Roy Oswalt, Home Run King?

The Houston Astros ripped the Pittsburgh Pirates 14 to 1. Roger Clemens must be thinking "where are those runs when I pitch?" It was one of those rare Astros games when everything went right. Pitching, fielding, batting all clicked.

Roy O was in the middle of a stunning game. Some fans had to be thinking no-hitter. He was pitching that well. But, alas it was not to be. But,he was happy to win with a LOT of run support. But the best part of the game for Oswalt and the fans had to be when he hit a home run. Oswalt hit his first career home run! The fans were on their feet with an ovation. As Roy went down the steps into the dugout, not one player said a word to him. The old silent treatment. Then players all grinned and congratulated him. Baseball traditon at it's best. As Roy said later "They straight faced me. It was pretty good. I knew what was going on. It was pretty nice." Then he had to up to the dugout steps to tip his hat to the hometowm fans who were all standing in applause.

Guess that's one way to make a statement! After all Oswalt wasn't very happy about the trade rumors around trade deadline. Who could seriously think the Astros would trade the Ace? After all Drayton just last year bought him his own backhoe so he could move dirt around on his farm.

Well, now Andy,Roger and Brandon will have to try to beat Roy. After all Roy is a power hitter now.

Texans Restart

Here we go again. Pre-season football in Houston starts this week-end. Questions, questions, questions. What can we expect? Will the Kubiak, Sherman era begin with a bang or a ho-hum? Kubiak is a no-nonsense guy. He works the players hard. Some words were said that a number of players were grumbling during training camp. Good! Kubiak has taken the approach that anyone and everyone can and must do a better job. So far he has not minced words with the players. Good or bad play is discussed in front of everybody, media included.

The offensive line is supposed to be better. We shall see. David Carr has been given another chance. Since the Texans will now be using a tight end, maybe Carr will be able to complete a pass. That is assuming that the line allows him to remain upright for more that thirty seconds.

Will the #1 draft pick be able to toe the line(pun intended)? Hopefully Mario Williams will be able to produce. He has had so many problems with a toe problem during training camp. Injury problems to some key players have depleted the depth of the team. I guess we will see...

The new era of the Kubiak team will begin. Is Houston ready? The days of "Love ya, Blue" are over. Former coach Bum Phillips did visit the team and thought they have potential. How much? Well, I guess you could say a 3-13 season would be a moral victory of sorts. Hopefully, the Texans restart will be an exciting move to the future. I'll watch the game with crossed fingers. Pay attention David, this could be your last chance! You've been given new coaches and a total new system. Time to get off your backside and be the leader!

The Lottery for Schools

The Texas Lotto helps schools in Texas by giving money to the school fund. The Texas Lotto, in a recent tv promo, proudly states that in the last 8 years it has provided eight billion dollars to schools. So how come school systems are still having a hard time finding funding? Why are they continuing to cut programs? Music, art, and phys, ed. are just a few of the cuts. But, school taxes continue to be a problem. Where is that eight billion going? Maybe there are just too many programs to fund. I wonder. I remember the discussions when Texas was trying to decide if we should have a lottery. To borrow a statement from a movie "show me the money", or at least where it went.

And You're Going to Drive That Car?

My elder daughter, Traci, is having a grand time in Detroit with some of her friends. A get away from small children is always nice for a mom. Sometimes you have to be around people whose food you don't need to cut. She asked her sister, Annie to stay with the kids. No problem. Annie brought her two boys to visit with their cousins. Four kids, three boys and a girl. The oldest starts school this year.

So that was the plan. Traci gets time away from the kids, Annie goes crazy. Annie's two boys are four and not yet two. Traci's boy is five and her daughter is four. Four kids that young. Where's the vodka!

So there is one glaring problem in this little story. Traci took off leaving her car for Annie to drive. Uh, what about the inspection sticker, what about the registration sticker? Seems that both these necessary stickers are out of date. Annie, has avoided going out for two reasons. Reason #1-four small children in a PT Cruiser. Reason #2-stickers are not current on the car. Four small children together is a nightmare under the best of circumstances. Then driving a car without proper stickers is like driving with a neon sign saying "ticket me". I can't believe Traci left Annie that car to drive. Why did she not get these things taken care of before she left? Who knows.

Tonight, Annie has to drive from Waco to Dallas to pick Traci up at the airport. Of course she will have to take the kids. I can not imagine what will happen along the way. Even if the children behave well, she will still probably get stopped by the police. Even if she avoids the cops on the highway, what will happen when she gets to the airport?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If I were Annie, I think I would be tempted to really put some hurt to Traci, especially if Annie gets stopped. I just can't believe that Traci would be so careless. When you are taking care of small children you cannot take chances. I just can't believe that Annie is going to have to drive that car to the airport. Is there a chance that Traci will learn anything? Uh...

Back to School ...Shopping That Is

It's tax free weekend shopping time again. Guess I won't be going to WalMart or Target this weekend. I'd rather not get run over by the crowds. I tried to do early Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving one year. Never again! I'm about to that point again with the annual tax free school shopping week-end. I'd really rather not have to fight the crowds of people. I'd hate to have to beat up some one buying adult diapers!

I find the tax fee idea good, but question some of the logic. This idea was supposed to help parents save money shopping for back to school things. I remember those days when I tried to buy school clothes for three kids. Not a fun thing to do. So,this week end there is no tax on certain items under $100. Jeans, shirts, jackets, shoes,gym suits and school uniforms are just a few items on the tax free list. But so are adult diapers, baby clothes, baby diapers, wedding dresses, and pajamas. So long as they are under the $100 limit, they are tax free. Why are wedding dresses on the list? Is there a high school junior wearing one to school? Now maybe a swim suit is ok if a kid is on the swim team, right? Baseball and football jerseys are ok, but not foolball pants. Personal flotation devices are not. Can't use those in the pool with the swimsuits.

School supplies are not tax free. No paper, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, map colors, and so on. Just how long to they think a ream of notebook paper will last? Cloth and lace, knitting yarns and other fabrics are not tax free. Neither are handkerchiefs. I guess tissues are more sanitary. I always thought it funny that each child in a classroom had to bring a box of tissues. Twenty-three boxes of tissue in the closet. Boy, those kids sneeze a lot.

As for me, I plan to avoid the crowds shopping for bargains. I need to save my strength for the Christmas shopping. That's coming up soon enough.

So to all the parents who survive tax free weekend, just remember this old song "Happy Days Are Here, Again" as your kids start school. Next May the kids will be singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out..."

Whinning Again

First of all, a Big Thanks to all of you visiting via Dr. John. The back is better today. Now I have something else to whine about, these days but who doesn't? Jimmy has some poker buddies who have cable and/or internet through Comcast. They have complained that the services are not reliable during bad weather. Now I have seen commercials saying that dish services are bad too, but is Comcast really that bad? Jimmy's friends have told him almost everytime the weather is bad their cable or internet goes out. So, the announcement was made the other day that the lone cable provider in Houston, Time Warner, is pulling out. Comcast will be moving in. This all is part of an agreement between the two companies after another bankrupt company was acquired. Time Warner and Comcast have agreed to swap certain markets. Houston is one of them. Of course, this all has to be approved by the feds, and we all know how that will go. So how come Time Warner is still advertizing their "specials"? Why would I want to switch internet providers or phone services to get these "great" rates if Time Warner is leaving? Actually, until I heard this, I was looking into the possibility because SBC(I mean ATT) keeps raising it's rates. Right now SBC(ATT) and Time Warner are battling each other here to gain customers. One has a package deal of phone, internet,tv for one price, one has another package for a different price. So why should I switch everything that I've got to another? I've been complaining lately because my phone bill through which I have internet has gone up over $20/month from approximately $73 to $93. My cable is through TW which has gone up also but is still under $50/mo but just barely. Why is Time Warner wasting ad money if they are not going to be here?

The comments Jimmy's friends made about Comcast's bad service make me worry. I'm apparently not alone. Time Warner customers all over Houston are concerned. Most are concerned about their cable service. Will they have the same program selection and will the costs change? There would certainly be a problem for high speed cable internet since customers would have to change e-mail accounts. Of course neither company is talking. Naturally. I just know that the last thing I want is to have the tv or internet go down everytime a cloud sneezes.

A Pain in the Neck, I Mean Back

Funny how things affect a person's mood. An argument with the spouse or child will easily put you in a bad mood. People at work will annoy you. But, I was not ready to be in a bad mood today. However, when I got up this morning, or tried to get up, I was immediately irritated. My back hurts. I'm not usually a complainer, I just go on and do what I have to do. But today is a different story. Bending over to put food in the dogs bowls hurt, lifting anything hurt. It hurts to sit, it hurts to stand. Usually I work it out and finally any pain I have goes away. Today, nothing seems to work and I really dont feel like doing anything. Having pain in the back is a real pain in the neck! Guess I'll have to find the heating pad and go sit down with it. Daisy will love that because she'll want to be right by me. Could be worse as I think of people with much worse problems. But I feel like whinning today. Tomorrow will be better, right?

Stripping Down the River

Tubing down the Comal and Guadalupe rivers in a big attraction in New Braunfels, Texas. Families have a lot of fun in the summer doing this. Just hop into the tube and bring the refreshments along, too. How relaxing. moms and dads bring the kids for a fun floating time. There is no need to get out for a cool drink because the drinks float along, too. As usual though some people always have to push the limits of good taste. Tourists and residents have complained about loud music and over-indulgence by some. So the New Braunsfels City Council has been trying to cut down on the wild behavior. They banned volume drinking devices like beer bongs and increased fines for noise violations. A new ordinance banning containers with a volume of 5 ounces or less will take effect after the next city council meeting. This is supposed to cut down on Jello-shots and the associated litter. Not a bad idea since the area likes the family atmosphere, not the wildness.

So some strippers from a San Antonio men's club decided to protest this by tubing down the river Sunda, encouraging men to pay $25 for the privilege of tubing with them. The strippers were not going to "strip" so why did they want to charge the $25? The strippers said they were not trying to start trouble, they just wanted to have a good time, and protest the new ordinance. Why would a man pay $25 just to float down the river with strippers who aren't going to strip?

What is even funnier to me is that some parents were objecting to the strippers even though the women were not doing anything inappropriate. Protest aside, why can't a stripper float down the Comal or Guadalupe rivers just like everyone else? One of the city councilmen was disappointed because this "float" was going to occur on Sunday when people should be in church. He was also offended because, as he said, strippers are trained to take off their clothes. Yeah, but they can have a life too, can't they? If no-one said the woman were strippers would it make a difference? Suppose ordinary citizens wanted to float down the river to protest the new ordinance? Would they cause so much upset? Hum....

I Told You I Didn't Want to be Buried.

My family and I have had several discussions about burial. They know I would prefer to be cremated, rather than buried in a cemetery. Looking at all the plots and headstones makes me think of an apartment complex for the dead. Suppose I wake up years later. Not only have the styles have changed but so have I. All the work that the funeral home people did on me so I would look good in that casket,ha. Bad enough that people go to a funeral and say things like, "she looks so life-like". Now after all these years everything is not the same. Who is the idiot who put my head on this stupid pillow! Since when did I wear my hair this way? What's up with these clothes? Which one of you children picked this ugly dress out? Please don't tell me that you paid money for it. After all I'm not a "dressy" kind of person. They actually put shoes on me? If you expected me to lie here all these years, why have on shoes? I hate to tell you but the embalming wasn't that good. I'm begining to crack. This outfit you put me in now has holes in it. I really didn't care for your choice of lipstick, it case you care. You could have at least put something for me to do in this overpriced box. Do you know how boring it is in here. No tv, no books.Do you have any idea how many books I could have read? Come on! I guess by now "General Hospital" is "Geriatric Hospital" How many husbands has Erika had now? By now the "4400" is down to "2347" Man where does time go? Just think if you had cremated me like I wanted I could have become part of an ocean reef or fertilizer for a tree or a pretty rose plant. But no, you had to stick me in this box. Now let's see, which one of you will I haunt this week. Gotta stay busy. Remember, I told you I would haunt you, who's next?

By Reason of Insanity

Everyone has an opinion about Andrea Yates. Many are furious, many are sympathetic. The bigger question is how do we judge and how do we know what to say? The Texas law regarding insanity is based on an arcane British law from the 1840's. Maybe this will spur the Texas Legislature to re-think the law. We have all seen the stories on tv as well as killers in our states who use the insanity defense. Were they guilty? Yes. Were they insane? Maybe, maybe not. Looking at only the Yates case, one has to learn of the Yates history. There are people who believe that Andrea's husband is partly responsible. He had always insisted that he and his wife would have as many children as God would allow. Andrea Yates was overwhelmed from the very begining. Her post-partum problems became increasingly more difficult. She had been under psychiatric care for years. She and Rusty were warned not to have more children because her persistant post-partum depression was likely to spiral into psychosis. When the news first broke about the tragedy the local media dug into every aspect of the story. All aspects of the Yates family were examined. They even dug into Rusty's behavior. One of the things they discovered was that he apparently decided to follow a religious group to the point of having the entire family live in a small travel trailer and go on the road. Try living in a tiny trailer with small children. Not an easy thing to do. Some have even suggested that he didn't feel she needed all the medication. Personally, I have my own feelings about him. At least he continued to support Andrea throughout the wholde ordeal. Maybe he felt guilty? Some of us question what will happen in his current marriage.

I just hope that we all will learn more about mental health and how to cope with and treat it. Yes, Andrea Yates committed a horrible crime. As she continues treatment, she will come to the realization of what she did. I hope the mental health people will be able to help her because, at least to me, she is and has been mentally ill for a very long time. Should she have been sent to jail? Should she be committed to a mental hospital for life? These are questions to which we all have our own answers. A sane mother who loved her children would not have killed them. Mothers often feel overwhelmed and frequently angry at their children. Most have loving husbands and family to help during the bad times. Did Andrea Yates?

Why is a Salt Shaker in My Yard?

After yesterday morning's rain I kept hearing an indessant "beep" around the window on the front side of the house. I discovered it was a baby mockingbird. The mother was near so I left it alone. On my trek back through the front yard I said hello to my neighbor(the one with the kids, not the neglected dog).As I passed by the shrubs by the side of the house, I found a salt shaker on the ground. What is this? Thinking maybe her kids had gotten wild, I asked if it belonged to her. As she told me no, she pointed to the culprit. Ah, yes. Our good ole buddy, the big brown dog. Apparently since the neighors on the other side are no longer keeping him on a chain, he roams the neighborhood at will. He was standing on the sidewalk, with that "who me?" look. So, my neighbor and I discussed the situation. He has been wandering around tearing up fences, trash and who knows what. Maybe that's how that one shoe ended up in my backyard? She told me of her frustration and that she had call the pound 5 times to no avail. She and her other side neighbor want to breed their dogs but the wanderings of our neighbor's dog has made that difficult at best. I, personally try to stay out of neighborhood "politics" but I can understand her frustration. Funny how our neighbor with the wandering dog is the "Block Captain" for the HOA and apparently reports on everyone for the most miniscule violation and yet wont do anything about her own. This could get interesting. On the other hand maybe the dog will bring us a treasure. Yeah, right. Wonder what he did with the pepper shaker?

Kids and TV (Commercials)

Most adults I know really don't care for commercials. There are some notable exceptions. I love the Aflac commercial with Yogi Berra and the Geico commercials. But small children love commercials. Why? I don't know. I have seen kids stop playing to watch some silly ad. I've even been in the way of a child running from another room to get to the tv in time to view a commercial. Being in the way of a small child on the run to a commercial is about like being in the way of a hungry lion about to eat fresh meat. Not a pretty sight. Why do kids do this? It is a scary thought when you realize a kid knows the lines or lyrics of a commercial, but not the ABC's. I think we have all seen this at one time or another. My own children loved commercials when they were little. Of course,during the week, they were only allowed to watch PBS. I really think some of these programs helped them learn to read. I let them watch cartoons on Saturday morning. But they still developed the fascination with tv ads. I was one of those mothers who kept a close watch on tv. I tried not to us the tv as a baby sitter. Sometimes it was hard. Turning off the tv to get the kids to play together sometimes was a battle. I really think they liked the sounds regardless of what was actually on tv at the time. When they were small they loved to "dance" around to the music of some of the ads. And of course later they discovered that some of the commercials were directed to them. That's when the war started. "Mom, I want that" was constantly heard around our house. Usually the answer was "No". When you have three pre-school kids at home resistance is the key. Yeah, mean old Mom won't let us have... Gotta draw the line somewhere. That'll teach you to run over me to get to that commercial!

Ad Sense

I think most of us really either don't like advertizing or just ignore it. I now flip the channel every time I see Taylor Hicks singing for Ford. Dr.Z is not the doctor I would choose. So this morning I saw something funny, at least to me. A man uses the facility in a public place. As he stands there doing his thing, he sees something at the bottom of the urinal. It's an ad! Not only that it is talking to him! Ok, to me that is a little extreme. Men are not known for having good aim, right? Now, just imagine the panic caused by this ad. Gives new meaning to the phrase "waving the wand". Then there is the decision by some airlines to place ads on the "barf bags". Is this a good idea? Anyone who has to use the bag is certainly not interested in what the ad on the bag says. I've heard that advertizing people are trying to think of new and creative ways to get their message across. Is there no place sacred anymore? Sorry guys. Wonder what they will do in the women's restroom? At least I've never had to use the bag on a plane. I have read the airline's magazines. There are enough ads there, thanks. Somehow, the thought of an unsuspecting man discovering an ad at the bottom of a urinal is funny. At least to me.

A Nothing Day

Nothing. It's one of those hot summer days which inspire nothing. Nothing of importance is happening. Nothing happened yesterday either. The dogs have decided to have nothing to do with each other. One is in one room, the other in a different room. I have to pay the electric bill today. I will have nothing left after I do. I have been searching for a cheaper place to live, found nothing, yet. We need to clean out our storage building so that we can put extra furniture in it. What have we done? Nothing. We need to re-arrange the garage, yet have done nothing. I need to do some things in the garden, yet I go outside and do nothing. I need to buy groceries but nothing appeals to me. The Astros are doing nothing to make fans think they will go to the post season. The Texas City police, FBI and ATF made a big production of blowing up some possible bomb making material found in an apartment. The complex was evacuated, the media was kept at a distance, news choppers kept two miles away. The material was detonated. What happened? Nothing. People were led to believe this would be a big news story. Apartment complex demolished by bomb squad. Not really. After they detonated all the material and the resulting fire, nothing else really happened. But it is Friday. The weekend is near. Wonder what we will do. Probably nothing.

Nice

Well the real Astros showed up last night. Clemens vs Maddux. The match of 2 future Hall of Fame players was a game to watch. Both pitchers have over 300 career wins. Sports writers and broadcasters loved it. Both pitchers pitched well in a game that we may not see again. It's not often two such legends pitch against each other. For once the 'Stros had enough run support to help Roger win, although once again, the bullpen nearly emploded by giving up two runs. But a win is a win and we'll take it. Of course as up and down as the team has been, what will today's game hold? Hopefully a win. Go 'Stros!

What Happened?

Phil Garner must wonder what happened. Of course the Astros have always been a second half team...but. Time's awasting. I'm sure that people thought the addition of another bat in the name of Aubrey Huff would help. Well, maybe or maybe not. From day to day no-one knows what will happen. One day the bats are blazing, one day they are not. One day we have good pitching, one day we dont. The bullpen continues to befuddle everyone. Should we get rid of Lidge? Putting Wandy in the pen is a question mark at best. Even the starters have had, so far, lackluster seasons. Andy is finally looking better, but Roger, to me, seems unfocused and uncomfortable. Even Oswalt cant seem to find the right combination. Seems odd that the rookie pitchers seem to be doing somewhat better than the "stars" but from start to start who knows how they will pitch. No matter what, it doesn't help the pitching staff when the bats don't bring in the runs. Too many runners are left on base. It doesn't do any good to score 12 runs in one game if run support is lacking in the next three games. Last year the team started gaining some consistency in the second half. What happened? At this point, the Astros still seem to be trying to figure out what to do. With the third highest payroll in baseball, Drayton must be wondering what else can he do? Spend more money, fire the GM or the Manager, or give up hopes for this year and bring up kids from AAA. Things could still turn around, giving the team at least a fighting chance. But the season could also end with everyone wondering what happened. I hope it's not too late. Wake up 'Stros!

Football and the FBI

I saw a story on tv the other day that struck me funny. It seems that the Houston Texans football team was visited by the FBI. Actually the FBI was there to try to recruit the players to join the FBI after their playing days are over. Why wait? The FBI could put the whole team in undercover operations. After all, the team did masquerade as a pro football team last year. They could work in counter-intelligence. But the defense could not counter the other teams offense so that may be out. Or David Carr could work on the kidnap team, finding people who have been kidnapped and transported across state lines. On the other hand, that may not be such a good idea. If he couldn't find a receiver in less than 100 yards, how could he find someone in another state?

Maybe some of the players will consider a future in government service with the FBI. But what does that say about the FBI?

I Woke Up This Morning

I guess waking up is a good thing. Lately things seem to be going down hill. With all that has been going on around here, Jimmy is feeling depressed. After all the years of doing for people he feels that it was not worth it. We really made a mistake renting this house, but now we seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place. Can't afford to stay, can't afford to move. Little did we know that this house would be such a money pit. We thought we were doing the right thing, imagine that! Everytime the kids came to visit when we lived in an apartment we were too crowded, so we rented a big house with a big yard. Now no-one visits. My son and step daughter always whined about not having money but they dont seem to really want to do anything about it. Pat always wanted to mow the yard for a few extra bucks, but always had something else to do. We hired someone to do it for $25 week, the Amanda crabbed that she wanted to do it. Right, she's never around. When she is she's locked away in her room or on the phone. It's hard to mow with one hand.

Funny how things work for some people. Some people always seem to have things go their way. I keep trying to encourage Jimmy not to get down on everything, but this week has been bad for him. He never seems to have time to take a vacation, cause he is the "only one" who can do somethings. There never seems to be a good time for him. Of course when you cant even get any support from the boss, what do you expect? Jimmy's feeling blue lately cause he feels that he's always the one to help out people, but favors never seem to be returned.

I keep trying to tell him that things will get better. Our luck can't always be bad, but he still feels bad. He's gotten where he doesnt care anymore. For years I was always the one who was depressed and felt like a failure. I've worked myself out of this and have been more upbeat and positive in the last few yeas. I just wish I could help him feel better. He just wont listen. I think it's time for the Higher Power to take charge...

Honesty Remains Elusive

Well, once again deception has raised it's ugly head. More and more I believe that we are too soon old and too late smart. I am still left to wonder why family members who are "adult", that is over 21, do not have the ability to tell the truth. Last week-end Amanda told us that she "might" be moving nearer her mother. The operative word here is "might". Little did we know that there was no might about it. It was a done deal. We began to feel that she was not being honest about a lot things when she moved in with us after her surgery. We knew she was having money problems. Her Daddy even tried to help her figure out how to handle them. But, she didn't listen and, I don't think she told him the whole story. She was the one that we thought would listen to opinions and reason. I guess we wasted our time. She has apparently decided to dump her life her and go hold her Mother's hand. Her mother is a master manipulator. She has obviously coerced Amanda into not only guilt, but the belief that Amanda's life here is too bad and she needs to come back. So, Amanda has decided to take backward steps. Now her father is completely pissed off and has basically written her off. He has had enough. He's tired of all the deception, laziness, and complete disregard for our family as a whole. We seem to always be the last to find out that we got screwed again. I'm afraid this was the last straw, the last story he will believe. His faith in his daughter has been severely shaken. I don't know if it can be repaired. The broom is about to sweep the tangled webs of deceit out of this family, maybe forever.

Duster Plus

I hate dusting. It's a useless chore. Dust one day, dust is back the next. I really hate to dust, of course folding laundry, ironing, vacuuming, mopping, and cooking are high on the list too. I hate dusting so much that I wait until the last minute to do it. When I can write my grocery list on the dinning room table, it's time to dust! I really hate dusting! So I saw a commercial for the Pledge Duster Plus on tv and I begain to think about it. This may be good for all the window blinds I thought. I hate to dust the blinds, so I rarely do it. On a trip to pick up some groceries I saw a display of the Duster Plus. Only $2.97, I figured I'll give it a try. The box came with a bendable handle and a multi-surface spray to "boost performance". "Bend Handle to Spray the Duster or Directly on Surface" the box says. The box comes with 1 Handle, 1 Multi-Surface Spray and 2 Disposable Dusters. So I open up the handle, insert the spray bottle and put the duster on. Well, it took 2 trys to put the duster on. The first time I put it on backwards. Armed with my new dusting tool, off I went to the dust wars. I dusted tables, book shelves,books, knicknacks, tvs, computers, printers and window blinds. Not bad I thought. Worked real well on the blinds. So I was impressed. I picked up a lot of dust. Of course, after I looked at the box I discovered I wasn't supposed to use on hot things like light bulbs. Come on ...would I do that? So I wonder how often should I change the duster. It looked pretty dirty to me. Great, I thought, one use and I have to toss it! Will I be able to buy the dusters by themselves? Then I saw a statement on the box that really got me! "Each Duster Contains Over 1.5 Miles of Dust Grabbing & Trapping Fibers". Uh, how did they arrive at that figure? Did someone lay each individual bit of fluff end to end and measure it? Are they sure? What happens if one has 1.2 miles of fiber, or 1.8? How do they measure the quality control? How did they cram 1.5 miles of fiber onto something that is only 8 inches long? And why am I obscessing over this? Did I mention I really hate dusting? In the long run, (how many miles?)it did a good job and I was satisfied. The box did caution against spraying on the floor as it would make it slippery. Why would I do that? I'm certainly not about to get on my hands and knees to dust the floor! The "extra long" handle isn't that long! At roughly 10 inches, I wouldn't call it "extra" long. But, I did get the job done in record time, but I still hate dusting.

The Great Red Hunter

Annoying is the word. Daisy has discovered that birds are everywhere. Every day she pesters me to take her out to the backyard time after time after time. Does she do her business? No, she scours the skys, trees and fences for the winged prey. Anything over her head is fair game. Whether it is a dove or a sparrow, it doesn't matter. Even an occasional squirrel on a tree or the fence is a cause to chase. I, on the other hand, would prefer to attract birds since I have a bird feeder and bird bath back there. I've always loved birds, even my idiot parrot Astro, the loud mouth. Somehow Daisy thinks I am her hunting guide and that at any moment I should drop what I am doing and take her out to sniff out the quarry. I think not little girl. Get over yourself. Lady is laughing at you. You're never gonna get that bird.

Chapters of Life

Our lives are chapters of books to which we will not read the ending. As children we all want time to hurry so we can be adult. How many kids have looked toward their 21st birthday for reasons like voting, drinking or just getting out of the house or school.Jobs are an important start to real growth. Amanda moved in with us before her junior year in high school. Until then, as a child of divorce, we saw her every other weekend and a month during summer. We were a little surprised, yet happy when she decided to move in with us. She had a taste of "life in the big city" and liked it. After all she'd most of her life in the small town of Edna. About 100 miles from Houston, Edna is the typical tiny town where not much happens and what does isn't always good. And of course, everybody smells your business almost before you've done it. Jimmy and I left a similar town in 1999 and have never looked back.

When Amanda decided to move in with us, her mother told her that she wouldn't be happy and would never make it here. How wrong she was. Amanda did very well. She went from a high school of less than 2,000 total to nearly 2,000 per class. Then she found a part-time job and worked up to management. After she finished school she got another full-time job and gained experience and saved enough money to move out on her own. She started out renting a little house with her cousin and later moved to a larger house that she and her brother and his girl-friend and her son shared.

That's when the problems started. That house turned out to be a giagantic money pit. The house had some serious problems that for some reason the landlord would not fix.It cost a fortune to stay there. So about the time Amanda had her surgery, she and her brother and his girlfriend decided to part company. By, this time Amanda was mired in debt for many reasons. So after her surgery, she moved in with us to try to save money. In the process, she sold her truck and bought a used car. Naturally the payments and insurance are huge. Not saving any money that way, right? Then she learned that her younger half-sister was becoming difficult to handle. Her sister is nearly 16 and has multiple retardation issues. It has become increasingly hard for Amanda's mother to handle her. In fact, her sister has become combative and uncontrolable to the point that she soon will have to be put in a home. Obviously this has distressed Amanda's mother who feels that she has failed as a parent. But now, Amanda feels guilty and afraid that her mother will break down after her sister goes to a home. So last night Amanda announced to us that she has decided to move back near her mother. She's going to see if she can transfer to a store near Edna. Here in lies the rub. While we sympathize with her and her mother, should she give up her life her to go back to the small town and "hold her mother's hand"? I've know several people who gave up their lives to go home to take care of family. My father moved form Texas to Alabama to be with his elderly mother, even though two of his brothers already lived near her. He gave up his life and they didn't. Amanda's mother is not elderly and has a husband. I hope that Amanda will be ok. I admire her willingness to help, but I hope she's not jumping into something that will ruin her plans to get back on her own. She's already got enough problems of her own and now she wants to take on more unending, difficulties. It's a lot to put on the shoulders of a 22 year old girl. I hope that she will be strong enough to be her mother's crutch and continue to grow into the woman she is destined to be.

I guess her Houston chapter is closing and the Edna chapter is opening, or should I say re-opening. She always said she loved it here in Houston and never wanted to leave. I really don't think she has thought this out completely. She's having debt problems now and I fear she will just end up digging herself in deeper. But hopefully she will learn from this. Her Dad and I think this is a mistake, but we wish her the best as she reads this difficult chapter in her life story.

Contemplating My Navel

It's Friday and I feel strangely at peace. As I walked through the backyard yesterday I wondered how hard it would be to mow the "jungle out there". The yard can't take much more water I thought as I splashed through the mush and the rain drops. Hurry up Daisy. So later in the afternoon the lawn service that does a bunch of yards around here was working next door. Since Jimmy was home, he decided to go talk to the guy. So we got the guy to mow and edge the yard for $25. Not bad considering how high the grass was.

So not having to fight with the yard left me with time to contemplate my navel. I mean contemplate some important things. Does any body, besides me, miss Charlie Gibson on GMA? I miss him already. Sigh. So, I have seen the new Ford commercial with Taylor Hicks so much that I am sick of it! Does any one really make money with Google AdSense? Is there really money to be made, without having to answer "call center" calls or pay someone to "teach" you how to make money? Is Big Brother All-Stars going to be worth watching? Has any one noticed that there are still no pictures of TomKat's baby? Is there really a baby? I don't need to wonder why "Lost" and "Desperate Housewives" didn't get emmy nominatiions. They weren't that good last year.

Gee, I don't care if it rains again this week-end. My yard is already done. And every time I look at the hole in the fence, I feel an evil grin coming on. Now, if I could just get the fireworks to stop. Money, money, money up in loud smoke! Maybe I'll just sleep in tomorrow. Sure, I will. Daisy has other plans as usual! Hopefully, the Astros will have a good series against St.Louis. Go 'Stros!

I Must Have an Evil Twin

I said a little prayer again for the dog next door. I really thought he had bought the farm over the weekend. I worried about that dog all weekend. But, yesterday afternoon I couldn't help but notice that he was back. While I was outside feeding Astro, I saw motion through the fence. Let's face it,that fence is so worn out, it's not hard to miss anything in that yard. Here we go again I thought as I saw him being put back on his chain. Great, I thought, wonder how long it will take him to jump the fence this time. I didn't have long to wait. It had been raining off and on most of the day. The sky was dark and threatening. No more than ten minutes later the thunder roared and the dog freaked, yet again. Soon the plywood my neighbor had used to block the fence hole was torn down again and the dog was sticking his head through the fence. A few minutes later I looked out my kitchen window to discover that he had jumped over the fence again and was stuck in my yard. He was desperately trying to figure out how to jump back or at least run for cover. That was it. I went outside to the rescue. As I approached, he looked so happy to see me, seemingly pleading for help. So, with an evil grin on my face, I freed him. As I threw his chain and collar back over the fence, he seemed to say thanks and ran across my backyard to freedom.

Some people will never learn. They have had to pay hefty fines because of the way they have treated the poor dog. And yet, they continue treat their dog like a posession instead of a pet. So, I know it is not my business, but I will continue to be the evil one. I just can't stand to see that dog in such peril when he is so scared. Part of me hopes that he will, at some point, tear down the fence. It wouldn't take much for it to collapse.

So, my evil twin and I will continue to watch out for the dog. Have no fear dog, we've got your back. Yes, I am sitting here with an evil grin!

Enough is Enough

Funny, I know that fireworks are illegal in the city of Houston, but in the county they are not. Oh joy. You'd think people would not want to shoot off fireworks in the pouring down rain. Oh no, I think they do more. It started raining last weekend. As usual the minute the thunder started the fence climbing dog next door freaked. When I last saw him he was teetering on top of the six foot fence at the back of his yard. Naturally he was still on his chain. Next thing I see is my neighbor trying unsucessfully grab him from the fence. It didnt work. Over the fence the yapping dog went. Then the yapping stopped. I dont know what happened at that point. I hope the dog got away. I dont want to think of the other alternative. Of course I really didnt need to see my neighbor stark naked trying to climb the fence either. The sight of a short heavy black man naked is not what I wanted to see. Cheez.

So if that wasnt enough Daisy, who at first was terrified of fireworks, no longer sat in the chair quivering. Oh no, now she decided that she was mad. Ever listen to a dog bark non stop for hours? Now she considers it her job to rid her yard of the intruders by barking. She insisted on going outside to voice her opinion. With the hair on her back standing tall, she raced around the yard voicing her displeasure at all the noise! All night long the fireworks went on and on and on. One am, two am etc. How come Daisy didnt get hoarse? There was so much smoke in the neighborhood, I could barely see. Add this to non-stop rain, we have a mess. So far five inches of rain have accumulated in my rain gauge since this week-end. Bewteen fireworks and rain, it was a mess. I have no doubt there will be more fireworks and morde rain. Weather guys all say this will continue all week. Now where did I park my ark?

My Brain's Nose and Mind's Eye are Playing Games!

It has to be a holiday weekend since the Sci-Fi channel is showing a Twilight Zone marathon. I love that show. But sometimes I wonder if I dont live in my own Twilight Zone. Lately my brain's nose and my mind's eye have been showing my things some odd and some I haven't thought of in years.

Over the last several months I have become aware of wiffs of fragrances in the house similar to a perfume. I am the only one in the house when this happens. The odor is brief and just enough to get my attention. Since I'm the only one around when this happens, I know what fragrance I'm wearing and Amanda isn't home so what ever she has used has long since disappeared. It is always in the den, no where else in the house. This tends to grab my attention. This isn't a really old house and it's not built on ancient burial grounds. I just find the whole thing a little odd. Maybe my brain's nose is playing tricks on me.

Then there are pictures that my mind's eye is showing me. I equate this to thoughts I've had about life in general. Everyone remembers the "good old days". But sometimes the pictures are so real ,as if I were watching a movie. Some are of things that a shrink would probably say were of traumatic memories. I've always remembered when I was three and having eye surgery in New York City. Obviously it was upsetting to a child that young. But I see it clearly. I also have flashes of our home in Tuscaloosa, Brewton and North Augusta. I can even see the detail of furniture and the outside surroundings. My mind's eye recently took me back to the beaches at Panama City and Destin Florida. I see my father's feet sunburned or my mother and I sitting on the beach. Some are obviously traumatic, like sitting in a chair in the hospital room at M.D.Anderson the moment my mother died. Others are just warm and fuzzy memories. I never know when or what will trigger these, but sometimes I feel that I am reliving my life in warp-speed. Maybe I should give Stephen King a call. He's the "Dreamscapes" captain. Or how about Shirley MacLain, she's lived several lives. Right? Or maybe someone is trying to tell me something?

Star Wars

Enough already! So ya got fired, get over it! Star Jones Reynolds is hitting the airwaves telling everyone who will listen her side of the story. I'm sick of it. Barbara Walters said ABC decided not to renew her contract in November. Star says she wasn't told until April 21. What does that say? Is someone not being honest? Everyone knows about the weight loss and the wedding which turned off viewers. Supposedly, The View had her time to get another job and exit gracefully. It came down to the day she was supposed to announce her departure. She chose a different day and upset Barbara and the rest of The View. She keeps saying she wants to be honest and have a measure of good character. So why is she everywhere proclaiming that she was being treated unfairly? She keeps talking endlessly about the fact that she had been on the program for nine years and she feels that she was fired.Poor baby. Don't tell me this woman was not making a lot of money. She isn't hurting now, nor will she hurt in the future. She speaks of character all the time. Have some character now and just shut up. Between the People article and appearances on programs like the Insider, ET, Insider, Larry King, Today, etc I've seen more of her than I had ever hoped to see. Of course it might have been funny to see the sparks fly between Star and Rosie next season, since apparently they dont like each other. Star Jones Reynolds needs to take heed of her own words and have some grace and dignity and just shut up.

Remotely Addicted to the Remote

I blame my husband. It's all his fault. Everytime we'd sit together watching tv what woould he do? Channel surf!! Ok, I can see surfing through the commercials, but the programs too? He'd frequently try to watch two or three programs or games at the same time. Of course we'd miss something important on the other channel while he was doing this. I'd get frustrated and want to grab the remote away from him.

Now I must admit I have fallen into the trap. I just can't sit and watch one show all the way through and with a few exceptions commercials breeze by.Of course the networks never help either. Why do they always have to put my favorite shows opposite each other? It never fails, one season a good show debuts and I get hooked. Next season it's moved to a time-slot which conflicts with another show I like. So, I end up surfing. Since I tend to be a news junkie I frequently get annoyed with our local channels doing the same stories over and over. So, I check out CNN, or Fox to see what is going on. Or maybe I'll watch a sports talk show, or even a game. The games of the Astros lately have become a remote challenge. Do I switch before or after they start losing. Or do I throw the remote?

Alas, I'm afraid I can't surf anymore, so sad. Now what am I going to do? Thanks alot Jimmy! Now I am addicted to the remote! Our remote has finally passed on to the remote heaven. Battery changes helped for a while. Now, however, it has finally given up and wont work. I'm lost because not only have I become addicted to the remote, ours came with the tv and has a channel guide so I can see the schedule and a brief synopsis of each program. Now I am really lost!Poor thing. It's been through temper tantrums and grandkids dropping, inlaws reeking havoc with it to Daisy trying to chew on it. I guess I'll just have to say a few words over it before I throw it out and go buy a new one.

Thanks for the memories you gave us, dear remote. We will miss you. That is until we can get another. Can I get one with a channel guide? Probably not, sigh.

Watching Shopping Carts

A shopping cart is not just a repository on wheels. It tells tales. Watching carts and the people pushing them is an interesting glimpse into American life. There is the mom with kids in tow. You dont even have to see her to figure out her life. If she's got cereals like Apple Jacks or Fruit Loops, most likely her kids are young. Of course the Hot Wheels car and Bratz doll she was bribed into buying is a dead give-away. Then there is the dad who has been sent on an errand to pick up a few things. Three items somehow multiply into twenty-three. Thought we might need these,or these were on sale. Doesn't matter that there are already ten in the pantry. Then there are the teenagers. The girls check out the DVDs and CDs and seem to need a whole lot of make-up. Doesn't matter that they are just as pretty without it. How many times have I seen newlyweds buying everything from dishes and glasses to candles and his and her shampoos. Then on the weekend you can tell all the guys getting ready for the big game. Lots of beer of various brands and ice in the cart.Sometimes there might actually be food there too. And let's not forget the guy with a case of toilet paper. Either he's got a lot people in his house or he is really full of sh*t. Shopping carts don't lie.

Baseball Song and Dance

I am now ready for the end of interleague play. What is it with the American League? Are they really that good, or is the National League just that bad? The American League has won most of the All-Star games lately. I'm tired of our teams being used for target practice. Why cant the NL take control? I wonder how many NL fans have decided not to watch the remaining games? It is depressing. No wonder Phil Garner threw a chair. Of course sometimes a fit of temper will fire up a team. It's worked before. Roy Oswalt got mad and started a winning streak. Let's just get on with the season. The All-Star break is near, time for a short vacation. Time to regroup and rethink the plans. Then it will be time for the real race to the series, or a little chin music. Hey, Roger, let's show the AL who is boss. Just remember, you're in the NL now. After all you did say you need to back those guys off the plate.

Since the Rocket starts tonight, how 'bout a little sweet music? Show our young guns how to do it...Please. Remember you're in the National League now. Make your hometown proud, please. Time to get started on the real race for the World Series.

It's Monday Again!

I'm still reeling after the 'stros finally won a game against the White Sox. Once again the bullpen blew up and tried to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. You'd think 9 runs would be a large enough lead. Roy Oswalt pitched a good game, only to watch is disbelief as the relievers, yet again, tried to lose the game. It's enought to drive you nuts!

Well, at least I got another washer this weekend. No more handwashing. It takes so little to make me happy. Ha. I remember when my mother got a new, under the sink, garbage can.She was so happy. I thought she was crazy, now I understand.

Did anyone see the Minor League manager's meltdown?. Just wait till he sees himself on tv! I'm astounded that the umpire had the patience to stand still and ignore the tirade. Talk about arguing a call! Funnier yet is the story Koby Clemens will have to tell his daddy, since he was the player on second base!

Where did our weekend go. Grocery shopping, washer shopping, Astro stressing... We ended up not getting groceries until Sunday, because some idiot needed a hose connector put on so that the laborers could pressure wash one of the buildings under construction. This couldn't have been done during the week? So, our Saturday plans got interrupted so Jimmy could fix it for them. It took longer to drive to the place than it did to fix the problem. As Jimmy left the laborers were no where in sight. They were supposed to help him but they conviently disappeared.

At least the washer is going and there is no water on the floor. Maybe it will be a nice day. By the way, want to buy a bridge?

Better Luck Next Time

Sigh---the Rocket didn't get off the pad. Seems as if Roger was uncomfortable and unfocused. Of course he obviously has not had much work prior to this start. Lets face it the minors aren't the same quality as the Twins. And there were a few ball calls that I thought were strikes, but I guess that was just wishful thinking. And just like last year the bats were absent from home plate. The Twins pitcher was very good. Hoepfully things will be better next time.

Thanks for all your suggestions for our washer problems. Looking into it I think Jimmy is about to the point of saying, "the Hell with it, let's just get another one". The thought of jacking with it one more time is enough to make him want to throw it over the stair railing and into the street. Maybe the next one will work better. Then of course we could get the washer and dryer out of Amanda's storage unit. But that washer occasionally leaks too. It was Jimmmy's mom's. Maybe we should just go buy a cheap one and let them deliver and set it up. Yeah, let them drag it up the stairs and try to squeeze it in the laundry closet. Ha!

Better luck next year to the Rice Owls who are now out of the College World Series. So all my college teams lost, Texas, Alabama, and Rice. Now I dont care who wins!

And lastly, better luck next time Daisy. I know you pooped on the carpet cause you didn't want to do it in the grass. I can't help it if it has rained so much the grass is higher than your belly! We'll cut the grass as soon as is drys out enough!

Let's see if luck is on our side tonight--repeat of the World Series with the Sox!!

June 22, Launch Date for Number 22

Houston Astros fans finally have only a few hours to wait until the Rocket launch. We are all hopeful Roger Clemens return will be the fuel the team needs. The players are very happy to have him back. He is a leader and inspiration to the team. As several of the players have said he is just fun to have around. There are only a few seats left for tonight's game. The first thirty thousand fans will get a poster of the "Rocket". This date has been on the minds of all the fans for weeks now. The only bad thing is that the Astros had to send a player down to make room for Clemens on the roster. So Manager Phil Garner sent Chris Sampson down to the AAA club, the Round Rock Express. Sampson did a good job while with the 'stros, being used both as a starter and in relief. He will probably called back up later, especially if one of the pitchers gets hurt. I expect that at the very least he will be called up in September. Right now, the Rocket is on the pad, and all the fans are waiting for lift off at 7:05 tonight. Go 'Stros!

The Best Laid Plans Go Down The Drain Or On the Floor

We got the washer up the stairs and set up Monday evening. Tuesday morning I did three loads of laundry. The only problem seemed to be that everything was being washed in hot water. I dont use hot water. After all the electric bills are already too high. Ok, I'll wait to ask Jimmy about it when he gets home, no serious problem. So after I get all the clothes washed and dried I noticed water all over the floor. Not a good sign. Wipe up the puddles. Amanda, you'll have to wait til your dad can see what is wrong. Later after Jimmy gets home, he checks out why the washer is using hot water. Come to find out that Pat hooked up the water hoses backwards. Not a problem, easy to fix. Let's move on to the bigger problem of why the washer is leaking. Looking into the drum we discover that the water is not all going into the drum but down into the front of the machine. So Jimmy raised the front of it a little and the water then went where it was supposed to, or so we thought. So, after testing it we discover it is still leaking water. Thinking maybe one or more of the hoses may have a hole, Jimmy checked the back and under the washer where all the hoses are. No problem there. After all the lady we got the washer from said it never leaked, she was getting rid of it because it didn't match her new dryer. So, what does Jimmy discover? The pump is out! Great! Back to square one. That's what I get for trying to save money. Once again we are going to have to fight getting it down the stairs and another one up the stairs.Not a fun prospect. Since money is really tight now I really did not want to have to buy a new one. We have bought used appliances, like a dryer and refrigerator, before with no problem. I just really did not want to have to spend extra money that I don't really have.GRRR!! So now Amanda had to go to Pat's house tonight to wash her clothes. Hope she can dry them there too because the dryer here has begun taking longer and longer to dry. Guess that's about to go out too. And to think I was so glad to have a washer, again! As usual my plans go you know where. Then to top it all off this morning, for some reason I can't sign in to "My Yahoo" or my e-mail. Crap!

Motorcycles and Cell Phone

Question of the moment. How do you ride a motorcycle and talk on the cell phone,too? I'm not a motorcycle fan though I have ridden on the back of one before. Trust me I do not ever plan to ride on one again. I saw a guy riding one a la Ben Roethlisberger, without a helmet, and talking on his cell phone. Riding without a helmet, to me, is nutty enough, but with a cell phone? How can anyone hear it ring or talk on it? Plus this dude was riding in Houston traffic. I never gave much thought to one handed motorcycle riding. It just seems a little dangerous to me. Add talking on a cell phone to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. At least that's the way I look at it. The highway safety people think it is dangerous to drive a car and talk on the phone, they'd probably really flip if they had seen this guy. But I guess some people want to feel the freedom of the wind in their hair, bugs in their teeth and the wife on the phone telling them to bring home a loaf of bread. Wonder what they use for a ring tone?

If It Looks Too Wet, Don't Go

How many times do people in this area go into high water without thinking they could be stuck? The south and east part of our county always gets high water. Why take the chance? Right now we are in the middle of a lot of rain fall. Some parts of the area have had 10 or more inches of rain in the last 24 hours. We who live here should know that certain areas always have high water problems during heavy or prolonged rain. Several areas around I-45 always get high water, yet people still think they can get around it. Right now Hobby airport has no flights coming in or going out. Plus it is in one of the areas where the streets fill up and make in nearly impossible to get to the airport. Then people wonder why they get stuck. Then there are people who get a little water in their house and think the rescue people need to come immediately. Sorry folks, the rescue people have too many emergency calls already. As long as you are not in 4 feet of water, just take it easy. One inch is not a need for ememgency fire rescues. They need to get the 90 year old man with pneumonia out of his house. Sometimes the fire department has to call for large dump trucks to get people out of 2-4 feet or more of water. Right now there are a lot of water rescues going on in southeast Houston. Many of these houses have 6 inches or more and snakes and debris floating. That is an emergency. There are a lot of people with health problems who need help. Electricity is off in some places causing additional problems for people who really need help. It just goes to prove that when the news people on tv and radio tell you to stay home. Do it. Dont try to drive around the already flooded and clogged streets. How many times do the news reports and city officials have to say that if the place looks flooded dont go there.

At least the water is begining to drain in some of the areas. There are a lot of reports of flooded out cars and other damage in some areas. It is going to be a mess to clean up. If people dont need to go out they should just stay home. It's a jungle out there. Patience will be required as this may continue on for a few more days. I stood at my back door watching the water creep up onto the patio. We are keeping watch in case it continues to move closer and if we will have to move some of our stuff. Our neighborhood drains quickly once there is a break in the rain. There is a bayou that separates our subdivisiion from another one which is near flood stage. Glad I dont have to go to work.

Is this a dress rehearsal for something more sinister? There is already a lot of standing water, if it continues to rain a lot of people may start to think(hopefully) about planning in case of a hurricane. We shall see. But some people will still try to go where cars shouldn't. Better luck next time.

I Remember Norman

I remember him as a quiet, gentle, good humored man. He loved his wife and daughter. Not being the type of guy who liked to go out to dinner or movies, he liked to stay home. As a father he was content to let my mother do the hard work of being the disciplinarian. I rarely saw them argue. Sometimes they were very quiet, but I never heard harsh words. Sometimes I'd hear some heated words at 2 am when the papermill called with a problem, but he never yelled at me or my mother. While he would frequently blister the phone lines because of the work problems, I never heard him say some words. Oh, yeah, he cursed, he just never used certain words commonly used today. He just thought it wasn't necessary.

Unless he had to go on a business trip, he was always there. He loved to come home from the mill and sit in the kitchen while my mother cooked supper. That was their time. They'd talk and share some beer together before supper.

Funny how I remember certain things. I remember "helping" him stir cement in his wheelbarrow so he could fix the driveway at our house in Tuscaloosa. He was the one who got up when I had a nightmare and stayed with me until I went back to sleep. Then there were the many times we practiced baseball. We'd walk to the field near our house and he'd throw me the ball so I could practice hitting my "homeruns".
When I was in Girl Scouts he grudgingly escorted me to the stage to receive an award. He would have rather just sat in the seat and watched.

As a teenager, he and my mother sheltered me from the world, much to my irritation. What teen doesnt think their parents won't let them "do anything". Of course when we all took up golf, I thought it was fun, especially when the high school boys saw a girl playing golf.

The one thing I did learn from them was how to have a good relationship. They didn't have to say a word. They just enjoyed being together. Years later he told me how much he liked just being able to look up from his paper and see my mother doing what ever ar thing she was doing at the time. I missed that in my first marriage.

Dad was devastated when my mother died of cancer at 49. He was only 53. I was 22. So there we were totally unprepared for what to do next. Since my mother didnt allow me in the kitchen except to set the table or dry the dishes, I was lost. I cooked some pretty lousy suppers, yet Dad never said a word. We did become closer though.

Over the years we became more than father and daughter. We became friends. Miles apart we got really good at writing letters. I still have most of them. He was a very funny guy. He would occasionly come to visit and we'd go have dinner and drinks. Listening to his stories, I wish that I had written them down. He always had the best stories.

When I had children he was happy for me. But, he was not the babysitter type. He always said that my mother was cheated because she wanted to be the grandma. He liked to visit me and the kids, especially when they were old enough to go to the toy store and pick out whatever toys they wanted. That he liked. He was not much on buying them clothes but he always knew some ladies who knew how to find really cute things.

I really miss him. Hey Dad, you ought to see who the Texans drafted, do you think the Astros have a chance? Thanks for everything Dad.

Web Page Dizziness

Have you really thought about how easy it is to design a web page? Well, maybe for you, not me. I'm techno-dumb. Some pages are quite good. I've seen all sorts of themes and designs. A lot of people love all the flashing, colorful creatures bouncing around. A little bird here (or there), little bubbles floating everytime the curser moves. Some have little cartoon characters roaming the page. I can't tell you all the different colors I've seen. Some are quite elaborate. My mother was an artist who would probably get a kick out of all this technology. But, she might also say that some of these pages are a bit too busy. With all the colors and motion, it is sometimes hard to focus on the message. Or maybe it's just me. I have a hard time concentrating with so much activity going on. Then again I do envy people who find it easy to create all this stuff. I do enjoy looking at all the different things, but I do get dizzy. Now what were you talking about?

So FEMA Paid for a Sex Change Operation?

Soon after Katrina hit forcing many people to flee to Houston we began to notice that the Fema and Red Cross money was not being spent for "basic necessities". It was being used for booze, strip club visits and many other fraudulant uses. At the time I complained that this was wrong. But many people disagreed with me saying that they really didnt care how these people chose to spend the money. Now people have discovered just how much money was used fraudulantly. I am still unhappy with what some of these people have chosen to buy with this money. Now, people are begining to realize the extend of the fraud. I complained about the fact that people were using the money for lap dances and booze as well as drugs. The mayor of Houston was outraged at the reports of people with multiple cards using money this way. Well now we are finding out just how much money some people have stolen. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now. Billions of dollars have gone to pay for tropical vacations, expensive cars, even a sex change operation. We really need to be more aware of how our money is being spent. To say that we shouldnt care if a guy buys some beer or a lap dance as a way of coping with the stress of being a hurricane victim is nuts. That was our tax money helping many people, it is just too bad that some people took advantage of our giving nature. Now we have seen what some people have done. I want my money back. Who do we blame? The people who used the money fraudulantly or the government for having no control? Hurricane season is here again,I just hope that somehow we can have better control of how our money is spent. We work too hard for our money. Does anyone care how our government spends (or gives away) our money? Or am I the only one who cares?

Guard Duty in the Backyard

Daisy has become the defender of the backyard. Any thing that flies over around or through the yard is fair game. Be it bird, butterfly, bee, moth, plane, or helicopter, it's cause for a hunt. Daisy thinks of herself as the Great Red Hunter. Every day she scours the trees, fence and sky above, just in case there is something to chase. So as we walked around the yard Saturday she discovered a young blackbird hopping along the ground. Quickly, I made Daisy go into the house. After all the parents were lurking in the trees yapping to their young one. A little while later while I was watching tv I heard the plantif cries of the baby close to the house. I went outside and discovered that the baby bird had hopped/semi-flew into the water of our little waterfall pond. I though he would be moving soon, so I just left him there. But, he wouldnt move. Here I come to save the day. Thinking that if I tried to get him out with my hand, his parents might abandon him. So I found a thin board about 1 inch wide and 2 feet long. I slowly pushed the board toward him and managed to get his feet on it.I lifted him out of the water and set him and the board down on the patio. He'll dry off and get away, I thought. A little while later, he was still there bleating helplessly. So, I picked up the board and put him "undercover" near the shrubs at the back of the house. I checked on him several times, cause I did not want either Daisy or Lady to go after him. He apparently felt at ease, but not able to fly yet. He hopped all around the back yard. He hopped around by the house, around the back fence and the side fences. I really didnt want him to try to go to the yards next door. He went to the back corner where the fence is chewed up by our periodic canine visitor. Then he went to the side where the 2 pitbulls are. I know, I'm a soft touch, but I wanted to at least give him a fighting chance. His parents continued to fly around in a frenzy. He was stil hopping around Sunday morning. I dont know which was the bigger challenge, keeping daisy away, or hoping he would soon get his wings and fly away. Finally,I noticed that the blackbirds were not as paniced as before. I did not find any evidence of disaster. I guess he finally learned to fly. So all is well in the backyard. Daisy is back on guarding the yard from interlopers. A few moths and flies are missing. Daisy hasnt caught that plan yet, but she still trys.

Just Call Me Washboard Mamma

The washing machine quit working Monday. Luckily I had finished all but the towels. Amanda took the towels to Pat's house since she had some stuff to wash. At least the dryer works, wet towels aren't light. I am wondering how long the dryer will last cause it seems to take longer and longer to dry things. My electric bill is high enough. So we pondered what to do. Pat suggested that something was caught in the washer, not allowing it to agitate or spin. Maybe, or it could just be wearing out. Jimmy doesnt really want to have to pull it out and take it apart. And I certainly do not plan on paying someone to come fix it. The washer and dryer came with the house, so we gave ours to Amanda when she had her house. Now that she is staying with us, we thought we'd just get hers out of storage. Naturally, it is way in the back of the unit. This would require taking nearly everythng out just to get to it. So a friend of hers at work said she was getting rid of her 11 year old washer cause she was getting another one that matched her dryer and no longer needed the old one. So we have two free optiions- get the one out of storage or take this lady's old one. Both washers are about the same age, so I don't know which is better. I know that Amanda is not relishing the idea of digging it out of storage. So, we decided it would be easier to take her friend's one on Saturday before Amanda went out of town. Well Amanda ended up leaving earlier than she planned so we wont be able to get it this weekend. Since there is not a laundromat near here, decided to wash a small load of underware and socks by hand. I forgot how much "fun" it is to wash clothes by hand. Not fun at all. The light clothes are now in the dryer. Since I dont have a whole lot of hand strength, they are a little wetter than normal. Cant help it though. Next I'll tackle the three dark work shirts of Jimmy's. I refuse to wash the bath towels by hand. That just ain't gonna happen! I was reminded of stories I've seen showing women at the river pounding the wash with rocks. Or the old washbuckets in which the women scrubbed the clothes on a washboard. That must have been tough on a manicure. Oh wait, they didn't get manicures then! Oh well, could be worse...

How To Kill A Microwave

I read a story the other day about a woman who killed her microwave oven. How did she do it! Did she try to cook something in metal? Did she accidently leave a spoon in the dish? No, she tried to clean it with steel wool. Uh, did she not think of using some and water or any liquid cleaner? The inside surface wipes clean easily. Well, easy for some people. I know that sometimes food sticks or splatters. Wiping down the walls or the bottom is not hard. Granted sometimes it takes a little work and time to get the stuck on food off. But steel wool? This woman must have taken the entire surface off. Come on, it's not that hard to clean. It's even easy to get odors out. Simply putting a (glass)cup with vinegar in to boiling will clean out the odors. I don't mean to make fun, but did she not notice what she was doing? After all it could be worse. I have a self-cleaning oven that wont self clean. The one time I tried it, all it did was stink up the house and didn't do any cleaning. Back to basics standard Easy Off oven cleaner.

At least microwave ovens are fairly cheap these days. I hope she learned her lesson. May her microwave rest in peace.

Well Maybe

Ok, maybe I didnt exorcise the Astros' demons by hosing my parrot Astro. Astro did seem to enjoy his shower after the initial shock of the cage cleaning. But, the Astros did win last night. I'd like to think I played a small part(hey, I can dream).Or maybe it was Jim Deshaies jacket. He wears it sparingly, only when the 'Stros are in need of some "help". When he wears it the team usually wins or stops a losing streak. What ever! At least we won. We'll take it any way we can! So, since Oswalt is on the DL another rookie pitcher will take the mound this afternoon. We will see how Chris Sampson does as he gets thrown into the fire.

At least the Rocket's first tune-up went well. Must have been fun to play with his son. Apparently some of the $8.00 tickets to the Legends game were going for upwards of $400.00 on eBay. After all, how often does an A class team get to play with a true legend and sure Hall of Famer.

I just wonder when Brandon Backe will be back. Hopefully it will be soon. With Clemens we could call them the BC powder to get rid of the Astros' headaches. Yeah, I know that was cheezy. But with the season we've had anything would help. Actually we are still in a better position than last year. The Astros aren't dead yet. And just maybe my parrot and I played a part. If you believe that...

Time to Terrorize the Parrot

Ok Astro, you asked for it. You think it is great fun to fling feathers everywhere and yell obnoxiously all day. It's time to take you outside for the ritual. Yes you are going to sit in the shade of the covered pation and yell to your heart's content. That is until I begin the cleaning ritual. You make such a mess. Then there is your constant bellowing your opinion to everyone who will (or is forced to) listen. Tell your stories to the dogs next door. After I get your cage cleaned, I'm going to official terrorize you. A little water torture should do the trick. How about that shower? Yes, I know you will give me the evil eye when I shower you. Hey, you come from the Amazon, you should like it. I know that we are doing this today, the devil's day of 6/6/6, but it should help. Have you smelled yourself lately? Besides,if you have this done today, maybe you can exorcise your demons as well as those for whom you were named, our Houston Astros. Got anything to say to them? It's time for you to stand up for your team ,Astro. With all the noise you make, surely you understand the term, "take one for the team"? You only think you are being terrorized. It will only hurt for a little while. You'll thank me later. Hopefully so will the Astros. Got that Astro?!

Coffee and Potato Chips, Breakfast of Champions?

So, that sounds a little odd. But so does ice cream and pickles, Some people think a peanutbutter and bananna sandwich is yuck. Some times, though ,things go through your mind that make no sense. Coffee and potato chips is one of those things. Being in a "mood" it seemed to be a good idea at the time. Of course the fact that I heard every noise in the wee hours of the morning. For a quiet neighborhood, it sure was noisey. I was begining to think I was sleeping in the middle of the freeway. Cars going up and down the street. Car doors opening every five minutes, or so it seemed. I'm not even including the sound of our garage door opening and closing as Amanda came in after visiting her brother and his girlfriend. Our master bedroom is over the garage, nuff said. And of course hubby has TCM on the tv, one boring movie after another. Well, I couldn't help but stay awake since Daisy was up chucking all night. This was after she left me the liquid rear end package in the bathroom. At least she left it there and not on the carpet. So,before the crack of dawn I'm thinking I'm hungry. In just a couple of hours I'll have to get up so the strange thought of coffee and potato chips crossed my mind. So now what's for lunch?

Out of the Batcave (and the closet)

So DC Comics has revamped Batwoman. So now she is a lesbian. Just what we need a comicbook hero for our girls to look up to. What will the society girls of Gotham City think now. What does Bruce Wayne think of the outing of Batwoman? Never mind that Batwoman was killed off in 1979, she is alive and well. Her view of life has changed. It is enough to knot Catwoman's tail. So how do we explain this to our girls who have enjoyed Batman and Batwoman. "Holy gay pride, Batman" said Robin. This should be interesting...

The Rocket Is Ready To Launch, Almost

The Astros fans let out a collective sigh of relief yesterday. Roger Clemens re-signed for another year(almost). He will make his first start at MinuteMaid on June 22nd. Are the numbers significant? First start date June 22 and his salary is 22,000,022 pro-rated at $12+million. Since his jersey number is 22, go figure. He will first warm up by pitching at the Lexington minor league team with his son. Can you imagine the buzz around that dugout? The kids at the lowest level are going to try to hit the Rocket.

The 'Stros really need a lift. The team is really eager to have him back. Maybe he can help out his good friend Andy who has been struggling this year. And the rookie pitchers would love to have a little advise. Right now the younger pitchers are getting quality starts most of the time. The bullpen on the other hand is not doing it's job very well.

The defense is doing a relatively good job both outfield and infield. But the offense is again irritating. One game they have runs galore and the game struggle for runs. There are untold times the team has ended an inning with the bases loaded. That is obviously frustrating. But on the whole the team is doing better than last year. Last year they were considered "dead and buried" on June 1st. Now we are a 500 team and in 4th place. Could be better, but there is hope. After all, the Astros, traditionally, have always been a second half team. After the All-Star break they seem to pick up steam.

The fans are giddy with anticipation. As soon as they heard that the press conference was to begin, fans flooded the ticket office wanting to buy tickets. Hopefully, the fans will again have hope. The big question is can his 43 year old body take the strain? That is what Clemens wants to know. No one wants to see that much money spent if he can not do the job. Only time will tell.

At least the Rocket is on the pad, getting ready to launch!

Breaking news

He's Baaack!!! Roger Clemens will play for the Astros!!!

Talking Points

Go on, I dont have time right now. Stop that! Would you please be quiet, you are driving me nuts. I'm not telling you again, get out of her room. Why do you have to start trouble? Over and over I have to tell you to mind your own business. knock it off! Stop! I'm am trying to clean up your mess, would you please get out of the way?Dont bother your sister like that, you know she doesnt like it. Pick up your toys.Ok, I'll play with you for a little while, then I have to start the laundry. No I dont need any help. Everytime you help, you leave clothes everywhere.Quit eating her food, you have your own. Tell that bird to be quiet. He is as loud as you! What are you doing? Why do you look guilty? Did you do something wrong? Ok, what did you do? If I find something you are going to be in trouble. Why are you snuggling up to me? Did you make a mess that I dont know about? Stop giving me that cute look, I'm not buying it. Yes, I love you too, but you still look guilty. What did you do? My God, I'm talking to the dog! Next thing ya know she'll answer me.

Just the Facts

We are all asked questions by our family,friends,and co-workers. Sometimes it is a simple question, sometimes it is advise they want. It is wise to do this? So many times we are asked for help and advise, but we don't have all the facts. I remember talking to my kids about something or some problem they faced. Frequently, they would discuss something with me and I would advise them or give them an answer based on what they told me. Then later I would find out that they omitted some details that could have changed the answer. This seems to be a common problem with people. Friends confide to others about money, love or other relationships. Do we really need to know that much about someone? The problems encountered today may not have the same answers of ten years ago. Circumstances change. What works for one person may not be the same for someone else. And yet people still assume that it should be the same. Then they are upset when the answer is not the same. Over the years people change. A person makes a decision when they are 21 and ten years later they wonder why they did that. It must be human nature. We frequently try to make others feel sorry for ourselves or our problems and look to blame someone else. He didn't treat you right. I can't get out of this problem. Who made that problem? Did you really need to make that expensive purchase? A great idea today may turn into a problem tomorrow, especially if you don't have all the facts. You may be asking the wrong people for advise, especially if they don't have all the facts. It is amazing how many people jump to conclusions without getting both sides of the story or all the facts. We need the facts, all the facts to make a decision.

Grilling Enron, whold you like a beer with that?

Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling got skewered! Every tv station in Houston had reporter at the courthouse waiting for the cue to run to get on camera first with the verdict. From 11:00 am till for ever each channel had a reporter talking and talking and talking about it. They talked to jury members, they talked to passers-by, they talked to former employees. Ok, ok. Put a fork in them, they're done. Now we have to wait for sentencing which will be Sept.11th. How's that for a day to remember? They are already planning appeals. Funny how Ken Lay could not leave the courthouse until he turned in his passport to the judge. Supposedly he left it home... From Enron Field to Minute Maid Park. One of the YMCA centers will consider removing Ken Lay's name from it's building. Guess Ken wont be throwing out the first pitch at any Astros games for a while. One question- Lay and Skilling could be sentenced to over 100 years each, how come murders and child molestors dont get sentences like that?

Coffee or No Coffee ?

I think someone is trying to tell me something, or maybe my karma is off. I decided to program the coffee pot to come on automatically last night. I had not reprogramed it since the last time the power went off. Usually I just get up, go down stairs and fix my coffee then. Since I dont use the coffee pot as a clock I havent bothered to set it. So, I thought "I'll just set this thing and it will be one less thing I have to do in the morning". I put on my glasses, set the time, and then set the delay brew feature. Or so I thought. This morning as the time to brew approached I noticed nothing happened. Ok. I checked the pot, I had forgotten to set the delay brew button. So,I turn on the pot. As it started, I realized I also forgot to put water in the pot. So I do that and turn the pot back on. Then I realize that I didnt put any coffee in it either. So, I get out the coffee, the filter basket and the filter and put it all in the coffee pot and wait. Nothing happened. Then I realized I had forgotten to turn the pot back on! By this time I'm just about to flip out cause now I really want that coffee and dont want to wait. But now I have to wait. I think the gods are against me. Maybe I had better not go outside, I might get struck by lightning even though it is a clear day. Then again, this could be the day I get pooped on by a bird. Is it time to go to bed yet? On the other hand after watching the news story last night about all the dust mites and dust mite "poop" in pillows that are over five years old, bed doesnt sound that good either. I absolutely refuse to get in the car today! Maybe I should just have some orange juice, but I'd probably pour the juice on the floor that I just mopped yesterday! Have a nice day! Right?

His Boots Are Empty

Former Senator and Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen died yesterday at the age of 85. Too bad there is no one left to fill his boots. People here in Texas, Democrat and Republican alike, all say he was a good man. A classic Southern Democrat he was strong minded fiscally and financially. After all it was his work as the first Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration that brought about the balanced budget. Anyone able to do that now? He was also committed to civil rights. He will obviously be remembered for dashing Dan Quayle's chances to become President by saying Quayle was no Jack Kennedy. Those in politics should learn some lessons from him, but his boots are too big to fill.

Poor Little Rich Girl

I was a little bored the other day, nothing on tv interested me. So as I mindlessly flipped channels I ran across the "E" channel. First I have to blame my channel surfing on my husband cause I picked up his habit. So when I stopped (why I dont know) at "E" I saw the ever present Paris Hilton. Yet again she was having a good time with her pals, telling jokes, laughing and being her usual self. I thought of her family and what a waste of time she is. I can just see her at 60, or maybe I dont want to. Having a good time and being a party girl is ok and she obviously can afford it. I just wonder what her "life plan" is. Does she have anything in mind? If I had her money, maybe I'd be just as silly, but at sometime you have to grow up. Is anyone in Hollywood grown up? Maybe I am wrong, but she just seems so self indulgent. Photographers are everywhere all the time. Is she ever serious? Is this the best an heiress can do? Think of all the children of wealth and what does she show? Donald Trump's kids are smart and savy. Most of the Kennedy children are involved in good works. Even Hugh Hefner's daughter is doing something. Everyone has an opinion. Hollywood gossip grabs us all (including me) at some time. But I think if I have to see Paris partying, laughing, posing, or talking on her cell phone one more time, I may just have to chain my middle name which is Hilton. No relation to the Hotels though... I guess she's just too rich to care what anyone else thinks. Prince Harry and Prince William are at least continuing their mother's good work. Hurry up Paris, you wont be young forever!

Can I Believe Reliant Energy?

It' not summer yet and I'm already hot. Just paid my electric bill for April. $300. Reliant has been pushing people to sign up with their new plan to "save you money". Since they have raised their rates at least 3 times in the last year I wonder. They are saying I can save money buy locking into a contract for a year. In this contract if the weather is 2 degrees above normal we will get a $50 credit for that month. ???And they are talking about 2 to 5% savings each month. Yeah, why do I have misgivings? This is the same company that charges a new deposit every time you move. Maybe I am behind the times,but I have never had an electric provider do this. Every electric company I have had before made me pay a deposit to become a customer but not everytime I moved. Houston is a mobile city. Lots of people move from apartment to apartment, house to house. I already know that depending on what area you are in Reliant may or may not have the cheapest rates. TXU right now has the lowest in our area, but they have raised their rates too. I've been with Reliant for nearly seven years. But now I wonder who should I believe? Every body seems to have a plan, but I have a strange feeling that the other shoe has yet to drop. What to do, who to believe?

One of these days...

My demon child Daisy is just about to drive me nuts! Lately she's decided it would be great fun to attack, nip and bark at Lady. I guess this is her way of trying (unsucessfully) to get Lady to play with her. As the Grand Dame of the house, Lady wants nothing to do with this. Lady's reaction is usually to growl, snarl and bit back. I'm the one who always has to break it up. I hate all the annoying barking. Lady is quietly sleeping in the chair when at least 3 to 5 times a day Daisy tries to start trouble. It's bad enough when she barks at Lady but when I tried to re-direct Daisy she starts running around and around me barking. She is fast and runs around the furniture making it difficult to catch her. I try to catch her so I can take her outside or distract her in some way. But, it seems to be a losing battle. Talk about a hard headed dog!

Last night she got in trouble because she tore up Lady's pillow which she's had for several years. Stuffing all over the floor did nothing to better my mood. She's also discovered that she likes to sneak into Amanda's room. That has become a real fight to get her out of there. Grrr.

All day yesterday she insisted on going in and out. Most of this wasted time was spent walking around or looking at birds and the dogs on either side of us. I won't even discuss my continuing irritation with my neighbor's trashy fence which is the reason I have to walk Daisy on a leash. Lady is not a problem cause she is too lazy to do much.By last night I was keenly aware things were going to spiral into disaster because when I took Daisy out for her pre-bedtime "business" walk she did not do anything. Not a great mood to be in before bed.

So when Jimmy got up this morning he discovered Daisy's little package. Needless to say he was not happy. So we had another "bad dog" scene. He left for work in a bad mood. Right now I am about to strangle that dog. She is really standing on my last nerve! One of these days I may just drop kick her out the door, that is if I can catch her!

Bashing Ron and Leonardo

I find it funny that so many people have jumped on the bandwagon to beat up on the movie "the DaVinci Code". Every since the book became a run-away best seller people have protested and been critical of the story. Everyone from the Catholics,Christian conservatives to various religious leaders in Asia and other parts of the world. What are so many people afraid of? The book (and movie) is fiction. Almost any reader of fiction will agree that stories are taken frequently from fact and twisted to make a story. That does not mean we should take a novel as "truth". Even the book stores sell books as "fiction" or "non-fiction". It is up to the reader (or viewer) to draw his or her own conclusion. Some fiction is pure entertainment, other fiction is done for thought provoking. All this uproar over Dan Brown's book and Ron Howard's movie interpretation is a little silly.

There is a book by Larry Collins called "The Road to Armageddon". This book is a story about the opium crop in Afghanistan has provided cash deposited through out the world banking systems and how these "dealings" enable Iran to buy nuclear weapons from a Russian army in an effort to become a major factor in world domination. This book has been called "faction" because of it's use of certain known facts in the plot. Is anyone protesting? No.

Personally, I think anyone who is secure in their faith has nothing to worry about regarding the DaVinci Code movie. I dont know why people are so nervous. It's like we dislike people because we don't like their looks or heritage. Or why we do or don't like a sports team. I don't like liver but other people do. I also saw Mel Gibson's movie about the death of Christ. People protested that, too. Just goes back to the old saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like what I like, you like what you like. I have no need to take this stuff so seriously.

The Devil Made Me Do It

I saw a story this morning on GMA about exorcism in America. It is a growing thriving business in this country. It has become increasingly popular. While exorcism has been around for thousands of years, it seems to be very popular now. At one time the Catholic Church performed this hundreds to thousands of times a year. Even now the Pope is again calling priests to learn more about the use of this ritual. But more and more we see certain evangelical and Penticostal Protestants using this. Personally, I've always been a little skeptical about this. When a person is exorcised on tv or radio, I have a hard time taking it seriously. Some how when a person starts speaking in tongues,writhing and screaming right on cue for the camera or radio audience, I find this just a little odd. I can remember when book "The Exorcist" came out and then the movie. It was scary to be sure. And of course the large number of scary movies and books out over the last several years have done nothing but fuel the interest. I think, at one time or another, we all have our "demons" to fight, but I just find some of this odd. After all Flip Wilson made a whole career out of saying "the devil made me do it" Really?

Here's a Thought for Texas

Immigration continues to be a problem in several states, including Texas. Funny how the more northern states dont have problems with Canadians illegally crossing the border.But here, most Texans are not happy with the constant stream of immigrants coming across our border. So here's a thought. Texas could secede from the Union. After all we used to be part of Mexico. We fought and gained independence from Mexico in 1836. When the Mexican army tried to take a cannon from us, we dared them with a banner waving which said "Come and get it". Well, the Mexican army didnt like the ultimate outcome of that war. Texas won it's battle and became an independent republic. Funny how when Texas joined the Union it retained the right to divide into four states as well as the original though no one would seriously consider doing this. On the other hand why not secede? Yeah that is a funny idea. Think about this Texas could get foreign aid! We could have a real army to keep out those we dont want. But then where would George Bush retire? He'd have to apply for a visa to become a citizen of Texas. Would he be willing to wait years to become a citizen or would the border guards run him off? Maybe he could just go to the great state of Maine? Just a thought... Remember Don't mess with Texas!

The First Step

What is the old saying about the journey...begins with the first step? Where is the mindset of the American public? I realize that I am in the minority but I dont feel good about the NSA and it's collection of "data". Yet about 65% of the public is not concerned about this and in many cases say it is a good idea to protect us. Really? Has anyone noticed how inept these government agencies are? While it may not matter to most of the public that the NSA has collected all these phone records, I wonder just where it will end. Sure these records do not include personal information, but it could easily slip into the next step. At that point if anyone even mentions something "suspect" what would be the options? Get a court order? I mention to a friend something about Iraq and the next thing I know my phone it tapped. Sure this may not happen to any of us "average" Americans, but it could. Not all politicians are honest. The first computers were room size and compared to today's computers were primitive. Maybe what I worry about will not come to pass. The majority of Americans think our government is protecting us. This is the same government that told us to buy plastic sheeting and duct tape. The NSA may not be doing anything illegal or infringing on our privacy but the journey starts with the first step.

It Could Be Worse

Jimmy came home from work yesterday with another remote for our garage door opener. They used to be $39.00, now they are $45.00. But at least now Amanda wont have to borrow one or call us everytime she needs to get in.

We thought it was going to storm, but it didn't. It went around us. Didn't do anything to relieve the high humidity.

So when I moved the TA out of the garage so that Jimmy could check and program the remote I noticed a lot of water on the driveway in front of his truck. Crap! What now! He had to have the water pump replace almost 2 years ago. Crap! At least he always backs his truck into the driveway so it was easier to see what was wrong. Apparently it was just a water hose. Thank you Lord.

So now Jimmy had to go find the stuff he needs to fix it. I sure hope it will be easy since he doesn't like to work on the vehicles anymore. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will be easy to fix.

It could have been worse. It could have stranded him on the highway yesterday. Thank you Lord for small blessings.

Anybody Seen My Sanity?

I know I had it, now where did it go? I think I've lost my sanity. Just one of those days, right? Crazy Daisy would not leave me alone all day long. In and out every hour or less. Sitting up begging or bringing me toys for me to throw for her. If I got out the broom or tried to vacuum she chased them. Everytime we went outside she kept looking for her buddy next door. He jumped the fence again and ran during the storm last week. Of course he's back in his back yard today. Naturally, it's supposed to rain.

People annoyed me yesterday. Stupid people and people who dont think things through irritated me. I do have an opinion and it does count. No, you cant have everything your way. Why does SBC call here 4 days in a row. I dont want you to sell me anything and my bill is paid. No I dont know about the bills at the other house.

I keep getting mail for people I have never heard of at my address. Even the mail carrier cant figure out why we get mail. Too bad it's not money. After all if I dont ask for it and it comes to me I dont have to send it back.

Even Astro had to voice his opinion. I dont care, bird! Louder and louder he yelled. I finally had enough and put him outside on the patio. I can hardly wait till a neighbor complains about the noisy bird.

Amanda is bringing her dog here tonight before she takes her to her cousin's house Friday. Here is just not a good place for her here. Not enough room for a pit, Daisy, Lady, and Astro. Not to mention that lousy fence. Amanda is sad about having to give away Midnight, but we just cant handle her here. Now she is looking at getting another dog, this time a smaller one. She is still questioning why apartments or house owners dont want bigger dogs. A dog is a dog she said.

So, Mother's Day is Sunday. Think I'll go find a rock to hide under. Do they really care? Ignore me all year long. Do I really care? Kids, who needs them. Don't ask for my advise if you dont want it. Dont expect me to jump through hoops anymore. Been there, done that. I can even mow my own yard.

Even the Astros are driving me nuts. Actually I think ESPN jinxed them. They haven't won a game since.

And how come when I run to WalMart in a hurry, I either cant find what I want or they have moved it? I'm not in the mood for a safari! Grr. Then of course when I waiting to check out, the lady ahead of me, makes the checker do ALL the work. She did not lift a finger to put her bags in her cart so she had the line backed up and everybody mad! Then she paid with a Katrina relief card. Rude woman. I do not owe you anything. Just another thing to drive me nuts!

If anyone has found my sanity, please return it.