Ok, ok, I'll rake the leaves, maybe

Walking out to get the mail the other day I noticed that the front yard was covered in a blanket of snow, or should I say leaves. Watching the wind blow the leaves of the oak tree, it did resemble a snow storm. So many leaves were blowing, not falling, onto the ground that I could not longer see the lawn. I had already swept them up once. As I looked up there were still a lot of leaves left on this deciduous (big word for a blond)tree, even with the wind pushing them off the tree. Gotta rake again, I guess. After going back into the house, I noticed something else. The tallow tree in my neighbor's back yard. Now this tree sits right at the fence between our two back yards. I am not a real fan of tallow trees. They grow fast and provide quick shade in the summer, but they have annoying fruit/nuts that seem to be around all year long. They really create a mess and have a tendency to propagate the entire neighborhood, kind of like the horny dog the neighbor's have. That's odd, I thought as I looked out the kitchen window. The tallow tree had decided this would be a good day to throw up on my back yard. I guess it held on as long as it could. But the rush to relieve itself of it's leaves was just too much for it. So, there in the corner of my backyard lay yet another blanket of leaves. Funny how they weren't there the previous day. Yet again I am reminded why I dont like tallow trees. Of all the leaves covering the yard, these are the ones that blow around the most and stick to the shoe bottoms the most. In the morning when it is wet is when they seem to enjoy visiting the inside of the house. Like the mother-in-law who wont leave they seem to be a constant reminder of the trouble they have produced. So, I guess I have to rake the back yard now. Maybe I can pull a Tom Sawyer act on my son. Oh Pat, this is such fun, dont you want to help?

Annoying toys and psychology

Why do people buy the kids and/or grandkids annoying toy? Simple. Our kids annoyed us with loud,obnoxious toys usually given by relatives. I still remember the Tuneyville Choo-choo that my ex- sister in law gave my kids. That thing never shut up. Sometimes is goes back to as Erma Bombeck said"just wait till you have kids of your own". While I love my children and grandchildren, sometimes I just gotta do it! The psychology of it, since my kids pestered and bugged me about everything, is that now I can get back at them. Can't spank them anymore. Can't tell them anything cause they dont listen or think they know it all. It has been suggested that certain toys have been left "accidentally" at Grandma's house. Sometimes Mom says to the kid that the toy broke when she really took out the battery. This works right into the plan. If it annoys the mother that much..ha,ha. Serves you right for sticking your toys at me all the time when you were a kid. Let's be honest here, not all kids are little angels. Mine weren't. Oh they did all the usual stuff that little kids do. As they got older I kept telling them what would happen...they didn't listen. Painting the high school at 13 was really fun, till one got caught. One not only stole change, money and jewelry, she would take the car for joy rides. When asked she always said "I didn't do that" No? You have the longest legs and I do not listen to that radio station. And since I work out of town I know how much gas should be in the tank. Just you wait till you have kids. Yeah I admit I look for annoying toys, toys with lots of parts, and toys that are maddening to get out of the box. If that is the worst that happens to you and your kids, you will be lucky. Pay attention to them, they won't be little long. There is a method to my madness. Made you think!

The Art of the Gift

Some gifts just keep on giving...headaches. And just who is the sadistic person responsible? Not the gift giver, unless you are me and love to annoy people. But you are not me, he he. So, have you ever recieved a gift that was difficult to get out of the box? This is usuallly something from a very nice department or speciality store. For example, the gift basket from a bath shop. The gift is presented so nicely, wrapped in ribbons and secured in a pretty basket. Just try to get the bath stuff out of that basket.You'll run out of hot water before you can get the shower gel out! The company secures the items with globs or rubber glue. I defy anyone to get stuff out of the basket. Dont tear up the basket, please. Some times they stick the bottles and tubes into plastic and glue. Trust me, patience and time might make it easy. Then again, maybe not, just dont try to take the bath products out when you're in a hurry.

Then of course some people like to buy children the playsets with LOTS of pieces. Actually, I'm one of those evil people who buy these toys on purpose. After all, it's all about payback! Yes, I go to the store looking for the doll set or toy car set that will surely drive the parent nuts! They look so nice in the store. All those small pieces or dolls that have to be freed from the plastic covers and all the ties behind that are curse worthy while trying to free them for the child. I think these play sets are harded to open than they were when my kids were little.

And of course, there is always the question of regifting. It's been said that the term regifting was coined by the cast of the Seinfeld TV show. I don't really know. I was probably the one person in the country who never watched that show. But, regifting isn't new. My grandmother, who died in the early 1980's was an expert. No one really every knew what to get Grandmother. After all, what do you get someone who has been around forever and doesn't like anything. It didn't matter what the family gave her for her birthday and Christmas, most of the gifts ended up in "the closet". Grandmother had a closet in her den which always smelled like mothballs. Guess where the gifts went? She had an uncanny ability to know when and who to regift. You never got your gift back. It didn't matter. The gift could be hankerchefs, brooches, earrings, perfume, books or whatever. Some lucky person would eventually be the reciepent of a regift. Maybe we should have just bought her a case of beer. She loved beer. Hey, Daddy, why don't we get Grandmother some beer? At least she'd use that. But, if you got a gift which smelled like mothballs, you'd been regifted! She was a Master!

Gift giving...aint it great!

Wait...slow down!

Christmas is over. We had a nice visit with my stepdaughter and my son, his girlfriend and her son. Annie and Jason went with his parents to be with his family. Traci and her family did not show. Annie had said she was told Traci & family would be here the day after Christmas. I suspect she must have meant next week end. Heaven knows we heard not a word from Traci. Any way, Jimmy and I watched the new Batman movie and the unrated Dukes movie. Then we watched them again when Pat, Amanda, Heather and Logan were here. I think I am way to critical about the current crop of movies. I liked the Batman one ok but I still like the TV version was the best. I was not impressed with the unrated Dukes. Again, I still like the TV one better.

So where is time going so fast. Christmas is over. Wasn't it just summer? The new year will soon be here. I would rather slow down time. I blink and another year has gone. What happened to winter. The week before Christmas the weather people were teasing us with the slight possibility of snow at Christmas, Today we may reach 80.Did I miss a season? Baseball spring training is right around the corner and the NFL draft is not far behind. Slow down will ya. You're driving me crazy too fast. Not that it would be that far of a trip.

I did get a laugh from Queen Latifa's WalMart commercial continuation.Clever way to push her movie.

I am ready to take all the decorations down now. Funny, seems that once the presents are opened and the meals are eaten, I am ready to move on. Maybe I need to slow down too. If only I could. Time moves too fast now. Slow down a little, please!

Drayton McLane--Have You Lost Your Mind?

Of all the bonehead, dumb moves that should not have been made this is it! The Houston Astros are replacing their radio color man, former Astros catcher Alan Ashby!No one expected this, least of all Ashby! After playing for the team for 11 years and broadcasting for 8, he was told he was no longer needed. He was blindsided as were his friends, family and fans. The local media is outraged. Alan Ashby is one of the really nice guys and this is how he gets treated? Since Hall of Famer Milo Hamilton at 78 will only be doing the home games, the team needed another broadcaster. Ashby obviously knows the team very well and has a wonderful history with them. In addition to his playing days prior to radio, he was the bullpen coach in 1997. Having been interviewed for the vacant road play-by-play job, he was called to the ballpark for a meeting thinking he was about to get good news. Instead, he was completely shocked to learn that he was not going to be retained. "I made the assumption I was getting the play-by-play job. They told me they were going in an extremely different direction and I was not going to be retained for 2006. I was titally blown away and surprised, and I'm devastated." Talk about a kick in the gut!

The new team of Brett Dolan and Dave Raymond will be paired with Hamilton for his 22nd season of Astros broatcasting. These guys have experience in Minor League broadcasting. Neither has any knowlege of the Astros. Dolan comes from the Triple A Tuscon Sidewinders. Raymond has Major League experience with the Orioles and Giants. Last year he broadcast the Brocton Rox of the Independent Can-Am League in Brocton, Mass.

I don't like this change at all. Ashby knows the team very well and had a good relationship with Milo Hamilton. Why would "fix what aint broke"? The TV/Radio sports guys are just stunned. They let McLane know what they thought of the change. And it wasn't pretty. Talk about dumb moves. Drayton, What were you thinking? What a boneheaded, stupid move. It smacks of the move former owner, Dr. John McMullin made when he sent Nolan Ryan on up the road to the Rangers where he went on to make more history. Can you say No-Hitter? Dumb,Dumb, Dumb!

To be honest...to tell you the truth?

Ever notice that some phrases make you stop and wonder about what the person is really saying? How many times have you heard an interview with a politician (Ha), sports star or expert who says something like "to tell you the truth" What does that mean? Were the first 10 minutes not the truth? Same thing for people who, in a discussion, will say "to be honest or if the truth be told..." I dont know why but I starting thinking about these phrases the other day. I was watching an interview with a professional basketball player at the time he said one of these phrases. It stuck in the useless interest part of my mind. Makes you wonder why people say these. We all do it. These phrases all beg the question about the real truth of the conversation. It is almost as if the person has only said things untrue to that point. I couldnt resist thinking that if we say these things what does it say about
what we really mean?

Signs of the Season

We all know the signs of the season. Christmas trees, wreaths, wrapping paper and so on. Some people actually have snow. Here, we just get teased with the possibility (or lack of it)of snow. Turkeys and hams abound in the grocery. The malls have been decorated for quite some time. People are frantic, trying to find just the right gift. The kids are now out of school for the holidays. Christmas music and commercials have been playing for a Long time. But, it is never really the Christmas season until you see two commercials (or actually find one in a store) for, ta da, drum roll, please... Chia pets and clappers. Every year it seems that just before Christmas these things start getting a lot of air time. Does anyone actually buy a Chia pet? Some how I can't see me clapping to turn of a light or turn on/off the TV but these two items seem to be advertised a lot just before crunchtime. Yes, those last few days when you have exhausted your brain trying to thing of something to get Aunt Martha who hates everything. Does any body actually grow a Chia pet? Does it really work? Or is it something for people who can't grow anything? At least now I can finally say it is Christmas time. The true signs of the season are here. Let's all run right out and get someone a gift of a Chia Pet or Clapper! Especially some one we don't really like. Ha,Ha!

Crunch Time

First I must say Thank God for small favors. Finally Jason may have a job. If he passes the background check they can move to Brownwood where he would work with the USAD processing rural home loans. He did this on a temp basis a while back. Now to show just how organized our wonderfull federal government is he has to pass a background check. Funny, he had applied for a job in their Angleton office where they did a background check. Now they need to do another one for the same job but in a different location? Huh!? But, that our tax dollars being well spent!

So, we are almost done with our shopping... This year cheap is the code word. Sorry kids, no TVs or DVD players this year!

We will have most of the family here Sunday for dinner. Amanda will go to her mother's on Sat and here Sunday. My son and his girl friend will come over Sunday. He is so glad he can come here this year, after having to visit his almost ex-wife's family every year. The El Paso bunch can't come since they came for T-Giving. The one thing that gets me, however, is my daughter in Aransas Pass. How come she can tell Annie in El Paso what we can expect but she can't tell me? I found out from Annie last week that Traci and her family will be here the day after Christmas. Of course this is the woman who wont call, would rather e-mail usually when She wants something. I checked my e-mail this am to see if she had e-mailed me her plans. Of course not Grrr!

Ah, So Peaceful

I love this time of the morning. Had my first cup of coffee, the dogs are quiet. That is to say that Daisy has not decided to start yapping at Lady and Astro is not yelling yet. Husband is off to work and I am here in the peaceful quiet. Love it. Then I start to think of what I should be doing... Maybe I will maybe I wont. Finished the tree yesterday. Had to buy some plain ornaments in purple cause I have too much white and red. I was looking for some pretty green, but couldnt find any I liked. Well maybe I'll find some tomorrow. Man if you have not done a tree by now you are just about out of choices for decorations as I have discovered. I might have to go to Michael's or Garden Ridge for some green that I like. Then again I may just wait till next year. Husband's party is this afternoon. Wonder what the menu is? Beer, beer, beer??? They usually cater either turkey, ham or Mexican. Yesterday the weather guys were predicting a little snow on Tuesday (fat chance) but now it maybe too warm. Last year we had a light dusting but I guess not this year. We had 5 inches of rain the other day. At least that's what my rain gauge said. Ah, the peace is about to be broken. I hear Lady whining downstairs. So much for peace and quiet.

Almost Done

Well finally after a week and a half and some 60 hours I finally finished my Dickens Village.Climbing on 2 tables made of 4 x 8 plywood is not my idea of fun. My knees and elbows are sore. But I'm done. At last I threw the snow on the village. That's the best part. The village is the most tedious and time consuming part of Christmas decorating. Now it's time to do the tree, the bathrooms, the kitchen, the den as well as clean up the mess. Whew, I might be finished next year. Oh and I still have presents to buy. I dont look forward to that. My stepdaughter called the other night looking for ideas of what to get her dad. Of course he says nothing. Maybe a shirt, a video or a Kinky Freedman doll. Does Kinky get the money for that $30 doll. I have a couple of Madame Alexander dolls that didnt cost that much. Then again, they were bought in the 1950's. I just saw some in a store at the prices from $50 to $100! How does anybody afford to buy presents? Yeah, I did manage to buy early one year. Had everything bought, wrapped and hidden by the end of October. But then I forgot where I hid some of them. I'm very good at hiding things, just not good at remembering where. Well, I'm off again to do whatever...

What to do with my ashes?

Guess I'm it after being tagged by Shellie at the life & times of the 5 C Clan .Cute
So I hear today that you can now have your ashes mixed with concrete and made into a bench. Gives new meaning to "sit on your face" Personally, if I were to do anything with my ashes I would rather have them mixed with concrete and used to make a new "coral" reef. I cant see making jewelery out of them. Then there is always shooting me into space. Isnt there enough junk there now? Never have wanted to be buried. Why waste the land. I've always felt a little creepy going to a grave site. Does any one get an answer when they talk to their dearly departed? I always told my kids that I would come back to haunt them. Maybe as a tree with roots they would trip over. Ok. so I am a little twisted. Just wait till you have kids of your own!Ha Ha!

Decorating Diva and other Dreams

Crabby woman has left the building. After some peace and quiet and a little rest, it's time to get busy making this house look forward to Christmas. My cold is better, though my nose still seems to run faster than an F-16 can fly. So we put up the tables and I am now standing, climbing and crawling under, over and around to get the Dickens Village going. Got to get old London going. Then the tree and other decorations can go up. My mother was an artist and I inherited the "artist eye" but not the ability. So it really takes some effort. My one track mind is in overdrive trying to get all this done. After all, got to speak to Santa. Havent done any shopping. Funny we talked about doing it early, somehow like everything else, not done yet.

So, we watched the Texas destroy Colorado in the Big 12 Championship. How did Colorado get there anyway? Talk about a laugher! It really looks like the Rose Bowl will be a very good game! Can't say the same for the Houston Texans. Once again for the second week in a row, the Texans found a new way to snatch defeat out of the mouth of victory. It's embarrassing. Wonder who will be the coach next year?

Well, it's time to take the clothes out of the dryer. Then when I finish my coffee,it's back to the tables, then I need to clean up the mess. Who says I can't multi-task? Gotta get it done, gotta get it done. All right already!

Crabby Woman Warning

I'm crabby today. I rarely get sick, in fact it been a few years since I had so much as a sniffle. As a result, I'm crabby. I feel like my head is a fish bowl minus the fish. Yesterday I decided to get started on the Christmas (excuse me-Holiday) decorations. I put out some decorative candles. That's as far as I got. I have boxes of stuff to work on and have no desire to do any of it. We've been thinking of not putting up our Dickens Village but I may have to anyway cause the kids always want to see it. It's not Christmas without Mom's Village. Because I am crabby nothing suits me and little things are irritating me. Daisy is barking furiously at Lady. Better watch out dog! I'm making soup in the crock-pot today. It had better come out good! Annie calls me last night to ask if Pat is mad because she accidently went back to El Paso with his girl friend's DVD movie. Pat and Heather are mad.He says cause Annie borrowed a movie and it took nearly 2 years to return it. Not my problem man. I asked Annie why she didnt just send it back and she said she had not had a chance to go to the post office and didnt know his address. Jeez!! I'm still mad about the way Traci and Bobby are treating Cheyanne. Grrr. So in between sneezes, nose runnings and occasional coughs I have to do the laundry and figure out how I am going to get all the decorating done and buy and wrap gifts. I have no real desire to do any of it but I have to keep moving. Then, when I went out yesterday I forgot to get wine, so that has me pissed off. I don't like to waste time going out for just one thing. Then I see the story of Tom Cruise buying the sonogram machine for his private use. Those things are dangerous to a fetus if used too often. God, he's such an idiot. Sorry, I'm being crabby again. Thank God I am on the no-call list. I pity the telemarketer who would try to call me today. Oh well, sooner or later it will get better. And Santa Claus said he'd bring me a million dollars! Right!

Big Brother thinks I made a Suspicious Transaction

Am I on the terrorist watch list? I just went to get a couple of money orders this morning at WalMart. Because the total was $1000 I had to show ID. I questioned this and the clerk showed me a framed notice regarding cash transactions and the Patriotic Act. Has anyone really read what this piece of legislation has done to our freedom? It didn't really bother me but it started me thinking about this. I have gotten a lot of money orders there. I pay my rent this way. Funny, this was the first time I was asked for ID. As far as I know I am not on any terrorist watch list. Due to the fact, according to the Patriot Act, money order transactions totaling $1000 may be considered suspicious. So what happens if I go one day and get a $500 money order and another one the next day? Am I funding a terrorist group? No I am paying my rent. On the other hand I could be sending the money to a terror group. What's funny, it seems to be who is the clerk, the mood they are in, how busy the store is and so on, because most of the time no one asks for ID. Surely the government has more important things to do with their time. If the American public were to actually read the Patriot Act, they might be concerned at how much the governemt is sticking their nose in our private business. I have heard some of our elected officials say this act is taking away our freedom gradually and that most people blindly agree with it. I dont. I dont like Big Brother watching my every move. Slowly we are being eased into a watchdog state and we are allowing them to do this in the name of freedom. We had better start paying attention before we lose too much.

Dangerous Apartments

Well, Houston's mayor and the police chief have decided that some apartment complexes are too dangerous. People who live in large complexes are more likely to be crime victims than other places. There has suddenly been an increase in crime here. A lot of this is caused by people who evacuated Louisiana. These people are also sometimes victims of crime against them because other people dont want them here. Imagine that...So the mayor and the police chief are trying to work out a system to fix the problem. Every day someone gets robbed, asaulted, or killed in and around these apartments. There are a lot of people in Houston are tired of some of the people who have moved here and are creating problems because among other things some think the world owes them. I am really curious as to how the city is going to fix the problem.

What was I thinking?

Who says 15 people in one house is fun? Annie and Jason and their 2 kids made it to Houston at 4:00 Wed morning. Jimmy and I thought that they would be the only ones staying with us till we went to Cameron. Then Bobby called and decided that since he was not sure how to get to Cameron from Aransas Pass, he and Traci and their 3 would come to Houston and follow us to Cameron. Then Amanda, Pat and his girl friend and her son would come here too. Yikes! Talk about your Chineze Fire drill! So we all get ready to go Thursday morning. Everybody is ready but Jason. Seems he forgot to get gas the night before. So we all decide to head up the road and tell him to catch up. He decides to go a different way. Meanwhile Annie calls over and over asking where we are. We dont know if they are lost or what. Imagine trying to get 4 carloads of 15 people all going the same way!Not going to happen!. Ultimately, with great anxiety we all get to Cameron without killing each other. Some 40 to 50 people are expected there. We have not seen Aunt Pat and her family in 5 years. I guess it was probably a typical family gathering. Aunt Pat was sweet as usual. 2 of her sons were there with their families. One brother is a nice, easy to get along with guy. The other is a pompass blowhard who pontificates his views onto everyone. Makes you want to smack him. Jimmy's sister and brother in law were there along with their son and his girl friend. She will never forgive her son for not following the life path she planned for him. And as usual she rarely makes eye contact with me. So what else is new. Haven't seen her in 5 years. Nice going Jean! We took pictures of everybody. Then Traci's husband did his usual thing of beering himself to sleep. We took pictures of him asleep on the lawn. At least no one comes to blows. That's later.

Bobby and Traci had decided to drive back home from Cameron, but changed their minds and everybody ended up back at our house. Friday Amanda invited Annie and Traci and their families to her house for dinner. Bobby and Traci decide to go home from there. Well, once again Bobby drinks himself to sleep. Traci and the kids came back to our house. I get up Sat morning and find a 3 year old lying on the floor, only to discover she and all her kids are here. Seems she got mad at Bobby. This was after Bobby had gotten into a fight with Annie because he doesn't like Jason. Don't know why he could not take the problem up with Jason. In the mean time the 3 year old gets sick. Oh, and somewhere in the mix Bobby had gone to a convienence store for more beer and cigarettes and punched out the clerk because he thought he'd been shorted his change. He was actually quite proud of it too. Just add a little more stress for me.

Then They finally decide to leave Sat and Traci and Bobby get into a fight with me over the 10 year old. The 10 year old is 10 going on 30. She doesn't get along with her mother. Seems her mother is always playing on the computer or blogging her friends and Def Leppard groupies. We would like to be able to send Cheyanne e-mails but her mother refuses to let her on the computer because she doesn't keep her room clean. Traci and Bobby let her have a tv in her room for all the kids to watch. As you would expect the 3 and 4 year olds get into her stuff and she gets upset. Traci says that she goes into the little ones room and messes up. Somehow, I feel the kid is not getting a fair deal. I think they have set the rules so high that she is set up to fail. So they argue constantly. I suggested that they give her a little space because she is so much older than the other 2, but got a smart crack that if she wants space, they'll take the tv out. Momma also makes her watch the little ones while momma fixes supper. As a result no one is happy. Call me a meddler but the girl is pre-pubesant and need her own privacy space. Mom and Dad dont see it that way. So they got mad at me and packed up the kids and left without telling me or Jimmy bye, not even the kids. Just an average family get together.

Sunday was fairly quiet, only 2 kids crying. Annie and Jason and the kids left today about noon. Peace has now resettled on the Malitz zoo, I mean house. I still worry about the 10 year old though. What 10 year old keeps a spotless room, especially with a 3 and 4 year old allowed to roam freely throughout the house. If they would just give her reachable goals and a reason to succeed, but I know she feels why bother, no matter what she does, it's not good enough. Only time will tell.

Just your average Thanksgiving with family. Finally, I have my house back, God I love the Quiet!

I feel lost

Thanksgiving is fast approaching and I feel lost. I've been trying to get my daughter and her family to go to Cameron with the rest of the family. Seems that they cant find the money to come. I offered to help them out if they could make it here. So far nothing has worked. My husband is getting grouchy. Now he thinks I should have wired them money. I dont know anymore. No matter what I try I feel that I cant win. We gone from toying with the idea of letting them stay here to get on their feet to giving them a little money to help them get to Thanksgiving. Time is running out and I fear that no matter what I suggest someone will not be happy. My husband is mad because I didnt just go ahead and send them money and be done with it. Maybe I should have. I guess it's too late now and it will be my fault they cant come. I just feel lost.

Who's in Charge Here?

Seems like every time I wash dishes Astro (the parrot) decides to start vocalizing. The longer it takes me to do the dishes the louder he gets. It is as if he is telling me that I am disturbing him. He has also figured out where the bag of peanuts is. Since he gets those as a treat, when he hears me open the bag, he moves to his feeding dish and waits.

Then, of course, we have the bickering girls, Lady and Daisy. Last night Daisy discovered my husband's cell phone. She thought the leather case would be a tasty treat. Luckily, I caught her before any permanent damage was done. And of course Daisy thinks it's great fun to nip Lady in the butt, and run circles around her, barking all the while. One good thing Lady is moving a little quicker. After all she is the Grand Dame at 8 years old.

Oh, but it gets better. During the day it never fails. As I sit down to watch my soaps, Astro decides to interrupt by vocalizing his opinion loudly. Add in the barking dogs and it becomes louder. Now what did Luke just say to Tracy? I have thought of opening the windows since it is cooler, but I swear sometimes Astro sounds almost human in his yelling. I'd hate to have the cops show up thinking somebody was being attacked.

Sometimes it feels as if the inmates are running the asylum. Where's the Haldol? Then just as quickly Daisy tuckers out. The next thing I see are Lady and Daisy lying quietly together. Of course Astro continues a running commentary on life in the Malitz zoo. Makes me wonder who really is in charge?

Government Speak, Ain't it Great?

I've seen reports about the new Medicare Drug program and something occured to me that has nothing to do with it. Ever notice that lawmakers make things impossible to read? How does this happen? It really doesn't matter whether it is local, state or national. Somehow it seems that all bills and laws are made in such a way that no-one can understand it. Why can't it be simple? Maybe the lawmakers dont want us to understand. Maybe there are too many lawyers making laws? I find it interesting that a person who is interested in this kind of stuff starts out with good intentions and the ability to speak plain English. Then they get elected so plain English goes out the window.It is bad enough that all the bills are packed with "pork" but it the average constituent would not understand it.Why to they have to make it so complicated? We all know what a mess the tax situation is. And to think there is panel which recommended streamlining it. If what they have done is simplify this , how come people still dont understand it? Who is getting the kickbacks? Even the health people dont understand the drug program. I know that the insurance companies going to be making big bucks. And what happens if a person has all their medicines on one program approved by a company and then the doctor gives a medicine that is not on that company's formulary? Do they have to get other coverage for that at additional cost? Why do the lawmakers make it so hard. How did they get this way. A normal person with normal views and suggestions suddenly talks in 100 word sentences when a simple five word statement would say the same thing? It is no wonder people dont trust the people who are supposed to represent them. There are thousands of pages of legislation written in this country every year. How many people actually understand them? Obviously the KISS system is not invoked for law makers.

Devil or Angel, Which am I?

What to do , what to do. Once again we are on the fence about helping my daughter and her family. I really dont feel that we will be sucessful, but that is being negative. My husband and 22 year old step-daughter and I have been discussing this for a while. What is the best way to push a 26 year old with a husband and 2 kids into independence. They have sunk into nothingness. You'd think after 6 years of marriage and 2 kids, you'd think they would have figured out how to grow up. Apparently they have not. It seems to be easier to live with his parents (and his older sister and her 2 kids)then be on their own. In the time they have been married, they've only been by themselves for a few months at a time. Most of the time they have lived with family. So we have been discussing if we should try to help. This would not be the first time we've tried to help people. So, far it has not ended well. In talking with my daughter, I've suggested different options. Each one had been rejected. The other day I asked if they had looked into finding jobs in Las Cruces, but was told that because it is a college town, they would not be any jobs. So, being shot down yet again, we wonder if her husband' mother is allowing them to be lazy and not encouraging them to move on. So,as a result we are once again toying with the idea of letting them stay with us get jobs here. Do I be the Good Mom or the Bad Mom? Hubby wants to set a time limit and ground rules. This includes helping with our increased expenses and babysitting while they search and find work. My step-daughter said he has contacts as far as possible jobs and housing. One of the problems for me though is I am afraid that they will take advantage of us. Having been burned a couple of times before, I hesitate to offer help. After all they are 26, it's about time they grew up. I just don't know what to do. He is not easy to get along with, and their kids stay up way to late as far as I am concerned. Since these 2 adults are no longer going to college or are employed, they tend to lounge around. They dont get the kids showered and dressed until late morning. We are early morning people. He is very smart, was planning to go into aerospace engineering. But his "I'm smarter then everyone" attitude angers people. She seems to have gotten lazy and depends on (or uses) to get what she wants. I really feel that his mother has done her children a disservice by allowing such sluggish behavior of her kids. Or maybe she is blessed with an overabundance of patience. Not Me! I can not imagine me allowing grown children and their children living with me free and clear till whenever... My stepdaughter has been on her own for 2 years now and is doing fine. I am really not in favor of trying to help out this people. I don't know what expectations my daughter and her husband have. If I don't help I'm bad, if I do help I am bad. I just don't understand how 2 smart people can't seem to figure out how to make a go of things. I remember when I got married a long time ago, we moved from South Carolina to Texas on a wing and a prayer.We did better than they are with less than they have. What do I want to be? Devil or Angel, I fear that either way someonw will be unhappy. Most likely me.

Daisy's Test

Well, today was an eventful one. I had to leave the house for a couple of hours. I had to put Daisy in our bathroom. Our bathroom is big and has a window so there is plenty of light. So I put Daisy in there with one of her stuffed toys and a chew toy, hoping this would amuse her and keep her out of trouble. Surprise, it worked. She was well behaved, and didn't leave me any gifts. I have also started the "positive" training by watching do her business outside and rewarding her when she does it. I have also discovered that I am going to have to leash train her. Apparently she has never been for a walk on a leash. So before she and Lady can go for a walk around the neighborhood, I have to get her used to it. Just like breaking a horse, but much, much smaller. Hopefully she will improve. Now if I can just teach her not to pick at Lady. Lady is not amused by Daisy's attempts to engage her in play. Lady, being the diva of the house, has no desire to run and play or give up any of her space to this youngster. This includes my lap. Lady is learning to tolerate certain things. Funny, they can be barking, nipping and snarling one minute and lying together in the same chair the next. So far today has been good. No accidents yet, she still thinks I am her pillow though. I can't sit down with out her hoping into the chair with me, especially if Lady is there, too. Only time will tell.

Clean up your shit, dog!

Not again. I just stepped in poop. I just let Daisy outside for about 20 to 30 minutes. She came, ran upstairs and pooped. Grrr... what is it with this dog. I have to keep her penned up at night because she will do her thing. I let her out the first thing in the morning. She'd rather come back inside and antagonist Lady. As the Diva of the house Lady will have none of this. I am begining to think that the previous owner did not try to housebreak Daisy. So far, she is resisting any efforts to learn. Positive reinforcement and rewards dont seem to do the trick. She goes out side several times a day. I have limited her feeding to morning and nothing after 4 pm. If I leave the house for more than an hour she will leave me a package as if to say "How dare you leave me" I hope she gets the message soon. Housebreaking this puppy is going nowhere. When Mama isnt happy, no one is happy. Daisy, get with the program. Watch Lady, she knows what to do. Learn to take care of your own shit.

Are there really no jobs in El Paso?

Do the Hispanics or people who can speak Spanish get all the jobs in El Paso? My daughter and her husband seem to think so. Right now they are living with his parents and neither one has a job. They did have an apartment while he was in school. He had a government job which was a temp one processing rural home loans with th US Agriculture Dept. Well, that job ended. They thought they were going to move, but they didnt. My daughter said she cant get a job in El Paso because she cant speak spanish. And of course the wages are low because of all the Mexicans who get the jobs. I really find it hard to believe that she cant get a job. Her sister-in-law moved to Las Cruces and got a job. Why cant they drive to Las Cruces? It is not that far. If they truly cant get a job in El Paso, why dont they look there? It's not that far to drive on a daily basis. I used to live in a small town about 70 miles from Houston. I drove 140 miles everyday to work. Are they really trying? Am I wrong? Is it really that hard to get a job? Las Cruces seems to be the closest city to El Paso, so what dont they check out the prospects there? What is the deal? I know he had an offer in Phoenix, where they used to live, but turned it down cause it didnt pay enough. Right now I dont understand, are there really no jobs for them?

Texans attack Colts

Yeah right. The Texans will "play" the Colts Sunday. The question is not how badly they will lose, but what are the odds that they could actually beat the Colts? Slim to none. However, many a strange thing has happened in the NFL. More often than not a no-nothing team bites a winning team in the ass. After what do they have to lose? While there is a slim chance for a surprise win by the Texans, I doubt it. The Colts are just too good. The Texans are 17 point underdogs. No-one would suggest to the Texans that they need to continue to be the worst NFL team, but it would indeed benefit them. After all with the worst record, they get the first draft pick. If the Texans get the top pick it wont really matter who it is. Probably the top pick will be a quarterback or running back. The Texans should take who ever they pick and immediately trade him for an offensive line. While David Carr is a good quarterback, he seems to be shell-shocked all the time because he has no help to protect him. It does not matter what plays are called because the line stinks. The team made a coaching change earlier this season to no avail. Team owner Bob McNair can not afford to continue footing the bills for a losing team. Attendance is down. Rumors are swirling about the future of Capers and Casserly. It may be time for a change. The Texans should hope and work toward the goal of getting the first draft pick and then maybe a new head coach and general manager. If any or all of these changes aren't made I really doubt the Texans will go anywhere. They might as well put a down payment on the basement, they're gonna be there a while. But then again, the Houston Chronicle wrote off the Astros and look where they went. But, the Texans really need an offensive line. And when is the draft?

Phil Garner should have been Manager of the Year

Here we go again. Houston gets no respect. I am outraged that Phil Garner did not win the Manager of the Year for the National League. Ozzie Guillen won for the American League. I realize that the voting was done at the end of the season and the the World Series does not factor into the voting decisions, but... Come on, any manager who can revive a team given up for dead in June to going to the playoffs should have more consideration. Bobby Cox was the winner. He won last year too. I dont think he did as much this year as Garner did. Garner came in third! St.Louis manager Tony LaRussa came in second. Somehow, I dont think this it right. But, Houston is no stranger to getting the shaft. We all know about the questionable unpire's calls as well as the roof flap. Historically, Houston always seem to get no respect. Houston is the fourth largest city in the country and yet it is considered to be a "small market" for TV and radio coverage. When asked to name a baseball team or football team, the average person will say something like Yankees, or Steelers, but they dont say Astros. As far as respect for the talents of our sports teams in Houston, there is none. The Houston Rockets basketball team won back to back championships but only got a regional Sports Illustrated cover. The Chicago Bulls got a national cover. There again an example of the lack of respect and "small market" mindset. What do our teams have to do to get the respect they deserve? For that matter what about the City of Houston? We have hosted the Superbowl and what do people remember? Janet Jackson. We've had the Baseball All-star game, college bowl games, yet we get no respect. The city has been in the news for the spectacular way Houston handled the thousands of hurrican evacuees. The nation was in awe that Houston could do it so fast and so well. But, our Houston Astros cant get respect. Willie Tavares handled the loss of Rookie of the Year very well, and Phil Garner handled the loss of Manager of the Year with class. The Astros are a class act. The national medial need to know. How the powers that be in Major League Baseball managed to only vote third place for Phil Garner is a crime! He should be Manager of the Year! What will happen when the Astros win the World Series? Will we get respect then? I doubt it. Phil Garner deserved to be Manager of the Year!

How about lowering my bills?

Gas prices and the Huge oil industry profits have me thinking how companies could change their image. I used to own stock in companies like WalMart, Exxon and some other companies. I learned some things about corporations by buying and selling stocks. Dividends were always nice. When I owned IBM I put my dividends back into a purchase fund. So, how come companies dont think of ways to back back their customers? It seems that every time I turn around prices are going up. The electric bill, cable, phone, insurance, gas, retail stores. So, when profits are good, how come companies dont reduce prices? For example Time-Warner recently raised our cable bill about $2.00. But, I've never heard of any of these companies lowering prices. Send me a letter telling me you are lowering your monthly rates. Not going to happen. If stock holders can get benefits when the companies are doing well by stock splits or increased dividends why can't customers get the same benefits. What happened to the price rollback guy from WalMart? Of course I think that whenever WalMart ran the rollback prices commercials that usually meant some other item was going up in price. I think it would be a novel idea if more companies showed appreciation to their customers instead of just those who can afford to buy stock.Instead of everything going up, it would be nice to get an insert in my electric, water, cable, phone, etc bills saying that these companies have appreciated their customers and made nice profits and they will be lowering my monthly bills. What a concept! Unfortunately I doubt this will ever happen. But it would be nice to think that the average person could get a break. I wonder how many more customers these companies would get if they lowered the bills. But I guess the big companies can't afford to give us little people a break. In the capitalistic society it is buyer beware. Supply and demand. Companies always say that the cost of doing business is constantly rising so they have to raise their prices. And the little people like me always get stuck with the increase. I wonder if any company has ever thought about it? Would it really hurt to buck the trend and lower a customer's bill?

Boy, was she lucky!

Laura Pratt was driving to work Sunday morning. Her drive took her near Hooks Airport. That is where luck got into her car. As she drove she saw a small plane flying very low near her. Swerving she drove into the other lane. Suddenly the plane crashed onto her car. Sadly the two people on the plane were killed. But Laura Pratt escaped with only minor injuries. She was taken to the hospital for tests. It wasn't until Sunday night that she fully realized what had happened to her when she saw a picture of her car on the news. She was amazed and realized just how lucky she was.It was almost unbelievable. If it weren't so serious, it would almost make a funny story to tell her insurance company. I can just hear the phone call. "I've had an accident and would like to file a claim for damage to my car." "Yes, ma'me, what happened?" "I was hit by a plane." "What? Is this a joke?" If it weren't so unbelievable , it might be funny. Laura is one lucky lady.

I'm already behind..

Man, I am so far behind I don't know where to start. WalMart is playing Christmas music already. I saw an suv with a Christmas tree on top. Guess somebody is getting ready to decorate. Won't be long until I start seeing wreaths on the grills of cars.It's November 7th and I dont have my Dickens Village up yet. This is becoming a monumental task. We first had a couple of buildings on a cedar chest for decoration. Now, it incompasses 2 tables of full size plywood and another table made of a half sheet of plywood. This is still not big enough so I have to create more space in the bay window and book shelves. What once took 5 minutes to create,now takes closer to 2 weeks to get everything put together. Trying to re-create the London of the 1800's is no easy task. Snow, trees, characters and night lights need to be as real as possible. One of these days, I'll actually get some fog filtering around the city. Sometimes I wonder why I bother. My husband and I enjoy it, the kids and grandkids do too. But,alas I don't think any of them want to inherit it, nor do they have the patience to put it together. And of course space is a problem. I have had to treaten my husband not to buy any this year. But that probably wont last, he'll see a building and it will beg to go home with him. It's time to get busy, and I am running behind...

Answer Your E-Mail, Dummy!

As I read through the blogs the other day I came across a reference to someone blogging but not answering his e-mail. Is this becoming a problem? I e-mailed two of my daughters on Oct 29 and neither has answered. I was asking them if they would be able to come to Thanksgiving. While one did not directly answer my e-mail, she did call and mention they were thinking about it. Reading between the lines, I don't think they will be able to since they are on a very tight budget and live in El Paso.But my other daughter who lives in Aransas Pass has yet to respond. Since people will be coming from scattered parts of Texas, arrangements need to be made. Since it has been over a week, I thought about calling, but decided against it for a couple of reasons. I rarely can get hold of her by phone. If I do manage to catch her the connection is bad or she is so distracted by kids that she never seems to be paying attention. Whenever she wants me to baby sit the kids she always e-mails me with a note like "how about a fun evening with the kids?" In truth, I feel that sometimes she just uses me for her benefit. She doesnt call or write. Mother's day, birthday, anniversary I dont hear from her. Now I realize she has her hands full with three children.I had 3 kids, too including twins. She works parttime doing the books for her husband's newspaper and spends many hours blogging on thirty-some different blogs. She manages to keep up to date with all of them. She also spends a lot of time keeping up her groupie status with Def Leppard. I assume this leaves little time for her to answer her e-mail. It must be hard to find 30 seconds to send a short note to poor old decrepid mother. I don't know. Is there an e-mail etiquette book out there? Could be a good Christmas present for those people who can't seem to find the time to answer their e-mail. Answer your e-mail, dummy. Sigh...where is Emily Post when you need her?

Sports Stars vs Children

Our local CBS station has been running a series on local pro sports stars who are not paying their child support. One report was on Antwan Peek who has four children from three different women. He owes in the 5 figure range for each kid. He is not the only sports figure to be in this situation. What is with these guys? Some of the guys apparently have had these kids but were not married to the child's mother. Some like Ricky Williams have multiple problems in addition to child support issues.His drug problems are well known. While everyone realizes that marriages go bad and many have children involved, but some of our sports heros just seem to procreate without any regard to taking care of the products of the unions. Now, these pro stars make a lot of money, so how do they manage to get so far out of control? I just dont understand why they think that they can do what they want and not have to pay like the rest of people paying child support. I realise that most people who watch pro sports dont really care about the private lives of these people, but I know their children do.Who is really responsibe here? Did the women trick these guys just to get money, or are these men stupid? Whatever the opinions are, this is irresponsible parenting.

The War Is On

As I sit here at this moment Daisy is furiously trying to get Lady's attention. She barking, running and bouncing around. Lady is on the sofa letting her know who is boss by growling and threating her. God, it's noisy in here. Daisy is begging Lady to play with her, but Lady is thinking, "get in my chair, kid and you're gonna be sorry." Looks like a story from Animal Planet. Who's in charge here? "Aw, come on Lady, play with me..." As I yell for quiet Daisy is chagrined, but undaunted. It's gonna be a long day.

And how come I can't get an answer from my kids about Thanksgiving? One I dont think has the money to come from El Paso since neither she or her husband are working. Living with in-laws must be "fun". The older one who has 3 kids is more interested in being a rock groupie for Def Leppard, She spent last Sunday in San Antonio drooling over them in concert. The dogs and the parrot have better manners.

Ooops, it's suddenly quiet in here, where is Daisy? Ah,ha, found her in the hall in front of the laundry room, tearing up a dryer sheet that has fallen in front of the dryer. Oh, wait a minute, she's back barking at Lady. It's gonna be a long day...

Daisy's Debut

Call me a sucker, but we have just adopted another dog. Last week it was a parrot, this week a six month old dachsund puppy. My eight year old dachsund is, at this point not too thrilled. Lady is standing her ground. As yet she has not done any more than just growl at Daisy as if to tell the youngster "You're in my territory,kid". We are going to see how this goes for a while. I told my stepdaughter that we would try and see if they would get along. The puppy was owned by an older lady who was not able to take care of her. We shall see. Lady has had the run of the house and well trained "parents" for eight years now. This will be interesting to see how this works out. Hopefully, it will. If we find that they can not get along we do have a backup plan because my stepdaughter has a couple of friends will take Daisy. After one night, we have survived. The parrot could care less and Lady remains aloof while Daisy bounces around in childlike glee.

A Man Can't Have Too Many Shirts

As I did the laundry yesterday I noticed something's not right here. My husband has more shirts than I have underwear. He's got work shirts, casual shirts and shirts he'll never wear. Some he has outgrown and some he just will not wear. He even has shirts that he inherited after his father died. He cant wear those either. I thought I'd take count of just how many he has. He usually wears the Dickie uniform type shirts to work. He has five dark blue shirt sleeve summer shirts and five dark blue long sleeve shirts. He has worn this style work shirts for years. So earlier this year he decided to change his work look a little. So he bought some colored short sleeve shirts to work in. He figured he'd scare the guys at work by wearing different coolors. So get bought five new work shirts, colored white, peach, green, tan, and orange. He wore them for a while. Now he's back to his basic blue. For week-end and going out he has four solid colored short sleeved shirts and five long sleeved solid colored shirts. He has three patterned short sleeved and four patterned long sleeve shirts which he never wears. He also has two western style heavier shirts he occasionaly wears as a light jacket. Or make that rarely. Now, he wont wear a suit so he has no dress shirts. The only time he would even consider wearing a suit is to a funeral. The last funeral was five years ago. He'll have to buy a new one for the next funeral. Since he never throws anything away, he still has shirts that he can no longer wear. Man, that's enough. What's funny is that he has a couple of shirts that he wears over and over and over. I have tried to rotate them in the closet but he still finds them. I don't know why he has so many shirts since he seems to wear the same ones so often. But, I guess a man can't have too many shirts. I took a look at my clothes-I need to do some serious shopping!

Odd Thoughts on Sunday

Here is an odd thought. Suppose that Harriet Miers was a "red herring". That she was thrown to the wolves on purpose. Maybe Bush's plan was to nominate someone he knew had no chance of winning. Maybe he knew that the nomination would create a huge unroar. Maybe he figured that because of she would be such a bad choice that the next nomination would be quickly approved.

Then again maybe Libby was a "red herring" for Dick Cheney.

Then again maybe the Texans will actually win today.

Lost on Saturday

Well, my husband has to work today, so I'm by myself. We usually run all over town on Saturday. So, I thought,"great, I'll get to watch football without interruption".My husband has a habit on flipping through channels while we are watching TV. This can be a little annoying. I dont mind flipping through the commercials, but the hard part in when I am engrossed in a program and he changes the channel during a commercial and doesn't get back to the other program in time to catch a crucial scene. Football or baseball is a real problem. Missed home runs and touchdowns! Some games I dont really care but when The Astros or Longhorns or Tide are on, there could be a problem. Well, the Astros season is over, so I thought I would watch some college football since both the Horns and the Tide are frequently on TV here. As luck would have it, neither is on TV today! I am not happy! So I guess I'll just have to keep an eye on the scores as they scroll by on which ever channel has a game on it. Guess I'll just have to pull out the book I've been reading, if I can remember where I put it. Or maybe I'll try to tame the parrot. I have a feeling that won't happen. Tomorrow isn't looking much better, the Texans will be on. Now that is real torture! I laugh every time the Texans commercial comes on saying that they live for Sunday. And to think they are favored to win! Somehow I don't think so.

Thanks for the Ride

Houston is throwing a party for the Astros today to say "thanks for the ride". It should be great. The 'stros have be outstanding this year. Yesterday some the guys starting cleaning out their lockers, ready to go back home. Rumors are begining to circulate about who will be back or traded. One rumor is that Adam Everett may be traded. Brad Ausmus is a free agent. I hope he stays cause is so good with the pitchers. Mr. McLane wants to keep the budget around $82 million where it is now.The next few week and months will tell.

Now it's on to our other pro(?) team- the Texans. Oddly enough the oddsmakers have picked the Texans to beat the Browns. Are they nuts! How many weeks are left in this season? Seems like every week the Texans find a new way to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. Sigh... At least we'll probably get the first pick in the draft.

It's gotta get better. Spring training is only 4 months away...

Roofless in Houston and other silly questions

Ok, the Sox won. Nice job. Houston attorney Lisa Sechelski is planning to file a class action suit against MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig. Is she nuts? She is filing on behalf of fans who, she says,got sick because they were not given adequate notice that the roof would be open, and therefore were not prepared for cold temperatures.This is not a joke. Is this silly? Yes. Will it go to court? Unlikely. Waste of time? Yes. This suit does not envolve the Astros, even though they wanted the roof closed. Did the open roof contribute to the demise of the Astros? Maybe, but the lack of run support probably did. Even the meltdown of Brad Lidge was less of a factor compared to leaving 29 runners on base. The lack of run support for the good pitching was the most important factor. The bigger question now is will Roger be back? What about Bagwell? Team owner Drayton McLane has already said he will do whatever he can to make sure Roger comes back. Bagwell is already planning rehab to try to insure that his shoulder will be strong for next season. Some sports writers say that the team is too old (Biggio, Bagwell, Clemens). These guys are the heart and soul of the team. Some how the team needs to get Chris Burke more playing time. The Astros have a good core, they do need to score runs. Besides there is the small voice asking Clemens and Clemens playing together. Wishful thinking? Maybe, time will tell, probably next September.

Home Field "Advantage"?

I'm not tossing sour grapes here. I think the World Series has been pretty (except for us).The Chicago White Sox seem to have the right formula for beating us and probably will do so tonight. But, what about the home field advantage that is so treasured by all sports teams. The Sox had theirs. They are used to playing in cold bad weather. They know the best of their field. Since they dont have a roof, their fans have their way of rooting for their team. We have a roof which the Astros us to our advantage. So the question is what happened to our homefield advantage? Bud Selig has decided that our home field should have the roof open. By doing that, we lose our advantage. The players like the roof closed and so do the fans. We win more games with the roof closed. But since this is the World Series, according to Major League Baseball (Bud Selig)they control the game. The Astros had no choice, no input.So where is the home field advantage for us? I believe that each home team should have the advantage of doing with their field what they have done all season and not have to change it just because the MLB bosses want to. Other wise why not have the games at a neutral field? And by the way, where was Bud Selig during the steroids controversy?

Polly (or Paul) want a cracker?

I'm a dog person. I've had them all my life. Not to say that I don't like others, but I just always seem to have a dog. Right now I am owned by an 8 year old mini-dachsund. At various times in the past I have also had everything from cats, mice, hamsters,parakeets and fish. Now I have become mother to a parrot. My husband caught this bird at a job site. It was flying around loose. Don't know anything about it. Apparently there were at least 2 or 3 flying around. So naturallly he came home with a cage and the bird. I have no clue what to do with him (or her). Since the parrot had been loose for a while its obviously is not tame. The guys on the job had a wild time catching it. It bit through a welder's glove, and that is pretty thick. I'm thinking of trying to find a falconers glove. The parrot is begining to settle down in the cage. I understand parrots are affectionate and easy to train. I've heard they can be taught to speak. So I guess my new job is parrot trainer. I have no idea what the sex of this bird is or how old it is. All I know is that it is green with a yellow head and a tiny bit of red near the wings. This is gonna be a trip!

Beware of the southside of Chicago

Ok, so the Sox are leading the series 2-0. Chicago fans should be happy. I know if it were the Astros ahead we would be. But it is not necessary to do what one White Sox fan did. Apparently some "fan" thought it would be great fun to try to attack Patty Biggio. What did she ever do? That is just low. If a fan does not like a player that is one thing, but don't take it out on a player's wife. Thankfully, Patty was not hurt. She was pretty shaken up. At least the police arrested the jerk. I have always heard that the southside of Chicago was a bad area.Hopefully this won't happen again. If Chicago wins the series kudos to the Sox but hurting people does not make the city look good. At least Houston has class. Our fans would not do that to a Sox player's wife or fans.

There is Logic in those Ads

Now I understand. The reason there are so many Holiday commercials. Guess I must be the dumbest person on the planet. There is a simple reason. Due to the projected increase in the heating costs as well as the high price of gas, the retailers have decided to have early sales instead of nearer Christmas. They figure that the buying public will be too concerned about heating their homes than buying presents. This is why they have decided to bombard us earlier than usual with the holiday ads. They say they are having the "Christmas Sales" earlier than usual so that people will buy earlier and save money. Those last minute deals are not really any cheaper than they are now. So they think we will buy gifts now and save money. They also say that buying on-line is great cause many companies will have free shipping. They figure that we think we will save money by letting the retailers spend their money on gas instead of us. I wonder if that will really be true. I have seen increasing prices because of increasing fuel costs that are being passed on to the consumer. But they think we will buy now and save money to heat our homes and lightup those Christmas trees. That's their logic. Right...and I thought they were just trying to annoy me.

After 44 years...

It has taken 44 years but the monkey is now off the Astros' back. Roger Clemens mother said so. The long suffering heart and soul of the team Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell after 18 and 15 years finally see their hard work amount to a championship. The city of Houston finally celebrated. Unlike other cities no problems and no arrests. The lines formed around the stores as soon as the T-shirt maker got the word to start printing the championship shirts. 78 year old Hall of Fame broadcaster can finally say the Astros are going to the World Series. Go Astros!

Trying to Remain Positive

Do I dare watch the Astros tonight? I'm trying to remain positive. Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. I'm hoping for my luck to change. It's just got to, right? The game was bad enough, but the next morning we noticed a puddle under our Trans Am. Ouch! We had just gotten my husband's work truck out of the shop to the tune of $400 to repair the power steering pump. We still haven't been able to fix our old Lumina that my son borrowed while his truck was down. Apparently something is wrong with the fuel pump in the gas tank on the Lumina. Cheez, enough already. I hope the Trans Am's problem isn't too bad. I'm afraid to even try to drive it. My husband thinks maybe it has a transmission leak. I don't know. Maybe I should try the lottery. I really good at losing that one. Come on Astros, I need some Good News!

Can I Have That Pitch Back?

That must be what Brad Lidge is thinking. One strike away from going to the World Series. When Albert Pujols hit that homerun the stadium fell silent. Screams could be heard in neighborhoods all over Houston. Stunned, the team had to hurriedly make changes in the clubhouse. The staff had to move the trophy, take down the banner and remove the bottles of champagne. It was a gut wrenching, heart breaking loss. No one could feel worse than Brad Lidge. One pitch changed everything. Momentum was on their side. The team really wanted to win it at home for the fan who have been so loyal for 45 years. It will be hard to win in St. Louis. It's deja vu all over again as Yogi once said. The Astros are facing the same situation they did last year. Leading 3-2 with 2 games left. They lost both. Hopefully, this time history will not repeat itself. Two games left, we only need one! Go Astros!

When's the other shoe gonna drop?

Ah, yes as predictable as the sunrise, the Texans lost. As the worst team in the NFL maybe we should draft the USC quarterback. I'm afraid that David Carr may be shell shocked. I know I would be. Poor guy has been sacked so many times in his professional career that he must think he is a sack of potatoes. One coach has already been fired. Who's next? I watched some of the game against Seattle last night and I sat there shaking my head. I realize that Seattle has a very good team, but I swear the Texans looked like a bunch of Pop Warner kids. Man, nothing they did seemed to work. The defense looked more like roaches scattering in the light then an offense stopping team. Whenever the camera showed Carr he looked lost. Dom Capers looked mistified. What next? Where's Bob McNair's shoe? Maybe it's time to drop it.

Go 'Stros!

I don't want your business so quit the Spam

First it's telemarketers annoying me. No, I don't want to talk to you about my radio listening habits. And don't ask me to buy a burial plot in Florida after all I'm only going to be there 3 days. I'd like to kiss the feet of the person who came up with the national no call list. It's a blessing. I wish we could do the same to the spamers. I know the e-mail Gods have all provided us with spam filters, but I still get a lot of unwanted offers to improve my sex life or find the Christian way to remove my bills. How do you do that anyway? I don't need new ringtones for my phone, either. Now these creeps are invading my blog. Isn't anything safe anymore? I know these guys are trying to get traffic to their sites, but I don't want to go there. I enjoy the comments from all of you who have visited with me, except for those guys. So, I guess I must become one of the increasing number of bloggers using the dreaded letter box verification. It irks me because I'm the dummy who can't always get the letters right and have to do it over...and over. So, until the blog Gods figure out how to create a no spam list, guess I'll have to go the letter verification route. Thanks to ya'll, come back soon, except you spam creeps.

Guess I'm Just No t Hip

Everywhere I look I see the buzz about the new IPod. Great... now I can watch video. Trouble is I dont want to. I was not that crazy about all the tunes you could have on the music one. Who wants to be that connected to music anyway? I enjoy listening to music but not hours on end. Now they are trying to entice me with video. Somehow I can't see myself watching Lost or Desperate Housewives on an itty bitty screen. First the experts say wide screen is better than regular because so much more of each picture can be seen. All the chariots in Ben-Hur versus one chariot. Now they want me to buy a video IPod to watch the tiny, tiny housewives... Guess I am just not that hip. Many years ago I did medical transcrpition plugged into an earpiece. After a while I felt that something was crawling in my ears. I do occasionly listen to music on headphones. I like Barry Manilow, my husband likes the Stones. But, I just cant see myself plugged in that often. They are going to have to do something about battery life before I watch a movie one IPod. I'm just not hip enough to watch Jaws on IPod. I can just imagine the battery dying in mid-bite. Besides, that was a big shark. It wont all fit on the screen. Oh well, I guess I'll just remain hipless.

Confidence or Apathy

All our local TV stations have reporters in St.Louis for the play-offs. Sports reporters are all digging for new stories and angles on the teams. I watched a reporter from our ABC station doing a story from in front of the stadium. She was trying to find Cardinal fans. She could not find any. Maybe we have a different outlook cause it is not hard to find any one around here who isnt excited to have our team in the play-offs. But in St. Louis it seems a little hard to find those die hard fans. Maybe they will be more vocal later today before the game starts. I began to wonder... Are the Cardinal fans so confident that they think the series is in the bag or do they just not care. They do have a lot more experience than we do. They obviously have a lot more experience in post season play. After all they did go to the World Series last year. But, at least yesterday, is was hard to find any fans willing to express their feelings about the game. Confidence or apathy? For the Cardinals sake I hope it is confidence, but beware of being overconfident.The shadow of the Astros is getting larger. For me, I will once again be holding my breath and hoping for a win.

Take a Cruise for Christmas

Last night as I was watching TV I saw a commercial that irritated me. So what else is new? What commmercial doesnt irritate me? Fear not, this one really got to me. Sleigh bells ringing and snow flying. People walking down the street with presents wrapped in bright paper topped with large red bows. The commercial was for Carnival Cruiseline. The temperature has barely left the high 80's here. The Astros are going to the NLCS and I am supposed to dream of a cruise? I am not ready for the holiday commercials, sorry. I have noticed more and more toy commercials. It's a good thing I am not an advertizing critic. But I guess it behooves me to get on the ball and finish (I mean start) Christmas shopping and bake that Thanksgiving turkey. Then, maybe I'll have time to take a cruise for Christmas. That is if I finish everything I need to do before next July 4th.

Baseball Rollercoaster

Eightteen innings, 5hours and 50 minutes! Stress and physical and mental drain.A rollercoaster ride for the ages. I have to admit I had a hard time watching the Astros and Braves play this game. As fans, we hoped the Astros could win this game so they would not have to go to Atlanta and face the posibility of being eliminated. As the game rolled on we wondered if our Astros were to lose would they have the strength to go to another game in Atlanta. As it turned out they played what amounts to a double-header with out a break. Watching the game, it felt like a stressful ride on a rollercoaster. Dismayed when LaRoche put the Braves ahead in the 5th, we wrung our hands until the the 8th when Lance Berkman hit a grand slam putting us only one run behind.Then the elation of Brad Ausmus hitting the homer to tie the game. Breathholding and nailbiting were everywhere. Both teams used every available player over the next nine innings. Talk about stress! Having used all the relief pitchers, Phil Garner told starter Roger Clemens to get his cleats on. Roger thought he was kidding. Realizing he was the last resort,Clemens took the mound as a relief pitcher for only the second time in his 20 year career. The first time was in 1984 as a rookie. So after throwing 92 pitches to lose game 2, on three days rest he pitched 3 shutout innings. In the 18th inning Chris Burke hit the game winning home-run. After 18 gut renching innings it was over. At one point it was almost like, "Is anybody going to win? How much longer can we hang on?" Atlanta played great, no doubt about it. But, just as the Astros' season has gone, it's been a rollercoaster ride of a season. All but dead and buried at 15 and 30 early in the season, what a ride to the finish. I just hope they have enough gas in the tank for the rest of the playoffs and maybe the World Series. Never give up! Next stop St Louis. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Ice and cockeyed driving

I had to run a couple of errands this morning. This in itself is no great thing. Gets me out of the house. Occasionally I see some odd signs while I am wasting gas and time on the road. As I drove along I'm taken aback by a road hazzard sign. Not slippery when wet, which is what I would expect here in Houston, but beware of ice on bridge. Uh, it's 90 degrees outside! Ice on bridge? Did I suddenly get transported to North Dakota? I thought the sign was funny cause this part of town rarely ices over. While the temperature occasionly dips below freezing during winter, it may last all of a day. But the sign did strike me funny after all the weeks of near 100 degree heat. Then I saw a how's my driving sign on the back of a company pickup truck. This really is not odd. Companies all over use these signs. I dont know if the companies are trying to intimidate their drivers or if they really want other drivers to call and report an unsafe driver. The odd thing was that the sign was crooked! What does that say? Does the company really care? Did the driver slap the sign on in a hurry? If the sign is crooked, does the driver drive crooked?

Wake Up, Idiot

Picture this, three adults, one kid and three dogs living together in a house. The adults all have jobs. How come one can not seem to get up on time? They all have to be up early. Two women and a man, guess which one can never seem to get up on time.I know there are people who sleep heavily. But the man, who happens to be my son, just can not seem to wake up on time. He has an alarm clock and a bed-mate. Somehow he always has a problem getting up. Ok, let's assume he dogs barking dont wake him. Neither does the child. So, he either forgets to set the alarm or doesnt hear it. This brings up an obvious question. Does the bed-mate not hear the alarm, either. Or is she just as irresponsible? Maybe the early morning noises of people and animals dont seem to reach his ears. So the alarm clock and the bed-mate dont seem to help. Of course it would also help if he would remember to set the alarm clock. What next? What will it take? He's already been in trouble with his boss. Let's face it, living in Houston ya gotta get on the road early or you're behind all day. But, nothing seems to wake him up. Hey, wake up, idiot!

Jumping holidays

Someone just said it's 11 weeks till Christmas. Wasn't it just Labor Day? Neiman-Marcus just came out with its Holiday catalog. What happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving? Some stores are still setting up Halloween displays and others already are sneaking Christmas in. I was in WalMart the other day while people were picking through the Halloween costumes and hiding along a back wall was some Christmas decorations. At a Kroger store I was hit by the smell or scented pine cones in the middle of a Christmas display while on another isle were the new fall display of pumpkins and brightly colored leaves and other fall stuff. Somewhere we just skip over Tnanksgiving. We are in such a rush and so brain-washed to think Christmas before the heat wave in Houston is even over. Baseball playoffs, the great American fall classic are just begining. The marketing guys are already pushing us to think of buying all those things that will be discarded or broken before the New Year. Where does time go? Slow down, will ya... I'd like to live a little longer before I get pushed aside. We need to take time to enjoy the fall and work up to this gradually. I dont want to think that it is aready close to the annual fight to find the gifts were are always sold out. Just hold off a little longer, please.

Driving Topless

There is a hint of fall in the air. The temperature is flirting with lower numbers. It's just about that time. Time to exercise the beast. I love my Trans Am. The gleam of the shining white exterior quietly beckons me to come inside.As I slide into the supple bucket seat and grasp the steerig wheel, the beast beneath calls softly, "Let's go." The engine roars to life, pleading with its throaty rumble to get on the road. As we hit the road, I feel the wind blowing through my hair, the power under the hood,ready to be set free. Yes, I love driving topless. The looks, the wistful yearning of the young guys as they pull up the the stop light. I can read their minds as the think "My Mustang can beat your Trans Am." "Not a chance, kiddo" as I smile to myself.Off we go as the kid eats my dust.The power of the beast roars as I drive down the street. Ah yes, yet again, the kids are no match. The beast urges me on. Driving down the street, my senses are heightened. I smell crispness in the air mixed with exhaust fumes from the other cars. I can hear the roar of radios as they compete for the attention of the listeners. They are encroaching on my space. I would rather listen to the power of the beast. As I sprint throught the streets, I cannot help but absorb the freedom driving topless brings. The colors are brighter, the air crisper. The sudden change in attitude of other drivers as they dream of "what if?" As I slip through traffic I am free, no one can catch me. No one but time that is. On the way home, I think about the next time the beast and I can roam free, topless for all to see. I am already planning the next trip. I take sadistic pleasure in being the little old lady beating the young guys in their hotrods. Maybe is is a middle-age thing, maybe not. I love my Trans Am convertible. Driving topless is a great American pastime. I highly recommend it.

Feast and Famine

Ah, yes the Astros for the secnond year in a row have captured the wild card spot in the baseball playoffs. After being written off early in the season with a 15-30 start this is an outstanding end to the season. There was even a "tombstone" telling of the demise of the Astros before the season was half over. They made it to the league championship last year, losing to St.Louis who went on to lose the World Series. I'm hopeful it will be better this year. Next stop Atlanta...

On the other hand, we have the Houston Texans. From bad to bad to bad. They actually looked better Sunday, though they still lost. The play calling was better and they held their own against the Bengals for most of the game. There was one questionable call by the officials that ruined the game for the Texans. Even the announcers were stunned by the call. Oh well, I guess the real Texans are somewhere. We just cant find them.

So we have the Feast of the Houston Astros to the Famine of the Houston Texans. Go Astros! Please...

I give up

I give up! Can I strangle my 26 year old son and get away with it? I dont know where his brain is. He works with my husband. Today he overslept because he didnot set the alarm clock. This isnt the first time. How come his girlfriend didnt wake him?. He and his girlfriend and her 3yearold son share a house with his step-sister. They share the rent and electricity, etc. He just had to get another truck because his old one finally died (after over $2000 repairs).We helped him with some of the repairs. Now he's stuck paying on a newer truck he cant afford. He thought the payments would be $200/mo.but they are $400. He says the dealer messed him up. He should have not taken the deal without knowing for sure. He really needs to work 2 jobs but wont cause he wants weekends free. His sister works 2 jobs... I just dont know. I wonder when he is going to realize that he is not making it. He rarely gets a full paycheck. His lack of responsibility is un believable. No one seems to be able to light a fire under him. I fear that he will have to hit rock bottom before he learns anything. I guess he feels that if worse comes to worse he can move back home, but I cant let him. That would be too easy for him. I'm no longer his keeper. What would he do if we weren't here? I just dont know what it will take to get him off his butt. What in the world is he thinking? Maybe he's not thinking. He surely is not making any effort on his part. I give up. I'm afraid he's about to hit the wall. So many people have tried to help him. His sister and girlfriend cant seem to get through to him. If his sister can work to jobs at the age of 22 what is his problem?. At 26 you'd think he'd face his challenges and move up. I give up!

Sailing along the government money stream

Just another glimpse into the brains of the operation. I thought it was sadly funny that the Katrina evacuees did not want to move onto the Carnival cruise ships. Been in too much water they said. Cant really blame them. So the all knowing all powerful government, since they had already leased them, decided to put the responders on them. Ok, so I understand that the cruise line had to take ships out of commission. One they apparently took out of drydock. So the problem is that information comes to light that Carnival and the government entered into a deal to lease the ships at nearly twice as much as the average person taking a cruise. So, who is screwing who? The government is screwing us out of our tax dollars. The cruise ship line is screwing the government. What's the deal here. I guess it goes back to basic Economics 101- let the buyer beware. So who should I be mad at? The government (yet again) is wasteing my money. Carnival cruise ship lines sees how to make a quick buck. First you think just one more case of government waste. Then another black eye for big business. We cant win.

Shall we spank the government?

I saw a clip of Michael Brown's testimony and a thought struck me. He sounds like a child who blames another child for breaking his mother's expensive vase. Worse yet, I wonder, how did we, as a people, end up this way. It seems that whenever someone is questioned, it's never their fault. Does this start in childhood? We've all had experience either in relationships with family or work where the same "not me" attitude prevails. No one seems to want to take responsibility. From business to government to personal things, many people have found it easier to blame the other guy. Drug companies say "it's not our fault the patient died, he took the medicine wrong". Companies recall products because they know they are at fault but wont admit it. Court cases are frequently settled with no admission of guilt. We are seeing the buck not being passed but thrown around because no-one wants to take responsibility. We start doing this as kids because we dont want to be punished for our mistakes and judgement errors. Apparently we dont learn anything as adults either. Just keep saying "not my fault". It's time not only the government but everyone learns to stand up and say "I did it, I made the mistake, it's my fault". Guess childhood lessons have not been learned very well. Would a collective spanking help? Oh, but I guess we dont do that anymore. Dont want to hurt anyone.

Holding my breath

I am practicing holding my breath. The Astros have four games left in the regular season. Two of these games are against the St.Louis Cardinals. I will be holding my breath because the Astros have always had trouble beating them. Last year they lost to them in the playoffs. Then the Cards went on to the World Series. Then we have to play the Cubs. We've done better against them. Then we still have Philly nipping at our heels. It is so close that Philly could, combined with Astros losses and their wins,end up tied. Historically the Astros dont do well in a tie breaking series. Astros fans have been through this before. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The breath holding starts tonight. Go Astros!

The silent house

Our power went out Saturday at 2am for 12 hours during the hurricane. We didnot get much rain, some wind. When there is no power, you discover that there is no such thing as a quiet house. When the tv, fans, refrigerator and freezer go off, you'd think all would be quiet.At 2am husband's snoring as well as the dog. Then you hear the house breathing. Sounds like a good spooky movie. Of course, there is the noise of the branches scratching on the roof. Our house has the attic fans that sit on top of the roof which were spinning wildly making a lot of noise.Everything is magnified and seems a lot louder. The wind blowing through the chimney seemed eerie. Any noise outside the house was that much louder too. Rain hitting the window glass is louder that we thought. Even the backyard fence made noise as it waved in the wind. Even the battery operated clock on the wall seemed to tick louder. Apparently there is no truth to the old saying that "silence is golden". Dont believe it.

Lessons learned

Well, our side of town dodged a bullet. All we got was a little rain and some wind. We were without power for over 12 hours. Southeast Houston got a little worse. Galveston had some magor damage, Port Arthur and Beaumont were hit harder. The amazing thing is that this part of Texas was able to evacuate nearly 3 million people in about 36 hours. That has never been done before, anywhere. While there were multiple problems including, 100 mile long traffic jams and lack of fuel, the plan worked and lives were saved. I dont think any other large city could do this in the time that Houston did. I think we learned some lessons here. Planning and communication is everything.

Waiting...

It's hard to wait out the hours before the landfall of Rita. We hope, since Rita seems to be moving more east, we will not have too much. Wednesday night predictions were that our neighbor on the northwest side of Houston would have 135 mph winds. That kind of wind would destroy homes. After a couple of sleepless nights, we are "glad" that it may not be that bad in our neighborhood. 100mph or less, maybe as little as 40-75mph. Not so for the east and southeast side of Houston/Harris county, Galveston and Port Arthur areas. This morning Rita a moved a little more east toward the Tx/La border. It is still going to be bad here. I feel for the people on the road trying to escape. There has been some criticism because the roads have been clogged and cars have run out of fuel. I cant imagine being on a major highway, driving 20-25mph with young children. We are all antsy. Some of us have never experienced this. But I think the Mayor White has done a good job handling an untried procedure. No one has ever tried to evacuate nearly 3million people before. And now we wait...

Worse than a mother-in-law

Everyone is getting ready for an unwelcome visitor, even more than a mother in law. Evacuations began yesterday. Hospitals and nursing/assisted living centers are being evacuated. Soon Galveston will be empty, if not under water. Buses are taking families and pets to safety. The evacuees from New Orleans have been flown to Arkansas. There are no hotel/motel rooms.The Texas National Guard is on the ground. Supplies of water, mres etc sit ready. Emergency people have ham radios and satelite cell phone up and running. The entire Texas coast is under the gun. Low lying areas of the city of Houston, mostly on the southeast side are being asked to evacuate because of probable flooding. UTMB John Sealy Hospital is being evacuated for the first time in 114 years. There is no jelly or peanutbutter,water or bread at our local WalMart. Gas stations are running out of gas already. Generators, plywood and batteries are a rare find. This could be the big one.

Are we really rich?

If the good old USA is the richest nation in the world, why are we borrowing so much money from foreign countries like England and China and others? What would happen if all these countries all decided they wanted all the money paid back on the same day?Makes one wonder what we are spending our money(or theirs)on and is it worth it? Should we really be so indebted to all these countries? Thinking of the current national debt,where are we going? If the USA had to run on a balanced budget like the average citizen what would happen. What would the credit score be?

Birthday talk

Went to a birthday party this week-end. The party was a double party for a 22 year girl and a 3 year old boy. The party was held at the girl's house which she shares with her friend, the child's mother and her boyfriend, who just happens to be the birthday girl's stepbrother. That sounds confusing. Anyway, parents and friends were all invited. They had Moon Walk for the kids and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. All the family and friends seemed to have a good time. My question is though, when it is appropriate to tell a 3 year old that "you make me sick", or "you're the scum of the earth". I know this was said in play, but since when do adults tell children things like that? Maybe I am wrong, but I dont think that was right, even it play. But no one else seemed to be the least bit phased by this. Well, if no-one else cares, why should I? Because,I am old fashioned(or out of touch with reality). I think that we should not talk to young children that way. But that's just me...

Fraud

Apparently,here in Houston there are more than a few people commiting fraud as a result of hurricane Katrina. I was rather upset that people were using money from donations to the Red Cross to get lap dances at strip clubs,etc. Apparently some people are buying drugs, too. Now the Red Cross has said that the cards they give out are for necessities. Now, the Houston Police Chief is going after anyone who is using cards or comminting any other frauds relating to helping the people who have been hurt by the hurricane. I realize that there are many ways to recover from disaster, but food, clothing, shelter and medical care should be taken care of first.

Paying for strip tease and lap dances

This does not sit well with me. The other day a guy called one of our local radio stations (KKRW). He talked to the hosts (Dean and Rog)telling then what he had witnessed the night before. To say he was mad was an understatement. He said that the previous night he was at a local topless bar when he saw a man at one of the ATMs. What struck him was the fact that the guy was using a card with the Red Cross on it. He was so astounded by what he saw, he asked the guy if that wasn't one of the hurricane relief cards. The guy told him that it was and not only could he use it for whatever he wanted (lap dances, etc?) but that he had more cards and it was none of his business what he used the card(s) for anyway! That brought up an obvious question because there is no way to control how the money given out on these cards is being used. Now, I'm mad.

Bring home the bacon fry it up in the pan

I like bacon. But when I go to the store to buy more I am wary of what to buy. Packages always have the pictures of nice looking bacon. But, where is the quality control. I dont care which brand I buy, it is never the same. One time it will be thick, one time thin. One time it's long, others short. Sometimes it cooks nicely, some times not. I've cooked bacon that has come out of the package so long it barely fits into the pan. Sometimes it's hardly there. Sometimes the pieces look like the slicer was on drugs. I just want to know that when I buy it, I'll get what I pay for. It doesn't seem to matter what the price or brand, I never know what I'll get. It never seems to have any uniformity in the size, thickness or number of slices.Are meat cutters trying to make be irked. They're doing a good job. Looking in that annoying window on the package doesn't do justice to what is in the package. It always seems to be a crap shoot, but guess I' fry it up anyway.

Where are your manners?

There is a trend in this country that is being overlooked. Maybe I am overly sensitive about it, but good manners are disappearing. People dont say things like,Please, Thank you. Nobody says "May I..." and sir or ma'am are rarely heard.Growing up in the stonage of the 50's and 60's in the deep South children had manners. I would never consider saying "yeah" to an adult. It was even a custom in the South that a child or young person sitting in a room with adults would offer his or her seat when an adult entered the room. Not now. Young people dont respect their elders or any kind of authority figure no matter how small. I've seen small children saying "what?" to their parents when they should be learning to say "yes, sir?". Many teens and young adults are so self-absorbed that they think manners are not necessary. How hard would it be to say to a sales-clerk "Thank you, ma'am"? People today say,"they dont respect me, so why should I respect them?" What would it hurt? Thank you.

I did not fall in love in a K-Mart store

I did not fall in love in a K-Mart store! Leave me alone. Commercials are getting more and more annoying. Why doesnt someone tell those guys at Sonic to go home? They seem to live at Sonic. Ford may be the best in Texas but how would that play in New Jersey? Would it be better in a Dodge in West Virginia? While I have nothing against Cher,does anyone really want to lose weight to that song? Why not "scrubbing bubbles so you dont have to"? Go take the Quaker Oats challenge and find a Christian trial lawyer. Where is the smiling price-cut guy from Wal-mart, I guess they're not cutting prices anymore? Between the falling M&M's and football players pulling over everything in the frozen foods isles, I've had enough. I'm not loving it.

Never lend money

I guess I will have to become the evil mother-in-law. I really dont have a choice. My son-in-law asked to borrow some money so he could by some dress clothes for his new position as a newspaper publisher. Coming from small town reporting and editing he's now a publisher. A nice step up indeed. Obviously he needs to look the part. I was happy to help since he's moving up in the world. So, I kept the 3 children for nearly a month from the end of May to the middle of June. When he called to ask me for money, he made the usual promise of paying it all back. He's only paid 1/3 of it. I really dont look forward to asking for my money back. But I guess I'll be turning into the evil mother-in-law. Shame on me for being a lender. Remiinds me of the old saying about neither a lender nor borrower be. Once again I have trusted people, and been disappointed. I'll be thinking really hard about helping people in the future. Just goes to show, dont lend to family.

What about them?

Everyone is discussing the problems of the Katrina survivors. But, what about the people who have been charged with the daunting tasks of rescuing and helping or treatint these people. These people have performed heroiclly in terrible conditions. Both the military people and all those who are helping these people without pay. All these people are giving of themselves for the good of mankind. It has got to take a toll on all of these people. There is no way we can truely thank all the people who without hesitation have given so much of themselves to help in this tragedy. Waht about them?

This Property Protected by Hummingbirds

A lot of people have signs on their fences which say "beware of dog". I have an idea for one "beware of hummingbird". Say what? Or, how about "this premise protected by attack hummingbird". That may sound silly, but anyone who has ever watched how fiercely a hummingbird will defend his terratory would understand. Watching a neighborhood cat or dog being divebombed by a mad mockingbird gets a lesson in protection. We've all been to various novelty and gift stores and found cute signs extolling the virtues of the attack cat, chicken, gerbil, hampster, etc. Something are quite funny. I've never seen one that said to beware of a hummingbird. I dare any unsuspecting person, animal or bird to encroach upon my backyard! Those hummingbirds may be little but they are fierce.

Sports Shorts

Well, it's about that time of year again. Baseball is winding down and football is winding up. I love our Houston Astros and am keeping my fingers crossed. So many times they have come so close...

So far the Houston Texans SUCK. I wound have hoped by this time in their life, they would be showing some significant improvement, but...

The Longhorns open their season against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Hook em Horns. I also hope for good news from the Alabama Crimson Tide. Roll Tide.

People, Poker and Pets

Well, Gov. Perry said we are full. We now have 2 cruise ships sitting in Galveston waiting to take people on for up to six months. 4,000 were lined up to go but decided at the last minute not to go for various reasons. Some still have not found all their family members. Some just wanted to stay put for awhile. On a somewhat darker note the Houston Police Department has put an 11:00PM curfew because some people were going out and coming back drunk or disturbing the sleeping children among other things. Some of them dont like the idea of a curfew, but personaly, I think there must be some kind of order.

On another note, I didnt see my husband for nearly 3 days. Was he stuck in traffic or marooned somewhere? No, he was upstairs playing on-line poker. He did take time out to surprise the dog with a bath. I'm usually the one who has to do the dirty deed. She pouted all day.

I feel so sad for the animals that were displaced and I understand the feelings of those people who refused to leave because of their pets. Some of the evacuees here in Houston managed to sneak their pets with them but the pets ended up at the SPCA shelter. The pets look just as shattered as the people.

Pull tab to open

Yesterday was laundry day. So, I am in the middle when I have to get out the new box of detergent. Pull tab to open. That's what it says on the box. I've had trouble with this before, but I am ever hopeful. This time it'll be easy. So, I pull the tab, it tears off. I get mad, it mocks me. Why do I have so much trouble with pull tabs? Sometimes I think they do it on purpose. I go to find some scissors. Surely, this will be easier. I'll be able to open this enough to get to a spot making it easier to open. Right! The whole tab seems to disappear, making it irritatingly hard to find anything to grasp to pull. We are at a stand off. I cant get box to open because the "pull tab to open" wont pull. The box mocks me, ha, ha. In frustration, I start stabbing at the box with the scissors. How hard can this be? This is becoming a battle of wits. Who will win? Finally, after much struggle, I cut and tear enough to get the box open. I am not happy because the top of the box is now totallly messed up. Now it is torn so much that the top is almost useless. But, I did get it open so I can finish washing clothes. Can't beat me! Got the box open, hurting my fingers, raising my blood pressure, but I win! Take that you lousy box. Still the box mocks me. I now hate any container that has directions saying "Pull tab to open." Then I thought of how many things I have to open by pulling tabs. I fear that I am going to lose this war.

Give Us Your Tired...

Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses. Not to New York City as it was written but to Houston, Texas and the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Houston Astrodome.The busses started arriving in the wee hours of the morning.The poorest of the poor from New Orleans are now arriving at the dome. Other refugees have already been arriving and are in various shelters and in some cases hospitals. This will require a LOT of patience on the part of everyone. Earlier this am we had breaking news about shots fired at choppers trying to ferry people to the buses. Security is a problem for everyone. We here in Houston welcome all and hope we can help. Houston is a very generous city and we all will do what we can to help. A side note, Jerry Lewis has announced that his MD Telethon will raise money for hurricane relief instead of MD. We all need to do what we can to reach out to all those suffering. I know Houston is.