In the State of Mud Duck

A Vote for Warm Weather Climates

2008-01-03T06:33:00.000-06:00

Yes I know. Yesterday I felt sorry for those that live in warm climates. Today I'm feeling a little bit different.

I have relatives that live in the great corn state of Nebraska. I am planning to visit them this weekend. And I'm driving. I was just checking weather.com for my travel forecast. And now I have to decide whether I will go or not.

The conditions are perfect for the drive down. However my return trip could be a bit iffy. As I get closer to home, the weather is forecasted to be in the mid 30's with a chance of rain. Yes I said rain. Now if you live where you get a traditional winter, you know that if those peeps who forecast are even a bit off in the temp that rain could actually be freezing rain. I have no problem driving in snow, but ice is a totally different story.

So now I'm wishing, just for a few days that our weather is a bit warmer..........................

What to do???

Pity for Warm Weather Residents?

2008-01-02T07:03:00.000-06:00

This winter in the Mud Duck state has been a lot of fun so far. We got snow earlier than we have in recent years and it hasn't been too cold.

This family of Mud Ducks spent the New Year further north in the Mud Duck state. My extended family also joined us. As we were all getting ready to venture off on our activities, I felt sorry for those who live in warm weather climates that cannot experience a true spectacular winter day.

My BIL, sister and nephew were on the snowmobile heading off on the frozen lake to the fish house to hopefully catch a new big Walleye for dinner. My husband was on the 4 wheeler with our two youngest children sitting behind him in a sled being pulled around the frozen expanse. My Mom and I were heading out on cross country skis to see all the wonderful sights.

I wish I could take that mental picture in my head and post it here for all to see. The joy on my family's faces as the headed out was perfect! As my Mom and I were skiing along the lake, 3 small planes with skis mounted on instead of wheels flew over right above us. So close that I could see the pilot's faces.

It was a truly wonderful day that I know we will all remember. And I feel bad for those who do not get to experience this.

But then I came crashing back to reality today.....the actual air temp when I got up, -4 with the wind chill, -21. I guess there is something to be said for living in a warmer climate.

UGH

2007-12-14T06:54:00.000-06:00

Again I'm sucking at keeping up my blog. Apparently I need to pencil it in on my daily schedule.

We have had the crud here at the Mud Duck home. Every single one of us has come down with some form of it. While this is my favorite part of the year, I also hate it because my kiddos seem to bring home every aliment known to man.

And this stuff hangs on tenaciously. I'm on my 3rd week of it. I have kept up with my exercising in the mornings but last week the crud had a hold of me so badly that I skipped it.

I have added Yoga to my regimen. I can't believe how much I enjoy this type of "exercise." I put quotations around exercise because there are some hard core Yogis' out there that cringe when they hear Yoga referred to as exercise.

I'm all gung ho on it though and am constantly surprising myself with how my body can move. I can curl my body into a ball and balance myself for a nano second on my hands.

Okay so it is only for a nano second, but hey I can still say I did it.

What Excites Me

2007-11-02T20:28:00.001-05:00

The silliest things get my excited.

My newest is some new add-ons that I found for FireFox. Now I think FireFox is the greatest browser out there and I don't understand why everyone isn't using it.

I currently have a lot of their add-ons downloaded, but tonight after FF was done with it's latest and greatest update I found some more.

I don't know if they are "new" or not, but to me they are and I'm in love.

The first is ScribeFire. This blogging add-on lets you post to your blog while FF runs on the top half of your screen. You just click the little notepad icon on the toolbar at the bottom and boom, it opens an editor. So simple. No more logging into my blog accounts and navigating to the place I want to be. With the click of my mouse I'm there.

The other add-on is FoxyTunes! How did I miss this one for so long. It also runs on the bottom toolbar and you can connect to almost any music player you want. All the controls are down below as well as scrolling text that tells what is currently playing. For those of us who love to listen to their tunes while surfing the web it is the bomb. (do people say bomb any longer or am I dating myself?)

Told you I was strange.

Now playing: Toby Keith - You Ain't Much Fun Since I Quit Drinking
via FoxyTunes

Oreo Workout

2007-10-31T10:22:00.000-05:00

3 weeks ago I started getting up early and exercising. I love it. I feel great all day.

We recently aquired satelite TV. While surfing through the channels I came accross FitTV. All day exercise programming. Whoo Hoo.

I tuned into the channel this morning (after my regular session) I sat on the couch, watched these people really working out.

I ate Oreo's. :)

Fishing - My way and His way

2007-10-31T07:14:00.000-05:00

This summer we went "Up North" for a week, as in a family vacation. Most Mud Duck's like to fish among other water sports since we have so much of it. I don't get a whole lot of enjoyment from fishing. I think the Fish Hot Line puts out the word when I'm around and they all steer clear of my line because I never and I mean never catch a fish.

Have you ever fished with a 2 and 4 yo who cannot sit still for a minute. Nor can they even stop talking for a nano second. One will be in the cooler digging out ice cubes to throw while the other is flipping switches for the blower motor, the horn and whatever else is on the instrument panel. This does not make for a relaxing time and 20 minutes into it I'm ready to jump in the lake and never come up for air. I definitely do not go for that kind of fishing.

In keeping with the title of this post, here is fishing his way;

Pull out a fat slimy worm
Stick a hook through it few times
Cast
Catch
Reel in
Pry hook out of equally slimy but also floppy fish's mouth
Either keep or pitch back
Repeat over
and over
and over again

Fishing my way. (Also referred to as the RIGHT way)

Tune radio to a station that plays some rockin songs
Turn the volume way up (a treat as never listen to music loud for fear of ruining kids hearing)
Shed all clothing except way to skimpy bikini that wouldn't be caught dead in typically
Slather on the SPF50 (cause have to admit am getting older, don't want more wrinkles)
Dig through cooler for ice cold Barcardi Breezer
Stretch out at opposite end of boat from husband
Lay back and shut eyes
Hope to make appropriate noises when husband catches "the big one".

Now that is the only way to fish!!!

Back.......but for how long?

2007-10-30T08:08:00.000-05:00

Yes as I have stated before, I suck at blogging. My last post was over 5 months ago. I guess I should consider it an accomplishment that I still have this blog.

So what has been happening in Mud Duck land you may ask. (And if you aren't, quit reading now because you are about to find out)

I think I will tell of one major thing that happened in 5 months today. Then I will tell another thing tomorrow. That way I'll have to keep coming back and posting because I wouldn't want to let all of you down. (yes I'm assuming someone is reading this)

The family and I went to Orlando this summer. Labor Day weekend to be exact. And it was H O T! In the past we have always visited when there is still snow on the ground and a "-" in front of the high temp of the day in Mud Duck land. So we were in love with FL. I always thought it was sunny and in the 80's with no humidity to speak of. (I regularly bury my head in the sand)

So this time around it was in the mid 90's and with the humidity the heat index was 105 give or take a few. This is how every day went that we were there. Blistering hot by 8:00 a.m. - Not fit for humans by noon, thunderstorms that made you want to run for your life at 2:00, freaking hot again and even more humid by 5:00.

When we finally arrived in Mud Duck land it was 88 degrees and it felt like a breath of fresh air. We will stick to February, March and November for our FL va-ca's.

What is a Mud Duck?

2007-05-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

I suck at blogging. Seriously I can't keep going for more than a few days, once I even made it for a few months. But I fizzle out and quit. Eventually I stop all together.

I'm a little bored this morning and was clicking through old links. I came across a blog of someone I tagged in January and read her response. She asked what the hell is a mud duck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mud_Duck
"Mud Duck" is a derogatory term used by people in Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota to describe residents of Minnesota. The term appears to be a play on the Minnesota nickname of "Land of Ten Thousand Lakes" and the notion of a species of duck that tends to feed on the muck of the bottom of a lake as well as the unclean and raucous habits of ducks generally.

So to Cheeseheads, and Idiots Out Wandering Around, I'm a mud duck. (And I'd rather be a mud duck than claim to be from WI, or IA.) ;)

Just a bit of useless trivia for you.

I've Been Tagged

2007-01-03T13:17:00.000-06:00

I have been tagged by a dear woman, Brandie, that I have "known" online for a few years now. You all now get a chance to read, Six Weird Things About Me! (Lucky you)

"THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

1. I abhor talking on the phone. Seriously I HATE HATE HATE it. I will do damn near anything not to talk on the phone. I'll let the call go to VM and then immediately check to see what the person wanted. If I have to call someone, I will try to call them when I'm most likely to get their VM.

2. I'm "Sound Sensitive" which is a really nice way of saying I go bonkers over repetitive noises no matter how soft they might be. Quickest way to see me go ballistic, drum your fingers on the tabletop and my head just might blow off. Makes going out in public with me really fun.

3. I cannot eat corn off of the cob. I love corn on the cob. You can stand right in front of me, cut it off the cob, hand me a plate of it and if I try to eat it, I'll gag and throw up. Must come from those childhood dinners where we had to sit at the dinner table until all of our food was gone, even if we had to sit there until bedtime.

4. Wet hair in the bathroom makes me gag. I can't write anymore on this or I'll be sick.

5. I'd rather watch movies I've already seen then new ones.

6. I'm not a spring chicken and I love to watch the shows on MTV. I'm currently watching The Duel and The Real World. I will watch them on my computer the following day after they aired and eat my lunch during nap time. I find it weird that at my age, I'm watching a bunch of teenagers.

My dh is right, I'm nuts. I'm sure he could go on and on about me, but Brandie only wanted six. Since I haven't been blogging much of the late, I haven't been reading much either. But here are some folks who I am tagging because I like their blogs.

Smoov

Home Jewels

Lumpyhead

So that's only 3, but if you have been reading along, then you'll know that I'm LAZY!

Where is Winter?

2006-12-27T21:44:00.000-06:00

The state of mud duck has the real 4 seasons......at least it is supposed to.

Today I spied a female jogging down the sidewalk in shorts and a short sleeved shirt. Nothing to strange in that unless you take into consideration that we should have about 2 feet of snow and be barely above zero on the thermometer. I even saw folks out tooling around on their motorcycles for Pete's sake. One unfortunate (i.e. STUPID) soul drove his brand new truck out onto the ice....and promptly went through.

While I'm not really complaining about the mild winter we are currently experiencing, it is a little odd. My sweetie has spent quite a bit of dough for this fantastic ice shack and all the creature comforts you could think of to go in it. But he cannot use it....and give me some blessed alone time.

My SIL purchased a new sled (mud duck speak for snowmobile) and all the gear for her family to safely ride it. No snow. And they are about as far north as you can get and still be in the continental US.

My son received a sled (no mud duck speak here) as a present this year. He thinks it is a surfboard.

At times these mild winters that we have been having are starting to scare me. I mean, how badly have we messed with nature to where she changing the climate. What is winter going to be like in the state of Mud Duck 20 years from now???

Don't Expect Mail

2006-12-22T15:26:00.000-06:00

I got a butt load of Christmas cards in the past two days. Most of them were those adorable pictures of families in a winter setting or of the family pet with an appropriate seasonal hat.

Some contained those yearly letters. You know the ones where they tell all about the fantastic things that have happened over the past year. I must confess that I love to read these, especially if they are written with some humor. All that bragging must be accompanied by some humor. It's a rule.

One even thanked me for some charitable work I had recently done AND berated that work all in the same sentence. Yeah, Happy Holidays to you too!! Nothing like the nicely sarcastic Christmas wish to get you in the holiday mood.

Anyway, I admire all of those that make the effort each year to have their holiday cards made. And then take the time to address, seal and stamp each card. On top of that, those of you who sit down and take the time to produce these newsletters full of pictures and astounding accomplishments utterly amaze me.

Have I ever mentioned that I'm a touch lazy? No? See the previous post.

I don't do Christmas cards. I have really never understood the whole concept. I'd rather spend my $50-$100 on gifts for ME! And there isn't anyway I could sit down and write glowing praises for my families accomplishments right now. (Maybe late at night when they are all sleeping)

Why doesn't anyone write that their dog is still pooping in the house, or how their 4 year old son has mastered the "F" word to the delight of his Grandmother. How about teenage daughter deciding that she wasn't going to come home one night or the youngest has turned into a gold miner......trying to get it out of his own nose.

Heaven help my family if I ever decide to give this annual newsletter/Christmas card thing a shot. But for now, don't expect mail from me.

Twinkle Twinkle

2006-12-21T23:52:00.000-06:00

I hung Christmas lights on my house this year for the first time. One unseasonably warm day in November, I got a bug up my butt to hang lights. I have always loved driving around at night and seeing all the brilliant twinkly lights. I thought, "We must have those too."

So I spent the afternoon going up and down the ladder so much that I realized I don't use my butt muscles that much. (Going up and down the stairs the next day was quite the treat)

I attached the little clips the specified 6" apart on the shingles of the roof. I ran the icicle lights through the slots and dutifully backtracked to straighten out said lights so that they all hung down beautifully.

I made a run to the local mass merchant to get more extension cords. I decided against getting a timer because really, what lazy person cannot plug in their lights? Oh and I just happened to pick up 6 more boxes of twinkles.

I made sure that my extension cords were hidden from view. I wrapped and re-wrapped those 6 new strings of lights around bushes and miniature Christmas trees. I even unearthed from the bowels of the garage a hideous yet endearing plastic Santa that LIT UP!

I was so pleased with my accomplishment. I envisioned how beautiful my house would look to others driving by at night. How they would point and say, "How pretty." or "Ohhhhh, look."

Did I happened to mention about not getting the timer? And how I thought people who bought those where lazy and I felt very smug for saving my $20 for something else?

Ask me how many times my house has been pointed at because it looks so lovely with the lights aglow? Ask me how many nights those lights have actually been on? I wouldn't need all five fingers to show you.

Hello nice to meet you, I'm LAZY!!!!

All that work and those lights have been plugged in a handful of times. (Yeah, that's pushing it) And now it's a sure bet that when it comes time to take 600 hundred feet of lights down, it isn't going to be unseasonably warm. I'll be lucky if it is above zero out.

Hmmm, I wonder if I could be that neighbor that never takes down their lights............because hey, I'M LAZY!!