I did it, I did it, I did it !!!

I made my blog header...I designed it...I resized it...I uploaded it...it works!!

I have worked and worked trying to figure it all out and I did it!!    Woohoo!!  

I hope I remember how later...

Sleep

I can't sleep.  For years and years I have had problems sleeping.  The heat really gets to me so I sleep even less in the summer.  I figured when I retired I'd at least be able to sleep in the morning even though I toss and turn all night but that has not happened.  I go to bed at a semi-decent hour and then 2 hours later--like now--I'm back up and on the computer.  I will eventually wear down and sleep for about 4 hours and it starts all over.

I don't like taking sleeping pills although I did about every other night while I was working.  I have not had one since I'm not working.   They were OTC and I was not addicted.

So it it good or bad news that I am now blogging like a fool?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I think the movie will be out in November and they released the trailer today.  It's for part one only with part 2 coming next year.  It was a long book and would be impossible to get into 1 movie so it will be interesting to see how they divide it up.  I am enormously looking forward to this movie.

I am a huge HP fan.  I came aboard shortly after book 3 was published and then devoured the 1st three books and then had the last 4 in my mailbox on delivery day.  I saw an interview with JK Rowling where she said her greatest fear was dying and it was mine too--her dying before I got to know the end of the story.  And then I ready book 7 so quickly I know I missed many things.    So I went back and re-read books 1-6 and now I need to re-read book 7 before I see the movie so I'll understand what's going on.

I now there is praise everywhere but Ms Rowling really is a good writer and has a brilliant imagination.  Oddly, as with everything, she has her critics, the most bizarre of which is by the churchy's  who believe she is promoting  the occult.  Spoken like people who never read the books.  Harry, Ron & Hermoine happen to be wizards but the books are about friendship, good versus evil and the power of love.  No wizards in the Bible but the rest of the stuff sounds familiar.

I will be sad when the adventure is over.

2010 1st Tomato, all grown up

Probably could have gotten a little riper on the vine but it actually fell off in my hand.   I'll let it sit in the window a couple of days and will then enjoy the heck out of it.  My mouth is watering altready

Manners and Tact

I don't like conflict.  Anyone who knows me knows that.   I normally just walk away with my feelings hurt instead of telling someone they hurt my feelings.   It doesn't happen very often.  I try not to take things to seriously and that attitude has served me well.   But sometimes...

Today I tried a recipe that I'd never tried before.  I had made some modifications to lower the fat in it and it was, frankly, not the best thing I'd ever tasted.  So I asked my neighbor, a pretty good cook, to taste it and see if she could diagnose a way to make it better.  She took one bite, spit it in the garbage, poured the entire bowl in the garbage and proceeded to tell me it was horrible.  It was not good but not horrible.    She then went on and on about how 'horrible' it was.  

My friend is from New York and we all know that New Yorkers have no manners or tact.  How is that for a generalization?   Possibly untrue but you cannot prove it by me.  I know we were raised differently.  When someone gives me something I don't like, normally I thank them politely, get rid of the evidence and if pushed tell them it was not my cup of tea.   This friend has brought stuff to my house that I don't particularly like but I have never and would never do what she did to me today.    I am not from New York, thank goodness, and do have both manners and tact.

I am an ok cook...it's normally my experiments that tend to get a little iffy but this friend has, in the past, turned her nose up at everything I've ever made.   I know I cook mostly southern food but I make an amazing chocolate pie and amazing ginger cookies if I do say so myself.

Just the art of writing this answers my questions.  No more exchanging of foods.  Period.  That way my feelings won't be hurt over the situation.  

Byron W Lacy, You spoke to my heart

I don't know Byron W Lacy although he is now my Facebook friend.  When my friend Susan came to Tech, she had gone to a JUCO in Athens, TX  (forgive me for not knowing the name) and she had gone to school with Byron and she had a book that had poems in it and I wrote them in my 'Nothing Book' back in 1976.  I wanted to put them on this blog but wanted  Byron's permission and he generously gave it to me.  So with the full knowledge and notice that he retains full copyrights and ownership here are the 2 poems I copied all those years ago:

Something Good

There were times

When I would rather

Have slept forever.

I saw you

In dreams then

And that was better

Than not seeing 

You at all.

I took to leaving

The alarm clock

In the kitchen, unset,

Where I couldn't 

Even hear it's ticking 

And moved my bed

Where the sun

On slipping through

The uncurtained window

Would not catch me

Sleeping.

I guess something good

Has come out of

Your not needing me

As much as i need you.

I give the cat more attention

And she's happy;

I neglected her

Far too much before.

***

The Soft Goodbye

If you had really cared for me,

You would have told me

That someday you wouldn't.

***

Thanks Byron.  Thank you for touching my young heart now and my old heart now.  Thanks for letting me publish these poems.

Lady Gaga in her underwear

Apparently the pop star who I have heard of but have never see perform has decided that she is giving up her strange wardrobe and decided  to go anywhere she wants in her underwear, including a Yankees game and Elton John's White Tie & Tiara Ball, a benefit for his Aids Foundation.   I guess it's good that she wore underwear and not just a white tie and tiara.   So what's up with that?

I always find it amusing that people think just because there is not a law against it (and apparently there isn't) that anything goes.  It's their "RIGHT".   And as long as it's their right, the hell with everyone else.  The hell with the mom at the game whose 12 year old boy is going GAGA over her at the game or who has to explain to her 5 year old girl that going places in her underwear is not a good thing.   If that mom is uncomfortable, who cares as long as Lady Gaga has her rights.

Natalie Mains can say anything she wants...it's her right but if I don't want to buy her music because I don't like what she says I am narrow minded.  In other words, she is entitled to her opinion but I'm not entitled to mine.

Why is it so wrong to be decent and respect other people?   I don't like either of the above but I defend their rights to do anything they want.   I don't like it but will defend it.  And I'll try my best not to offend them too.

New Iphone...yes!!

I decided to get a 16GS instead of a new one and I like it!!  Its a lot faster and it was $50 less.  It's a good thing

New Iphone...GRRR!!!

I had an Iphone preordered on June 15 and my pre-paid credit card was charged.  Delivery was supposed to be on June 24.  Then on June 19, beloved AT&T ran my card again, got 'insufficient funds' because they had already taken the funds and cancelled my order.  They did manage to charge me an upgrade fee on today's bill but I'll take care of that.  Since all preorders had been stopped, the guy at the store could not just put it back in and said he'd save me one for Thursday's launch.  Now that launch has been delayed til June 29.  So bummed ...no new Iphone tomorrow unless I can find one at Best Buy or Walmart.  And I'm gonna go look.  

Grrr.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

I love them.

I doubt I've met anyone who didn't.   It was, for years, the foremost ice cream thingy in our house.

Last night on 'Friday Night Lights' Matt's grandma said they were about to have an ice cream sandwich.  Yep, from west Texas alright

Chinese Spam

I've lamented about it before but I hate it when I get a comment that needs to be moderated and it some spam crap from friggin China.     GRRR

Our President and the Gulf Crisis

Tonight, President Obama spoke to the nation about the oil spill situation and it is a mess that is going to take a lot of fixing.   I did not vote for Mr Obama and I think he, like most polititions on both sides of the aisle, is clueless on how to fix the problems in this country.  I don't tend to have the malice that some have towards him.  He is probably a good man and I think he wants was best and I want to like and support him but he promised change and I have seen none for the better.  It's going to take more than him, thats what I'm saying.  We need to elect people who represent what is best for us as citizens instead of lining their pockets.   Ok, stepping down from soapbox now.

What I came to say is that I really liked his reference to 'The Blessing of the Fleet' where ministers of all walks of life meet at the beginning of the fishing season to pray for the safety and success of those headed out to sea.  The line that I really liked tonight was this:

For as a priest and former fisherman once said of the tradition, "The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is that He is with us always," a blessing that's granted "even in the midst of the storm."


What more can we ask for in this life?

I hate the University of Texas. Seriously.

For weeks and weeks there has been speculation on the death of the Big 12.   Nebraska going to Big 10 wher they have a chance of becoming big cheese again.  Tech, A&M, OU, Okie Lite, Colorado and the evil empire were all headed to the Pac 10.  Yes, the one in California even though we are in the middle of the country.  Baylor, Kansas, K State, Mizzou & Iowa State left behind to fend for themselves.  It's all about $$$  and lets all forget about the fact that IT'S JUST A GAME!!   Because it's not.  It's a business.

So all of our fates depend on UT's decision.  They are top cows.  If they go, we all go.  If they stay, we stay.  So we find out today we stay.  UT gets it's own TV network and the largest parts of the revenue pie.  We are now the Big 12 minus 2.   Colorado went for the Pac 10 and Nebraska went to the Big 10.  It's not a done deal for us because the official announcement has not been made but Gerald Myers, the athletic department and Tech administration don't have the balls to tell UT to go screw the Aggies, like everyone normally does.   So we will go on expected to be grateful to 3rd or so in a league that UT owns.

I read an Aggie blog that suggested Tech should go to the Mountain West because they could never compete with UT and TAMU.  I realize Tech got cocky and the Aggies actually beat us last season but until then I did not realize the Aggies even still played football.    Did the blogger sleep through the last 15 years or so?  Everyone owns Aggie ass.     Then...ready for a laugh??   TAMU wants to to to the SEC!!!    Florida?  Tennessee?  Alabama?   If I had smilies, this is where the little guy ROTFL would be inserted.   It would be fun to watch though.

So it looks like status quo with Tech...settling in UT's shadow.

I put the little button above to honor Vince Young, strip club arrestee and the rest of the UT players who over the years have graced the courthouses of Austin on a regular basis.   Book 'Em Horns!!

Rihanna

I  admit that I don't know her music or anything about her except her boyfriend beat her up but she is a beautiful young woman.  Who in God's green acres told her this looks good?   They should be shot.

Walking with Google

In another of the lawsuit takes the cake, a woman is suing Google maps because she had used their service to get walking directions from one location to another and while following those directions, she got hit by a car.  It's true.  She wants $100,000.  You can read it here, folks:                 Google Maps Lawsuit

There is an actual disclaimer on their website that says:
Walking directions are in beta.
Use caution – This route may be missing sidewalks or pedestrian paths.


She was walking alone, at night.  Should Google know if there are muggers out there?


She should be suing her mother for not telling her to look both ways before crossing the street.


Idiots.

2010 Books & the Nook

After my dad died I could not read for a long time.  I guess my concentration was off or something.  I have always been a reader and then I couldn't.   But about a of month ago I bought a Nook and cannot seem to stop reading.  I't what I want to do all of the time now!!   The Cowboy book and the Blossom Street book were freebies and Carol Burnett and Jack Reacher were my 1st purchases.   The purchased books are $8.99 each so on my future bag lady salary, I'm gonna have to limit myself so I am now reading a real book that I already have.

Reading is such a gift...I'm glad to have it back

White Collar

Returns to USA on July 13.  This is last year's poster but this is one handsome man and this is an extremely fun show.    I've sung its praises before, back in 2009 but am ready for a new season.

Taking Turns

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the water windmill where there is a steady stream of traffic and I always have to wait my turn.  I noticed yesterday, as I do everythime how everyone asks if the other is finished before they get their water.  I know they waited their turns too.

On the other hand, we were at the car wash Duck one day where there are 2 lanes going into 2 and  an ugly soul decided she was too good to wait her turn and just pulled in.  No one said anything but I know everyone felt cheated.  It would have been funny if the Duck man has told her she had to leave with a dirty car cuz she was a cutter.  The tantrum would have been amusing, no doubt.

Its a simple rule.  Everyone needs to follow it.