One less thing on the bucket list!

A couple of my friends (Pat Parks Wilkes and Gerry Lunde) will be happy to know that I can tick my latest venture off my bucket list.

John surprised me with a trip to the Black Hills as part of my Christmas gift this year. Now to some of you, this may not be a big deal, but to me it was one of my best gifts ever.

You see, when I was eight years old, my family went there on vacation but because there wasn't enough room in the station wagon for eleven of us, my sister and I were left behind with my grandparents. At the time, it was okay to stay with grandma and grandpa (except for getting my waist-length hair chopped off right before school pictures, but that's another column) and I never thought I was missing out on too much except for a cramped vehicle and car sickness.

Over the years (and especially recently) I have heard from people like Pat and Gerry just how great their vacation was to this attraction and that I had to make plans to check it out. I always thought it was so far away, and in the summer I just usually don't get away from the office. So when John said to pack a bag because we were heading out somewhere on Christmas Eve, I never dreamed we were heading there. It was not until we got to the border (when he had to reveal to the border crossing guard) that I found out where we were going. All I could think of was that there was no way I could be away from the office that long and that I didn't want to be sitting in a car for days on end over Christmas.

Well, to my delight, we pulled into Deadwood six short hours later and John declared that we had arrived at our destination. I was shocked and overwhelmed at the beauty as huge flakes of snow began to fall over the hills and valleys. He had booked a suite on the top floor of the hotel, so we sat on the balcony and took in the breathtaking scenery.

We spent the next couple of days being tourists. Although a lot of the venues were closed due to the season, we did get to see Mount Rushmore (in all its glory) and Crazy Horse (in all its disarray). I realize there was a lot we did not see but I was satisfied (for now) to see what I did. I felt like Rocky when I got in front of the heads at Mount Rushmore on December 26, jumping up and down declaring "I made it, I made it." It was very special as John had never been there either and we could experience this together. I must admit I have some strong opinions concerning the Crazy Horse project (I'm sure I'm not alone) but I also know that we took some roads that we never would have taken if we went during the summer or on a tour bus.

I just couldn't get over how something this amazing was so close to home and yet it took me so long to see it. I can only imagine what kind of activity it generates in the summertime, especially if you are American. Not only that, but the oil activity has reached the area south of the border which makes for some interesting driving on those narrow roads.

I could go on and on about my Christmas but I thought my readers needed some laughter to start the New Year off. This may be a little racy, so "reader discretion" advised, ha, ha! My friend Linda sent this to me and it claims it is for smart women who need a laugh and guys you think can handle it. Enjoy!

It's titled "I'm just sayin....."

• He said to me…I don't know why you wear a bra; you've got nothing to put in it I said to him…You wear pants don't you?

• He said to me…Shall we try swapping positions tonight? I said to him…That's a good idea - you stand by the stove & sink while I sit on the sofa and do nothing but fart.

• He said to me…What have you been doing with all the grocery money I gave you? I said to him…Turn sideways and look in the mirror!

• He said to me…How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper? I said to him…I don't know; it has never happened.

• He said to me…Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and good- looking? I said to him…They already have boyfriends.

• He said to me…What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night? I said to him…A widow.

• He said to me…Why are married women heavier than single women? I said to him…Single women come home, see what's in the fridge and go to bed…Married women come home, see what's in bed and go to the fridge.

Consider these my pet peeves this week, too. That's just me....let me know what you think!

Maxine's saying: Age doesn't make you forgetful. Having way too many stupid things to remember makes you forgetful.