Blizzard - round 2

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Swap Package

My swap buddy package came from Susan and enclosed the following:

a 3-Tier cooking rack

silicone mat

the book "Cake Wrecks"

I love it all!! I'm excited to use the rack, since I've never had a cooking rack and my rolling mat is slightly battered.

My whole family, even hubby, has already looked at the book and enjoyed it!!

Susan really made some great choices for me!!

Thanks Swap Buddy!!!!!

Just pictures

No words, just pictures

Word of the day

The word of the day is

VACATION

I am now on vacation until December 28th

Can you say WOO HOO!!!

I DID post yesterday, but in the process my Internet went down and I lost most of it so I am starting over, in my effort to do better at posting.

I got these stupid pictures in reverse order, so bear with me.....

This was the score of the College football game we went to in November (that says 10-3, it's kinda blurry)

We had 4 tickets but they were 2 and 2, so Tink & I sat together. (she'll kill me for posting this pic) There was a "happy" (aka drunk) couple behind us. They came in the 2nd qtr. Talking F this F that and I made a face at Tink and kinda rolled my eyes and the guy says are you listening to us talk and i'm like ya, kinda hard not to. So then they talked to us the rest of the game - of course they were only there for tne 2nd & 4th qtrs. Something was said, I can't remember what, and he asks Tink how old she is. 16 she replys and he's like No Way! Then he turns to me and says How old are you and I say I'm older than that to which Tink quickly says She's my mom. And he was like No way, you don't look like you could be the mom and he hits the girl he's with and says She's the mom! and the girl looks at me and says No way. So the whole rest of the game they kept saying you don't look like the mom. So I decided their drunk a$$ could stay!

We had a good day and it helped that our team won! I'm in the process of making cookies (i know shock right) I've got 53 dz to do by next week and 5 different places that they go. I had to make myself a spread sheet to keep it all straight. A few weeks ago I had made these Maple cookies & left them to sit on island overnight so the frosting could set and when I woke in the morning this is what I found.

The dog had eaten 2 dz cookies during the night. I was so pissed! Last night I tried a new recipe Mint Brownie Bites or something like that, so I set up some protection from the big fur ball.

They were still safe this morning.

In addition to all the cookies, Tink has breakfast for the dance team Wednesday AND Thursday. Two days?! I made two coffee cakes last night and got up at 5 am to put in the oven but she didn't even go because she has the flu! But those dancers didn't go hungry, Hubby dropped them off. Tomorrow I think I'm gonna make a breakfast casserole and they can have that and the left over coffee cake.

Gotta go make my shopping list so I can get groceries over my lunch time.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog friends!

Here's to hoping the turkey's not dry, the potatoes are not lumpy and the wine is open!

Have a great day!!

While i'm gone

So last night while I was at cake class, hubby & Boo carved the pumpkins.

Meet Jack& his cousin, Jack the second

Normally, I would have liked to help out, but this year with every thing else going on I was extremely happy to 1) not have to deal with it and 2) the hubby actually took some initiative and did something.

And finally,
the efforts from last nights class.

Hello, remember me?

October has been such an incredibly busy month! There has been something every night! And on the few nights that we didn’t actually have to go somewhere I was busy in the kitchen baking or whatever to get ready for the next activity. It has just been extremely overwhelming!

Tink’s had volleyball games about 2 nights a week. It’s not really been a good season. Tink plays JV Reserve and some JV and those girls have been getting some wins and you can really see those girls meshing together as a team. At the beginning of the season it was like “Oi”. But the Varsity. Those girls never have gotten their stuff together. And talk about a bunch of nasty be otches. Those girls sat in the bleachers during a JV reserve game and were telling the girls to pull their spanks (shorts) down and calling them sluts, skanks, & whores. This has pretty much been going on the whole season, just usually not so bold. These girls have made it not a fun experience for many of the girls and Tink’s thinking about not going out next year, but we’ll see….time will tell.

Tink also turned 16 this month. Lord help me!! I think I started a draft of pictures of her cake, but didn’t get it finished. She’s been driving everywhere! We’ve lost all control!!

Tonight is the last cake decorating class. I’ve been taking Rolled Fondant & Gumpaste class at Hobby Lobby . So I spend I spend 2 ½ hours on the road for a 2 hour class once a week. I know I’m crazy, somebody just admit me now!

There’s also been volleyball team supper that I organized and made 12 pounds of meatballs for. Then it was my turn (and another lady) to feed the cheerleaders this month. We did a baked potato bar – which luckily she took care of, so all I had to do was make some salads and I did some Halloween cupcakes. And working the 2nd job, Oh and I’ve also started selling AVON, because I didn’t have enough to do already. This week has been crazy – I’ve had 21 dz cookies to get ready; a cake to bake & cover with fondant and make my flowers for class; and bus treats for the volleyball team. (I made chex mix).

I am hope that November will not be so overwhelming. At least so that I can take a breath without ripping someone else’s head off – or at least my husbands!

I’ve had a few things that have happened and I think Oh I’m so going to blog about this, and then I never get around to it and I forget what it was, so sorry you guys have missed some really stupid, crazy, funny stories because I have the memory of an ant. I’ll try to do better ~

Oh and on a serious note, this week we went to the funeral of a good friend, the kind of guy that you spend a few minutes with him and your best friends. Anyway, he got H1N1, his lungs filled and he couldn't get past it. His funeral was Tuesday. It was a hard day. Dave was a fire man in his little town that he lived and at the cemetery they did a "Last Pager Call" when all of the the pagers went off and the dispatch called out last pager call for Dave So&So. And I was doing so good no more tears, then I turned my head, I didn't mean to look, that just what was in my line of vision and saw a man, older than me, fighting for his composure and I just lost it. There's just something about seeing a strong tough man struggling with this loss.

So friends , PLEASE wash wash wash your hands, keep them off your face and please please please see a competent doctor if start feeling sick.

yaa yaa yaa

Yaa yaa yaa...! I know I haven't been around here much, okay at all, but i've been lurking at all your sights. Saying I've been busy seems like a lame excuse and it is, but I have been and with a total lack of creative juices to write anything that doesn't sound like a bunch of dreaded dribble. My biggest problem is that by the time I have 2 minutes to write up a blog, i've forgotten what it was I was going to talk about.

So take today for instance, i'm extremely tired after working the weekend (& dealing with the wacked out druggie last night) and completely overwhelmed to the upcoming busy week so everything in my head is not the upbeat perkiness I would like to portray. In fact I would like to just stick my tongue out and tell a couple people where they can go.

So you guys ask me a question. Maybe that will get me back in the swing .

The slacker is back

Last weekend we headed to Omaha for the Jr. Olympics. Tink participated in pole vault. She got 3rd which qualifies her for the Regionals. She vaulted 8’. That’s not a bad vault, but she could/should/has the potential to do better. Needless to say the coach, hubby & I would like to see more effort from her on her training.

Tink started dance camp the next day in Omaha too. So my original thought was that we would stay over and go the zoo. Omaha has a really nice zoo! But when I looked on-line it appeared that the hours were only until 5pm and it was going to cost $45 to get in. So by the time the vaulting got over that only left us a couple hours. Then I heard that the college world series was going on and they share a parking lot, so that would not have been good either. I did an online pricing reservation and we ended up staying at this hotel that had a water resort attached to it. Hubby took Boo there and Tink and I headed to the mall. The mall was unproductive and we decided to go back to the hotel. Well an hour later we made it. This rural driver got in the wrong lane and the other mean drivers wouldn’t let me over so we had to take this turn that took us I don’t know where. But we spotted a sign for the street we were staying on, we took that got on our street, choose to turn right. I looked at the street sign that said 6600 and thought well our hotel is in the 3200 so we have a ways. Got to 2500 & was like WTH when I saw that it said North and we needed to be on South. So we turned around. Drove drove drove. Then Tink says “Mom the numbers are getting bigger, not smaller” WHAT! 13300 – Turn around back the other way. This is were I just start to laugh! I was just a couple blocks from being right the first time. I wasn’t really lost, I just didn’t take the originally planned route!

Tink comes home today. She’s called home very little, which means it’s going good. I had texted her a couple time to which she didn’t respond but then I noticed she had made a comment to a friend on facebook and I was starting to get my nose a little out of shape, but she did finally call. She text this morning to say that she got Blues (which I think means the best) on her dances. Tomorrow she starts volleyball league.

Boo has a softball game tonight. Yea (sarcastic) It’s 95 degrees with 93% humidity and the poor little things are terrible and get their a$$ handed to them every game. 1) half the team is too young for the age division they are playing 2) the rest are the rejects that the “competitive” team didn’t want 3)the coach has had minimal practices, I don’t typical want to rag on the coach because he or she did step up to volunteer when nobody else did, but these little girls need some help!

So that’s a nutshell of my life that I haven’t posted about for weeks! I know, I’m a slacker you can say it, it’s okay.

I am truly pathetic!

I've recently realized just how pathetic my life really is. Tate and I were walking earlier this week through the park, we hadn't been through the park for a few days, and there were 2 new pet "waste disposal" containers. And when I made Tate's "deposit" I did am arm pull whoot. Took a few steps and thought OMG I am truly pathetic I just did an arm pull whoot because there is a new pet waste disposal container. I've done over the deep end here people!

I don't know if it's my addition to FB or if I've just been really busy, I've had lots of entries in my mind and just don't find the time to type them out to post and then I forget. -- Sorry I will try to do better, since I've just given the prime example as to why my life is pathetic I shouldn't have any excuses.

I'm still here!

I'm still here! I've been SO stinking busy and I can't even keep up with reading your blogs let alone type anything. Some day i'll be back and i'll have forgotten everything that has kept me busy and still won't have anything to blog about. My brain easy in easy out! LOL

Thanks for sharing

Thanks so much to Kat for tagging me to do this survey thing (NOT)

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Summer and sunshine.
2. losing weight
3. being debt free
4. some free time
5. Tink making 9 ft at pole vault
6. a finished bathroom in the basement
7. the upstairs bathroom not leaking into the basement
8. quitting my 2nd job

8 things I did yesterday:
1. Worked
2. Rode my bike
3. Cooked on the grill
4. taxied kids
5. cut down the dried dead flowers from the flower bed
6. worked the reception desk at work
7. craved a vanilla coke
8. yesterday was a long time ago -- I don't remember!!

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Be debt free
2. unshy- is that a word??
3. shop on an unlimited budget
4. not work
5. & still live comfortly
6. get the girls perky again (not bigger, just perky)
7. Have the perfect body without working out
8. this one would be TMI if I shared!

8 shows I watch:
1. The Biggest Loser
2. Criminal Minds
3. CSI-New York
4. Good Morning America
5. Chesey Lately
6. The Soup
7. Anything HGTV
8. idk - I don't watch that much TV

8 people I tag: YOU!!

Add it to the list for Mother of the Year!

I am a bad mom! I didn't make Tink's lunch today! It's just my passive-aggressive behavior.

I asked her several time over the weekend to fold the laundry in the dryer. I even reminded her last night that she was to be folding the laundry in the dryer. I got a blank stare.

So this morning, I decided to "forget" to make her lunch. She came up, grabbed her lunch bag and made a sad face that it was empty and I said "oops I forgot". Of course hubby had to make a big deal about and smile from ear to ear and say "why did you forget?" and I just said "I guess I was too busy folding laundry" . She was pissed then, but she didn't say anything. Do you think she got the message?

I am working an average of 45-46 hours every week for the past 3 years, ya think they could help out a little bit!

ABC

I got this Jane, & since i've been a little dry lately with my posts I thought I'd borrow it - okay steal because I'm not giving it back.

My ABC's by Tracie

A - Age: 39. There will be no more birthdays
B - Bed size: Queen. But between me, hubby and Tate it's getting a little small.
C - Chore(s) you hate: All of them. But mostly the bathroom. Hate cleaning the bathroom
D. - Dog’s name: Tate.
E - Essential start-your-day item: Shower
F - Favorite color: Purple.
G - Gold or Silver: Gold.
H - Height: 5'3".
I - Instruments you play: I used to play the flute but I’m pretty sure I couldn’t prove it.
J - Job title: Peaon.
K - Kid(s): two girls that both love me very much as long as they are getting what they want.
L - Living arrangements: WTH?! I live in a house ?.
M- Mom’s name: Connie.
N - Nicknames: I don't think i've ever had a nickname - except maybe B@tch -
O.Overnight hospital stay other than birth: I've never stayed over in the hospital except for childbirth.
P - Pet Peeve: Just one? Bad driving habits drive me nuts! Use your turn signal or i'm gonna call you a name.
Q - Quote from a movie: I haven't seen this movie yet (I think it opens this weekend) but Zac Efrons new movie "17 AGAIN", he's talking to these two girls about respecting themselves and they ofcourse say things about wanting to "respect" him and he says forget it, your some other dads problem. I've only seen the preview but I loved it!
R- Right- or left-handed: right.
S - Siblings: One brother. one sister - i'm in the middle
T - Time you wake up:Well I set the alarm for 5:15, but then reset it for 6:15.
U- Underwear: Bikinnis
V - Vegetable you dislike: I don't like vegetables!
W - Ways you run late: Checking my facebook and blogs
X - X-rays you’ve had: I broke my wrist and lots of x-rays for that.
Z - Zoo favorite: The monkeys, polar bears, elephants

It was half right

So last night I was wiped out! But I had to finish up my cookies for the job for today. Scotcharoos. But i was out of a couple things and sent hubby to the store when he took Tink to dance .

Me: Get EITHER Peanut Butter Chips OR butterscotch chips AND corn syrup.

Him: Which one of the chips?

Me: It doens't matter, they are interchangeable for this.

Him: Which one do you want, make me a list!

Me: Dude, it's 2 things you can't remember that?

So i made him a list: in which I wrote Butterscotch chips,
Corn syrup

He gets back, I unpack the sack, bring out chips - the milk chocolate chips!

Me: WHAT does your list say?!

Him: You said they were interchangeable.

Me: What does your LIST say?

him: (hanging his head) I haveta go back to the store don't I?

Me: um ya

Prom 2009

This is Tink's Freshman volleyball coach, she lives behind us.

She had to have her "Dew"

This guy, that opened the car door for her, is her Pole Vault coach

She was beautiful! And i'm in tears, when did she grow up?

Out of the mouths of babes

So, last night i'm doing one of my yoga videos. Boo's trying to type her DARE report on the computer and she says "mom, their butt's aren't as big as yours"

"Um, ya Boo that's kinda the point, Thanks for pointing that out"

Bleacher Butt & Dead Cell Phones

Basketball basketball basketball. That's pretty much all i've been doing.....um watching....for the past 2 weeks. Starting with girls districts a week ago last Thursday. And they were and hour & 1/2 away. Then boys districts. I went Thursday, Friday, Saturday, skipped Monday, went Tuesday then girls state basketball tournaments started in Lincoln on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Tink cheered and/or danced at ALL of that. (Our girls team got 4th at State)

I took Thursday & Friday off to go to the State Tournament in Lincoln, but before I left, I had committed myself to making a cake for work for a surprise coffee time celebration for a co-worker that got married. The bride use to bake/decorate cakes for people. & she was good. She quit after her first husband passed away. So making a cake for her was like preaching to the Pope. A little intimidating. But here is a picture of the finished product.

I know I could use some lessons!

Anyway.....in other news. My cell phone died a very slow & painful death today. And I am in mourning! I have/had a razer. It fell out of my coat pocket the other night when I was picking Boo & her friends up from the YMCA. And the little hinge thing broke off on one side leaving this ribbon looking thing exposed and now it appears that ribbon thing is tearing. & I'm tearing! (Are those even spelled right? I have NO idea). After work I went to the cell phone store. I am looking at a lavender razor OR a pink blackberry pearl. I can't decide. I'm not even sure what all the blackberry pearl will do. Plus it ups our phone plan considerably! But it's pink and it's cute and somewhere deep inside my tummy I think that's what I want, BUT the lavendar razor is cute too, but pretty much what I have except in color and we would be saving about $11/month. What to do what to do. I'll take suggestions! PLEASE!!

Small Pleasures

Happiness in the small pleasures is tring to decide whether to make Tink's lunch before OR after my shower then realizing it's Friday and she eats at school on Fridays. (Pizza Hut Fridays) Whoot Whoot!!

President's Day

So, yesterday I had the day off for President's Day. And hubby took it off too.

He was hoping to get "lucky", but I had other plans. (insert evil laugh)

(side note - notice the new paint color on the walls above - we finished painting on Sunday, - now he just needs to finish the wiring and start the trim) (Jordan do you see you're apron?)

Seriously, he was aware of the carpets getting cleaned when he took the day off.
And he took me to lunch too

Well at least one of us got to relax!!

When I took the girls to school Monday morning, some school group - the FFA, I think- was doing a seat belt check. If you were wearing your seatbelt you got a piece of candy, but if not then you got a dumb dumb sucker. Luckily every one in the car had their seat belts on and even I got a piece of candy, but WHY did they do this on the one day that I litterally roll out of bed, throw my hair up in a pony, no makeup, to do this? Not on every other day, when my hair is fixed and my face doesn't look all wrinkled and puffy?! WHY?

Sweetheart Swap

A few weeks back, Becca, organized a Sweetheart Swap for some of us. We left her a comment saying we wanted to play and she matched us up with another blogger to whom we sent a little something something for Valentine's Day.

I was very lucky this year as I got to meet two new bloggers!

I had Kelly over at Southern Drama Mama. Go check her out. I had not previously been a Kelly reader, but now that I have met her I have added her to my list of friends.

Nadine got my name and she sent me this fluffy pink & blue scarf and some of her famous toffee. However, I have NO picture of the toffee as my food seeking, selfish, piggy family ate it ALL!!

Love the scarf! Thanks Nadine!

Ut Oh!

So hubby and I are at parent teacher conferences, my cell phone rings. It's Tink wanting to know if she can hang out - ride around - with her friend Leah, and these 2 boys. We let her, she had like 40 minutes between dance class and dance team.

We get home, doing our thing. Watching Biggest Loser, blog surfing. Door bell rings.

Leah's dad "I'm here to get Leah"

Me: "Leah's not here."

LD: "That's what I thought." turns & leaves

I shut the door and was like ut oh somebody's in trouble! Texting Tink that I'm pretty sure Leah's in trouble (and i'm pretty confident that Tink's at dance team - or get kicked off)

Door bell rings and in walks Leah. "Tink here?"

Hubby: "No, but your dad was just here."

Leah: "What did you tell him? What did he say?" She's like freaking

Hubby: "We told him you weren't here.

She's back out the door and running down the street.

Sum body's in trub ble!

DivaCup

Have you heard of the DivaCup? I was reading in my local newspaper the frugel article "Spend a little to save a lot" by Sara Noel. And in this she mentioned the DivaCup. I was curious, so I googled it and this is what I found. Tell me what you think.

What are you saying

So today, so far, I have received

(for my B-day)

Two gift certificates to the massage ?? parlor? store,

which is awesome cuz the massage therapist does an awesome job

And this bauble that says "BELIEVE" - which I ABsolutely L O V E

But are my friends & family trying to tell me something?

Guess who got asked to prom

Guess who got asked to prom?

On Thursday morning he asked her if he could drive her home after school, forgetting she had an orthodontist appointment she said yes. At lunch time he texted her to make sure that it was still going to work out because he has a surprise for her. But she told him she had an appt and would not be there after school. He says, okay call me when you get back, I'll come over.



Unfortunately, we had a 40 minute wait to see the orthodontist (that never happens) so by the time we got back to town, Tink had 15 minutes to change and get to the basketball game. He was now coming over after the game.

So after the very exciting basketball game - we lost by 1, but it was a great game. He came over.

Walked in, handed her the roses and asked is she would go to prom with him. Which she responds very quickly YES. Hubby then pipes in and says "What are you asking her for, you're suppose to be asking me first?" Kinda went over his head! But then I said to him "Only if she can borrow a dress" (meaning from his older sister-who babysat for us for 3 summers) Also went over his head. LOL

I worked with his mom at the bank, (she has since left the bank) Her & I were in a department together when she was pregnant with him. So we know the family pretty well.

I think he "likes" Tink and Tink is saying "just friends"

Anyway I told her MONTHS ago that if she got asked as a freshman, she would be borrowing or buying used. I can't justify big bucks on a one wear dress for a freshman. She was working me, showing me dresses on the Internet, finding some reasonably priced, and she ALMOST had me. But then I told her just to call and talk to D - (the boy's sister) and we went to go look at her dresses and she had one that was pretty close to what Tink had been looking at on the Internet. Fits perfect. We just need to have to dry cleaned because the mom accidentally drug part of it through the mud when they moved . I can deal with the dry cleaning vs the price of a new dress. And I told Tink that I would spring for the shoes since we didn't have to pay for the dress.

Lord help me, she's growing up!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my honey!! He is 41 today -

(way older than me) LOL

Sorry you got me in the pic, I don't know how to crop!

Random

1) My mom heard about someone in town here that has a teacup poodle, possible free to the right home. I know this person, and I’m thinking I’m probably the right home. (That’s what she hinted to my mom anyway) AND I’ve kinda always thought that it would be cool to have this tiny little poodle with my big poodle. It’s 6 weeks olds, male, black. I want to name it Sal. So along with my Tate we could have some Tator Salad. I thought that was funny, my mom laughed. Hubby doesn’t quite see it my way and I am pretty sure that I WON”T be getting the teacup.

2) I broke my spending record at Wally’ World this past weekend. We were OUT of EVERYTHING. $320.23. I think that’s the most I have ever spent on groceries. And I keep coming up with things I forgot.

3) I got 2 new pair of shoes on clearance. Both purple!

4) I had to have yet another sex education discussion with my Sunday school class – as to why Mary is referred to as the “Virgin” Mary.

5) We have not seen Boo’s dance bag since before Christmas. But I have now cleaned every closet and a good portion of the basement looking for it and it’s looking like I’m going to be replacing 3 pairs of freek’n dance shoes!

6) Had Monday off for the MLK holiday. One word – AWESOME! I cooked, cleaned, did laundry, picked up kids – wait, did I say Awesome?...... I did take time to watch the movie “House Bunny” and it was kinda cute.

7) Our pastor’s daughter is staying with us for a couple of nights. She is one of Tink’s friends. But Tink had a busy night (working the concession stand & dance practice) & wasn’t home much of it, plus Tink had dance at 6:45 this morning. PD is a sweet girl, it’s just a little awkward having an extra kid around that you’re not use to.

8) Tomorrow is Boo’s 11th Birthday. I have to frost a cake tonight. Wish me luck~ She wants to have one of those mystery birthday party things, but all I found on the internet was downloadable for $30 and I don’t want to pay $30. So I don’t know what we are going to do.

Okay that’s it, enough random for now.

Look what I got!

Look what I got in the mail on Saturday!! I was SO excited! Jordan from Lucky Wife had a little contest on her site one day (not this site, but her old spaces site). She had a picture of her family from Christmas and was wondering who could figure out what was "off" in the picture.


Although I didn't quite figure out what was not quite right, I guessed enough, she must have felt sorry for me, cuz I won the apron! It really was a trick question though. All I saw was a smiling happy looking family with great food in front of them in matching serving bowls (I know matching!) I did ask what was in the blue roaster, I thought it looked like turkey, since I thought it was the legs sticking up. And she confirmed that yes that was the Turkey. I was SO close to the answer because that is what was not right - that she had put the turkey in upside down. Who knew you could cook it upside down.

So Thanks Jordan! I LOVE THE APRON!!

Home Repairs II

It's been a busy weekend. I traded shifts at the hospital this weekend and worked the day shift instead of the evening shift so I could be off to watch Tink dance at the basketball game. I think I like days. It was busier, more things to do, more people, more phone calls. We traded shifts for all of January & February. So we'll see how it works out. Saturday I was up at 5:45 am and pretty much didn't stop til 10:30 pm, tonight I'm looking to go to bed early!

I used my camera to video Tink & the dance team Saturday night doing their dance, but i've never downloaded/uploaded (whatever) a video before, so I don't know if it will show up here or not. Tink was trying to upload (whatever) it to her facebook, but it said it was going to take like 4 hours! She keeps watching it over & over. I think she's going to wear out my camera. LOL!

My favorite movie is on! Can you tell what it is?

Grease

The sheet rock layer did come on Saturday, pissed me off in the process,(but that's another story) and got the 1 sheet of sheet rock hung, but no mudding. I know......... baby steps

(yikes, there's my reflection - ug, not a good pic)


And, he did go hunting on Sunday
(which is YET another story)

home repairs

The electrician came last Sunday

and put in some outlets and light switches
around the new sliding glass door that got installed, about 3 or 4 months ago

I'm hoping the contractor will put up the sheet rock this weekend,
but i'm hearing noises of him wanting to go hunting.
So I don't have my hopes up
(and in case you are wondering, i'm talking about my hubby)

PS. Jean - that worked -- Thanks!