Don't get me wrong. I love the Dr. Pepper. It's my favorite. However, they're pretty lousy when it comes to prizes. I've received one good prize from them in the past. I saved up 23 labels and they sent me a hat, shirt, and metal lunch box. The lunch box was awesome, the shirt was an extra large (even though I asked for a small), and the old man hat (along with the shirt) went to my dad. Another time I saved up those point things and got a shirt. I wish I had a picture of it, so you could experience with me the ugliest shirt I have ever seen in my life. It was supposed to look like a faded jersey thing. It looked more like a old pink shirt that someone found in a trashcan. It was horrible. I have probably won a couple of free 20oz. bottles, though, and that's pretty good.
Now they're having the Look Under The Cap To Get The Code To Go Online To See If You Won game. It's like they're trying to make you not win. If you see the letters "UWIN" under your cap, go to the website and type it in. One in six WINS! Yeah right. After about 25 bottles, I finally "won." I was excited and got on the website. After about 10 attempts to get it to accept my code, I got it to go through. I had hopes of winning cash! trips! another ugly shirt! even a 20oz! Nope. Here's what I got:

Thanks for shelling out the bucks on me, Dr. Pepper Bottling Company. And way to have good grammar. AN Wallpaper prize. Hmph.

Posted in: rant on Saturday, June 28, 2008 at at 10:33 PM 0 comments    

Thursday afternoon my back right tire was really low on air, so my boss man, who happens to own an air compressor, inflated my tire. I just figured it had gotten low since it hadn't been inflated in three months. It seems it was the same problem that I had with my last two flat tires. Luckily my last two flat tires happened while my car was sitting in the parking lot at our apartment in Texarkana and in the parking lot at my school in Texarkana. Not so with this one. I was driving 65mph on 630 in Little Rock. And my tire committed suicide. I had my windows open while driving to save gas on air conditioning and heard a really loud noise. I thought it might be my tire, but then I thought it was the car next to me. I slowed down a little to see if it got louder when they passed me, but no, my car then started to shake. Well, gotta get over to the right lane. At that particular place there was actually no shoulder, so I had keep driving just a little further until the shoulder appeared.
Thanks to the designers of the freeway, the very narrow shoulder goes right up against a hill up to the street there, so there was NO room. I climbed over and got out of the passenger side. I called Jon, who was way out in Egypt at his school working on his classroom, but could be there in 20 minutes. I called my sister-in-law to see where her husband was, but he was out at their house, just as far away. She called my father-in-law, who happened to be on his way home from work and would pass by in about 10 minutes.
At this point I started unloading my COMPLETELY FULL trunk into the backseat of my car to get to the spare tire. (I keep a bunch of education stuff in there for the boys.) A few minutes later, BUD, some guy, pulled up and jumped out of his truck. "Please don't murder me." I told him it was ok - that my father-in-law was coming in a few minutes, and he said he could have it fixed before he got there. "Please don't murder me." He grabbed stuff out of the back of his truck and I continued to unload the trunk. Just as he finished fixing it, my father-in-law pulled up behind us. Bud said, "Told you I could fix it before he got here!" And he drove off. "Bye! Thanks for not murdering me!"

Posted in: car troubles, oops on at at 12:24 PM 0 comments    

I like to call the first 12 pictures Pictures I Took While Driving:

ok.

I saw this very weird car exiting my exit. The stuff on the body was reflective and then there were those eyes. Creepy!

I saw this person two days in a row. It seems they like horses.

I don't know at what point an astronaut became the symbol for Honda, but I like it.
I love Hondas and I love astronauts.

I've always wanted to go to this place while driving from Ft. Worth to the east.

This place, also on I-30, has always amused me. I don't really get it.

Isn't that an oxymoron?

That's the ARKANSAS headquarters for her campaign.
Pretty lousy and obviously didn't work.

...but feel free to trespass up to this point.

This is just ridiculous.

If all else fails, duct tape the sign to your car.

I like to call the next 9 pictures Pictures I Took While In A Car But The Car Was Not Moving Or Someone Else Was Driving:

Not much. What is up with you?

And then there was another backwards letter.

The UPS drivers wear UPS socks! I so want some of those!

That is a giant dog in a convertible.

When gas gets up to Lowercase D Upside Down Backwards F Eight and Nine Tenths, you know things are getting bad.

Sweet.

I want to meet this kid.

How do you do this to the back of your car?

A van with a map of Dallas on it!

And these last 6 pictures are called Pictures Not At All Related to Driving:

The air conditioning unit at my storage unit looks like a dharma symbol.

This. Is. Awesome.

Found on the back of a... ping pong table. Not a toy!

My favorite answer on this ONLINE poll is number four.

I have never seen this weird thing happen before.

And finally... this is what my shirt looks like after I wash the dog, dry him off, and hold him.

Posted in: funny things, Jack, license plates, LOST on Monday, June 23, 2008 at at 10:15 PM 4 comments    

I went back to the hospital today to hang out with the babies some more.

Me with the nieces

She loves her baby sister.

I caught this shot. Not unsimilar to the one I got of Alyssa Kate 2 1/2 years ago.

Then she opened up her dark blue eyes to look out the window.

The babies then visited each other. This was when Sally found out that Candice got a post-delivery steak dinner and she had to have a roast beef sandwich.

Comparing the babies' massive amounts of hair. Caroline wins!

Boyfriend and girlfriend

Candice giving Sally some baby advice

Me and the mamas and the babies

The parents and their new babies

Posted in: friends, niece, the fam on Monday, June 16, 2008 at at 10:25 PM 2 comments    

Remember how 20 people I know are pregnant? Now it's just 18. Possibly less, since the other two due soon that I know don't live here and I haven't talked to them or seen on their Facebook. :)

Anyway, Friday, my friend Sally had her baby.
Name: Ryder Ray Reynolds.
Arrival: June 13, 7:17pm
Stats: 7 lbs. 8 oz., 21" long

Friday before the big event

A little glimpse into her contractions

Her pretty flowers

Mama and baby

Sweetheart with a lot of hair!

Little hand

Little feet

Today my sister-in-law, Candice, blessed me with my second niece.
Name: Caroline Marie Heltz
Arrival: June 15, 8:26pm
Stats: 7 lbs, 5 oz., 20 3/4 in. (very similar to Ryder)

I only got to see Caroline for a few minutes because it was late and they got moved into their post-partum room. I can guarantee there will be more pictures later.

Waiting for baby

Trying to get a family picture while there were still three of them

Wes checking out the contractions
Alyssa Kate checking out the contractions

Me checking out the contractions

Having a snack with mommy while waiting for baby sister

Sharing mommy's ice chips

Mimi (Candice and Jon's mom) was finishing up her stitching for the baby while waiting.

Whoa! Black hair!

The new family. Without Alyssa Kate, who had already gone to bed.

This is what happens when you give an old guy your awesome camera to take a picture. I'll try again tomorrow. And Sally came down to see the baby too.

Our amazing Sunday School teachers, who are moving to San Antonio on Thursday, were excited to be able to come by to see the baby.

I love her already.

Little Rock moms: If you like these pictures, I'd love to come to take pictures when your baby comes. It's fun.

Posted in: friends, niece, Sunday School, the fam on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at at 11:25 PM 1 comments