Put the Phone Down Now!

When are people going to realize that most of us are not gifted enough to text and drive at the same time? Of course some of us can't walk and chew gum at the same time, but anyway...

Texas linebacker Sergio Kindle was treated for a concussion after crashing his car into an Austin apartment building last week while he was either sending or receiving a text message, his attorney said Monday.

Kindle’s attorney, Brian Roark, said Kindle lost control of the car on June 24 while looking at the message.

“It was probably something he should not have been doing,” Roark said. Gee, I could have told him that!

The crash caused about $8,700 damage and no one inside was hurt. After the crash, Kindle pushed the car back into the street and went home. He was checked by team doctors and told he had a concussion but did not have to be hospitalized.

University spokesman John Bianco said Kindle told his coaches about the accident the next morning.

“We’re glad nobody else was hurt and he’s going to be fine,” Bianco said.

Police Cpl. Scott Perry said police are still investigating but no charges have been filed. Perry said police have not talked to Kindle or Roark.

Because Kindle hit a stationary object and did not injure anyone else, he is only required to file a report with the Texas Department of Transportation, Roark said, adding he planned to file it as early as Monday.

Roark said Kindle would pay for the damages himself or through insurance if it is covered.

Guess this gives new meaning to the phrase "Hook em Horns".

Can I Order a Little Rain?

This morning I went out to put the hose to the garden before it all dies with heat stroke. A little while ago I looked out the back windows and saw a dark cloud in the distance. I wondered... The wind kicked up, blowing our little trees around. What's that noise? Oh wait, that is thunder. I remember that noise. Probably nothing will come of the little cloud.

Traci told Aryn to go outside and look at the clouds. "It might rain" she told Aryn. Upon hearing that, Aryn began to pout and whine. Why did she do this? She was upset because the rain would cut off the satellite and she would not be able to watch "Max and Ruby". Some kind of cartoon show, I guess. She was not the least bit interested in the fact that we have had no rain in a long time and it has be very hot and dry here. It did not bother her that the grass has turned brown and everything is wilting, including all of us.

Personally, I am hoping for a good, big storm with a lot of rain. Of course I think the whole state of Texas is hoping for rain too. Maybe we should all go outside and do a rain dance. When I walked out to the front of the house I looked at the sky. As I looked down the street in one direction the sky was blue. In the other direction, the sky was deeply dark and threatening. I have not seen clouds that dark in a while. The thunder rolls on, reminding me of who is in charge. Not me. As the thunder in the sky continues we all have crossed fingers and wish for some rain. Hey Buddy, can you spare a little rain? Please.

A Girl and Her Dolls

Aryn has a wonderful imagination. She can make up some interesting little tales. All her dolls have stories too. They all have names and do different things. Some have short hair, others have long hair. One even lights up with a blue light in her torso and a red one on her legs. That is a little strange on some levels to me. But what do I know? And when she gathers them up to play with them, not one doll has clothes on. Why? What is it with girls and dolls? Why do theses Barbie dolls never seem to have any clothes on, not even the Ken doll. I asked her the other day why, but she really couldn't say other than Ken's clothes were somewhere in her sister's room. Ok, fair enough. As she played with a couple of the dolls she put different outfits on the and told me different stories of what they were doing. Then she decided to hunt down something for the Ken doll to wear. She only found a shirt. Well, it was a start.

Aryn sat on the living room floor playing with her dolls for quite a while. I still don't understand why one has those lights in the torso and legs. Aryn made up various scenes with all her dolls. Changing clothes and hair styles and telling the dolls what to do kept Aryn busy. Then she took the dolls clothes off again. One of the she played with was "naked dancer Barbie" she told me. As she was telling me this she was pulling the poor doll's leg right out of the socket. I told her that if she did not stop pulling the dolls leg she would have to have a hip replacement soon. But Aryn kept on with her story of the "naked dancer Barbie". Me, being the smart ass, told Aryn that the doll was going to get into trouble for dancing "naked" and could be arrested. She told me not to worry because there were no "cop" dolls there. I guess, half naked Ken was not a "cop" doll. At that point I figured I had been bested by a 6 year old so I should just leave it alone. So much for child's play.

New Sheriff in Town (For the Day)

Pay attention kids, Grandma is in charge today. There will be no whines, fights, buts, whys or anything else that you usually do. Mom is having dental surgery this morning and will be unavailable for supervision today. I know you will be fine as will your mother. Just remember I don't fall for the tricks you pull. Don't ask why, if I say no. Don't screech at each other or argue over the tv or computer.

When your mother gets home she will not be feeling well. Do not bother her. And no, you can not have the pudding. This is not my first rodeo, so don't try to fool me. Today is your chance to make your parents proud. Now sit down and be quiet! Yes you may watch your movie later. If you are really good your mom will take you to see the new "Transformers" movie in a couple of days. Be good today, all day! I know you can!

Time Spent, Not Necessarily Well

I've spent a good portion of the day listening to some jazz vocals on the Yahoo Launchcast. As Bobby said I was "jamming". As I took a break, Traci was ready to watch "Jon and Kate..." I don't know why people want to watch this. Traci and Annie do. Of course tonight was the "big announcement". Big deal. I don't watch the show, and I knew what was going to happen. But Traci had to lock in to it. The suspense was cutting the air. Well I guess for fans of the show it was. They blathered on and on about their problems and what they both planned to do. "Get on with it!" I said. My husband did not take that long to tell me! And that reminds me, I guess he still has not sent my mail even after Annie asked him about it. He forgot and that was nearly two weeks ago. And how come Kate never seems to wear shoes during her interviews?

I spent about 45 minutes watching Jon and Kate explain the reasons for the unsaid decision. Finally, they said what anyone with half a brain already knew. Who cares? So that is nearly an hour of my life that I will never get back. Jeez.

Now I have another fly visiting me. I finally got the other one. Look out dude. One swipe of my hand and you're dead meat.

If anyone has an extra $10 million or so there is a beach house in Malibu for sale. Barry Manilow is supposed to be selling his. I saw pictures of it. Where's the beach dude?

I'm seriously thinking of moving into the freezer. The Waco area is getting hotter by the minute. Temperatures over 100 will soon be common. Isn't it a bit early for it to be this hot? It's hot in Houston too. I talked to a gal in Tulsa, same story. My friend "Pineapple" who lives in Austin says it will be 100+ all week.

Well I guess tomorrow I'll have to dig through some more boxes in the garage to look for som elusive information for the Tx Atty General's office. They can't seem to find any information on the child support from the first ex without 15 different numbers. How do they get anything done? Then I guess I'll have to send another e-mail to the idiots in New Hampshire to re-tell them my address since my current semi-husband seems to be stuck on who know what cause he still can't seem figure out how to send a package in the mail.

There certainly has been a lot of my time spent trying to get things done. Yet nothing gets done. Yeah, time spent but not necessarily well. And to think I actually watched Jon and Kate talk and talk, yawn. No wonder David Suskind said television was a "vast wasteland".

PETA vs Obama

I wish I could refrain from commenting on PETA but...WTF! Come on guys, it takes talent to swat a fly. I should know, I've become quite annoyed at the flies who like to visit me while I'm online. Come here little fly (evil grin), smack! Missed again!

From the AP-- The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wants the flyswatter-in-chief to try taking a more humane attitude the next time he's bedeviled by a fly in the White House.

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."

During an interview for CNBC at the White House on Tuesday, a fly intruded on Obama's conversation with correspondent John Harwood.

Compassion? Not around here.

Do Cats Go To Heaven?

A cat dies and goes to Heaven. God meets him at the gate and says, "You have been a good cat all of these years. Anything you desire is yours, all you have to do is ask."

The cats says, "Well, I lived all my life with a poor family on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors."

God says, "Say no more." And instantly, a fluffy pillow appears.

A few days later, 6 mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to Heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer that He made the cat. The mice said, "All our lives we've had to run. Cats, dogs and even women with brooms have chased us. If we could only have a pair of roller skates, we wouldn't have to run anymore."

God says, "Say no more." And instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.

About a week later, God decides to check and see how the cat is doing. The cat is sound asleep on his new pillow. God gently wakes him and asks, "How are you doing? Are you happy here?"

The cat yawns and stretches and says, "Oh, I've never been happier in my life. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending over are the best!"

You Woke Me Up for This?

Last night I was sound asleep when I suddenly realized that Lady was whimpering. I, at first, thought something was wrong. Then I realized that not only was she whimpering, she was barking too. What are you doing?? So when I checked her out she was a little offended that I had bothered her. Well, come on! A dog whimpering and barking in the middle of the night while under the covers in the bed? Seems a little strange to me. I guess she was having a dream. I've heard her have dreams before. Usually she just whimpers, but this time she was barking...I just hope her dream had a happy ending, right?

Then this morning, I am checking my e-mail while Daisy is lying curled up in the chair. The chair is a small child chair which the child has long since outgrown so Lady and Daisy tend to race to see who can get to it first. As I worked I heard a wagging tail. I thought perhaps that Daisy was wagging her tail for Aryn. Oh no! Daisy was sound asleep. I guess she was dreaming too. It must have been a fun dream. She seemed happy. At least I guessed that since she was wagging her tail.

Must be nice to have nice dreams. Maybe I need to change my diet. Or go to bed later/earlier. I would settle for a nice dream involving George Clooney, or Harrison Ford, or Clive Owen, or Ewan McGregor. I'm not picky.

Family Business

Annie and the boys/dogs left to go home today.The house is a little quieter. I was going to go with them for a visit but I changed my mind. Just imagine two women, two children, and four dogs in a small car on a five (or so) hour drive. Annie's two dogs are lab puppies and really cute. But they are a little much for Lady and Daisy. I, therefore took the coward's way out and told her I'd come visit with her later.

Last night while Traci and Annie were playing Warcraft in the kitchen Bobby and I were looking for something to watch on tv. So he turned to IFC (the Independent Film Channel). He stopped on a 1996 movie "Crash" which had been on for about an hour. He told me it was a "twisted" movie. We watched. He was right. Who wants to crash a car and then have sex in it? Very strange, even stranger considering I watched this with my son in law... Yikes.

Then this afternoon Bobby's father came by. He sat and talked to the grandkids. Traci sat in the kitchen. Should I sit down and chat? What to do. But, he left to get Bobby who had dropped his car off to get new tires. Problem solved, I guess, for now. When I first separated from Jimmy, Bobby laughed that his father and I could get together (Ha, not laughing). Bobby's mother died a while back so his dad is alone. No thanks. No way. That would make an odd joke. I could be Bobby's mother in law and stepmother all in one. No thank you! Glad it was only a joke.

Now, I'm off to see if the green beans I blanched are cool enough to be put in the freezer. Too bad Traci doesn't care for green beans. There are a lot of them. Now that it is quieter we can try to watch the Astros game tonight. Either that or the grandkids and I will be picking more green beans...

Houston Texans Brought to You by Adult Video?

The NFL has decided to allow teams to have sponsorship messages or logos on their practice jerseys. This apparently is in an effort to increase advertising revenue for the teams. Sounds like an interesting idea. What local Houston business wouldn't like that idea? But an adult video company?

Profootballtalk.com reported that Zero Tolerance Entertainment, which makes and markets adult videos, claims that it has approached the Houston Texans regarding the availability of marketing space.

Last week, the Texans acknowledged that they are seeking to take advantage of the new rule that allows NFL teams to allow corporate logos and/or messages to infiltrate the official team practice jerseys.

In a press release circulated by Scott Stein, the company's director of marketing, Zero Tolerance claimed that an offer involving "several zeros" was made to the Texans.

"Every team in the league starts the season by saying, that they'll have Zero Tolerance for losing," the press release states. "While our offer may not be taken seriously, there is some undeniable synergy between the NFL and the name of our company."

This brings so many odd thoughts to my mind. I wonder what logo would be on the jersey? Would the advertise the latest porn flick? Would they feature the latest "star"? I am sure this is not the only offer the team is considering, right Mr. McNair? Then again, what do I know? It would get people talking about our Houston Texans, right?

As I Tap My Fingers on My Desk...

There are times when I am inpatient. Yes, that is an understatement. On the other hand maybe I'm always impatient - I just hide it well. Yeah right! Where's my mail!

I notified the wonderful USPS to change my address effective May 15th. Since I did this on-line they gleefully took the dollar from my card. Today is June 10,2009. I know this because my PC tells me so when I point my mouse at the time on the tray. So how many days does that make since I changed my address? I have not gotten any of my mail yet. Well, except for the letter the USPS sent me to tell me I changed my address. I wonder how much the postage for that was? Especially with the junk they stuck in the envelope along with the "conformation" that I might need for some "local agencies and/or resources" for proof of my move. It's no wonder they have no money and keep raising stamp prices... Hey dude - where's my mail?

Add that to the fact that my semi-husband has yet to send me the packet that the New Hampshire collection agency idiots sent to the wrong address. It was on May 29th when he IM'd me about that. Oh, gee, he forgot! Grrr. I guess it's just another perfect example of "out of sight, out of mind". I guess that also goes for the divorce filing, too .

And I still have no clue about a car. Since the one I was supposed to get died... I have not heard any more about that. Yeah I know cars don't just appear out of the blue. But all of this just adds to my frustration and impatience. I find myself sitting at my desk, tapping my fingers as I listen to some Barry Manilow cd's, wondering how much longer I will be able to remain patient. Tap, tap, tap.,tap...

The "Extended" Life of a Commercial

We all decided to watch some movies last night. We started with "Legally Blonde" (I & II) and then we saw that "The Color Purple" was next. We decided to watch that too. It had been a while since I had seen any of these movies. Yeah, let's all kick back, relax and watch them.

Suddenly during "Blonde" we started getting annoyed at all the Quiznos commercials for their "torpedo" sandwich or whatever that thing is. We started making comments. But when it came to the other overly played commercial, we all started to loose control. Over and over we say a commercial for "male enhancement". Enough all ready. Traci got so annoyed that she muted that commercial and started playing one of the "Joe Boxer" commercials on her laptop. Then we started wondering how many times this thing would be repeated. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view) we did not think to count how many times the "enhancing" commercial was on during the first two movies. So then we decided that since "The Color Purple" was a 3 1/2 hour movie we would count them. 15 times that commercial for male enhancement was on during the movie. Talk about extended coverage!

This soon became a running joke. Then we began to wonder how much this company paid for the airtime? Did the extended play get more sales? Do people really buy that stuff? Does it really work?

Then I was told that my son Pat actually ordered a "free sample" of them. Ok, TMI. Of course he did this as a joke. Uh, ok. His big reason was so he could throw them away along some highway near where he lives. Isn't that littering?

Techno-What, Face-Who

More than 40 years ago when computers were still the size of rooms my father told me to learn all I could about them because they were "the future". Why did I not listen?

I've had a pc for years now. At some point I have thought about getting a newer one, if and when I can scrape together the money. But until then I have my trusty Compaq which shows how old it is since the Compaq is now Hewlett Packard. At least as long as I have some techno-savy people in the family my little pc should continue to provide me with connections to my interests.

Ever watch an "animated" baseball game which shows the ball being pitched and a batter at the plate? I guess I could pay the money to really see the game, but why? BTW - keep the wins coming Astros!

I've been reading about the increasing number of people my age who are now tweeting (somehow that sounds odd) or on social network sites like Facebook. A few weeks ago I got on the Twitter wagon. Oops, there goes the Tweet Deck again. I wonder what is going on now? There is an ozone watch in Houston and Chris Cuomo from Good Morning America, is, well, somewhere across the world.

Now I am on Facebook. Oh joy, now what have I gotten myself into. My daughters and granddaughter are all on it. My oldest daughter wondered if she will have to "behave" now? What difference would that make? Who says I behave? This is all a little puzzling to me but I guess I will get used to it. Some day I will look back and wonder why I thought it was so hard.

One thing I have seen on my granddaughter Cheyanne's page is her artwork. She is very talented. Annie and I were looking a several of her sketches. I can only hope she inherited some of that from her great-grandmother. She would be so proud of Cheyanne. Who knew you could do so much with a computer and a lot of patience?

Then I happened to look at the pictures of some of the people I went to high school with. I have yet to stop laughing. Annie said "add them as friends..." I snorted , "Ha, Why? I have nothing in common with them anymore?" Just remembering their names was more than I really wanted.

So my next question is now what?

Flee Fly, Now or Else

This is war! You have already annoyed me no end for the last couple of days. I strongly suggest that you flap your wings and flit on out of here. The wall is not your friend and neither is the window. If you don't start flapping your wings and flip on out of here there will not be enough of you left to flit. You have been flying around here day and night for going on three days now. Don't you have a home to go to? Or are you separated from your flying spouse too? You have been up and down and all around this room. There is a door here, find it and fly away. If you do not figure out how to flee this place you may be forcefully and fiercely flogged until you can no longer fly. That would certainly be a dismal flying, fickle finger of fate now wouldn't it? So a word of warning to which you should take note. Do not continue to buzz. Do not attempt to open the window - flee now while you still can fly!