Steve and Gray

Steve and Grayson 

Cutest Ranger fan ever

Nora Ephron RIP

I am a little sad today because writer/director Nora Epron has died.  I did not know here personally, of course, but 3 of her movies are my favorites.   First, 'When Harry Met Sally', then 'Sleepless in Seattle and 'You've Got Mail'.   She wrote likable characters that we could root for and these movies had happy endings, just like a a romantic movie should end.    So thanks, Nora.

Li'l Abner

Ok, I love old movies.  I have a large collection and today I wan hanging out in the "L's" and decided on a Sunday afternoon with the residents of Dogpatch USA.   Li'l Abner was made in 1959 and based on a comic strip by Al Capp that ran from 1934-1977.   The residents of Dogpatch live by the code of the hills, have no jobs and the women look forward to Sadie Hawkins day so they can catch the man of their dreams.   Li'l Abner, a big and handsome boy (Peter Palmer) who is loved and chased by beautiful Daisy Mae (Leslie Parris).   Sadly, Dogpatch has been designated the most useless place on the planet and is scheduled to be blown off the map 2 days before Sadie Hawkins day, unless the residents can come up with something that makes them necessary.  Luckily, Mammy Yoakum, Li'l Abner's mom, comes up up with Yoakumberry Tonic, a concoction that made Li'l Abner the big, handsome oaf he is.  The government decides to do testing in Washington on the tonic, delaying the bombing.   Also interested is a ruthless businessman who wants the Tonic for himself.  He comes up with scheme for his bimbo girlfriend (Stella Stevens, a scene stealer) to catch Li'l Abner in the Sadie Hawkins race, then inherit the Tonic after an unfortunate death.   Not to give all away, let's just say good overcomes evil and a good time is had by all.

This is a musical and people do randomly break out into song.  The chorus has a couple of faces that will be a little more famous later, namely Beth Howland who starred on the TV show 'Alice' , Valerie Harper of 'Rhoda' fame and Donna Douglas, 'The Beverly Hillbillies' Elly Mae.  And Jerry Lewis makes a cameo as
'Itchy McRabbit'.

It's hokey, no doubt, but also a ton of fun.  There is a show stopping duet between Peter Palmer and Stubby Kaye about 'The country's in the very best of hands' which showcases their tenor voices.  I bring that up because I saw a stage production several years at the Garza Theater in post where local celebs Mike Morgan and Brandon Bohannan did a mind blowing rendition of the same song.  It was by far the best musical number I've ever seen in Lubbock community theater.

New Laptop

The old one was stolen in the burglary and I was not going to replace it at this time but the strange insurance said that if I replaced within 90 days they would pay all but $172 so I decided if I could get an $800 computer for $172 and I'd probably want one later, it was a pretty good deal.  I got a very cool Sony Viao. I am actually typing on it now so it works and everything!!

Ready for these shingles to take a hike...

The pain is nearly gone and the rash is healing but now it's even stranger.  My left side is still numb, a strange feeling on it's own but now I get these waves of itch going down my body and that feeling is driving me crazy!!   It's inside so there is nothing you can do about it.  You can't scratch it.  You can't put lotion on it.  Nada.  I hope this goes away soon!!

Those Mitchum Boys

Tonight I was watching a movie called "Ride the Wild Surf", a beach movie made in 1964.  Most of my friends know that I am a fan of cheesy 60's beach movies and that if it has Frankie and Annette in it, I probably own it.  But...this one had neither...it had 21 year old Fabian, 32 year old Tab Hunter and 28 year old Peter Brown as the leads.  I got this info from Robert Osborne on TCM and find it amusing that a 32 year old man is playing a surfing teenager.  It also had a brunette Barbara Eden and a blonde Shelley Fabares.  Both look better as blonde's and brunette's respectively.  Hair color aside (Peter Brown was a blonde too), everyone looked fit and gorgeous. \\

The movie was typical beach movie, which means not very good.  But the eeriest thing is that it also had an actor named James Mitchum, son of actor Robert, who I did not realize was an actor too.  It's eerie because he looks exactly like his dad!!  While watching the movie it was all I could think about!!  They have the same eyes...

Robert Mitchum

James Mitchum

I always thought James Mitchum was a handsome man, especially at the age where the above picture was taken.   I read a story once that when he proposed to his wife Dorothy,  he told her to "Stick with me and you'll be farting through silk".  They were married for 57 years.  

Ok, this one is going to be a rant--Roger Clemens not guilty

Today, Roger Clemens, legendary Yankee pitcher was found not guilty of lying to congress about taking steroids while playing baseball.  I don't care much for the Yankees.  My opinion is that with their payroll, they should win every game.  And Rog graduated from the evil empire, the University of Texas, a school I hate beyond reason.  But I did not think he actually used steroids although he had a long and unexplained career of wins.  Lots of people did use them...people who will be judged in Cooperstown someday.   My rant does not involve the verdict but 8 weeks of trial and 46 witnesses in a trial being paid for with taxpayer dollars for something that should have been handled in house at MLB.

I love baseball.  I like watching grown men play a little boys game and I love a good team (read: Rangers) but more than that I love fairness and honesty.  I want to see someone amazing (Rog) go against someone else amazing (Josh) on a level playing field, head to head and I like to see the Rangers come out on top.  Not exactly biased.  And I hate when someone like Barry Bonds or Mark McGuire juice up and break records set by people who did it without the help.    And I don't think if you were on steroids that should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  That is a place for honest players.

But I do object to these hearings in congress.  I love America and believe in the goodness of our nation.  But the truth is, we are in trouble.  Our government has basically sold our souls to China.  We owe more money than we will ever be able to repay.  The Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on what color the grass is right now.  We have a military spread way to thin right now and that scares me a little.  Our country is going to have to learn we cannot be everything to everyone, not anymore.   People have lost jobs in America, the housing industry is in shambles and children in this country go to bed hungry and that's just wrong.   There are so many things that need to be fixed that something like trials about steroids in baseball (this was the 2nd trial for RC, first ended in a mistrial) make me absolutely crazy.

I don't know what the answer is but I hope that someday this little dysfunctional congress--Dems and Reps--alike are soon out on their bohines wondering what the heck happened with their re-elections.  I don't know if Mitt Romney is the answer but I haven't see much of the change promised in the last election.  I do know that sooner or later someone will have to answer for the state our country is in.  I hope it gets fixed somehow, someday

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal cookies

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 c milk
3 T Cocoa
1/2 c crunch peanut butter
1 t vanilla
3 c dry old fashioned oatmeal


Melt together sugar, butter, milk, cocoa, boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat, add peanut butter & vanilla.  Pour over oatmeal in a large bowl and stir til blended well.  Drop onto wax paper, let cool.  Cookies will harden as they cool.  Makes 2 dozen (per the recipe I found, but I say on a good day--mine were kinda big and made about 14).


Easy, easy recipe!!

Father's Day

Another one of my least favorite days. I feel a lot of self pity on Father's Day and Mother's Day and birthdays because I am overwhelmed with memories.  A month or so ago I wrote a post about my mom and this one will be about my dad.

My dad was born January 13,1914.  He was the 2nd oldest of 6 kids.  His dad died in 1924.  Uncle Raymond was 12 and Daddy 10, all the way down to Aunt Allene who was about 10 months old.  There was, again, no life insurance, no social security at the time.  The entire family lived with their grandpa who was pretty tough on the boys.  I don't know about all but neither of the older boys finished school because they had to work and take care of the family.  They actually had some land and a house for awhile until it all burned down.  They all depended on extended family and each other to live.  In the late 30's Daddy and Uncle D moved to Arizona and sent home money every month for Granny.  Then daddy was drafted in February 1942 and spent 39 months in the army, on a ship in the Pacific.  Again, all of the boys (Uncle J too) sent home money for Granny.  I know this is about Daddy but a shout out to my Uncle R who took care of Granny until she went to the nursing home.  He was not drafted but his 3 younger brothers were.  He was a major old grump but I'm sure he never felt he had any choices in his life and that would make me crazy and grumpy too.

My dad, US Army 1942-1945

In 1945, he married my mom and they soon had 2 little girls with me to come in 1957.  My dad was an old cowboy.  It was who he was and he never, ever wanted to be anything else.  From 1960-1970 he worked in the mine in Bagdad and other than the army, it was the only time in his entire life that he had to be somewhere at a specific time.   I don't remember him being unhappy at the mine but when a ranching job came up, he grabbed it.

About 1950

We lived a couple of other places but Spur was his home and where he always wanted to be.  He lived there until July 2006 when he moved to Lubbock to live with me.  He was 92 at the time and although I like to believe he was better taken care of with me, he never adjusted to living in a city and without his pickup to go visit his friends.  He was a very sociable person and loved visiting more than anything.  I lost him February 2009 and miss him every day of my life.  

Our House in Bagdad, about 1965

I love this picture!  Look how young Mom looks!!

Mom's last Christmas, 2002

My dad, was, in short the most content man I ever knew.  He had little but needed little.  He loved his girls--Mom, Cathy, Jo, Me--and his grandchildren.  He loved his job and he loved drinking coffee with his friends.  He liked chocolate pudding and peach cobbler and bull riding.  He had a lot of friends because he was a good friend.  What more can a man ask of his life than that?

Bye Bye Facebook

Tomorrow morning I will delete my Facebook account.  It's been a while coming and today I just decided.  I'm tired of the drama, the daily quotes and pictures, tired of being threatened with the end of the world if I don't repost something.  I have decided that I don't need to know all that much about others nor do they need to know that much about me.  I posted my email address for anyone who wants to keep in touch...I'm not opposed to friendships and keeping up but FB is too much.  I have stayed on because I liked my little farm but the bloom has fallen off that rose too.  It's time to do something more productive with my time and I spent a lot of time on FB.  My friend Greg doesn't think I can do it but as I lived without it before, I can live without it now.

Probably the thing that pushed me over the edge was this afternoon a young friend, my daddy's former next door neighbor, posted something that just blew me away.  This is a sweet girl and today they were all coming back from a cruise that took them from Boston to Canada and it sounds like a great time was had by all.  Her post was something about flying, and "America sucks, I want to go back to Canada"...and I thought really?  Really?   I replied that coming home from vacation sucked, flying sucked but America does not suck.  And a little boy college student replied that Canada was the greatest country in the world.  I started to type that I'd hire him a moving van but erased it and typed that we would have to agree to disagree.  I have nothing against Canada and I know our government has some issues but I still believe America to be the best country on the planet.  Hands down.  Bar none.  Love it or leave it.  The border's thataway^ .  The truth is that i am disappointed in my friend.  I don't know if America sucking is her true feeling or if it was just a flip remark because she was sad her vacation was over.  I do know that I understand more the "say it, forget it-write it, forget it" rule is a good thing to remember.  And I almost mad a flip reply and I don't want to get in a confrontation with a college boy over a remark on FB.   We are, after all, in a land of free speech and lest I forget that, it's time to walk away from it all.  And in my friend's defense, the entire post is gone.

So everyone thought I was clueless before?  Y'all ain't seen nothing yet.

Edited to add I realize I "write it" here but I'm the only person who reads my blog so we're pretty safe.

Random break in thoughts...

I've had some time to stew over the break in and what it means in my small life.  I hate living behind an electronic wall.  I set the alarm when I leave, when it gets dark and I'm here, when I take a shower.  I feel safe but I hate it.

I've evaluated what I'm going to replace and it's not much.  No laptop, no Ipad.  It was ridiculous for one person to have 3 computers anyway.  I did get a new Nook because along with my Ipad they took all of my Ebooks and I have convinced myself I needed that.  It was technically a pretty easy sell.

I'm having to get an affidavit from my friend Deb who has seen my jewelry so I can get paid for it.  I rarely wore it but there were a couple of good pieces.  And they were mine and I'd like to get paid.  But I won't be replacing any of it.  They did not get the watch I wear when I wear one.

The insurance adjuster had been kind and fair so far so we'll see.  I don't know why I go into something like this and expect a fight, expect a lowball.  I am almost always pleasantly surprised with the outcome.   Even while he is waiting for the affidavit and working on the rest of my stuff he is paying me up front for the window repair so that gave me a warm & fuzzy about him.  

I'm really not a "stuff" person but it seems sometimes I sure do have a lot.  My office is a mess and I have a ton of DVD's and I considered getting rid of them but they and the books are what I really enjoy so I'm not getting rid of them yet.   I have been brutal in other parts of the house though.   The kitchen cabinets are next, when I feel better.

I wonder why they left the WII...maybe they did not see it.  And they could have taken this new, towerless, wireless computer by just unplugging it.   Just curious.

The police sgt thinks they caught my burglars with my neighbors description but apparently all of my stuff is gone.  We'll see.

Ouch

I try not come here and whine...really I do...but I have shingles right now and I basically feel like crap.  It started last Friday as a pain in my side and I really thought I had a back problem...then Sunday & Monday it just hurt like crap and I could not get comfortable to sleep.  Then on Tuesday, the blisters started.  I went to the docbor, got some horse pills and felt better for a couple of days but now the blisters are bigger and they hurt and I am grumpy and wah, wah, wah!!   Then, of course, there was the Burger King incident so I'm all into a pity party right now!!   Just by reading this, you know that no one knows the trouble I've seen!!    Ok, I'll get over it.

Non paid crying person and not really me!!

 Why do people put pictures of their crying children on the internet for me to poach??

Buh Bye Burger King

I am ashamed to admit that I just spent $8.32 for a Whopper with cheese (no pickles or tomatoes,please), a large order of fries and a large diet coke.  I ordered a combo meal and in retrospect, i should have ordered a la carte but I was in the drive thru and I felt like crap and no one said there would be math.  The combo should be the best deal, right?

I'm not a french fry person so I could have gotten a small one or none at all but I did want a large coke and deviating from the combo is a big no-no so I took what I'd ordered.  Inside, I would have rearranged things but  I really hate people who make a drive thru scene.  So, basically, I paid the $8.32 and moved on.  Then I sent a letter to corprated HQ telling them they have lost a customer (like they care), posted it on Facebook and came here to blog about it.  I'm one tough cookie!!

Companies are going to have to come to the realization that in our economy we are all going to have make choices and BK is not worth $8.32.  They do, of course, have to pay David Beckham for pointless commercials now but still.  I'll bet even he would balk at paying what I just did!!