It's been very cold the past couple of days. We've had to continually break the ice for the dogs so they can have fresh water and not lick an iceblock

Our pond is frozen enough that the dogs walk across it. I don't know why they do this (it's a very small pond). Maybe they think the grass is greener on the other side (4 feet across ) I guess they really haven't figured out that there is NO grass on the other side.....or the side that they left. But hey....this is why I love 'em. They tend to act like me at times

I happened to look in the mirror this morning.....ok...I look in the mirror EVERY morning.......but this morning I really paid attention to what I was seeing.

The first thing I notice is two red eyes staring back at me. They were all shiny, like new marbles with red streaked throughout. I started to tap on the mirror and ask that person what the hell she did with Sybil, then I took closer look and noticed that the same rash on my cheek I've been battling for quite a few days is still there and laughing at me.

At first I thought the rash was just dry skin (and it might be but I'm doubting that theory more and more) but lotion doesn't seem to be helping. It hasn't changed since it first appeared. Same size, color, etc. It really doesn't itch that bad. I guess if it still there in a few days then I will get it checked out but I think it's my body's way of saying "HEY!!! I'm still here and I'm gonna fuck with you just to piss you off" My body can be an evil bitch.

Like the rash isn't bad enough, I move my eyes back up for one more glance at the red-eyed monster before settling on the top of my head. I now know that the Evil Bitch is working her spells. There is a 'target' of grey hair right in the middle of my parted hair. It's like she's planted one there for each year I've been on this earth. Bitch!

Well, little does she know, Wally World still sells hair color. I'll fix her.

It must have been a shock to my system seeing all that ICK first thing this morning because I then started talking to the 'monster' in the mirror

The usual conversation one usually has with oneself.......

You really need a haircut.............Damn, your eyes look like shit (maybe you shouldn't have had that last beer).........Ya know, you really should get that rash looked at...........Mental note...buy more chapstick......Your lips look like parchment paper..........Great, another wrinkle.............Look how puffy your eyes are........and bloodshot......damn......maybe you shouldn't have had the last TWO beers.........Fucking, rash....Mental note....buy new blush brush........Hey...maybe THAT'S where that funky rash came from..........Note to self...check out the blush/rash thing........Holy cow!!!!.......Look at those fucking eyebrows......OMG...I can't believe you're going out of the house with those things!!!.........Fucking rash........If it turns out to be shingles, I'll do major bodily harm to M at the office for dragging that shit around everyone............Jesus....do something with your eyes..........Fucking rash

Now you know why I don't REALLY look in the mirror everyday

I'm not sure why, but it hit me like a ton of bricks the other night......

My son will be 16 in March!!!

I had a hard time with my oldest turning 18 (16 didn't bother me with her) but I've grown accustomed to her getting older and when she hit 19 this year, it wasn't THAT big of a deal. My youngest daughter turned 16 and didn't make me feel funny but she is soon to be 18 and this freaks me out a little. Actually it freaks me out right much. She will graduate then 3 weeks later, turn 18. TWO major milestones in the space of a month but that's a whole 'nother story.

My son turning 16 just floors me. I'm not sure why. I guess it's because he's the last one. I will no longer have anyone that 'will be' 16 or any other age before that. Then he will be turning 18 and graduating before I know it.

Aside from him soon to be 16, he's growing like a weed. I already have to look up to him and from what I understand, boys sometimes hit a growth spurt around 16 . If this is the case then I will end up getting a crick in my neck

I can't imagine he will be that tall anyway since I'm not tall and his daddy isn't tall. Unless he has the genes that other family members have. There are a few that are well over 6 feet but I don't think he will end up being quite THAT tall but ya never know. He sure seems to be on his way right now.

I also notice that he is starting to 'fill out'. His shoulders are getting broader and the same with his legs...they are starting to 'thicken' up and not look so 'kiddish'. Not to mention they're pretty hairy My baby is turning into a man

I joking asked him the other day if he had started shaving yet, whichI know he hasn't, and he just gave me some odd look that I am probably glad I didn't know the meaning of I told him if he's lucky then he'll end up being like his daddy and not being hairy at all. Unless of course, being hairy is 'the thing' for guys. I don't know. Personally, I prefer the less hairy of the species

Oh well, whatever happens, happens. Not much I can do to make him grow or stop (not that I would want to and if I did then I should've picked a different father ). However he turns out is fine by me. It's still a little mind boggling tat he is turning into that 'miniature man' right before my eyes.

After him, I have no more 'babies'

Wow....what a sobering thought. In four years, I could be fighting the empty nest syndrome

Who the hell am I kidding...........they ain't going NOWHERE

Hubby has worked on quite a few movie sets over the years.  He's come home many a night filled with tales to tell me about how they do this and that when it comes to making a movie. To be quite honest, the first movie set that his company did, he came home and told me that he met Brad Pitt but didn't know who he was at the time (this was quite a few years ago) and I was thinking to myself, "yeah, sure you did honey " but over the years, since they've done several well known movies, I tend to believe what he told me.

I always thought that it would be pretty cool to work on a movie set and all the preparation that goes along with it...and it very well may be....but after the different sets that hubby has worked on and all the BS that he comes home talking about..I'm not so sure it would be all that fun anymore.

I got to visit one of the sets earlier last year and was absolutely fascinated. The detail that they put into stuff is amazing and I never really thought about "behind the scenes" kind of stuff until I saw what I saw. The set that I visited was set during "Thomas Jefferson" times, I believe...(it's been awhile and I can't remember exactly) but it was somewhere around that time. Hubby was working on two different sets about an hour apart and we got to visit both on the same day. It was an "off" day for the cast and the only people milling around were the workers trying to get things set up or cleaned up for the next shoot. I took so many pictures that day that I think it put a toll on my camera .

Below are just a few of the ones that I like....

These are the buildings at the "dock" ......notice there is no water

 

I don't think this ship will go very far......once again....no water

 

I really hope this isn't the ONLY time I'm aboard a "ship"

 

Welcome to "town" .....half is covered in "snow"....the other has been cleaned up

 

This is my daughter holding a "cannonball"....boy did she feel silly when she realized it was nothing but painted styrofoam

 

Another side of "town"

ea....the

 

This was where most of the cast hang out in between shots and this is only PART of them

I didn't get to meet anyone famous that day but it was still cool just to go and see how it looks off camera. I'm guessing what I saw, we will see very little of during the movie itself but it was still fascinating to me