Gypsy Girl Writes

What’s Pete have to say about Brooks & Dunn calling it quits after all these years? Well click on over to Froggy 92.9 fm and listen for yourself.

I’ll personally be sad to see them go, but sometimes you just know in your heart when it’s time to leave the party. Best of luck to them!

Not long ago we were shopping the laundry aisle at the store. In some stores that aisle can be pretty overwhelming, to the point where you are actually tasting the soaps when you inhale through you mouth. BLECH!

We were needing dryer sheets, again. I swear someone keeps running off with those things. I’m thinking it’s that same ‘being’ that swipes the random sock from the dryer.

Anyway, the kid was opening jugs of fabric softener and seeing which one she liked. I mostly heard, *cough* *gag* “Eww, that is nasty” from her direction. Which made me giggle. She finally found one that pleased her senses, Ultra Downy Simple Pleasures Vanilla Lavender liquid. She, of course wanted to get some. But we didn’t have that wonderful little ‘fabric softener’ hole in the washer for dispensing. She then pointed out the Downy Ball.

I did the math on the fabric softener vs. the dryer sheets, pretty much equal and the one time purchase of the ball. Then the bonus of the liquid being less of a fire hazard than the dryer sheets. We ended up with a jug of softener and the little ball.

As soon as we got home we put the little fella to work. After the first load went through the washer and dryer we could tell a huge difference between the sheets and the liquid. Softer, fluffier and nicer smelling laundry. As a major bonus, NO STATIC!

We had towels that just would never soften up since the day we bought them, one run through with the ball and we couldn’t wait to wrap ourselves in them. Our magic little ball.

I am also much happier now that I don’t have drier sheets all over the living room floor, have them popping up out of nowhere, or randomly having them stuck to parts of my clothing only to have me realize it’s there after I’ve left the house. And there is nothing worse than itching all day only to find out that there’s a dryer sheet in your shirt. UGH!

So my friends. Get yourselves out there and try the little magic ball. You too will see how freakin’ awesome it is.

Oh, and on How Stuff Works it says how the Downy Ball works.

Yes, we’ve gone 7 months with no microwave. Yes, it’s by choice.

We are eating much healthier and enjoying our food more. No more crispy-to-burned edges or scalding hot middles. Our meals are cooked evenly all the way through and taste excellent. We also don’t have to worry about all the preservatives that are in the ‘microwave only’ food that we used to get.

I will have to admit, the occasional pot pie that takes 35 minutes to cook in the oven is someone irritating, but in the end it makes me ask, “do I really really want to eat that?” Usually, it’s a big NO.

Tuesday we were walking through the grocery store and my daughter and I had the following conversation. It still makes me giggle…

Me: So, you want some microwave popcorn?
Her: Ya, as a matter of fact I do. How am I gonna pop it, with my butt?!
{she walks down the aisle}
I just stand there, unable to speak I’m laughing so hard.

So I went to the doctor about my breathing issue. I’ve stumped her. Of course this is nothing new, I’m pretty good at stumping my doctors when it comes to diagnosing my illnesses.

She put a little monitor thingy on my finger and showed my heart rate at 110 and my O2 at something.. I don’t remember what. Then, for kicks I got to walk with her around the office using the monitor as a finger leash. My heart rate skyrocketed and my O2 plummeted. Problem!

We then drew blood. How I just love being stabbing with sharp pointy things. NOT! I have two bruises now, one on each elbow pit. Looks like I’ve been shooting up with a turkey baster.

Because I wasn’t having a hard enough time getting air, they had me use a Peak Flow Meter. I was to blow in it three times. First time, 350. Second and third time, in the 100s. Yikes! I was feeling like a million bucks after that visit.

For now, we are treating this like asthma (gee, go figure).  But she is going to get me in to see a lung doctor as soon as possible. They are currently scheduling out into June! I’m shooting for January at the latest.

Until I get to see said doctor I get to take Allegra at night and suck an inhaler every four hours as needed. Yippee! With the inhaler came a ’spacer’. I’m not exactly sure what the point of this thing is besides costing me an extra $9.50. The pharmacist couldn’t tell me the benefits either. The only thing I can find on the box and instructions is that it “..makes taking the medication easier“, um.. whatever! Who the hell knows, I just know that I have to have it and I may as well use it.

So, I’m reading the instructions to this ’spacer’ and it says “Prior to first use, wash according to the cleaning instructions.” OK, let me do that… There are four parts to this ’spacer’, they need to soak for 15 minutes, then be rinsed with clean water (so much for using tap water) then air dry thoroughly. Now, what do you do if you start having an asthma attack before the damn thing is dry? Towel dry it? Get out the hair dryer? I didn’t find the answer in their oh-so-helpful Q&A section.

I think I’ll wait to wash this thing until i get home. People here at work are just gross, who knows what is growing on the faucets here. My skin crawls just thinking about it. Until then, I will just walk around with barely any air and feel like someone just bunched my breast bone.

All I want to do is lay down and sleep. I have no energy at all but I keep pluggin’ along anyway. I try and remember to carry ID everywhere I go just incase I passout and fall over, then at least they can identify my body.

Special Hopeline Video

1-800-SUICIDE needs your help. Let’s keep the government out of this part of our lives.

Brought to you by PostSecret and Hopeline

OK folks, you asked and I answered…or rather I asked and Pete answered! The long awaited mini interview. Because inquiring minds need to know.

Q1: What have you been working on lately?

Goodness… lots of stuff actually, very busy right now. It’s a good busy though.   Everything from new media projects to videos, to of course, the new record. Thanks for asking!

Q2: Any new songs we’ll be hearing on the radio soon?

Yes…VERY excited about the new single.  We’re on our final steps in the production right now, radio is already asking for it.  It’s responding to a very famous song… more info on that later.

Q3: Will you be having any gigs in the near future?

Yes, we’ll be hitting the road soon.  It won’t be a tour because I’m working on too many things, but I hope to double my live schedule from last year.

Q4: Is there any PETE [stringfellow] paraphernalia that fans can purchase?

We only have a few shirts left, but we’re in the process of updating them and making them available on the Website. I’ll keep you posted on when they’re ready. We’ll be adding a few items as well.

Q5: You have done two commercials for Big 1O Tires, do you have plans for more projects like this?

Yeah…they’re fun to do. I actually enjoy the audition process in the acting world, which you don”t hear very often.  I have an agent in Nashville and San Francisco so between the two, they keep my chops up throughout the year with fun “on camera” jobs.

Q6: Will you be singing in Nashville any time soon?

Yes, in February but it will be in the studio.  We’ll be playing at 12th and Porter again in the near future…I love playing there!

Q7: Anything you’d like to say to your fans?

You mean, besides that I love them? LOL!  No really, I would personally thank them all if I could.  I’ve got the best fans in the world!

That’s all for now. I”m hoping to post Pete’s Big 10 commercials soon, so stay tuned. Also, I’ll be sure to keep you updated on all his other happenings as well.

~~Peace out, and remember…Sonoma County Baby!!

As we bring to a close my most fantastic birth-week, I leave you with one final picture. A picture every parent has at least one of in their coveted shoe boxes of photos… the first Santa photo.

This was back when Santa didn’t look like he just grabbed a rental suit from the closest craptastic costume store. The suit was velvet, the boots a realistic leather and the beard, hair and EYEBROWS looked extremely real. Yes, this was Santa.

As I sat on his lap, we stared each other down, him waiting for me to scream and me wondering, “Who the hell are you?”

Frank at PostSecret has compiled another inspiring video. This one did not make as big of an emotional impact as the last, but it does have impact.

I encourage you to take a moment out of your busy schedule to sit quietly and watch the video… read the secrets on today’s posting. Maybe you will find your inspiration, your truth. Maybe, perhaps, you will send in your own secret.

I would like to thank Frank for his project and all the books he has published thus far. Every Sunday I sit quietly and view the new secrets. It’’s a time of reflection or me. I guess you could say, it’’s my own form of church.

Thank You Frank

OK, so if you’ve followed this blog at all and scanned my blogroll you know that I visit PostSecret. This weeks secrets, amazing!

Takes your breath away.

Watch it, now!

P.S. go back every Sunday for new secrets