iPhone meets Kubota Z74

Well, here is the picture I promised. Lovely isn't it? I always wondered what was inside the iPhone...now I know! LOL I had just bought the new plastic case on Saturday night. It was ugly and I hated it, but I needed a protective case because I tend to drop my phone sometimes! LOL The armband thingie wasn't much protection, either!

I got my new phone and I'm back in business, although, since I'm not real good about regularly synching my iPhone, there's lots of stuff that I need to add again. I guess it's just a matter of time!

Have fun laughing at me!

Hugs&Smiles!
Kim

A small tragedy....

Okay, so I got home from work tonight and was feeling pretty UP and productive. DH was at golf league tonight. The girls decided they were going golfing, too, so I took them to the golf course and dropped them off. Had to fax an order approval for some linens while I was there for some linens that weren't available through my usual company. I got home and decided to jump in the pool to do some exercise and also to sweep the pool. Stayed in there about 30 minutes and got that done. Got changed and put some meat in the fridge to marinade and made some rice and started a load of laundry. Then I decided I better mow the grass since it's supposed to rain tomorrow. Got the front yard done and saw a small snake on my driveway (probably as big around as a pencil and about 14 inches long). I hate snakes, but this one wasn't a big deal. My FIL stopped in to see what time Syd's golf meet is tomorrow and I told him to hold on...I had to kill a snake! I found the snow shovel and chopped it's head off!!! Sent him on his way (shaking his head! LOL) I was feeling pretty proud of myself at this point because I had actually accomplished quite a bit! LOL So, I continue my mowing. About 40 minutes later, I was done with the biggest part of the yard and Syd calls to tell me they are done and ready for me to pick them up so I run real quick to get them. Find out the DH has a buddy coming home from the golf course with him to swim and eat dinner. I told them no big deal, but I need to finish mowing before I cook, so I rush back home to mow. I had been mowing about 5 minutes when tragedy struck.........................I was listening to my iPod (iPhone) as I was mowing and had it in this arm-band thing. When I mow, I always put the arm-band thing on the arm rest of the mower. Well, apparently I hit a bump and it threw my phone off the arm rest and right under the mower and I watched it fly out from under the mower in A ZILLION PIECES!!!!!!!! I didn't even know what to do. I was in complete and total shock!!!!! I just turned the mower off and picked up the pieces and started walking up to the house. DH pulled in right about then with his buddy right behind him. He could tell by the look on my face that something was REALLY wrong and he looked down at my hands and said "what's that?" When I said "my phone", I thought he was going to die!!!! They both laughed at me until I was almost crying!!!

If you know me well, you know that this is reall not a small tragedy to me. This rates right up there with losing my right arm. Seriously. My phone is like an appendage. I have been totally stressing out since the minute it happened. I don't know how I'm going to function in the morning. The first thing I do every morning is check the weather on my phone. Shortly after that, (by 6am), I start receiving text messages and phone calls from work. I've got a couple of meetings in the morning, so I'm not even going to be able to get to AT&T until 10 or 11. Holy crap. I'm not sure I'll survive. I will try and get a picture of it tomorrow to show you what a nice job I did on it!

Hugs&Smiles!
Kim

Back to School....already!!!

I can't believe it's that time, already, but the girls went back to school on Thursday, August 13th. Sydney is a freshman this year and Sammie is in 2nd grade. They were both excited to go back. Sydney is in golf and cross country right now, so she's been extra busy. Sammie is doing gymnastics and cheer, so she stays pretty busy herself. I feel like all I do is drive, drive, drive!!! :o) We have fun, though!

Hugs&Smiles!
Kim

West Baden Springs

If you EVER have a chance to visit southern Indiana, make sure you find the time to go to West Baden Springs Resort in West Baden, Indiana. It's only 1 mile from French Lick! And you can say you've been to what is dubbed as the "8th Wonder of the World". I haven't seen the first 7, but the 8th one is BREATHTAKING!!!! I promise you, it will be worth the trip!!! This place has a rich history that just amazes me. A quick timeline/history...originally built in 1902 (and built in less than 1 year!!!) after a previous hotel on the site was destroyed by fire...It was claimed that the mineral baths and drinking water could cure most anything. As word spread of the plummeting stock market in 1929, people gathered in the on-site stock brokerage firm and watched the hotel virtually empty overnight. The stock market crash spelled the end of the hotel and it closed it's doors in 1932. It was sold to the Jesuits for $1 in 1934 and was turned into a seminary, which operated until 1964. In 1966 the Jesuit's sold the property to a Michigan couple who donated it to a private college which operated a business management school until 1983. I first became interested in this when my parents took me there my senior year of high school (1986). My Dad heard that someone had purchased the hotel and was in the process of restoring it, so he took us to see it. Even though the place was a total mess, you just had this "feeling" when you walked into the dome that it was something special. A few years later, the owner filed bankrupty so it sat empty for several years. In 1991, Bill Cook, a Bloomington, Indiana, entreprenuer financed a partial restoration. In 2006, ownership was transferred to a subsidiary of Cook Group and was reopened in 2007. The first picture is the brick drive entrance. I forgot to take a picture of the arches you drive through at the entrance! DUH! It's quite majestic!



This was the largest dome in North America from 1902 until 1963 when Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign was built.

When I walked into it on Tuesday, I just couldn't believe how BEAUTIFUL it was. Oh.My.Goodness!!! These pictures don't do it justice, seriously. You just can't believe it!

We spent about an hour walking around the shops, etc. inside the hotel. I found this beautifully decorated dining room. I'm not sure if there was an event planned for the evening or if it always looks like this. It's hard to tell in the picture, but the linens were navy blue and gold and just looked divine!

I also found this chair and ottoman in one of the little shops inside the hotel. Again, the picture doesn't do this justice..the colors were absolutely vibrant and the detail was amazing.

I've got several pictures from outside in the "gardens" that I will share in the next couple of days. If you enjoyed the pics of the inside, just you wait until you see what's outside! Talk about gorgeous!!!

Thanks for letting me gush about my new favorite place in the world!!

Hugs&Smiles!

Kim