Why did the chicken cross the road?

SARAH PALIN:  The chicken crossed the road because, gosh-darn it,

she's a maverick!

BARACK OBAMA:  The chicken crossed the road because it was time for

change!  The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN:  My friends, that chicken crossed the road because she

recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all

the chickens on the other side of the road.

HILLARY CLINTON:  When I was First Lady, I personally helped that

little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely

qualified to ensure right from Day One that every chicken in this country

gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't

about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH:  We don't really care why the chicken crossed the

road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or

not.  The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY:  Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL:  Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see

the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON:  I did not cross the road with that chicken.

AL GORE:  I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY:  Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I

am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about

the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON:  Why are all the chickens white? We need some black

chickens.

DR. PHIL:  The problem we have here is that this chicken won't

realize that she must first deal with the problem on this side of the road

before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need

to do is help her realize how stupid she's acting by not taking on her current

problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH:  Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems,

which is why she wants to cross this road so badly. So instead of having the

chicken learn from her mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm

going to give this chicken a NEW CAR so that she can just drive across the

road and not live her life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN:  We have reason to believe there is a chicken,

but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the

road.

NANCY GRACE:  That chicken crossed the road because she's guilty! You

can see it in her eyes and the way she walks.

PAT BUCHANAN:  To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART:  No one called me to warn me which way that chicken

was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs

when the price dropped to a certain level. No little bird gave me any

insider information.

DR SEUSS:  Did the chicken cross the road? Did she cross it with a

toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed, I've not

been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY:  To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL:  Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see

the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends,

That chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay

too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that

the Liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the

other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and

as simple as that.

GRANDPA:  In my day we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road.

Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS:  Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will

be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming

story  of how it experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to

accomplish it's lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE:  It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON:  Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads

together, in peace.

BILL GATES:  I have just released eChicken2010, which will not only

cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance

your checkbook. Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2010.

This new platform is much more stable and will never reboot.

ALBERT EINSTEIN:  Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the

road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS:  Did I miss one?

It's Christmas Eve

And I am sad.

I miss my family.  I miss the excitement of Christmas Eve.  We'd wait til supper was over and the dishes done and would turn off the TV and open presents.  Then we'd play games and eat junk and laugh.  I miss that a lot.

Tonight I worked til 11.   I have to work tomorrow, Christmas day from 10-7.  The fact that the store is open is seriously wrong but I guess the almighty dollar is important.  We were busy all evening.  I mean, there were people who I can only assume had just tonight started their Christmas shopping.  They came to the counter with the last, ugliest, broken toys and paid cash.  I can only assume they got paid today and could only do it tonight.  I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.  And I am amazed by the crap people will buy!!    And the amount of $ they spend on candy and stocking stuffers, etc.  Stuff they could have probably gotten at Walmart for half the price.    I've been really lucky I know because I've seen that times are hard but I have always  tried to think ahead so it did not all hit at once.  And I make some presents.  And I don't think that a kid needs everything that passes in front of their eyes.  A lot of young parents need to learn the age old rule:   They would rather play with a box.

And a homeless man who had not had a shower in a while came in and wanted to buy candy with his Lone Star card and it would not go through for him.  We had a huge line and we kept trying but it would not go through.  I felt sorry for him...the machine told him to give me the card and I tried to make it work but he was seriously afraid I was not going to give it back.  My purse was in my locker or I'd have paid for his candy.  I mean, its Christmas and he wanted candy.  I wanted to cry for him.   Why did no one in line step up for him?  Could they have not put back one of the stupid toys and do something nice for a man who had lost everything.  Granted, I don't know his story but he was not drunk or trying to buy beer.  He wanted candy!!

Boy oh boy this is rambling...I'm tired and sad...but the above brings up another question.  Our illustrious city council is trying to pass a curfew for downtown so the homeless people will not hang out at the library.  Apparently just as they drove the poor out of north Overton with no thought of where they'd go, they think the homeless will disappear if there is a curfew.  Why no plan as to what to do with them?  Idiots.

And lastly, God willing, this is the last time I will ever have to work on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

The Bloggess and the Christmas Spirit

One of my favorite blogs is www.thebloggess.com.   Her name is Jenny and she is hysterical.

She announced on her blog last week that she, her husband and daughter had bought 20 gift cards for $30 each from Amazon.com and she offered them her readers who were having hard times so they could buy a little Christmas for their kids.  All they had to do was ask.  And her response was overwhelming.  So many requests from people having hard times, requests for their friends, kids, parents, neighbors.  More than 20, for sure.  Then    another amazing thing happened.  Someone offered gift card 21.  Then 22.    As of today, she has 500 requests and 500 gift cards.  Yep, everyone is matched.  Amazing story about how many people are affected by what's going on in our economy and amazing story about what Christmas should be about and the generosity of the human spirit.

Have I said amazing?    Almost makes me take back my bah humbug.

No Christmas Banner. No Christmas towels. Not much Christmas...

I still have the fall banner at the top of the blog cuz I never made a Christmas banner and now its kinda late.  After the 1st I will get right on making one.   Christmas banner in 2011!!

I still have Thanksgiving towels hanging in my kitchen.

Anyone who knows me knows I lost the Christmas spirit years ago.  I'm working til midnight on Christmas Eve and all day Christmas day.  I have gifts for my friend Deborah and Steve & I traded a TV for work and called it Christmas.  For some reason I agreed to secret Santa at work.  I have to get that gift.  I bought for 2 kids on the Salvation Army tree.   Thats it.  The entire Christmas enchilada.  One more week and thank goodness I don't have to face it for another year.   Bah Humbug.   I did not even manage to get cherry cordial M&M's.  They were all gone before I got off work.  Bummer.

Busy Week

Well, hopefully only one more busy week ahead and then some time off...I did not work this hard when I worked 40 hours a week!!    I work Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday this week!!   Not at all what I want...too many hours!!   My boss assures me it will be much less after the 1st of the year.

The foot is hurting again...not fully healed.  I know I probably slowed it with the shoe but the difference in leg height with the tennie and the bootie was sending me into back spasms, worse than the foot hurts.  I know more time off will get it healed.   Ear is good.  

ONE MORE WEEK!!

1953 Kaiser Manhattan

This is a 1953 Kaiser Manhattan that was parked at the store the other day.  Beautiful car.  They guy on the left is the Salvation Army bell ringer, the guy on the right was the owner.   There is a "Picture review of the Kaiser/Frazer"  here:   http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/Kaiser/

Troy Aikman and Rent a Center commercials

Is he hard up for money?   Alimony?  Child Support?  Poor investments?    What is the heck is a fairly likeable guy doing making commercials for a place that rents tv's for $19.99 a week?   I understand Hulk Hogan...we know his troubles.  He's probably still paying off the boob jobs of his women but Troy?

I hate places like Rent a Center & pawn shops & pay day loans & title loans.   Why don't they make them put "Loan Shark" on the sign?   A bank is not allowed to charge the kind of interest these places charge so how do they get by with it?  And a guy doing it in a back alley would be arrested.   And they are cropping up everywhere.  When I was working, I could count 5 on the road between my house and work.    They put a poor person deeper and deeper in the hole.  How can anyone get ahead?

One of the commercials has a guy who actually says something like "Yeah, the interest is high but there is no credit check".     Geez.  

Here is a suggestion:
Don't buy it if you have to borrow money from one of these places to pay for it!!  

Holiday Recipes ~~ Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Pie

Filling:

1 C Sugar

6 T flour

1/4 t salt

2 T cocoa

2 egg yolks

2 C milk

2 T butter

1 t vanilla

Mix dry ingredients together;  combine egg yolks & 1 c milk in a pan, then add dry ingredients.  Add other cup of milk and cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.   Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.  Pour into cooked pie shell, top with meringue & put under broiler until meringue is slightly browned, watching all the time because it will brown quickly

Meringue:

3 egg whites

6 T sugar

Beat until egg whites are peaked, adding sugar gradually during beating.    Put all the way to the edges of the pie crust.  

Big thanks to Andy Holcomb (DeAnn's husband) for this recipe.  It is as good as my mom's but mom never used a recipe so I could not learn from her.  I never had her cooking instincts.    The pie, to me, is perfect when the meringue is lightly browned with little beads on it and my favorite piece is the 1st one, when it is slightly warm.   Then my favorite piece is the rest of the pie.   This is my favorite dessert, hands down.

Holiday Recipes ~~~ Ginger Cookies

Ginger Cookies


Mix together:
2/3 C Oil 
1 C Sugar
1 egg
1/2 C molasses


Sift together:
2 C flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon


Add dry ingredients to wet mixture.   Roll into 1 inch balls, bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, 350 degree oven.   Makes 42-48 cookies.

Holiday Recipes ~~~ Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk Pie




3 Eggs, beaten well
2 C Sugar
3 Tbsp Flour
1/2 C Butter
1 C Buttermilk
1 tsp Lemon flavoring




Mix in order, pour into pie crust, and bake at 350 until set, about 45 minutes.  Makes 2 pies.   Can be frozen for later,great cold.




Courtesy of Nelda Brown

Holiday Recipes ~~~ Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Roll


3 Eggs
1 C Sugar
2/3 C Canned Pumpkin
1 tsp Lemon Juice


Sift together:
3/4 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Ginger
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Salt
1 C finely chopped pecans   (ok, add those AFTER sifting)\


Filling:
1 C Powdered Sugar
4 Tbsp butter
6 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 tsp Vanilla


1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Grease & flour 15x10x2 inch jelly roll pan.  Line pan with waxed paper.
2.  Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes.  Gradually add sugar.  Stir in pumpkin & lemon juice.
3.  Fold sifted ingredients into pumpkin mixture.  Spread batter in pan and sprinkle with pecans.  Bake for 15 minutes & remove from oven.  Let cake sit in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on a clean tea towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Peel off wax paper.  While cake is still warm, roll in towel lengthwise.
4.  Beat filling ingredients until smooth.  When cake is cool, unroll and spread with filling.  Re-roll without towel, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.  


Serves 10

The Real Thing

A younger man comes into the store and is buying perfume.  Maybe a birthday or anniversary or maybe he just wants to get lucky.  He spends his $50 and leaves.

A little old man comes into the store who always has bottles with him of whatever his wife sends him for...lotion, deodorant, makeup...and he walks around and compares the bottles, trying to get what she wants.   I try to help him when I can because he is the the sweetest thing...he tells me his wife has trouble walking and is in the car.  She is a lucky girl.

I hope the younger man and woman get to experience love to last a lifetime like the older couple because that's the real thing!!

Pet Peeve

Why do parents bitch at children and then do nothing about it?   A lady was in the store yesterday with a 2 year old (an age where they don't understand bitching anyway) and the kid was standing up in the basket seat and reaching for something while his grandmother was going "stop it.  ...no...don't touch...stop it".   First of all, not really getting through to the 2 year old but here is my deal:

 Do something about it or stop bitching at them!!!


My mom took us out of stores enough as children until we learned how to behave in a store.  We all knew coming inside was a privilege that could and would be removed at any minute if we abused it.  We learned this lesson early on.  

Rangers Lose

I am so sad, but as my friend Holly says:

The stars at night are ALWAYS big and bright; deep in the heart of Texas! Still so very proud of those Texas Rangers!!

Tootsies

I could not believe when I got to work today that there still a bag of Tootsie Rolls Halloween candy left and it was half price.  I love Tootsies!!  But there is a problem.   The bag said 5 different sizes...

So although I have this:

Woohoo!!

Inside, I only find this:

Where is number 5?

I guess I'll survive!!
 

For Daddy

I bought about a dozen cookbooks today at a garage sale and one is called 'Kansas Cookin' and inside is a poem that is not at all credited and I found it online and it says 'author unknown'.  I really like it and give all kinds of snaps to the author, whoever he is.

Cowboy Life

I've met a heap o' cowboys, and some were real top hands.

I saw a million cattle, and read a lot o' brands.

I've seen some hard old winters, when nearly all the cattle died.

I've rode some cuttin' horses that could turn right out their hides.

I ate my share o' beefsteak, and drunk some whiskey too. 

An' done a little dancin' with nothin' else to do

'Been bucked off old outlaws that I couldn't start to ride,

An' saw some great old buddies go over the Great Divide.

With friends and family now I'm makin' my last stand

An hopin to be horseback when I reach  the Promised Land

The President's Own--The United States Marine Corp Band

Last night, I went with my dear friend Sarjim to the Civic Center to see this band.  They are a band established by an Act of Congress in 1798 to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commander of the U S Marine Corps.  According to their brochure, this makes them the oldest continuously active professional music organization in America.    They made their White House debut on New Years Day 1801 for then President John Adams.  They perform about 500 times a year and can boast that march king John Philip Sousa was their director from 1880-1892.

They are an impressive bunch, about 130 strong and all are commissioned into the U S Marines for duty in this band only.  None but the directors rank above Master Sergeant.  I was a way back and there was no flash photography so my picture is not great but they are impressive in their red, white & blue uniforms:

As expected, the crowd was older and very patriotic (as am I, without shame) and at the end, they did the armed forces song and asked people to stand if it represented them.  They actually asked for anyone who was related to anyone either but I think it should be for those that served so I did not stand even though my dad was in the army.    It was funny that at the end, they started the Marine Corp anthem and they all stood up at once.    I have to admit I am not much on classical music and on a couple of the songs I was concentrating on the conductor, waiting to get to the last page of the song but the marches were fun and they did a tribute to Lerner & Loewe with a soloist who sang 'On the Street Where you Live' from My Fair Lady,
'If Ever I Would Leave You' from Camelot and 'They Call the Wind Maria' from Paint Your Wagon, the last thousands of times better than the original I heard...Lee Marvin & Clint Eastwood...should never have happened.    A final rendition of 'God Bless America' and all left feeling all warm and fuzzy.

This has little to do with the band but outside were Marine recruiters dressed in blues and quite spiffy looking. I did not enlist but there was a handsome major (sadly, not pictured) who could probably talk me into anything.

Stay or go? TV new season

I officially have more free time on my DVR than taken time..  First time since Christmas.  I had recorded a few shows, oldies and newbies and the normal Bold and Beautiful, Jeopardy & Judges Judy, Alex and Millian.  I also  had the known good ones...Castle, Law & Order SUV, Good Wife...and the newbies ...Blue Bloods,  L&O LA, CSI New York (new for me), Hawaii 5-0.  

The oldies stay.

Blue Bloods is really good.  Bad night  Love my DVR.

Like L&O LA,

CSI NY is out,

Hawaii 5-0 is ok but a no on weekly record.,

Watched almost all of the oldies.   All caught up now.

Now just 20 or so movies left.

Better DVR time management is a goal,

Speedy Gonzales computer

I have never used my laptop too much because it is so slow...I had a guy look at it for $45 and he cleaned it up and it is now officially amazing!!    Woohoo!!!!

Drama

Sometimes there are people in your life that are all about the drama.  Life is too tough.  No one has ever had it harder than they have.   They try to turn a simple thing into a big magilla.  They have made different choices from yours and then whine, whine, whine about the results!!    They will complain about having no time yet will waste too much of it.   

I don't like drama!!!     I am frustrated with this!!!  

Now I'm the whiner.

Sorry no readers.  Frustrated

State Fair

The game was on the State Fairgrounds so I also got to make my 1st trip ever to the State Fair of Texas.  Our game was at 11 so we caught the Dart and made it to the fairgrounds about 930.  When we walked in, it was just opening and we had some clear time to look around.   Lots of barkers were trying to get us to play their games but even though we expected Conner as our date to win us big prizes but he finally convinced us that after he won them, he'd have to carry them and it would just slow us down, so no games.    We did, in great fair tradition have corn dogs for breakfast.    And Conner had a fried caramel apple.  We can fry anything in Texas!!

After the game was a different story...2 schools' fans were sunburned, thirsty and hungry after a 4 hour game so the crowd around the stadium was horrific.    We made it to a building with a little A/C and had lunch and liquid and were a little better to explore after that.    The press finally let up and we went through a few buildings but they were still crowded so we decided to get our fried whatever and drinks & then head back to the hotel to watch the Rangers game.  I had a regular, not fried caramel apple and some fair lemonade, you know the stuff with the 1/2 inch of sugar at the bottom.  Lindsey and Holly got fried butter and fried chocolate.   The big thing this year was fried frito pie but the line was long.  All in all, had a great time with my friends and the food was good.    Do have to admit the heat had gotten to me a little and at the hotel had to chill out with a wet cloth for a while til I was functional again.   Had supper at Red Robin (never been there either, loved it!!) and spent the night at the hotel and Holly  & I caught up on too many years apart.  Next trip:   Vegas!!

They're frying Oreos I think

We did get some fair pictures:

Big Tex

Ferris Wheel

Texas Tech-Baylor Football Game

Welcome to the Cotton Bowl

The bottom words are true...not sure about the top

On October 9, I met my friend Holly, her daughter Lindsey and Lindsey's boyfriend Conner in Dallas to go to the Texas Tech v Baylor football game being played at the world famous Cotton Bowl.  The Cotton Bowl is on the State Fairgrounds so we got free entrance to the fair to make our day complete.  Lindsey was our official photographer and did a great job, although Holly and I are in none of the picture, so no one can prove we were even there.   But we were.  

Lindsey & Conner

Here is Lindsey with our date Conner.  Holly actually took this one.  Check out the level of our seats.  But the seats were not really that bad and we were close to the jumbotron.  The only real problem was no shade.

We won the game.by a touchdown

Cotton Bowl Entrance

Cotton Bowl

Masked Rider

Band Double T

Good one, Clint!!

"You couldn't get a job as an Oompa-Loompa making gobstoppers." 


 --Clint to David on The Apprentice

RED Movie Review ~~Spoilers~~

I saw the movie RED which I've read means Retired, Extremely Dangerous and was based on a comic book.  It stars Bruce Willis as a retired CIA agent who finds himself the target of some very determined assassins who are trying to kill him for reasons unknown.  With the help of an adventure seeking pension agent going along for the ride, he enlists the aid of some old friends to help him find out who is trying to kill him & why.  Morgan Freeman, John Malcovich and Helen Mirren are all RED and join Bruce on his adventure.

The plot is sort of confusing & there is a lot of gun violence but it's all a lot of fun.   And the funny part for me was the Vice President--he was played by Julian McMahon, with a butt a little chunkier than what we've all seen plenty of as Dr Christian Troy on Nip/Tuck.   I barely recognized him!!

I recommend for the geezers 100%

Hello World Series

Woohoo!!!    The Rangers are World Series bound after beating the dreaded NY Yankees in the ALCS.   I hate the Yankees.  I hate their payroll, their smugness, their egos.  Any team with the ability to buy any player they want should be able to win all the time.

My friend Deb is a Yankees fan and wanted Andy Pettite to get the chance to pitch just one more time for sentimental reasons.  What-the-hell-ever!!    He got to pitch and lose in the ALCS.    She says it may be the last year for Pettit, Jeter & Rivera to play together.  Well, all things must come to an end.  Buh-bye!!

   Rangers!!!    Rangers!!!

Bullying Day

Today is a day chosen to speak out against bullying.  Recent events, including a freshman college student who committed suicide because his roommate and another person decided it was ok to broadcast him having sex with another man live on a webcam has brought to light a situation that is out of control.  Kids start at an early age picking on others who are different or weaker than they are.  Parents don't take it seriously and schools make a 'no tolerance' proclamation which is a joke and not enforced.

I was bullied growing up.   My first experience was in about 3rd grade where the older sister of one of my classmates decided that I was fair game and proceeded to follow me while I was walking to school and call me names and throw rocks at me all the way.  This went on until my mom called her mom and the following stopped although I did get called names when she did see me.  I was very shy and cannot imagine what could have possibly brought this on.  I certainly never fought back, verbally or physically.   I can honestly remember laying in bed at night crying and dreaming of ways to kill her.  She let up after about a year for some unexplained reason.  Probably found a new victim.

My 2nd experience was in my sophomore year of high school where, still shy, 2 girls decided to call me names and make fun of me and put gum in my hair on a regular basis.  I was overweight and new in school and again, an easy target.  Luckily, I only attended that school for a couple of months so I'm sure they too found another victim after I left.  One of the girls and I have a mutual cousin and she knew me but she was actually the follower.   I may have seen her over the years but she is not really in my orbit in any way so she is ...whatever.   The leader was very popular at the time and I take a little joy in the fact that I think she's had a pretty miserable life.   Failed marriages, financial problems and a sweet daughter that was raised by her sweet grandparents.

The problem is of course magnified because of the internet and particularly networking sights like Facebook and My Space.  Kids and even adults use these sights to make fun of or tease or even set someone up for major heartache and humiliations.  They again pick a target and find a weakness and prey on insecurity and lack of confidence to make someone else feel less while making themselves feel better.    There was even a case where a mom set up a fake My Space account portraying herself as a teen boy who then contacted a little girl who her daughter had problems with, flirted with the little girl and then dumped her telling her that she was worthless and should just kill herself.  This woman was allowed to reproduce mind you!!    The little girl took her advice...she killed herself.  There are too many of these stories to document but they seem to pop up every day.  Sadly the mom did not break any laws on the books at the time and was not convicted of anything.    She would like us all to be sad that she had to move out of her neighborhood, that she was shunned by friends and had to close her business.  Sorry bitch...not sad.    Cases like hers have painted this problem in a new picture and have at least started a dialogue about anti bullying laws.  Its not a done deal yet but I guess it's progress.

So count me in as saying out loud that bullying is in not now nor was it 45 years ago acceptable.   It does not matter if someone is smaller or weaker, if you don't like their name, nationality, skin color, sexual orientation, tennis shoes or taste in soft drinks.  You don't have that right.  Trust me, you wouldn't like it if it were happening to you.  It doesn't run or ruin my life but I have never forgotten.  Parents, schools and lawmakers need to let all know that it is NOT ACCEPTABLE to bully another person and that consequences apply!!

30 day blog Day 3 Favorite television program

Wow, another hard choice.

I loved 'Quantum Leap' & 'Sisters' but my number 1 winner is 'Homicide, Life on the Streets'.    I have to qualify that probably only seasons 1-5, the Pembleton years.  After he left, the cases were good but the acting went way, way down hill.

Set in a Baltimore police detective squad room, we met Pembleton, Bayless, Lewis, Kellerman, Crocetti, Bolander, Russert, Howard, Felton, G and of course, Munch.   We watched their lives, we watched them live and die and we watched them do the best the could to solve crime in the city they all loved.  I don't remember if it was all of them but I know most grew in Baltimore, their dads working hard to make sure they had better lives.  They were guys that saw the futility of what they were doing and still came to work every day to "speak for the dead".   There were guys--and 1 girl, at the beginning, Kay Howard--of all ages and experiences who brought a unique perspective to a job that would eat you alive if you let it.  The first 5 years, the scripts were good, the acting brilliant.  Sadly it went on too long.  Too many losses of a good cast and the addition of of...whatever...not good.  I've got the set on DVD and when I want to watch brilliance, I put them in the dvd player.

30 day blog Day 2 Favorite Movie

This one is complicated too but I'd have to say 'Casablanca'.    Perfect story, perfect cast.  Humphrey Bogart is Rick Blaine, the owner of 'Rick's Place' in WWII in Casablanca, Morocco which was neutral during the war.  It was a safe place where the Germans and the Allies co-existed pretty peacefully.  Rick claims no loyalties to either side but is secretly a gun broker for the Allies.  Ingrid Bergman was never as beautiful as Ilsa, the woman Rick loves and who stood him up in Paris because she had a secret, her husband Victor Laszlo,  a war activist she thought dead, played by Paul Henreid.     Ilsa and Victor come to Casablanca to escape to America and Rick is the one who can help them.  Will he help the woman who betrayed him and her husband escape?  

There are 3 scenes that stand out and make me cry everytime.  Ilsa comes to try to explain to a drunken and crying Rick and he is very cruel to her.   Later she explains what happened in Paris and why she stood him up.  And the 3rd shows the German officers singing their national anthem and Victor striking up the band to play La Marseillaise to drown them out.

Others in the cast include Claude Rains as the local police captain and Sidney Greenstreet as a shady businessman.

It's a great movie, great characters, moving story and not an "F" word in site.

Amazing.

Divorced Barbie

The Divorced Barbie Doll

One day a father gets out of work and on his way home he suddenly remembers    that it's his daughter's birthday. He pulls over to a Toy Shop and asks the    sales person, 'How much for one of those Barbie's in the display window?'    The salesperson answers, 'Which one do you mean, Sir? We have: Work Out    Barbie for $19.95, Shopping Barbie for $19.95, Beach Barbie for $19.95,    Disco Barbie for $19.95, Ballerina Barbie for $19.95, Astronaut Barbie for    $19.95, Skater Barbie for $19.95, and Divorced Barbie for $265.95'.

The amazed father asks: 'It's what?! Why is the Divorced Barbie $265.95 and    the others only $19.95?'

  The annoyed salesperson rolls her eyes, sighs, and answers: 'Sir...,    Divorced Barbie comes with: Ken's Car, Ken's House, Ken's Boat, Ken's    Furniture, Ken's Computer, one of Ken's Friends, and a key chain made with Ken's balls.

Thanks to my Facebook friend Donald for this one

They are not my pants

I've heard people have said it but did not believe it.

When I was a police dispatcher several years ago, I was riding with my friend Paul and we stopped this guy staggering down the street.  We both saw him drop something out of his pocket and Paul found a bag of some drug.  Paul asked the guy if it was his and he said no.  Paul told him that it came out of his pocket.  And the guy actually said it:     They are not my pants.

30 day blog Day 1 Favorite Songs

I stole this from another blog because I need to write and I cannot always think of what to write about.  




Day 1  - your favorite song 

This one is kinda hard....I like 2 for different reasons.


1st would be 'I Just Can't Help Believin' by B J Thomas.  I love his voice, always have.   I love it because he's a man in love.     It came out in the most impressionable musical time of my life, 40 years ago when I got the 1st radio that belonged just to me.    I saw him in concert twice, once in college when he was on a gospel tour and then just a few years ago at the Cactus Theater where I happened to read on Sunday afternoon that he was going to be there that night.   I went alone and while standing in line, a man gave me a ticket and it was a great seat.    He has been through a lot, drugs and what he calls a lot of wild and crazy times.   It shows in his face.  But his voice was still strong, beautiful.   I remember him saying, as he started 'Dont Worry Baby' that if he'd known he was going to live this long, he'd have recorded it in a lower key.  


Here is a Youtube link to a live performance.   He makes it look effortless.   And is possibly wearing someone else's pants.  But... Amazing.


I Just Cant Help Believin


2nd would be 'Amazing Grace'     An amazingly simple song with an amazingly simple message.


Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound.
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost but now I'm found,
Was blind but now I see.


Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.


Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
Tis grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home


When I've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun


Does anything else have to be said about that?

It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's October 1 and the awareness begins!!   There are thousands of diseases out there that need attention and I often think maybe this one gets more than it's share.  I wear a pink shirt and carry a pink grocery bag and have a pink ribbon pin.  The AJ was pink today and the Susan G Komen walk is tomorrow.   And I participate in it all because on May 31, 1997 I lost my big sister Cathy to breast cancer.  She had many battles and it finally won.  And statistics show that I have a high probability of meeting it in my future too.  So I'd like a cure  so if that happens, it will benefit me.   For now, I choose to honor Cathy and walk in her name...for me her sister, for her daughters, for her granddaughters.   Lets get rid of this disease so we can concentrate on another.

Today

FOR TODAY, Friday September 24, 2010

Outside my window... It's dark.  It's 11:10 pm.  It rained today so it's cool.  Clouds are partially hiding the full moon.

I am thinking...nothing.  Not at all.  Listening to music.  Reading blogs.  Mindless night.

I am thankful for... so many things...the ability to leave my job that I no  longer loved, anticipating a new job next week.

From the kitchen... I cleaned it a few minutes ago.  Don't like to go to bed with a dirty kitchen.  My friend Jan came over for chicken spaghetti, salad and bread sticks.  It was darned good.

I am wearing... By Dark blue nightshirt with the yellow flowers on it.  Comfy

I am reading... I can't decide between the Christian fiction love story Maggie Rose or new Jack Reacher or the 2nd Dragon Tattoo book.  So I'm not reading anything now.  Just deciding.

I am hearing... my Ipod from the stereo thingy in the kitchen.  Kenny Maines is asking 'Ain't Nobody Lonely?'   30 years ago or so I would have swooned.   Favorite Maines Brothers song ever.

Around the house... I'm on the computer when I should be in bed.

Pondering these words... "Not all who wander are lost" ~C.S. Lewis"

A few plans for the rest of the week... Gotta clean house big time.  It's not horrible but need to do floors.  And laundry.  And clean the office.  Same things that always need to get done!!   How is that possible?  Probably lunch with Deborah tomorrow.  And watch the Netflix movies that I have.  

A picture thought I'm sharing...

Lake Tahoe, April 2007