I refuse.....

to get sick!! With this crazy weather the last few weeks (one day it is 28 degrees and snowing, the next it is 80 degrees) it seems like everybody I come in contact with has a cold or the flu. I am the only one left at work that has managed to escape it. I have washed and sanitized my hands so many times lately that I think the skin is about to fall off! Just a couple more hours here at work and I am free for two whole weeks! Yippee!!!

Mean people suck!!!

To the classy lady who gave me the finger today as she was trying to get on the highway..... please familiarize yourself with this useful bit of info taken from the state driver's handbook.

MERGING, PASSING, AND ENTERING TRAFFIC Whenever you enter traffic, signal and be sure you have enough room to enter safely. You have to share space with traffic already on the road and must know how much space you need to:
Merge with traffic
Cross or enter traffic
Pass other cars
Enter the freeway at or near the speed of traffic. (Remember that the maximum speed allowed is 65 mph on most freeways.) Do not stop before merging with freeway traffic unless absolutely necessary. Freeway traffic has the right of way. , <-----Very important part!!!
Don't try to squeeze into a gap that is too small. Leave yourself a big enough space cushion
Watch for vehicles around you. Use your mirrors and turn signals. Turn your head to look quickly to the side before changing lanes. Leave three seconds of space between you and the vehicle ahead. Make sure you can stop safely if you must.
If you have to cross several lanes, take them one at a time. Filter through traffic slowly. If you stop to wait until all lanes are clear, you will tie up traffic and may cause an accident
DO NOT HONK JUST BECAUSE THE THRU TRAFFIC IS HEAVY. WAIT FOR YOUR TURN AS THE THRU TRAFFIC HAS RIGHT-OF-WAY . <------ Again, very important, please read.

Just to clarify a few things for you so that the next time you don't piss off the wrong person. Did you really think that it was my responsibility to come to a complete stop in 65 mph traffic to allow you to merge in front of me? I was nice enough to slow down enough to allow you to smoothly merge in with the flow of traffic but you chose to drive at a pace that matched mine and you were running out of on ramp. Perhaps if you had attempted to speed up just a little, I would not have had to of sped up myself at the last second to avoid having you run into me. It is your job to get yourself onto the highway .....I had the right of way and offered you plenty of opportunity to get on without incident. The honking and the little one fingered wave that you gave me? Very nice!! I especially like how you pulled up beside me further on down the road and rolled down your window so that you could "wave" at me some more and call me a stupid bitch. I am sure that the 6 or 7 year old child that you had sitting with you in the front seat was proud to have such a brave, smart mommy. I was happy to wave back at you and call out your name. Did I get your name right? I thought I recognized you as "Dumbass fucktard" so if you did not hear me clearly when I called out to you, that is who I thought you were. Have a nice day!!!!!

Just want to clear something up

I don't want to come across as completely bitchy but there is something hat I need to get of my chest. Dear friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and anybody that I come across on a day to day basis that might somehow feel the need to one day present me with a gift for some reason or another................ PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DON"T BUY ME ANYTHING HORSE RELATED OR ANY TYPE OF BATH PRODUCT!!!!!! Oh my...... I feel so much better now! If you have been reading this blog for very long, you probably already know about my hatred towards receiving any type of bath soap, bubble bath, lotion, perfume, etc... as a gift. Unless you know that it is a brand that I use regularly... don't give it to me!!! This all started back in kindergarten with the Tinkerbell sets from the 70's. I know I sound like a horrible bitch but I just can't stand the stuff and I have extremely sensitive skin so buying this stuff for me is just a big waste of money.

Now, the horse topic. Just because my family raises horses and my mom and sister are into them. I DO NOT PARTICULARLY CARE FOR THEM!!!!! They are not my thing and I don't know why people seem to think they are . I have received enough horse related gifts over the years to gift a small nation. Please no more horsey gifts.

I am not hard to shop for and if you really want to gift me with something and have no idea of what I might like (which would only be because you have bad listening skills because I am pretty vocal about what I like and don't like) then make a donation to a wonderful charity in my name like the Ronald McDonald House or something

Again, I don't mean to sound like a total bitch but I just can't keep up with the charade any longer. :)

3 things......

that are really pissing me off at the moment...

1. The weather- In the last week it has snowed, rained, sleeted, been 79 degrees, been 28 degrees, and been so windy that nothing will stay attached to the ground. Yesterday it was in the mid 70's... today I wake up to howling wind outside my window, it is 38 degrees and falling, and it is raining... very cold rain I might add. AacK!!!!!

2. Christmas lights- Why is it that every strand I put up seems to have issues? I am ready to throw it all in the trash!!!

3. The Gap/Banana Republic/ Old Navy website--- could the thing be any slower? It is always a very slow website but it is really slow right now. And why can't the programmer that designed the site make it easy to check the status of your shipment? It should not take 15 steps just to figure out where your package is.

4. The dude who lied to me- I really thought he was a better person than that. Jeez was I stupid!!!

Thanks for letting me vent!!!

Ha!

Sadly, it does not take much to amuse me..... Some people have way too much time on their hands....

Late for the party.....

Apparently I have been living under a rock or something. Am I the only one in this fashion conscious world that did not know about this place? Jeesh!!! I have been a big fan of Zappos.com for years and years. You can't beat the selection, size availability, free shipping, free returns, and all the bells and whistles that you find on their site. I used to find fantastic deals on shoes there and I happily pressed the "add to cart" button with enthusiastic glee. Awhile back I noticed that they did not have too much on sale anymore. The shoes I wanted were still $100 or more with out a sale price in sight. Bummer! No more big deliveries of shoes for me at those prices.

I have been needing a new pair of shoes for work and I have been dreading looking for them since 1. I am in penny pinching mode and the brand I was looking for starts at about $120 a pair (comfort is not cheap people!!) 2. I have size 10 feet. You can't find size 10 in just any store. They are always sold out or they are exceptionally ugly. 3. The nearest DSW is 1 hour away. So, I decide to check out my options online...... Zappos, Piperlime, Grapevine Hill, Shoes.com, Gotham City...... all too expensive or nothing that I like until... dum da da dummmmmm! I stumble onto 6 pm.com. The prices! The selection! Total heaven!!! I suddenly start to realize that this place looks an awful lot like Zappos.com, only without all the extras. I do a little research on the web and smack me upside the head... they are part of the same company! So this is where all my little bargains have been sent to.... I can't believe I have found this place!!!!!!

I bought 7 pairs for what 2 and a half pairs would have cost me somewhere else. This could be dangerous. I must...... be .......strong!!!!!!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

My weekend in a nutshell...........

The Good- So, I decided it was time to straighten the linen closet (what a fun and exciting life I lead!) since I could never find a matching set of anything. I got everything separated and organized but somehow I was missing about six sets of pillowcases. I have four pillows on my bed (two standard and two king) so everytime I buy a new set of sheets, I have to buy an extra set that matches so that I end up with enough. I must have forgotten to get enough sets at one point. If you know me well enough, you already know that not having the whole pillowcase situation under control is going to be driving me crazy. I figured that if I was completely lucky, I might be able to find some at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for under $20 a set.... big emphasis on the "lucky" part. I like nice things so even though I am "frugal" (most of the time), I was not going to just run on over to Target and buy the first thing I saw. I wanted the good stuff at a good price. Later on that day, I wandered into a Tuesday Morning (the mecca of overpriced sheets and linens) and I stumbled onto a whole display of high thread count (600 count!) pillowcases in every color of the rainbow for $4.99 a set! Score!!!!!! How lucky is this?

The Bad- I have been needing some new workout pants and I had finally found some online at Old Navy and the price was definitely right. $5.99!!!!!!!!!! I am usually not too keen on Old Navy but I had bought a pair of these pants before and the quality and fit was not too bad so I did not hesitate to buy a few pair.... OK, I bought 15 of them... the price was right... so sue me. About 6 hours after I place the order, I get a coupon for 30% off all Old Navy purchases. Crap!!!!

The Ugly- A couple of months ago, I broke down and bought some of those recycled shopping bags to bring into the grocery store so that I could cut back on using plastic bags. I had always thought that the whole idea was kinda stupid and I always questioned the people who lugged them into the store to shop with but I must say that I have enjoyed using them. They are easier to carry, hold more stuff, and are helping the environment. The only trick is to actually remember to bring them into the store. I ended up buying about 15 bags from a particular store that I shall call "Store X." Now, if you are a snob, you probably do not like "Store X" but I really don't care... the bags were sturdy and 50 cents less than those sold elsewhere. So, since I was nowhere near a "Store X" on Sunday, I marched into "Store Y" with my trusty "Store X" bags not thinking a thing about it. When I got to the checkout lane, the assistant manager, yes the assistant manager, came waltzing over and made a rude comment about how I had dared to bring a "Store X" bag into his store. WTF??? He was joking of course but it was in a semi -condescending way. Am I supposed to buy a different set of bags for each store that I am shopping in? Not going to happen people! I pretty much told him that he should be happy that I had chosen to shop there and to shut the hell up. What a jerk!!

What a girl wants....

I don't ask for much (LIAR!!!), but guys, you would be amazed at how much this kind of stuff turns a woman on. Even I can do almost all of the things on this list. You can tell that the article must have been written by a man though, because if a woman had been the one writing the article it would have been 1,001 things instead of just 100. A man who knows how to fix things is definitely cool in my book. :-P

Children Of The Corn

This photo was featured in an article taken from a reputable national woman's magazine that showed different gift suggestions for pre-schoolers. Pre-schoolers.... not tarted up 7th graders!!!! Do these look like any pre-schoolers that you know????? Actually, the more you look at them, they are really kind of freaky looking. They kind of resemble the faces that you get when they morph two celebrities to get an idea of what their children would look like if they ever reproduced.

Gasp! Shock! Amazed!

On November 6th at approximately 5:20 pm... I saw it with my own eyes........ Christmas decorations in somebody's front yard!!!!!! We are talking a full out Christmas extravaganza with no bush, tree or decorateable surface left uncovered. WTH????? What is wrong with these people?!?!? Thanksgiving does not stand a chance.

It never fails....

You would think that I would have learned by now......... if you go out in public looking like crap, there is a 100% chance that you are going to run into someone that you know. After a day of working in the yard, a four hour trip in the car to College Station and back, and cleaning my bathroom..... I made the mistake of thinking that I could get away with a quick trip to Super Target to pick up a few things. I was too tired to take a shower and change my clothes ( I was going to shower and change into my pjs as soon as I got back) so I figured that my flat hair, old capri pants, flip flops, blotchy pale skin (yes, you can be blotchy and pale at the same time!) and ratty old UCLA t-shirt would just have to do.

I was minding my own business, whipping down the aisles and headed toward the front of the store when I made the terrible error of stopping in the kitchen section to see if they had an Egg McMuffin maker (mine stopped working and I was having Egg McMuffin withdrawal.) Alas, no McMuffin maker but Idid find myself face to face with an old co-worker. Unfortunately we made eye contact so I could not exactly "pretend" that I had not seen her. I had to put up with 10 minutes of uncomfortable conversation with her. I knew I looked like hell and she certainly must have been thinking "Boy does she look like crap! Hee! Hee!" I was in total misery!!!! I finally escaped with some lame excuse about having to be somewhere else and got the hell out of there. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Repeat after me... I will not go out in public looking like crap again... I will not go out in public looking like crap again......

Happy Halloween!!

Just want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!!!! It is definitely one of my most favorite holidays since I just love to decorate, dress up, and of course you can't forget all of the Halloween treats. I still don't have a Halloween tree but next year..... I promise. Just a 4 footer and no I am not crazy. I am thinking about this one.... it would do the trick (Get it? Trick? ) quite nicely. All my little Halloween ornaments will just have to stay packed away for one more year....oh well!

Happy haunting everyone!!!!! Oh...... check out these little cake balls... are they not just the cutest things ever???

I'm just here for the cake.

I keep getting invited to home parties. Jewelry, Southern Living, sex toys, lingerie, home decorating crap, children's clothes... you name it. Since I am one of those people who usually can't say no when a friend asks me a favor, I end up going and hating every minute of it. I always tell people that invite me to these things that even though I will agree to go, they should not expect me to buy anything (hey, might as well be up front about it.....they are just looking for a warm body to sit in a chair so that they can get credit for having "x" amount of people there anyway.) I usually tell them that I am on a strict budget and that I am saving up for a big purchase, trip, etc... and that I don't really have any spare money just sitting around at the moment. Just being honest... if I bought something at every one of these parties..... I would have one foot in the poorhouse. I am probably getting a reputation as the "cheap friend" but come on.... the items they are pushing are way overpriced. I can find the same stuff at the local mall any day of the week at a fraction of the price.



This weekend it was another Southern Living party. Now don't get me wrong, I love Southern Living, and their products were decent (though way overpriced)... but I really did not need any of it. These women were acting like it was the best stuff ever and they could not pull out their credit cards fast enough to pay for it. I just don't get it... do they really like the stuff or are they just trying to impress their friends? How about the sex toy and lingerie parties? If I was in the market for any of this stuff, I would not want any of my friends to know. "Gee, Courtney... did you get the Long Dong Schlong or the Rabbit deluxe?" I have the hardest time keeping a straight face at these things. You have a room full of "Stepford wife" type women oohing and ahhing over the latest pleasure toys and slutty lingerie. You can't not laugh at one of these things as the sales rep is waving around a giant rubber dildo. Ah... good times.

Long, L-O-N-G day.

I am so sleepy. I had to trek way across town through the horrible Houston I-10 construction to a training class. I get there, find the training room, and wait..... and wait, and wait. Finally the class gets started (we need this certification class to have access to the new computer system in a couple of weeks) and then half way through the certificate exam....... the computers crash...... so typical. The instructor tells us we can wait around and see if they can get the program up and running again or we can leave and re-schedule another class time. Hell no am I coming back.

I stick around and the instructor finally gets the program running again but while she was fiddling with my computer, she advanced the questions and answered a question incorrectly. Crap! I just flew through the rest of the test because I was afraid the thing was going to crash again before I finished. I can honestly say that I did not learn a thing and that the class had nothing to do with my department. I passed with a 98 (I would have had a 99 if she had not have messed me up) so thank God I don't have to go back there.

I made it back across town in record time and stopped at the convention center (I live in a small town so the convention center is actually an old bank) and voted. Yea!! Now I don't have to worry about that. Every time I vote they have a different type of voting machine. This one was kind of strange with a computer screen and a big dial that you kept on turning until it landed on the name that you wanted to choose. Kind of like "Spin the wheel, make a deal." Totally odd! At least I voted which is a big weight off my shoulders. Whatever happens in this election is up to fate. I believe it will all work out in the end..... no matter who wins. Karma is a bitch.

Could it even be possible.....

for just a few more of my friends and co-workers to announce that they are engaged? And what is up with all the babies? Three people I know have had children in the last month and a half. Me? Bitter...? Ummmmmmm.... just a tad....... AHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I love Lucy!!

Voted one of the top toys for this holiday season (according to Esquire magazine.) The monster factory has some really adorable gifts for both kids and kids at heart. I love them and I am usually not a fan of stuffed animals. Cute! Cute! Cute!

Check....Check 1...2... Check....

Yep...... this thing is apparently still on. I actually got an email from someone asking me where I have been. Well, I have been around....just have not had much to say lately and I have been a little busy at work I guess. I have just been in some kind of funk which is so not me. I don't know if it is just that time of the year, all the gloom and doom in the media or what. Laura has just not been a very fun girl lately. Bleh!
Hopefully things will pick up soon and I will be back to my old, fun, self. I think maybe I need to take a trip somewhere or do something crazy and fun. Any ideas????? Looks like tonight I am staying in and I have a date will the finale of Project Runway. How sad is it that I even plan on watching it live and not on Tivo? Arghhhhhhh!

Hair disaster 2008.... Yikes!!!!!!

Last Thursday I finally got around to trimming the ends of my hair. After I was done, I somehow got the bright idea to deep condition my hair hair as well. I had nothing else better to do so I grabbed what I thought was the container of hair masque off of the shelf and started slathering it all over my head. I quickly realized that I had grabbed the wrong tub and had applied (half a tub!!!) of a heavy duty olive oil treatment ( Warning!!! Do not apply to wet hair...oops!, use sparingly on the tips of hair only... double oops!) to my hair instead. At this point I figured that the damage was already done so I applied a little more just to finish the job (more is always better right?), put on a plastic shower cap, and wrapped my whole head in a towel. I then crashed on my bed and decided to watch a little TV while I waited for it to soak in figuring I would rinse it out in about 20-30 minutes.

I woke up about three hours later in one of those "where am I?" type of semi-conscious states and I quickly realized that the towel was sliding off my head and that something greasy was dripping down my neck. I jumped in the shower (after staggering around the room for a minute...still half asleep) and applied shampoo to my head hoping to get the stuff off quickly when I realized that something was VERY wrong. My hair was so greasy that the shampoo would not even lather. Crap!!!!!! I ended up washing my hair 7 times and the oil was not budging off my head. My hair felt like it weighed a ton and it was just kinda hanging there like limp seaweed. After the initial moment of panic that I might have really fucked up my hair, I calmed down and tried to think of what I could use to cut the grease since the shampoo was not doing the trick. I finally decided to try some dish soap....... hey, if it works on greasy pots, why not the oil slick on my head?

Lets just say that the dish soap did not help my grease problem but it did strip all the natural oils out of my hair and I was left with what felt like greasy straw for hair. Great! Now my hair is totally screwed!!!! I jumped back in the shower and tried some more shampoo and even some conditioner because the steel wool texture of my hair was really beginning to scare me. I finally admitted defeat and decided that hopefully a couple more washings in the morning shower before work would help. Since I never go to bed with wet hair, having been threatened by my grandmother many years ago over the horrible things (Pneumonia, sore throat, death) that could strike me down if I did..... I decided that I had better dry my hair before getting into bed. Second lesson learned of the evening..... you can't "dry" oily hair. I finally gave up and went to bed with semi-moist, clumpy, oily, dreadlocks.

The next morning I tried washing my hair again..... about 7 more times. The oiliness had subsided just a little bit.... at least I was able to get some lather going.... but the texture was still strange and it still kind of hung there in clumps. My hair looked like total crap but hey, at least it was clean! I did manage to get it mostly dry, but I looked so bad that I was actually considering calling into work. No way was I going anywhere looking like that! I finally realized that I could not miss work for something so stupid so I managed to get it into a weird version of an updo that still looked horrendous but better than it had.

After slinking around work all day, trying to avoid human contact, I did some research online and decided that apple cider vinegar should be my next course of action. As soon as I got home, I jumped in the shower and tried rinsing my hair with a diluted vinegar mixture. God the stuff stunk!!! At one point I got it in my eyes and holy hell did that stuff burn! Great... now I was going to have hideous hair and be blind! The vinegar was working somewhat so I just decided to dump the remainder of the pure vinegar on my hair and hope for the best.
After drying my hair for what seemed like an eternity, my hair was almost 75% oil free. The top and sides were not too bad but the back was still dreadfully greasy. The worst part was the smell. I smelled like an Easter egg! Gross!!! By Monday, most of the oil was gone and my hair had returned to a semi-normal state...except for the smell. The best way that I could describe it was a soured mop. Not what you want your hair to smell like but at least it looked OK.

It has now been exactly a week since the incident and the smell is gone. Here is the crazy part....... my hair looks super terrific!!!! It is bouncy, shiny, soft, frizz-free, and looks totally healthy. I guess the olive oil stuff worked after all...... but hell no am I going through all that crap again! Ever!!!!!!

Back On Track

Things are finally settling down around here. The property is still a mess but I am working on it. By the time I get home from work, there is not much daylight left to get things done, so it is going to take awhile to get things back in shape. Oh well........ What can I say about the hurricane? We survived and did not really lose much. The wind was incredible. It clocked in around 89mph out where we live on the far northwest side of Houston. Lots of damaged trees, some roof damage, and a small leak in my bedroom. The structures that I was worried about (greenhouse, pond cover, and the pool area) did not receive a scratch on them. We were just lucky that the pond cover was sheltered by the house and that the wind was coming from the opposite direction because that thing would have probably taken flight at 40mph and they are not easy to replace at this time of the year.

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning and they were joking about how the city was now probably back in the running for first place in the nation's fattest city rankings after hurricane Ike because all anyone did the entire time was eat. We only lost power for a day and we have two generators that kept things going but lots of people called in saying they were trying to eat everything in their fridge before it spoiled (honey, you HAVE to eat that gallon of ice cream RIGHT NOW!!!!) I certainly contributed my share of eating though. I am sure it was just stress and boredom because I was eating things that I never eat and things that I am not even fond of. M&M's (one of those huge Sam's size bags), Doritos, Twizzlers, soda (I never drink soda!!!!), Hawaiian Punch (WTF?! I hate Hawaiian Punch!), Rice Crispie treats, cookie dough. I was on a complete sugar high and I gained 5 pounds! 5 pounds! Crap!
I managed to get off of the sugar train and have lost 3 of the pounds so at least things are almost back to normal. I was completely out of control!

They started letting people back out onto Galveston and the other islands yesterday so that they can assess the damage and start the cleanup. I do feel for those people and hope that they can get back on with their lives quickly and that those who lost everything can somehow get back on their feet.

Survived the hurricane....

We are all OK but there is a lot of cleanup to be done. Hurricane Ike hit us pretty hard but we are very fortunate that everything is still standing (for the most part) and that most of the damage was just minor exterior stuff and lots of fallen trees and limbs. It is going to take us awhile to get things back in order so I will be back online in about a week and catch up with everybody then. Hope everyone is doing well!!!!

9-11-2001

Even with all the horrible stresses and last minute prep for this damn hurricane that is about to hit us hard here in Houston, my mind has still been on the anniversary of the unbelievable tragedies that occurred on 9/11. I was fortunate that as far as I am aware of, nobody that I personally knew lost their lives that day. My uncle had a small office in one of the Trade Center buildings, but he was not there that day. He did lose a few employees though which is just heartbreaking. What can you say about all the death and destruction that occurred that day? It is not something that words or sympathy can ever repair but it is very important to keep those memories alive in our minds and to be aware how fragile life really is and how we should not take even the little joys in our day to day life for granted.
One of the big questions that always gets brought up on this day is where were you when you first heard the news? I was alone in my car with my dog, cat, and a back seat filled with all of the stuff that would not fit in the moving van. Not a good day to pick to move across the state to a new house. The cell phone lines were overloaded so I could not get in touch with family or friends. I did not know where anyone was or what I should do so I just kept on driving down the interstate. All I could do was just listen to the radio and pray that everything would be OK. I remember the roads being almost completely empty..... everybody was afraid to move or go anywhere. Once I made it to the new house, I just remember sitting there on the floor (no furniture, no phone connection, did not know anybody) listening to the portable radio and waiting..............
It is hard to believe that it has been seven years since that day. Where does time go? Even though you cannot change the past, it is important to take all that life has given and taken away from you, and use that knowledge and those experiences to be the best person you can be today and for all your days to come. God Bless America!!!!!

For a minute there, I thought maybe it was just me.....

that had problems with these things.

WTH??? Now.... realize that I am not talking about the simple ones that say "dog" or "cat". I am talking about the ones with crazy squiggles and lines that don't look like a member of any English alphabet or numeric system that I have ever seen. After failing to enter the correct codes on many an occasion or having to hit the refresh button over and over until I can find something that I could identify..... I was actually beginning to be a little concerned that I was either visually impaired, stupid, or possibly dyslexic. However, after a brief and non-scientific survey amongst several of my friends and co-workers.... I have determined that I am not alone. 75% of those surveyed admitted to occasionally having problems solving these things (especially the ones on myspace for some strange reason). So either having problems solving these complicated captcha is a universal problem..... or I just happen to have a bunch of stupid/ blind/ dyslexic friends and co-workers... who knows????

Definition of a captcha---

A CAPTCHA is a type of challenge-response test used in computing to ensure that the response is not generated by a computer. The process involves one computer (a server) asking a user to complete a simple (Simple my ass!) test which the computer is able to generate and grade (apparently I am a failure!!) Because other computers are unable to solve the CAPTCHA, any user entering a correct solution is presumed to be human.( I think that are trying to say that I do not qualify as human?) A common type of CAPTCHA requires that the user type the letters or digits of a distorted image (distorted? Ha!!!! Is that a B or a 3 or maybe an E??)that appears on the screen.
Characteristics A CAPTCHA system is a means of automatically generating new challenges which:
Current software is unable to solve accurately.
Most humans can solve. (Yeah right!!)

Plowed down by an old lady.

I ran into WalMart yesterday to pick up some evaporated milk for a pie I was making for dinner and I had a totally surreal experience. I had the can of milk in my hand and I was walking towards the front of the store when I saw a little old lady in a pink jogging suit. She was at the end of the bread aisle and was picking up a box of those individually wrapped generic cinnamon rolls that are so coated in blinding white frosting that they look lethal. I had always wondered who actually bought that kind of crap and I guess I now know the answer. She was ruffling through the boxes looking for the perfect one (probably the one with the most frosting) when she looked up and gave me the dirtiest death ray look ever. I had never seen her before in my life and yes I may have been staring at her and thinking to myself "lady... those cinnamon rolls may kill you" but I don't think I deserved such a dirty look. I looked away and continued walking on by, hoping to just pay for my milk and get out of there quickly, when I suddenly felt someone come up behind me and nearly run me down. It was the old lady in the jogging suit trying to beat me to the registers!! She actually passed me at a semi-jog and I could tell that it was her intention to get there first. Hell no was I going to let this happen! She noticed that I was overtaking her and she full out cut me off and ran to the nearest express lane. Once she got there, she turned around and gave me "the look"' again. Was this really happening? Was I on a hidden camera show or something? No way was I going to get behind her line so I went to the longer express lane and stood in line. By some miracle of God, the customer in front of me turned around and told me to go ahead of her because she was waiting on her husband. I sailed to the front of the line and was out of there in like 20 seconds. The evil old lady was watching me the whole time and she was still stuck in line because the person in front of her was writing a check. Ha! Take that you mean old lady! I don't know what her deal was but the whole incident was crazy. At least "I won" !!!!!

Attention architecture/remodeling nerds.....

A fantastic read if renovating old houses is your thing. My only complaint is that there were no pictures. Boo!! The house sounds so incredibly amazing and in such a state of disrepair when he first started that I would have loved to have seen what it looked like. I have come across so many houses over the years (mostly dilapidated Victorians) that I would have loved to have gotten my hands on. Maybe someday........

Don't mess with Smokey

Damaged

You know how you like a song... and then somehow something happens that you associate with that song and then suddenly that song is just totally ruined for you??? Here is my ruined song.... it was one of my favorite workout songs until someone showed me this.

Was anyone else......

just waiting for his (Michael Phelps) suit to slip just a little farther down???? I was sure that it was going to be another Janet Jackson type of moment. LOL!

My #1 pet peeve of the moment....

Is........ people who come to work sick and spread their germs to their poor defenseless co-workers. If you have paid sick days.... USE THEM!!!!!!!!! You are not impressing anyone by showing up sick....you are pissing them off!!! I have a co-worker who insists on coming to work while sneezing, coughing, barfing ........ you name it. I have spent this entire weekend in bed coughing, feverish, and partially deaf in one ear (thank God my ear finally "popped" and I can hear again!!) after catching whatever it was that she was spreading. I had big plans this weekend people.... Big Plans!!!! ARGGHHHH! I even caught her at my computer, using my mouse and coughing. WTF?? She has a perfectly good computer of her own on her own desk. Leave my stuff alone if you are sick. How rude!!!! I tried disinfecting everything but apparently the crappy cleaning supplies we have around the office suck. Just venting... carry on!

Sold out!!!

Somehow..... I would probably end up in the emergency room with a scratched cornea if I even attempted to use this. I am not so sure I really want a vibrating wand that close to my eyeball.

Not a good look....

Despite my best efforts to prevent it from happening, it is official........ I have a farmer's tan! I know...I know...how could this be? I never go outside without at least a gallon of SPF 1000 on my arms, neck, and face. Apparently even this is not enough. I am usually the person wearing long sleeves in the heat of the summer to prevent tanning because my arms are getting really freckley (is this even a word?) and it is beginning to concern me a little. This year however I just could not stand the heat and I have been wearing short sleeves. Yesterday...just floating around in the pool.... I look down at my arms and OMG.... a distinct difference of colors was going on about 2 inches above my elbow. How could this be??? Thank God it is only my arms and not my neck. (Insert redneck jokes here folks!) You know how stupid that would look? I am hoping that a good dose of self tanner can remedy the solution.

All I want...

is a roll of lifesavers Butter Rum candy. Why is this so much to ask for???? Apparently you can't just buy a roll of lifesavers on the West side of Houston anymore. I have looked in at least 6 grocery stores, super centers, convenience stores and...Nada! WTH??? All I can find is sugar free gum!!!! The world is going to Hell I tell you!

Note to self.....

I think it would be a good idea to quit drinking a big bottle of water before going to bed. Also, watching episodes of Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunters International, and Psychic Kids: Children of The Paranormal before trying to sleep is probably not such a wise idea either.

Snake Farm!!!!

No, not the one on I-35 that I can't seem to get ANYONE to go with me to visit. Yes, I will admit to really wanting to go there. I am not embarrassed by this fact either. I love big cheesy roadside attractions! They have big snakes there people! Big snakes! The snake farm that I am talking about is the one that I have apparently started in the backyard.

About two months ago, I saw this little guy in the photo slithering across the yard while I was on the riding lawn mower. He was going one way...I was going another... so I really did not think much more about it until a couple of days later when I saw that he had taken up residence in a little pond that I had set up beside the green house. I had planned on getting rid of the little pond and replacing it with something else. Now I am screwed because although I think snakes are interesting and cool (in a kinda creepy and scary way).... I am not about to attempt to relocate the snake...where would I put it anyway?

So the snake has just been living a peaceful and happy life in the little pond. I stare at it when I am walking by...and it stares back. It has gotten bigger and fatter (living on tadpoles) and seems to like it there. A couple of days ago, I walk by and see the snake swimming around, only there is a problem... this snake has the same markings.. but it is smaller....a lot smaller. Babies! Oh crap!!!! Now I have a colony of junior snakes. I will have to figure this situation out. One was doable... but more than one is just not going to fly with me.

Lovehampton

If you are looking for a good chick-lit summer beach read... here is one for you. Lovehampton by Sherri Rifkin. it was a pretty quick read and did not lose my interest at any time. I am not going to bore you with a summary of the book, you can read a review here. The best part of the book to me was the ending... not the actual ending as in "what happens at the end of the story" ending but rather something that the author says. It has to do with relationships and getting to know someone that you think you are in love with.

I have always had the philosophy that before you can say that you are really in love with someone and know that this person is the absolute one for you... you must know them for a full year. I have always called it the "Full Circle" rule.... the author refers to it "the Four Seasons rule" but to me they are the same thing. This means that in order to really know a person, you need to be around that person for an entire year ...Spring, Fall, Winter, Summer, birthdays, holidays... anything that a person goes through on a yearly basis. How many people do you know that have gotten into a relationship and are shocked to find out that "Joe hates Christmas"..."Jen does not believe in Valentine's day"...."Mike does not ever go on vacation in the summer." Trivial stuff I know, but people are strange and are always not what they seem to be.

Anyways, read the book if you are looking for some summer reading material. And keep the full circle rule in mind the next time you meet someone new.

How sad is this?

I am speechless..... Very sad and very weird!!

A Round Of Sonic Cherry Limeades For Everyone...........

well, since it is just me here... I will have to take a swig for everyone....yum..... Cherry limeades make everything better. Crappy day today. I have had just about enough of listening to all of the snarky gossip at work. If they talk this much smack about everyone else in this building.... just what are they saying about me when I am not around???? I am working in the land of "Mean Girls". Must....escape... soon!!

Monday ...again.....

I had a pretty nice weekend. Saturday we all just lazed around... not doing much since it was just too hot. We drove out to Waller to watch the sky divers which was pretty cool. I have never been sky diving and I can't say that I want to rush out there and give it a try or anything.... but it is something I would "consider" trying if the opportunity was there and if I had a good feeling about it. I think I prefer activities on land though.

After the skydiving, we went over to Hempstead and visited Frazier's ( I will take one of everything please) and then on to DiIorio's for some fruit and some more tomato plants. If you want to experience "miserable heat".... try DiIorios.... hot does not even begin to describe the way it feels inside that building.

Sunday was not only Father's Day but also my parent's 40th anniversary. It was nice just getting together with family and friends. My parents did not want anything big as far as celebrations go so we just kept it all casual and fun. Lots of food, swimming, hanging out on the deck, and margaritas. Hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend!!

Please don't call me ever again!!

I have been told many, many times that I sound like a little kid on the phone......today it actually worked to my advantage. I will admit that I am guilty of screening calls. By screening I mean that I will usually let it roll over to voicemail if I don't recognize the number. I will always answer calls from friends and family but I have little patience for telemarketers.....especially when they are calling from overseas and they butcher my name and I can't understand what they want. I could just hang up on them I guess, but that would just be too mean. Everybody has had a crappy job in their lives and I don't want to be the cause of the guy on the phone going postal at work or anything.........



I made the mistake of grabbing the phone on the first ring without looking yesterday and immediately I knew it was someone that I did not want to talk to.
Man on phone- "Hello, my name is William and I am calling regarding traffic and roadway needs (HUH???) in "xxxxxx" county and I would like to ask you a series of questions that would help us to improve tax payer's driving conditions."

Me- "OK"

Man on phone- "So is your mother or father or an adult over 18 that lives in "xxxxxx" county available to participate in this survey?"

Me- What? Is this guy serious? How old does he think I am?.... wait... this may work!!! "Umm.... no, my mom and dad are at work and I really am not supposed to be speaking to strangers......so I better go now."

Man on phone- "Oh, OK thanks!

Sometimes it all works out in the end. :)

I never knew how much I would miss....

tomatoes!!!! I also never realized how many of them I eat. I have a few tomato plants but they can't seem to keep up with my demand. All tomatoes have been removed from the grocery store shelves and very few restaurants are serving them. Mexican food just is not the same without fresh pico de gallo. I am in tomato withdrawal!!!

This kinda scared me a little..... actually alot!

I was driving West on I-10 last night at about 9:30, when something really creepy happened. The highway was pretty empty and I had only about 10 miles to go before my exit. All of the sudden, this big black dually appears right behind me, just inches from my bumper..... I am thinking to myself "Hey asshole, go around me! There is nobody on the road so what is the friggin deal?" I was going about 70 in the slow lane so I don't exactly know what his problem was.

He finally starts to pull around me and he slows down even with my window and he is just staring and smiling at me. What the hell? He could have been anywhere from between 30 to 45 years old and looked fairly "normal." I have no earthly idea who he was. Was he drunk? On crack? Just being an asshole???? He makes some kind of lewd hand gesture and he pulls in front of me and slows down to about 55mph. WTF?????

I then decided it was either go around him or plow into the back of him. As I am passing him he starts honking and smiling and making the "call me sign." Oh crap!! Get the hell away from me you weirdo!!! He of course speeds up and repeats the whole pulling in front of me slowing down process all over again. Why me???????? This goes on several more times and finally as we are approaching my exit....I decide to let him stay in front. I pull off the highway at the last possible second so that he won't know that I am getting off and as soon as he sees me doing this, he does this Dukes of Hazzard maneuver in front of me barely avoiding crashing into the divider. What is this guy doing???????

So, he is still ahead of me as I am approaching the stoplight where I usually turn off to get home. This time I put my turn signal on which of course he sees and he copies. Since he is ahead of me, he turns first and as soon as he has totally committed to the turn.... I haul ass across the intersection going straight. He sees this but since this is a pretty congested area with lots of truck stops and big semis on the road.... he is trapped. Yessss!!!!!!!!!

I take all the back roads the rest of the way home.....speeding just a little (ok... speeding a lot!!) and praying that there will be no cops hanging around to pull me over. I see no sign of this guy the rest of the way home which is a good damn thing because the road to my house is only two lanes wide and there are no street lights and there would be no place to hide.

This whole incident was strange. I honestly have no idea who this guy was and he looked a little too old to be doing this just for fun. I am just going to keep telling myself that it was a case of mistaken identity and he thought I was someone else. Where do I find these freaks and weirdos?!!!??!!! Why???

Energy Vampires

Know any of these? I work with one and she is driving me crazy. Luckily I only have to see her once a week. She makes me feel like crap every time I am around her.... she does not even have to say anything to me to achieve this. Each time I see her, I feel exhausted, mildly depressed, and in a generally pissy mood. I am a good "listener" but I find myself tuning her out in order to not go off on her. I feel sorry for her husband and her son!

Words that should not have come out of my mouth...

in the last 24 hours------

• "Maybe I should cut some bangs." This one actually required an intervention from some friends who talked me out of it... thank God!!!
• "I think I will have just one more frozen blue margarita" Bad idea!!!
• "We can just walk to the restaurant...it is not that far." It was farther then I thought and I was not wearing the appropriate shoes for trekking half way across the world.
• "How hot can that jalapeno be?" I think I ruined my tongue.
• "You look like Jamie Lynn Spears in that photo." Apparently my sister did not think this comparison was funny.

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson

One of my neighbors makes his living making hand carved stringed instruments. Apparently he is very good at it, or at least it appears this way based on the glowing reviews I have found on him when I Google his name. He travels around the country for half of the year going to festivals and conferences to promote his product and drum up sales. Whenever he is actually "home", he always seems to have visitors staying with him ...usually in RVs parked out in his driveway. There had been a "guest" staying at his house for the last week and as I was taking my dog out for a walk yesterday, my neighbor called me over and introduced me to his newest visitor. He told me his name was Tom and that he was my neighbor's roommate in college. He is originally from Malibu but he sold his house there three years ago and now he lives full time in his totally tricked out Airstream trailer. He just travels around the country visiting places that interest him and moving on whenever the urge hits him.

Tom is a fascinating man and a great storyteller. I place his age somewhere between mid 50's to early 60's even though he acts and looks a lot younger. He made a lot of money in the 90's (dot com money I suspect due to some of his comments) and he invested well so he is pretty much able to live as he pleases. He asked me if I would like a tour of his Airstream which at the time sounded like some kind of bad pick-up line but I said yes and I became quickly enamored with his trailer. He has everything that he needs in one little compact area. He told me that it had taken him almost 4 months to gut the trailer and replace everything with all the upgrades that he wanted. He had granite counter tops, top of the line appliances (he told me he loves to cook), a fantastic home or should I say "travel trailer" theater system with amazing sound and a big plasma TV. His bathroom and bedroom were actually pretty roomy and he even had a washer and dryer combo. Now I have been in a lot of RVs in my life since my family owned quite a few during the years that we were doing a lot of traveling for horse shows..... but this set-up was the best I had ever seen. It may not have been the biggest, but it was definitely one of the highest quality.... I was impressed with all the work and thought that he had put into designing it to suit his needs.

I stayed and chatted with him for about and hour.....he was a big flirt and I enjoyed flirting back with him and listening to stories of his travels. Apparently he is on the road for most of the year .....he takes some time off to spend the holidays with his daughter in Maine and then he tries to go someplace out of the country for a bit...his last trip had been to Costa Rica. Fascinating!! I think I detected a hint of loneliness in his voice though. He lost his wife three years ago and I was beginning to think he might possibly need to find a new one (and no I was not volunteering!) Even though it seemed like he has a lot of friends all over the country to visit with.....it must be hard not to have somebody to share your experiences with or just someone to talk to.

After I had said my goodbyes and wished him luck in his travels, I walked back home and started to think about the kind of lifestyle this guy was living. I do envy him the ability to travel and go wherever and whenever he pleases and all the fascinating people and places he must meet... but sometimes you just want to be home.... I mean really home...in your own room..in your own bed...on solid ground with your own trees, plants and flowers surrounding you. I wish him luck and maybe he will come back through Texas sometime...he seems like a great guy!!

I am so looking forward to this long weekend.....

For some strange reason, I am really looking forward to this three day weekend. I have lots of things planned and hopefully everything will fall into place and I will have a fantastic, relaxing good time. I will update on Tuesday when I get back with all the specifics and hopefully some good stories about all the fun that I had.
I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday weekend and is able to take time out to celebrate life with their friends and family and give thanks to all of those who have sacrificed their lives to give us the freedoms that we enjoy and unfortunately sometimes take for granted.

I know this video has nothing whatsoever to do with Memorial Day but I think it is so cute. Love it!!

If only......

This would be a dream to have. I really love a lot of Andy Warhol's work. What a strange and wonderfully fascinating life he had.

Heat wave!!!

It has been so hot here. Crazy hot.... we are talking 99 degrees yesterday and 96 degrees today. I like warm weather and everything but this is ridiculous. It has been so warm here that I have lost three koi in the last two days. One of them was over 20 inches long..... I had had it since it was about two inches in length...very sad. The heat has just come on so fast that there is just not enough oxygen in the pond. I am trying partial water changes on a daily basis to see if this will help. I have three water features but even that is not enough to keep them alive in this heat. RIP little fish.

Yummy!!

Need a good dessert for a dinner party? This is one of my favorites. Total deliciousness!! Don't even worry about the calories, if it is a special occasion....just enjoy...and hit the treadmill hard the next day.

Grilled Banana Splits (serves 4)

4 ripe bananas
8 tsp butter-cut into small pieces
4 TB Brandy
3 cups vanilla ice cream
chocolate sauce
toasted pecans
whipped cream
fresh strawberries
chocolate curls (see video below if you don't know how to make these)

Heat grill to low. Make an incision in the banana through the peel, leaving 1 inch uncut on both ends. Spread open the cut and place 2 tsp of the butter pieces, 1 TB of brown sugar, and 1 TB of the brandy inside.Wrap very loosely in foil and grill about 8-10 minutes until the mixture has melted and bananas are heated through. Transfer the bananas into individual serving dishes, carefully flipping the bananas over and pouring the sauce into the bottom of the dish. Peel of skins and top bananas with ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream, toasted pecans, and chocolate curls. garnish with strawberries. Enjoy!!

Living in the clouds...... no more 365 I quit!!! :)

^^^^I would love this in my backyard!!^^^^^

Our neighbors tore down their kid's tree house yesterday. It was nothing spectacular... just a few boards nailed to a tree, with a rickety roof, and some questionable stairs. Those kids were lucky..... I never had a tree house as a child, but I would have loved one.

My cousin stayed in a tree house hotel in Costa Rica when she went on her honeymoon. She apparently had a fantastic time there because she plans on going back next year. Judging by the pictures that she took while she was there... the tree house she stayed in was pretty high up in the air... we are talking "nose bleed" high up in the air. It looked like fun though, although it might have been a little bit scary in a big storm.

Tree house hotels. The one near Mount Rainier is supposed to be excellent .... Oprah says so!!! :) I can imagine the views must be pretty spectacular.

Well, I made it to day 22 on the 365 thing. I am generally not a quitter at anything... but this is getting too hard to keep up with. I will go back to posting just a couple of times a week.

Double Vision 21/365

When I opened the mailbox today, I was delighted to find no bills (yea!) but in its place was a stack of magazines. I started pulling them out one by one only to discover that I had somehow ended up with two of the same one. Now, our mail lady is not exactly the most dependable person. Sometimes she does not show up until 9 o'clock at night (what the heck has she been doing? Hitting the bars with our mail in the back of her jeep?) and occasionally she just does not show up period. Ah... small town post offices....gotta love them.

After careful examination...I discovered that both issues were addressed to me...and both had the same account number. Big screw up at INSTYLE I guess. Not surprised though. I am at the point that I will no longer even question this stuff.... unless it happens again next month.

I have been having the worst craving all day for one of these salads. I love them!!! I don't know if it is the tangy dressing or the crunchy noodles that I am addicted to but I NEED ONE NOW!!!! Unfortunately the closest place that sells them is the Super Target in Katy which is a good 25 minutes away. I am trying to decide just how much I really want one. Am I crazy enough to drive all the way over there for a bag of salad? Probably...........

Drive time 20/365

I usually listen to the radio in the car on the way to work....at full blast....singing the words to the songs that I know and making them up when I don't. Lately, I have been giving the books on tape thing a try. I figure I spend about 45 minutes driving back and forth to work each day so hey....... great time to listen to a book.

The one I am listening to right now is "Farewell My Subaru" by Doug Fine. This guy should be a comedian... he is that funny. The story is basically about a year in his life when he decided to move out into the middle of "nowhere" New Mexico and his attempts at going green. What I like about this book is that at no point is he preachy nor does he take on a "I am better than you" type of attitude like so many "greenies" do. This guy has a lot of screw-ups in his attempt at a greener life and he is not afraid to tell it like it is. Love this guy!!! Check it out here

In reference to "wasted resources" and greener living.....

I order a lot of my makeup from Neiman Marcus for several reasons.............
1. They usually have free shipping offers once a month (I don't have to waste my time or gas to stock up on what I need.)
2. They often have really good bonus offers like gift with purchase deals and such.
3. Hey..its Neimans people!!! Seriously though... cosmetics prices never change from place to place so why not take advantage of this company's generosity of free shipping and samples?

Anyway, I ordered some "supplies" from them a couple of days ago...so when I got a package from them in the mail yesterday, I was expecting the stuff I ordered from them to be in the box. Well, it wasn't. What was in this big ass box was a free sample.... the items that I actually ordered were shipped separately and will be here Thursday. I can't believe they shipped a little sample by itself, priority mail, and in a big box! And they wonder where all their profits are going........ what a waste!!!

Ice, Ice Baby.....19/365

I'd give it a whirl. Anybody want to go? Looks like fun to me...or at least until I froze my ass off. How cool is the bar? Love those ice glasses!!!




Go Spurs!!! Game starts at 8:30 tonight!!!! Crossing my fingers for this one!!!!!!!!

Pretty damn good day......18/365

for a Monday.....

Thank you to the girl at Starbucks for the free chocolate sample and the size upgrade......you did not have to do that but it was much appreciated.

Thank you to the truck driver who let me into the line of traffic after I filled up my car at the gas station. I could have been sitting there forever otherwise.

Thank you to whomever it was that left me the space right by the door at work...that never happens.

Thank you to all the students that actually showed up on time for their appointments...I left at a decent hour for once!!!

Thanks to the guy at Lowes who appeared out of nowhere to help me load those rocks..... I am sorry that I refused your offer (you asked me 4 times, I should have taken the hint) to help me push them to the register...they were heavy

Thanks to the guy in the Lowes parking lot (you were wearing a dress shirt with a tie, so I can't believe you did this dressed like that) who helped me load all those rocks into my car. I really did not expect you to help me but I really appreciated it.

Thanks to the our waiter at dinner for the free drink......am I on a roll or what??

Long drive...... 17/365

Yes, I went to the horse show... at 5:30 in the morning....in the rain. I actually had to get up at 4:30 and unfortunately I was up late the night before (oh, until about 2am :O) so basically all I had was a nap before I got in the car and drove to San Antonio. The wind was so bad that I did not make it until exactly 8am on the nose and I sat down right as she was going in the ring. I did take some video which I have no idea how to download so it might take me a couple of days to get it posted. Pooh did pretty well. She is still such a baby that you can tell that she does not know where is body is at any given moment.

I am really tired so I think that I will just go get BIG drink and maybe read a little bit (or not) and just relax. I am too tired to think right now......

"The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day" Longfellow 16/365

Now don't get me wrong, there is a lot that I love about living in the city...... but after being back here at the farm, I realize how much I have missed some of the little things that the city does not offer. The great thing about this place is that it is actually only about 19 minutes away from the Houston city limits and about 5 minutes away from I-10... but it seems like you are out in the middle of nowhere (but in a good way!) The first thing out of every one's mouth that comes to visit is "I had no idea this area existed. How did you find it?" It was just total luck that my parents stumbled upon this place. Unfortunately, every motorcyclist and bicycler in the Houston area appears to know about it because it is the number one spot for weekend rides which can make for a frustrating drive into town if you are in a hurry and stuck behind what seems like 100's of cyclists.

Some of the things that I have discovered that I have missed about this place are:

• The silence (except for the kids across the street with their super loud exhaust pipes on their trucks...the one kid got his off of a cement truck. They are huge!!!!)
• The way it gets so dark at night.
• Seeing owls flying around in the moonlight.
• The stars, the moon, and the smell of fresh air. If you have never thrown a blanket into the bed of a pickup truck and just looked up into the night sky then you are missing out.
• The way people you don't even know, wave at you when you drive by.
• The sound of birds, frogs, and cicadas.
• Being able to walk around outside in whatever you want (pajamas!!) and nobody cares.... because they can't see you (well, for the most part anyways. I know for a fact that several of my neighbors have binoculars and use them on a regular basis to see what is going on.)
• Seeing my little dogs run around in wide open spaces without having to worry about them. I also love just being able to open the door and they can go outside on their own. Austin has some great dog parks but it is still a hassle to take them on every little outing.

Things I have not missed include:

• The mosquitoes
• Spiders and other annoying bugs. There is a serious spider problem here that no pesticide in the world can fix. We are talking huge, scary, in your face spiders. When my parents first moved in, I was surprised at all the spider webs in the eaves and in between the windows. I quickly learned that no matter what you sprayed or how often you clean... the come back with a vengeance just a couple days later.
• The tendency for the front yard to be under water after a heavy rain. This is the price you pay for the beauty of the humongous 100 year old pecan trees in the yard. They grow here because this area had to have been under water at some point.
• You can't just make a "quick trip" anywhere. Anything is going to take you at least 20 minutes.
• Neighbors who seem to know all of your business...how they know everything about what is going on in your life I will never know.

Random Friday thoughts........15/365

My scratch pad is full, time for a new page

This has been a long week. I am really glad that it is Friday. I have a super long to-do list though so I don't know exactly how much rest and relaxation I will be getting. I do know that I am going to go swimming. The temperature outside was 91 degrees when I got home. I felt the water in the pool and even it felt like lukewarm bathwater but I am going in no matter what!

I am 99% sure that I am not going to the horse show to watch Sara and Pooh. Every time I hear from her, the plans have changed. They had double the entries then what they expected so they have changed the scheduling and it looks like she has the first and last classes. I will just have to be there in spirit. I was going to take some video of her rounds but that will have to wait for another day.

Hopefully we are still going to have the cookout on Saturday night. The burn pile has been building up for weeks so we should be able to get a good fire going for roasting marshmallows and making smores. Of course with this heatwave, a bonfire does not sound like the best idea but oh well...

Mid-year high....14/365

Since my New Years resolutions went over so well (ha!), I have decided to start fresh with some new resolutions for the remainder of the year. I did keep one resolution from January... the one about shutting the medicine cabinet door and not leaving it wide open. You are probably asking "what kind of weirdo has a stupid resolution like that?" Well.... I did and I have been cured of the bad habit..... well, 99.7% cured anyways. So onto some new ones that I will attempt to achieve......

1. Get rid of the Queen Mary (the name of my truck) and replace it with something more fuel efficient.
2. Take some good road trips/vacations. I would love to go to New Orleans. I have not been there in a long time and I would like to see how things are doing since Katrina. I would love to hit some of the plantation tours and there is a haunted swamp ride that is supposed to be fantastic. I would also like to maybe do a weekend at a B&B in Fredericksburg. I used to go there a lot when I lived in San Antonio and I always had a good time. For a longer trip (maybe for Christmas?) I would like to do a "beach" thing or maybe even Mexico. Something not too far...just need to get away from here for awhile.
3. Get stuff in order around here so that I can move back to Austin. I really need to get some of these projects done that I promised that I would help out with around the farm.
4. Relax and be happy. Not that this is a hard thing to do, but I need to just take some time out for myself.

I don't listen to country music much on the radio but I have been known to hit a few of the country bars for a little fun. ;) I have always liked this song and lately I have been hearing it a lot. Each time I listen to it, I fall in love with the lyrics a little bit more. Yeah.. I know it is probably been the official graduation song for the entire country for the last two years... but I still love it!

Lassie, go get help!!!! 13/365

I have always had this claustrophobic thing about having stuff on me for too long. Clothes, jewelry, hats...you name it. I was always the little kid taking off her clothes and running around in her underwear.

Take pajamas for instance...... I will wear them around the house and stuff, but before I go to bed... they have to come off. I don't want anything on my legs while I am sleeping. Tank tops and boy shorts are about all I can stand. My mom used to make me wear those horrible plastic footed pajamas as a little kid so perhaps this is where this whole issue comes from.

I have been wearing this bracelet for a couple of days now, and suddenly this afternoon, I wanted it off.... like right this minute I want it off or I am going to freak out type of thing. Well, the easy solution is to just take the dang thing off and be on my merry way. BUT..... the problem is that it is on my left wrist and the clasp is facing in such a way that I cannot get it off. I am going crazy!!!!! There is nobody around to help me and I want this thing off NOW!!! I swear to you that I am going down the street to the neighbors if I can't get this thing off soon.

Clean house 12/365

I made the "super dumb" decision to clean the fish tank when I got home from work today. I had been putting it off and ignoring the whole ugly mess for about 6 months now.

Every time I would come to the farm, I would look at the poor fish and declare that "I solemnly do swear and promise that I will clean it the next time I am here." It never happened. I think I went through about $100 in filters due to my laziness but hey.....they are still alive and that is all that matters.

So.... after being here for a couple of weeks now and staring at the whole mess day after day.... I cleaned it. It nearly killed me and it took 4 (yes 4!!!!!) hours from start to finish. Now I feel all gross and fishy. At least the fish seem happy. Now I know why my sister was laughing when I told her I would gladly take the fish tank that she did not want anymore. Arghhhhh!

If you like old houses, buildings, and general Americana....... check out this book that a friend gave me. Love it! Vanishing America

Five Keys 11/365

I have been having the same recurring dream for several months now and it is driving me crazy! I believe that dreams are an outlet for underlying issues and conflicts that you are dealing with and I am trying to figure out what this dream means .... but I am not having much luck.

The dream always starts out with me walking down the main street of a picturesque small town that I have never seen before. Somewhere down the street, I run into this man that I seem to know but I don't have any idea who he is. It is always the same man. He has dark hair, he is tall, and in one dream he was wearing glasses. He has this little box with five keys in it and he opens the box and ties one of the keys onto my wrist with a purple ribbon. I ask him for the other keys and he says he can't give them to me right now and then he grabs my arm and starts ushering me down the street and tells me we need to hurry.

I keep getting sidetracked by things that I see in the shops along the main street and he keeps tugging on my hand and kissing me and telling me that we are going to be late and that I need to hurry. I walk down the street with him a little longer but, again, my attention is distracted by something else on the street. In one dream, I walk into a bank and offer to fix their computer that is not working, in another dream, I wander into a building and start helping a plumber fix a sink. The dreams all seem to have me offering to help people fix stuff that in real life I would have no idea how to fix. Each time, the man keeps grabbing at me and pulling me away from whatever I am trying to fix so that we can get to where we are going. He keeps kissing me and promising more keys if I will hurry up. Weird huh? Any dream experts here that can tell me the underlying meanings?

Is the weekend really almost over? Oh, crap!!! 10/365

I woke up at 6:00 am this morning people! Why ?????? I had really planned on sleeping in..... really and truly. I was just laying there in bed this morning, debating over whether or not it would actually be possible to go back to sleep or if it would be better to just get up....... when my chin started itching. I reached up to scratch it and..........I felt blood. So of course I now fly out of bed and examine my chin in the mirror. After I cleaned everything up and gave it a close inspection, I found a big scratch on my face going from one side of my chin to the other. WTH?
I know for sure that my face was not like this when I went to bed.... so what the hell happened in the middle of the night? It suddenly starts coming back to me in hazy little bits and pieces. This little devil ran across my face in the middle of the night (again!!!!!!) I also vaguely remember flinging a pillow at her and there were a few bad words involved as well. This incident had better not leave a mark!
I am just not feeling very creative today so I will FINALLY fill out the meme sent by "Jonesiegirl." Sorry this is such a crappy blog entry (yay for filler!!!!). I think I need a nap now.

FAVORITES
Favorite color: Pink and blue
Favorite food: Pizza, shrimp, & chocolate cake are a few of my favorites
Favorite month: August...my birthday and I love the summertime
Favorite movie: Moonstruck
Favorite professional sport: Basketball
Favorite ice cream: Either strawberry, peppermint, or any type of chocolate. I like variety!!

CURRENTS
Current mood: A little sleepy but otherwise in a good mood.
Current clothes: An old Rolling Stones t-shirt and jeans
Current toenail color: Ballerina Slippers ( a really pale pink)
Current time: Exactly 6:00pm
Current surroundings: On the third floor at my computer
Current thoughts: Am I hungry enough to go do something about dinner or should I wait?

FIRSTS
First best friend: Molly Rudd
First kiss: James Parker in the 1st grade.
First screen name: strawberrykiwi (no laughing!!)
First pet: Candy the hamster
First piercing: My ears in about the 3rd grade...it was also my last
First crush: Guy Sobleman...4th grade.. after he rescued me after I hurt my knee. My hero!!

Lasts
Last cigarette: I don't smoke.
Last drink: I had a blue margarita a couple of nights ago.
Last car ride: Today. I had to go get some shorts from Academy.
Last kiss: Romantic kiss?...probably three weeks ago.. but that is HISTORY!!!
Last movie seen: How sad is it that I don't remember....
Last phone call: Roxanne to ask her a question about work
Last CD played: Pussycat Dolls

Have you ever?
Have you ever dated one of your best friends? Most of the guys I have dated have started out as friends, one was a best friend....I miss him :o
Have you ever broken the law? Probably...who hasn't?
Have you ever been arrested? No! I am a good girl ;)
Have you ever skinny dipped? Yes, and I highly recommend it
Have you ever been on TV? Yes, as a child in various little shows in Dallas like "Bowling for Dollars". I had totally forgotten about that until just now!
Have you ever kissed someone you did not know? You mean like walking up to a stranger and kissing them? No.... I am a selective kisser. However........... I did have a kissing "incident" with a certain lead singer of a well known rock/"hair"band . I will keep the suspense holding on this one and save it for another post. I may need this story for another slow day when I am out of ideas.

It's time to go deep....... 9/365

So, here is my fortune from dinner last night. I always get the crappy ones. Everyone else got ones like: "Your dreams will come true tonight," "Plan for many pleasures ahead," "Good things are being said about your abilities," and "You will soon have a very pleasant experience." I am sure you can quickly figure out what we were all laughing about after we read these out loud..... Could there be a little more sexual innuendo here? Even mine said to "go deep." :)

I get up this morning and go outside..... and I hear a lawnmower going out in front of our house. Nothing unusual here, especially for a Saturday morning, but guess what? Our lawnmower is out of commission. We have been waiting on a part all week so no grass cutting for us ......as if I am really upset by this. :) I go to investigate and it is our neighbor from down the street, cutting the grass in front of our property. I waved at him and he stopped and said that he knew that our lawnmower was broken (he had been over at our house the night before and had seen the mower in 3000 pieces sitting in the garage) so since he was cutting the front of his property, he just went ahead and did ours too. Can you believe that? How many people are that nice to their neighbors. Of course.... there is also the fact that this particular neighbor, along with my dad, are the unofficial lawn police in the neighborhood. They are both neurotic about making sure their lawns are in tip-top shape. I guess he did not want our reputation to go south on us or anything..........

And I shall call him..... Triple F 7/365

I promised I would make chicken enchiladas for dinner yesterday so I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few ingredients. I am not a fan of going to the grocery store, especially when I am in a hurry. What is up with these people that bring every member of their extended family and then they all stand around blocking the aisles with these deranged looks on their faces like they have never seen food before? These people better get the hell out of my way. I am on a mission and I will run you over. Actually, I am too polite.... I would never actually run anyone over without nicely asking them to move it first.

Before I even made it to the store, I had to stop at the library to pick up some books that I had requested. I made the big mistake of arriving right as pre-school story hour was getting out. There was a very long line at the checkout and of course each kid had 20-30 books and some even had 20-30 books on tape which of course takes forever because the librarians have to carefully examine each tape and write their initials on the little checkout label.

As I am waiting in line, this mother and son come up behind me in line and the little boy, who was maybe 2 or 3, starts swinging on the dividing chain which of course starts whacking everybody standing in line in the legs. His mother gets all bent out of shape and starts yelling "Fielding Farwell Fitzpatrickl! Stop that now" The kids name was Fielding Farwell Fitzpatrick! OMFG!!! I just knew this kid was going to be a pain in the ass.
During the time that Fielding was standing in line, he managed to kick and scratch his mother, lift up some poor woman's skirt, knock the divider over, tear a page in a book, and just be a real pest. The worst part was hearing his mother say his name over and over. "Fielding! Fielding! If you don't straighten up right now , you are not going to get a treat." Oh my God shoot me now!!!

So I finally escape Fielding and make it to the store. I was halfway through my shopping when I hear it in the distance... Fielding!..... Fielding!..... I look up and see the devil child himself running towards me with this big ass frosted doughnut in his hands. Just what the kid needs.... SUGAR!!!! He runs right up to me and grabs me around the legs. His mother marches up to us and snatches him up and throws him in the basket. I look down and there is pink frosting all over my pants. I now hate Fielding Farwell Fitzpatrick. Arghhhhhhhh! His mother does not even apologize, which does not really surprise me. With a mother like that, I would hate to see what precious little Fielding is going to be like in a few years when he starts school. I really do feel sorry for teachers sometimes.



Should I be afraid? No Mas!!! Ha! My little dogs hate clothes and I have never put one of them in my purse! Please!!! Well, maybe I lied.... I am guilty of making them wear Halloween costumes....does that count?