You Know You're Back in KS When...

It was good to be home even under the circumstances. However, there were a couple of funny situations that made me think that these things only happen in KS. So without further ado here are the top ten ways you know you are back in KS.

10. When someone says "look a rooster" you know they are not talking about a chicken.

9. For three hours you drive through one of the worst snow storms of your life and then at a certain point in the highway it's sunny, clear, and doesn't have a flake of snow in site for miles.

8. You go to a dinner after the funeral and by looking at the dishes (because of course it is a pot luck) you know a) who brought it b) which is the best choice and c) you have every recipe of every side dish and dessert brought and they are all in the same church cookbook.

7. The casino is five minutes from your mom's house (Indian reservations are grand).

6. In some parts of KS you have to let your car warm up for 10 minutes before you can even begin to get the ice off and at the exact same moment in other parts of KS you don't have to wear a coat it's so nice outside and the very next day it is the exact opposite weather on the exact opposite sides of the state.

5. People look at you like you are speaking a foreign language when you say words like rutch over, stop by a MAC for cash, Schuylkill, quarter of five, and soda.

4. When you say that the apple pie is good but not as good as an apple dumpling they have no idea what that is but are sure that they want one.

3. Windmills line the interstate and moving like crazy because it BLOWS like crazy in KS and there is NO trees anywhere.

2. You can see for 20 miles in any direction from the interstate because there are NO trees and it is breath taking.

1. You hit your brakes when you see a cop set up with a radar and you freak because you are totally speeding and then your realize you are going 77 miles per hour. After a brief moment of panic you laugh because you are not speeding in KS because the speed limit in KS is usually 75.

Rock On

Little known fact. When Rock Band first came out Bret and I were on the wait list to get it for the PS3. Not only were we the first to buy the game we were also ranked in the top 100 nationwide for points. Yep hubs and I were unstoppable.

In case you didn't know Rock Band is similar to Guitar Hero only it has a drum set and mike in addition to the guitar. It is really fun game to play by yourself, with a group of people, or just the two of us. We have not played the game in AGES. We have gotten it out a few times when we had people over and when Bret's sister and her fiance were in town for Christmas they played it quite a bit. Last night when I got home from work I walked in to find Bret having a good 'ole time playing the drums. The kids love the games too and I am amazed how they are really not too bad. Emily can keep a pretty good beat and Palmer is good with colors. So instead of doing any of the million things that need to be done before we leave for KS tomorrow we rocked on with the impending threat from mom that tomorrow we have all got to chip in to get stuff done.

I laid awake most of the night making lists in my head. Lists of what to pack, what to buy, and what needs to be done. It will get done...some how.

When you Love someone

Sometimes you just have to say yes. The person I love most in life is grieving. So even though we don't exactly have the money, it isn't the ideal time to take off, it is very last minute, and is in all definitions not really reasonable or sensible I said yes. I said yes because I know that if it was me that wanted to go home and if I was the one who needed to be close to my family and my friends he would say yes. He would say of course and he would make it happen. So I am making it happen and I am holding him a little closer and kissing my children a little extra because life is precious and we are so blessed.

Identity Crisis

Some good friends that I used to work with back in KS were in Philly over the weekend for a convention this week. Bret and I drove down and dinner with them. It was great to see them and catch up. It was even greater to have a babysitter and a nice evening out without the kids.

During the course of the evening my good friend asked if we were going to move back to KS more importantly the town that we used to live in. Honestly I have no idea. I don't know where we are going to live. This does not surprise me as I have said for a long time that it is easier for Bret and I to say where we won't live rather than where we will. The part that did surprise me is that for the first time in a long time I don't know where I WANT to live.

Don't get me wrong I loved living in Wichita. There are plenty of places that I would love to own a home, they have some great schools, our friends are there, and it is a good distance from both sides of the family. However I'm not sure where I would work. I don't see a place for me any more at WSU. I don't think I would want my old job back (not saying that it would even be available) or where else in the college I would fit. I just don't know what I want anymore. I don't know if I want to stay at home with the kids until they are older or if I want to go back to school and get my Ph.D or if I want to stay in the working world. I just don't know.

I have always known. I have always had a plan and I have always had goals. Life has not always gone according to my plan and I think that since the move out here I have been a little gun shy to try and make more plans for our future. Instead I pray and I have faith. God has a plan for me and this time I am trying to let him guide me. Bret too has a lot of unknowns when it comes to his path so that may be part of my uncertainties. Of course if he decides to pursue a fellowship I have to be ready to support that path and let me tell you it will definitely be a ride different from if he doesn't.

While the unknown still bothers me the frustration is nothing compared to what it used to be. I know no matter what I will be happy as long as my family is close to me. The rest will figure itself out because it always has.

Totally Awkward Tuesdays

So I know that I missed last week but I was out of town, etc and I have a really good story to make up for it this week.



For those of you who haven't read already about our ridiculously long drive back to Kansas that we make regularly because we can't afford four plane tickets...catch up.



Dr. Heskett is a great person to travel with except for one thing. He is a Nazi when it comes to stops. Even if you don't have to pee you should try because it doesn't matter what you promise, plead, or how many tears you shed he is not going to stop until the next designated stop. Emily and I have learned to accept this and usually don't bother to ask anything except when the next stop is going to be. A tank of gas is usually our determinate as to when we are going to stop next and that usually tends to be about four hours. Sometimes this is a little bit of a challenge but one that both Emily and I can usually manage pretty well although sometimes we are running to the bathroom by the time we finally stop.



This weekend we were on our trip home and about six hours from home (it is a 17 hour drive) I had to pee. I asked Dr. Heskett about how long until our next stop. One hour. No problem...it was going to be one of those run to the bathroom moments and I mentally cut myself off from diet coke but I wasn't panicking yet.



As the hour started to dwindle I saw relief in the last sign that said 10 miles until our stop. As we rounded the corner we were passed by a fire truck and ambulance and Bret said..."oh no". Still keeping my cool I turned to him to ask "what?". Without looking at me Bret said "I bet there is a bad accident ahead" and at that moment we came to a stand still behind a ton of cars that we backed up farther than we could see. With panic just under the surface I told myself that it was a slight delay and we were going to inch towards the exit that was only 9 miles away. WE. DIDN'T. MOVE. Bret put the truck into park and I looked at him with terror in my eyes. My bladder was literally starting to cramp. I looked around me and there was NO. WHERE. TO. GO. It was about 6 am and starting to get light outside so sneaking off to the shoulder was out of the question. I just tried to focus on something else and that was just not working.



We sat there for an hour and finally I looked at Bret and said..."I can't hold it any longer". Bret rolled down the window and poured out the last of his large diet coke and handed me the cup. I just sat there and stared at him. It took me a moment to realize that he thought I should pee in the cup. I was horrified. I am no city girl and have squat and peed my far share in the woods but this was completely different. Some how I was supposed to pull my pants down without mooning the world with my whiter than white butt in the front passenger seat of a pick up that was packed to absolute max with my husband sitting next to me and my two kids in the back seat wide awake. Are you kidding me????



As bad as I had to pee it was the longest it has ever taken me to get started. I can't begin to detail my embarrassment and awkwardness at this moment. It was even weird afterwards as we sat there for another 30 minutes before we finally got moving with a cup of my pee sitting in the cup holder of the console because I'll be damned if I was going to roll down my window and dump the pee in front of everyone on the side of the road. UGH. Happy Totally Awkward Tuesdays!