Two weeks.

It's a chilly, rainy day here in Vernon, TX.

Today marks our second week here.  In case you are unfamiliar with the area, here's where we are:

We are staying at the Old Glory RV Park.  There are a few linemen living out here but I think it's mostly pipeline workers.  It's nothing fancy, but then again, there's nothing really fancy about Vernon, TX!  The folks we've met here have all been nice.  The VFW is just across the road from us.  We've been over there a couple times for some beers and pool.  The spot we're in right now isn't the greatest but within the week we should be moving to a better spot where we'll have a bit more room out front.  We'll be able to set up a table and chairs as well as pulling our awning out.

One of my favorite things about being here is being able to buy Shur Fine foods!  For those who don't know, Shur Fine is kind of like Great Value.  A bargain brand that saves you a little money versus the name brand.  For me, I think it's all about nostalgia.  We grew up eating Shur Fine foods and just seeing this little label reminds me of growing up back home.

Danny always giggles at me when I come in from the store bragging about all my Shur Fine finds!  I know he's secretly happy though because I'm saving us money!!

It's all about the little things in life right?

This is Coy's Discount Foods.  They carry the Shur Fine brand so I LOVE going in here to shop!
There is also a really nice United Foods here in Vernon.  It's cool to walk in and see all the wines you can buy in the grocery stores here in Texas.  United has a really big wine selection!

Danny is liking his job.  They really need hands here.  Danny's foreman is really happy with him because he has lots of experience and is a real go-getter.   Once a week or so I make a big batch of breakfast burritos so he can take his breakfast with him.  I also make sandwiches for him for lunch the night before.  The main goal for us while we're here is to save money for this summer when we have the kids.  This will allow us to take time off and spend with them!  We actually got an offer to go to New York City to work!  Danny would have started this past Monday if we had accepted.  I, of course, was all about living in New York for awhile but for us for right now this is the best place for us to be.  We wouldn't have been able to take our 5th wheel with us and staying in a motel room in Chinatown would have run us about $500 per week.  Plus there are MANY for temptations to spend money in NYC as opposed to Vernon!  Someday however, we will get out to New York or New Jersey to work!

I really love our 5th wheel!  It is so cozy and comfortable!  There's something about crawling up into our bed at night to sleep.  It's like a little cave and we both sleep like babies up there!  It's really cool when it's raining.  Our bed is a slide-out so you can hear it raining right above you.  Very peaceful if you love the sound of rain like I do!

Well, just thought I'd post a little blog here while Danny naps.  He got rained out today.  Hope all is well where you are!

Cheers!
Shayla

Unemployment

I guess you could say my 'working' career started in Walsh, Colorado on a 4500 acre farm.  My Mom had re-married and we moved up there the middle of my 7th grade year.  I had enjoyed a pretty carefree childhood up until that point!  Working the land and cattle was no joke but it taught me a lot about work ethic and responsibility.

I eventually moved on to radio when I was in junior college.  I honestly thought that's where I would stay but by the end of 2000 I had had enough.  An ownership change at KRPT in Anadarko, Oklahoma had led to me hating my job and needing to move on to something different.

So, since I was in junior high I've worked.

The only exception was the month and a half between leaving my job at KRPT and finding my job at Chickasha Chiropractic Clinic in February 2001.

Until now.

Today was my first day of unemployment.  Thursday, February 28th, 2013 was my last day of employment at Chickasha Chiropractic Clinic.  A bittersweet day for sure but one that I'm glad is finally over with.  It took us a long time to get to that day and I'm glad to finally have it behind us.

I clearly remember pulling into the parking lot at the clinic to fill out an application.  It was my sister's birthday, January 18th, 2001.  I was running late as usual (I know you all find that very hard to believe).  I was going to meet Holly and my Aunt Cathy for a birthday lunch.  I remember seeing 'chiropractic' on the front door and I got a little nervous. I'd never been to a chiropractor and never really had a desire to go to a chiropractor but I really needed to get back to work and figured this would at least be a start.

On that day back in 2001, I never would have imagined it would lead to a 12 year career.  Now I can't imagine my life without chiropractic!  I have seen some things in that office that some would never believe!  My faith in chiropractic is strong and that will never change.  I've seen too many miracles to be convinced otherwise!

I also would have never imagined the true gifts I would receive in knowing and becoming friends with Bonny and Dr. Logsdon.  I liked them both instantly!

Bonny has turned out to be my best friend.  She is the type of friend that defines the word friend.  No matter how big or small the crisis is, she is there.

When my Nana passed away, the first person I saw step out of my house upon returning home from the hospital was Bonny.

She is also there to celebrate the good times!  Birthdays, weddings, showers, etc!  She makes a mean punch and is happy to bring it to any celebration!

Dr. Logsdon has also been a blessing to me over the past 12 years.  She is one of the most kind, caring, compassionate people I have ever known.  If she could treat patients for free and somehow still make a living she would do it in a heartbeat.  She never asks about how much a patient owes or has paid on their account.  She honestly only cares about getting sick people well!  When my step-father passed away, we were in Colorado for a week.  Dr. Logsdon actually came to my house and CLEANED IT!!  Now how many bosses do you know that would do that for an employee?

These two ladies have been a blessing to me and my family and I will forever be grateful to them both.  I know we will always remain friends even if we don't work together anymore!

So now on to the business of getting our 5th wheel ready to hit the road.  I know I am so blessed to be able to leave my job and go on the road with Danny.  He works so hard to provide for me and our family!  If I've said it once, I've said it a 1000 times, he's truly the best thing that ever happened to me!

I hope to document our adventures here on the blog so stay tuned!

Cheers!
Shayla

BIG changes!

"Any change, even a change for the better, is accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts." 
~ Arnold Bennett

Change has always been difficult for me.  The above quote really sums it up.  Even if it is for the good it can still be uncomfortable to change.

So here's the big news folks:  I am leaving my job at Chickasha Chiropractic Clinic and going on the road with Danny!  Back in November we traded in our Jeep for a pick-up.  This past Friday we signed the papers on a 2005 Keystone Montana 5th wheel RV!

While you collect your breath, let me explain a bit about Danny's job for those who don't know.  He is basically employed by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union (IBEW).  He is able to look at jobs around the country and pick where he wants to work based on pay scale, per Diem, etc.  He can also be called out for storms such as hurricanes, ice storms, tornadoes, etc.  Look at it like being an independent contractor.  When Danny and I met, in fact, he was working in Chickasha after an ice storm.
This sort of work offers a lot in the way of freedom but the drawback is time away from home and family.

During Hurricane Sandy, Danny was gone for almost 50 days.  He was home almost a week during Thanksgiving then he went back to New Jersey.  That's a lot of time apart.

We had been discussing doing this for quite awhile but the time away during Hurricane Sandy sealed the deal for me.

Danny and I have been together for almost three years.  Over these years, I have learned a lot about the 'line life.'  There are many, many wives who go with their husbands on the road.  It's called 'tramping' (insert giggles here).  Some rent houses, some stay in hotels but the majority of them have RV's.  It's the best way to have a home away from home.  More than likely, where ever we are, there will be other linemen and their wives in the same RV park.  It's a pretty tight little network of people!

I'd like to address some of the concerns people have had when we tell them what we're doing:

1.  Our house.  No, we're not selling our house.  We are going to come home periodically.  If there happens to be work around Chickasha we'll come back home and work awhile.  I plan on coming back every four to six months to check on things and see my niece and nephews and the rest of the family.  We have re-activated our ADT alarm system so the house will be secure.  We will also have people checking on things for us while we're away.  We are getting a PO box for our mail which someone will check for us once a week.

2.  Our pets.  We will be finding new homes for our fur babies.  This has also been a tough decision.  My Mom has lost her kitties so she's going to take Mia.  As for our dogs, we have a few people in mind but no firm decisions yet.  If we are unable to find good homes for them we will take them both with us.  Shilo and Val mean too much to us to give to just anybody!  Trust me when I say we are going to be extremely selective when it comes to finding them new homes and it will most likely be with a family member or friend.

3.  My health insurance.  I will be getting my own policy.  Whenever Danny and I get married I'll be on his insurance.

We let our families know what we were considering doing quite awhile back.  They have all been very supportive about our decision.

Last Thursday evening after work I told my co-worker of 12 years, Bonny, that I was resigning my position.  This has been the hardest part so far.  Bonny is like family to me and we have grown very close.  When I took this job back in February of 2001 I never dreamed it would lead me to a friend like Bonny.
I know this is not an easy pill for her to swallow but, as she does in most all situations, she carries on with dignity and grace.  Things have been easier for me since I told her.  It was like a little black cloud hanging over my head knowing I was hiding something from my best friend.

We hope to be on the road in approximately two months.  I hope to slowly step away from my duties at the office rather than giving a two week notice.  I feel like this is the very least I can do for two ladies who have meant so much to me and my family over the last 12 years!

I know some of you out there are going to be excited for us and some of you are going to think we've completely lost our minds.  Just know this:  we came to this decision after much thought and consideration.  Danny has not talked me into anything or pressured me in any way.  This man would take a bullet for me and there is no way in hell he would let anything bad happen to me!  He is so excited that I'm going with him!  We both are!

The bottom line is we are tired of being apart and we don't have to be.  We are looking at this like an adventure.  I know it's not always going to be fun and games.  I am going to have to find things to keep myself busy.  I will still have my Scentsy business and I might look into some volunteer opportunities wherever we are.

I hope you can be excited for us as we set out on this new chapter in our lives.  Keep checking this blog and Facebook for updates on our travels!

Cheers!
Shayla

Judge not, lest ye be judged.

I'm gonna go ahead and get this out there.  This blog is written in anger.

I just had a very devout Christian woman show me a picture of Ellen and tell me how much she dislikes her.  I told her I liked Ellen.  She told me she can't stand what Ellen stands for.  Then she tells me every time she sees a picture of Ellen in a magazine she takes an ink pen and colors over her face.  She then proceeds to take an ink pen out of her purse and scribble all over Ellen's face while whispering under her breath to Ellen how much she dislikes her.

Wow.

My first thought was what if I were gay?  Would this woman have felt ashamed of acting that way in front of me?  Would she even care at all that she just totally offended someone with her rude remarks?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but sometimes you should just keep your opinions to yourself! 

I have gay friends.  I love and embrace them!  I don't judge people based on their sexual preference.  Does the Bible not say, "judge not, lest ye be judged?"

People amaze me sometimes, mostly in bad ways.  I really could go on and on about this but I run the risk of pissing many people off and that's not my intention.  I just had to get that off my chest.

And people wonder why I don't go to church.  SMH.

Rant over, carry on.
Shayla

He asked. I said yes.

The story of how we met can be found here.

Fast forward

This is the story of how he proposed.

On Friday, November 23rd, 2012 we headed off to my hometown of Canadian, TX.  A very close friend of our family had passed away and her funeral was to be held in Canadian on Saturday morning.  This had been quite the eventful week.  Danny had just returned from the east coast on November 17th.  He'd been there for 20 days working Hurricane Sandy.  We bought a new pick-up on Monday, my Mom had to have emergency eye surgery and we had Thanksgiving!  Whew!

We got the news of Leila Ross's passing before Thanksgiving and I decided we needed to attend her funeral.  She was a dear friend of our family and the best friend of my Nana!

So on Friday, we loaded up in our shiny new Chevrolet and headed off for Texas!  My Aunt Lisa and Uncle Bill have recently built a beautiful new house in Briscoe, TX.  My Aunt Cathy sent us with a piece of furniture to drop off on our way.  I was excited because we'd hadn't gotten to see the new digs yet!  They live on 160 acres of land my Nana and Papa owned.  It is the land of my childhood and I actually lived there for a good many years and attended school in Briscoe.  I have so many wonderful memories of life on Gageby Creek and I always love going back there.

We got to Briscoe and took the grand tour of the new house.  Danny had mentioned several times that he wanted to take a four-wheeler ride around the old home place.  I thought since it was getting close to sundown he would give up on the idea but he didn't.  I had brought my new pistol with me to show my Aunt and Uncle and we decided we could drive down to the creek and fire off a few rounds into the bank.

So, I put my pistol in the front pocket of my Thunder hoodie, hopped on the four-wheeler behind Danny and off we went for the creek!  We drove down to a spot on the creek behind where my Nana's house used to stand.  We got off the four-wheeler and started to scope out a good place in the bank to fire the gun into.  Before I knew it Danny was on one knee in front of me!  I said, "what are you doing??"  I was taken a little by surprise!  He said "would you be my wife?"  I'm no dummy so of course, through teary eyes, I said YES!
I didn't know it at the time, but Bill, Lisa, Russell and Shyanne were back at the house watching us through binoculars and taking pictures!  We hugged and kissed for a long time there on the creek bank and then I realized I still had my pistol in the front of my hoodie and I'd been holding my ear protection in my hand the whole time!  Oh, and we did fire off a couple of rounds into the creek bank for good measure!!

Here is the moment!  I'm so glad Aunt Lisa was taking pictures from the house!  He said he had four lines he planned on saying but all he could get out was "will you be my wife!"  I've never heard five sweeter words in my life!

We came back to the house and Aunt Lisa whipped up a batch of Wine-A-Ritas and we celebrated with a drink and a toast!  If you haven't had a Wine-A-Rita try one!!!  They are fabulous!!!!!

We drove on into Canadian after our mini-celebration and had a very nice steak dinner at the Cattle Exchange (don't be mad Aunt Carla!).  We ended the night by seeing "Twilight Breaking Dawn Part II" at The Palace Theater on Main Street.

I always told Danny I'd like to be proposed to in New York City or Chicago.  He tried to make that happen but the timing just wasn't right on our previous trips.  I honestly couldn't have asked for a better setting.  That land and that creek mean more to me than New York or Chicago ever will.  Some of the best times of my life were spend there and now whenever we go back we can re-visit our little spot on Gageby Creek where the man of my dreams asked me to marry him and I said yes.

Cheers!
Shayla

Welcome :)

Welcome to my new blog, "Shayla & Danny Conquer the World!" I've made an attempt at blogging before, I'm sure some of you have read my previous posts in "Opinions, Observations and Other Smart-Ass Remarks." I had fun with that blog but it was supposed to be more of a group effort and it just never really got going. My friend Tracey came up with that great blog title and I hope she continues on with it! Anyway, I've decided to strike out into the blogosphere on my own.
In the past few years my life has undergone quite a transformation. I met the man I'm going to marry (Danny) almost three years ago and life has been on the upswing ever since! I was beginning to wonder if I would ever meet the right guy and fall in love. Let me say he was worth the wait!! I know we have many adventures in store for us and I want to use this little corner of the internet to tell the tales of our life. Thank you for coming along for the ride!
ps the old blog address is www.smartasswomen.blogspot.com if you'd like to read some of the stuff I've blogged about in the past. There are some good ones over there and I'd like to eventually figure out how to transfer them over here! Happy reading!

Cheers! Shayla