You Know You're From Missouri...

Things I've learned from living in Missouri.
Possums sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.
There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Missouri.
There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Missouri, plus a couple no one's seen before.
Unknown critters love to dig holes under tomato plants.
Raccoons will test your crop of melons and let you know when they are ripe.
If it grows, it sticks --if it crawls; it bites.
A tractor is NOT an all-terrain vehicle. They do get stuck.
Onced and Twiced are words.
It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy.
People actually grow and eat okra.
"Fixinto" is one word.
There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There's only dinner and then there's supper.
Sweet Tea is appropriate for all meals... and you start drinking it when you're 2.
Backwards and forwards means I know everything about you.
"Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is. You work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
More about Missourians.... You know you're from Missouri if:
1. You measure distance in minutes.
2. You've had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the > same day.
3. You know what a mule is.
4. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of the year.
5. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: I am fixin to go to the store.
6. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect or animal. 7. You install security lights on your house and garage .... and leave both of them unlocked.
8. You carry jumper cables in your car ... for your OWN car.
9. You know what "cow tipping" is.
10. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, B B Q and ketchup.
11. The local papers cover national and international news on one page but requires 6 pages for local gossip and sports.
12. You think that the first day of deer season and the first day of trout fishing are national holidays.
13. You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit "a little warm." 1
4. You know all four seasons: Almost summer -- Summer -- Still summer --, and Christmas. 15. You know whether another Missourian is from east, west, or middle Missouri as soon as they open their mouth, or by the barbecue they eat.
16. Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite pass time (known as "goin wal-martin" or off to "Wally World.")
17. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good pinto-bean weather.
18. Fried Catfish is the other white meat.
19. You know what the phrase "Hunkered Down" means.
20. You understand these jokes and forward them to your friends from MO and those who just wish they were. "A true friend is someone who thinks you're a good egg even though he knows you are slightly cracked

Public Relations Tour

Yesterday, my co-workers and I went on a public relations tour of area hotels and resorts that we use. We also had lunch at McFarlain's restaurant. We had a great time!

Christmas 2005 Update

Well friends, it has been awhile since I have posted anything on here. I guess I had a lost interest or just got too busy over the holidays. anyway...
My last day of work for 2005 was December 17. That weekend I drove to KS and spent a few days with friends there. As always, we had a great time. Sun morning, Dec 19, we awakened to a fresh new blanket of snow on the ground. It just made everything seem a little more like Christmas. On Dec 22, I made my way through the winding roads of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas to middle TN to visit my parents and other family members. I had a pleasant 8 1/2 hour trip and arrived that afternoon. My nephews and niece were excited to see me and couldn't wait to show me everything new that had taken place since my last visit. One of those new things was a passal of puppies. They were already several weeks old, had their eyes open and were running around. The mother of these puppies, however, is part devil, I think. She is a beagle/rat terrior mix, with a hint of demon. Vicious. Evil. Hostile. I don't think she could have really hurt us too badly since we armed ourselves with a rake, broom, and a stick before making our way to the kennel. As we approached ever so cautiously, the mother tried to attack, but in vain. As I tried to keep her snarling jowls at bay, Darren and Missy discovered one of the puppies lying lifeless away from the group. My mom was there and took the puppy inside to try to bring it back to life. After a couple of days, Lazarus, as I call him, was up and running around, playing with the rug in the kitchen and just being a normal puppy again. It's amazing how quickly he recovered from the grip of death. He has become a favorite at the homeplace and I'm sure will be around as part of the family for years to come.
I had a great visit while in TN. It was wonderful being with all the family for Christmas once more. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and an awesome New Year!