HAPPY 250th AMERICA!

 HAPPY 250TH BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!  What a celebration it was!!  Of course you know me, I would have been happy to have spent it in an underground bunker where it was quiet.  I love celebrations, but this was ridiculous.  It sounded and felt like there was a war in my back yard!  

A big thank you to all the Veterans out there, and our troops who keep us free.  Without them, we would not be celebrating!

I was pretty much exhausted from putting up all those easy ups and chairs, so I spent the morning watching COWBOY CHRISTMAS.  Beginning just a few days ago, it  continues for over a week.  This is when all the big rodeos are held ... including the Calgary Stampede ... which means big moolah in their attempt to qualify for the National Finals Rodeo.  The top 15 money winners get to compete in the biggest money making rodeo ever.

Here's my fav Stetson Wright winning the first day saddle bronc category with a 90 point ride.  This horse was HUGE!!  He better watch out though ... his brother Rusty was right behind him by just a couple of points.

On to the bull riding.  Look how high this bull gets ... and he's a mean bugger!!  They told Stetson the second he got off, to RUN!!  

It's fun to watch these very respectful kids rodeo ... and it kept me out of the fridge.

Mostly anyway ... since it was my job today to make chili-cheese bread bites for the party.   But first ... Kitters toys were delivered.  Let's try THIS one.  Okay, it was a big fail.  This thing moves around so fast she didn't know what to do, but she did follow it as it made the rounds of the entire house!

I finally turned it off.  It might be better if it went in slow motion.  Kitters was not impressed.

Instead she laid on the well used coffee table and moved the feathers around while I baked the little pieces of bread in the oven.  I let them cool, then placed them in bags.  Time for the cheese topping.

True to my luck, I could not find the recipe to save me.  I thought she said it was one cup mayo, one cup cheese and one can of Ortega chilis.  Simple.  Except that was WAY too much mayo!!  I kept adding cheese until 3/4 of the block was gone, meaning I had to add more chilis too.  

I think my good luck has found me again.  I tested one and it was a fail.  NOT the look or flavor I was going for, but it's too late now.

To make it ever MORE interesting, I had a safety pin in my hand while walking to the bathroom, tripped over Kitters and stuck myself in the eye.  Just a tiny stick, thank goodness, but good grief!!!  There was no blood ... it was just a knick, but really?  Now my eye is throbbing.  

So let's see if we can make anything WORSE!  I grabbed my thermal cup out of the cupboard and dumped not one, but TWO boxes of toothpicks all over the counter and floor.  Kitters ran for her life.  Please Lord, I'm just trying to get out the door.

Finally at the party ... I'm the only one there ... I took one look at my friend and said YOU SHOULD CANCEL THIS before you make everyone sick (as I moved my chair much further back).  Besides, it was so hot outside that 12 people cancelled.  It's too bad they bought so much food, but I'll buy two of those tri-tips from them for my smoker.  We made the phone calls together, I grabbed my stuff and headed back home.

So what am I going to do with 3 pounds of cheese sauce!!!  Dinner was cheese appetizers.  They were terrible.  The sauce was okay, but the bread was tough as nails.  What did I do wrong?  It was barely chewable.    

Lucky for me, as I walked into the house, there was a bag full of gorgeous yellow squash and tomatoes by the back door.  Someone really knows how to grow veggies, and it's not me.  Maybe some of that sauce will go on the squash.  

That's when the booms began.  Four of my five neighbors were out screaming in their pools and lighting off fireworks, along with Mexican music so loud it shook the windows.  I know you like to have fun, but could you be just a little respectful to your neighbors?

This was the calm before the storm.  Luckily the guy who used to set off the M80's has moved, or as I mentioned, is in jail.  The big fireworks party was out at Castle Air Force Base.  It was lovely to SEE bits and pieces but not HEAR anything.  But wait until dark ... it got pretty crazy for about two hours.  Even poor Kitters refused to go outside.  

By midnight it was mostly quiet, but that didn't last long.  The guns came out at 2 am and went off for an hour.  Who has the money for that much ammo????  If I had any fireworks, I'd be lighting them off at 4 am.

So ended our 250th birthday celebration.  Very early this morning, I'll be going over to take own all those easy-ups we put up.  Neither of them are in good enough shape to do it alone.  I'll just make sure I stay far far away so I don't catch anything.

My eye?  It's better this morning, but I can still feel it just a tiny bit.  I think a two hour nap might make it better.

And just because I love him so much, here's my Cooper enjoying the ocean.