cool! Although, I’m sure it’s not made for 100lb beasts!

And there are many other sweet suggestions in his article that won’t put you in debt for life and will show your sweetheart that you care.

There was a beautiful hand-me-down coat in the box for Sammie from one of my mom’s coworkers and it is too big, which is perfect, since a lot of this winter is already over - so she can wear it next year, too!

So - thank you, Angela!

Now - on to the gifts…

The kids got lots of yummy Valentine candy, of course - and Sammie got lipgloss and they all got $5. Mark got a bunch of candy.

For me, she sent yummy candy, and a sweet Valentine bear, and a special treat for me for my AA birthday! And also for me, she sent several packages of flower bulbs - totally awesome!!

I can’t wait to start planting again! I have to be careful where I plant them, though, as our entire landscaping needs an overhaul and I would hate to plant them and have beautiful flowers blooming only to have the old man tear them up because he was going to plant some bushes, or rebuild the front porch or something like that!

And I also can’t wait to plant my vegetables! I think I’ll do tomatoes, cucumbers, and ..well, I’m not sure what else.

So - that’s what we got…and it was totally awesome!

I’ve met some great new friends online recently, and some of them live in North Carolina.

The pictures they’ve shared with me are really beautiful. Moving to Alabama has really opened my eyes up to exploring more of the south.

One place that used to be solely agricultural, but, is now also quite high tech, is Cary, North Carolina.

With its technological growth over the last 40+ years, Cary has come to be known as ‘The Technology Town of North Carolina’.

And Cary NC Real Estate is a great investment, as buyers frequently outnumber sellers there.

It really sounds like a great town, merging the best of both worlds, the community spirit of the small town, and a town so technologically savvy, that more than 90% of its residents have internet access.

Well, I haven’t gotten very far on my weight loss, and it seems that just as soon as I make some progress, I have a setback and wind up just where I was, or worse - even bigger!

Last summer, I bought some diet pills, and I really like the energy I get from them, but, so far I haven’t had much luck losing weight with them. There is so much caffeine in them and a lot of days I can’t take them because my stomach is a little haywire - and I know that the caffeine would make it worse.

So it has taken me this long to get through the bottle. I only have one pill left. There are a lot of Free Diet pill programs online, where you only pay shipping. I might try one of those, but, I’m not totally sure.

The diet pills are so much about ‘being on a diet’ and I would much rather have a healthier lifestyle than temporarily ‘be on a diet’.

But I do love the energy boost!

That would be my momma, not me! Yesterday when I finished crying, got myself all calmed down and ready to get the kids up and ready for school (and give them their Valentine’s presents) I realized that my dad would not be showing up sometime after school with presents for the kids from him and my mother. Unless he was traveling 700 miles to deliver Valentine’s goodies. I suppose it could happen.

My mom has always loved to buy stuff for the kiddos for Valentine’s Day and it’s just really sweet and it is just one of our traditions that has evolved over the years. And it was certainly not the gifts that I was worried about - it was the whole sweetness of it all.

Ut oh - gonna make myself cry again.

Ok, so anyway, I got kind of sad about it in the morning, but, I sucked it up, took a deep breath, and woke the kids up. We exchanged Valentine’s - they had gotten me some really sweet stuff.

And then they went off to school. And I came to the computer - to what? Let’s all say it together….”to blog!” Of course. So I’m working through my day, trying to just muddle on through, when ….there’s a knock on the door.

I glance out the window - and there’s a DHL van outside - a delivery? Oh shit. Did I order something and forget about it? Damn. Did Mark spend more money? (LOL)

I go to the door and pick up the box - and it is addressed to my monsters, and is from the mail box business that my mom and SIL go to.

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW…… times a million!

Her Valentine’s did come to the kids - just with the DHL guy instead of Daddy! I’d rather have Daddy, but, awwwwwwwwwww….

I almost started crying all over again! My mom freaking ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I put it on the table and left it for the kids to open, I figured it was all wrapped up in bags and stuff, but, it is so much fun to open your own box, you know?

…about this totally awesome site online on which you can generate your own Lease Agreeement - I would’ve generated a lease-to-own agreement for this house, had it notarized, and felt much better about leasing, yet again.

At least when you are leasing-to-own, your money is going somewhere that offers you stability in the future. What I wouldn’t give for the stability of owning our own home.

Maybe one of these days I’ll learn something from my mistakes!

Me and my dreams, I tell you! Gah!

Well, I guess, at least they keep me occupied!

I did something I’ve never done before, though - I got up in the morning and cried my eyes out for ten minutes! Or more!

I had to go in the garage so that I didn’t wake up the kids, I was crying so much.

And it is all related to missing Dallas, or - more like - the people in Dallas that I’ve left behind.

Ok, so in the dream hubby and MIL and I had to go to Texas, but, it was for work. We were in a truck and we were pulling a trailer with stuff on it or a tractor or something like that - that part is kind of fuzzy. And the two of them were not going to let me see my family while we were there. Ugh. We were going to go to Plano, TX - do the business, whatever the hell it was - picking up equipment, tools, or dropping some off or something - and then we were going to turn right around and come back, not even staying the night. And no, I couldn’t see my family.

Well, that’s a fine how do ya do!

So we get to Plano, and all of the sudden the road turns into a creek or a stream or something and, of course, the trailer/tractor doohickey is stuck. And as with any road trip vehicle difficulties, what followed was some waiting around time to get everything fixed and get us back on the road.

We were inside somewhere - it wasn’t anyone’s house, but, it wasn’t a business - ?? - and I am on a ladder, inside the building. Just goofing off, not working or anything. (Now that’ll surprise my family and friends!) And next thing ya know…

In walks my sweet Momma!!!! Someone, not hubby or MIL, I might add, knew how badly I wanted to see her, and so they called her and told her to hurry over while we were stuck there.

I climbed down off of that ladder and we were talking, laughing, and hugging - when my alarm went off.

I got up out of bed and went to the kitchen to turn off the alarm (only safe place for it, otherwise I’d never get up!) and promptly started boohooing!

Ugh.