Last Holiday of Summer and Gustav

Labor Day will soon be here. Annie,Jason and the boys will be here tomorrow. Pat wants to take Skylar fishing. That should be interesting. There is talk of Pat taking Skylar and maybe Jason, camping. That is really something I don't want to see. Of course my idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn with a black and white tv and no internet. I think Annie got the anti-camping gene from me. She does not like camping either. I am waiting to see if the the boys will be able to tire out Daisy. That takes a lot of work. They did a good job with that the last time they were here.

Of course the whole Texas coast is watching Gustav with some anxiety. Every day we wonder if it will go closer to New Orleans or come toward Galveston. Neither of which is good. It could be a category 3 by the time it gets into the gulf. I recently watched a program on the Weather Channel called "It Could Happen Tomorrow". It investigated the possibility of a category 5 hurricane hitting Galveston. The worst was the storm of 1900 which destroyed most of Galveston. As we who live around here know, a major hurricane is overdue here. Houston and Galveston have done a lot of improvements since Rita three years ago and tropical storm Allison in 2001 which flooded much of Houston We will not suffer like New Orleans did. I just hope Gustav does not turn into the monster portrayed in "It Could Happen Tomorrow". We are nearing the peak of the hurricane season and we now here that there could be a couple more moving toward the US coastlines shortly. Fingers crossed...

How did it get to be the last holiday of summer so fast? Where does time go? Just think, in a few short weeks we will be planning Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes I think stop the world, I want to get off for a while.

Now I need to get my grocery list together. I have already mopped and vacuumed. Daisy and Lady are not happy with me because I tricked them into baths. I am so evil... I'm pooped. Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.

School Opens Again.

It is that time of year again. School is ready for occupation by all those students who are ready to start the new year. In one area cell phones are banned in the school zones, not by students, but drivers. A law was passed prohibiting drivers from using cell phone, even hands free, in the school zones. Most parents think this is a good idea. Too many people drive distracted on any given day. Now that school is back in session, drivers must pay closer attention to the children. That includes not using a cell phone.

Some kids are excited about school. Annie called to tell me that Skylar got up and dressed at 6:00 am. He was ready to go! But, he was about two hours early. Well at least he was happy and excited to go to school. As I told Annie, he won't always be so happy to go to school. "Enjoy it while you can," I told her.

He has gotten over a lot of the problems he had last year and is ready to get going. When he got to the class, Annie told me, he saw a little girl who was not happy to be there. She was very upset and crying. Skyklar went up to her, put his arm around her and told her it would be ok. You have to love the philosophy of these little kids. If only they could keep that enthusiasm! Later, it might be a different story. I still remember having to just about scream at my son to get him up and ready to go. I swear that kid could sleep standing up!

With all the bad things that happened in schools last year, we can all hope that this year will be better. Hopefully kids will learn not only the lessons in the books but to be good citizens and care about each other. Life is too short not to learn and enjoy something every day.

Not Much of a Day, Today

I have been tapping my fingers and growling this morning and have just about decided to get off the computer today. I believe that the local AT&T servers must be very full today. We don't usually have problems with s-l-o-w pages. It has been this way ever since I got on early this morning. Of course I am in a hurry to get things done and this is annoying. Oh well.

I have better things to think about. Let's see, will I find a good pair on shoes this afternoon? We are going to try to get some so my poor,old feet will quit complaining. I fully expect my right shoe toe to start flapping as I walk. Kind of reminds me of an old Bill Cosby routine. Then I am still researching computers. I hope to get a new one soon. But right now, I am worn out after looking at specs and prices and reviews. I like this, I like that, don't like either. That costs how much!? Maybe I will be able to go look at some computers later (in my new shoes).

I hope we can get our grocery shopping done early enough so that we can watch the Texans/Cowboys game tonight. Will Jessica Simpson be at the game? And does Tony Romo really still call Carrie Underwood? Not according to Jessica. Let's just stick to the game. I want to see some good running plays by the Texans.

Well, I have to check the grocery list...

What Are You Trying To Say?

Some times it is hard to understand what people say. Just listen to anyone running for office. But when it comes to understanding a pet, well it is a little different. Daisy follows me just about every where I go, even the bathroom. I can always tell when she thinks she is going to be in trouble. She just looks guilty, even if she has not done anything to make her guilty. She has an uncanny ability to tell what time it is. She knows when to listen for Jimmy to come home. She also knows what day we go to the grocery store. We can read her face and body language pretty well. Lady, on the other hand is a different story.

Lately when I am down stairs Lady wants to be with me. If I sit down to drink a cup of coffee in the morning she has to be in the chair with me. Not just anywhere in the chair either. She has to sit on my left side. Now she has decided that she wants to send me telepathic messages. I guess. At different times during the day, she seems to want me to stop what I am doing and sit with her. Then she will stare at me. Sometimes she wants me to scratch her head or massage her ears. She likes me to scratch her throat. And Heaven forbid that I should stop. That is when I get the "Why did you stop," look. Sometimes it is like she thinks she did not give me permission to stop. Then there are times when no matter what, she just sits and stares at me. It's as if she is trying to tell me something but I am not hearing her. Some times she will snuggle up with me and put her head on my chest. Then she looks at me. Have you ever tried to ignore a pet who is is persistently staring at you? I have seen news stories about dogs that can smell certain diseases and even the story about the little dog at a nursing home who knew when a resident was about to die. Since Lady is 11 years old I sometimes wonder what she is trying to tell me. Does she need something? Do I need something? What are you trying to say, Lady?

More Family Soap (opera)

Sometimes keeping up with grown children and their lives is a little like the baseball team manager during an extra inning game. Who does he have left to pinch hit or pitch. The roster of players has so many scratch out marks that it is hard to keep up with the players and who is available. And then there is the Malitz family revolving doors of relationships.

After the disaster with Pat and Heather, he went back with Karin, no wait, not her. Now there is Abby ( I don't know if she spells it "y" or "ie"). Huh? Where did she come from? So, now we have to get used to the new girl. Meanwile Amanda decided to dump her "relationship" with Jason who is still sitting in prison. Ok. Now she is stuck with a tattoo of Jason's name on her left ring finger. That could prove to be problematic in the future. But wait, in true soap opera fashion, she now has a new relationship with Greg. Ok. Greg is the brother of Pat's new girlfriend. This could get interesting. Brother and sister dating brother and sister. Who complains to whom after an argument? Amanda actually likes Pat's new girlfriend a lot. She never liked any of his other ones. Pat got Greg a job at the place where Pat works. That could also prove to be interesting. Suppose one or the other has a falling out with one of the girls?

At this point I am just about to lose count with how many relationships Pat and Amanda have gone through. Maybe I need to get a score card? These two could give Erica Kane a run for her money in the relationship department. So far they all seem happy being together and picking at each other. We may have a problem though...they are Aggies and we follow the Longhorns. Thanksgiving football could become the new family feud. Hook 'em Horns!

The four of them stopped by for a visit Sunday. It was the first time we had met the "friends". Just like the good old days- meet the new girl/boy friend while sitting at the table cleaning your gun. Actually they seemed to be nice. Then agin, it was our first meeting. I unfortunately still have tattoo issues. Greg looked like he and Pat were competing for the most tattoos. Lady and Daisy gave them the once over. I guess they approved.

And now a message from our sponsor. "Friends, do you suffer from hemorrhoids? Try the new Sharon Brown suppositories. They go in easy, three hours later,they come out with nothing." Stay tuned for our next episode...

The War is Over So We Move On to Anything Else

Finally the civil trial between Victoria Osteen and Sharon Brown is over. Ms Brown failed in her attempt to prove her case to the jury. In less than three hours, including lunch, the jury decided that Ms. Brown did not prove her case and would not get any money.

Moving on to other things, who woke up the Astros? They swept 2 four game series and have suddenly come alive as a force to be reckoned with, at least until they play the better teams. Will they have a chance at becoming the wild card? I doubt it. But there is always hope. At this point I would rather look forward to the upcoming football season. Some people think the Texans could have a surprisingly good year. We shall see.

This week-end is tax-free shopping. No state and local taxes will be charged on certain clothes, shoes and school stuff under $100. And believe it or not this year the Texas legislature decided to include backpacks. Now if they would just include more school supplies...

The only problem with this week end is that stores will be crowded. After last week's confrontation in WalMart I don't look forward to battling people. I would like to get a new pair of shoes since I looked down at my shoes and discovered that the front was peeling off. I usually get what ever I can find that is cheap. This time I think I will try to get some good cross-training shoes since I do a lot of walking in the street or on uneven ground. Right now when I have to walk or stand a lot my right knee and hip hurt.

Our friend Jan is counting the days till she arrives on the 13th. Me, I am just counting the days till we get to go to the Texans game against the Panthers. Jan wanted to know what kind of beer and food they have at the stadium. She did not realize that they sell not only soft drinks and beer, but wine and mixed drinks too. I am starting to get a bit concerned. She does drink too much for our taste. Jimmy says that when she is online playing poker he can usually tell if she is depressed or drinking cause she still talks about "killing her cats" in the fire. She is still having trouble moving on.

We have a new neighbor across the walk. He moved in this week. We have not met him. So far I have only seen him a couple of times as he left for work. I guess only time will tell.

Well, I hope there will be at least a couple of good movies on tv this week-end. It may be raining, or so they say. But the temperature is supposed to be in the mid-eighties to low ninetys. That would be a small relief. Onward to the grocery list.

War of Words, War of Gas

The she said, she said war goes on in a courtroom in downtown Houston. The plaintiff Sharon Brown says Victoria Osteen hit her. Mrs. Osteen, as well as a first class passenger who witnessed the confrontation, says she did not hit her. Sharon Brown also testified that she, at one time, thought Lakewood Church was a cult and Joel Osteen was the devil. She now says that was taken out of context and she was on medication at the time.

Media from all over are covering this trial. Local tv stations are covering it during each news program and news break. At least one tv station is blogging updates every hour. Could this get any nuttier? Well, Roger Clemens has not had his defamation suit go to trial yet. He and Mrs. Osteen have the same attorney, Rusty Hardin. These trials could be more interesting than the network soap operas.

Yesterday there was another war in Houston. A good old fashioned gas war! Imagine that. A new Chevron station opened yesterday on a highway right across from a Shell station. The Chevron station opened for business yesterday with prices a little lower than the going rate for regular unleaded gas at $3.36. The Shell station then lowered it's price. And the war was off and running. As the day wore on the news spread. By the late afternoon news choppers were hovering above the station as the Chevron station's prices continued to fall. Then traffic became a problem. Rush hour traffic snarled around and backed up the road. Soon police were needed to help direct the traffic. The hovering choppers reported as soon as prices changed. The gas stations ran out of regular gas. So the customers waited in line while tankers brought in more gas. The war went on into the night. The prices went down to just above $2.00 a gallon. Both stations lost a lot of money on the sale of gas but probably made some of that up with in store sales. Gotta love it.

Today the gas prices of the two stations are back to regular prices. Sigh. The latest blog update on the Osteen trial--The plaintiff's side has rested. The last witness, a first class passenger,saw Osteen standing up asking for someone in authority. Osteen's attorney asked her if she saw Mrs. Osteen strike Ms. Brown. Mr. Hardin asked, "And it didn't happen?" She said "There is no way."
Wonder what the jury will decide?

Let's Have a Brawl, Ya'll!

Four in the afternoon on a Friday is not the best time of day to go to WalMart for a few groceries. People are tired and crabby. But this is when we go because it is convenient for Jimmy to cash his check and get the grocery shopping all at once. But I am a little tired of kids mis-behaving while their parents shop.

I almost started a brawl Friday. As we tried to walk to the back of the grocery section we soon discovered that we were in the way of two little Hispanic boys about 8 to 10 years old. They had picked our pathway as the place to play. They were racing around the displays in the middle and the older child was skating around on his skate shoes. Every where we tried to go they bumped into or stopped us from getting by them. Several times I expected the Kraft Mac & Cheeze or the Frito-Lay displays to come falling down. Finally I had enough of the disruptive little darlings. I sharply told them to "get out of the way"! At last we were able to get around them and proceed to the back of the grocery area.

Before I could get to the soft drink area to get some Dr. Pepper I heard a woman bellow at me. "Hey, are you talking to my kids?" she said. I replied, "Yes, I am." As I continued on my way, I heard her go into an expletive filled tiriade about why I should leave her kids alone and pay attention to my own kids. I believe she said something like "sucking witches and sucking goats" but I had pretty much ignored her. Jimmy turned around, angry at her, waiting to defend me. It was at this point when Jimmy watched the older little angel jump into one of the chest coolers between the eggs and milk displays. What an adorable little child. His mother has really taught him well.

I realize children do not always behave. But I also believe that parents should keep an eye on their children when they are in a crowded store such as WalMart. When our kids were little we did not let them run wild like these two did. I would have been very upset to discover my children misbehaving so badly and the situation would have been handled immediately. My grandkids don't go wild like that. Little did this woman know that I DID watch my kids, and grandkids. Mine were not always good but some things they certainly knew better than to even try.

Though Jimmy would have been perfectly happy to "take it to the parking lot" and read them the riot act, the fight was avoided. Was I glad? Well, I guess. I refuse to lower myself to the level of that woman's behavior. As such, Lord, please forgive me for berating those lovely little kids and give me strength to keep from beating the crap out of any mother who allows her kids to run wild around me in the future.

Preacher's Wife Assualts Flight Attendant???

Something smells here. Victoria Osteen, Co-Pastor with her husband Joel, of Lakewood Church in Houston is in the middle of a lawsuit filed by a filight attendant. Some how I don't think this passes the smell test. While Victoria impresses me as a bit of a diva, even her husband Joel makes occasional jokes about her shopping habits and style. From every thing I have heard they are nice people. But this Continental flight attentant accuses Victoria Osteen of assault over a wet seat. The attendant, Sharon Brown says Mrs. Osteen threw her against the bathroom door and elbowed her in the chest. Oh this woman also says she now has hemorroids because of this in addition to anxiety. Since this is a civil trial she wants 10% of Victoria's net worth. Was Victoria Osteen enraged? Only those on the plane know for sure. It has been noted that Ms. Brown has filed a similar suit against a gate attentant before.Hum...

According to the Associated Press:

Brown wants an apology and punitive damages amounting to 10 percent of Victoria Osteen's net worth as part of her suit. "They will say this is about money. But that is the only remedy a jury can offer," her attorney,Reginald McKamie said.

He said Brown, who had undergone reconstructive surgery before the incident on her breasts due to illness, was injured when she was hit on her chest. Brown also suffers from anxiety because of the incident and that her faith was affected, her attorney said. Brown is also suing Victoria Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.

But Rusty Hardin, the Osteen's attorney told jurors there is no evidence Brown sustained any injuries, including claims she now suffers from hemorrhoids.

The jury of seven men and five women was chosen on Wednesday after a couple of hours of questioning of a jury pool of 130 people. The questioning touched on religious beliefs, celebrity and the public's perception of preachers and televangelists.

The Federal Aviation Administration fined Victoria Osteen $3,000 for interfering with a crew member.

According to an FAA report, Victoria Osteen pushed and elbowed Brown in an attempt to get to the plane's cockpit after two other attendants had not cleaned a liquid on her first-class seat armrest.

Hardin told jurors Victoria Osteen paid the FAA fine not because she was guilty but as a way to conclude the matter and avoid any embarrassment for her church.

Brown had previously claimed she was attacked in another incident by an airport employee, according to a deposition she gave in the case.

Hardin asked that the FAA report's findings not be allowed in the trial, saying the agency's investigation was incomplete.

State District Judge Patricia Hancock said she would make a decision later on the report's fate.

This seems to me to be a waste of the court's time. Maybe Victoria is a bit spoiled by fame but I don't think she would be as "violent" as Sharon Brown claims. Maybe she did get mad. If you have first class tickets, wouldn't you want the seats to be clean and dry? Aren't flight attendants supposed to be trained to handle "problem" passengers? Hemorroids? Think I will say a prayer for the Osteens. They may need some divine intervention.

Yawn, Life Goes On

To say that yesterday I was bored is an understatement. Edouard came and went and the tv stations went on and on and on with "coverage" on what, for the most part, was a non-event. While some areas east of Houston had a little damage we here on the northwest side of the county got just a lot of rain. It rained a lot but because the area was so dry the rain was beneficial. My only irritation was that for about 20 minutes I had no power. That meant I had to re-set the clocks and the tvs. For some reason if the tvs lose power they have to be re-set and the living room tv has to have the color re-set. That is annoying. On the other hand some actors look better with a red tint. Ha. I think there may have been a minor revolt when the news anchor on the ABC channel said they would pre-empt all the afternoon soap-operas. He said they would re-air at 1 am. Well, apparently some people were not happy about that so they only took off one of the shows.

I am glad I was not in Chicago Tuesday night at the Cubs - Astros game. Lance Berkman, our first baseman, was not about to stand on the field during all that lightning. He saw one lightning flash too many and ran for cover. Finally the announcer told the fans to take cover. Then the umpires finally pulled the players off the field. Wonder what they would have done if a fan or player had been struck by lightning?

Now that the storm has gone, reality is back. I saw an astonishing report on GMA this morning about the dangerous amount of plastic in the Pacific Ocean. It has apparently been breaking into smaller and smaller pieces which the fish are eating. Are we eating it? This could be a serious situation. Only time will tell.

On the lighter side, Paris Hilton has responded to the John McCain ad. She made her own campaign ad. She talked about both Obama and McCain. She even discussed her energy policy. Taken with a little dose of humor, she almost made sense. That is really scary.

Well, at least when the next storm comes to our area I have some extra batteries for the radio. I don't really look forward to that if Jimmy is home, our music tastes are a little different. I may just have to go buy a battery for the laptop. Then again, he plays enough poker.

Soggy, Ho-Hum,No Problem - Yet

I guess you could say that things could be worse. Hurricane Dolly did billions of dollars damage. So far Edouard has not been that bad. Some areas are getting a lot of rain and some wind. But for the most part this area has seen worse. All the local tv channels are broadcasting in and around Galveston. Most of the rain is actually needed. There is some ponding on the roads but very little serious conditions. So far. There are some gusts of 40-50 miles an hour, but not here, yet. I -10 has been closed east of Houston for a while. Now there is a posibliity of a tornado watch but that has not been decided yet. Continental cancelled 140 flights at the big airport. Early this morning there were a lot of flight delays.

Though some areas east of Houston are under a flash flood warning. Here I am listening to the soft sounds of a steady rain. As yet we have not felt any wind. But that could change as the day goes on. Traffic is still moving around the area. Apparently the streets around our neighborhood are clear. Most of the rain is falling easy and is what we need. Although the radars all show a lot of yellow and red for heavy rain. Since we need rain it seems to be helping more than hurting the area.

One good thing today is that Lady and Daisy are not pestering me to go out. I can almost read their minds as they have to be thinking "if we stay under the blankets and be real quiet, maybe she won't make us go out."

So most of this is good if not inconvenient. Dress rehearsal for something worse? So far so good. Rain, rain, rain. It is still early in the season. Next time may be another story. Right now I will just enjoy the quiet as the soft rain continues. At least the temperature is down today.

Politics, Elephants, and Fish

I have just about had enough of the tit for tat between the Obama/McCain camps. Every time I see the news there is a debate or commentary about celeb/race cards. Personally I think McCain could have picked better celebs for comparison and Obama did not have to stick the little race knife in either. The media is playing this over and over like an annoying commercial. At least I can grab the remote and change the channel during a commercial to another channel which, with my luck, is airing the very same commercial. Just like the news people are replaying the latest political gaffs. And what is up with those $500 loafers?

And now WalMart, the elephant in the room, is afraid of the little mouse, I mean the Democrats. WalMart has been having mandatory meetings with some of it's store and department managers to incourage employees not to vote for any Democrat, fearing that if the Democrats gain control it will be easier for federal laws to change in favor of unions. WalMart has said this is not good because the dues would be high and people make have to strike and get no benefits. WalMart is the nation's largest company. Are they really worried? How many more days till the election?

At least the aquarium is almost ready. After 42 gallons of water, salt and other treatments, it has settled in nicely. We have some colorfull plants as well as a couple of live plants. Jimmy even had to stick in a "tacky palm tree" in homage to Barry Manilow and Jimmy Buffett, two of my favorite singers. It should be ready for occupation this week-end.

It is still too hot. Then I made the mistake of looking at the weather forcast. For the first time this year the number 100 appeared along with the 96,97, and 98's. And that doesn't include the heat index! That aquarium is starting to look inviting. At least fish don't vote.

Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall

Ninety-nine bottles of beer, well not exactly. Would you believe 35 gallons of water? Well, it is hurricane season. I have been saving these jugs in case we needed water during a hurricane. I had no idea I had accumulated that many. Out of sight and out of mind since I started storing them on the shelves in the laundry room. Maybe they have been breeding at night? Busy little buggers they are. I never thought of how time consuming it is to fill all those gallons of water. And that won't even fill the tank. Jeez. Jimmy said last night he would try to get home early today so that he can work on the aquarium. Ahem, we shall see.

So how come the price of oil is going down? Have we really made that much of a difference? Is this a good sign or a bad sign? Back in the 70's the oil field business was big in Texas. A lot of money was made. People were working for regular wages but made so much that they had big houses, cars and boats. Then the bottom fell out and people lost jobs. I have to wonder...so much for economics of the day.

It is still hot and we could use some rain just to cool us off a little. Probably won't happen. Then again if it does the vegetation around the building will just get higher. Some of it is already at my knees. Wonder what it looks like from Lady and Daisy's view?

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.

Fire Damage

Pictures of our friend Jan's house in Virginia, or what is left of it. This is what $600,000 worth of damage looks like.

You Just Never Know

We have been getting ready to have a visit from our poker friend who lives in Virginia. We have stocked up on good old Texas style food. We also have been thinking of places to show her and things to do. She bought bought us all Astros baseball tickets for Jimmy's birthday.

Jimmy did not play poker much this week-end. When he got on the computer yesterday there was an IM from Jan. Now she won't be able to come visit us because her house burned down Saturday. She and her mother had gone shopping so Jan was not home at the time. The house was a total loss, including her two cats. Six fire-fiighters were hurt fighting the blaze. They were hospitalized, but will be ok. Apparently the fire had started on the patio from a cigarette in an ash tray.The Fire Chief ruled it an accident. She was well insured so everything will be replaced by insurance. She had recently, after tax season bought several hundred dollars in clothes as well as new furniture including patio furniture. All of that was destroyed. Even her plane ticket and the baseball tickets were destroyed.

It just proves that we think we can make plans but you never know how they will work out. Sometimes fate has a hand in our plans. I have been thinking about this ever since we found out.
What if that was our home? You just don't know how fast life can change. One day you are working for a big CPA firm near Washington,DC and living in a beautiful house. You think you have a good life. Then without warning something happens to change your outlook on life. You just never know, you just hope it doesn't happen to you.

Nutty People

I sometimes wonder why people do things. Then again, do they even think about what they do? We have a friend who is a successful CPA near Washington, DC. She and another friend of ours who lives in Alabama decided to take a cruise together. So, while our CPA friend is a single woman, our male friend has a girl friend. Of course as things go, while on the cruise they got drunk one night and well, you know the rest. But wait, it gets worse. After our gal-pal got home she decided to hire a private detective to find the girl friend of the guy! She fully intends to confront the girl friend with the news that the guy hooked up with her while away from his own girl friend! When I heard this, all I could think to say was "aw,come on! Grow up!" I just find it hard to believe that a smart, intelligent woman over 40 would stoop to this. Jeez! Somebody needs to have a chat with this woman.

Then I have to wonder what is up with some of our neighbors.First, I wish I knew which one keeps putting their garbage bags out days before the garbage truck is due to come. Do they really think that animals will not get into those cheap plastic bags? And of course they never pick up the scattered trash. Oh, and then there are a couple of neighbors in the other buildings who have apparently forgotten where the lines are in the parking lots. I went out to walk Daisy this morning and saw three vehicles parked cross-wise across the parking slots. What's up with that? I know that one has recently gotten an SUV so maybe they have not learned to park very well since they back that big thing in, But that doesn't explain the other cars and why they are taking up extra spaces. Maybe someone should tell them?

And the really funny, sort of, thing is that apparently our landlady sent someone out to trim some of the shrubs. While that is good, they left all the cut off branches right where they fell. They did not pick them up. Plus they did not even trim all the shrubs and only did a half ass job on others. Who is going to clean up that mess? I guess some people need constant supervision or training. I wonder how long those branches will stay where they are? Maybe they think the guy who mows and weed-eats will pick up the mess. Ha! Not gonna happen. They don't pick up their mess either!

I sure hope the Jehovah's Witnesses who descended on the neighborhood this morning enjoy walking in this heat. I ran into them before 9:00 am and it was already hot and humid. Maybe I should offer them a shower with a hose?

Gotta Love A Prodigal Son

As soap operas go the misled character returns to the family after discovering he was mis-led. So enters my son, home again, a little worse for wear. After getting a transfer to Odessa and moving all his worldly possessions there to be with the mother of the "child", he discovered the plot. Just imagine the crushing blow when he discovered there would be no child. Pack up the truck and get the Hell out of Odessa! Ten miles to the gallon? Talk about a long trip. Now on the way back, he has to think about where he will work when he gets back. At least he was assured of a home with Amanda.

We all had dinner together Sunday. Looking a little worse for the wear and tear of frustration, I had to give him a hug. Then I could not resist giving him a smack on the back of the head ala Jethro Gibbs to Tony DiNozzo on "NCIS". Did he learn anything? He says he did. He also described how Heather's son acted while he was there. That boy will end up being a problem for a lot of people in the future. But hopefully that soap opera will be on another channel.

Timing is everything so I have heard. Now that Pat is back in town, he could not wait to go see the girl he was with after he broke up with Heather the first time. Scorecard anyone? Pat & Heather, Pat & the new girl, then back to Heather, now back to the new girl. While do I feel dizzy? Well, at least he got a job with a company who wanted to hire him away from his old job a long time ago.

So, on he goes to the next chapter. Wonder what the writers have in store for this part of the never ending soap opera? Stay tuned, next week, next month, next year? After all, soap operas never die,but the ratings might. For now to quote Ty Pennington at the end of each "Extreme Makeover-Home Edition" Welcome Home Pat, welcome home.

As My Stomach Churns, Churns On

When last we left the family soap opera, we had discovered that Pat was planning a move to Odessa to be with his "pregnant" ex-girlfriend. We are doing this for the sake of the baby. Ok, have a nice life but we don't have a good feeling about this. We don't support this decision. Of course, as soaps go, this split the family. All our children could not understand our feelings.

I continued to have conflicting feelings about not only the move to Odessa but the whole situation. I kept thinking something was a little off. A ghostly voice kept trying to get my attention. Like Adam's struggle with the ghost of Dixie on "All My Children" my instinct kept waving a red flag in my mind. I had always thought things just seemed wrong. My thoughts and prayers were always with Pat. I knew this would not end well. Staying together for the sake of children is not always a good idea. I know this from personal experience.

Yet I continued to think about them, hoping that he would be ok. Earlier this week, in the middle of my morning shower, I had a strange thought go through my mind. I could not explain this with any kind of logic. I was thinking about Pat's girlfriend's pregnancy. I thought about how far along she might be, then poof. Something told me "not going to happen". It was an odd feeling which I could not shake.

Yesterday Amanda called me. The first words out of her mouth were"Are you sitting down?" My mind's eye saw another bomb about to drop. Then she told me the news that Pat was going to come back to Houston because he had been misled. There was no pregnancy. Just as in a soap opera, the girlfriend had fabricated the pregnancy. Where have I seen this story line before? Amanda told me that she had called Heather to find out how she was doing and if she had found out what the sex of the baby was. As the conversation continued, Amanda soon figured out that something was not ringing true. First there had not been any doctor visits. No doctor visits mean no sonograms either. Then as the story went, Heather explained that she miscarried. Once again, no medical check. At the approximate number of weeks pregnancy she would have been, a doctor would have to have been consulted. So as the warning bells began to go off in Amanda's head, she figured out the plot.

So now Pat is planning to move back here, probably this week-end. Will he be able to get his old job back? Probably not. Thanks Heather. I wonder how much time and money he had to invest in this move to Odessa and the presumed baby, only to discover this fraud. And so the Young and Restless must wrestle with more of the Days of Our Lives. I knew that the hour glass would run out of sand soon. And so it goes, yet another chapter...

Protecting Worship

There was a seminar here in Houston the other day which discussed security issues. This was not a police department or retail company seminar. This seminar was about security for churches and pastors. I found this a little disturbing. To think that when we go to a place of worship we have to worry that someone may try to harm the people attending a service or the minister is sad.

The people attending the seminar talked about the different layers of protection now in use at churches. Most of us will never see the layers of protection. There are security people undercover in plain clothes outside and inside. Some carry guns and others don't. Some pastors, especially high profile ones, have body guards. This is something we did not have in the past. But apparently these days with some many ministers having televised church services virtually worldwide and many writing books, they need protection. Along with this come the need to keep the worshipers safe too. Going to a place of worship once was a source of comfort. Now in some places we may wonder where is the security detail?

There once was a time when you might drop by a church and say hello to a caretaker or maybe a guard walking the parking lot. Some times you could walk inside, sit down and be alone with your thoughts and God. In some places the doors are locked. You can still worship at the regular scheduled times. Just say a prayer for the security team.

Wearing Armour, Ready to Support the Quest

I think I am ready. Let's see, I have my armour and my defenses set. This is going to be a diffficult quest. It is not the first time we have sought this Grail and it may not be the last. But we are going to try again. Friday Jimmy bought some anti-smoking lozenges. Saturday he began this long difficult journey to fight the good fight and become smoke free.

Today is the start of the fourth day. Yesterday was a fight. According to the directions he should only need nine lozenges but he used ten. I don't know how the day went, but with the enemies all around, he fought hard. It doesn't help when people who work around him are sometimes idiots who do stupid things.

So far I have stayed out of the line of fire for the most part. I had to put my shield up a couple of times Sunday. I had to remember the point of the quest. Help Jimmy stop smoking. He seemed a little down last night, but he did not smoke. So far so good.

Only time will tell. With all the obstacles standing in the way Jimmy will have a tough fight ahead. It is too soon to even be able to see the Grail in the distance. Fog still shrouds the path. But I have my armour ready to ward off the arrows of failure. Each day will be another battle. Onward to the quest for the Grail of a smoke free life.

Motherhood

Sunday is Mother's Day. Do mothers really pay attention to all those commercials?The commercials are so annoying. How is a one year old going to pay for a diamond necklace? Why do the "mothers" look so beautiful? Try being beautiful when your kid has been throwing up all night. Or when you have been up late waiting for your teen to come home late again. Rather than all the stuff the commercials are pushing I liked the little things my kids made or bought without a commercial suggestion.I used to love the creations that my kids made in grammer school. I often wondered what their teachers got from their kids. We, as children, don't always appreciate our parents. I can't even count the times I heard my kids bemoan their fate by saying "Aw, Mom..." Sometimes we, as mothers, wonder will they ever grow up? Or we find ourselves saying that famous Erma Bombeck line, "Just wait till you have kids of your own!"

Motherhood is not easy. I have heard it said that it is punishment for a few minutes of "pleasure". After that, it is a life long struggle. We watch children grow and learn. We hope that we have been good examples for them. I've heard them say "Thanks Mom" or "I hate you" so many times. Occasionally I even heard "I'm sorry" or "You were right". At that point I wondered who those kids were, cause they could not be mine. Jimmy's Aunt Pat once said that when they are little, they walk on your feet, when they are older they walk on your heart. I have always thought that was a very insightful statement.

I always felt that I never measured up to my mother's standards. She had a very high IQ but she never finished college. What ever she tried seemed to be perfect, at least to me. She made most of my clothes from the time I was little to high school. I was one of the best dressed girls in high school thanks to her. She sang with Les Brown in the early 1940's. I can't sing. When I was in grammer school she to up art to help her quit smoking. Her paintings hang on my walls. Too bad my son who inherited her artistic talent, never uses it. In her mid forties she and my Dad decided to take up golf. She was pretty good. I enjoyed playing with both of them. She was a forward thinking woman, always ahead of her time. I often wonder what she would have thought of her grandchildren had she met them.

I was 22 years old when my mother died of ovarian cancer. For several years we had not really agreed on much. But we made our peace. Funny how teens or young adults would rather not discuss anything with their mother. It's always a fight. She doesn't like anything I do, we think. It is often later when we look back and wish we could talk to her. Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I miss you.

Is Texas Sinking?

Look out below! Part of Texas is sinking! Well, not exactly but there is a massive sinkhole which is causing some excitment and concern in Daisetta, Tx, a small town about 60 miles northeast of Houston. Over night it has swallowed oilfield equipment, telephone poles and even a tractor. So far it has not threatened the town however. Officials are trying to figure out how it happened. It may have been caused becaus of an old salt dome where oil brine and natural gas are stored underground. The town of Daisetta sits on top of a salt dome which is common trap for oil. Sink holes are supposed to be rare but geologists from are studying the situation. Tv stations from various cities have come to the small town of about 1,000 people to keep watch over the sink hole as it continues to expand. So much for the once booming oil industry in Daisetta. Every few hours the local authorites hold press conferences to talk about it. Even CNN has picked up the feed showing the hole getting bigger.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL9IPy74KII# So far it has continued to grow and get bigger. Just wait until it starts swallowing barns, reporters, helicopters and what ever it wants to eat.

Spring?

I thought this was supposed to be the spring season. We finally got a good rain the other day. Our area had very little rain for a while. Now the flowers and plants have perked up. I like springtime. It is a kind of a renewal ritual. Everything starts blooming and turning green. The again the grass, or in our case, the weeds go wild. We have nice temperatures so we don't have to use the heater or air conditioner too much. Sadly, I think spring is just about to leave here. All the local weather forcasters have dire predictions for this weekend. The last couple of days the humidity has returned. If you life in Houston, humidity is always a problem. Bad hair days are a problem. But now we hear that by this Thursday, Friday and Saturday we will flirt with record high temperatures. The record temperatures for these upcoming dates are from 92 to 94. Add the heat index to those and we could be feeling like it is over 100 degrees. Ugh! What happened to spring?? It is not summer yet, right? Well, there goes the nice cool breeze. Anyone for a little sauna time? Ah yes, here we go again, say goodby to spring and hello to summer. It is not even June yet.

Park That Call

Have you ever tried to park a phone call? Is it as much trouble as it is for some people to parallel park a car? I have heard a lot of operators answer the phone. Most of the time I hear them say, "How may I direct your call". That is a lot to say when someone is in a hurry. But I have never heard anyone direct a call by announcing, "Mr. Smith, you have a call parked on 101". Why would someone want their operators to say that? Would it not be easier to say"Mr. Smith, line 101" or "Mr. Smith, you have a call on line 101"? Even in airports you can hear an operator tell someone to "Please pick up the white courtesy phone for a call". In the really old days hotels would have people announce "Paging Mr. Smith". Mr. Smith was usually having dinner in the dining room. When he answered his page, someone would bring him a phone. At least that is what we always see in the old movies.

I know that this is not of any earth shattering importance but I just found the thought of parking a phone call a little funny. I hope the operator remembered to put the "parking brake" on. Does someone have to put change in the meter? If Mr. Smith does not answer the call parked on line 101 within a certain amount of time, does he get a parking ticket? What happens if the caller gets tired of being "parked", hang up?

What's That? A White Convertible?

Ah, just the sight of it sitting in the parking lot brings a smile to my face. Too bad it is now really dirty and even has some grease on the sides. How am I going to get that off? That car really needs a bath or two. After over two months of being car-less, just the fact that it sits there at my disposal makes me feel better. Now I guess I will have to get the oil changed since it has been driven all over Houston. Jimmy is very happy to have his truck back. I have never seen a person crawl into a car, but that is how he gets in. At least I won't have to listen to him complain anymore.

I guess his buddies will be glad they don't have to listen to him complain, either. For weeks they have been trying to get it repaired. When the bracket that holds the power steering pump broke. they had to weld it back together. He was lucky that he was near a parking lot when it broke. They were able to spot weld it together so that he could get back to the office. Then the fun began. They had to take off just about everything from the air filter, to the power steering, alternator, a/c and all the belts to get to the bracket to repair it. That was a major operation. Bolts, nuts, hoses, and other stuff everywhere. Somethings were easy to take off but others were a real pain. Then who knew how hard it would be to get it back together. Getting together at the same time on the weekends was the hard part. Marvin would tell Jimmy to call him, then he would not answer the phone. Or Jimmy would be busy. Then it would rain. Finally, crunch time. The truck was due for inspection at the end of April and needed at least two tires. So, they finally got it back together late Wednesday, but it was too late to get tires or an inspection. So yesterday he got home early enough to get tires and the inspection. Yipee! I don't know who is happier. Our poor car had tools and stuff in the trunk and stuff inside the car. What a mess. So this morning we got all his stuff out of the car and threw it into the truck. My baby is back! Poor thing, a Trans Am is just not a good work truck.

Now I can run my errands early in the day instead of having to wait until late afternoon when the traffic is a mess. I hate standing in line for things. Now if we can just get it cleaned up. I wonder what would be good to get the grease off the sides. Now I am going to have to find some kind of white or clear tape to hold together the edges of the convertible top to keep them from tearing more than they already have. That has been a problem since we don't have covered parking. Oh well. At least I have transportation again. On the other hand there is still one mystery. When they finished putting things back together, one long bolt is left over. They have no idea where it was supposed to go. Hum...

Roger, Roger, Roger Tisk, Tisk

Some people just don't know when to quit. They say something and before they know it things have gotten out of hand. Well, why didn't Rusty Hardin, Roger Clemens attorney, tell him to shut up? Of course Roger has an ego the size of Texas so I guess it is hard to tell him anything.

Of course he had a bad case of foot in mouth disease when the steroid use story came out. Even his best buddy Andy Pettite has distanced himself from Roger. Yet Clemens is still pursuing a defamation suit against his former trainer Brian McNamee. I have to wonder how Roger's wife Debbie must have felt when he said she used HGH for a photo shoot. I know what I would have said. It would not be pretty.

Now the saga is getting even more muddy. The New York Daily News reported that Clemens had a long time affair with country singer Mindy McCready. She says it was a decade long affair. Clemens' mouth piece, I mean lawyer, says nothing happened. The Clemens family has been friends with the singer for years. Uh, Debbie? Uh...anything you want to say?

Satchel Paige once said, "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you." Well, does Roger hear footsteps? Now there is a story linking Clemens with golfer John Daly's ex-wife Paulette. She says the two have been long time friends and did not deny any allegations. Hey Debbie, are you hiding under a rock? What about the kids?

How many more people (women) will hop on the beat up Clemens bandwagon? I don't really care. I just hate to see this happen. No body really cares about the fall from grace of Barry Bonds who is one of , if not the greatest hitter of this era, but some baseball fans are shaking their heads when they look at how far and fast Roger Clemens has fallen. I guess that"something" Satchel Paige talked about caught up to Clemens. That spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame is fading fast. Run for cover Debbie, it might get ugly out there.