Eastern Montana Commute

I went to Lewistown, again, yesterday for another Quickbooks workshop with Waterman. He's the closest thing I have to a co-worker, only HIS office is 150 miles from mine. Tricky.

I took off from home about 6 a.m., in the dark. Driving in Eastern Montana that early in the morning is quite peaceful; the only outfits on the road are the occasional semi-truck or pickup and horsetrailer, headed to the neighbors.  To give you an idea of the traffic, between my house and Grass Range, approximately 120 miles, I met 12 outfits and passed one slow moving car.  The driver of the car looked to be a grandma headed to Billings for a doctor's appointment. I think she left Jordan closer to 5:30 and probably stopped in Winnett for breakfast. Toast, egg-over-easy and coffee. (I have no idea, really, but that's probably pretty close! Toast, eggs and coffee are very economical...)

Driving through the Breaks, near Mosby, the sun had just come up and the country had that soft, sleepy morning look. The shadows were blue and the hills were gold and pink; I love that time. Anyway, just ahead of me on the road, I saw some prairie going across the highway. It looked like prairie grass, all tan-gold and brown. Only prairie grass doesn't have antlers.

Three bull elk were loping across the highway, on their way to the cedars to sleep the day away.  Elk have a peculiar way of moving; they look like they are gliding, a little, and it looks like slow motion, but they can cover a lot of country very quickly. These three crossed the highway that way, and started up the hill on the other side. I pulled the car to a stop and amazingly, they pulled up and stopped too, broadside to the car. We looked at each other for a couple minutes, then the lead bull breathed out a frosty breath and turned, and they glided into the trees.

I'm glad I didn't have my camera, because I would've been trying to get the shot and missed the whole thing. But I'll have that picture in my head forever.

The rest of the day was spent in front of a computer screen, in a square office, crunching numbers incorrectly. (This accounting business would be much easier if I actually had a head for numbers...) Lisa Waterman, Mike and I had lunch at the Bon-Ton and I can report that they have excellent hamburgers and the small ice cream cones are pretty much a meal in themselves. Highly recommend it for a complete soda shop experience in Central Montana!

I didn't hit any deer, on the way home, but there's an owl flapping around near the Brown ranch with fewer tail feathers and a belly-ache.

Stream of thoughts...

I've been walking around with inconsequential thoughts in my head, looking for the cordless phone to call Traci or Beth; they are usually sitting on a mountain of their own inconsequential thoughts that they, too want to share. The phone is, of course, lost, and I'm not going to shackle myself to the wall with the corded one! So you all have the pleasure (or agony) of sharing a day's worth of inconsequential thoughts. Feel free to add any you've been sitting on...

I bought an issue of the magazine Cowboys and Indians this month because George Strait was on the cover. They could put George Strait on a case of motor oil and I'd buy it; I wouldn't even look at the weight or viscosity, either. (My husband just fell over in a dead faint, that I would know that even mattered in motor oil...)  It happened to be the NFR edition, where they are promoting Las Vegas and the Finals and Cowboy Christmas and all that jazz, and I thought it would be fun to catch up on the latest western trends.

All I can say about the latest "western" trend is that:
1. If there's a surface that can be seen, it's covered in turquiose, silver or fringe. And not tastefully covered, either.
 AND
2. I don't know how those poor little emaciated cowgirl models are able to pack all that bling around. They'd better get some workman's comp after the photo shoot and buy a hamburger. It's disgraceful.
(The article on George Strait, by the way, was well done and a bonus was that, buried under all those turquoise encrusted longhorn skulls (yes!) there was also an article about Ian Tyson. Neither Ian or George had turquoise on, bless their hearts!)

Next thought...
I urge everyone reading this blog to go buy a pint of heavy whipping cream and a bag of espresso beans, and create what I assume will be the drink offered in Heaven.  I make french press coffee, but whatever style you use, brew up something strong with the espresso beans. While that's going on, pour the WHOLE PINT of cream into a bowl, add *some* powdered sugar and a splash of real vanilla, and whip it up into soft peaks. Get the biggest mug you have, fill it half-way up with the whipping cream and top that with the coffee. I realize this is rather unorthodox, but you all need to learn to think outside the box. (You should have quite a lot of whipped cream left over, unless you just put it in the carafe and called it good.) Never mind that. Take yourself to a soft chair and drink the whole mug. (The reason you sit in the soft chair is so that when you swoon with joy, you don't fall down and needlessly splash coffee everywhere.)

Moving on...
(If you can)
I wanted to make a tutu for Miss Allie Glasscock last week, and being too lazy and/or too pressed for time to hand sew the elastic, I got out my sewing machine, Bernie. I had forgotten how sweetly she stitched and that wonderful comforting hum she made as she joined the fabric together! Bernie and I have been friends for 20 years. We've sewn together through bargain cotton, velveteen, polar fleece and satin. (Not in the same project...) Truth be told, she's holding up better than I am. I don't remember the needle having that fine an eye last time we sewed...  I put her back in the case, because I don't have room to leave her out, but the case is sitting here in the livingroom and I'm pretty sure I hear her calling me.  Perhaps we'll make some things for Christmas...

Lastly...
(I just have to tell this to you. Traci's heard it, but it still makes me smile.)
The day we shipped the steer calves, the guys and I did all sorts of sorting, shifting of cows, moving of panels and so forth. We were all pretty weary; even the cows.  The last bunch of cows we turned into the lower lot ambled through the gate and then stopped, staring transfixed, at me.  At least they were staring at what they could see of me.  I was behind a corrugated fence, so all they saw was my head moving.  Their ears were forward, their heads were up and you could just HEAR them thinking, "How'd she DO that?" 
Cows are so cool.

Underground Bookclub

The Underground Bookclub gathered, under the cover of darkness, at the Hilltop Cafe in Jordan last night. The time and location has been kept quiet, because it was feared that the place would be mobbed with wanna-be members. (Really, it was because we couldn't figure out a date that worked for everyone...but we like to give the impression that everyone wants to join our group.)

8 of the 10 members made it; Beth went to Billings, supposedly, and Karen G. was catching up after her whirlwind Disney tour. BUT the exciting new addition to the group, Miss Arianna, only 6 days old, made her first Bookclub meeting!! We were THRILLED (and a little surprised) Anne came with the pixie child. Truly, Ari looked like a tiny fairy baby! And she slept the whole time.  Baby Everett was there, too...7 weeks old...and he's a snuggler, to the great delight of all the clubbers.

On Tuesday evenings, at the Hilltop, you can order ANYTHING off the menu, even breakfast! I think most everyone ordered omelets, with the exception of Clara.  She ordered a pancake with sides. That pancake was the most amazing thing. It was the size of a Toyota hood. On a plate.  I've never seen such a magnificent speciman of a hotcake! Do you remember the movie "Great Outdoors" where John Candy eats the Old 89'r, a gigantic steak, so all the meals would be paid for? We tried to get our waitress to go for that deal, but she wouldn't. Drats.

Oh! And we DID discuss the book. "A Town Like Alice" was thumbs up all around. Anne hadn't had a chance to read the book, but we covered all the high points and not in the correct order, either.  She's very confused, now, but intrigued. The book brought up some interesting points about lifestyle and Australia. I can't reveal any more.

Thelma brought pavlova for dessert! It's basically a big old meringue nest topped with real whipped cream and fruit. I had dreams about it, last night. If you ever have the opportunity to eat pavlova, don't pass it up. Even if you're trying to lose the last 15 pounds of baby weight.

The book for November is by Jan Karon and I believe the title is "Beyond Holly Hill"  or something like that. I'll have to look it up, because I was laughing a lot when the paper came by with the title and I missed the exact title; Clara is our host next month and there was talk of singing carols. THAT ought to make for an interesting meeting!

Before...

So I started a new campaign to lose the last 15 pounds from the last baby who is now three years old and potty trained. About time, I would say...
And just so you know, it's no longer called "dieting". That's not PC. You can refer to it as "life change", "goals and attitude adjustment resulting in reduction of clothing size" or other things like that, but it's no longer en vogue to say you are on a diet to lose *gasp* weight.

This is probably the 34th campaign, so don't get all excited or impressed. And lock up your cheesecake.

I thought I would take a "Before" picture, because so many articles and books have those, and it is recommended so one can keep focused on the goal.  It was a big thing.  I took a shower, did my hair, put on makeup and spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out if I wanted to wear something baggy, so the change would be stunning, or tight, so the change would be stunning.

I asked my husband to take the picture. Big mistake. (For all of you contemplating this, have your kid or a trusted friend do the job.) He said, "Aren't you supposed to be wearing a swim suit?"
Apparently, I'm not the only one reading Shape magazine.

"NO! Just take the picture!"

"Does ALL of you have to fit in the picture?"

"TAKE THE PICTURE."

"Alright, alright....hold your horses..."

After he left for work, I grabbed the camera and downloaded the pictures.
Then I deleted them off the camera and contemplated erasing the memory card.
I took a deep breath and prepared to crop the photos to eliminate the background.
Let's just say I cropped deep.

Wouldn't you say a "Before" picture that showed fairly chubby facial features is good enough?
And NO! you aren't getting to see it, Mike...both of you. Not until I have an "After" in which the facial features have been dramatically reduced in size....