The Blizzard of 2009
Big events in our lives often etch themselves into our memories. I have a feeling that for many, this years’ Christmas Eve snow storm will be one of those memories. It sure was a bad one. Down here in our part of the world, it was not so much the volume of snow, but the wind driven drifts that seemed to cause the most problems. In fact, as I am writing this I am driving East on Highway 7 looking at four to five foot drifts that make you think you are in the panhandle. Many were left without power and some without water which made for numerous “old fashioned” Christmases. The kind that make great memories and great stories, but the living of them was pretty brutal. We were very fortunate at our place because we never lost power although it was always in the back of my mind, knowing that at any moment the wind or the snow could snap a line, or any such malfunction, and leave us in the dark or the cold. Many in Southwest Oklahoma were not so lucky and did without water and power. When both those services are gone, you have to get pretty resourceful. We were ready with propane heaters and firewood and kerosene lamps but, again, we were the lucky ones.
There were even some heroes from this event. Can you imagine being a lineman for an electric co-op or the municipal guys that had to get out on Christmas day and even when it was blowing on Christmas Eve to try to restore power. What about those guys? Unbelievable. But, when you think about it, those guys’ jobs are usually most important at the worst of times and under extremely brutal conditions. But, they bundle up and they start their trucks and they go. Our whole area owes an enormous debt of gratitude to those willing to do that job.
It seems like major weather events always stick with us. For many, this will be one of those lifetime events. It will be the Christmas without electricity or the Christmas without water. It will be remembered for years. I remember as a young child, the blizzard of 1968. I was seven years old and I remember, to a little kid that much snow was unheard of in Oklahoma. In fact, we laughed for many years at home movies at my little toddler sister who would try to walk and then just give up and sit in the snow drifts. It was one of those major events.
Unfortunately, the blizzard of 2009 will be an unhappy memory for the family of Steve Hankins because as I write this article, I just left his funeral. He was only 50 years old. I had gotten to know Steve in college and he was a year ahead of me at Cameron University. He was just a good guy; the kind of guy that spent a lot of time helping others. In fact, the last time I saw Steve was just recently at the Fall Classic Pig Show in Duncan. He was cooking for the Central High FFA in what they jokingly called “The Road Kill Café”. I remember sampling some of his world-famous smoked ribs. Steve’s parents, Don and Rhonda Hankins, are very active with the state Farm Bureau. They are just a good, rural family that did a lot for other people. Unfortunately, their tragedy will always stick in their minds when someone talks about the blizzard of ’09.
Mother Nature has a way of showing us who’s boss from time to time. She can be wonderful or she can be mean. As we know all too well in Oklahoma, she can turn on ya in an instant. It reminds me of the old commercials that used to be on TV years ago about Chiffon Margarine. Mother Nature would be pleasant and the sun would be shining. Then, when someone would try to put Chiffon Margarine on a piece of bread, the sky would darken and the lightning would strike and she would say "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature!" Well, she came with vengeance on Christmas Eve and she showed us that no matter how in control we think we are, Mother Nature is totally in control. Whether your holiday blizzard kept you huddled around a fireplace with your family, or whether it found you in a snow bank on the highway, we will all remember the blizzard of ’09.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.”- William Shakespeare
Monday, December 28, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Fightin' Off the Grinch
Each Christmas season seems to have its own personality. I have had to really struggle this Christmas season to keep the “bah hum bugs” at bay. I try to be a really positive person and look at the bright side of everything because the last thing I wanna be, especially during the holidays, is old Ebenezer himself. Sometimes it seems like it is just extra tough. I am the kind of person that when something happens, I always try to figure out why. Maybe I overanalyze things but I have really struggled this year with the Christmas “blahs”. So, being how I am, I ask myself why.
Maybe it is the steady diet of bad news that has been coming from our state as we struggle with what to do with an ever-increasing budget deficit. Maybe it is the fact that we have been too busy at our house to put up a Christmas tree. Or, maybe it is the fact that, for the first time, one of our kids is gonna be gone during Christmas. I cannot put my finger on exactly the cause or causes, but I can tell ya that being the way I am and the way I try to be, I am not gonna let the Grinch win this round. He is mean, he is ugly, and he is green. So, Grinch, you better wrap your bull wrap extra tight and you better lock the rowls on your spurs because I am fixin’ to throw ya off. You better have a protective vest on and one of those bull rider helmets because once I throw ya, I am gonna try to get in your pocket and stomp a mud hole in your green hiney. I will not tolerate “bah hum bug” in my life, especially during Christmas. Nod your head and say “outside” green dude because the chute gate just opened and you ain’t makin’ the whistle. Why? Because Christmas is bigger than you Mr. Grinch. Christmas is about the birth of our Savior. It is about that baby that was sent to Earth to save us and that blessing alone is plenty. But, when you couple the birth of Christ, which is really what it is all about, with the wonderful traditions that surround this joyous season, it is enough to melt any old Grinch into the ground just like the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz.
So, Mr. Grinch, we are gonna count blessings and not lay around here thinking about how bad everything is. I refuse. For me personally and my family, I could not hold all the blessings that we have enjoyed in our lives in the new Dallas Cowboy stadium. While you are trying to get me to be down about one of the kids being gone, that kid is “down under” in the land of boomerangs and kangaroos experiencing the trip of a lifetime. And, for the most part, we are healthy and our kids are okay. We are employed and not hungry. And we live in the greatest state in the Union made up of good, solid hard-working, God-fearing people that care about their families and enjoy the freedom to worship how we please. Oklahoma, as tough as things are right now, does not suffer from a lot of the things that other states suffer from. We have got soldiers willing to go to far away places and put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy all of the things that we take for granted and the things that you are trying to get us to forget about, Mr. Grinch. God bless those brave soldiers and their families for being willing to do that for us.
So, gather yourself up, pack your riggin’ bag and get the heck outta Dodge. I am not gonna let you win. The Christmas tree is up and the lights are shining and the wise men are headed to Bethlehem. It is gonna be Christmas and it is gonna be merry. In fact, what is that loud noise I hear in the distance? Well, I’ll be Mr. Grinch, you didn’t even make the buzzer.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” -Roy L. Smith
Maybe it is the steady diet of bad news that has been coming from our state as we struggle with what to do with an ever-increasing budget deficit. Maybe it is the fact that we have been too busy at our house to put up a Christmas tree. Or, maybe it is the fact that, for the first time, one of our kids is gonna be gone during Christmas. I cannot put my finger on exactly the cause or causes, but I can tell ya that being the way I am and the way I try to be, I am not gonna let the Grinch win this round. He is mean, he is ugly, and he is green. So, Grinch, you better wrap your bull wrap extra tight and you better lock the rowls on your spurs because I am fixin’ to throw ya off. You better have a protective vest on and one of those bull rider helmets because once I throw ya, I am gonna try to get in your pocket and stomp a mud hole in your green hiney. I will not tolerate “bah hum bug” in my life, especially during Christmas. Nod your head and say “outside” green dude because the chute gate just opened and you ain’t makin’ the whistle. Why? Because Christmas is bigger than you Mr. Grinch. Christmas is about the birth of our Savior. It is about that baby that was sent to Earth to save us and that blessing alone is plenty. But, when you couple the birth of Christ, which is really what it is all about, with the wonderful traditions that surround this joyous season, it is enough to melt any old Grinch into the ground just like the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz.
So, Mr. Grinch, we are gonna count blessings and not lay around here thinking about how bad everything is. I refuse. For me personally and my family, I could not hold all the blessings that we have enjoyed in our lives in the new Dallas Cowboy stadium. While you are trying to get me to be down about one of the kids being gone, that kid is “down under” in the land of boomerangs and kangaroos experiencing the trip of a lifetime. And, for the most part, we are healthy and our kids are okay. We are employed and not hungry. And we live in the greatest state in the Union made up of good, solid hard-working, God-fearing people that care about their families and enjoy the freedom to worship how we please. Oklahoma, as tough as things are right now, does not suffer from a lot of the things that other states suffer from. We have got soldiers willing to go to far away places and put their lives on the line so that we can enjoy all of the things that we take for granted and the things that you are trying to get us to forget about, Mr. Grinch. God bless those brave soldiers and their families for being willing to do that for us.
So, gather yourself up, pack your riggin’ bag and get the heck outta Dodge. I am not gonna let you win. The Christmas tree is up and the lights are shining and the wise men are headed to Bethlehem. It is gonna be Christmas and it is gonna be merry. In fact, what is that loud noise I hear in the distance? Well, I’ll be Mr. Grinch, you didn’t even make the buzzer.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree.” -Roy L. Smith
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
New Ideas
New Ideas
Last Friday was the deadline to file legislation for the upcoming session. As the chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, I am called upon by numerous groups in the Oklahoma Ag Industry to carry water for agriculture across the state. Usually, if it is an ag issue, it is vitally important to my district, especially Tillman County and rural Comanche County, whose economies rely heavily on farming and ranching.
I was asked a few weeks ago how the equine dentistry issue does any good for my district. My response was “that issue, as contentious as it is, has far reaching ramifications to all of agriculture, especially those in the cattle business, as well as horse owners, both the hobby riders and those who use their horses everyday”. Now let me say again before we get into this that no matter what you hear, I am not anti-veterinarian. I have said this many times over the last year or so, our vets are our partners in animal agriculture. Those of you who handle large numbers of livestock, just remember back a few years ago when you could order large quantities of different medicines that you needed to process cattle directly from the wholesale house. You now have to have a script from a vet. It is not unusual for a large scale stocker or cow/calf man to be as up to speed on the available pharmaceuticals as any veterinarian would be. If you are going to be in that game, you are going to have studied because dead cattle do not make much money. That was a small thing a few years ago but it has lessened the flexibility of our large-scale producers and, to some degree, has increased the cost because, basically now, the law put a new middle man in that scenario, your veterinarian. Again, not that our vets do not have a very large role in the livestock operation, but it was a freedom to choose taken away from the producer. The equine dentistry issue is similar in many respects and it is no different than the battle between optometrists and ophthalmologists, or the battle between chiropractors and medical doctors, or the battle between dental hygienists and dentists. It is a scope-of-practice battle, plain and simple, except that this is out in the country where we live.
If you watched the National Finals Rodeo on ESPN this past week, you saw 46-year-old, many time world champion, saddle bronc rider, Billy Etbauer, score two very high scores in two of the later rounds of competition in Las Vegas. Mr. Etbauer, as well as NFR barrel racer Mary Burger, both attended our interim study and stood with the equine dentists and said simply “they are our horses and we want the freedom to choose who does our work.” Basically, leave us alone and let us choose who we want. Billy Etbauer, as I said earlier is 46, and cannot rodeo forever. In fact, I can tell ya, it is a miracle that he can still ride as well as he can. He and his wife ride and train performance horses for a living. They are good at it and they know their business. They want the flexibility to make decisions on what is best for their livestock and they have a lot at stake because it is their livelihood. Just like your neighbor down the road who may have several pot loads of stocker cattle to get straightened out, or someone who is in the purebred cattle business who uses artificial insemination or embryo transfer on a regular basis. There are still lots of procedures that a vet needs to do. I will tell ya, if I have a gooseneck load of calves, with my busy schedule, sometimes I will run them to the vet and put them through the chute because I do not have the time or the help to work them at home. But, that is not practical when you are dealing with pot loads or larger operations.
Another bill that I filed was requested by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. As large as the wheat business is in Oklahoma, the Wheat Commission is still a very small agency with limited resources. This measure will attempt to make the wheat commission more nimble in their ability to purchase items for their operation without being handcuffed by the cumbersome and bureaucratic central purchasing agency, hopefully to use funds to promote one of Oklahoma’s largest agricultural commodities.
Another bill I filed was at the request of the Livestock Marketing Association. The bill is intended to ease cumbersome regulations on livestock dealers across the state.
That is just a small sample of the hundreds and hundreds of bills that I am sure were introduced by 101 House members across the state. It will be interesting to see, as the lists are produced, what all will be coming at us this session.
Another role that I fill as Ag Chairman is to be the gate keeper for the many issues that come down the pike. Not every bill that is introduced is a good bill. Sometimes we have to ward off evil spirits that can “haunt” our business. There are many times that I have to choose to not hear bills that could be harmful to the ag business and thus, harmful to Southwest Oklahoma and our vast ag economy.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.” -William Jennings Bryan
Last Friday was the deadline to file legislation for the upcoming session. As the chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, I am called upon by numerous groups in the Oklahoma Ag Industry to carry water for agriculture across the state. Usually, if it is an ag issue, it is vitally important to my district, especially Tillman County and rural Comanche County, whose economies rely heavily on farming and ranching.
I was asked a few weeks ago how the equine dentistry issue does any good for my district. My response was “that issue, as contentious as it is, has far reaching ramifications to all of agriculture, especially those in the cattle business, as well as horse owners, both the hobby riders and those who use their horses everyday”. Now let me say again before we get into this that no matter what you hear, I am not anti-veterinarian. I have said this many times over the last year or so, our vets are our partners in animal agriculture. Those of you who handle large numbers of livestock, just remember back a few years ago when you could order large quantities of different medicines that you needed to process cattle directly from the wholesale house. You now have to have a script from a vet. It is not unusual for a large scale stocker or cow/calf man to be as up to speed on the available pharmaceuticals as any veterinarian would be. If you are going to be in that game, you are going to have studied because dead cattle do not make much money. That was a small thing a few years ago but it has lessened the flexibility of our large-scale producers and, to some degree, has increased the cost because, basically now, the law put a new middle man in that scenario, your veterinarian. Again, not that our vets do not have a very large role in the livestock operation, but it was a freedom to choose taken away from the producer. The equine dentistry issue is similar in many respects and it is no different than the battle between optometrists and ophthalmologists, or the battle between chiropractors and medical doctors, or the battle between dental hygienists and dentists. It is a scope-of-practice battle, plain and simple, except that this is out in the country where we live.
If you watched the National Finals Rodeo on ESPN this past week, you saw 46-year-old, many time world champion, saddle bronc rider, Billy Etbauer, score two very high scores in two of the later rounds of competition in Las Vegas. Mr. Etbauer, as well as NFR barrel racer Mary Burger, both attended our interim study and stood with the equine dentists and said simply “they are our horses and we want the freedom to choose who does our work.” Basically, leave us alone and let us choose who we want. Billy Etbauer, as I said earlier is 46, and cannot rodeo forever. In fact, I can tell ya, it is a miracle that he can still ride as well as he can. He and his wife ride and train performance horses for a living. They are good at it and they know their business. They want the flexibility to make decisions on what is best for their livestock and they have a lot at stake because it is their livelihood. Just like your neighbor down the road who may have several pot loads of stocker cattle to get straightened out, or someone who is in the purebred cattle business who uses artificial insemination or embryo transfer on a regular basis. There are still lots of procedures that a vet needs to do. I will tell ya, if I have a gooseneck load of calves, with my busy schedule, sometimes I will run them to the vet and put them through the chute because I do not have the time or the help to work them at home. But, that is not practical when you are dealing with pot loads or larger operations.
Another bill that I filed was requested by the Oklahoma Wheat Commission. As large as the wheat business is in Oklahoma, the Wheat Commission is still a very small agency with limited resources. This measure will attempt to make the wheat commission more nimble in their ability to purchase items for their operation without being handcuffed by the cumbersome and bureaucratic central purchasing agency, hopefully to use funds to promote one of Oklahoma’s largest agricultural commodities.
Another bill I filed was at the request of the Livestock Marketing Association. The bill is intended to ease cumbersome regulations on livestock dealers across the state.
That is just a small sample of the hundreds and hundreds of bills that I am sure were introduced by 101 House members across the state. It will be interesting to see, as the lists are produced, what all will be coming at us this session.
Another role that I fill as Ag Chairman is to be the gate keeper for the many issues that come down the pike. Not every bill that is introduced is a good bill. Sometimes we have to ward off evil spirits that can “haunt” our business. There are many times that I have to choose to not hear bills that could be harmful to the ag business and thus, harmful to Southwest Oklahoma and our vast ag economy.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.” -William Jennings Bryan
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Growing Up With Pearl Harbor
Growing Up With Pearl Harbor
Monday, December 7th, as I watched the morning news and read the mornings papers about the infamous day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, it always brings back memories of a very special person in my life, my Great Aunt, Pearl McCollum. She didn’t live near us. In fact, she lived all the way on the left coast in a retirement community called “Seal Beach” near San Diego. But, you could count on, at least once or twice a year; she would make her pilgrimage to Oklahoma. Some of the little things I remember that stuck in a little kid’s mind was that she was never without M&Ms and she smoked Salem’s but did not inhale, or so she said. And way back in the 60s, I believe she even smoked them in the house, which I’m sure her step-sister didn’t like, but I don’t remember them ever quarreling over it. Aunt Pearl, as we called her, was a school teacher and she married Mac McCollum, who was an executive with Dole Pineapple. She was much more worldly than most us and had traveled extensively. The most interesting thing about my Aunt Pearl, was that she was in the hospital at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu the day it was bombed. I remember seeing the pictures of Aunt Pearl in a wheelchair with casts on both arms from an auto accident. She would always tell us about her recollections of the bombs going off right down the street from where she was.
It’s kinda interesting to have somebody that close to you that experienced such an awful day in US history. I can’t remember a whole lot of the details but I remember her talking about how afraid everyone was and the uncertainty of what would happen. Remember this was 1941, before streaming video and text messaging and instant news like we have today. News, in those days, traveled mostly by word-of-mouth and radio, or the next day in the newspapers. And when you were at ground zero, the terror would be hard to imagine.
So, that colorful character, who was my Great Aunt, always seemed to have young children at her feet eatin’ M&Ms, breathin’ second-hand Salem smoke and listening to the tales of that fateful day. I didn’t come along until 1961 and so I had to be 5 or 6 before I could even understand the stories. But, I would imagine that to her, the memories were as vivid as if it would have happened the day before. I never met her husband Mac; he died before I was born, as did my grandfather, Aunt Pearl’s step-brother. But, those two men were very real to me, because in addition to her Pearl Harbor tales, she told of the great times that they all had way before I was thought of.
That day in 1941 was probably the first time since Civil War days that a war was actually brought to our soil. Many lives were lost that day and, as we know from the history books, the world changed on December 7th. Since then, 9-11 has been a huge turning point, as well as the OKC bombing when terror struck close to home. For me, December 7th will always bring back memories of a lady who was very special in my life, who helped me understand the horror of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a chapter in American history that we do not dare forget because our country was forever changed.
As you are reading this article, the deadline for bill introductions in the House is rapidly approaching. This time next week, we will have a full slate of ideas in the pipeline on how to fix everything that is wrong with our state, from the budget to who knows what. In next week’s article, I will give you a rundown on the legislation that I will be introducing. We have got some interesting bills and some just bills. We hope that each little piece will do something to improve the way things are.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I do not look upon these United States as a finished product. We are still in the making.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Monday, December 7th, as I watched the morning news and read the mornings papers about the infamous day that Pearl Harbor was attacked, it always brings back memories of a very special person in my life, my Great Aunt, Pearl McCollum. She didn’t live near us. In fact, she lived all the way on the left coast in a retirement community called “Seal Beach” near San Diego. But, you could count on, at least once or twice a year; she would make her pilgrimage to Oklahoma. Some of the little things I remember that stuck in a little kid’s mind was that she was never without M&Ms and she smoked Salem’s but did not inhale, or so she said. And way back in the 60s, I believe she even smoked them in the house, which I’m sure her step-sister didn’t like, but I don’t remember them ever quarreling over it. Aunt Pearl, as we called her, was a school teacher and she married Mac McCollum, who was an executive with Dole Pineapple. She was much more worldly than most us and had traveled extensively. The most interesting thing about my Aunt Pearl, was that she was in the hospital at Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu the day it was bombed. I remember seeing the pictures of Aunt Pearl in a wheelchair with casts on both arms from an auto accident. She would always tell us about her recollections of the bombs going off right down the street from where she was.
It’s kinda interesting to have somebody that close to you that experienced such an awful day in US history. I can’t remember a whole lot of the details but I remember her talking about how afraid everyone was and the uncertainty of what would happen. Remember this was 1941, before streaming video and text messaging and instant news like we have today. News, in those days, traveled mostly by word-of-mouth and radio, or the next day in the newspapers. And when you were at ground zero, the terror would be hard to imagine.
So, that colorful character, who was my Great Aunt, always seemed to have young children at her feet eatin’ M&Ms, breathin’ second-hand Salem smoke and listening to the tales of that fateful day. I didn’t come along until 1961 and so I had to be 5 or 6 before I could even understand the stories. But, I would imagine that to her, the memories were as vivid as if it would have happened the day before. I never met her husband Mac; he died before I was born, as did my grandfather, Aunt Pearl’s step-brother. But, those two men were very real to me, because in addition to her Pearl Harbor tales, she told of the great times that they all had way before I was thought of.
That day in 1941 was probably the first time since Civil War days that a war was actually brought to our soil. Many lives were lost that day and, as we know from the history books, the world changed on December 7th. Since then, 9-11 has been a huge turning point, as well as the OKC bombing when terror struck close to home. For me, December 7th will always bring back memories of a lady who was very special in my life, who helped me understand the horror of the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is a chapter in American history that we do not dare forget because our country was forever changed.
As you are reading this article, the deadline for bill introductions in the House is rapidly approaching. This time next week, we will have a full slate of ideas in the pipeline on how to fix everything that is wrong with our state, from the budget to who knows what. In next week’s article, I will give you a rundown on the legislation that I will be introducing. We have got some interesting bills and some just bills. We hope that each little piece will do something to improve the way things are.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“I do not look upon these United States as a finished product. We are still in the making.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Thanksgiving Cards? Come On.
Thanksgiving Cards? Come On.
I was amazed as I checked the mail during the Thanksgiving weekend at the number of greeting cards that we received. Now, before I launch into this rant, let me say, it is always nice to hear from friends and coworkers, especially the ones that show pictures of their kids and things like that. So, I do not mean in any way, shape or form to take away from these cards or holiday updates. My problem is that it increases the pressure as those cards start to roll in. And, you wonder, at what point do they start coming at Halloween?
In the Armes’ family, we try hard every year to get a card out, hopefully by Christmas. Just as we enjoy seeing the growth of our friends’ children, they like to see the growth of ours as well. One of our problems is that our eldest does not live here anymore. It makes it tough to get a picture when you do not have them together very often at all. And, when we are together, it is like pushing a chain to get them covey’d up to even snap a quick photo.
Here is how it went at our house on Thanksgiving Day. First of all, my dad was in the hospital, which added to the stress. We had a small group of people coming over so we kinda had to cook. And, the last thing my bunch wanted to do after a big meal was to pose for pictures. So, I put on my cranky face and said “alright, now hear this, we WILL take a family picture today for our Christmas card. Alright, now everybody put on something camo and meet me out by the pickup. Grab a gun.” Luckily, Dede’s sister was there so we had a photographer and we took some quick shots just for fun of the Armes’ family in camo each holding a gun. We still do not know how that will turn out. For the next shot I said “okay, everybody go put on normal clothes and meet me out by the chuck wagon.” I do not even think I put on clean jeans and I had been frying turkey all day. I put on my Carhartt jacket, hooked the chuck wagon to the tractor and pulled it out to the pasture. Now, remember this window was very small. As a matter of a fact, I think we spent 30 minutes total because Katy was heading back to Stillwater bright and early the next morning. So, in my usual fashion, I was running Mach1 with my hair on fire trying to gather my brood for a simple picture so we could get a Christmas card ready, knowing full well that we had at least 10 Thanksgiving cards sitting on the counter back at the house from wonderful families with great kids that must be bored stiff.
I love the holiday season, but it sure seems like we rush it. I think that may be Wal-Mart’s fault, as we look for who to blame. I certainly cannot blame myself or my lack of organization, heaven forbid. But, if you will think about it, Wal-Mart starts the Christmas season at Halloween. Nothing erks me more than to hear someone say a week before black Friday “oh, I already have my Christmas shopping done.” Who are these step ford families and what planet do they live on? Here on earth, or at least the little spot on earth that the Armes’ family lives on, it does not seem to work that smooth. It seems like every year we have to fight harder and harder to get everybody together. What gets me the most is these families look so relaxed and so casual, as if having everybody’s hair fixed at the same time is a normal occurrence. I do not know how to get that done but I know one thing, we will have a Christmas card in the mail before Christmas if it hairlips the Pope.
So, if you are waiting on a Thanksgiving card from the Armes’ family, I would not count on that. And, if you are waiting on a Christmas card to arrive on December 18th, I do not know if I would count on that either. I would say a Christmas Eve expectation would be more like it. That is assuming that the digital pictures taken do not get inadvertently deleted. So, until the card gets there, I hope you have some time to lollygag with your family, overeat, watch movies, pop popcorn and enjoy each other. And, oh yeah, that reminds me, we have gotta put up the Christmas tree. Ugh.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Some businessmen are saying this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought that the first one was.”
-Art Fettig
I was amazed as I checked the mail during the Thanksgiving weekend at the number of greeting cards that we received. Now, before I launch into this rant, let me say, it is always nice to hear from friends and coworkers, especially the ones that show pictures of their kids and things like that. So, I do not mean in any way, shape or form to take away from these cards or holiday updates. My problem is that it increases the pressure as those cards start to roll in. And, you wonder, at what point do they start coming at Halloween?
In the Armes’ family, we try hard every year to get a card out, hopefully by Christmas. Just as we enjoy seeing the growth of our friends’ children, they like to see the growth of ours as well. One of our problems is that our eldest does not live here anymore. It makes it tough to get a picture when you do not have them together very often at all. And, when we are together, it is like pushing a chain to get them covey’d up to even snap a quick photo.
Here is how it went at our house on Thanksgiving Day. First of all, my dad was in the hospital, which added to the stress. We had a small group of people coming over so we kinda had to cook. And, the last thing my bunch wanted to do after a big meal was to pose for pictures. So, I put on my cranky face and said “alright, now hear this, we WILL take a family picture today for our Christmas card. Alright, now everybody put on something camo and meet me out by the pickup. Grab a gun.” Luckily, Dede’s sister was there so we had a photographer and we took some quick shots just for fun of the Armes’ family in camo each holding a gun. We still do not know how that will turn out. For the next shot I said “okay, everybody go put on normal clothes and meet me out by the chuck wagon.” I do not even think I put on clean jeans and I had been frying turkey all day. I put on my Carhartt jacket, hooked the chuck wagon to the tractor and pulled it out to the pasture. Now, remember this window was very small. As a matter of a fact, I think we spent 30 minutes total because Katy was heading back to Stillwater bright and early the next morning. So, in my usual fashion, I was running Mach1 with my hair on fire trying to gather my brood for a simple picture so we could get a Christmas card ready, knowing full well that we had at least 10 Thanksgiving cards sitting on the counter back at the house from wonderful families with great kids that must be bored stiff.
I love the holiday season, but it sure seems like we rush it. I think that may be Wal-Mart’s fault, as we look for who to blame. I certainly cannot blame myself or my lack of organization, heaven forbid. But, if you will think about it, Wal-Mart starts the Christmas season at Halloween. Nothing erks me more than to hear someone say a week before black Friday “oh, I already have my Christmas shopping done.” Who are these step ford families and what planet do they live on? Here on earth, or at least the little spot on earth that the Armes’ family lives on, it does not seem to work that smooth. It seems like every year we have to fight harder and harder to get everybody together. What gets me the most is these families look so relaxed and so casual, as if having everybody’s hair fixed at the same time is a normal occurrence. I do not know how to get that done but I know one thing, we will have a Christmas card in the mail before Christmas if it hairlips the Pope.
So, if you are waiting on a Thanksgiving card from the Armes’ family, I would not count on that. And, if you are waiting on a Christmas card to arrive on December 18th, I do not know if I would count on that either. I would say a Christmas Eve expectation would be more like it. That is assuming that the digital pictures taken do not get inadvertently deleted. So, until the card gets there, I hope you have some time to lollygag with your family, overeat, watch movies, pop popcorn and enjoy each other. And, oh yeah, that reminds me, we have gotta put up the Christmas tree. Ugh.
If you would like to contact me while I am at the capitol, please do not hesitate to send an email to donarmes@house.gov or call me at 1-800-522-8502.
And here’s a little something to think about as you go down the road:
“Some businessmen are saying this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought that the first one was.”
-Art Fettig
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