As I sit here looking at this laptop I realize that we really need to get a cooler pad for this thing. Laptops sure put out a lot of heat. I just looked at the new one Dell is offering which is supposed to be cheap and green. It is certainly funny looking. Then again I just saw the new HP TouchSmart system. I looked at that last week and wondered if people would really like it. I guess I got my answer when I looked at the Fry's site and they were sold out of them at $1200 +. Wow, does it burp the baby?

The Texans are working together well in training camp. At least they have a bubble to work in instead of outside in the heat which is nearing 100 or more with the heat index. No problems so far. This year there is real competition for positions. We have not had much of that before.

I have been saving milk gallon jugs for hurricane season just in case. So I thought I would help Jimmy with the aquarium by filling some of them with water. Let's see, so far I have filled 18 and then I realized I still have another 18 jugs that are still on the shelves in the laundry room. I had no idea we had that many. I'm not sure but I think these guys may have been breeding late at night. How did we end up with so many. Well, if nothing else, we will have water during a hurricane.

As I watched "Bones" on tv last night I was reminded of the mice when in a scene Temperance uncovers a nest of newborn rats in the middle of what was left of a corpse. Juicy. It reminded me of "our" little mice who have since succumbed to the elements and lack of food. Ew. The fish head still lies staring blankly at the left front tire on the truck. I knew a radio dj who once said he could not eat anything that looked at him from the plate. I can understand why.

The public utility commission here has again issued a "yellow" warning for electric usage. Don't use your oven, dishwasher, or dryer between 3PM and 7PM and set thermostats at 85 if we are not going to be home during the day. Yeah, right. Let them come home to a hot house. They hope to avoid rolling blackouts by having us do this. uh huh. Sure. Gotta love Texas heat.

Life goes on --even for Brett Favre. Sigh...

Just the Average Weekend

The aquarium is coming along. We got a dark back drop and yesterday Jimmy actually washed the gravel. We bought some new airline tubing, new filters,carbon and zeolite cartridges. We even bought some aquarium salt which we have not used before. I read the box and could not help but snicker. The idea of salt being helpful in reducing stress just seemed funny to me. Guess you have to be a fish to understand.

Later Saturday I discovered two strange things. First when I was about to walk Daisy, I discovered a couple of tiny, pink creatures squirming toward the sidewalk. Daisy went nuts, then she found two more. I put Daisy back inside while I investigated. Two of them were rolling around near the corner of the building by our door. It was then I realized they were newborn mice. Aw man, now I have to worry about mice? Maybe I should bribe the neighbor's cat to come play exterminator. Needless to say I was torn because I hate to see baby animals in peril but I don't want any mice problems either. Unfortunately for them, today I found them dead. I don't understand why their mother did not care for them.

The second thing I found later in the afternoon. This was a little disturbing too. As I walked Lady, we discovered a fish head in the parking lot. It was positioned as if it were put there deliberately. It was on the pavement inches away from Jimmy's truck with the head pointing at the front left tire. Gee, when did we piss off the mob? After all, at least in the movies, when a person gets a dead fish it means sleep with the fish, in other words a warning from the mob. Well if we disappear into infinity....

For some reason I thought of the old tv show "Ben Casey". At the beginning of the show Dr. Zorba was writing on the blackboard the symbols for man, woman, birth, death, infinity. Seems that we covered those symbols, well maybe. Anyone seen Tony Soprano lately?

It's Friday!!

It's Friday and the rain here has finally stopped. Of course that means we will soon be back to good old Texas heat. Blah...

I just heard some sad news. Randy Pausch has died. His "Last Lecture" is finished. May he rest in peace.

On a lighter note...
Waking Up for Church

One Sunday morning, a mother went in to wake her son and tell him it was time to get ready for church, to which he replied, "I'm not going."

"Why not?" she asked."I'll give you two good reasons," he said. "One, they don't like me, and two, I don't like them."

His mother replied, "I'll give YOU two good reasons why you SHOULD go to church. One, you're 54 years old, and two, you're the pastor!"

I found this joke and had a good laugh.

Now we will get to see what the Texans training camp looks like. The players arrived yesterday. "play-offs" is the word used by many team members...hum.

Well, I have to get my grocery list together.

Wait Till Next Year - again, Football Anyone?

Well, at least the Houston Astros can't loose today. They don't play. The Astros did win the battle with the Pirates. That is the battle for the cellar. We were hoping for a sweep, then at least one win against the pitiful Pirates. Well, as one local sports reporter said, that ended with a "resounding thud." Sure the optimists can say that we can overcome this and make it a close race. Excuse me while I laugh convulsively. Wait and see what happens at the trade deadline. Probably not much.

Looking forward, the Houston Texans start training camp Friday. With the improvements made last year we are hoping for better games. I just hope that the game we are going to will be a good one. I wonder how good the Ravens will be? It would be nice to go a game that the hometown team actually wins. I've only been to one pro game, years ago which was a game for the division championship. My team lost. I have had better luck with my college teams. I saw Texas win several Cotton Bowl games, a couple of those made them National Champions. I also saw Alabama win the National Championship against Arkansas years ago. But this year neither Texas, nor Alabama is picked to win their conference, much less the National Championship.

Since most of the sports reporters here have "stuck the fork in the Astros" assuming they are done, I guess it's time to move on to bigger and better things. Say what is Brett doing these days?

Marriage - For Better Or Worse- Well...

It has been said that marriage is a partnership. For better or worse marriage has been considered "the ties that bind". Common interest and common goals help keep those ties bound. And then there is the fish tank. Over the years we have had a couple of aquariums. The kids all seemed to enjoy the fish. Even the grand-kids like watching the activity in the tank. We bought a ten gallon aquarium for Christmas last year. We bought various little fish and watched them swim around the tank. They learned that when I opened the tank lid it was feeding time. Quickly they would all gather at the top, waiting to get the first little flakes. It takes so little to make fish happy. How did I get stuck with the job of feeding them? Uh, is it time to add water? How do you clean it? Uhhh...

For the last couple of months Jimmy has been looking longingly at bigger tanks. A bigger tank would allow us to have more fish. We looked at some 29 gallon tanks and some 55 gallon tanks. Who knew these water filled glass tanks would be so expensive. That does not even include the stand. Our little 10 gallon tank sits comfortably on a little stand. Nice and quiet near the sofa. Then comes the male "bigger is better" logic. Husband says "I sure would like a bigger tank." Here we go. I think, "what's wrong with the one we have?" Of course he needs to clean it now because it is getting a little cloudy. I don't do windows, I mean aquariums. To me that would mean gallons of treated water, some place for the fish while Jimmy cleans the tank. I don't clean this remember. Somehow I got stuck with the job of fish feeding. That's enough for me.

So Amanda visits one day and she and her dad talk about the 55 gallon tank she just bought on Craig's List. I smell a plot here. The next thing I know Jimmy is searching... He tells Amanda to call this number or that number. I have visions of a big tank and where in the world will it go. Why do I feel that I will be outnumbered here?

The next thing I know Jimmy is buying a used 55 gallon tank and all the hoses, filters, pumps and other stuff. When he came home with it, I was less than happy. Guess who is going to have to clean this thing? Little did I know that this little hubby/wife project would turn out to be the project from Hell. No problem, I'll get this cleaned up. Not so fast. I have no idea how long it has been sitting idle. Did I really think this would be easy?

Well, I finally have cleaned it as good as I can. It was no easy task. And just why did we decide to do this? Then Jimmy remembered it will need a stand. Just how much does a 55 gallon tank filled with water weigh? Naturally he can't find a suitable one cheap. This little project is suddenly getting larger and more expensive. Let's see- used aquarium $100, new stand $90. Just where are we going to put this? Of course it will fit between the dead tv and the chair (another story) in front of one of the two windows along the wall of the living room. Now, just where is the Christmas tree we bought last year along with the little aquarium going? Uh... So now I look at a wall full of two tvs and two fish tanks.

So far we in addition to the stand we have bought some new tubing since the old tubing is too small to clean. I have cleaned up the tank, the thermometer, the light covers and other tops, some of the plastic tubes. I still have to finish the pump cover and then I need to do the pump and some of the big tubes. Then we have to buy some charcoal things that fit on some of the tubes and some "stones". I have yet to figure out that name. Oh and somehow I have to get the gravel clean. Yes I know we could buy some new stuff, but we are trying to save some money here. We still have to get more fish and some live plants and on and on.

It is so nice to be able to do things together. Yeah, this will be a nice little (large) addition to our living room. I have read that watching fish in an aquarium is good for the blood pressure. And doing things together as a couple is part of the joy of marriage. For better or worse, right? Ask me again when this aquarium is up and running. Better yet ask me when it is time for him to clean the tank.

Sometimes It's Tough...To be a Dog

Now that things have returned to normal after the discovery of "sleeping Beauty" we still have the problem of Daisy's allergies. We never had a problem where we used to live. Of course I know there were bugs in the grass, but the grass was well kept. And of course both Daisy and Lady are protected against fleas, ticks and other little critters that might bite or make them itch.

I can't say the same thing for this townhouse building and the "yard" around it. While there is some grass around the side that faces the street there is mostly weeds around the back and walkway between buildings. Daisy does not like it when the grass gets high enough to cover my shoes and she seriously doesn't like the weeds when they get high. I measured some of them the other day and they were nearly up to my knees. No wonder Daisy doesn 't want to walk there. She would rather do her business in the street than go through the yard. I can't really blame her.

Finally, last evening the guys came to do their infrequent lawn mowing. I am sure this morning that Daisy is happier. The last couple of days she has been very uncomfortable to the point of hives. She has not been able to sleep or even stay still with her constant scratching. I have had to resort of giving her benadryl a couple of times a day just so she can relax. Poor thing, just the look or her face is heartbreaking. So yesterday when she was having such a terrible time I have her a bath and some benadryl. I could tell she felt better.

Now that the weeds have been mowed down I was able to convince her to walk around the back of the building. She was hesitant but she had to check out where the guy was sleeping. She had to investigate the ground and the blanket and towel which were left there. The mowers just tossed them up against the building. After checking over the evidence she decided it was ok to keep walking.

So far this morning she and Lady are still sharing my chair. Daisy was a little sick this morning and she keeps looking at me like she is in trouble. I keep telling her she is not. I guess I should go back to my chair and rock my girls a little while. Sometimes life is tough for all of us, right? Even dogs.

I've Been a Little Nervous

Have you ever run across a person asleep in your yard? I went out to walk the Daisy around 9 this morning. As I turned the corner to the yard behind our building I saw a person lying in the grass. Chicken that I am, I turned and walked the other way. I walked around to the other side of the building. I did not want to take a chance so I didn't get close to him. I thought maybe I should ask the guys at the fire station if they could check on him. As luck would have it no one was there. So I decided to wait until after I walked around the block. When I finished walking Daisy, I peeked around the corner to see if he was still there. He was. He apparently had not moved. I wondered why someone would willingly lie in the high grass and weeds at the back of our building. I wrung my hands, what should I do. I am here by my self. What if it is the neighbor's son? I don't ever see him, so I don't know him. Besides he has his own car. If he and dad had a fight, he could sleep there. I worried. What to do. I don't want anything or anyone to come back at me.

I called 911 and explained that there was a person lying in the grass behind our building. The operator wanted to know if he was in a ditch. No in the grass at the back of the building. She asked if I thought he needed an ambulance. I don't know I was not going to get that close. Suppose he had a gun, or was a rapist? I took the chicken route. Finally the deputy showed up. He went behind the building and woke the guy up and took him to the car. He was a young guy with a backpack. He looked directly at me as they walked by me. I walked back to the area where he was and found a couple of big towel/blanket things still there. This was about 9:30 and it is now 11: 15 am and the police car is still in our parking lot. Now I wonder what is going on. Why are they still there?

I put Daisy and Lady in the bedroom and closed the door in case the deputy needed to come ask me something. They are not too happy right now cause I won't let them out. Now I wonder what is going on. What if I made a mistake? What if the guy lives here. Like I said I rarely see our neighbors especially the ones on the other side. So I really would not recongnize a couple of them. Then again why would somebody want to bed down in all our high weeds? I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me.

Yet Another Smart Pet Trick

First Daisy snatches a package of cheese crackers and hides them in the chair without even breaking one. She still has not figured out who found them. Once in a while she still searches around the chair and looks over at me with a funny look.

Then we discovered that she liked to pull the toilet paper off the roll. Some times she would pull it off and make shreds of it. Other times she would just pull it around the room and leave it for me to find. I keep testing her to see if she has lost interest in that little stunt. Nope. Leave any toilet paper roll where she can get to it and there will be a trail of evidence.

Lately we have taken to leaving the bathroom door in our room open so we can get more airflow into the bedroom. I have discovered that since the room does not have a ceiling fan it gets hot upstairs these days. So we put a fan on the dresser and let it circulate the air. It seems to help keep the room cooler. Since there is a vent in the bathroom, I've been leaving the bathroom door open. This helps too. But there was a question about what would happen with the toilet paper. If Daisy happened to go into the room she would probably snoop around the bathroom. Of course then the toilet paper hanging on the spindle would be very tempting. She still thinks it is fun to pull or shred the paper. So I put the paper on top of the tank. She can't reach it there. I know this makes it a little less convenient to use, but we are talking cooler room here.

The other day I decided to give Daisy a little test. Rather than put the paper on the spindle I sat it on top of the spindle. Let's just see what Daisy will do. Will she grab it and tear up the pieces? Would she pull it around the room? Ah, no. She did none of that. When I went into the bedroom, I looked into the bathroom. The toilet paper was gone. I saw no evidence of the crime. So then I had to look for the missing toilet paper. No clues in the bathroom, no pieces on the floor. Well, where did it go? Did she hide it like she did the crackers? I looked under the bed and discovered that she had stashed the roll of paper there. She did not chew on it or mess it up in any way. Just like the crackers she had carefully hidden it. When I went downstairs I noticed Daisy was looking at me with trepidation. What could I do? I had to give her a hug. Nice trick, Daisy.

Summer Heats Up - Sort of

Well I did not even open this laptop yesterday. I was too irritated to do much. Jimmy decided to buy a used 55 gallon aquarium. We had talked about getting a bigger one so we could have some more fish. So he found this one for a mere $100, cough. When he brought it home, I discovered that it was very dirty. I guess the previous owner really did not take good care of it. So yesterday I went to work cleaning it. Or so I thought. I took out the covers, lights, filters, tubes, gravel, etc. The aquarium components were very dirty with a lot of calcium/lime built up on almost all of the surfaces. After it all dried I discovered that all the buildup was still there. Grrr. So now we have to go to plan B and get something else to clean off the gunk. So, I spent three hours yesterday for nothing. Again grrr. Oh well, it will be a while before we set this up anyway.

Our friend Jan, whose house burned down just let us know she will come down this fall. She decided she wanted us all to go to one of the Houston Texan football games. Since the Texans don't play the Redskins (her team) she bought tickets for the game against the Ravens. Again she went through a ticket broker. Over $800 she spent! Yikes!!! We think she is nuts! I don't understand why she doesn't just buy tickets from the teams. It would be cheaper that way. But she insisted that she can afford it so why worry. Sigh, I have to wonder why this woman has such a need to prove things to her friends...

So next week will be the Baseball All-Star game. Our Astros have had a few problems (a few?) this year. Let's see, no pitching, no hitting, no life...So I thought I would take another look at my Best of the Worst teams . On April 18th the Best of the Worst team was a tie between Tampa Bay and Texas at 7-9 one game better than the Astros. Now we have as the Best of the Worst the Baltimore Orioles at 44-46 followed by the Astros (what?) at 42-50 . Then we have the Cleveland Indians at 38-53. Then there is a tie for fourth place between Seattle and San Diego at 36 -56. Sitting in the basement of basements is the Washington Nationals at 35-58. So they are the worst of the worst while Baltimore is now the Best of the Worst. Even the Tigers have climbed out of the cellar and are in third place in their division only 7 games out of first place. There is still hope. And who would have thought that the Tampa Bay Rays who were 7-9 in April would have the best record in baseball now at 55-36. Rays and Cubs in the Series???

I really don't hold a lot of hope for the Astros getting hot, but the temperatures are creeping up higher and higher. No rain in sight for this week-end and the thermometer should hit 95,96,97,98 in the next few days. With the heat index added we are looking at triple digits. Yeah, summer is heating up. Think I'll go sit under the fan. Somebody bring me a frozen margarita please.

Czech-what, Kolache-who?

Ever eaten a kolache? A lot of people here in Texas do. I had never heard of them until I moved here years ago. It was then I ran into some dear old ladies who loved to make them. Some are fruit or jam filled and others have sausage. Kolaches have a long history. Texans love a good kolache. In some places they are a little hard to find.

Kolache (also spelled kolace, kolach, or kolacky, from the Czech and Slovak plural koláče) are a type of pastry consisting of fillings ranging from fruits to cheeses inside a bread roll. Originally only a sweet dessert from Central Europe, they have become popular in parts of the United States. Several cities, including Prague, Oklahoma and Caldwell, Texas, hold annual Kolache Festival celebrations, while Montgomery, Minnesota claims to be the "Kolacky capital of the world" and holds an annual festival known as "Kolacky Days". Verdigre, Nebraska stakes the same claim, with a similarly named festival. Prague, Nebraska is commonly known as the home of the world's largest kolache. Fayetteville TX claims the title of "Kolache Capital of Texas". Crosby TX also has a yearly Czech festival. St. Ludmila's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, IA hosts it annual Kolache Festival the first full weekend in June every year and makes over 600 dozen kolaches to sell at this annual event.

It was the sweet chosen to represent the Czech Republic in the Café Europe initiative of the Austrian presidency of the European Union, on Europe Day 2006.

In Texas and Oklahoma, several restaurants and bakeries specialize in kolache; popular areas in central Texas include the communities of West, Weimar, and Schulenburg, as well as the Nebraska town of Wilber, which have large Czech populations . These restaurants and bakeries now sell varieties for all meals of the day and include versions such as Philly cheesesteak, ranchero, and chocolate cream cheese. The Bluebonnet City of Ennis has celebrated the Polka Festival (see National Polka Festival link below) since 1966, with a weekend of parade, street dancing and dinner/dances at the fraternal Czech halls. Kolaches are sold on the street and in the local Czech bakery. The official "Czech Capital of the United States," Wilber Nebraska holds the annual Wilber Czech days, during which several thousand kolaches are sold by various town groups and businesses.

A related dish is a klobasnek, which often uses similar bread but is filled with a piece of sausage. We call them kolaches anyway! They may also contain ham and cheese, sausage, jalapeño slices, and more resemble a "pig in a blanket" than the original pastry. There is also a sweet and flakey filled pastry with Polish origins called the Kolachky.

Jimmy and I love the sausage ones. Unfortunately it is a little hard to find good ones. Many places sell them but they usually have something like "Little Smokies" dinner weiners. Some places don't even use the smokie style. Some use sausage which most Texans love to grill or cook. Texans love to battle over who has the best Texas sausage. But finding sausage with more of a German spice to it can be difficult.

When we recently went to buy groceries we found "German" sausage in among all the brands of sausage including Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farms and various Texas and local ones. We decided to try the "German" style one evening for supper. It was then we thought this would be more like a real kolache. Then we had the "brilliant idea". Let's make some!

Take two people who have never made any bread before and find a recipe for kolaches. Who's bright idea was this? Let's see, got the ingredients, read the recipe. Then what? Do you think this has risen? Has it doubled in size? Ok, now how do we get the sausage in? How much dough do we use? Who knew yeast could be so finicky? Sticky, gooey...hum. Is this really worth all the trouble?

Our first attempt was not too bad. Some were too big-all bread, little sausage. Some were a little over done from cooking too long. But taste-wise they were not too bad. Jimmy wanted the bread to be sweeter so the next batch we added a little more sugar. This time it seemed to take forever to rise. Maybe the yeast didn't like the extra sugar. Hey, nobody said it would be easy. I wish I could have the the faces of the guys when Jimmy told them what we did. I know the comments went something like "No way" or "You did what?". I have not had a chance to taste last night's batch. Fear, maybe? I think I will just wait till Jimmy gets home. After all Rome was not build in a day, right? Making good kolaches takes time too. Well, now I have to get the mess cleaned up. Flour fight anyone?

Taking a Little Time

As my fingers caress the keys I realize how much I miss the internet when I can't get it. Several times this week and last I had a thought or found some information that I wanted to check out. Alas, I was unable to do so. I guess I could have rented a computer or gone to a cafe, but that really defeated the purpose of having a home computer. Now that Jimmy is back and hopefully won't have to go out of town for a while, I again can use his laptop computer.

To say that I am still irritated at the lack on response from Amanda's friend is an understatement. But, I guess it is an example of what is wrong with people today. We all make promises to friends and family that we know we are not going to be able to keep. So why do we continue to do this? Why do we leave others hanging on to a promise? And why do we not communicate? The net makes it easy for most of us to keep up with our office work and friends. There is still the option of the old stand by - the ancient device known as the telephone. The more modern device would be called the cell phone. Why don't some people do what used to be considered the polite thing and call? When I was a kid my mother took time to teach me "phone manners". When calling, I had to say "May I please speak to..." If the person was not home, I had to say something like "thank you, I'll call later",or "May I leave a message?". Who takes that time now? It is much easier and less personal to e-mail or text someone. That is assuming a person wants to take the time to do that. When I learned the politeness of phone calls as a child, it was considered courtesy to call and tell someone that they may not be able to come at the agreed time or that the person would be delayed. I still think this is a good idea. Some people don't seem to remember that. It is just easier to leave a person waiting, waiting, and waiting. Many times they use the excuse "I lost your number". That is if you even find out why they never showed up. Is this the way friends treat each other?

Needless to say, I am still waiting for Amanda's friend to come by to fix our pc. Of course it is partially our fault since we believed what he said. At the prices charged by most computer repair people I can just about buy a new one. Of course I would have to save up for a while.

Now let me go see what I have missed these last few days...

I'm Not Saying I'm Addicted, But...

I sit here typing on my husband's laptop counting down the hours till tomorrow. Tomorrow he has to go out of town to work and won't be back until Friday. So like the addict trying to do without a fix, I will be without the net for the rest of this week. Witness the cringing and wringing of hands. My pc is still not working. I could have sworn that I told Amanda I wanted her friend Willie to see if he could fix it before I have to start saving for a new one. But so far I have not heard from her about this. So thinking about four days sans net is a little like going through withdrawals. I want my MTV, I mean my PC! At least I had the chance to get some books so at least I will have something in my hands.

It does make me wonder what did we do without all these instant devices. Computers, cell-phones, e-mail, blackberries. Some people spend a lot of time sending text messages these days. What happened to calling on the phone? It seems like people go to the library not to check out books or do research, but to get in a wi-fi spot. We used to go to a coffee shop just for coffee. Now we take the laptop and sit for hours working or playing on the computer. It's no wonder the postage stamps have gone up so much. No one sends letters anymore. I can remember going to a store to buy cards for different occasions. It seemed to take forever to pick out just the right card for just the right person. Now people just send e-cards. Well, that is real personal, isn't it?

So, I guess by this time tomorrow I will be thinking things like, "Oh, I need to check out that." Or "Did anyone answer my e-mail." "What was the price of that?" But, I will have to wait until the laptop, and my husband, come home. Some how sending the kids off to school for the first time wasn't this hard.

Nice little laptop, I will miss you for the next few days. I will try to think of the day when my pc is pronounced well so that I won't call on you for support. I know you will have a good time playing poker in the evenings. Hurry home. Be safe. Oh yeah, you too, Jimmy.

June 20th is the Happiest Day of the Year?

Who is the idiot who decided that this day is the happiest day of the year? I guess if you are happy that you woke up and realized you are still alive, then it is. But a British psychologist has actually devised a formula to prove this is the happiest day of the year.

O + (N x S) + Cpm/ T + He Wonder how long it took him to do this.

So according to this formula you need Outdoor activity +( Nature x Social interaction) +Childhood memories/Temperature + He or holidays (days off). So we should all go play childhood games so we can be in the heat while we all get together to remember when we could play outside all the time instead of just on our days off.

Now do you really want to run around playing games outside while the temperature is in the 90's? Well, I guess taking an early morning walk looking at and listening to the birds would be ok. Then again, there aren't enough holidays or days off during the summer where we live to make me want to go do all this.

Happiness is relative. Maybe playing ball with the kids is fun, watching the Astros lose again, is not. Thinking about summers past at the beach or pool is a nice childhood memory. Watching a house/town flooding is not. Taking a vacation or holiday is fun, going back to work, not so much.

So let us all join in and make this day the happiest of the year. On the other hand this study was sponsored by an ice cream company. Go figure.

Yes, We Have No Bananas

So goes the song. I just read a story in the New York Times which suggested that bananas may soon cost $1.00 a pound. For years they have been priced around 20+ to 30+ cents per pound. Ecuador is the largest exporter of bananas. But Ecuador has had severe flooding lately. When you think of all the careful handling and miles bananas have go through to get here, one has to wonder why the price has not gone higher before. Fruits grown in this country have risen in price more and faster than the lowly banana. They don't even have to have travel that far either.Just look at apples. Prices for this fruit are getting a lot higher, as is much of our other domestic fruit. Transportation costs (fuel) is a big factor in the increase of fresh produce. But until recently the bananas have bucked the trend. Now, however, there is concern that will end and prices of bananas will join other produce in the lofty price group.

Maybe I should buy a banana tree. I have seen several growing around town. I wonder if they are any good. Poor little banana. Gas costs are rising daily, electric bills are sky rocketing. Now bananas are going up. What next?

Can You Hear Me Now? Can You Hear Me At All?

Remember that old cell phone commercial with the guy in the long, black coat saying "Can you hear me now?". Poor Annie is stuck in a "poor service" area and can't get good reception on her cell phone. She called last night to say that she had tried to call Jimmy Sunday. It was like "can you hear me now" all over again. She is really frustrated with the service in the little town where they are living. Ozona, Texas is a little spot on the map not far from San Angelo, Tx. It has a population of a whopping 3000 people. I guess because of the location, the cell phone reception is spotty at best. It would be a safe bet to say that she is not too happy with where they live. She has to go outside to call and even then she has to be in just the right spot to be able to call or hear anyone on her phone.

Ozona actually has some historic and interesting places to see according to the town information. But I guess they are too small and far away from any good cell phone towers to get good receptions. I guess that is why she would rather text message. How about smoke signals?

Then again our wonderful federal government has an office of the Department of Agriculture there. They have an office which handles rural home loans there. That is where Jason works. I guess if you are trying to move up the department ladder you have to take the bad with the good. Right? Can you hear me? Hello? Drat.

One Vacation Plus One Dead PC = Help!!!

Ah, I can feel the quiet, sort of. Jimmy went back to work today after a week's vacation. This man never takes a vacation so I was glad he finally took one. But when Jan could not come down we were left with no real plans. Not to mention all that wonderful Texas heat sapped any energy that was hiding in our beings. Who wants to go out in nearly 100 degree heat? Not us.

So most of the days were spent watching television while Jimmy played poker with his friends on-line. I think it is safe to say that I have probably now seen all or nearly all episodes of Law and Order, Law and Order Criminal Intent and Law and Order SVU. Well maybe I might have missed one or two, but who's counting? And how many times did I see the first three Indiana Jones movies? I now think I have seen the entire playlist of TMC. Jimmy decided to forgo watching any news programs, even the local ones. He would be married to a news junkie, right? Awww.

I felt a little lost, especially since my PC has apparently died for probably the last time. I had it repaired once. The next time I got lucky enough to get it working again myself. This time I don't think CPR would help. And just where is that friend of Amanda's who said he would fix it for us? Somehow seems like a game of "hide and seek". Jimmy even told Amanda that the PC is comatose, hinting broadly to her for some help from her elusive friend. While I like Jimmy's laptop, I still prefer my good old buddy, Mr. PC.

In the middle of all this Annie sent me a text message about someone who had commented on my blog. Annie keeps forgetting that, for me, to text is a long, arduous process. Still she persists. She had sent me a message that an "Uncle Mickey" had left a comment. She asked in her text if this could indeed be my uncle. Surprise! Apparently so...Talk about a long lost relative. We have not been in contact for many years. As a result we'll have to try to get together soon.

Saturday we did venture out to hit some stores to look at PCs, printers, and new tvs. Since we don't have the "new" HD tv we will soon have to figure out what to do. We also looked at printers for our computers. Our printer is not that old and works just fine. But the ink for it is nearly $70. We can buy a new printer for that money! We actually found one that we make get later which is an all in one and the ink is half the price. Plus it is wi-fi, too.

I did manage to buy some books with a gift card Amanda had given me. I have read all of the books we have here. I gave a lot of them away before we moved. Now I have something to read.

Jimmy's last day of vacation was Father's Day. Two of the kids called. The other two didn't. One never does. She might send an e-card, or not. The other must have missed the race cause she is usually the first or second to call. I think Amanda must have made Pat wake up and call. Ha,ha.

After I got my books we looked a fish for the aquarium. Jimmy has been longing for a bigger one. But he can't make up his mind. Imagine that! So we ended up buying some more fish instead. I guess that would be considered his present from the dogs.

Alas, vacation time is over for a while. Of course Jimmy's friend Jeff,from Alabama, may be in town for the 4th. He wants an escape from his wife and her parents who live here in Houston. He is already anxious for college football to start. He bleeds Crimson for the Tide.

Life goes on.Vacations end.

Baseball Is Not Just A Game

We went to the Astros-Cardinals game Sunday. Too bad, the Good Guys lost. Too bad our friend Jan could not be with us. The Club Level seats were great with a great view across first base. But, on occasion we had to be wary of foul balls which seemed to fly in our direction.

This was not the first time we had been to a Houston Astros game. I remember going to some in the old Houston Astrodome. The kids enjoyed being part of a little summer program where they got special things and got to go down on the field and talk to some of the players.

While watching the game at Minute Maid Park Sunday I thought of what it must look like to a person who has never seen a game in a stadium like we have. Seeing baseball on tv is good since you have a close up view of the batters. But to be there in the seats gives a completely different view. Everywhere you look are bright, flashing lights urging the fans to support the GoodGuys. Of course there is a really big screen tv to show the replays. The stadium even has the old scoreboard which used to be in the Astrodome. When the Astros hit homers the sign flashes with the huge bull with steam venting out his ears while the cowboy ropes him. Woe unto the opposing pitcher who gets pulled and sent to the showers. He'll see a cartoon of a pitcher being showered. There are some wild and fun graphics with this board.

The organ music is entertainment in itself. Several Astros have their own "theme" music as they come to bat. Or there is music to taunt the opposing team for their mistakes. Of course their music to encourage the fans to react. You would not think that a place like this could vibrate but it does. Then of course there is the train which sits high above the staduim. Just listen to the whistle blow and the bell clang!

All over the place fans bring homemade signs for their favorite players. Hunter Pence has his "Peeps". Carlos Lee has his fans who gather in the area called the Crawford Boxes with their toy stick horses and sombrero hats. They get animated when he sends a home run their way.

Even though the roof is almost always shut, except during the World Series (MLB rules) it can open. That is a very strange feeling to be sitting in the stands while the roof pulls back. Suddenly the air feels different and you get a little bit of a funny feeling. I suppose it is all in the mind. Most of the time it is closed during the games because of the heat. But sometimes late in the night games the roof will open. It is a visual game for your mind watching it open.

Movement is something that is not so obvious while watching a game at home on tv. Sitting in the stands you realize how far away the outfielders are and how much ground they cover when chasing a ball. The entire Astros' infield moves in toward the batter as the pitcher throws to the plate. All at once, like some kind of orchestrated dance move. Then there is the occasional bird that flys high above the field or into the rafters. How did those birds get in? Through the doors of course. Or the roof.

Sometimes I just wonder what a child who has never been to a Major League baseball game would think of a place like this. So much to see, so much to hear. So little time for the game. What do they think of it all. It is almost too much to take absorb in just one game. That goes for the kid in all of us.

Tinkle, Tinkle

Do your ever wonder what animals think? Do they have opinions? The other day Daisy discovered the fish in the tank as they swam around. She looked back at me as if to ask, "What are they doing?" Then she watched her reflection in the glass of the tv stand. "Who is this dog that looks like me and why won't it come out?"

When we go outside Daisy likes to take notice of what is going on in the neighborhood and the traffic on the streets. She doesn't think much of people who blow their horns to try to scare her. She just looks back at me with disgust. She would much rather try to get the attention of anyone who happens to walk around the parking lots.

But she is still inquisitive as to what goes on. She has to check out any thing that has been left on the ground, parking lots or walks. I guess she thinks she has to keep track of who is doing what. Our neighbor across from us can't always get his garbage in the can. Sometimes it lands on the ground or the walk. Daisy has to survey what ever she finds. I guess she thinks she is in charge of what hits the ground around here. She had to check out the burger wrapper which blew across the lawn. Then she had to check out the can in the paper bag which was littering the firehouse grass. It was only an empty Arizona Tea can, not beer. I think she might have been a little disappointed since she has been known to sneak a little wine now and then.

But yesterday she spotted a scratch off lottery ticket on lying on the grass. Apparently it was not a winner since the buyer tossed it away. Daisy walked up to it, gave it a once over sniff. Then she took a couple of steps, placing herself over it. Positioning herself just right, she squatted over it and peed on it. Was it just relief, or a social commentary?

It is Hot Here, Turn up the Heat a Little More

Just when we were enjoying the balmy days of spring, summer has decided to raise it's ugly head. The temperatures have been getting hotter and hotter. We have gone from the relative comfort of the middle 80's to the upper 90's in a matter of just a few days. Every time I look at the weather forecasts on tv it looks worse. Of course I am sure there are some people who actually enjoy this weather. After all it is a little like living in a sauna. Not only are the actual temperatures in the mid to high 90's but the humidity is also climbing to high levels making the temperatures feel even hotter. Few clouds and no rain are expected. Right now at 11:00 it is in the high 80's. When the heat index is factored in the temperatures in the late afternoons feel closer to 100+ degrees.

Without any relief in sight, the Public Utility Commission has decided to issue some suggestions to avoid rolling blackouts. They suggest that if we are not at home we should set our thermostats at 85 and when we are home 78. They are also suggesting that we not use appliances and turn off lights between the hours of 3pm and 7pm. Let's see, don't use hair-dryers, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers. Don't use the oven, instead cook food in the microwave. Yeah, well I hate cooking anyway, but my microwave is about to die so I really don't want to use it. At least I always do my laundry in the morning.

Since my husband works a lot outside or in places that don't have a/c I can just see him coming home to a house that is 80 degrees. Not going to happen. I suppose the PUC is thinking people should not use computers either between 3 and 7pm. Just try prying Jimmy's fingers away from his poker game!

I hope the local utilities realize that this in only the first week of June. It doesn't really get hot until August or September. People living in Houston do not like to be hot. Man I can remember living in Alabama as a kid. Some places did not even have central air conditioning. My grandfather lived in New Jersey did not have it either. Looks like the cool summer breezes are gone with the wind. Fans anyone?

The Knock at the Door

The other day while I was trying to catch up on my emails and things there was a knock on the door. We don't usually have people just stop by so I looked through the peep hole to see a large man in brown standing there. Hum, I thought. When I opened the door I discovered it was the UPS guy who had an express envelope for Jimmy. So I signed for it and went back inside. When I opened it I discovered a letter from Jan and the baseball tickets she had bought. I did not know she was sending them. It seems that for some strange reason they only had a very small smoky look on one of the pictures. The tickets otherwise were in good shape. She had told Jimmy she was sending them but he forgot to tell me. So I was surprised. Funny how things in life happen. The tickets are really not damaged. Neither was a small stash of cash Jan had in a kitchen drawer. So I guess we will be going to the game this Sunday after all. Of course now that the Astros are on a losing slide with our luck, well I won't speculate on the game. Maybe they will win this one. I would at least be nice even if Jan can't join us. I still have a hard time thinking about what Jan must be dealing with right now. Well, she'll be with us in spirit.