So typical.......

How many days ago did I swear I was going to put the tree up??? Well, I never got it done.... until last night. I don't think I have ever put the tree up this late in the year. Life just kept getting in the way. I had made up my mind that the tree was going to be finished last night... no exceptions. I was not going to eat dinner, watch TV, do laundry, or do anything until the damn tree was up. Actually the tree itself was up, it was just naked. I had started to put it up three nights ago but I got invited out to dinner and since going out sounded a lot more fun then putting lights on the tree....dinner won out.

Things were going along just fine until my father walked in and commented that the tree had a lot of ornaments on it and looked kinda overloaded. I think I told him he was crazy and that he did not know what he was talking about. About 20 minutes later I stepped away to admire the tree and I noticed that it did look a little thick with decorations. Oh well, it would just have to be that way. Next year I will cull out the older ones and be a little more selective.

From then on it all went down hill. My mom's dog came into the room and peed on the ornament box. He was probably pissed because we had not let him in while we had been decorating. He had sat outside the door making little yipping sounds the whole time, voicing his opinion on not being included in the festivities. Then one of the strands of lights on the tree went out. The one that just happens to light up the top half of the tree. Crap!!!! There is no way I am going to take all the ornaments off so that I can replace the strand. No way!!! That would be like decorating the tree twice!!!! I tried checking all the bulbs to see if one was loose but I had no luck. Supid, cheap, made in China lights!!!! ARGHHHHH! So, the tree is half lit and it will remain so. I had bought new LED lights last year but they were multi-colored and I really wanted to go with clear lights this year so I just used the old ones. This is my payback for my not being environmentally responsible. Oh well.... welcome to my world. Like I said.... typical!!!!!

Blue December..........

I always try to get into the Christmas Spirit this time of year but there is always a little part of me that is blue. Ten years ago I lost both of my grandmothers within a couple of days of each other. The death of my maternal grandmother was a blow that shook me to my core. I still think about her all the time.... I am even tearing up just thinking about how much I miss her. My paternal grandmother's death was a complete surprise and the way that I learned of her passing was cruel and unforgivable. She had been staying in an assisted living center and although she was old and frail, we did not expect her to go so suddenly. I received a message on my phone telling me that they needed to know what to do with my grandmother's body. This is not the kind of message you leave on some body's phone when the person you are leaving the message with has no idea that the person is even dead. Brutal!!!

This weekend there was a horrible car wreck here in Houston. It has been terribly wet and foggy here for the last week or so. Apparently a truck going at a high rate of speed went off the road early Sunday morning, struck a tree, crumpled into nothingness, and then caught on fire..... burning those in the car into such an unrecognizable state that it took two days and dental records for the authorities to figure out who they were. Three young lives were lost in that deadly wreck and one of them turned out to be our neighbor. Jonathan would have turned 20 yesterday. Heartbreaking. I live in a small rural neighborhood with about 12 families on my street so everybody pretty much knows everybody else's business. I can't imagine the grief that his family must be going through right now. So sad......

So with the holidays upon us, take a moment to reflect on your lives and all the loved ones (including pets) that you have in it. Be grateful and don't take a moment for granted. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives and all the trivial ups and downs of our daily routine that we don't appreciate what we have and who we have in our lives.

Seems like just yesterday....

I have not seen, thought of, or heard The New Mickey Mouse Club since the mid-70's..... but when I came across this clip, I somehow found myself remembering every single word to this song.... which kinda creeps me out just a litte. We are talking over 32 years ago. It is amazing what kind of useless crap the mind can store.

Christmas season 2008

Christmas season 2008, originally uploaded by "Lah-Rah".

I will put up the tree tonight!!! I will put up the tree tonight!!! Repeat... Repeat!!!! Sigh.... I have been working so late that by the time I get home, all I want to do is eat dinner, relax, and zone out for awhile. It is getting to the point of no return though. If I don't get it put up before this weekend.... it will never get done.

Nah...Nah, Nah nah....Nah!!!!

I am finished with my Christmas shopping!!!!!! I am not even quite sure how I did it all so quickly either. I was not even trying..... it just all fell into place this year. I will note that Hobby Lobby has the cutest gift wrap, bags, and holiday accessories..... and it is almost all 50% off too!!! Garden Ridge on the other hand sucks big time!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They were always one of the places I could count on for lights, accessories, and outdoor decorations. Not anymore!! Nothing is even on sale..... not that you would want any of it anyways. The new owners have ruined that place. It looks like some kind of 4th rate Mexican flea market. What is up with the made in China furniture, all of the bed in a bag crap, shoes (WTF?), and tables piled high with clothes????????? They got rid of all of the good stuff! They are permanently off my list!!

Yum! Yum!

So, the Thanksgiving menu is finally complete and surprise, surprise......... we have decided to go out to eat for our Thanksgiving meal. In a million years I would have never guessed that this would be our choice, but about a week ago I saw an ad for one of my favorite restaurants which described the "wonderful Thanksgiving buffet" that they were having. I had taken my mom to one of their Mother's Day buffets a couple of years ago and it was pretty darn tasty... so without much argument from anyone in my family... we all agreed on the buffet. I will be making some pies however because it just would not be the same without some leftover pumpkin and chocolate cream pie. Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

Sock Monkey

Could anything be cuter??? I have this strange fascination with the little guys even though I don't have any. Not a one....... how sad is this? Can you believe that there are almost 180 pages of sock monkey stuff on ETSY? I want it all!!! Look at this little guy. Is not totally adorable???? Or how about this one? Hee hee! She is cute too...in a creepy kinda monkey way. Madge! Ha!! Don't you wish you were a little kid again so you could carry around this little guy? Look! Sock Monkeys even have pets!!!!! You know you want one!!!!

Thank You!!

I just want to send a heartfelt thank you to all veterans. You are greatly appreciated for your bravery and your unselfish acts.

Seen and Heard...

I am shocked at what I just witnessed at a Walmart here in Houston. Maybe I am the only one who thinks that what I saw was horrible and appalling but I hope not. Waiting in line, I oveheard a grandmother tell her what looked to be about 3?, 4? year old granddaughter that she would look like a "slutty ho" in the pink t-shirt that she wanted her grandmother to buy her. Now, I can honestly say that I could not read what the t-shirt that the little girl was wanting to buy said......for all I know, it may have said "slutty ho" on the shirt.......but being Walmart and all, I kind of doubt it.

What kind of person talks to a small child that way? My grandmother used to freak out whenever I would say "Oh God" around her. I don't think my grandmother ever said a bad word around me when I was a little kid. Even when I was older, the most you may have ever heard her say was "damn", and even that was used sparingly. When I was 4 years old, I did not even know what a "slut" or a "ho" was!!!! We question why kids are growing up the way they are? Is there no such thing as innocence and childhood anymore? I am very sad and disturbed over this and I am not one of those people that is easily offended. Poor child.......

Coral Snake!!!

I don't do snakes. No way, no how. They scare the crap out of me!!!! I have now had my first encounter with a coral snake.... my nutting career may now be over. Damn thing was just slithering across my path and I nearly grabbed it in a handful of leaves (which is actually the second time this has happened to me although the first time it was a mystery snake that I threw across the yard so fast that I was never able to identify it.) I think I need to go lay down now.

On my mind......

5 random things on my mind today...this exact moment........my mind is a scary place sometimes.

1. Now there has been a second shooting.....in Florida...all the freaks and weirdos are coming out of the woodwork now. If something like that ever happened where I work, it would probably happen in my office since I am by the front door. On the other hand, if it happened on another floor, I could be the first one to get the hell out.

2. Craving a Baby Ruth bar for 2 days now. What is really weird is that I don't particularly like baby Ruth Bars and I have only had maybe 5 of them in my entire life.

3. I wonder why there were 8 cop cars on I-10 between Mason road and Katy Mills mall yesterday. They were all giving out tickets too....must remember to watch my speed when going through there today.

4. I am not picking up nuts today.... too tired. Have to stop by library and Ulta on the way home. Might stop and get a new pleco from Petsmart to replace the one Melrose murdered. The one that is left seems kind of lonely and needs a friend.

5. Feel kind of "bleh."......cramps.......perhaps this explains the Baby Ruth thing......

You are so kidding me right now?????

Top three things that are driving me crazy right now (and I found myself doing one of them today!!! Arghhh!!!)

1. "Are you kidding me right now?" What is going on with this? It is so over used... kind of like "Gag Me With A Spoon" from the 80's.

2. "At the end of the day" Really pissing me off. This is usually used by somebody that is telling you some, "blah, blah, blah" story that you probably were not interested in hearing in the first place. Bosses and parents use this one a lot.

3. Uptalking - I found myself doing this today. How could I ???????????? In case you don't know what uptalking is.... Definition-Uptalk--A speech pattern in which phrases and sentences habitually end with a rising sound, as if the statement were a question. Very annoying and makes you sound clueless. Don't, I repeat don't do it!!! Please!!! It is one of those things that once you start, you can't stop.

November 2

Apparently this is the date when advertisers feel it is OK to start hitting you up with Christmas commercials. Jeesh!!! I have not even had time to take down the Halloween decorations and there is still plenty of fun size snickers left in the candy stash. I turned on the TV last night right before I went to sleep and blam!!!!...... every commercial break had one or two scenes of holiday joy. Too early for me folks... way too early!!!! I am still stuck on the the Thanksgiving menu. We are having turkey, I can at least tell you that.... but the rest... no idea.

Who ya gonna call????

Maybe you could blame it on watching too many episodes of "Ghost Hunters" late at night but something creepy is going on around here. No Joke!!! This morning, as I was standing in the shower with the lovely warm water splashing on my head.... I saw something walk right by the shower door. I could not see exactly what it was because the door has frosted glass but something about knee high crossed in front of the shower door and headed towards the guest bedroom. There are no knee high people or pets in my house so what the hell was it??? The pets I have are small and I have seen them walk in front of the shower door and they are not that big in appearance. I got out of the shower and looked around the guest bedroom and ...nada.. totally quiet and empty. I went into my bedroom and my chihuahuas were all zonked out on my bed... oblivious to all the creepiness that was going on. Whatever it was was walking upright and not on four legs so it could not have been an animal anyway. It had kind of a strange movement too... kind of a cross between a scurry and a waddle. The only light on in the bathroom was coming from the window. I had opened the blinds to look outside at the rainy weather but I had kept the lights off in the bathroom and the shower because I was still kinda sleepy and I did not want to look at any bright lights. I have no idea what it was but I can say that it was definitely creepy. Hopefully that was the first and the last time I will see it!!!!!

Is it me?????

I have had 2!!! TWO!!!! 2!!!!! people come up to me today and mention how they are getting together their Thanksgiving menus and have started all the pre-planning. What is wrong with me???? I can barely plan what I am having for dinner tonight, let alone a month from now. I wish I was as organized as some people seem to be.... actually... I am a pretty organized person, I just never seem to have enough time to do all the things I want to do. I am kind of an all or nothing type of person so if it is not something I can do and do well, I try not to even get started on it. Maybe that is the whole problem,

I should just half ass my way through life in an attempt to get more done. Seriously!!!! It does seem to work for some people. Hmmmmm.... I may have to try this.

If I had an unlimited supply of money.....

I would take these little guys in a heartbeat. The three little munchkins I have now are about all I can afford at the moment. Such a touching story. People suck sometimes. There is a special place reserved in hell for people that harm and neglect little animals.

Facebook......

What is up with all of the Mafia Wars activity?!?!? Every time I log onto my Facebook account it seems like it is filled with status updates of all my friends involvements with Mafia Wars, Yo-Ville, and the like. Some people have way to much time on their hands to be playing this stuff as much as they are. Seriously..... first of all, why are my friends even playing this stuff and second, someone tell me how to keep all of this stuff off of my page..... I really don't care if you have "leveled up".... whatever that means. Jeesh I feel mean and old....... hey kids...... get off of my lawn!!!!!!!!

Another reason why I love TJMAXX

These...... I got them for $14.99 back in June. $63.25!! Ha!!! Suckers!!!!!!

What is up with this?????

Every now and then, I pick up the local paper just to see what kind of weirdness has been going on in my neck of the woods. I usually get one out of the newspaper machine outside of the local post office. Here is the thing, on more than one occasion, someone has come up behind me and asked if they could grab one too. WTH? They are only 50 cents!!!! What I would like to say is...."Hell no you thieving cheapskate!!!!! What you are doing is stealing!!!!" But I usually just stare at them in shock and amazement as they shove me out of the way, grab one or more papers and take off. This really pisses me off!!!! I will admit it...I am too chicken to say anything. You never know when somebody might go all postal and beat the tar out of me. Is stealing newspapers considered normal social behavior? Am I the one who is square and uncool?

Eye want this!!!!

How did I miss this??? What A brilliant idea!!!!

Sephora has taken some of their biggest selling products and is offering them as deluxe samples in a set so you can try a bunch of different brands at one time. I love the mascara kit!!! Look at all the different brands you can try for about the cost of two regular sized tubes. It is so hard to find a good mascara. Surely out of the bunch you can find one that you like. They also have skin care, lip, and makeup sets! I can't wait to try one of these!!!!

13th person

They say that when a person experiences bad customer service, they tell an average of 12 people about what happened. I have already told at least 12 people so I am now on to 13 plus. I hate Sam's Club! I really, really do!!!!!!!! The parking sucks, it never has the same stuff twice (they get you hooked on something and then stop carrying it), it is usually full of running, obnoxious kids wanting "samples", and there is always a line at checkout. Always! Now, I do realize that there are some good things about Sam's such as big ass boxes of Bagel Bites, the 24 pack of bakery cupcakes (the best ever!), and 96 cent cherry Icees, but even that can't make a trip to Sam's a good thing for me. About the only things I buy there on a regular basis are paper plates, paper towels, spaghetti sauce, spices, and cat litter. All bought in bulk and for a slightly better price than I could get them for elsewhere. But this is not really the reason I hate Sam's Club. This is.....


On Monday I stopped in for a brief trip to get some paper products (three kinds), a bottle of dried onion flakes, a box of cat litter, and a three pack of spaghetti sauce. Six items total. Should have been in and out... zip, zip. I grab my stuff, put it on the conveyor belt, the cashier rings it up and "she" places every thing in a new basket. I pay for my stuff, grab an Icee from the concession stand, and then head for the door. I hand my receipt to the guy at the exit door and he looks at it and then asks me where my other receipt is. I am all like "What other receipt? I only have one." He then goes through this big production of telling me that I have additional items in my basket that I have not paid for and he wants to know why they are there. "Do I know that I have unpaid items in my basket?" he asked. He points to the receipt that says items sold and sure enough it says only 5.... I had 6 in my basket. Now let me tell you that not only was he insinuating that I had attempted to leave the store without paying for an item, he had attitude to boot. His rudeness was pissing me off so I may or may not have said something about how it was not my job to make sure their employees were doing things correctly. How the cashier managed to get all of my items off the conveyor belt and into a totally new basket without ringing up everything correctly was beyond me..... but apparently it was all my fault somehow. Rude door checker man then started pushing my basket towards customer service and told me to "take care of the problem." After "taking care of the problem" at customer service, I headed back toward the exit door when the door checker guy came running over, grabbed the receipt out of my hand, and copied something down in a log off of the receipt. In his haste to make sure I was not trying to pull something over on him, he totally cut off the 4 customers in line that were waiting for him. They all gave me a dirty look so I apologized.... (WHAT THE HELL WAS I APOLOGIZING FOR....????) He handed it back and walked away. ARGGHHHH! Again, I may or may not have said a few rude things back to him when he snatched the receipt out of my hand. I was so angry that I just don't remember what I might have said.

Not once did any of the employees apologize for any of the inconvenience. I was pissed. Really, really pissed. Why did I just voluntarily subject myself to such rude treatment when I did nothing wrong? If the man had just said something like.... "I am sorry, but the cashier forgot to ring up one of your items" I would have grumbled a little, gone to customer service, and have been on my way. But no, he had to be an ass. Sometimes just being polite goes a long way. Did I mention how much I hated Sam's Club??????

Gullible people wanted

I found this in my junk mail... seems like I get more of this garbage every day. Just for the hell of it, I decided to see what it said. Funny... sad... or disgusting, you decide.


Hello Good Day!

I am Mrs. Lorita Candy (they use the word candy to lure you in like a predator) from Botswana. I am married to Mr. John Candy who worked with (the) Botswana embassy in Leshoto for nine years before he died (if he is dead, then you are a widower, not married). We were married for eighteen years with a child (What? You were married to a child?) . My Husband died after a brief illness that lasted for only four day (days not day).

Since his death I decided not to re-marry or get another child outside my matrimonial home (WTF?). When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of $8, 865 000. 00 Million Dollars (Eight million Eight hundred and sixty five thousand U.S. Dollars) (They have to spell it out for you in case you are stupid) in a bank in Abidjan the Economical capital of Ivory Coast. The money was deposited for foreign partner no name was mentioned. (Incredible!!!)

Recently, my Doctor told me that I would not last for the next three months due to cancer Problem (They capitalize problem?). Though what disturbs me most is the stoke ( OK, cancer and stroke are not funny in any way... but this part cracks me up a little), Having known my condition I decided to donate part of this fund to (a) motherless babies (poor motherless babies) home or better still a God (Lets not go dragging God into this, you will really rot in hell now!!) fearing individual that will utilize this money to the glory of God (again! 2 strikes!!) and to take care of my only child for(a) better future.

I took this decision because my only child is still young (legally an adult) and can not manage this fund very well and my husband relatives are not happy with my husband's wealth when he was alive and through my prayers and the directions of God (3 strikes!! God is now telling this person to do this), I have found out that their hands is in my husband's death and I don't want my husband's hard earned money to be misused by evil men (longest and most confusing sentence ever!! This is like a soap opera!!). I don't want a situation where this money will be used in an ungodly manner, hence the reason for taking this bold (yes, you are very brave to try to get poor unsuspecting people involved in this!!) decision.

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the BANK here in IVORY COAST where my husband deposited the money.

Please understand that any delay in your reply will give me room in sourcing for another person for this same purpose.
Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein and you will take care of my only child (you want someone to take care of your adult child as well? Hell no!!!).

Hoping to hear from you soon (fat chance!)

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Lorita Candy

Can you smell it????

Fall!!!!!!!! The scent is slightly in the air but oh baby it is there!!! Goodbye humidity and bugs! Hello cute clothes and lots of fun holidays! Yea!!!! Speaking of holidays, lots of super cute Halloween stuff in the stores already!!! Bethany Lowe.... I want it all! Still working on the Halloween tree... I just have not found the right one, but I am still looking!!!

Anybody have a couple million I could borrow?????

It is for sale at government auction but it is the taxes that will kill you!!!! $108,000.00+ for 2008. Shit!!! Talk about living for a house. It is very beautiful though. I love the floors and the detailed painting. I know exactly where it is too. My sister used to have a friend that lived in a house a couple of doors down from this one. Beautiful area!!! I miss the beautiful live oaks in San Antonio. We don't have those around here. More views.

The Rachel Zoe Project

Something about this show is just not sitting right with me this season and I can't quite put my finger on it. I watched the first two episodes and I am just like ughhh... what is this crap??? Where did the funny go? I loved the show last year. I laughed, I was inspired, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This season...meh.... I felt kind of "dirty" watching it. I don't know why... maybe it is the economy? Is it right to place such shallow and trivial aspects of life on such a pedestal? They seem so fake and jaded now...... Sigh.. oh well.... I am taking it off my to list on Tivo. At least I still have Project Runway and America's Next Top Model starts tonight so all is not lost!!!!

Glasses

I need them. Badly!!! I have finally faced the fact that it is time to get a new pair. It seems like the day after my last birthday, I was officially old. Squint Squint. The last time that I went to the eye doctor was probably in the 11th grade so I am definately way overdue. My drivers license also expires next year and there is no way that I can pass the vision test... absolutely no way!!! I could do what I always do and pull out the super huge bright green glasses that I had in high school and hope for the best but even then, I think I would fail. The lady at the DPS office here is pretty mean...... about 400 pounds of butch terror. She yelled at me once for sitting in a chair while waiting in line. Apparently there is no sitting in chairs while you are waiting in her line. Bitch. So, I am trying to do a little pre-research on frames before I head out on this visionary journey. Picking out a cool pair of frames is the only good part of getting these glasses so I am going to make sure I get the best and the coolest pair (could I sound anymore shallow?)




How about these? They are pink (and Burberry!) Or these??? Cute!!!

Or even these?

This is going to be harder than I thought! Glasses have come a long way since the ugly green oversized pair that I had in highschool!!!!! Too many choices!!!!

Vacation

The vacation sucked big time. That is all I have to say about that........... The end result is that I am no longer speaking to my sister. Sometimes you think you know somebody and then they are taken over by pod people and you have no idea who they are anymore.

Checklist

They say that the most exciting part of a vacation is planning it. True. By the time you actually get to your destination, you are usually so exhausted that you don't know which end is up. I am going to the beach for a few days of R&R and I have been trying to get ready to go. Lists, packing, maps.... I just can't get my act together. Luckily I don't have to worry about my pets or mail or anything but I still have to make a long to do list for the people (my family) who will be taking care of everything while I am gone. The list seems endless.... you don't realize how many little things you do each day until you actually have to write everything down. Hopefully I will have a great time. I will post some photos when I get back.

Halloween 2009

You just had to know it was coming. Check this out. You will probably see this everywhere on Halloween. How embarrassing for those kids!! Is it me or does the model look kinda like Holly from The Girls Next Door?

Another childhood favorite down the drain.

As a kid, there were some foods that I thought were just the greatest thing on earth, couldn't get enough of them. Yet somehow as an adult, they suck. Spaghettios are one of them. No meatballs or fun shapes, just the original O's please!!! I could have probably eaten them every day as a kid. Yum-O!!!!! Underwood's Chicken Spread was another. I used to take sandwiches with the spread on school field trips in my brown bag lunch. Snow Balls, those neon pink coconut covered chocolate cream filled balls were also a staple in the field trip lunch. Remember Munchos? We used to eat these in junior high non-stop. What were they? Regurgitated potato flakes with lots of salt? Yet none of this stuff tastes the same today, I guess it is all just a taste you out grow. The other day I got it into my head that I wanted a strawberry cake like I used to get for my birthday every year. I never did want a bakery cake when I was growing up (Jeez! what was wrong with me?!?!) I wanted a cheap box cake with strawberry frosting to top it off. I thought it was divine!! So, I see the cake mix on the shelf and decide to take a walk down memory lane. I whip up the cake and take a bite and surprise, surprise....... how did I ever think this stuff was delicious???? Gag!!!!! The "artificiallness" (spellcheck tells me this is not a word but I am going to stand by it anyway) of the pink cake and frosting was more than I could take. Yuck! Sigh........ Oh well, I still have the memories.

Dear Cara, Mady, Alexis, Hannah, Leah, Aadan, Collin, and Joel,

I am sorry to inform you of this at such a young age.... but your father is a douche bag. Hopefully you will overcome all the crap that your family is putting you through and won't need years of therapy.

PS- I will no longer be able to watch your show. It is a pitiful train wreck that should not be supported by the media.

Yuck!!!

Remember the episode of the Newlyweds where Nick is eating a sandwich and just as he goes to put it in his mouth, Jessica yells at him to stop because there is green mold on it? He then says that he had just eaten another sandwich right before she stopped him. Remember the look of horror on his face at the thought of having eaten moldy bread? Well, that was me at lunch today. I had gotten up early and made a beautiful sandwich for lunch and I swear to you there was no mold on that bread!!!! It was a brand new loaf too which really pisses me off. The humidity here zaps everything. Luckily I noticed it before I put it in my mouth because I probably would have thrown up if I had taken a bite of the mold. I am starving now!!!!! I really wanted that sandwich. :(

Kicking Martha to the curb......

Just kidding!!!!! I still love Martha, but I have found a new infatuation.... Carolyne Roehm. How did she fly by my radar? I mean, certainly I have heard of her as a designer, but I had no idea she had such beautiful, beautiful books!







This one is my favorite! It is all about beautiful presentation and design ideas for gifts and presents. I have a bit of a ribbon and paper obsession so this book is right up my alley.

This book is beautiful too! How can you not want your home to look like the pages that are in this book! So pretty!!!

And finally, one of her newest creations. Blue and white together is one of my favorites. I have painted my entire bedroom a beautiful blue similar to the color of this chair in the last three houses I have lived in. I never get sick of it. If you ever want a good nights sleep, paint your room a deep shade........ it is very relaxing.



These books are not cheap but I have really enjoyed looking at them. I think I will have to keep checking on eBay and maybe I can find a few at a bargain price. Sigh......

Hey Puffy!

Being from San Antonio, I love puffy tacos. If you have never had one, then you do not know what you are missing!!! I can't even imagine what the calorie and fat count in one of these things is but if you only have one (or two or three!) a couple of times a year, you will probably be OK. The shells are best served super hot, right out of the oil. Throw on some seasoned meat (I like the regular ground beef), some lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes and... ahhhhhh total bliss!!!! There is even a web site devoted to puffy tacos. I must get to San Antonio soon!!! If you happen to be in the area, try Henry's Puffy Tacos. They have wonderful food and make the best margaritas. Try the blue Curacao or the swirl margarita. Yum! Yum!

The most frustrating thing in the world....

has got to be hanging wallpaper. I am serious. How can little sheets of gluey, sticky paper make you want to scream, pull your hair out, and have a complete adult temper tantrum? I am not generally a fan of wallpaper but it is making somewhat of a comeback and I do like to see it in dining rooms and powder rooms. Thibaut makes some beautiful designs that I love, love, love! The half bath off the kitchen has been of need of a major overhaul for several years so about 6 months ago, we tore the bathroom down to bare walls and decided to give it a redo. The fact that it took six months to get started should tell you how much the thought of hanging the wallpaper was putting me off. On Sunday, I decided that enough was enough and that I was tired of going all the way upstairs each time to use the restroom. It was time to wallpaper!!!! Now, the room is pretty small, maybe 8x5 and there is one small window and one door......should not be too hard right? Wrong!!!!!!!!! The damn walls (like most everything in the house) are crooked!!!!Arghhhhhhhhh! On the first day we managed to get about halfway done. Four sections of wallpaper = 4 hours of work. Damn! I am slow!!!! Since we are putting bead board on the lower half of the walls, a lot of sins will be covered up. I can't tell you how many times the words "Don't worry, the bead board will cover it!" were muttered that day. I had wallpaper paste on my hair, my clothes, the kitchen floor, the door handle, and somehow it got on the oven. By the end of the second day I had had enough. I did not know whether I wanted to cry in relief that I was finished or throw a party to celebrate. Hallelujah, it is done!!!!! There were only two major boo-boos that were hopeless and I will just have to live with it. Both are in the window sill and I am hoping that the window treatment covers it enough so that I will not have to look at on a daily basis and thus be reminded that it is not perfect. I will say that I will never make rude comments (to myself or out loud ) regarding other people's wall paper work. As long as it is stuck to the wall and looks semi-presentable, it is OK in my book!

One last thing.....

and then enough is enough. It is past time to let Michael rest in peace (please, for the love of God!!!!) but even I can't resist sharing this. The sound effect buttons at the bottom of the screen are hilarious!!! Brilliant!!!

Too much excitement around here

I head outside to the pool around 7:15 last night and the first thing I saw was flashing lights on the street behind my house.... lots and lots of flashing lights. Now maybe in some neighborhoods this is a normal occurrence, but out in the boonies where I live..... flashing lights indicate a thankfully "rare" calamity has occurred. Since waltzing up to the scene of an accident in a bikini that may or may not be just a little too revealing in the top half did not seem like a good idea, I went ahead and got in the pool and observed the situation from in the water to try to figure out what was going on. There were at least 3 ambulances, 4-5 sheriff/police cars, and a couple of big trucks pulled over on the side of the road. I could see them working on someone on the ground but I could not really get a clear view as to what or who or how many were involved in the accident.
The weird part was how quiet it was...all you could hear was birds and cicadas. You would think you would hear yelling, screaming, or loud noises but nothing......... It took me a moment to realize that there was no traffic passing through. Apparently it was bad enough that the police had blocked off traffic in both directions. Eventually I could make out a person being loaded up into the ambulance and then the ambulance drove about 50 yards down the road (no siren... all was still quiet) to the intersection where our street is and stopped..... they sat there for about 10 minutes. I thought this was very odd. Had the person died? What was going on? Suddenly I heard a helicopter. Life flight!!! This must be really bad!!!! The helicopter landed on our little road, loaded up the poor victim, and flew off. You forget how loud helicopters are in person. I think everybody on our street had to come outside and check this out. Two of our dogs were outside at the time and I was really surprised at how calm they were, normally any little thing sets them off.
So, it turns out that two brothers were out for a ride trying out some massive motorcycle. One of the brothers was out front on the motorcycle and the other was following behind in a truck. The motorcycle riding brother looked behind him for some reason to see how far away his brother was in the truck and somehow he drifted towards those little plastic noisemakers that they put on the edges of roads with no shoulder to keep you from running off the road. Well, he ran off the road and hit the "dangerous curves ahead" road sign at about 5o mph. He almost completely severed his arm off in the process. Ughh! Poor man!!! I hope every thing turns out alright. By the time the sheriffs cleared the road block there was a good 15 minute steady stream of traffic going behind our house. It all just reminds you how quickly bad things can happen and how lives can be forever changed in the blink of an eye.

Happy Birthday!!!

Can you believe that the Happy Meal is 30 years old?!?!? I was never really into Happy Meals but there was a time during the Beanie Baby craze that I ate a cheeseburger Happy Meal every day for lunch to collect those stupid mini beanie babies. They were cute though.... I need to look for them.. I know they are floating around somewhere.

Shiny, Happy People!

Hope this makes you smile, if it doesn't, then there is definitely something wrong with you and I can't help you. All I can say is that this is the cleanest station I have ever seen. Even the people look healthy and happy. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!!

Harlow!!!

Harlow, originally uploaded by "Lah-Rah".

Does 3 constitute a herd???? Meet the newest addition to the gang of chihuahua trolls that claim me as their human caretaker. Piper and Blue are still not sure what to think of her but they are slowly getting used to the idea of her presence.

Summertime!!!

I am totally loving Essie's new summer collection of nail polishes. I think this one is my favorite....it is called "Cute As A button." Love it!! Other favorites are "Lovey Dovey" and "Chubby Cheeks." I must get to Ulta and check them all out.

Think.....

"Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one." ............Charles Mackay



I love this quote, and it is just as strong and true today as it was when it was written in the mid-1800's. I never understand when people who claim to be enlightened and well versed in today's news and current events say that they never liked history in school. You can learn so much about today and the future by studying the past. Life is always just same story different verse my friends......

Lobster Face!!!!

I walked into the men's restroom at work today. Thank God there was nobody in there because I would have just died if I had walked in on a co-worker using one of the urinals, which are of course front and center in the room. In my defense I must say it was an honest mistake. The doors all look alike and they are not well marked. I also try to avoid using public restrooms whenever possible so it is not like I am in and out of there everyday. I think that in the 4 years I have worked here, I have used the facilities in this building maybe 10 times... I know, I know TMI!!!! But here is the embarrassing part, someone was coming "IN" as I was quickly exiting. OMG! Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately..... it was someone I kind of know. I think I muttered something like "wrong door" as I was slinking away down the hall. It is going to be one of those days!!!!

Waffle Maker!!!

I love waffles!!! Love them!!! I had forgotten how badly I had been wanting to buy a waffle maker until I saw this recipe. Good Lord those look good!!!!

Please keep it to yourself....

I am sitting at my desk this morning when a parent comes in with her teen-aged son and lets me know that she will have to cancel her son's appointment because he has developed a migraine and does not feel well. I don't have a problem with rescheduling the appointment but I am wondering why she did not just call and let me know instead of just coming all the way over here. Was this some kind of "instant migraine" that struck him down as he was walking across the school parking lot or something? I have never seen this lady before but it was kind of like one of those weird moments where you think you know somebody but you just can't place the face. She was super intense and kept on apologizing over and over for having to cancel. Anyway, the lady goes on and on about her son's affliction and how he was so stressed and so on and so forth......... As I am sitting there listing to her go on and on, MY head starts to hurt. I am talking full on tension headache with a total barfy feeling. Great! Now I had the "instant migraine" and it was all the mother's fault. I felt sick for about 30 minutes after she left. She must have had some major negative energy to affect me that way. I feel sorry for her son..... he is stuck with her.

Eight Walgreen's later.......

I was getting low on my favorite shampoo and conditioner so I drove all the way to Walgreen's on Saturday to pick some up. When I got there, they had only one bottle in stock. For some unknown (yet still exciting) reason, my favorite shampoo was on sale for $2.37 down from the usual $9.99. I looked a little closer at the sale tag and in small print it said "final closeout!" Story of my life people, story of my life. Everything I like gets discontinued. I am still pissed off that Secret deodorant no longer makes "Arctic Apple" clear deodorant. I could rant about that one for at least half an hour. I asked the sales clerk what was going on with my favorite shampoo and she said it was probably because the bottle was being re-designed (I love the pink and gold bottle... shallow but true!) So, over the course of the weekend I went to 8 different Walgreen's and now own 12 shampoos and conditioners. Approximately $240 worth of products for less than $60 bucks. I am set for awhile at least. Now I just have to find some place to store it all.

Redneck Tank Top

OMFG!!!!!!!!

How sad and tragic!!!!

It is just like 1976 all over again!!!

The second commercial will creep you out a little bit. They just don't make commercials like this anymore!!! Everything is just too politically correct these days.

Just say no = total bitch

I finally put my foot down and now I feel like a super bitch. About 6 months ago, a new co-worker started organizing parties for every body's birthdays at work as well as an extravagant secret Santa at Christmas. In the past we had always just brought in food and a card and had a little party to celebrate. Now, every time I turn around we are expected to chip in $20-$25 for a gift AND bring food. WTF!!!!!!!??????? I hate to be a Grinch but enough is enough!!!!!!!! I barely know these people!!! I can hardly keep up with all the gifts and wedding presents for friends and family. Anyway, after being asked to chip in $20 for an umbrella (who came up with the idea of buying this woman an umbrella and why does she need such an expensive one anyway??), I went postal and said that enough is enough... if someone wants to buy a gift on their own...fine.... but no more group presents!!!! Now everyone thinks I am a total party pooper and apparently I am but somebody had to take a stand.

Sometimes you can't win....

I have the ability to attract weirdos. I can be in a room full of a hundred people and the weirdest guy in he room is going to come up to me and introduce himself. My sister has the same affliction... so does my friend Roxanne. We are all normal, attractive, well groomed, fashionable women so what is the reason for this invisible freak attractor??? The quandary is how to react to them. I am frequently guilty of being too nice to people which is exactly the wrong thing to be when these types of men are coming on to you. Being nice makes them think that you want to be their friend. On the other end of the spectrum is just flat out being a bitch and telling them to relocate and get lost. This can backfire too because if they really have a screw loose, they can suddenly have a vendetta against you for being so mean. Like I said..... sometimes you can't win.

Miss Independent

Time to start buying some land. It looks like we might have a full house. People are already moving here by the boatload. The increase in out of state plates on the the roads here is not going unnoticed. It is kind of like in the 70's when all the people from up north were moving here. I can't tell you how many new students we have had transferring here that are from Michigan, Ohio, and California (the increase in our overall enrollment numbers is something like 45%!!!!) I actually like Rick Perry aka "Governor Zoolander" (except for his crazy road idea which is hopefully DOA.... you don't mess with Texan's property, his mandatory vaccine idea (dumb ass!), and a few of his other views which I won't get into here.) For those of you who think he is not doing a good job though, .....leave....... the grass is definitely not greener on the other side. Adios mofo!!!

Happy Easter!!!!!

Happy Easter Y'all!!!!

Attention book nerds

As usual, I am late for the party. I just discovered weRead. A super fantastic place to store the titles of the books you have read. You can also find new titles/authors, write reviews and rate books, and discuss books you have read with others. I love this site!!!!

Just like Black Friday

I have never been to the first day of a Tuesday Morning sale until yesterday. Crazy!! I am definitely not the type of person to wake up early to camp out overnight somewhere in the freezing cold to stand in line to buy something. I think I have only done that once in my life and it was during a poor lapse in judgement some time during the 90's when I got up at 4am to stand in line to try and get a Furby. So why did I find myself in a line of about 50 crazy shoppers on Tuesday morning at 7:30 waiting to get into the store? An umbrella. Yep, that's right.... a stupid patio umbrella.

I have been wanting one of those jumbo patio umbrellas (the good kind) to put by the pool for a couple of years now, but I just could not part with the $130 bucks that they all seem to be selling for. A couple of days ago I was looking through the Tuesday Morning flyer when there on the front page was the exact umbrella I had been looking for. The amazing part was that it was only $39 (regular price $134)!!!!! On Monday, I stopped by the store and scoped out the situation to make sure they actually had more than 2 of the umbrellas for sale. You know how that goes. Most of these places only get one of the sale items in just to get you in the store. If you are not familiar with how Tuesday Morning works, they put out their sale items a couple of days before the sale and attach big signs to them saying that if you want to buy that particular item, you will have to come back on Tuesday morning. Surprisingly, they had about 15 of them in stock so I felt pretty sure that I would have a chance at getting my hands on one. I mean, really, how many people would get up early on a Tuesday morning to buy an umbrella.

Apparently a lot of people wanted the damn umbrellas. I got there about 7:30 and the line went around the corner. I had planned on being there around 7am but of course I had to get behind lots of people who obviously had nowhere else to be on a Tuesday morning except driving 20 miles below the speed limit in front of me on a two lane road with no possible way to pass them. Arghhhh! Finally, after getting around the slow driving morons and hitting every possible red light in the universe, I pulled into the packed parking lot and my jaw dropped. Tons of people and a huge line. They finally opened the door and since I knew where the umbrellas were, I had an advantage over the lost and confused people which allowed me to make it to the umbrella table just in time to grab one. We will not discuss the fact that I may or may not have pulled it out of a little girl's hands who was also reaching for it. Her family already had three of them in their basket. Tough luck kid! Yea!!! I have my umbrella! It makes up for standing in line for the damn Furby that I never got.

Random weirdness

So, to all the manly men out there that like to work outside in their gardens...... apparently a new medical study of 700 men showed that working in the garden 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week can reduce the risk of impotence by almost 40 %. Umm... yeah...... How do they come up with this stuff and more importantly... what man out there is going to listen to this advice?

And I thought I was flexible!!!!!

They must be aliens!!! Note: the good part of this video starts after the singing so be patient. Solid potato salad? WTF? You WILL be amazed!!!

Damn... I'm good!

Who would have thought I would be such a pro at guessing people's ages? In college I worked at the age and weight game at Six Flags and I had a blast guessing people's ages.... the weight was a lot harder. Two people can be the exact same size and there can be a big difference in their weight. See how good you are at guessing people's ages. I warn you though, it can be addictive.

Genius!!!

Having had my lunches stolen at work in the past (I can't say I blame the person because hey... I make yummy lunches)..... these bags are so perfect. I must get me some of these stat!! Seriously though... what kind of person has the nerve to just take someone else's lunch? The maintenance man at a building I once worked in, used to go through people's lunch bags and take whatever appealed to him. This one lady got so angry that she started keeping her lunch in a bag with a lock on it. Ha! The guy that was rifling through people's food was a pretty nasty dude so after we all found out who was doing it.. ugh... don't want to go there again... I think I might be sick just thinking about it.

I should probably be offended....

but I really love it!!!! Too funny!!!!!

Some things you just don't question....

For example...... why was there a man dressed up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (we are talking completely decked out from the ruby slippers, to the braids, to the basket with a fake Toto) walking around the parking lot at Sams Club yesterday? Now this might be normal somewhere lets say in Las Vegas or New York, but not in suburban Houston. Freaked me out just a little. I probably don't want to know what he was doing, I just made sure to walk away as quickly as possible.

Still makes me laugh...

no matter how many times I watch it.

If this is the most important thing...

that lawmakers in this country have to work on..... it is no wonder our country is in such a mess. I should no longer be surprised by this...... but the stupidity of some (mostly all) of our so called "leaders" just amazes me.

Secret addiction

Everyone has some kind of vice...... mine is collecting china..... the stuff you eat off of, not the country. For me, it is an inherited affliction. My grandmother also sufferred from this addiction so I place all of the blame directly on her. I have a formal set (all I am missing is the cream soup bowls and underplates), an everyday set (I have almost everything I need but I am always on the lookout on ebay for new pieces), and two tea sets. I have never actually had a formal tea, but I am ready for one if the situation ever arises. The thing about this china addiction is that you are never satisfied with what you have. China is also expensive... very expensive. There are reasons why most people just don't go out and buy themselves a full set all at once.

So, I have just been minding my own business, not even thinking about china at all, when I come across a pattern that I have never seen before. How did I miss this one? I love birds!! I think I am in trouble now. Thanks a lot Pioneer Woman. It is all your fault that I saw this on your website. I am now sneaking off to check out Replacements .com and ebay. Oh crap!!

If I were getting married tomorrow.......

this would be "the dress." I am so in love with this dress. No, scratch that.... I am totally and completely in love with this dress. Unfortunately it is an Armani and it is $12,000. Sigh........

97 cents

I stopped and filled up my gas tank on the way to work this morning. Thank God it no longer costs over a hundred dollars to fill it up. It was really killing me and I was beginning to cut back on any trips in the car to the point that I was beginning to feel like some kind of home bound person. Right now a full tank is hovering somewhere around $45 which while not exactly painless, I guess I can't complain. Anyway the whole point of this story is that when I got out of my car and looked at the pump, I noticed that the person that had been there before me only bought 97 cents worth of gas. Who buys 97 cents worth of gas? How sad! Are they in that bad of shape that is all they could afford? ...........I worry about crap like this way too much.

FEDEX is not my friend!!!

I have really had it with Fedex! I have had numerous delivery problems with them in the past, but this one takes the cake. Whenever I am expecting a package from them, it is never delivered on the day it says it will be. If you track the package, it will always come up with some lame excuse like "attempted delivery, recipient not home" which is total BS because I had purposely stayed home waiting for that package all damn day or it will say "attempt not made to deliver, will deliver next business day." WTFF? Did I mention that I hate Fedex? Well, the package that I am currently expecting has now been out for delivery 3 days in a row. No excuses have been been listed as to why no delivery has been made. Is the driver really that lost? Can he not drive his lazy ass out to my area? Argghhhh! I have called Fedex twice and they have been of no help. They claim to have no idea of what the problem is and say that they can't get in touch with the station that my package is being delivered from. Shouldn't they be a tad concerned that nobody is answering the phone there? So, they have taken my phone number and have promised to get back to me. Yeah, right! I better have this package by Monday people! Argghhh! Have I mentioned how much I hate Fedex? :-O

Update----- Around noon....... a man in an unmarked white van drove up to my gate, left the package on the ground, and drove off in a cloud of dust. Very odd.... but at least I got my package. I guess it pays to always be polite on the phone even when you are pissed off.

Type A?????

I have been told that I have some type A tendencies by several people but I have been trying to relax and chill. I took this quiz just for fun and apparently I am a type B personality. I think most of my type A quirks are directed at the expectations that I have towards other people more than expectations I have for myself.... I am working on this though. What type are you?


The Type A Personality Test: Results
Type A behavior pattern has been linked to a number of health problems. Although the literature is somewhat inconsistent because of problems with the conceptualization and definition of Type A behavior, studies have shown that Type A people run higher risks of cardiovascular diseases, cancer and other stress-related evils such as frequent colds, anxiety disorders, burnout, and depression. The risks seem to be reduced with intervention aimed at reducing Type A behavior. Indeed, those with pronounced Type A characteristics would be happier and healthier if they were to file down the jagged edges of their personality. By learning how to control the negative behavior patterns while preserving their drive, Type A people can be successful without sacrificing their emotional and physical well-being.

Your score = 64

Type A Score 64
What does your score mean?
You seem to have a Type B personality. Your personality draws characteristics from each of the other personality types, that is, Type A and Type C. Either you adjust your behavior depending on the situation, or you tend to be moderated in your attitudes. In any case, you are the most balanced of the three personality types.

Uggs.....

I was a fairly late convert to the Ugg craze. I thought they were hideous when I first saw them years ago. Who would wear such ugly shoes? They were right up there with Birkenstocks in my book. I finally caved about 4 years ago when I needed a new pair of slippers to wear around the house . I looked at a lot of different styles and fell in love with the Ugg Coquette. No, they are not cheap, but they are total heaven and if you take care of them they will last you for several years.

So, after wearing my slippers around the house (and occasionally out in public.....don't tell anyone!!!).... I thought that maybe I should look into getting a pair of Uggs to wear with jeans. I finally decided on a pair of Ugg minis since they were shorter and cuter than the classic Uggs. I was in love with them from the moment that I first put them on. Who cares if they look like some kind of shapeless space boot? They are so comfy and soft and they keep your feet nice and toasty. Now, I do draw the line on wearing them in the summer. Here in Texas it is just to hot and it would just look a little too weird.... but from September to about mid- April.... it is total Ugg time.

Last weekend I decided to clean out my shoe closet. When I got to my Uggs, I started to think that maybe it was time to get a new pair. They were starting to get a little stinky and ratty looking from the past two seasons of use and since I am a total rebel who refuses to purchase the cleaning products that shoe salesman always try to foist upon you.... the Uggs were just a little shabby looking. So, I sadly put them in the trash and went online to look into getting another pair.

Well, ladies and gentleman.... it appears that despite the best efforts of fashion magazines and style gurus telling us that Uggs are out... Uggs are still going strong and have actually gone up in price since I last bought a pair. The cheapest replacement pair I could find was about 20 dollars more than I paid for my last pair. Crap! So, I kept on googling and googling until I find an ongoing discussion about Ugg maintenance on a handbag worshippers board. Apparently you can "WASH" your Uggs !!!!! Who knew?????????

According to people who claim to have washed their Uggs and had them survive.... they come out clean and fresh and looking almost like new. I figured that since my Uggs were currently sitting in a trash bag... what would the harm be if I gave it a try. So I fished my Uggs out of the trash (one of them was now full of some old dry dog food that I had dumped in there :-O) and headed to the washing machine (you need to use a front loading machine.... according to those in the know, the regular top loading machines beat the crap out of them.)

I used a small amount of Woolite and a teensy amount of fabric softener. I knew I was running a bit of a risk with the fabric softener spotting the suede but I was willing to trade a little bit of "April freshness" for a few spots. I washed them on the delicate cycle and added an extra rinse cycle just in case there was any residue. I also added an old towel to the wash to kind of cushion the Uggs and keep them from getting so beat up. Make sure it is an old towel since some of the dye in the leather will come off and stain the towel in the process.

After they were finished washing, I threw the Uggs in the dryer on low/medium heat and sent them through one drying cycle ( about 45 minutes or so.) When I took them out of the dryer, they were still pretty wet on the outside and just slightly damp on the fleecy part. I took some wadded up paper towels and stuffed them inside of the Uggs and let them sit for about a day and a half to dry.

All in all they turned out looking pretty damn good considering that I had been about ready to throw them out. When I first put them on they were a little snug but they loosened up rather quickly. The fleecy part is soft and fluffy again... kind of like they were when they were new. The outside was not quite as soft as it had been originally but it still looked fine. I have noticed that the longer I wear them, the softer they get. They also smell much better too!

So.... if your Uggs are looking pretty ratty, try washing them. I can't guarantee that they will turn out as well as mine did but it is always worth a shot.

New Year.... I am finally back.

I have been away for a couple of weeks and it was starting to look pretty bleak around here so I thought I would put in an appearance. The holidays completely wore me out and then last week, everyone at the office was sick so I had to put in a lot of overtime. Things are finally slowing down a little so I thought I would check back in so that everyone would not think that I had quit the blog. Several of my favorite bloggers have gone MIA or have just deleted their whole sites in the past couple of months and I can't say that I can blame them. I have asked myself many times why I continue with this thing.... but I am just going to keep on keepin on. Give me a couple more days and I will get back in the swing of things. I hope everyone has had a fantastic start to "09."