Summertime, and So It Goes

It is summertime. Yes, that wonderful time of year when people think of family vacations and parents begin to hope for the first day of school. Children, though, dread that thought. The flowers are looking a little worse for wear in the heat of the day. Around here it is a guessing game as to when it will rain. Looks like this evening may be the time. Some places still have water. The water in back of the building finally dried up. I am about to name this area Lake Norma after our landlady. The water in the back is here more often than the yard man.

Then there are those of us who are in the middle of the summer doldrums. What to do, what to do. The tv and radio ads are flooding the airwaves with commercials for the Houston Texans. Buy season tickets. For the first time in six years season tickets are for sale. Well, let's see. The Houston Texans football team has had a less than stellar history. I think that the reason there are season tickets for sale now is because fans got tired of the team. Gee, I can't imagine why. Just what did David Carr do? Have no fear we have a new quarterback. Then some others of us are looking forward to college football. Longhorn fans want another National Championship. The Alabama Crimson Tide just would like to beat Auburn. Less than two months remain until college football. Rah, rah.

Sadly Astros fans are looking at the possiblity of not making the playoffs. So much hope, so little production. Hunter Pence and Carlos Lee can't do it all. Who will stay and who will go...

I'm about ready to have to re-read some books. I won't be able to get to a bookstore to buy any books for a while. What would I choose anyway? So many books, so little time.

just another long, hot summer to endure. Like the weathermen said last winter, think about how cool it is when it is 90 degrees. So I am. Wonder how my former neighbors like Alaska. Are they experiencing the summer doldrums? This evening maybe I'll see my Moonflowers blooming. I always seem to miss them. Lemonade anyone?

The "Bric" Hits the Alarm

No I did not throw a brick at the alarm clock. This is something that bothered me a little. We have all seen the stories of internet predators and how sneaky they can be. I have cautioned my grown children about the predators who frequent sites like MySpace. My kids all have accounts there. Maybe I'm a little paranoid about things. I like to think I'm careful.

Yesterday,I turned on my Yahoo IM which I sometimes do when one of my daughters is on line. While checking my e-mail I get a message that someone named "Bric" wants to connect with me on my Yahoo 360 blog. Ok, I said sure. After a brief check, I see that he is in Houston. So I agree to let him sign on as a friend. He opened a chat. We talked about Houston. Then he asked me where I lived. I told him the area. Then he wanted to know how old I was. I told him in jest, "two years older than God." Then he wanted to get my picture. I declined. I told him that the camera and I are not friends. He asked if I was married and what my husband did. This all seemed innocent enough until he started pushing for a picture and my age and marital status. That is when the alarm went off. Most people I know joke about age and pictures. He continued to press me for information. Considering we had only been chatting for about three minutes, the alarm in my head was getting louder.

I ended up signing out of my IM to turn him off. Maybe it is nothing, maybe something. I took another look at his 360 page. All his "friends" are young women. He noted that he is 48, married, and bored. Hum. So what should I think? Did I over-react? Was my intuition correct? I have always been fairly good at reading people. What will happen today when I want to IM Annie? I guess I have to make sure my radar and alarms are set. You never know who is lurking out here in cyberspace.

Ho-Hum

As I sit here today, I realize that I have reached the so what point. I find the local news boring. How many times in one hour do I need to hear the same story? The Houston Police Department wants new cars. Some of the cars have 160,000 miles on them. Ho hum. Our truck has more than that. Yes we all know it is hot outside. I don't need a perky weather girl to tell me that. Of course now is the time our AC decides it needs to be fed. The other night it ran on and on... It does help to have a friend in the AC business. The unit was almost out of freon. A shot of freon food and on to cooling. Maybe our electric bill will be lower? So much for the weather- it's supposed to rain this weekend.

Now I hear that President Bush is going to make a speech in a few minutes. Ho-hum. Think I've heard that tale of spin before. At least Lady Bird tried to beautify America. What about George? Song and dance man?

I planted some moonflower vines in front of the patio this spring. They are now climbing nicely. Maybe I will go outside tonight and see if those buds are ready to open. Or not. Then again Daisy will probably want to go out ten times.

I heard that Paris went partying again. Ho-hum. So what else is new?

I think my give a damn is busted. Who do you call to get that fixed? Is there a listing for give a damn fixers in the yellow pages? Funny, of all the commercials I see every day on tv, never do I see one for fixing a give a damn. I can go to Sonic, get a loan, see a lawyer, or buy furniture. I can't find a give a damn fixer. Oh well, I don't give a damn. Ho-hum. Tomorrow is another day. Maybe the PCH guys will finally make their way here to my place. After all I did enter today. They say I could win tomorrow. Right? Ho-hum. guess I won't worry about it. What was that? Some-one at the door? No just the dryer calling, not PCH. Ho-hum.

Don't Sprint to Sprint(to Complain)

How is this for customer service. Sprint/Nextel had decided to dump some 1,000 customers for complaining too much. The company said that some of these people had called with complaints as much as 40 times a month. No matter what the company did the customer was not satisfied. Hum...I can not imagine calling to complain that many times in a month. I guess it is possible to have a really bad problem with a phone or service. It makes me wonder what was going on. Are the phones that bad? I know that sometimes a phone doesn't work right or breaks. Jimmy's phone broke once. He took it back to the store and they gave him a new one. What kind of complaints does Sprint get that have made them decide to cancel those customers contracts? Is this a good business practice? With so many other cell phone companies out there, why would they want to get rid of customers? On the other hand I remember the trouble Amanda had trying to cancel the AOL service. That was a real mess. Apparently she was just one of thousands who had that problem. AOL ended up being reported to the FTC because of it. I guess I will have to remember not to complain more than a couple of times a year. After all we have been with Sprint for nearly eight years. Do you hear that Sprint? I wonder how much actual time/money it takes to service these complaining customers? Is it really more cost effective to get rid of those customers? I have to wonder who will win this war.

Fill'er Up While I Watch the News

I've never tried this because I don't usually buy gas at WalMart. One local tv station apparently has a deal with WalMart to show the news at the gas pumps. Let's hope it is just the news. Some how I don't think it would be a good idea to watch a two hour movie while filling a car with gas. Can I have some popcorn? How 'bout a Coke? Who thought up this bright idea? Assuming that the gas pump tv's only show the local news, does anyone really want to wait around to see the news? Sure, filling the tank can take a few minutes. But do we really need to watch news then too? I don't think this will cause a traffic jam at the pumps. At least I haven't seen one yet. Of course when the local news is on, I'm not buying gas. On the other hand standing around waiting to fill the gas tank is a little boring sometimes. The news can be a little depressing, too. So how about a few short minutes of comedy. Would you rather start your day (or end it) with news or a few laughs? I'm sure there are a few out of work comedians who would love the gig.

Well.There Is One Good Thing

Jimmy has been hoping to replace his radiator in his truck for weeks now. They are just too expensive. But he had to get one because he will have to go to Austin Monday. The thought of buying a radiator for over $150 was a hard pill to swallow with our tight budget. While browsing around the net yesterday, he ran across a company that sells radiators. They apparently had locations here in Houston. Jimmy called them and discovered they had one for his truck. In addition they would deliver it to him for $120. Not bad service to deliver it right here.

Installing it should not be a problem. He thinks it should be easy to do. Then while looking under the hood, he discovered that the one of the drive belts has worn through about half way. Just great, I can see it breaking on the way to Austin. He decided to go ahead and pick one up in addition to some new anti-freeze and new radiator hoses. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

Come On, Hit Us Aagin

Did you ever have one of those days when you wish you could just disappear? Yeah, I am going to rant now. That was fair warning. Yesterday I got the electric bill which turned out to be twice as much as I expected. It was only about $40 less than the same time last year for the big house we were renting. Ouch! I thought about calling the electric company-maybe they read it wrong. No, I do now want to pay $75 for them to re-read the meter. Maybe Jimmy can get one of the AC guys he knows to come out here at check the compressor. So, I'll just have to turn the thermostat up.

The guy did come to fix the roof. Yeah, the ladylady just knew it could not be the roof. Now we will have to wait till another hard rain to see if it works. That could be at any time. There is so much water at the back of the building I'm thinking of buying some fish!

Late in the evening on the 4th we heard some loud car noises that seemed to be coming from around the fire station which is right behind our building. We thought some kids were trying to race. The noise went on and on. Of course Daisy went nuts! So Jimmy, Amanda and I walked outside to see what was going on. We discovered that a couple of guys had a small suv stuck in the mud behind the firestation. They were spinning the wheels in an attempt to get away. It took them a good twenty minutes to get away. They left a mess! In hindsight we are now wondering if those guys were trying to steal stuff from the AC units.

When we got up this morning Jimmy discovered that some-one broke into his truck. He was really mad when he found that some of his tools were stolen. They stole a laser, a drill, and a nail gun set which added up to about $1500. Needless to say he went to work mad. He already needs a new radiator which went don't have the money to get right now. We just had to fix the ac in the car. We are wondering if the same guys who drove around the fire station are the same ones who broke into our truck. It is funny that neither of the front neighbors heard anything, but Daisy did. Maybe our neighbors sleep deeply. Their windows face the parking lot and one of them has a pit bull that frequently barks at things.

Ok, now that I have ranted, I'm off to watch Norah Jones sing.

Parking Outside (the Lines)

There are three buildings here which are fourplex townhouses. They are fairly close together and have small, tight parking lots. Each building has a lot with eight spaces, four on either side of the lot. So this, obviously, works out to two spaces per unit. A while back I was a little annoyed to discover that the neighbor who lives in the unit in front of us parks across two spaces. This neighbor only has one car. So why does he always take two spaces? Does he not know how to park? I would think he would want to park close to his front door. But no, he has to park outside the lines. I can't say it is because he has a new car which he does not want to be damaged. His car already has several large dents. So why can he not decide which space he wants? Sure, it is easier to just drive in and park without worry of space. I am very careful how I park my car. I make sure I park within the lines of the space. How come my neighbor is not so careful?

Then I noticed he is not the only one who does this. Apparently there is a least one unit in each of the three buildings with a resident who parks this way. I wonder why? I would still park in the proper space even if we had only one vehicle. I do think it is funny that residents with only one car all seem to take two spaces when they park. I guess I am just too used to thinking (and parking) inside the lines. Would it give me a sense of power to take two spaces to park one car? Hum. Yet another point to ponder.

So So

Seems like it is going to be another one of those days. More rain is expected. Again. I wonder what tomorrow will be like with rain expected for the day. Montgomery Gentry is headlining the 4th celebration. I don't follow country music so I am not really familiar with there songs. I will probably recognize some of their songs if I hear them. There is going to be a big fireworks display tomorrow night. It's billed as the nation's largest land based display and will be on tv here. Let's see do I watch that or do I watch the Astros?

I'm hoping Roy Oswalt gets picked for the All-Stars. I tried to vote but couldn't get in earlier. I'll try later. At least we will have Carlos Lee playing in the game. Too bad we could not get Craig Biggio voted in. I'm wondering about the rest of our season. One of the sportscasters who has been trying to stay positive reported that the Astros would probably not make it to the playoffs. According to him the team would have to win better than 55 games and lose only 25 games the rest of the season to have a chance. That was sobering. Of course the front runners could do a belly flop, right? It's been known to happen. Oh well, we can look forward to Biggio breaking a few more records maybe. I wonder if he will retire at season's end? He's playing so well. It's hard to believe that a 40 year old make can run the bases as fast as he does.

Right now I am waiting for the roofer to come look at the roof. Yesterday it was leaking in the hall bathroom and also downstairs in front of the fireplace. When I called the landlady she thought it might be the drip pan from the heating unit. Jeez...Hey lady, this happened while the rain was falling. It doesn't leak any other time. Besides the heating unit is on the other side. Right now I just hope the guy does not show up when Amanda is in the shower. Right now she is still sleeping. When she gets up she takes a long shower. With my luck that's when he'll show up.

I think Daisy misses her wine friend. Jan had to fend off Daisy more than once while she was drinking wine. I think Daisy is a lush in training.

So, I am still thinking about the way my son is living. Ugh. I guess neither he or his girlfriend have been formerly introduced to the vacuum cleaner that is taking up space in the corner of the kitchen. And I thought I hated housework!

My tomato plants are procreating well. The small cherry type is really going wild. I can't keep up. It's a good thing we like them. At least we like salads.

So I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July.

Pant, Pant, Wine Anyone?

Ah, yes peace is back. It was an interesting few days. Our "blind dates" were nice people. Jan was a lot of fun. Like so many people these days she has to take her laptop with her to keep in touch with the office. Sonny Jourgenson who was a quarterback for the Washington Redskins football team is one of her clients. The one thing I was not prepared for was how much that she drinks. Man, she would start at about 4:30 and keep going till she went back to the hotel. I should have bought two bottles! Of course then Daisy had to try to get some of that wine too. I learned a while back not to leave a glass of wine within her reach. Who knew I'd have a lush for a dog.

Jeff was a day late getting here due to having to drive in the rain. Driving a U-Haul type truck is not fun in good weather much less in thunderstorms. He is very happy to be moving back to Alabama. His wife, Christine, makes good money as a financial analyst for a major company. I have to wonder a little about them though. We never saw her. We met Jeff in the motel lobby and then went to dinner while his wife visited her family. Listening to their radio conversations makes me wonder about them. I did not hear him say one good thing about her and she apparently controls a large part of their lives. Due to severe health problems he is now retired at 49. His wife is 18 years younger than he is. We went to dinner and had a nice visit. I just have an odd feeling about their relationship. Oh well.

Then we were supposed to go out to eat with my son Friday after our "Dates" left, but he cancelled Thursday night saying he did not have the money. He, instead, invited us to an afternoom barbeque at his place on Saturday. Now he lives way out at the edge of town in a tiny trailer. Ok, no problem. Money is tight. I get that. So imagine my surprise when I walked in and saw how filthy the place was. He lives in this little place with his girlfriend and her four year old son. Apparently the girlfriend and a vacuum cleaner have never met. There was dirt and trash everywhere. The carpet had stains and dirt all over it. Even the furniture was dirty. When I sat down on the couch to eat, I nearly gagged from the smell of urine. I don't know if this was from the little boy or the two little dogs. This just upset me no end. I am furious at my son for allowing such a lack of care in his home. I would say they live in a pig sty, but pigs are cleaner!

So now I have a new bottle of wine. This bottle should last longer than two days. Then of course we have just discovered that the roof is leaking in the upstairs bathroom fan and in the recessed light in front of the fireplace. I called the landlady this morning. She tried to tell me that it was the heating unit drip pan. Uh, this leaking is on the other side of the house. Jeez. Then the roofer called to talk to me. Since it is still raining he will try to get out here tomorrow. Yeah, it is supposed to rain tomorrow.

But we are getting a nice Virginia ham. Jan is going to send us one. That is nice. Now I have to go finish the laundry. That is if the roof is not leaking there too. Apparently they have had trouble there too. Oh my. This might be a three glass of wine evening.

Blind Dates?

This week could be interesting. A couple of Jimmy's poker buddies will be in Houston for a little visit. We have never met. Of course Jimmy "sees" them allmost everyday when they play online poker. Jeff and his wife will be here later in the week. Jeff's in-laws live in Houston. Since Jeff and his wife are moving back to Alabama they will stop by during their move. Jeff and I have some things in common. We both have lived in Alabama and we both are Crimson Tide fans. They recently sold their house in Phoenix and will be moving near Birmingham. He misses Alabama and his wife is lucky enough to be able to transfer to a job there. They won't be here long since they are on the move.

Jan is another story. She will fly in here tomorrow evening. Of course the weather will be rainy the whole time of her visit. When Jimmy IM'd her about the weather, her comment was that she'd be on the plane the whole time stuck on hold. Well...she might be delayed as things go. I just hope that Jimmy will be able to take a couple of days off. He has not had a vacation in over six years. His usual statement about taking a vacation is "too much work..." I don't really know anything about Jan. According to Jimmy, she likes coffee and wine. Well, that makes two things we both like. She is a CPA with a firm in the Washingtion, DC area. That just makes my head hurt. Of course taxes make my head hurt! She has some good clients I guess. Since I know really nothing about Jan, I feel a little like this is a blind date. What do we talk about? If Jimmy can not get the time off, what will we do until she leaves on Friday? Only time will tell. Come to think of it I've never had a blind date. Guess I need to stock up on the wine. Cheers, chaps!

Exempt From the Rules? Abolish It!

Oh my, oh my. I almost choked when I heard this. The National Archives Information Security Oversite Office is charged by presidential order with insuring the proper handling of classified information of the executive branch agencies. So Henry Waxman says that Vice President Cheney should be subject to this order. This is funny. Cheney says his office is not part of the executive branch so he is exempt. Waxman Questioned Cheney's office saying that it is could be a matter of national security if Cheney's office does not comply. So then Vice President Cheney apparently tried to have this office abolished. So what is going on? Is this just another fight between the Republican and Democratic parties? Or is Mr. Cheney correct and he and his office should be exempt? After all Mr Cheney has been, according to some, difficult and unco-operative in some things. This story has been around for a while so why is it being discussed now? I do question the idea of if someone in a high position would consider abolishing something because they don't want to adhere to an executive order. What next?

How Long is This Gonna Take?

Ever notice how much time we spend waiting? I'm sure that someone has put together a book of things which make us wait. As kids we can't wait until we are 16, then 21. When we are about to become parents it seems to take forever. Then we wonder if the children will ever grow up. We spend time waiting for the spouse to get dressed to go somewhere. We can control these things, sort of, maybe.

What about those things that we didn't realize would take so long. We all know that water on the stove won't boil until we are busy doing something else. Red lights seen to take forever to change. Traffic? What traffic? I've seen snails move faster than some of the traffic around here. How about the dryer? Why is it when you are in a hurry to put away the clothes, the dryer just keeps going. Leave the laundry room and the dryer will finish. For me that would mean another trip upstairs. So the other day I'm in the middle of laundry when I find myself waiting for the washer. I was downstairs when I heard the washing cycle change. I went up stairs ready to put the liquid softener in the rinse cycle. I wait and wait and wait. Why does it seem that the last few minutes take so long? Finally, the washer was ready for the softener. Back down stairs. Well, I guess I could call it exercise. Then the spin cycle starts. Finally after a while it's now almost through,I think. Back up the stairs, I find myself standing at the washing machine, watching and waiting. The spin cycle indicator shows that is almost at the end. The needle has moved nearly to the end. I continue to stand there as the washer continues to spin. Any minute now, right? It continues to spin. It is still spinning while I stand there tapping my fingers on the top of the machine. The indicator moves on and on. Why is it when I am not paying attention the wash will be done in no time. I will be in the middle of something and realize the washing machine stopped. Yet when I am standing right in front of the machine waiting, it spins forever. How long is this gonna take? Just as long as it takes for me to get involved in doing something else. If I go downstairs it will immediately stop. If I stand there it will keep going... So I wait. We're going to have a little contest here. I'm going to outwait this washing machine. Aw, man, now the phone is ringing.

The Half Eaten Hamburger

I guess it won't be long before we get new neighbors across the walkway. I noticed a painting company vehicle in the parking lot a couple of days ago. Yesterday two separate company SUVs visited. Apparently someone looked at the apartment in the morning and another one looked at it in the afternoon.

I had not really given the visits much thought until I noticed two things. First they opened the patio window blinds. Then after the second visit someone decided not to finish the hamburger he was eating. How do I know this? When I came out the door to walk Daisy she ran right to something in my little garden area. When I looked to see what she had discovered, I was angered. Apparently one of the painters had decided that my little flower garden in front of my patio was a place to toss garbage. I wish I had seen that. Hey buddy, does my flower garden look like a garbage can to you? I find trash all the time along the side yard which borders the street. People just love to throw trash in the ditch as they drive down the street. But my garden? That is off limits! I picked up the offending item and took it to the street where some of the trash cans sit. It took my a long time to clean up the garden area because the previous tenant had let the airplane plants grow wild and cover the entire place. For some reason people in this area like to use these plants as borders and then forget about them. I finally got most of them out and I am growing a few flowers and caladiums. After all the digging and pulling I had to do to clean it up the last thing I want is for someone to throw trash in it. I know somethings will blow into it. But to just throw food in it because a person is too lazy to find a trash can is disgusting. I'm on to them now. The next time I find their stuff in my flower garden, they will be surprised to discover it has moved right in front of their faces! Like I used to tell my kids, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature".

A Break is a Break, However Little

Yet another day in the city. It is so hot and humid that even the dogs are not begging to go outside. The little bit of lawn around our building is seeding. Lady and Daisy nearly disappear in the seed stalks as they walk around. Right now these seed stalks are almost up to my knees. That makes great fun for us, right?

The weather people keep reporting that we will not have rain. Then they hedge their statement by saying that some people on the east side of town are more likely to get rain, if it rains at all. Naturally I am in the northwest side. Now if I lived on the east or southeast side the weather people would have said that it would rain on the northwest side. I guess the day will be another rubber stamp Houston day. Late in the afternoon I went to check on my plants at the back of the building. I had planted some elephant ears next to the windows. I also have two tomato plants and a couple of bell, and sweet pepper plants in the middle of the yard. Man, I guess I will have to water them again. Then I heard a strange low rumble. Could that be? Not a chance, no way. Wait a minute, that big heavy black thing is a storm cloud. I remember those. Rain? Could it? Nah, it will probably just go around like it usually does. Back inside, I say down to watch the news. I heard a rumble. Daisy began to bark. She must have thought someone was at the door.

Daisy stood at the door barking. I tried to covince her to stop. After all it was just thunder. I tried to tell her that no-one was at the door. Yet she still stood there anticipating company. After a few minutes of barking she got her wish. Company had come to visit. The wet kind of company. She used to bark at thunderstorms when she was a puppy. I guess she had forgotten about that.

As I looked out to the patio I saw how wet the walkway was and noticed that the water was pouring off the roof next door. This makes a very deep rumbling noise. Yes! Rain had indeed come to visit. Thankful for the small favor, I thought to myself I won't have to water the plants. Better yet, the temperature fell to a tolerable level. It was a nice break for about an hour or so. I won't complain. A break is a break, right? Now if I could just teach Daisy to bark for rain again.

Alone Again, Naturally

So went the lyrics of a long forgotten song. Here I sit by myself in the early morning. Jimmy had to go back to Round Rock, near Austin to do some more work there. We got up around 4 am and he left about 5 am. Amanda left for work around 6:30, I don't know what time she will come home.

I love the early morning. Guess I'm just a sunrise kind of girl. I'm not much for late nights but I like early mornings. When we were renting a house I used to sit on the patio sometimes in the early morning. There is just something about having a cup of coffee waiting for the birds to wake up. First I would here the cardinals, then the doves,next the sparrows and then the blue jays had to get into the act. Irritating creatures they are. Sunrise and birds songs before the rush begins to end the quiet.

But here I have discovered totally different songs of the morning. While upstairs, I can hear the neighbors in the front of the building opening and closing doors and drawers as well as either their tv or radio. I wonder if they hear our tv. Downstairs I hear the activity in the kitchen as they get ready for work. As I sit in the chair checking the news on tv, I hear the shower running in Amanda's bathroom. Does she really use that much water? As I flip through the tv channels I am made more aware that the rest of the area is in motion. I hear the cars and occasional scream of police cars or fire equipment. That really makes walking the dogs a challenge. Being really close to those sirens is painful to my ears.

So, I have a free day. I won't have to fix supper. I can flip tv channels to my heart's content. I won't have to listen to the constant sound of the poker game on the computer since Jimmy won't be home to play it. I won't have to wait for him to finish his tournament before eating supper. Oh wait! I don't have to fix supper at all! I can sit here at the computer all day if I feel like it. I still will have to take the dogs out. They just don't seem to want to walk themselves. Daisy has yet to figure out that the caged rabbit sitting in the back is not for her enjoyment. The neighbors on the other side of us got the rabbit for Easter. Poor rabbit. Oh well. It should be a nice quiet day. I'm thinking of turning off the phone ringer. That way I won't have to listen to the people who want to talk to Amanda. They never want to give her a message anyway. Now if Time Warner would just stop calling my cell phone. Sure salesmen have to earn a living too. I think I'll have another cup of coffee and enjoy the quiet for a while. It will be a quiet couple of days as I have the time to be alone again, naturally.

Let Me fan myself while I Complain

I am beginning to think my ex-neighbors had the right idea. I hope it is cooler there. I walk out the front door and am hit with the humidity. This is at 6 o'clock in the morning! The temperature has not yet gone up much past 85.Sigh. Well I once heard that the humid climate here is good for the skin. Who said that? I don't wear much in the way of makeup, so I have to wonder about all the women who wear a lot of it. Seen a woman with makeup melting? Alice Cooper is the look. Summer has not even appeared here yet. No, let me correct myself. Here there is Summer and a few minutes of Spring and Fall. That's it. The calendar say it is not Summer yet. I see that right there on the calendar on the wall as it curls up in the kitchen.

No wonder "Gone With the Wind" was so long. Margaret Mitchell had to use the pages as fans. I grew up before central air conditioning was in every home. This not good for a Southern Belle. Now, let me see, which witch melted in the "Wizard of Oz". I'm going to look into my freezer. Maybe I'll move there.

Over-reacting or a Sign of the Times

There once was a time when I knew one thing for certain. The mail would come, usually with bills. I could always expect that somewhere between 11:00am and 5:30pm the little old mail truck would swing by my mailbox. It was almost comforting to know they were coming. Sometimes I felt that I could almost tell what time it was because of when the mail came. Once in a while a truck would break down or for some unknown reason the mail would be very late. Since being in Houston I can say, other than during Allison, the mail got to it's appointed rounds. I only had a couple of occasions when the mail was delivered after 5:00 in the afternoon. That is until now. All this week our mail has been coming later and later. One day it was after 6:00pm when it came. Then it continued to get later. One day I checked and finally got the mail around 7:30 after walking to the mailbox nearly every hour since 2 in the afternoon. Yesterday the mail finally came after 8:30 at night.

Maybe there is a new mailperson running the route. Maybe the truck broke down again and again. Maybe equipment at the substations was not working. Maybe the US Postal Service doesn't have enough employees to handle the load of a growing city like Houston. I don't know. Maybe I am just hypersensitive. Maybe it is a sign of the times. Yet another government service that is falling down on it's responsibilities. I should remain positive. I will surely get my mail by 4:00pm today, or maybe 9:00pm.

They DO Have a Pulse

I have not watched an Astros game all the way through this year. For the most part they have been depressing. It seems to be the same annual story. No offense and sometimes shakey pitching. At times the team has made me want to take a nap. I'm not saying they are boring, but I have seen these games before. Flashes of brilliance combinded with hours of dullness.

The Astros are a team with nice people. The manager is a laid back kind of guy. Rarely do they have cross words with anyone. In the past if there were problems or a player thought others were not performing up to standards, meetings were behind closed doors. The Astros are not a team that is going to have players fighting with each other in the dugout, especially while cameras are rolling like the Cubs did recently.

Last night's game looked like another so-so game. Then things changed. Lance Berkman hit a sixth inning double which gave the Astros a 2-1 lead against the Rockies. In the eighth inning Berkman thought he had drawn a two out walk. But the third base Umpire said he was out after a checked swing call. He usually happy,smiling Berkman Yelled "No Way!" from the first base line. Oops! Then he really go mad and was ejected from the game. Clearly frustrated, Berkman did something I have never seen him do. First he threw his gloves, then he threw an equipment bag onto the field. Berkman was clearly very angry.

Then the situation continued to get ugly as the Rockies reliever Manuel Corpas hit Carlos Lee with a fastball to start the ninth inning. I guess you could say that Lee and Corpas weren't happy because obvious angry words were exchanged as Lee went to first. Then Phil Garner was ejected. Benches emptied. What was really funny was the Rockies bullpen players. By the time they managed to get to the field the fight was over.

The Astros are currently 9 games under 500. This is not good. Obviously this year has not started well for them. The team frustration came to a head and maybe got the Astros blood boiling. At least they still have a pulse. After in 2005 they were given up for dead, then went to the World Series. Sometimes the "Good Guys" just have to get into a fight. Wake up Guys- you do have a pulse. Time to get moving!

So That's Why They Were Bad

There is a story in the news this morning about children of divorce and use of Ritalin. According to a study done in Canada, children from broken marriages are twice as likely to be prescribed Ritalin as children whose parents did not divorce. Maybe I should have used that excuse when my kids were little. They are not being bad, they need to be on Ritalin. And all this time I thought it was me.

The researchers started the study in 1994. This study was of more than 4,700 children whose families were intact. The study followed the children and their families to see what happened over the years. They were especially interested in what drugs were prescribed.They apparently found that more that more than 6 percent of children from divorced families were prescribed Ritalin, while only 3 percent of children of families who stayed together needed Ritalin.

According to University of Alberta professor Lisa Strohschein, "It shows clearly that divorce is a risk factor for kids to be prescribed Ritalin. Yeah kids have a hard time when parents divorce. Maybe the parents should have been put on Ritalin. So many times parents stay together for the sake of the kids. I know this first hand.

So, since those of us who have had kids and been divorced now have to deal with the idea that the public looks at us as a problem. What I thought was just bad adjust ment to the divorce should have been diagnosed as a problem which required Ritalin?

All this time I just thought my kids did not pay attention to me on purpose. I just thought they were being average bratty kids. Should I have taken them to the doctor and had him put them on Ritalin? Nah, just a few times being grounded worked just as well. Next time I remember some of the trouble they all got into as kids, I'll just tell myself they should have been on Ritalin. Personally, I think my kids were just being kids. Then again, maybe I could use a new excuse for their behavior when they were kids. So what about now? Can I say if they have issues now, it is because they didn't get Ritalin as a kid? I think the jury is still out on this survey.

Well That Just Makes Me Crabby.

This morning I had a few things to do. Naturally this means getting in the car to go from place to place. First of all, a guy switches lanes into mine nearly causing an accident. Good thing I wasn't on the phone! Then another driver decided to pass the semi but forgot to look where traffic was, or should I say me. Just another day in the wonderful city. I was still irritated because the Astros lost (again) last night. Well at least we are getting a good laugh at Roger Clemens expense. Who me? Nah. Finally I go to the grocery store for a couple of things. Jimmy needs more nosedrops. So why can I only find nasal spray? But what really upset me was that when I got to the check out stand I lost 20 dollars. I had a 20, 10 and a one in my pocket. I had all in my hand when I handed the cashier $11 for my purchases. Somehow my twenty dollar bill took flight. Naturally it did not stay on the floor or where it was for long. Why me? So now, knowing how far(or not so far) a twenty goes these days I was angry with myself. This is not a good time to be short of money. Crap! Maybe the person who found it needs it more than I do. I hope so. I sure would hate to see my hard earned money go to waste. Now I am going to sit down and wallow in self-pity and ice cream. What a day!

North to Alaska

Talk about a long road trip. Our neighbors across the way left last night to move to Alaska. They have been having yard sales for the past several weeks to make extra money for the move. They sold just about everything they own. Furniture and tv's, etc. He works for U-Haul. You'd think U-Haul would give them a discount but they are going to have to pay just like everybody else when they move what little they are taking.

Why are they moving? Getting away from the noise, traffic, crime, etc in Houston is their reason. They visited Alaska on vacation once and decided to move there. Personally I dont think there is enough liquor in the world to make me move with two little kids, a dog, and a pregnant wife. Moving across town would not be a problem, but eight days cramped all together on the road to Alaska? Must be because they are young. Both of them are under thirty. She's only twenty-four with a 4 year old and a 3 year old. Never mind that she is 6 months pregnant with another little one.

Then we have the puppy, a pitt mix named Angel. Is she really going to be an angel on this trip? I dont think they have any doggie diapers so who knows how many times they will have to stop to let the dog out.

They left after midnight last night. I know they think the kids will be easier to deal with if they travel at night. I have a news flash for them. A kid can will wake up and find a McDonald's two miles away. "I'm hungry daddy" will be something said over and over and over. Kids have radar when it comes to fast food. An adult may not see it but a kid can spot those "golden arches" from anywhere.

So off to Alaska they went. Prospecting for a new future in the wide open (cold) spaces of the wilds of Alaska. They plan to live in a small town near Anchorage. I guess traveling for over a week one way to a strange place is ok for some people. Some people just live for adventure. Let's see,husband with pregnant hormones raging wife, two little kids asking a million questions over and over, and a young dog along for the ride and everything they own going to Alaska. Yup that has all the makings of the road trip from Hell. Think I'll go get another cup of coffee now.

Homeland Security, Really?

After watching the news reports of the man flying all over the world with a drug resistant form of TB, I'm less than happy. It is bad enough that our borders are so porous that illegal aliens roam around free, now this. I read a book by John Nance which featured a plane that was not allowed to land in any country due to the fear of possible contamination. Of course this was fiction. This current situation is not. I understand that the man's passport was read electronically and that the human official missed the important information regarding the health of the passanger. So it seems that the CDC, the airlines, security departments of many countries including ours missed the memo. So where does this leave us? If a person can fly to so many places and not be noticed, what is next? Just imagine a terrorist flying with some biological timebomb. It is time that we and the world wake up to the fact that we don't really do a very good job in the security department. With all the different levels of security around the globe, we should not be happy that we dodged a bullet-this time. And how much money are we spending on Homeland Security and Immigration control and security? Maybe our wonderful government officials need to take a hard look at this situation. What ever they are doing, it's not working!

This Must Be Little Old Lady Day

I went to WalMart this morning to get a money order for a bill and noticed several little old ladies. Two of them were in front of me at the customer service line. They were old and cute. But there was a lady I noticed pull up next to me with her cart. I knew when I looked at her she was going to be trouble. I had been waiting patiently in line for my turn. The old lady behind me asked if I was waiting for someone. I told her no, I was getting a money order. I guess she was not paying attention. She kept pushing her cart up beside me. When it was my turn, I did my business only to have this little old lady start chewing me out for getting in front of her. She said I was waiting for someone and she should be next in line, not me. I politely told her that I said to her that I told her,I was not waiting for someone I was getting a money order. She preceded to start griping louder and pushed her cart next to me at the desk. I simply told her that I was not going to argue with her. She kept fussing. As the clerk handed me my money order I, over the continued rantings, I told the clerk thank you and the old lady to have a nice day. I guess she is still ranting.

Well one day I will be a little old lady. I hope I dont do that. Funny how sometimes you just know someone is going to be a problem. Then as I drove off to another errand I passed a Baptist church. I noticed on their marquee this statement "He who angers you, possesses you" I had to laugh. Bless those little old ladies.

That Jersey Will Cost You

In a time when we hear a lot about athletes having problems with drugs, DUI, accidents or violence, it is nice to hear something positive. We don't hear enough about players who do nice things. The Associated Press and ABC News with Charles Gibson picked up this story.It is about a couple of Houston Texan football players. Ahman Green came to the Texans from the Green Bay Packers where he played for seven years. He always wore jersey number 30, plus he turned 30 earlier this year. Unfortunately Jason Simmons had worn that number with the Texans since their inception in 2002. Green really wanted that number. He was going to have to ask Simmons if he could have it. He was a little nervous about it, but Simmons said it was ok with him with a catch. Simmons wanted Green to make a down payment on a house for a family who needed help. Simmons and Green both agreed that charity and helping families in need in the Houston area is important.

It is nice to see that high dollar players who realize that it is not all about the money. It also created a great bond between the two players. Simmons and Green are working out the details and plan to announce the results later. It is nice to see a long time team memeber and a new member get together to help the less fortunate. That's the way to set a good example. I will ge watching #22 Jason Simmons and #30 Ahman Green with pleasure this year.

It's So Quiet

Jimmy had to go to Austin to work yesterday and today. Amanda went to work yesterday and then went to visit her mother in Edna. Since Jimmy had to leave really early yesterday I was up from 4:00am till after 11:00pm. Funny how quiet or noisey things are when you are alone. It has been peaceful. It rained yesterday so I had to wait to bathe Lady. Needless to say she was not happy. Daisy had her bath the day before. I have felt a little strange. I'm usually home by myself during the day. Amanda's work schedule varies so sometimes she leaves early, sometimes later in the morning. With no-one home I thought, "wow, I can get on the computer all day and night if I want." Jimmy usually plays online poker from the time he comes home till he goes to bed. Since he always has the sound on there is the constant card shuffle and other sounds of the games. This and whatever is on tv makes for little conversation.

Then I realized I didn't have to cook supper. Why bother if nobody will be home to eat it? Yipee. So I settled down for a quiet evening. Watch what ever is on tv. Let's see "NCIS", Dancing with the Stars", "Law and Order SVU", the Astros baseball game later cause they are playing in California. Well three out of four wasn't bad. The Stros are uh...never mind. Gee, I didn't realize how dark this living room is with only the tv on. Now if the dog next door would just quit whinning.

So how come Daisy did not pester me this morning. She is used to going out about 6:30 in the morning. On the weekend she stares at me and whines until I get up to take her out. Not today. I got up at the usual time. She seemed confused. Wher's Daddy? He's not here to give me my special treat.

So I guess I'll just enjoy the quiet while I can. Why do I feel a little guilty? Just because I am not really doing anything? Jimmy and Amanda should both be back late this evening. I hope Jimmy doesn't have to go back to Austin for a while. Meanwhile I will just enjoy the guilty pleasure of doing little and having quiet. It is so quiet I may have to make some noise.

Prejudice and Preception

I watched a "20/20" episode with Elizabeth Vargus last week that made me think about how we look at people. Three cases were shown-racial, sexual and body type. We all look at this in our own individual way. In each case the person or person were considered victims of prejudice. How do we come to these conclusions? Are we taught to see people a certain way?

I grew up in the Deep South in the 50's and 60's. I remember the tv news stories about the fight for integration. I remember the water hoses, the dogs and the speeches of people like Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as Gov. George Wallace of Alabama. Until I graduated from high school, I never went to school with anyone who was not white. My children, on the other hand, always went to an integrated school.Do they see things differently than I do because of that? Maybe. We still see news coverage of crime and find ourselves looking at the criminal's race. Sometimes we say to ourselves, once again these people do the crime. We wouldn't do that, why do they? Is this prejudice or perception?

Sexual orientation has become a hot topic over the years. Some people are very much opposed to gay/lesbian relationships. Some are opposed for religious reasons, some don't understand the attraction. Some people are actually afraid of these people or say they hate them. Why? Because they choose relationships that heterosexual people think are wrong? Once again, while growing up I was never confronted with this issue. Things were always said in hushed tones but never about anyone in public.

Why do people make such a big think over the weight or looks of a person. Often we see the super-thin models and rarely give a second thought about it. After all these are the "beautiful" people. We want to look like and dress like them. What about the woman who is considered "fat". What about the man who chooses to have a relationship with a fat woman. Why do people criticize that?

How and why do we get to the point that we feel prejudice against these people? Are we taught to see people this way? Who teaches us? Is this something we witness or learn as children? Does the media or tv and film play a part in how we respond to others? We frequently say that we are not prejudiced but we don't realize that we may look at a person differently than we do ourselves.

Prejudice comes from perception. Show ten people a picture of a beautiful woman and all will like it. Show the same picture plus the picture of a plain woman, the beautiful woman will still get the vote. It never seems to matter what the inside of the person is, our perception is what matters. We all have our perceptions of what we like or think is right. How often do we dig deeper and really get to know a person? Does it really matter that the doctor you saw in the ER was of a different race. Does it really matter that your best friend's wife is fat? So your neighbor is gay? Does that stop him from being a good neighbor?

I Have Come to One Conclusion, or Maybe Two or Maybe...

I have concluded that there is nothing in this house that I want to eat. I walk to the refrigerator, open the door and stare. Nothing looks good. Of course it is only 9:45 am and I have already had my coffee and cereal. Now I feel like nibbling. Nothing strikes my fancy.

I have no desire to clean house. Dust bunnies need love too. If I drag out the vacuum out and use it, tomorrow there will be more stuff on the carpet to clean up.

Soon the dryer will notify me that I need to go back upstairs and put clothes away. How come my husband has shirts of every possible color but wears the same one over and over?

I need to buy some clothes and shoes for me but I just can not justify spending the money. So, I'll just keep wearing those shoes with the holes in them. After all why use my other shoes to walk the dogs in the rain. The ground behind our building always floods anyway.

We may soon get rid of the parrot. It will be a lot less noisy here when that happens. Bye, bye Birdie- oh wait that was a Broadway play with Dick Van Dyke. Next we will probably try to buy an aquarium. Have they gotten expensive, or is it just my imagination? Well, if we do, I wonder how many of the fish I pick out will die in less than a week? That always seems to happen to the fish I like. The others will hang on forever.

At least the Astros are looking better. Rookie Hunter Pence is such fun to watch. It is nice to see a young player do well and enjoy what he is doing. Carlos Lee is playing well too. Roger Who? So, it is a long season, one game at a time.

Any other conclusions out there? I'm sure I'll find some later. Conclusions never end, they just go to another place and hide.

Babies are Not Microwavable

What was he thinking? A 19 year old father put his two month old baby in a microwave. Now the baby is in the hospital with third degree burns. The father and wife and his mother had recently checked into a motel in Galveston, Tx. Then after he did this he call 911. Naturally the story he told was not consistant with the baby's injuries. I just don't understand. Does this guy have a mental problem? Yes and I guess that might be a defense, but... Then, since they were living in a motel, where were the baby's mother and grandmother? I know times are tough, but there is no excuse for this. One can only hope the baby will be ok.

Drive Friendly

There used to be signs along Texas highways which said the Texas drives friendly. Hum. We in Houston have to wonder sometimes about friendly driving. But at least we are not considered the drivers with the most rage. Miami drivers got that honor. Good heavens, all those happy retired people who moved from up north are rude? What does that say about retired people? Are they crabbier that the rest of us? Well? And to think that Dallas-Ft. Worth is friendlier than we are. That is what the report said. I can't imagine that. After all we salute everybody. Cut us off in traffic, we salute. Run stop signs, we salute. Honk horns at us, we salute. Grab the parking space we were waiting for, we salute. Don't pay attention because a person is too busy talking on the cell phone, we salute.

So Portland has the fewest reports of road rage. Miami has the most. Houston is ranked #11 and Dallas-Ft.Worth is ranked #21 nearly at the bottom. Do the people in Dallas have fewer issues than we do in Houston? Do the drivers in Portland mutter under their breath while smiling at the idiot who cut them off? I guess they don't plan to retire in Miami. Who would want to leave the rain, snow and winter cold to move to hot, sticky Miami?

To all those wonderful happy drivers in Portland and the angry, raging drivers in Miami, come to Houston. We will be happy to salute you just like we do all the drivers here. Drive Friendly, Ya'll.

ATV Safety

I enjoy watching America's Funniest Videos just like most of us do. But somethings just aren't that funny. How many times does a guy have to get hit in the crotch before people stop thinking it is so funny? Rope swinging into a tree is great fun, right? Babies and pets are funny. A person's pain is not funny. I remember my Dad telling me about when his brother accidently hit my Dad in the head with a baseball bat when they were kid. His brother thought it was very funny, Dad didn't.

I see a lot of videos of four wheelers rolling over onto a rider. That is not funny. Children are frequently hurt playing with these things. Even adults in attempts to do stunts get hurt. They are fun to ride be we need to remember these things can be dangerous, if not deadly.

People love to ride these vehicles around fields and dirt roads and other assorted places. Rescue searchers frequently use them. However we must always remember these are heavy and powerful machines, not toys. Even under the best conditions, things can go wrong. My son Pat's friend Marty had one. He lived out in the country and rode it all over their property. Now Pat will be going to Marty's funeral. He leaves behind a wife and an 8 month old son.

Remember an ATV can be fun to ride. Please think safety first.

So Much for the Home Town Loyalty

Yesterday the collective jaws of Astros fans every where dropped to the floor. During the 7th inning stretch at the Yankees game Roger Clemens turned his back on his hometown and announced he would pitch again for the New York Yankees. After leading us on last year and this year he made his plans known. He and Andy will be back in the arms of the Yankee fans together.

When Clemens first came back to Houston to play for the Astros he made a big deal about playing before his home town, friends and fans. In the long run, none of that mattered. Did the money matter? He certainly doesn't need it. Wouldn't we all love to make $4.5 million for 4 months? Now a lot of Houston fans are not happy and feel betrayed. On the other hand the Yankees really need the pitching help. Several of their pitchers are hurt. They could use the help. An how about this note, the New York Yankee pitching staff alone makes more money than several entire teams. Money surely talks loudly in New York!

Good luck Roger. Those of us who support our Houston Astros will move on and support our real home town hero, Craig Biggio! How many times in the past have Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell restructured their contracts to benefit the team? Biggio said "respect for the game" is important to him. Roy Oswalt said he won't let Clemens desertion bother him, he'll just keep doing what he does best.

Now is the time our young pitchers will step on the mound and show how good they are and will be. Plus we will be happy to have one of our young heros back soon. Brandon Backe is doing very well. After all, with the young pitchers we have now, where would we put an old war horse like Roger? Let's look forward to the return of Brandon Backe.

Go Astros!

Breaking News...I Think

Finally after a couple of days playing witch doctor over this computer it seems to be functioning normally. Or as normal as it can considering all the stuff on it.

In the middle of trying to catch up on the junk in my mail I heard some motor noises outside. I guessed that the building next to us was getting it's yard done again. But No...Low and behold there is noise behind our building. I peek out the window to see a strange man with a stranger looking machine walking around. I think they call it a lawnmower! Excuse me I may just have to get out the champagne! Then the next sound was the sound of the weed eater. There are a lot of weeds out there. Then I have to hope that the guy doesn't tear up my elephant ears or the tomatoes and peppers I planted in the former cat litter box. Of course now I have to go out the front door and sweep the stuff off the front stoop. Oh well, at least now the dogs can pee without disappearing in the weeds.

Then I hear that dogs who have separation anxiety now can take Prozac. Why does think strike me so funny? A dog on Prozac- now the kids can not only steal from the parents to get drugs, they can steal from the dog!

I think somebody needs to call out an Amber Alert on the Houston Astros bats. They seem to have run away. No reward will be offered though. We are just looking for the safe return of the runs that have not been scored. So in the interest of Houston Astros fans, if anyone has found our bats/runs please send them back. We really need them!

Now I need to go raid the penny jar to scrape together money to pay for garbage pick up. Today they decide not to take ours. Naturally when I have a big amount. They could not do this when I had none. Should have stuck some in the car with Amanda when she went on her road trip to Michigan. After all, a lot of it is hers. Ha!

At least Friday is payday. Let's see who will get paid...?

Got any Prozac?

This Could Be The Day

I've been doing different things on the internet today. Well let me say trying to do things. I've become more and more annoyed. Even I can type faster than it is printing the words. Going from page to page is frustrating. I have defraged and run virus and spyware programs which don't show any problems. My DSL rom good old AT&T is the fastest speed they have. We have had issues since we moved here. It may be this computer or not. Right now I am about to toss it out the window. Actually, I'm beginning to think it may be the Window Live Onecare. I did not have this much trouble before even just before crashes. Now let me find an open window! GRR...

Sheryl Crow Says Limit Toilet Paper Usage!

So, Sheryl Crow is advocating limiting the use of toilet paper. Say what? She wants us to limit the number of squares we use per visit. Ok, sure. Ask any mother of small children to do this. Good luck. I used to work for a doctor who said, in jest, that he was going to limit the use of toilet paper in the office bathroom. However, Sheryl Crow is not kidding. On her blog she said,"Now I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God given rights, but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit, except of course, on those pesky occasions where two to three could be required." Somehow I don't see this happening. Come on, that will surely take away the fun of TP-ing somebody's house. Isn't that a status symbol? There would go yet another fun thing to do. And how would I explain to Daisy that she can no longer pull the toilet paper around. How am I going to limit her to three squares? To limit the use of toilet paper could bring big changes in the art of potty training children. This could be the great American crisis. Tell a three year old child to use no more than three squares. Not gonna happen.

Then of course this was also during the time that Ms.Crow and her good buddy Laurie David, producer of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" got into a fight with Karl Rove. I would have paid good money to see that fight. They asked him to take a "fresh look" at global warming. Let's see, save trees, argue with Karl Rove, which would you do? How many trees will we save if we all use a maximum of three squares of toilet paper per restroom visit? Personally I would pay the extra money to TP Karl Rove. That would be worth the money!

Sorry Sheryl, I just dont see "law-abiding Americans limiting toilet paper usage. It is an American tradition. Sometimes three squares just won't clean the problem. It is bad enough when a person has to go or take a kid to a public restroom only to discover no toilet paper. Ask any mother about that nightmare!

Sometimes We Should Just Shut Up.

First we see the rants of a madman. All the news channels have broadcast this. Some people were not happy to have this shown, others felt they got a look into the troubled mind of this person. His parents are now forced to leave their home and move frequently so that the public will not bother them.

Then we see the rants of another man. This man is a public figure who has a tv show currently running on NBC. TMZ.com has broadcast the ranting phone call of Alec Baldwin to his daughter, Ireland. He is very angry at her because she did not answer her phone. He screams at her, calling her a "pig". He blames his ex-wife and yells that his daughter has done him wrong. The news channels deleted the profanity when they aired the audio. Somehow I get the feeling that it is "all about Alec". He complains how his daughter treated him badly on and on.

Maybe we should all take a look at what we say and how we say it. Let's look at ourselves the way others see us. True this is hard to do, but maybe we should. I know I have thrown tantrums in the past. Usually, I felt better afterwards. After all, this was an easy way to blow off steam and let loose frustration. Sometimes I felt bad after ranting, sometimes I was embarrassed.

There is an old saying which relates "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". If more people followed that philosophy, there would be fewer upset people in this world. Maybe there would be fewer wars. If we just stopped to think before we start ranting...Is there a better way to get the point across? Obviously Alec Baldwin never thinks before he speaks at least without a script in front of him. I knew that he and his wife had a very contentious marriage and divorce but I really wish he (they) would leave the kid out of it.

I wonder if all hot air being spewed by the blowhards of this world are contributing to global warming. There is one thing for sure if we thought more about what we were about to say or yell we might be better off. At least the world would be a little quieter.

Look at That-That's My Car!

Jimmy and I were playing with the Google maps the other day. It seems that all the news channels are now using it for stories. Zoom in on any city or country. Just think of those wonderful satellites roaming the skys taking pictures of Mother Earth. With just a click of a mouse you can find nearly anything in the world. Is that comforting? Did we find those weapons of mass distruction? Is a rogue army building up some lethal hardware? What is going on at Paris Hilton's house?

Then I looked right down at our building. I saw my car in the parking lot. That felt a little strange. Do I feel secure that someone is watching over me? Do I feel that my privacy is invaded? There is no good answer here. To think that someone can send a message to a satellite and find almost anything or anyone is both empowering and unnerving. Seeing my car in our parking lot made an impression on me. Technology is great. To think that satellite is keeping watch over my little car, well...uh,hum. I can't help feeling a little unsettled. Yet in our fast moving world, it is important to know where my car is.

Decorating? Don't Forget the AC Compressor

In the spring many people think of home improvement projects. Many choose to repaint or decorate a room or rooms in their house. Some decide it is time to landscape their yard or plant new flowers and shrubs or trees. All the colors of the new growing flowers just seem to make people a little more optimistic about life.

So think about this. Not only can you go to the local plant store or nursery to get those pretty, colorful plants, you can now have color on your air conditioner compressor. Huh? The York brand of air conditioners has been advertizing that they now have their compressors in colors. After all the house has a color scheme, right? The outside siding, trim or brick has different colors. Flowers and plants frequently accent the outside colors of the house. So now the air conditioner compressors are in colors too. Yeah, make sure the compressor matches the colors of the house.No longer is there the boring metal box sitting by or behind the house. It is now a decorative accent!

But, it does not stop with just the color offerings of the compressors. Now a compressor can also tell all the neighbors what college team you support. Somehow the color accents of the compressors can now include logos of colleges. Imagine that! So tell your neighbors what school you support by flying it's banner and showing it on the AC compressor. Isn't this a little much? What if your family favors more than one school? What if you sell your house?

I can just see it now. As a true Texas Longhorn fan, would you buy a house whose owner's air conditioner says Texas A&M Aggies? Call the decorator! Then call the AC sales man. What next?

Socks Travel Light

We have all heard the jokes about losing socks in the wash. I rarely have that problem. However, the last couple of weeks a sock or two has decided to take a trip. I learned some time ago not to leave the socks on the floor while sorting the clothes for washing. Daisy loves to steal them. But the other week one of my black socks decided to go on a trip. I looked in the washing machine, the floor, the basket and even under the bed. No luck. Then today one of my tan socks took off too. Maybe they are going on strke for better shoes. I feel their pain. Every time it rains they get wet as we walk the dogs outside. It's not their fault, the shoes are old and have holes in them.Or maybe they just want a little adventure before they go to the great plastic bag that gets thrown into the landfill of the lost. Socks know these things. They feel the air between the toes or at the back. They know time is short.A little last fling before dying. We could all use one of those.

Alas,I found them lingering beside the washer. One never made it to the washer and the other made it through but jumped to the floor before going to the dryer. Come on guys, your mates miss you. I know, I know, you don't have that much time left and you want to see a few more things before I have to replace you. I feel for you. An old pair of socks so warm and comforting, what stories they could tell. Hold on a little longer please. I'm not ready to let you go just yet. But, get back in the sock drawer, now!

Give Him the Bird

Jimmy and I have been discussing question of getting rid of Astro the parrot. I'm in favor, he's not. Of course Jimmy doesn't have to clean the cage, the wall, the table or sweep the floor of seeds and poop. Occasionally he looks into the cage and speaks to the bird. I get stuck with the loudmouth bird and all the mess. We have found someone who would like to have it. So, this morning Jimmy stands in front of the cage and chats with the bird. "Oh, I'll just go buy another one" he said. As the steam rises from my ears, I told him fine-you do all the care and cleaning and smelling of it. This place is too small for us and the bird. To keep the bird quiet so it won't disturb the neighbors, I have to keep the cage covered. I've said over and over it's not fair to the bird. We can't even put him on the patio because he is so noisy. Of course the cats in the neighborhood would love it.

Then we see a news story about a man stuck in a tree. Breaking news- a man is stuck 60 feet up a tree with along with a bird. This guy owns a $2000 Unbrella Cockatoo which had flown out a window. The man climbed a tree to rescue this bird and could not get down. News choppers are overhead broadcasting pictures of the man and bird in the tree. A couple of local fire departments go to the scene but due to the location can't get to the tree to rescue the man. A Houston police department helicopter was called but wasn't able to help. Next,the Coast Guard comes out and finally is able to rescue the man and his prized bird. Let's see, the first fire department estimated their cost for this attempted rescue to be between $5,000 and $10,000. Neither the Coast Guard or the other local fire departments have said how much their price was. That guy must really love that bird.

Hiding Crackers are We?

Dogs really do funny things. I was cleaning up the living room the other day and found a surprise. It was wash day so first I picked up the blankets from Lady's chair;yes she has her own chair. Daisy's idea of her chair is anywhere I sit. So as I picked up the toys to put them in the other chair, I discovered a small theft. I noticed the other day that Daisy had jumped into the chair with all the toys and was pushing the little blanket around. It was like she was trying to cover up something.Now I know she was. She's quite adept at stealing food out of the hands of unsuspecting snackers. Just ask Amanda about the loss of her muffin. When I saw her nosing the blanket around I thought it was funny.

Imagine my surprise to discover that Daisy had found a snack pack of crackers somewhere and decided to "bury" them. I guess that the snack cracker package had fallen either off the counter or fell out of the pantry. I never saw her take them. She did not bite or smash them or try to tear open the plastic. She just hid them under the blanket in the chair. Wonder when she did that? Oh well. Kids say the darnest things and dogs do the darnest things. Maybe now I need to keep an inventory of our snacks?

Play Ball!

At last baseball season is here! I'm so tired of re-runs and other boring shows. Finally the Houston Astros hit the field tonight. I'll be there in spirit. Once again we will hope for a good season. There are several unknowns, especially with the pitching since the only ace on the staff is Roy Oswalt. The other starters are question marks. Plus we signed up a big bat in Carlos Lee. He has some mileage on him and there are some pundits who say we paid too much at $100 million over several years. At his age, who knows? The Astros waived Eric Bruntlett but he cleared waivers and is now in the minors. He has a lot of talent and hits the ball well. Why did the team try to get rid of him? Who knows. Hunter Pence is another of those young good prospects that many people thought should be on the team, but he too is back at AAA. He most likely will be back up with the 'Stros at sometime during the season. One question still lingering, what about Clemens? Will he, or won't he retire and where will he play, Houston, New York, Boston? A hint might be a billboard welcoming the new season, It features some of the players, including Clemens. Would he allow his picture in an Astro uniform if he planned to go to another team?

Then of course I have a problem tonight. The game starts about 6:00pm. Most baseball games take at least two hours to play. That puts the late innings possibly still going at 8:00. That is when I have to decide Dancing with the Stars, 24 or Astros. Play ball!

The Flavors and Aromas of Life

It was not that long ago that things like coffee and soap had one flavor or smell. You either drank your coffee black or put sugar and/or cream in it. Now you can choose flavored coffees like hazelnut, Irish cream, pecan, and so on. You can also pick your favorite flavor of creamers both liquid and granule. How about a little coconut creme or chocolate? What ever happened to plain cream?. You can have flavored water and soda drinks. Even liquor is now flavored. Where once there was rum,vodka,tequila, now they have all sorts of fruit flavored brands. Liquor store shelf space is getting crowded with flavor choices. What used to be Jamaican rum now has several fruity flavors and colors of blue and pink and yellow. Just try to go to the store for a bottle of rum or vodka. What used to take 15 minutes will take an hour while you try to decide.

If all the flavoring of everything is not bad enough, now you have to choose what scent you want in your laundry detergent and fabric softener. Just what is "Spring Breeze" and will it be the same in the fall? How do you really know that "April Rain" is what April rain smells like. How come there is no "Fall Leaves" or "January Snowdrift"? And don't try to pick a dish detergent. There are flower and citrus scents everywhere. Is this going to make the dishes cleaner? If you don't rinse well, the plates may taste like soapy jasmine. Does "Lemon Cascade" really clean any better in the dishwasher than regular Cascade?

I can't decide on anything any more. Now when I go grocery shopping I have to open every different bottle to decide if I like the smell. I stand at the coffee and tea isles and try to decide if I will take this one or that one. What happens if I pick something and don't like the smell or flavor. Oops, throw it away and go buy a different one. Maybe it is a marketing ploy. Then again, all these added choices seem to have exploded in the last few years when people under 35 decided they wanted to mix flavors in the cocktails. Do they buy several different deoderants so they can smell different each day? No wonder there is an increase in the "mega" stores. With the explosion of choices in just about every brand, they need more space. Now, where is my husband? He said he was going to pick up a couple of things at the store. Maybe he is trying to decide what flavor of dog foood to buy.

Cats Out, Plants In

I haven't noticed any cat trails in the "litterbox" flowerbed lately. I did plant a couple of tomato plants and a sweet pepper and a bell pepper there. Then I took the old pots of cactus that I have had for a long time and put them in the corners. Guess the cats don't like to get stuck. I still wonder about one of the neighbors who leaves his second floor window open all night so his cat can "hangout".

Now I have to wonder when my landlady will send someone to mow and clean up the "yard". I have seen someone mowing and cleaning up the yard area of one of the three buildings. But our building and the one next door have not had anything done yet. Weeds are high both in front and back. We don't have any weeds in front by the parking lot, but the other building does. Of course we dont have much in the way of grass or even dirt in some places. Then again, when it rains all the dirt in the area along the walkways leaks out into the sidewalk. But the buttercups are doing well along the other side and back. Best looking weeds in the neighborhood!

I did clean out a lot of the airplane plants along the side of the "patio". So in a "public service" announcement, please do not plant airplane plants in a garden. They will rapidly take over all space and roots will be everywhere. I still have not gotten all the root dug up. What a mess. I was able to plant some caladiums and a couple of marigolds. I did find something strange when I was trying to clean out the space-several colored plastic stones. I picked out 5 of them. I have no idea how many are still buried in the dirt. Funny when I dug a garden along the side of the house where we used to live, I found plastic "crystals" buried in the dirt too. Odd. I wonder if it is some kind of cultural thing?

Now I am looking for some production out of what I planted. Hope springs eternal.

Just How Does a Person Fall Off a Cruise Ship?

What is going on here. I have seen several stories about people falling off cruise ships. How does that happen? I've never been on a cruise ship and don't really want to but that is just me. So how come there are so many people falling from these ships? These are not small boats. They are multiple stories high. I am guessing that there are railings along the deck sides. Are they not high enough to keep someone from falling? I saw a story a couple of years ago about a girl who fell off a motel balcony. It became a murder investigation.

Do these people who have fallen off cruise ships do it on purpose? Are they drunk, or seasick?Are they leaning over the rail to watch the ocean? Or is it a Titanic moment in which they think they are "king of the world"?

The latest accident happened around Galveston. Let's face it, a cruise ship won't stop quickly. The Coast Guard was called and the cruise ship had to stop and tell all the passengers to be quiet while the ship's crew shined lights into the water in an effort to find the overboard passengers. Luckily both passengers were rescued. Now they are apparently not talking. Hummm. Are they waiting for a book offer? Or how about a movie? They may be waiting a while. Wonder why they have nothing to say?

That Missed Call

I forgot to take my cell phone downstairs with me the other day. I keep it in the drawer of the bedside table so that Daisy won't be tempted. I accidentally left the remote on the bed and she chewed the cover off the battery holder. Needless to say, I dont want Daisy to think of my phone as a snack. So when I realized I didn't have my phone, up the stairs I went. As luck would have it, I had missed a call from my daughter. So I called her back.

"Hi, what did you want?"

"This is the other daughter, do we sound that much alike?"

"Well, other daughter, yes you do and it's not like I talk to you that much anyway. So why are you, other daughter, answering the other other daughter's phone"

"Because she is trying to figure out how to use my vacuum cleaner in her car."

"I see, well, other daughter, give the other other daughter's phone to her so I can ask her what she wanted."

"Ok, Now as I said the first time when I spoke to the other daughter, what did you want?"

"I don't remember."

"Where are you, and how come the other daughter answered the phone?"

"We're at the other daughter's house cause we are going to Colorado and she is keeping the kids for us. I wondered why she said she was the other daughter."

"Yeah, well she handed you the phone, now that makes you the other daughter, since I was talking to the other daughter and now I am talking to the other, other daughter."

"What do you mean I'm the other, other daughter? I'm the good daughter."

"Well since I just spoke to the other daughter and now I am speaking to you, that makes you the other daughter, right?"

"Uh, I have no idea, and I am getting a headache trying to figure this out."

"Well that's what I get for having two daughters who sound so much alike.So now tell the other daughter I said goodby and I'll talk to the other, other daughter when she remembers what she called me for in the first place. Right? Is that too hard to remember? She answered your phone and told me she was the other daughter, so since she handed you the phone that means she handed the phone to the other, other daughter."

Sometimes it is more fun to confuse daughters than it is to talk to them. Of course I don't think either of the other daughters have figured it out yet.

You Might Need to Show Your Driver's License...

I was channel surfing yesterday afternoon and stopped at the Fox News Channel when I caught a bit of a story that grabbed my attention. I don't think I heard the whole story, but it bothered me a little. Remember when stores put cold medicine behind the counter in an effort to control how much was being bought? Since cold medicine has been heavily used in illegal meth production, the stores wanted to keep watch over the sale of the medicine. Some cold medicine makers even changed their formulas so that it could still remain on the shelves. I wonder if this has really helped.

As the Fox News story continued I was stunned to see that some stores/pharmacies now have a hand held device which scans drivers licenses when cold medicine is purchased. This way the store can keep a record of who is purchasing cold medicine and how many times it is bought. While I understand the need to control illegal drug labs, is this the only way? Yes I know that if a person only buys cold medicine once in a while, it should not be a problem. Just call me paranoid. I did read George Orwell's "1984" years ago. That is why the more times the government gets information on us the more I wonder if this is wise.

Soon all the states will be required to change the driver's licenses to comply with government regulations of a "national" ID/ driver's license. Yes we must be kept safe from attack and illegal aliens. Our national security is at risk, or so they say. It was not that long ago that when I had to get a couple of money orders for a little over $1000, I had to show my license and sign a book. Lately that seems to have almost gone away. At least I only had to do that only once. I've also noticed a change in buying liquor at some places. In the past when we would buy wine or beer at WalMart, the cashier would chuckle and ask if we were over 27. Now sometimes, they want a birth date. Oh but wait, it gets better. A couple of weeks ago we bought groceries at WalMart. When they rang up a bottle of wine, I had to give them my driver's license. They keyed in the number and I wondered why? We now have to show driver's licenses no matter what the age is to buy wine, beer, or liquor. Why? What's is funny is, at least at WalMart, not every store is following this new rule. Again, I wonder what is up.

Soon, we will have to show a driver's license to get married or have kids. Need a pair of shoes? Don't forget the license. Oh man! I forgot to get a quart of milk. Where did I put my license? Ah yes, the government is all knowing, all seeing, all screwed up.

Birds Do It, Bees Do It, So Get Off My Car!

Springtime in Houston, ah choo! Trees and flowers are blooming. Everywhere you look-pollen. Pollen is on the sidewalks and on the streets. It rained a few days ago and brought a lot of pollen out of the trees. People are sneezing and have itchy, watery eyes. Walking along the neighborhood streets you can see the yellow lines of pollen along the way. Escaping is impossible. Of course if all the pine and oak trees were cut down, there would be less pollen. But, that is not a good idea. There is a yellow film over everything. Barbeque pits, patios, and cars are all covered in pollen. Some people are driving around in a yellow haze. Others are spending a lot of time washing, or having their cars washed. Car washers are very busy. Pity the poor guy who has to keep the new cars clean at the dealerships. I washed the car last week and discovered more yellow pollen on the car Saturday. Where are the birds and bees who help to pollinate all these trees and flowers? Could they be pollinating the cars? Cars don't flower. If a tree dumps a load of pollen on a car, will a pine or oak tree grow? No. The birds and bees love to carry or feed on the pollen. Just like the old song says, "birds do it, bees do it". Move that pollen around. There are thousands of cars and trucks in Houston just waiting for that lovely yellow tinge. Maybe I should invest in a carwash. Get that pollen off my car. Time to wash the car again.

A Daschund as a Scapegoat?

There is a sad story in the news here. A 5 month old infant was injured and his genitals severely injured. The mother claims that he was mauled by the family dog, a daschund. A daschund? I've had daschunds for a lot of years and I have never seen this kind of behavior. My dogs have growled or snapped on occasion, only if they felt threatened. I just don't see that a daschund could or would do something so terrible to a baby. The local CPS is also skeptical about this claim. The child's mother said she was sleeping and woke to hear the baby crying. She said he was lying next to the dog. According to a neighbor the baby was naked. The mother apparently ran to the neighbor for help. Police are still investigating, but they don't think the dog did it. CPS says that they have never seen anything like this. The baby is now in the hospital and has had surgery. Reports are that he will probably never be able to have children and may have problems all his life as a result of this.

Who knows what really happened. The mother is not being fully cooperative with the police and her boyfriend was apparently not home at the time. I just don't understand why she would accuse the daschund of such a terrible thing. Now the poor little dog is in custody. I guess they could kill the dog and do a necropsy to see if any human tissue is in the stomach or intestine. But what if there is none? Lets just say that the baby and the dog deserve better. Hopefully the police will solve this crime soon and the daschund will be vindicated.

Just Thinking

Daisy and I went on our usual afternoon walk yesterday. Since it is Spring Break here there were some children outside. One cute little boy asked if he could pet her. I told him that would be ok. Daisy enjoyed the attention. But for a brief moment I worried. What if I were a stranger? I had seen the boy before from a distance occasionally. I had met his parents a couple of times when they went for a walk. But, for some reason, I felt strange and thought what if? With so many child predators out in the world, I just kept thinking about how easy it would have been. I remember seeing a tv report of how these people attract kids. Sometimes they ask the kids to help look for a dog or offer something to the child. I'm sure that somewhere a predator has used a dog or puppy as bait. I don't know why but this thought would not leave my head. Would this child be as eager to pet the dog if someone else was doing it? So, maybe I'm overreacting but... Too many children fall prey to unsavory characters. At least most of my neighbors have seen me walk Daisy every day. We don't know each other personally but I guess since I live in the neighborhood, they are not worried. But should they be worried? Daisy had fun. She bounced around and looked at me as if to say "that was fun Mom". But, I wonder, what if? Just thinking.

Really, It's Time to Dump That Pot(Plant)

I don't think there are very many women who don't like flowers and plants. We all love getting flowers for Valentine's, Easter, birthdays and anniversaries. The problem is that cut flower arrangements don't usually last more than a couple of weeks. Some of us also like to have plants in pots. Sometimes it is just a single plant or it could be an expensive gift arrangement. Like the cut flowers, plants in pots don't usually last very long either. Many flowering plants are nursery grown and forced to bloom at a certain time of year. Just look at all the poinsettias at Christmas, and the Easter lillies during the Easter season. It really doesn't matter what the plant is. Growing plants indoors is testy at best. From the common ivy or draceana to the picky African Violet, they seem to defy the owner. Imagine spending $20 to $40 on a palm tree only to have it decide to drop it's leaves and die. How many times do people buy a bromeliad thinking it will look good in the bathroom. Just pour the water in the little well at the top, right. Then watch it sour and die. The lovely African Violet that is blooming so well in the store will have it's leaves turn brown and the flowers fall off.

We are addicted to these moody green things. We love to buy them and decorate our homes. But sometimes it seems that these plants are on a suicide mission. As soon as we bring them home they decide to keel over and die. We wonder why? We watered it. Drowned it is more likely. Or sometimes we forget to water them at all. There they go. Call the plant doctor. Too bad the patient is terminal.

So how come so many people insist on keeping these dead things? We put them outside on a sunny day and forget to bring them inside when the temperature drops outside. I watched a lady in my building kill her corn plant this winter. She put it outside for the sun, then it froze. The same thing happened to her dracaena. Stubbornly holding on to hope that the plants will somehow come back to life, they still sit outside. The life is gone, no more leaves will sprout. So get rid of it! Why keep the skeletal remains of a once nice plant? Yeah that pot is big and expensive. So put something else in it. Better yet put a fake plant in it. They can't be killed. Of course dogs and babies may pull the leaves off. Making the ultimate sacrifice is difficult but sometimes it is best. Don't continue to look forlornly at that poor dead plant on the kitchen table. Take the now lifeless plant, go outside, walk over to the garbage can, lift the lid. Now dump the plant, pot and all in the trash. Your neighbors and the other plants will thank you. Face it you cannot make that plant live again. Once it is dead, that's it. It's time. Get rid of that pot plant.

Another Friday, Dig Up the Potpouri

Friday morning. All is quiet, well except for the crowd at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo who are yelling at Sam Champion. The Good Morning America weatherman is doing the weather from there. Somehow he looks a little out of place. Wonder how he is handling the smell? He is attempting to learn the difference between a llama and an alpaca, before doing the weather. Next up trick riding lessons. Don't even go there, Sam.

I saw a picture of Michael Jackson in Japan where the people paid $3500 for 30 seconds with him. There's a joke in there but I'll leave that to Leno and Letterman. What was the print on that suit he was wearing. From a distance he looked like a clown. So what else is new? I got it-bring him over to here to work as a rodeo clown. Wonder who he would scare more, the bull/bronco riders or the animals?

So, do we have another example of double standards? That pot is really calling the kettle black! Newt Gingrich just announced that he was having an extra-marital affair during the same time that he was leading the charge against President Clinton during the Monica days. I guess Newt wants to get those skeletons out of the closet now since he may run for president. Or maybe he read that Barack Obama paid his overdue parking tickets. Funny, when people decide to run for political office, their past escapades comes back to haunt them. And some candidates think no-one will find out... Ah, but the nose of the news never has a cold.

Paul Newman is in town to talk up the Houston Grand Prix. At 82, he still looks good to me! Somehow it looks a little funny to have McDonald's as his car's sponsor. Guess Newman's Own wasn't available to be a sponsor.

The sports people around here are having a field day over the fate of Texans quarterback, David Carr. Fans want him gone. The team is still reliving the nightmare of not drafting Vince Young. So now that draft season is looming closer, speculation is running wild. So is speculation about Roger Clemmons. Will he, won't he and where will he. The local media as well as the national is getting yet another "I don't know" from him. He's been everywhere, pitching BP here with the Astros to visiting his Yankee buddies.

Well, my coffee pot just beeped, time to get that last cup and contemplate the day. Or at least go make the bed. Daisy is hinting that she wants to go for a walk.

Government Dysfunction?

It seems like every time I look at a news issue which involves our government, there is no answer. Maybe it is my imagination. It does not seem follow any party line, it just seems to waste time. Looking at the bipartizan panels and what they have done, or not done, recently I wonder what does get done. The recent commissions on 9/11, the Iraq War and now Military Health Care are just the most covered issues of late. The President appoints a panel to research and offer suggestions about an issue. The report is published. The President reads it. Then off to report heaven it goes, never to be heard from again. A lot of people were very critical of the lack of response to the 9/11 report. The Iraq War report has been sort of swept under the rug. Now that Mr. Bush wants a panel to study the problems with Walter Reed and other military health care issues. I have a sinking feeling that unless the American public does not demand action, there will be little done.

The Senate and House both have their pet projects. Each state has issues they want to present to their elected representatives. I get the feeling that there is a lot of money spent by our government on doing very little. We have all heard of the millions, or billions spent on "pork" that ultimately benefits very few. On big issues of national interest we have the same problem. Lots of talk, little action. Maybe the Walter Reed disaster will change this. I hope so, but...

If a business were to run the way the government does it would be in bankruptcy. Maybe we could turn the government into a for profit company? Nah, they still couldn't accomplish anything. Are we paying our government by the word? There seems to be a lot of words spoken but little done. Let's watch what is done about the military health care system. This terrible situation is center stage. As far as I am concerned how this is handled will dictate not only how we solve problems but how the world will view us.

Litterbox Garden

When we moved here I noticed that the previous tenent had a small garden in the back area. It was a small square bordered by wood edging and pieces of wood. Well of course the pieces of wood are falling apart now. I recently dug the weeds out and smoothed the soil. Apparently this used to be an herb garden because while cleaning it out I found several little markers telling what was planted where.

I had great plans to put a couple of tomato plants and a few little flowers there. Now I guess there is no point to doing it. Why? The neighbor's cat or cats seems to think the garden area is his/her personal litterbox. Every night some wonderful little feline comes along and uses the dirt. I know this because every morning when I walk the dogs, I see that the dirt has been dug in and re-arranged. So I feel disappointed. I don't know if there is anything I can do to keep the cats out of it. I don't want to go to the expense to grow something there if it is going to be constantly dug up.

With dirt under my fingernails, again, I think it would be a pointless exercise. Sigh.

The Scottish Lady's Poem

This poem was written by an eldery Scottish woman in a geriatric hospital near Dundee, Scotland. It was later published in a Northern Ireland Mental Health News Magazine.

What do you see,nurses,
what do you see?
What are you thinking
when you look at me?

A crabby old woman,
not very wise,
Uncertain of habit,
with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles her food
and makes no reply
When you say in a loud voice,
"I do wish you'd try!"

Who seems not to notice
the things that you do,
And forever is losing a
stocking or shoe...

Who, resisting or not,
lets you do as you will,
With bathing and
feeding, the long day to fill...

Is that what you're thinking?
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse:
you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am
as I sit here so still,
As I do your bidding,
as I eat at your will.

I'm a small child of ten...
with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters,
who love one another.

A young girl of sixteen,
with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now
a love she'll meet.

A bride soon at twenty--
my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows
that I promised to keep.

At twenty-five now,
I have young of my own,
Who need me to guide, and a
secure happy home.

A woman of thirty,
my youngest now grown fast,
Bound to each other with
ties that should last.

At forty, my young sons
have grown and are gone.
But my husband's beside me
to see I don't mourn.

At fifty once more,
babies play round my knee,
Again we know children,
my loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me,
my husband is dead;
I look at the future,
I shudder with dread.

For my young are all rearing
young of their own,
And I think of the years
and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old woman...
and nature is cruel;
'Tis jest to make old age
look like a fool.

The body, it crumbles,
grace and vigor depart,
There is now a stone
where once I had a heart.

But inside this old carcass
a young girl still dwells,
And now and again
my battered heart swells.

I remember the joys,
I remember the pain,
And I'm loving and living
life over again.

I think of the years...
all too few, gone too fast,
And accept the stark fact
that nothing can last.

So open your eyes,
nurses,open and see,
Not a crabby old woman;
look closer--see ME!

There's a Tear in His Eye

Amanda went to Waco this weekend to visit her sisters and their families. They don't get much chance to visit as often as they would like. So she and her friend drove up there from Houston. They had a real party. Good old Texas sausage, beer and whatever. Amanda showed us pictures of the kids. Kids grow so fast. On her way home she called her Dad to tell him when she would be home. She also told him that Traci, Annie and she got together to fix some flower arrangements for the graves of Jimmy's parents. Amanda also took some pictures for him. He was very touched. As he got off the phone I noticed he was a little emotional, which he rarely is. The thought of the girls taking the time to do that really made him happy (and a little sad). Sometimes just a little thought helps. I think that was a very nice thing for them to do. Thank you, girls.

How Many Legs?

So maybe this has always happened in the grand scheme of things, or has it? In the last few years I have seen more and more pictures on tv showing genetic oddities in the animal world. Seems that more and more often, I see these. Calves with two heads are a freguent picture as are pictures of dogs, cats, chickens and other animals with extra legs. Then I've also seen pictures of snakes and lizards with two heads. This morning I saw a picture of a frog with eight legs. Not too long ago there was a news item which said that changes in frogs were an indication of some possible things wrong with our planet. Frogs and lizards are supposed to be more sensitive to changes in the environment than other species. Is that why frogs have been changing their sex or do they just have gender issues? I wonder if this has been going on for a long time and we just didn't pay attention? Or is this a media attempt to alarm us? Many people are trying to increase our awareness of the changes on our planet. From the global warming issues to changes in the different creatures sharing the planet with us, should we worry? Is the media making much ado about nothing? Or is there something more sinister going on? Let's see today, the local tv news showed a lamb with 5 legs and a frog with eight. Go figure.