SNEAKERS 57

2012 is here!!

2011-12-31T22:20:00.000-08:00

Susan Sarandon calls the pope a Nazi? Hank WIlliams Jr compares our President to Hitler?

2011-10-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

I realize these 2 are people who don't live in the real world where real people have real problems but seriously? Who do these people think they are? Comparing a person you don't agree with with the deadliest leader in our memory is ludicrous. I hate it when people can get press bites because of their celebrity and then say something so careless. Fate alone has decided that these 2 moderately talented people don't have to have real jobs, get to have all the $$ in the world and for some reason get media attention. Maybe they should think before they speak.

October 17 is Haboob Day!!

2011-10-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

A haboob (Arabic:"هَبوب", "strong wind") is a type of intense duststorm carried on an atmospheric gravity current.

Yesterday about 545, we had an official Haboob in Lubbock!! I was sitting in my house, listening to the wind howl and watching the puny dust go by when all of a sudden it was almost completely dark and the wind kicked up and I looked out to see this:

1 block from my house 10-17-2011

I did not take this picture but this was the sight out my back door. It went on for a few minutes and blew on somewhere else. The weatherman said they had a wind gust st the station of 74. I have never seen anything like this and others interviewed in the paper from the Dust Bowl area said they had not seen anything like it since 1935. It left as fast as it came but it was a doozy of a dust storm!!

Tommy Tuberville and Texas Tech Game

2011-10-16T18:49:00.000-07:00

I went to the Texas Tech football game last night and now officially think Mr Tuberville needs to find a new job. I have asked all of my doubter friends to give him a chance but last night he lost the title of Coach in my eyes. I am an alum who will always bleed red and black and will always root for any Tech team in any situation but I will not support a coach, an administration or a system that leads us BACK to mediocrity! We spent too many years in the middle then we spent years at the top and I like the top and I hate losing!! I've got my guns up and will hope for the best and that includes a new coach with a heart to win!!

The only good thing about the game is that I got to spend it with my friend Holly (from college) and her daughter Lindsey and son in law Conner. Here most of us are (Conner is taking the picture):

Me, Holly, Lindsey and the Masked Rider on Midnight Matador Oct 15,2011

Separated at birth

2011-10-01T20:21:00.000-07:00

George Strait 1981

Ian Kinsler 2011

It's been a pretty good day...

2011-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

Brunch at Cracker Barrel with Deb...pecan pancakes.

Great visit with Donna, Danny and Dorothy...Hmmmm...It appears to be "D" day !!

Fair food and Grand Funk with Lorraine. Great time as usual.

Tech came from behind and won by 1 point. Even an ugly win counts.

Texas A&M lost at home to Okie Lite. Congrats Cowboys.

Tomorrow is not a workday so I can sleep in.

Thanks God for such a blessed day!!

They were 'Some Kind of Wonderful'

2011-09-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Lorraine and I went to our annual fair freebie "I can't believe they are still alive" 98 Kool rock concert and saw Grand Funk Railroad. I have to admit I did not know many of their songs and did not even realize 'Some Kind of Wonderful' belonged to them. But the music was good...and loud...and everyone had a good time. And we got to eat fair food which made it all good too. As with most of the 1969 bands these days, most are not original but the drummer who was a major ham and amazing is original!! I mention this every year but people who have been on the road for 42 years fascinate me. In the picture below, sadly, we cant see him because he is hidden by the light.

So here is their promo pic which I swiped from Google. He is the with with the big gray hair:

The striped pants scare me though.

And I read in the paper that Homer Simpson calls them "The best rock band of all time". Its an honor that no other band can claim and that says something, right?

Separated at birth?

2011-09-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

They are even almost wearing the same shirt!!

Simon Helberg, Big Bang Theory's Howard

Bobby Sherman, Teenage hearthrob of my dreaams

This needed to be posted:

2011-09-10T20:41:00.001-07:00

Thats all.

Recipe ~~ Broccoli Salad

2011-09-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

Dressing:
1 C Miracle Whip
1/4 C sugar
1/4 C chopped onion
1 T white vinegar
Mix and set aside.

4-6 C Broccoli Florets, raw
5 slices fried bacon
2 oz sunflower seeds
4-8 oz shredded cheese

Mix broccoli into dressing, refrigerate overnight.

Mix in bacon 2 to 4 hours before serving, refrigerate

Add sunflower seeds and cheese immediately before serving

Separated at birth ?

2011-09-10T18:56:00.000-07:00

Wizard of Oz, Frank Morgan

Clockwork Orange looney toon Malcolm McDowell

Where were you?

2011-09-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of 9-11, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and wherever else they were heading when the heroes in Pennsylvania stopped them. It's one of those days that you will always remember where you were when it happened. I was at work, at AT&T and my friend Jason came in and told us about the 1st plane. We went to the lounge to turn on the tv just as the 2nd tower was hit. We started out stunned at whatever mistake had been made by the 1st plane to utter disbelief as we figured out that someone had done this on purpose!! As the stories rolled in and the news played the pictures over and over, our world changed forever. How could someone do this on purpose? Why?

I guess its the days that change the world that you remember where you were. My dad spoke of Pearl Harbor. I was in the 1st grade when John Kennedy was shot. I remember thinking even as a 6 year old, who would shoot our President? I remember the deaths of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy but not as clearly. I remember the day Elvis died. And I will always remember those planes hitting those towers.

The world has changed a lot in the last 10 years and sadly most of it has not been for the better. We went after Saddam Hussain and Osama Bin Laden and now they are both dead. But we are involved in wars that stem from this incident and have lost way too many more American lives. Our distrust for the people from the middle east has escalated. No one can honestly say they don't have a little resentment for the guy who owns the 7-11 or "Bob" at the other end of the tech support call, even if we don't know exactly where they are from. I know I tend to judge the entire culture and Islam by this incident. I'm not saying it's fair.

The New York City first responders will forever be defined by this incident. All first responders everywhere I think. They are seen as heroes who do their jobs everyday for little pay or glory and sometimes too little respect. I think the recognition and appreciation of what they do every day is a little star next to the cloud.

One of the second graders at my school asked me the other day why there was a flag on the calendar on Sept 11 and I realized as a 7 year old she probably had never heard about this day. Yesterday our principal played "Proud to be an American" and my junior high bus students sat quietly and listened but I have to wonder what they know. I read that in Japan, Pearl Harbor is not taught in school. They are taught that we attacked them. Let's never let that happen here. Our future generation needs to know what happened on 9-11-01...about the attacks and about the heroes. And about the mettle of Americans who lived through it all and came out of the smoke proud of their country and who still believe in the American dream.

I am a team player. Really.

2011-09-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile and I'm not sure why I have not posted but no apologies...just lazy. Not sure if I am un-lazy now but ...

Ok, at work there is a social committee that costs $40 a year and everyone is expected to join. They use the money for, among other things, a small birthday gift, presents for the principal and asst principal, shower cakes, monthly stuff in our boxes, funeral and hospital flowers. Other than the principal gifts, none of this applies to me. There will never be a funeral of an immediate family member. If I die and don't get flowers, I'll be ok. There will be no one left behind to write a thank you note. No babies, no weddings. My birthday is in the summer. I don't care if I don't get a special treat in my box. I'll donate to the principal gifts but am not going to do the social committee and I feel like I will be seen as a non-team player. For 34 years of working I have contributed and the only thing in return was flowers for Mom & Daddy's funerals (after 'no flowers please' in the obits. I think they are a waste of $$...give to the foodbank. Another story..). I have had no babies but have participated in seriously 100 or so showers, between babies and weddings. Nothing for me.
And I am tired of giving. Am I being selfish? Probably but ...don't care. Not participating.

Am I wrong?

Grayson, 1 year old

2011-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Grayson with his number

Crawl Grayson Crawl!!

Grayson and his Daddy

My Pool is a Money Pit

2011-06-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Pool 230
Chemicals 130
Stronger pump 220
Pool Vacuum 120
----------------------------
Total so far 600

Water bill to come: ??????

Ack!!

Hot Hot Hot

2011-06-17T22:18:00.001-07:00

Its June 17 and it was 107 today. Gonna be a long summer!!

Turtle, passing through

2011-06-17T10:39:00.000-07:00

I saw this little guy walking through my backyard a few days ago. Alas, he just stopped for a photo op and moved on. He was probably a celebrity turtle even though he was not wearing sunglasses and did not have a body guard.

Well, the Weiner resigned

2011-06-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

His wife came home yesterday and today he resigned. Can you just imagine that conversation? Oh, the groveling, the I'm sorrys, the tears. It would have been a sight to behold. Oh, to be a fly on the wall at their house.

I realize I have posted about this a lot but it just touched a big nerve. If we don't have integrity, honesty, morals, what are we? I'll never meet the Weiner so it really does not affect me other than to make me mad. Not just the above but he's stupid and only sorry because he got caught. What suckers he has played his wife and family and district for. Asshole.

I think Casey Anthony will be found not guilty...

2011-06-16T19:45:00.000-07:00

She is guilty...no doubt about that. I have not watched every word but this is a circumstantial case. Casey is a horrible mom, a liar of the first degree, cold as ice. If you asked her how many pennies were in a nickel she would lie to you. How a human being leaves HER CHILD in a bag in a field to be chewed on by animals is beyond my brain. She deserves to be found guilty because she is. But....I'm not sure I could find her guilty knowing the death penalty is on the table with the evidence in front of me. If it were just life in prison I would ring her up without a doubt. See, the thing is, I don't believe in the death penalty. It's too easy. She should be in prison for the rest of her life, no doubt. And I don't mean air conditioned, cable and internet prison. I mean chain gang. She should spend 12 hours a day, 6 days a week digging a hole in the hot sun, only to refill it and then dig it again. She should eat bologna and grits and tuna casserole. She should have a roommate named Bertha who hates child killers. And if she did something to abuse Caylee then that should be done to her everyday. Burn a kid with an iron? At 2pm everyday someone comes to your cell to burn you with an iron. I'm not soft on crime. I just am not sure I could make a decision to put someone to death on the evidence.

We'll see what happens but I'm glad I'm not on the jury.

The first Chef I loved

2011-06-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

I love the food network. Love Guy. Love Bobby Flay. Love, love, love Paula Deen. But the first chef to win my heart was this one:

The Chef of my Dreams

The first time we met was in about 1964...I remember this because Cathy was still living at home and we lived on Davis street in Bagdad. It was a party of some kind....birthday, graduation...something. I remember mom making a few pizzas and there was a case of cokes in bottles. You have to understand that the reason this made such an impression was that we did not eat this food or drink cokes. And I remember it being the best thing I'd ever tasted. I only got a slice or 2 because I was 7 and Cathy & Jo were 18 & 17 so I really was not invited to the party. I had to eat and go.

Later, when I had my own apartment, I could buy this and add stuff to it and it was even better. Even back then this was marketed as a pizza, not a pizza maker or a pizza kit (the stage between pizza and pizza maker). I don't make them much but I did today:

My Pizza Today

Thanks Chef!!! It's lunch time!!

Weiner update

2011-06-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

Now we find out that the BIG WEINER tweeted all his body parts, not just the underwear covered ones. Ugh.

Oh, and his beautiful wife is 3 months pregnant!! And it appears she is turning to her boss Hilary Clinton for advice on the Weiner. Oy. Give me a call Mrs and I'm sure I'll give you a different answer. Heck, I'll give it to you without a call. Run!! Take the BIG WEINER for all he's got. And tell him to resign.

White Collar line

2011-06-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Best line of the series so far:

Mozzy, discussing their escape plane, to Neil: "Think of it as a Kardashian. What it lacks in refinement, it makes up for in cargo space"

Weiner is a weiner

2011-06-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

NY Congressman Anthony Weiner has had a hell of a week. First, he sent out a picture of himself in his underwear to a young woman he followed on Twitter. Then he claimed it was not him, his Twitter account was hacked. Then after he was literally tracked down like the horn dog he is, he finally admitted it today. He cried--yep, cried--as he apologized to his wife and their families and his constituents--but refused to resign. Just one more person that was elected by the people of our country with no morals,no judgement and the mistaken belief that decency doesn't matter anymore....he is a congressman and he can do what he wants and then cry when he gets caught. Empty apologies. Not at all sorry he did it, just sorry he got caught.

Weiner!!!!

RIP James Arness

2011-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

I bet you've never heard ole Marshall Dillon say
Miss Kitty have you ever thought of running away
Settling down would you marry me
If I ask you twice and beg you pretty please
She'd of said Yes in a New York minute
They never tied the knot
His heart wasn't in it
He just stole a kiss as he road away
He never hung his hat up, at Kitty's place ---Toby Keith

'Gunsmoke' was a large part of my growing up years. From the late 50's through the early 70's, CBS on Monday night was tuned into 'Gunsmoke'. Our hero was United States Marshall Matt Dillon from Dodge City Ks. He had a couple of deputies over the years, Chester, played by Dennis Weaver and Festus played by Ken Curtis. His closest friend was Doc Adams, played by Milburn Stone and his girl was Miss Kitty, the owner of the Longbranch Saloon, played by Amanda Blake. At the beginning of the show, they said their names when they showed the stars' pictures and the last was always "And James Arness as Matt Dillon". It's not important now but I still hear the voice when I think about it. I don't hear voices all the time by the way.

Marshall Dillon had an amazing sense of what was right and what was wrong. He had compassion for his prisoners too, he saw them as people first. He did not tolerate injustice or lynch mobs. If a person was guilty, he did his duty. He was someone who would be a good friend I think. He was a lousy boyfriend...he strung Kitty along for all those years but I guess he was just afraid of commitment.

He was 6'7" !!! And his brother was Peter Graves from 'Mission Impossible'

I guess James Arness must have known his days were coming to an end because he posted on his website this letter: (source www.jamesarness.com)

Hi friends,

I decided to write a letter to you for Janet to post on our website in the event I was no longer here.

I had a wonderful life and was blessed with some many loving people and great friends. The best part of my life was my family, especially my wife Janet. Many of you met her at Dodge City so you understand what a special person she is.

I wanted to take this time to thank all of you for the many years of being a fan of Gunsmoke, The Thing, How the West Was Won and all the other fun projects I was lucky enough to have been allowed to be a part of. I had the privilege of working with so many great actors over the years.

I was honored to have served in the army for my country. I was at Anzio during WWII and it makes you realize how very precious life is.

Thank you again for all the many letters, cards, emails and gifts we received from you over the years. You are and always have been truly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Jim Arness

Mr Arness, sir, you too are and always have been appreciated. May you rest in peace.

Casey Anthony Trial

2011-06-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm home for the summer and HLN has the trial on all day and I've watched some of it today. The prosecution is still presenting it's case. They have played tapes where Casey has lied over and over while being interview by police about her missing little girl, precious Caylee. We have Casey's mom cry on the stand about her missing granddaughter.

Today, we saw the lead investigator on the stand and he's doing pretty good. The defense attorney's first question is whether the detective went by another name. What??? Then they escorted the jury out and discussed that there is a website devoted to the detective where he had responded to posts. Even though he really said nothing about the actual case, he responded that Caylee needed to be in everyone's prayers. The defense wanted it to appear that he had been blogging about the case. Wrong. His "alias" was his screen name. Ok, this is shot one? Fire up old sparky. Second? Did the detective ask about the pool or the smelly car? Why? Now, for the 1st time, Casey is not claiming a kidnapping, etc...now Caylee drowned in the pool and her dad covered it up. Huh? Uh, no, the detective did not check the pool. Why would he? He did not look for a link to Jack the Ripper or check for alligator footprints because it was never implied that they were problems either. Defense attorneys are the scum of the earth. Let's just make stuff up, true or not. This story doesn't work, lets try another. Her defense attorney is a liar. Liar, liar, pants on fire. As an old coworker would say, her underoos are ablaze.

I've found it.

2011-06-01T14:58:00.000-07:00

My place of complete bliss. The middle of my pool. Hmmmmmmmm. Big sigh.

All that Heaven Allows--The Movie (Spoilers)

2011-05-31T14:32:00.000-07:00

I had never seen 'All that Heaven Allows' til today and I really enjoyed it. It stars Jane Wyman as Cary, a widow with 2 kids in college, living in a small town with people with small minds, apparently well off and lonely. Her best friend is Agnes Moorehead. She has a nice house, belongs to a country club full of gossips and does not own a tv (hey, it was important in the movie!!). She meets and falls for her gardener Ron, played by Rock Hudson. He lives on a tree farm, remodels a mill house for Cary and has fun friends who accept Cary and the romance without question. Cary is not so lucky. Cary's "friends" talk behind her back about the difference in age (in reality, JW is 8 years older than RH) and the difference in their stations in life. And her spoiled kids make their disapproval clear while planning their own lives. She finally comes to her senses only to find Ron injured after a fall. The last scene shows him waking to welcome her home.

I read that the original script had his fate ambiguous, left him in a coma to let us draw our on conclusions. I'm glad they had the happy ending. I like happy endings. A major pet peeve of mine concerning movies is them leaving them ambiguous. Its as if they can't think of an ending. It's the writer's job to come up with the ending, good or bad, not my job.

Anyhoo...just have to say Rock Hudson at 30 really was a gorgeous man. I don't care about what we now know about his private life now. He was a hottie.

Good movie!!

Hill Street Blues and Capt Furillo

2011-05-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am a huge Netflix fan and I tend to watch a lot of old TV shows more than the movies. Back in 1981 (I had to look it up) NBC ran the first "ensemble" drama, 'Hill Street Blues'. It was forward thinking for it's time, even if Lucy Bates did have to wear a skirt uniform. She was the only named female character although there were a couple of other women visible. Undercover officers had long hair and tight jeans and facial hair and Mick Belker (Bruce Weicz) allegedly bit people. Amusing guest stars included the actor who played Douglas Neidemier from 'Animal House' in an occasional roll as an officer, David Caruso as the leader of the Irish gang and Dennis Franz of 'NYPD Blue' fame as a precursor of Andy. And Captain Frank Furillo was played by Daniel J Travanti. Capt F had a shrewish ex wife played by the creator's real wife and a hot girl friend public defender played by the gorgeous Veronica Hamel. His crew also included an token Hispanic lt, a nutso swat team leader, a wimpy police negotiator and a wise old sgt who called him Francis. I enjoyed the show when it was on and even though I've only watched the first 5 episodes again, I liked it this time too.

After I watch anything movie or tv wise, I normally go to IMDB to check out the stars...after 30 years, if they are still alive, what they look like, etc. That brings me to my Daniel J Travanti observations. He is alive, 71 years old, never married, rumored gay, a recovering alcoholic who has had a slow and steady career. I always liked the actor. I have deep sadness for gay actors of that generation...being out would have ruined his career (if it's true and I don't care). So he had to hide who he was. I read an interview where he called his alcoholism a "disease of loneliness and secrecy". What a sad, sad statement.

I'm not gay but I have friends who are and I'm ok with that. It's none of my business who any of my friends sleep with. I work really hard to accept people for who they are, without judgment. I don't always succeed but I try. And I don't care if DJT is gay...but am sad if he had to lead less of a life because of it. I always think of 'Brokeback Mountain' and of both characters but especially Heath Ledger's Ennis who had to live the rest of his life without love (except for daughters) when he lost Jack. It is the saddest thing I can think of.

Boy, that was a trail from Hill Street to Brokeback. I have a strange mind sometimes.

Chinese Blogs

2011-05-29T20:00:00.001-07:00

In my reading of blogs, I normally get in a rut of running blogs or gardening or infertility but as I go "next blog" and have hit a to of Chinese blogs. Should I put stupid comments in English just to annoy them like they do me?

Ready for Summer

2011-05-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm ready...today I bought a pool!!!! This one:

It's not fancy and right now it's only 1/2 full and I have to get the chlorine stuff tomorrow so no telling when I'll be able to get in it. I do hesitate to think what my water bill is going to be this month...Yikes!!! But I have wanted a pool for a long time and even though I can't really afford it I bought it anyway. I can hardly wait.

Then I bought a bathing suit for the first time in 15 years. It is a 2 piece with a little skirty thing and I don't look like a sausage in it. So I am ready for my first pool day, no doubt!!

My cousin Holly sent this...it was at her Grandparents ranch

2011-05-10T16:22:00.001-07:00

For William and Kate

2011-04-29T20:18:00.001-07:00

The Bishop of London's Sermon

29th April 2011

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.
Many are full of fear for the future of the prospects of our world but the message of the celebrations in this country and far beyond its shores is the right one – this is a joyful day! It is good that people in every continent are able to share in these celebrations because this is, as every wedding day should be, a day of hope.
In a sense every wedding is a royal wedding with the bride and the groom as king and queen of creation, making a new life together so that life can flow through them into the future.
William and Catherine, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous God who so loved the world that he gave himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
And in the Spirit of this generous God, husband and wife are to give themselves to each another.
A spiritual life grows as love finds its centre beyond ourselves. Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this; the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spiritual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life.
It is of course very hard to wean ourselves away from self-centredness. And people can dream of doing such a thing but the hope should be fulfilled it is necessary a solemn decision that, whatever the difficulties, we are committed to the way of generous love.
You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.
We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.
Marriage should transform, as husband and wife make one another their work of art. It is possible to transform as long as we do not harbour ambitions to reform our partner. There must be no coercion if the Spirit is to flow; each must give the other space and freedom. Chaucer, the London poet, sums it up in a pithy phrase:
“Whan maistrie [mastery] comth, the God of Love anon,
Beteth his wynges, and farewell, he is gon.”
As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden. We are all incomplete: we all need the love which is secure, rather than oppressive, we need mutual forgiveness, to thrive.
As we move towards our partner in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit is quickened within us and can increasingly fill our lives with light. This leads to a family life which offers the best conditions in which the next generation can practise and exchange those gifts which can overcome fear and division and incubate the coming world of the Spirit, whose fruits are love and joy and peace.
I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day:
God our Father, we thank you for our families; for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage.
In the busyness of each day keep our eyes fixed on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy.
Strengthened by our union help us to serve and comfort those who suffer. We ask this in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Royal Wedding

2011-04-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Kiss on the Balcony

Today was the royal wedding day of Kate Middleton and Prince William with no last name. Even though he does not have a known last name, he is second in line to the British throne, after his father Prince Charles. There was a ton of hype and it was on tv for about 8 hours, beginning at 2am US central time. I did not get up to watch, I recorded. Thank goodness for DVR's!! And if we missed it during the day, just about every channel is doing a highlights thing tonight.

Almost every guy I know does not understand the fascination with a wedding for a couple from a country we are not part of and that we don't know personally. All I can say is that it is a girl thing and I am a girl. Every little girl at one time dreams of marrying a prince and wearing a fairy tale dress and today we got to live through Kate. She is the daughter of a "commoner", a much bigger deal in England than here, an the Prince chose her. He could have made an offer of marriage to just about anyone he wanted and he chose her. There is something magical about that. They started as friends and dated for like 9 years, went through a couple of breakups and at the end of the day, found their way to today. And the cool part was that they appear to be really in love, having learned from the disastrous marriage of his parents that it takes love and friendship and respect to make a marriage. I have high hopes for this one. They are already millions of miles ahead of Charles and Diana.

Wow

Her dress was gorgeous and perfect for what today was about. No bare shoulders but not the Diana disaster either. It fit her perfectly and she was regal. Hair down, earrings from her parents, tiara from the gram in law, the queen. Her maid of honor was her sister, Pippa. Her prince was in uniform, his little brother by his side.
According to the professional lip readers (!!!) while Will and Harry were at the front of the alter, Harry turned when Kate was almost there and whispered to his brother "Wait til you see her". And then when Will did see her he whispered "You look beautiful", words every bride wants to hear from her groom. And then he joked to his future father in law something like "I thought we were going to have a small family affair". There were plenty of smiles during the hour long service with lots of stuffy clergyman and one really cool named the Right Rev Richard Chartres who knew them and spoke from his heart. And of course, a ton of really boring music. But finally we got to see them leave in a horse drawn carriage, a surprise ride in Prince Charles' vintage Aston Martin with Prince William driving and Kate in the passenger seat of the 2 seater car. There were balloons and a "just wed" sign on the back, probably the work of Prince Harry. It was quite amusing on the dvr when they came driving out of Buckingham Palace grounds...no one appeared to know a thing about it!! And most special, 2 kisses on the balcony.

I think the stuffy British monarchy got a big shot in the arm today, full of promise and hope. A nice wedding overall. And I was just watching on tv!!

It's Jackie Robinson Day

2011-04-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.
Jackie Robinson

Today is the 64th anniversary of the day Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier to play in Major League Baseball. In 1997, MLB retired his number league wide. The number 42 It will never again be issued to another player. Today, only Mariano Rivera wears the number and that is because he wore it before the retirement date.

Every player on all teams today wore the number 42 in his honor. Its a pretty cool thing to do.

Budget Crisis

2011-04-13T18:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone except Donald Trump appears to be in one. I paid $3.62 a gallon for gasoline, a cool $50 out of my pocket. Groceries are going up. Insurance premiums are going up. There is talk of big cuts at school. I think I'm safe but I have no senority so....

Last week our esteemed congress got into a pissing contest between Republicans and Democrats and almost got to a point where they were going to let the government shut down. To the point where our military would not be paid after about a week. Are they friggin kidding me? How about we pay the military and not pay them? What planet do these morons live on? They did pass a temporary stopgap deal and our government is still in business for now.

Today our Prez had some info for us on how big the deficit is and about us borrowing money from China. He spoke of cuts in transportation, education and fostered fears of cuts in medicare, medicaid and social security. I did not necessarily get his solution although, best I can tell, it has something to do with change.

I have a couple of budget suggestions. No one will listen but what the heck.

1. People have to work for welfare. I know there are disabled people who need a hand and there are times when others need a hand too. But most are taking handouts and they need to be given only a hand up. It worked for FDR and can work now. Cut the transportation? Why? Need a pothole fixed? Bridge rebuilt? We are already paying able bodied people. We need to just give the able bodied person the location so they can go out and earn that check.

2. Instead of even thinking ever again about not paying our military, how about we bring our troops home? I understand the 9/11 argument but we are going to have to figure out that we can no longer be every savior in every situation. If the people in the middle east want to blow each other off the planet, why are we trying to stop them? Our troops are spread too thin. I want them home. I want to feel safe in our country and I want the money we spend over there used over here for minor things like education and most of all I want our troops home, out of harm's way.

Given a little more thinking, I think I could come up with more. Just waiting for the call asking my opinion.

My friends Linda & Michael

2011-04-09T22:34:00.000-07:00

Linda & Michael Harvey

I used to work with Linda. She fell in love with Michael in high school. I have always joked that I never could see how he ever even got up the nerve to approach her over because he is so quiet and shy and she is so outgoing. She always said she just saw what she wanted and went for it. I really, really like this picture!!

Linda Lael Miller and my Nook

2011-04-09T22:01:00.000-07:00

I have discovered a new author but I'm not sure I'll continue reading her books. I was attracted to her books because a customer from Walgreens recommended her and I found a 3 book series in NookBooks called "The Creeds of Montana" and it told of 3 brothers separated by anger who trickled home to find peace in their lives. The first was pretty good, the second was pretty good but the third was different. I enjoyed the story on all 3 but there was a huge difference in book 3. While books 1 and 2 were somewhat graphic in the "sex" scenes, book 3 was downright raunchy. I don't necessarily consider myself a prude but book 3 was..well..practically porn!! I managed to skip forward to get back to story and did finish the book but am now debating whether to keep reading the author or not. I'm pretty certain if I do, I'll be visiting the library.

And while on the subject of Nook....I like it a lot but what is the point if the price of the Ebook is the same as the paperback? Seriously, there is no savings from paper alone?

George Strait

2011-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Still looking good

We went to see George Strait at the USA on March 26, 2011 and we had a great time. Thanks to my friend Annie for sharing these pictures...hers were MUCH better than mine. Jumbotron was about all I could get.

He's still got it. Big Time.

Looking real good here too!!

Bradley Cooper

2011-03-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Just watched him on 'Inside the Actor's Studio' and don't like him much. Loves the F word and is dating lemon puss Renee Zelweiger. Don't think I'd like to meet him.

Oddly, after I wrote above, I went to see CNN and found that the F monster and the lemon puss have split. They are termed "one of Hollywood's most glamorous couples"...hmmm. I actually don't think that Renee is a bad actress but she looks like she eats lemons all of the time.

Albuquerque

2011-03-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Went on Sunday to Albuquerque with Judy and Dale for a little R&R and some gambling. Judy (and now me!!) has a friend named Cecil who lives there and Cecil's partner Mike works for the Casino chain and Mike got us an amazing deal at the Sandia Resort, a gorgeous hotel:

Sandia Resort & Casino

My room had a fantastic view of the mountain. This is what the room looked like:

The Room was beautiful

We played in the casino at the hotel and also at Mike's casino. We shared a couple of meals with new friends and I got to spend more time with great friends Judy & Dale. No one came home rich in money but we are all rich in what counts: New friends and old, the ability to laugh and relax and the blessings beyond comprehension.

I'm so ready for spring!!!

2011-03-12T14:12:00.001-08:00

I made a new banner...kinda springy....ice melted, water flowing, trees turning green. It won't be too much longer. Right?????

To quote Don Henley...ok, paraphrase Don Henley...

2011-03-12T13:42:00.001-08:00

My prison is walking through this world all alone.

Blog on ipad

2011-03-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

I think I can blog from here. Now we'll see if it works.

Aunt Allene & Uncle Harold

2011-02-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

First I need to say that my family was not much for pictures. I think in older days it was expensive and time consuming to get film developed. We all had school pictures every year and one set of professional pics when I was a baby but most others were hit and miss or later in our lives. I have a nice digital camera and a nice film camera but still don't do a lot of pictures. I take more of things than people even now. That being said, the pictures of my aunts and uncles and grandparents are rare.

Here is a picture though of Aunt Allene & Uncle Harold:

Aunt Allene & Uncle Harold at their house in Colorado

Aunt Allene is my daddy's youngest sister. She was born about 1923 and was a baby when their daddy died in 1924. She was one of those tall, pretty McCombs girls, skinny as a rail. She married Uncle Harold in about 1946 or 1947 I think. They never had any kids. Uncle Harold was a cowboy and for some reason, they left Texas and moved to a ranch near Alamosa, CO and lived there all of the time I was growing up. When we lived in Arizona, they would come every summer and spend a couple of weeks with us and it was a time we all looked forward to. Mom because Aunt Allene was probably her best friend. They would can and cook and walk and laugh. Daddy was daddy. Whatever was good with him. He & Uncle H hung out but they were guys. And every night we'd play cards. They had taught Cathy and Jo and they taught me and they taught Steve. And I remember once in AZ I'd made Uncle H a birthday cake with green icing and the correct number of candles. It was a burning, green porcupine. And he gushed over it. Later when we moved to Texas they just rerouted. With all great props to all of my other aunts & uncles, these 2 were my all time favorites.

Uncle Harold played the guitar and played with a band in the 30's & 40's and played a little with Bob Wills. Not touring or anything, but jamming. When he died I got his guitar. Here it is:

Uncle Harold's Guitar

Yesterday, I took it a show by the International Vintage Guitar Collectors Association and they were buying old guitars but if you did not want to sell, they would tell you what it was worth. I would never, never sell it but wanted to know something about it. It is a Harmony L1917, sold by Sears Roebuck between 1946 & 1959 and was relatively inexpensive. They told me it was worth $125 now and the guy said it was a "wall hanger" that you hung up next to a picture of whoever played it and enjoyed the memories. Mine will be a "floor sitter" but the idea is solid. I think it is a beautiful guitar and I will cherish it forever.

Aunt Allene died my freshman year of college, in 1975. Uncle Harold had always had health problems and died a couple of years earlier. Because their house was part of his job, she had to leave her home. She ended up coming to Spur and buying the house Uncle Raymond and Granny lived in and moved in with them. Even though she had my mom and hers and her brother, it is my belief to this day that she did not want to live without Uncle Harold and she died of a broken heart.

I loved them both dearly and miss them even now.

On the Town

2011-02-13T18:36:00.000-08:00

'On the Town' was a movie musical old school, released in December 1949. It followed 3 sailors--Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra & Jules Munshin on shore leave in New York for 24 hours. They want to meet as many girls and see as many sights as they can. Gabey (Gene Kelly) sees a picture of 'Miss Turnstiles' Ivy Smith(Vera-Ellen) and follows clues on the poster as to where to find her, thinking she is a big celebrity. He is helped by a 'lady taxi driver' Brunehilde Esterhazy, played by Betty Garrett and a girl they meet at the museum, Clare, played by dancer Ann Miller. In their search for Ivy, they sing and dance their way through New York City. It's an amazing musical if you are a musical fan and I certainly am.

Alice Pearce played Brunehilde's roommate Lucy Schmeeler, a great character name. She would later be remembered as playing the first Alice Kravitz on 'Bewitched'. She died in her 2nd season on 'Bewitched' at age 48 of ovarian cancer.

Today, Betty Garrett died. She was the last member of the cast and she was 91. It is amazing to me that an entire cast of a movie can be gone. Unless someone finds 'On the Town' or watches 'All in the Family' where Betty Garrett played a neighbor, an entire generation will never know her talent because she will never appear on screen in anything new ever again.

A sad side note, Vera-Ellen was a dancer who appeared in several movies over a 12 year period and was said to have been severly anorexic to keep her small frame. In this movie and later in 'White Christmas' she wears high necked dresses, reportedly to cover a wrinkles on her neck, a side effect of poor nutrition. She also lost her only child to SIDS and developed arthritis at an early age. She died in obscurity at age 60 in 1981.

Rest in peace, cast. Thanks for entertaining me.

The Wizard of Oz

2011-02-12T19:50:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl, once a year, on a Sunday night, Danny Kaye would come on NBC and introduce 'The Wizrard of Oz' . The next thing we knew, Dorothy was singing 'Over the Rainbow' and mean Miss Gulch was taking Toto to the sheriff and the house was flying through the air. Then a fact that I never knew until I was grown up is that once Dorothy got over the rainbow, the movie became a color movie instead of black and white. That was probably because we only had a black and white tv til I was grown up.

As a little girl with a boy's name, I was teased and, at the time, did not like my name so much. I did eventually outgrow the hate. One thing that made me feel better about my name is that Glinda, the Good Witch of the North was played by Billie Burke and she was gorgeous. That Sunday night was a night where it was ok to be a Billie.

And was I the only person who was scared of the flying monkeys? They always looked very mean.

And I always wanted shiny red shoes.

Can you guess that it was on tv tonight?

Million Dollar Listing

2011-01-28T18:52:00.000-08:00

Just when I think Bravo TV can't get any better, I discover another new show. This one follows 3 LA realtors as they compete and sell the big houses.

Madison. The most likeable of the 3. He's in love with Lauren, the one that got away but he dates guys mostly now. He thinks if Lauren was available, he'd be straight. He's clean and looks great and he's the one I'd do business with.

This one is Josh. He's 21 and lives at home with his parents and has a strangely close relationship with his grandmother who dresses like Yetta on 'The Nanny'. On the first show I saw, he was kind of offended that she is leaving her vast fortune to charity and not to him. But when he wants to get away, he and gram go to NY. He needs a shower, a razor, a wardrobe and some manners. Would not be doing business with this one, as entertaining as he is. He gets 2 pictures because...well...one of his clients was a little offended about the way he dressed to discuss an offer. And Josh could not figure out why.

In negotiations

What's wrong with the way I'm dressed?

And last, but not least....

Chad. This person is 33 years old. He pays $600 every 4 weeks for this haircut. And when he gets stressed, he goes shopping for tennis shoes. His mommy makes red velvet cakes for his clients. He has a girlfriend named Victoria who deserves an Emmy for keeping a straight face. He is a neat freak, keeps everything in baggies and keeps wanting Victoria to move in with him. She is almost out of excuses so she may not be on next season. He and Josh have a running feud.

How Bravo finds these people is a mystery. It's not a good show but yet another example of how I have to watch a train wreck, even if it is disguised as a TV show.

Ok, sometimes God just hits you in the head.

2011-01-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

I get a daily devotional everyday from my friend Connie, who happens to be my next door neighbor Kim's mom. So I guess Connie is my neighbor-in-law. She had found this and forwarded it on and boy oh boy does it fit!! It is amazing how God answers prayers from all that have been praying about my move decision (including me!!). Wow is all I can say.

Thank you Connie for being in my life.

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.

A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words.

He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.
That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"

The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way." I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. And remember: God IS in control!

The Delusional Housewives of Beverly Hills

2011-01-11T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit that I love this show. If you have not seen it, its on Bravo and it follows 6 rich women who live in Beverly Hills and shows their lives and interactions with each other. Certainly nothing I can relate to but her is a little introduction and recap:

1. Kim Richards. When I was a little girl, she was a child star on a show called 'Nanny and the Professor' with Juliet Mills and Richard Long (Heath from the Big Valley). Her credits on IMDB show she had an ok career but does not do much acting now. She has 4 kids and is pretty much just mom. She is not a real or delusional houswife as she has been divorced twice and in a long term relationship that is over so she is the poor pathetic single of the group. She looks sad a lot, especially when the husbands are along for the ride ans she is alone. The truth is she looks terribly fragile and I read she went into rehab after the season was over. I hopefully she gets healthier. Other trivia is that she is the sister of Kathy Hilton, Paris' mom. I read an article that she was dating a man that was killed right in front of her, shot on the street. That incident could explain a lot.

2. Kyle Richards. Kim and Kathy's sister, married to handsome and sexy Mauricio and mom to 4 daughters. Certainly the more stable Richards sister, also a former child star though not as successful as her sister. She seems pretty down to earth for this group although she seems to say whatever goes through her mind. Her husband is in real estate and makes probably the least of the husbands but they live ok. She is a pretty hands on mom and a little more modest, even though she did give her 2 year old a $12,000 birthday party with a bouncy house, a train and a petting zoo. Her best friend is Faye Resnick from OJ fame. She seems to feel like she has to take care of her more fragile sister but she's frankly a little mean to her.

3. Lisa Vanderpump. British, married to her husband what's his name. Can't remember. They own 2 swanky restaurants and have been married for like 30 years. She has a great sense of humor and seems to express exactly what I'm thinking sometimes. She is crazy about her husband and he for her an they have a live in houseguest, Cedric, who followed them from England and will not leave. Cedric hangs out with Lisa and runs her errands and swims in her pool and does little else. I think he will be chunked soon. Lisa also has a little dog named Jiggy, short for Gigolo and Jiggy dresses well and Lisa carries him everywhere. Lisa seems to be the most modest and sensible of the housewives and is my favorite.

4. Taylor Armstrong. Married to cold hearted Russell. This is a business arrangement and no one really makes any qualms about it. Taylor expresses that she would have like to marry for love but she wanted to have a lifestyle different from what she grew up with and there is a price for that. They have a little girl named Kennedy and Taylor paid $60,000 for her 4th birthday party. That would officially be more money that I have ever made in one year in my entire life. Taylor has her lifestyle but also a husband who cares little for her or her child and who probably has a chippie or 2 on the side. She is officially the saddest of the housewives.

5. Adrienne Maloof. Married to Paul, a plastic surgeon. Mother to 3 hellions under 10. Her family (not Paul) owns the Sacramento Kings and the Palms Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. I like her too, very down to earth for this group and certainly for a woman with this much money. She takes everyone to see the Kings play and Jay Z in concert at the Palms.

6. Camille Grammar. Married to Kelsey from 'Frazier'. Or used to be. This one is an official piece of work. Face work. Boob work. Children from surrogate to avoid messing up her body. 4 nannies for 2 kids, a couple of cooks, a house manager. She doesn't like women because they are catty to her. She does not now nor will she ever probably have a real woman friend because she tends to go into stripper mode when she is around the husbands. She is normally in the middle of them, hanging on them, flirting with them, doing lap dances for them. She probably does not remember her kids' names. She has a friend named Deidra that kisses her ass but Camille says every week that Deidra and her husband had hit hard times and she pays all their bills and they live in one of Camille's houses, so ass kissing is the least she could do. She does have a friend named Allison Dubois, the alleged model for the show 'Medium' who is, without a doubt, the most obnoxious drunk on television. I could go on and on...OY.

This week, Camille gets a call from Kelsey telling her her marriage is over. I cannot wait to see if anyone anywhere feels any sympathy for her.

For better descriptions and recaps of the show go here:
www.tvgasm.com and click on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Flipit, the recapper, is hysterical.

Weatherford Apartment

2011-01-11T17:34:00.000-08:00

I talked to a girl named Cindy today about an apartment in Weatherford. Check it out:
www.whitecap-properties.com Then click on Weatherford.

2 bedroom, 2 bath, $800 a month. She has no openings right now but anticipates some soon. Looks gorgeous, huh?

And Donna talked to her GP doctor and they will take me as a new patient.

Apartment. Check
Doctor. Check

Things are not as bad as they sound

2011-01-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Lee called me today after reading my last post to see if I was ok and I had to go back to read it to see what she was talking about. It's just the ramblings and thoughts running through the head of a fence sitter talking things out. Most of you know me...I have to work things out in my head and that means writing about it on this blog.

No worries.

As usual, I am a little panic-y

2011-01-10T20:59:00.000-08:00

I have hundreds of thoughts going through my little square head about moving or not moving, about the future, about world peace and life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness and about why Ben Stiller is a star.

Adventurous Billie, about 10% of real Billie, is ready for the move, without a doubt. Ready to get to know a new city and be closer to some family and Josh Hamilton and Williams Sonoma. The other 90% of real Billie, the Billie that needs safety and security is afraid that she will be even lonelier than she is now (if that is possible) & that she won't make new friends, something she has trouble doing anyway and she is scared that she won't be able to get a job and will be indigent and eating chicken noodle soup the rest of her life. She thinks that she may be an official idiot leaving a house that is paid for for an unknown living situation. She is afraid to fail.

OK, out of the 3rd person. I always think that people who discuss themselves in 3rd person are annoying. I still technically have a couple of months until its the time I've chosen to move. So this blog will be a sounding board as I go through every detail. All 3 of my readers will be yelling ENOUGH ALREADY!!

I talked to my friend Deb on Saturday about this. To clarify, Deb is a talker and technically I'm not. I have to work things out on my own. But one thing I mentioned is that I am not settled, not in my home and not in my life. I am used to working full time, used to a routine. I like the time off, don't get me wrong, but it really does not feel real sometimes. I'm not sure I can do it for the rest of my life but I don't want a full time job either. And I cannot explain why I am unsettled in the house. Ever since Daddy moved in 5 years ago, it does not feel like my space. I feel extremely lucky that he him lived with me but now, even though he's gone, I pass his bathroom and rarely go into his bedroom. I still wake up sometimes thinking I hear him call. I have redone some paint and countertops and carpet and tile and nothing has changed. Somehow, I feel like I am visiting or living in a hotel. Nothing I have done has made it feel different.

And I am scared that the loneliness will never end. In Weatherford I'll have Donna and be close to Aunt Betty & Uncle T but I'll be leaving a lot of friends in Lubbock. I only see a few on a regular basis and that has dwindled but I do have Deb and Robbie & Kyle and Sarjim. When I broke my foot they were all there. And I'll miss Steve. And it's not like I'll never see any of them again. But I am afraid the loneliness will get even worse, like it was the only other time I moved away, to San Antonio in 1983. The problem with that was that I could not see Mom & Daddy anytime I wanted and I never did have it in me to see them 2 times a year. But the other part was that except for the times I saw them, no one touched me for an entire year. I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about someone putting their arm around me or touching my arm or hugging me. It almost crippled me. But I don't have that much now either.

The debate will go on until the final call is made.

Clambake

2011-01-08T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today would be Elvis' 76 birthday and TCM has a couple of his movies on. I missed the 1st one, 'Kissin Cousins', one I'm not sure I've ever seen. The 2nd is 'Clambake', made in 1967 and according to Ben Mankiewicz, released just 4 days before Elvis' wedding to Priscilla. He said that there were wedding pictures autographed by both of them in random soundtrack albums. Can you imagine what that would be worth today?

Anyhoo...

'Clambake' is a really bad movie. Elvis is the son of an oil tycoon named Duster, played by veteran actor James Gregory. Scott (Elvis) wants to meet a girl interested in him, not his money so he trades places with Tom (Will Hutchins), a ski instructor. He falls for Diane, played by Shelley Fabares, who only has eyes for JJ of JJ's Jammies (Bill Bixby) and his money. We all know the ending so I won't go into much about the movie, except again, it's horrible. But I do have a little of what I think is interesting trivia

1. According to Ben, this was Shelley Fabares' 3rd movie with Elvis in 3 years. Oddly, my favorite Elvis movie also stars Shelley and that one is 'Girl Happy'. Rumor has it (not from Ben) that Elvis slept with all of his co-stars so it must have seemed strange to have her around near his wedding day. Of course, his relationship with Priscilla would keep a therapist busy for a lifetime.

2. I own this movie. It has 2 of my favorite ever Elvis songs: 'A House That Has Everything', where he points out "Better just a shack, where two people love, than a house that has everything, everything but love",
a song I wish they would put on Itunes. The other is 'You Don' Know Me', a song later recorded by Mickey Gilley, among others. This movie also has a song called 'Hey, hey, hey', aka the goop song which must have been embarassing for all to film.

3. There is another song called 'Confidence' and although uncredited, I think the little girl at the top of the slide is Maureen McCormick, Marcia Marcia Marcia from the Brady Bunch.

4. It also has Marj Dusay who was the final Alexandra Spaulding on Guiding Light.

5. Has anyone else noticed that Elvis wears long sleeves in all his movies, even when all the girls are in bikinis?

I'm typing this in the middle of the movie so even though it's a stinker, I'll get back to it.

I took mom flowers today.

2011-01-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

Only the girls get flowers most of the time. I so miss them both

Mini vacation nearly over...

2011-01-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

I've been off since Sunday and and have to go back to work on Sunday so only 2 more days left. I had an at home day, an errand day, a lunch with a friend day, a mini travel day and now what? I'm thinking movie day tomorrow even though 'The King's Speech' still is not here. Thinking 'True Grit'.

I seriously felt less busy when I was working. Of course, I could not sleep til 10 am, like I have all week.

And speaking of Grayson...

2011-01-06T15:58:00.000-08:00

Just laying around...

Is he cute or what?

The Drooler

Ole Paint

2011-01-06T15:55:00.000-08:00

This is Grayson's Christmas present from me:

He clops and whinnies !!

He now needs a hat and some boots.

It's 2011

2011-01-04T20:53:00.000-08:00

It's January 4 and I guess it's time to reflect on what we accomplished last year and goals for the coming year. I don't know why we all do this but somehow the year changing brings it out in all of us.

Certainly the weight loss is still a struggle. I weigh less than I did in high school right now--yep, I was a chunko even then. I am for the most part comfortable where I am and try not to beat myself up about it. But I'd be happy to drop another 40 pounds. I would be an official skinny minnie then. We are talking about a trip to Hawaii in October and I'd like to wear a bathing suit. So my goal there is back on the Weight Watchers plan that I know works and keep going down. And it's kind of an excuse but I am afraid to get on the treadmill or eliptical because of my foot. We are not yet fully healed, even though it's much better. I hope I can do it without another excuse when the foot is healed.

I've made the decision to move to Weatherford in April. I have a man who wants to buy the house--keep your fingers crossed that it goes through--and I hope to get on with the school system or get another part time job when I get there. My dear friend Donna is there and I have family in Flower Mound and Dallas. I think I will enjoy being closer to the big city and hope to be able to see a few Rangers games a year and take advantage of some big city amenities while living in a smaller town. Weatherford looks bigger because the interstate goes through there but there are really only about 30,000 people there, a much smaller town than Lubbock. It's a beautiful little city with trees and cowboys and farmers markets. I have not lived anywhere but Lubbock since I graduated from Tech except for one miserable year in San Antonio. That year I was 25, lonely and too far from mom & daddy. I know people do it but I was not meant to see them 2 times a year. Now I'm older and no longer have any ties and I'm wanting a new adventure.

I mentioned Hawaii and hope it happens. I love traveling with Robbie & Kyle and we are talking about a full week. The weather seems oddly constant so we won't be going at a cold time of year. All our other trips have been fun but not enough time. We want to see it all. Got a good price from the travel agent for Saturday to Saturday, 2 islands, nice hotels, airfare. I can hardly wait!!

The rest of 2011? Well, flying by the seat of my pants, something I am learning to do. I want to try not to be so structured. I've done ok moneywise on the retirement and the part time job so that worry is not as intrusive. I am sleeping better, trying to eat better, trying to visit with family and meet new people and am basically doing the best I can. I'm not rich but that was never going to happen anyway. I am looking forward to getting to know a new city, a new home (although I wish I could take my current one with me!!). I am even going to admit I would like to find a new man to share time with. That wish was always there but never admitted in public (or to the 3 people who read my blog!!). Weatherford is full of cowboys, some of my favorite people!! Maybe one would like to meet a chunky-but-working-on-it, retired, structured -but-trying -to-loosen-up, Rangers fan who is doing the best she can. Wish me luck!!

Winter Banner

2011-01-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

I really like the winter picture so I used it in my banner. I don't know these trees and we've had no snow even though it's winter. The inside the house me likes this scene. The have to drive in the snow me thinks it's a pretty picture but I'm glad it's somewhere else.

I stole this quote...

2011-01-04T19:53:00.001-08:00

"If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliché that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that's his problem. Love and peace are eternal." - John Lennon

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2010-12-26T10:48:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-12-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-30T14:28:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-01T19:40:00.000-07:00

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

2010-11-01T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-30T17:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-23T08:01:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-10-22T21:28:00.000-07:00

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

--Clint to David on The Apprentice

RED Movie Review Spoilers

2010-10-22T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-22T20:56:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-01T15:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

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

Chicken Salad Recipe

2010-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Chicken Salad

6 cups cooked chicken

¼ c green onion

½ c sweet relish

½ c red peppers

½ c celery

¾ c chopped pecans

¼ t garlic powder

¼ t paprika

1/8 t onion powder

3/8 c French dressing

1 ½ c mayonnaise

1 t salt

Mix all ingredients, let set overnight

I went to a book club last night and the hostess served this with flatbread and it was amazingly yummy. And it makes a lot!!

Kaden's 1st birthday pictures

2010-09-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

One cute cowboy!!

Random Vacation Pictures

2010-09-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

They don't necessarily fit anywhere else and are not really interesting enough for their own post so they are lumped together.

Ernie Biggs Dualing Piano Bar

The only picture I took in Springfield Mo. I expected historic downtown and this was the only picture I really thought looked worth taking. Disappointed a bit.

Ernie Biggs has one of these in Little Rock too.

Branson Pedestrian Mall

On the street in Branson, before the monsoon. It truly is a tourist town, I have to give them that credit. Nice clean streets (even before the rain), lots of attractions and very friendly people. The traffic has no doubt overtaken them and that could use some improvement and the economy has hit hard. Lots of theaters with big names but it does not look like the big names perform there much. I saw a house show called The Duttons, a clean cut family with a lot of fiddles and a lot of kids. They were in the Dutton Family Theater in front of the Dutton Family Inn Hotel. The theater was about 1/4 full but it looks like the perform at least 5 days a week, sometimes twice a day and they have another theater in Phoenix so they winter there. It was a nice show and they know their audience. I was touched where they sang the military songs and had people in the audience stand up when their song came up. Very sweet to see a lot of older veterans there. I got there late because of the rain so no pictures. Its going to be my pat excuse. The Duttons have a lot of mouths to feed so sing on.

They also had dancing fountains. These were dancing to Kung Fu Fighting. They also had aquatic ducks, the jeep things that turn into boats and I've wanted to ride them since the first Travel Channel special I saw on them but the timing wasn't right. Someone was watching for me because the rain started right as it left and the riders would have needed to be ducks.

Clinton Library

2010-09-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by saying that Bill Clinton is a horndog. No dispute there. I hate the questionable morals he brought to the White House and even if he and Hillary have "an arrangement" I hope it did not include bringing shame to the position of President of the United States or humiliating his daughter. That being said, he is a charismatic man, no dispute there either. And I think I'd like him in person. My friend Drew, in his cameraman capacity, has met him 3 times and Drew says President Clinton remembers him every time. His daughter's recent wedding pictures show he loves her more than anything. His charm and commitment to public service seem genuine. His 'I come from a town called Hope' speech sticks in my memory because it was amazing. So, I made it a priority to see his Presidential Library, again with my buddy Drew as my tour guide. I'm told that around Little Rock, it's know as the double wide, which in Little Rock is a compliment!!

The building has a lot of glass and the reflection was not the best for my pictures so we are kind of limited. It was way cool to see. He had his agenda for every day he was there and you could pull any date to see where he was and what he was doing. I pulled my birthday on one of the years and he was in St Louis and back and managed 4 pages of agenda. On Drew's birthday, a Sunday, he went to church and played golf so it wasn't all work!!

Entrance to William J Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock, Ar

The entrance. Gray on gray? Hmmm. Might have rethought that one.

President Drew

Drew in the President's chair in the conference room. The Secretary of Defense sits to his left at all cabinet meetings. The Presidential chair is 2 inches taller than the other chairs.

President Clinton's desk

Ceiling in Oval Office

The Clinton Oval Office

The Seal in the carpet

From 1993 Inaugural Address. I agree!!

Clinton School of Public Service

The Clinton School of Public Service is the only place a person can receive a Master of Public Service degree in the US (and probably anywhere else). It is located beside the library and can accommodate 60 students at a time

Arkansas State Capitol

2010-09-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

Not quite as blingy as the Iowa building but beautiful.

The Little Rock Nine looking on. It's hard to take a good picture of such a big building .

The Seal. Regnat Populus means 'The People Rule'

Current Governor Mike Beebe's office door

Looking up from the hallway

Looking up from the rotunda

The best tour guide ever, my buddy Drew!!!

I had a great time. Drew drove me around and showed me the capitol. He is a cameraman for Little Rock's channel 4 so he know where everything is. I could not have had a better tour guide!!

Little Rock Nine

2010-09-07T23:58:00.000-07:00

In 1957, 9 black students entered Little Rock's Central High School to enforce the 1954 Supreme Court 'Brown v Board of Education' that was passed to end 'separate but equal' and integrate schools. The governor of Arkansas ordered the Arkansas National Guard to stop the kids from coming into the school, prompting President Eisenhower called on the Army to escort them in. These sculptures represent the students and are located just outside the Arkansas State Capitol. The high school is still open today and they have a visitors center where you can read and watch videos of this historic event. Sadly, we had time issues (too much to see, too little time) and only got to spend a few minutes there. I think I could have spent a few hours there, listing to the news reports and the interviews. And the rain prevented any pictures of the high school.

What an amazing time in history and how brave these 9 were. What I saw at the visitors center showed them walking in, scared to death & being taunted on a daily basis. They were actually turned away on their first day and came back!! The governor actually shut the school down for the 1958-59 school year to prevent integration. It was reopened in the fall of 1959 and 2 of the 9 actually graduated from Central High.

The first of them to pass away died on September 5, 2010. We were at the visitors center on September 2.

Amazing story...cannot wait to read more. It was actually not before my time but to my credit I was only 22 days old.

One other thing...at the Clinton Library Store I saw what has to be the tackiest souvenir imaginable: One of those things where you get the BB's in the little holes featured a picture of one of the Little Rock Nine. Why would someone sell something like that? Tacky.

Iowa State Capitol

2010-08-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a goober in that I like to visit a state capitol building if I'm in the city so here is the Iowa State Capitol. My guide book said it was "bling heavy". Pretty true...the dome is gold.

Not the greatest picture but a really pretty building.

Here is the dome from inside. I know it's upside down but the flag must be right side up from the top. I had another picture from the other side but it was still not right.

These are the legislator's mailboxes. Just thought it was a cool picture.

This is the law library. Way cool staircases.

These are the dolls displayed that show a replica of inauguration gowns of the fiirst ladies. The dolls all look alike and they are pretty ugly, as are some of the dresses. The biggest problem in this picture is me in the middle in the mirror taking the picture. I could not figure out how to get me out.