A pox on both houses

Time after time I get the same question from people: am I a Republican? Because I'm critical of Obama and the Dem leadership, I must be, right?

Wrong-o. I was a Dem -- a happy unquestioning one -- for, oh, what's 53 minus 18? {thinking}....

25 years!

I'll probably never join the GOP, tho, as it presently stands. Only if they lighten up a bit on the social issues and the almighty worshipping of business. Now, see, that right there USED to be my niche in the Dem den. No more. They are too far left now.

***********************

Wacamole My Week

I just finished one of the weirdest, saddest and pissiest weeks of my life.

***SNIP SNIP SNIP***

Yup, I don't want the hassle of having to explain my feelings.

Here's to better days. :-)

Oops, I let 10 days go by

...without posting. Sorry. I've just been doing boring old everyday things: chores, rearranging, a lot of drawing out furniture plans for 4 rooms (I'm redoing one room that impacts 3 others), made some art, did a bunch of laundry, cooked some meals, mailed off some RAK goodies, did some online shopping. Just regular boring stuff.

One thing I've also been doing a lot of is watching old movies on Turner Classic channel. The other day I spent all day watching Robert Montgomery movies and had such a pleasant day. He was one of those actors from the 1930s thru the 1950s who was a master of intelligent and chic light comedy. These are some photos of him:
In his younger days ---

With Carole Lombard in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 1941 (a firmly established movie star) --

In his later years before retiring, 1950s --


His daughter was Elizabeth Montgomery, who was Samantha on Bewitched. Her first gig was on his very popular tv show in the 1950s.

My favorite Robert Montgomery performance is in the film adaptation of the Noel Coward play, Private Lives. The fact that he is romantically partnered with my favorite actress, Norma Shearer, is a big part of it, but also because he is in all his debonair and witty glory in this kind of vehicle. A very attractive man, too. Those eyes were unlike any on a man, next to my favorite actor's eyes (Gary Cooper).

Another fun time was had catching up on all the episodes of The Girls Next Door that I taped to watch. LOVED the episode where Hef shares his more than 2,000 scrapbooks with the Kendra, Holly and Bridget. The crazy thing is that in his earlier scrapbooks before he was famous, he ART JOURNALED in them, mostly cartoons he would draw and dialogue about a guy who created a tasteful magazine for men about women. Too dang funny.

A few days ago, we finally got Missy's old car out of our driveway and into my brother's driveway. My nephews were thrilled to get the vehicle and were already making plans to change the sound system. I'm really glad we gave them the car.

Well, as soon as I can think of some more boring stuff to blog, I'll be back! winkwink

New Car Days

Well, we finally broke down and got our new car. After weeks of determining where, on an imaginary graph, economy met reliability, the x-y hot point landed on a Honda Civic.



From there, the choice lay with our peculiar tastes. And since it was technically my ride, my choices won out. It had to be silver. It had to be the 4-door sedan and not the 2-door coupe like Hubs preferred.



The interior dashboard won us both over. Sitting in the front seats made us feel like we were in a spacious luxury vehicle. For me, that's easy, as I am only 5'5" on a good day. But for my 6' Hubs to think it's spacious was a plus.



I'll be getting used to my new car in the coming weeks and months. Already I'm getting used to being lower to the ground. I've been higher up for almost a decade and I've been spoiled by it. Down here, a vehicle that is higher up fares better when streets flood. Hubs' answer is that I am to just stay home on those days, and that is a-okay by me. ;-)

One-Topic Fool

It seems like all I write about here lately is rainy weather and politics. It's Wednesday, so it's supposed to be Politics on the Hump, but I don't feel much like getting all riled about anything overtly political today.

I have a waterlogged brain and am anxious about this Swine Flu outbreak / potential pandemic.

We did have a few hours of sunshine today, but down here around Houston it's been mostly cloudy and stormy. We are lucky to live on one of the highest points in my area with good storm drains, so aside for temporary street water that drains quickly, we've had no flooding problems. Much of Houston has not been so lucky, but then they never are.

Since the 1990's, Houston floods every time someone spits good. It's mostly blamed on too much concrete and not enough drainage planning. I am so glad I don't have to navigate that place anymore on a daily basis, because it gets extremely dangerous to be caught out in rising waters. There were commuters interviewed on the local news last night who had their vehicles flooded last week and had their rental cars flooded yesterday! Many people keep getting water in their homes. I would be coming unglued at that point. You would maybe be hearing about me taking my city councilman hostage or something.

To me, living there is just not worth all that. I have experience, having lived there in the 1980's. I'm happy to let Hubs have the Toyota and just be homebound on days like this. I get really nervous even thinking about having to drive to the grocery store or post office.

It's situations like in Houston that make me realize that we pay all of these monies in local, county and state taxes, yet we are still in the end on our own or worse, at the whim of inadequate drainage in a rainstorm that we pay taxes to maintain properly so we are not flooded. Or like with my land line phone -- on rainy days it still crackles so badly the phone is unusable -- even though Verizon's been out on multiple occasions and proclaims it fixed every time. Or like the untrimmed trees and unchecked undergrowth that Centerpoint Energy is supposed to keep free from the power lines and doesn't.

It makes me wonder if things would be any worse if our taxes were halved and governments had to nix many of these services that we are not effectively getting. I'm almost ready to try, too. Especially since some governments are making plans to assess even more taxes and fees for the same inadequate services.

My dad told me yesterday his town is discussing changing their garbage fees to an assessment of $1 a pound, and no pickup...citizens would have to take their garbage to be weighed and disposed of. I would be fighting that big time. For one thing, like my dad says, what are all of the elderly people who cannot drive and have no kin going to do? Also, who is going to weigh that garbage and what controls are on them to be accurate? And who is going to police the increase in dumping in order to avoid the garbage fee?

Yes, services might need to be cut back and redesigned, but could ya start with something a little less important to public health and safety than the garbage? Sometimes I wonder if people in responsible civic positions even know how to think something through or walk in someone else's shoes while they're doing it.

Add the dull razor mood that constant rainy weather tends to cause, and pretty soon I'm throwing up my hands and deciding we are all going to hell in a hand basket. If we don't all get the swine flu, that is. I saw my first mosquitoes of the year yesterday, too. And my feet, ankles, calves and fingers have been swollen up like sausages for 2 days. My Ford Focus decided it needs a new alternator and Hubs doesn't want to fix it, so until I can get out and buy a new car, I am back to sharing Hubs'.

I doubt that sunshine could wipe out every glum thing, but boy, it sure would be nice to see. Forget Seasonal Affective Disorder -- I think I have Humidity Affective Disorder. ;-))) So, if the sun is shining today where you are, please try to bottle some for me. I will gladly pay for the postage to send it to me.

When do seasons really change?

What is the real criteria for seasonal change?

I know the summer solstice is in June. I know this because it's on my late paternal grandmother's birthday. I always get a phone call from my dad, who always brings it up and asks how old would she be.

For me, though, summer comes long before then. The feel of it, the sweat, the constant wish for a cool sweet breeze, mosquitoes and bugs, and car interiors that never seem to cool off no matter what.

The last two days have been suggesting summer down here. 95 degrees for the afternoon high. What a spike, even for us. This usually happens in May!

I haven't been paying to the tv forecast but every once in a while I've seen a big red splotch over the middle of the country. Today I heard the weather guy say that it's moving east and that NYC would be in the 80's tomorrow from the 60's today.

My first thought was, I sure hope it moves way east...and a little north too. My second thought was, I hope this is just a weird heat wave anomaly. I hope everything will go back to the way it was.

I'm not ready to face this every day, I suppose, even though I have been thinking that this summer Reggie and I are gonna live in the swimming pool as soon as it heats up enough. Well, not exactly true. I can stand this just fine. It's how much hotter than this that it's gonna get that I dread.

I've been spoiled by the cooler than normal weather we've had for the last year. Last summer had some rough days, but there were also plenty of fronts to help cool things off a bit. That's what I'll hope for.

I do need the pool to heat up, because I'm planning to exercise in it every day. Last year it was almost June before it got warm enough. I remember that Missy was back home from school a couple of weeks before she began bugging Hubs to clean it, which led to finding The Pool Guy.

Isn't it funny, me complaining about heat already, when others to the north of me are complaining about still getting the occasional snowfall. You'd think America spanned 2 hemispheres and was this long land mass like Italy.

Heck, if I lived in Mexico in the summer, I'd want to cross the border just to get some cooler weather and air conditioning. And I'd work for pennies in the bargain. Perhaps I've just solved the immigration problem. How about an air conditioner bailout for Mexico? winkwink

emBRACEable me...

You may be wondering, what the heck is in that photo? Well, it's what has been snugly adorning my neck for the last several days: my lovely neck brace. :-))

I was instructed to buy the brace almost a decade ago for the pinched nerve in my neck. Apparently, wearing it helps decompress where the spinal discs are pinching the nerve. I remember at the time, the doctor told me that the progression of home therapy was the brace, a chin strap and weights on the end of my bed, and then inversion, like the Teeter Inversion Hang-Ups.

I'm of two opinions about my neck brace. On the one hand, it does provide some decompression and relief, but I have learned through trial and error that I need to wear the thing 8 hours to get 8 hours of relief. Any less wear and the relief time shortens. You can imagine how old that can get on a daily basis, so I only use it when I'm in unbearable pain or pain with accompanying arm and finger numbness like I'd had recently.

And now that all this time has passed, my problems have worsened to where the second step of the therapy is useless. A Teeter is definitely in my near future, but meanwhile, the neck brace is going to be worn until it quits producing any relief.



My neck problems really couldn't have come at a better time weather-wise. Since I last blogged, we had 2-3 days of rain. Pretty dreary-looking. Had it continued to be all sunny and springy, I'd have been even more unhappy.



Then we had a cold front (cool front for ya'll up North). The days were cool, but the nights were in the 40's which is cold for here. Hubs had just finished lecturing me about not running Reggie's heater, so I made it a point to tell him the heater was back on, bud, and don't mess with it. Every night Reggie runs into his house as soon as the plug is connected, and stays there all night long, so I know he needs the warmth. Hubs is so heartless sometimes. Me, I turn it on the minute it hits 59 or colder. Hubs would let it get into the 40's before plugging it in. I'm hoping he comes back as a dog whose owner is just like him in this regard, hehe. Then he will see. ;-)



We did manage to have some good food, though. Here is Hubs posing so enthusiastically (not) with his major award from work, a new smoker pit. Every so often, if you have contributed something safety-wise, they give you a web link and tell you to choose a gift. This is what Hubs chose back around Christmas.



Here's my plate: pulled pork, potato salad and broccoli. It was awesomely delish. Eating it with the neck brace on: not so fun, but I managed. ;-)

My ER / Friday, the 13th Weekend

I have had the most interestingly annoying last 4-5 days, with this weekend being the most annoying. Though I've tried, I have been unsuccessful at shaking the negativity involved with bad days. This leads to an ill feeling just under the surface. You're handling it, you think. But is it really handling you?

For one thing, it has been crappy weather: bone-chilly wetness hours on end, day after day and no sunshine. This gets my arthritii flared because of the humidity, so my neck is in crackly stiffness and pain 24/7. And, really, my fingers, feet, left shoulder, right hip...you get the idea.

I had a slight reprieve on Thursday night when I chanced upon ER on TV, and was utterly delighted I had. I used to be a huge ER fan. I know I watched faithfully for at least the first 5 years. It holds a place in my TV heart even if I got tired of the same old same old with different characters.

Well, they are closing it out right by bringing back old characters in the plot, like to say goodbye along with the current cast. This episode was especially awesome for me because I had always wanted Doug and Carol to re-unite and live Happily Evuh, ya know? Well, guess what, they have - score! It was pure heaven seeing that sexy smile on Doug's face and not have to cringe, thinking uh-oh he's going to screw up again. No, really, it was nice seeing them both in love with each other, mature and happy.

But Friday morning, I was woke up out of a dead sleep by the police knocking on my door! Turns out my phone had water in the line (again!) and was dialing 911 and hanging up. I kid you not. Now, that ticked me off. What a waste of tax money to send the cops on goose chases, and also, can't Verizon figure out how to cut the power to lines that do this...or even better, have them dial their own freakin repair number! Omgosh, that's just so messed up.

Next up, Saturday...the Hubs decides to clean under the cook top. You may recall our wall oven is not working because the element broke off in his hands when he was cleaning that. Well, you guessed it: somehow, when he was cleaning, he managed to make the clicker sound go non-stop (it's natural gas). We had to end up flipping off the breaker to get it to stop. The stove top can still be used, we just have to light the flame manually. Don't know about you, but I think he needs to quit cleaning appliances. LOLOL, poor guy.

Sunday night, my internet went out. Another annoying thing. I was spooked enough by this time to wonder if there was water in the cable, winkwink. Talked to my dad and he reminded me these things run in 3's, so I should be okay for awhile from now on. One can always hope! :-))

Malto-Meal Morning

Every once in a while, I splurge. Kinda like people who never quit wanting their breakfast to be Cocoa Puffs every day.

I never got to eat Malto-Meal growing up, though. Hubs neither. Both of us were in families where foods like that and Tang and frozen veggies and tv dinners were extravagances. So we indulge our childhood dreams in this small and enjoyable way.

Well, Spring is sputtering awake around my parts. The weather has been much like Dickens described, "It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer
in the light, and winter in the shade."

All week it's been sunny at times during the day, then cloudy and blustery. No rain, though. We are down 7 inches on the year so far, which is a lot. I just don't remember such a display of seasonal change as in the last year. It's a welcome change.

I finally have a working car now! A birthday present of sorts from the Hubster...getting it fixed, that is. He took off a couple of days last week and got it repaired. The right rear wheel bearings had to be replaced. But then it got sort of ridiculous. There's a diagnostic light that is supposed to come on when there's engine trouble, but as the car aged it came on when the gas cap wasn't on there just exactly like it liked. (My Honda has the same light, and personally I think it's a sneaky way to make you have to take it in to the dealer for maintenance, if you ask me.)

Anyway, the Focus light was on and Hubs took it down to the auto parts store to get it turned off. But he had to then drive it for 40-50 miles in order to let it re-diagnosis all the different things it monitors and a-okay them. Only then would it pass inspection.

For almost 2 days, Hubs drove the Focus around and around, until Saturday it finally was ready to get inspected. Thankfully, it passed or I'd probably still be car-less.

Took it out for the first time yesterday to run some quick errands. It has just over 48,000 miles and I realized that if I drive it slowly I'll enjoy it. That is the key. Otherwise, I'm going to expect it to be as powerful and responsive as the Honda, and that ain't gonna happen. Missy always mentions how powerful the Honda makes her feel when she's driving, and the engine is quick and strong. It could easily be like crack to Missy, who never met a speed limit she obeyed. winkwink

I'm ashamed to say I've gained back those 5 pounds from the holidays. I suspect it was/is the Valentines chocolate, of course. I emailed the nutritionist and she was like, no worries. Immediately begin drinking green tea, cutting out all butter, and get more exercise in. I really can't argue with that.

The last few days have been high on pain for me. I've been trying to get all my sleep, too. And since I'm now doused in drowse, I'll seeya next time!

Happy Un-Birthday to Me!

I turned 53 this weekend. Exactly when? The split second between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Yep, Leap Year birthdays are like that 75% of the time.

I don't let technicalities ruin it though. I just celebrate both days, winkwink, kinda like a birthday mardi gras. Well, middle-age style.

We made the drive down Interstate 10 to visit Missy, who's off at college. We went to eat at the restaurant she has worked at for 14 months, Bistro Le Monde. It was really neat to be waited on by my dear daughter, who is excellent by the way.

Scenes from an Un-birthday (#53):

Arriving at the restaurant, what a cool building. In a very very nice swanky part of town, too. And Missy's apartment is right around the corner, practically.

There she is, ready to greet us.

Appetizers? Say cheese!

What a couple of clowns!

My birthday entree: flat iron sirloin with fried shrimp and grilled asparagus.

Later we visited at her apartment and we got to meet the new pet, Mr. Albino Froggie.

Missy got a new desk and chair. She's always taken her study habits seriously.

The Hubster had to stand in order to stay awake. It was practically 9 p.m., well past his normal bedtime, poor thing. winkwink

Is it really THAT good?

To be QUEEN, that is.

I know what was a little TOO good:



~all of the Valentine's sweets Hubs and I separately bought for each other (and ourselves).

Next year, only one of us is buying the candy. Maybe we'll have less of it that way.

I also know what's REAL good:



~the lovely card Missy sent, and the store bought cards Hubs and I picked out for each other. He prefers a store bought card. I've learned not to be insulted or hurt. It's some deeply ingrained childhood some such, and I get a break from having to make a card. Win-Win. :-)

The BESTest thing is:



My favorite shirt lately. So cherished that I'm actually beginning to worry about separation anxiety when it's threadbare, and the dang shirt's only a few months old. It's just the epitome of comfort, and it knows it, too, right?



Forget being Queen (although I love my newest coffee cup collectible, my Valentine to myself)...I just wanna be comfortable, especially after grazing on all that chocolate for days and days!

Life at Casa Miguel this week has been hectic as the turtle flies. In other words, hectic for my usual speed. The new mattress set I ordered was delivered Monday, requiring a furniture rearranging endeavor of massive proportions. Right on cue, my back went out, but I pushed on and Monday night we were taking turns trying out our first memory foam mattress, like two kids at a slumber party. I would recommend a Simmons Caresse. It's firm, yet forgiving. Very conforming and ... wait for it ... comfortable. ;-)

The weather's been, as we say down here, stanky damp. So damp that even in the garage, kitchen matches will not light and little puddle patches of humidity form on the concrete and make it look like it rained. And it's been doing some of that, too. As always in damp weather, my arthritii is flaring up. One good thing that has happened has been 3 recent unplanned sleeps of 13 hours each (during the week of Friday the 13th, no less), that has finally succeeded in helping me kick the vast majority of that awful cold crud I had. All that remains is my usual allergy mini-hacking. Back to normal in that dept.

Today is a dreary looking one, with rumbling thunder and strange sounds being carried on the wind. A cool front is coming from the north.

In the Bragging Corner, I can't forget to mention that Missy landed an internship with Cornerstone Media Group! And, she's only a junior. She doesn't graduate until May 2010, a year and 3 months from now. I just saw a news piece about how up north at the expensive schools, companies are charging kids up to $9K for an 8-week internship. That is obscene.

I'm so glad she's at little Podunk U, shining like a bright star, and surrounded by rules that are for the most part, like old school, like in my day. Every time I think of that $9K, it pizzes me off. My Gosh, people, go get some bailout money, quit trying to make a buck off these kids.

Anyway, Missy had to add it as a class and it only cost me $800 more dollars, which now that I know about the $9K, makes me thankful to pay $800 and to the college, not to a company, sheesh.That means she is taking a really full load, working 3 afternoons a week at Cornerstone and then working 3-4 nights at the restaurant. I do not even fathom how she does it, because she is also active in the student ad society, Ad Fed. She is happy, though, and so I try not to fret too much. I probably tell her too many times to get enough sleep and food. {blush} Like it does any good....

On the cyber road again....

Hey Howdy Hey.

Gosh, it's been 5 whole days since I last posted because we have been without a land phone and cable tv and internet all that time, except for about 3 short periods where they thought it was fixed and it wasn't. There was some kind of physical overload that took both Verizon and Comcast that long to re-allocate, if that makes any sense. But, everything's working now, finally.

I spent a good deal of that offline time sleeping all that I could, due to a really painful arthritii flare and some strained back muscles from the hacking fits I'm still having. Good news on the hacking is that it's down to about once a day now. I've called my doctor's office again, and they are not impressed. According to them, I am performing typically and it will wane away slowly and surely. So, I just try not to think about it and let the days go by. I have also done quite a bit of radio and music listening, which is always good. I even drug out Missy's hand-me-downed mp3 player and enjoyed using it. The songs she originally downloaded onto it back in like 2006 are still on it, LOL. Guess I need to try to download some new ones one of these days, huh?

I've also decided to let you all off the hook and am working on starting a separate political blog with some like minded friends. It will be so separate that I'm not even going to link it on my blogs. I do need to vent my opines, but most of the audience that appreciates it isn't the same one that reads this blog. I finally figured that out during my offline hiatus. I've basically been trying to mix water and oil by hand. Not gonna happen. So, I adjust, because I do have to express that part of me. (P.S. - for those of you who I know will want to know the new blog, I will email you privately. Not to worry. winkwink)

Things here at Casa Miguel are the same old same old, except that I haven't really had a car to drive since the last week of January and I've been learning to adjust to that. Can't remember if I blogged about this or not, but Missy came home then to get her Focus inspected as it expired on 1/31. We'd been considering giving her Focus to my brother's oldest who turns 16 in March, so we let Missy take my CRV back with her to school and we kept her Focus.

Fast forward to now. The Focus is sitting in the driveway and is still not inspected. It developed a loud noise coming from the left back wheel right before she brought it, which is probably something like wheel bearings that need to be repacked or some such, but it probably won't pass inspection until that is fixed. Hubs is going to get an assistant in a week or so at work, which means he can take a half-day off here and there when needed finally, so as soon as that happens, he's driving it to the mechanic for an estimate of what it will take to get it in "Grandma" shape (fix whatever is wrong to get it in good enough working order that your grandma could drive it reliably). And, if it's worth fixing up, as it is a 2001 Ford, after all.

Commentary: If it was my 2002 Honda CRV or Hubs' 2001 Toyota Rav, there'd be no question that it would be worth it. Such is the sad state of American car companies today. Just sayin'.... and I do remain optimistic that the Focus will be worth driving for another year or two after it is worked on.

Anyway, I'm having to wing it without wheels, something I've not done since the fall of 1981. It's strange to not be able to just jump in the car if I need or want to, but I'm also amazed it's not been that tough. I am not driving an uninspected car, because I just don't want to chance a stupid ticket. Hubs doesn't mind, so if I do need a car, he's offered to switch with me and we have done that once when I had a doctors appointment in Houston last week. But I don't want him getting a ticket, so I really try not to switch.

But, for just mailing letters or going to the grocery store, I've been able to manage by just going at night after he gets home. And I really don't need a car every day. So, when Hubs began talking let's get a new car for you, I said okay at first, but now I've insisted upon trying to keep the Focus first. I feel bad we won't be giving it to my brother, but this recession has got me spooked and I neither want to part with a lot of cash right now, nor do I want to take on any more debt. It's like a voice speaking to me from my common sense, and I'm not going to shush it.

The second-hardest part was telling Hubs, although he took it well. Like I told him, we can always buy a new car later. Let's try and see if this car will work for me first. After all, what in the world do I need daily transportation for right now besides going to the doctor in Houston, and we can switch cars on those days, once we get the Focus fixed up.

The hardest part was thinking it all out and taking a decisive stand. Dangit! This latest round of arthritii meds is really taking its toll on my ability to think clearly and quickly about new stuff I have to adjust to. I can totally see now what kinds of problems people with ADD and anxiety disorders go through, because I have similar symptoms at different times. The simplest decisions are taking me forever! And it is so frustrating to me, but I've just had to accept it and go with the flow because there's not a dang thing I can do different right now.

I still have some big ticket items I want to buy (like a new computer and some more furniture, cuz remember that Missy took a lot of our furniture for her apartment). So, I think I almost had an anxiety attack once I remembered that, and then thinking about a new car too. It was just too much. Thankfully Hubs hasn't been pushing it -- I think that is why he acquiesced to my decision without a debate. It's like he knows what I can handle and what I can't. I am so thankful for that, and for him...the old coot. ;-))

Well, time to go do a blog entry on Paper Paisleys and then try to get some blog-visiting in. I am way behind in that department...

Wait for it...

Dearest Readers, I feel obligated to remind you that this is my Life blog, wherein it may contain, from time to time, opinion essays about which you may disagree. I've lost a few readers from time to time, but I've discovered many more who respect me enough to let me have the discussion. Hell, some even comment. I call those readers my friends. They are keepers. I hope we can all agree to disagree and love each other anyway. xoxo

If you prefer, hang out at my Paper Paisleys Art Adventures blog instead. That's 100% Art Only. :-)))

Okay, then. I feel the need to comment on a few things going on right now in our lovely country and world.

First up is this little gem:

"Tax cuts never educated a child." ~ Congressman Barney Frank, Feb. 2, 2009

Oh, yeah? Dear Mr. Frank, you are so wrong. I guarantee you that if you give me and others like me a tax cut, it will go directly to educating a child by paying out-of-control college tuition for our kids! Or for saving for it! Wow, you aren't talking to me or about me, though. No, you represent taxpayers who are probably not paying much tuition, some with kids, some with no kids. Got it. But do you think you can stop lying? Because tax cuts have educated a lot of kids, hun.

Okay, next item. Could we please stop thinking we can punish the mom who gave birth to all the kids through invitro fertilization? I haven't heard such intrusive exaggerated moralizing since Palin Days, and before that, since the Mormon Ranch out in West Texas.

Hey, chill out. Let Oprah buy an indepth interview for $2 million. I'd consider that a much better use of her money than what she's been buying lately (like the Presidency). Hey, just sayin'.

The ability to predict the future of those babies as accurately as TV Talking Heads have been professing to do is a truly amazing feat. No, really. Hello. Too amazing to be true.

I knew there was another side of this that wasn't being heard when that Cindy Margolis chick (who had a baby herself using the same technology) was on a talk show about this and admitted she'd been implanted with the same ridiculous number of eggs in order to have one kid. The host just ignored what she said, because -- news flash -- the plot of the show was to criticize the mom who did that and not to maybe explore this might be standard operating procedure, depending on the circumstances.

Plus, this is America. Last time I checked, women still have the right to have babies. She says it was a fluke that many were conceived and when confronted with this she refused to abort any of them. Get over it. Move on. A perfect childhood is not a guaranteed right in this country. Believe me, I lived through mine. They will, too.

Okay, next item. So, is there something in the stimulus bill for you? No? Why the hell not? Dang, at $800 bil to $1 tril, there should be something lucrative for every one of us, doncha think?

Oh, begeebus, this is exactly what I feared would happen and why I voted for a divided power structure instead of 24/7 Dems. I mean, I want Prez Obama x-rayed so we can see once and for all if he has an actual backbone or if he is really just Gumby in disguise. Uber-pragmatic or a tool. Either way, Pelosi and Reid win, which is sad. But how many times will they win? We're borrowing 100% of the stimulus. We're still spending millions a day in the Middle East, and mark my words, we aren't leaving any time soon. The only thing I see clearly is that Americans are desperately trying to shed their personal debt and that's a good thing, but a bad thing that it's going to come in handy when we are all paying 90% tax rates eventually. I mean, there are only 2 ways to pay for all this debt: borrow it or raise tax rates. HELL-OOOOOOOOh.

Anyway, I have put off making some big decisions for our household and it looks like maybe all my guilt was misplaced, thanks to this stimulus package (or at least how it looks right now...could change next week). I need a new car and we need to refinance our mortgage if rates go down below 5%. Well, we don't need to refinance, but since I passed on doing it about 5 years ago, I feel the need to not pass up on it again.

There's now a tax credit for buying a new car in the stimulus bill, and there's a credit for buying a new house, too. I was a bit ticked off when the Dems passed on the Republicans' proposal for guaranteed 4% fixed housing loans...Daaayaaamm. Works for me, but alas, not in the bill. So, I'll wait and pray it gets put in, too.

So, they've even got me wanting some of that moola now. Tellya what, I'd gladly lose my car tax credit and a 4% loan if they would scrap this bill and start over. This bill is so obviously a political wishlist cram-in parading around as a critical job-creator. WTF? Nobody knows how to fix anything, but they sure know how to borrow money and spend it on crap, don't they? Did ya hear about the $78 billion....that's right, BILLION, that Paulson wasted into thin air from the bank bailout funds last autumn. Great informative article here: Treasury Overpaid....

And here's a link to this column by former McCain campaign staffer Nichole Wallace, which pretty much sums up how I feel about the stimulus crap: Obama's Very Bad Week. Recommended: a good read.

Moving right along in parallel, kudos to ABC's Jake Tapper, who gave Press Sec'y Gibbs a real ass-kicking in Friday's press conference. I haven't been able to stomach even looking at Gibbs for very long since the first day I laid eyes on him. He's a grade-a smart-ass and doesn't hide it well. Keep it up, Tapper, good job. ;-)))

Oh, and finally we get to Appointees Who Owe Taxes. Oh man, since I prepared income taxes for 30 years, I feel like I need an opinion on this. One thing they do not mention about Daschle's situation, and one that only wonkish tax nerds like me would know, is this: it was on his watch in the Senate leadership that the freaking imputed luxury car and personal-use vehicle laws were passed! This would be exactly why I think that his dropping out was a damn good thing. That is inexcuseable.

And don't get me started on Timothy Geitner. You have to search far and wide to find a more representative case of tax avoidance, and yet, we are supposed to believe it was an oversight. OMG, our gov't employs people to inform Geitner when he owes tax, and on top of that, the man received a tax reimbursement to pay the tax and still didn't pay it! He still manages to be confirmed, and we are told we have to have him, that he is one of our best minds.

Like I overheard last week, if this is how our best minds work, let's let the second-best minds have a shot at it.

Ya KNOW?

Feeling the Tag Love

Yup, I've been way too introspective the last day or so, but I had to be to get to the other side of some crap that Hubs laid on me. I'm across now, feeling better, and one thing that helped was Benita awarding me and Antics & Rantics the Rockin Blog / Best Bloggin Buddy and the Your Blog is Fabulous awards. So thank you much, girlfriend.


If you read either of my blogs, you know I've done the tag already, but luckily I have many addictions! LOL Here are 5 more (I previously listed cigarettes, straightening iron, coffee, diet cokes and internet shopping):

1. my computer
2. fox news
3. mad men on amc
4. keeping up with the kardashians on e!
5. movies on tv (turner, amc, tbs, comedy channel)

I want to pass along both of these awards to anyone reading who wants them! :-)))

XXXXX

Yesterday, Hubs came home from work and, unbeknownst to me he was laying in wait for a dog to kick. I've been sort of homebound without a car for about a week now. I have Missy's car in the driveway, but as of Feb. 1, it needs to be inspected and I will not drive it unless it's an emergency that a cop would consider worth the risk of driving it, because my luck with these sort of things is erratic.

I do not want a ticket right now. Plus, there's not a heckuva lot of reasons for me to drive anywhere. I am still recovering way too slowly from my coughy-coldy-allergies (whatever the heck it is that I have) and it's all I can do most days to take care of the kitchen dishes, pay the bills, take care of ReggieDog and keep things picked up around the house.

All I did was bring up what should we do about getting Missy's car fixed or giving it as is to my brother as his oldest turns 16 next month. Well, if any of you have been married a long time to a moody guy, you will understand. Everything he said was derisive and with contempt. He first tried to paint me as paranoid for not driving the car. Then, he imploded into a little tantrum about how he did everything around here, and proceeded to list it all out.

After about a minute of not being able to get a word in edgewise to defend myself and then deciding that was futile, I left out the back door and went to smoke a cigarette in the garage. He followed me, still going a mile a minute on his tirade. I can remember being very aware that if any neighbors were outside, they were hearing him.

I finally put my hands over my ears and this stopped him. He went back in the house and went on to bed, thankfully. Of course, I was left to deal with my shattered self-esteem. It sucks to be told you are a worthless human being by your so-called soulmate, ya know?

But here is where I learned something about myself. At first, I thought through all the things I did do every day, as if preparing a mental rebuttal. But then, a strange calm came over me and I really felt this thought: this is not about me and isn't even worth defending. I began to think of him and all the pressure and stress he is under, working 6 sometimes 7 days a week, helping to run a special project that a lot of money is being spent on. I remembered that he was beginning to be really bothered by his allergies again (he'd basically been through in early January what I've been through with the nasal drip and coughing, and he's getting it again!).

Now, my previous reaction to this behavior (he does it approximately once or twice a year for some reason, like he just has to) was to call a girlfriend or my dad and wail about how unfair Hubs was being, or work myself up into a mass of chaotic hurt and get all depressed. Those kinds of reactions...like I was fighting it or fighting against it.

Now, I felt like I was hovering above it, figuring out the best place to land safely and out of the way. Forgiving him for he knows not how what he does when he does it. And, it's strange, but I think that the combination of growing in my art and growing in my struggle to adjust to my health issues, that combination has helped -- I have matured in these respects.

I could tell myself all day long the words, but this time I lived them. That love is sometimes taking some pain from your loved one if they need to give it to you, and seeing it as venting, not as permanent behavior. Sometimes people have to, need to act like toddlers. It's not like they act that way all the time.

Long story short, Hubs came home today and asked me if I was still mad at him, which was his way of saying that I should be mad. And I was proud of myself, I told him no, that I forgave him because I knew he didn't feel well and was under a lot of stress. You should have seen the look on his face. Relief, appreciation, regret, guilt. All there. He apologized and things went back to regular.

I think I shocked the shite outta him, actually. That should keep him guessing. Such is Love and Life with Mr. Moody. {winkwink}

Finally...

Finally, I think I am officially off *Depends Suicide Watch*. I'm still not well yet, but I'm definitely on the mend and happy to be there. I'm still coughing, but not like a couple of days ago, when the post-nasal drip got so dang bad that after awhile my abs popped their elastic band and died, leaving me with nothing but the well-earned nickname I.P. Freely.

At one point, I was yelling to God at 3 a.m. after being stuck on the toilet for hours, because every time I tried to stand up I'd have another coughing fit and pee my pants even though I'd just relieved myself more than relief deserves.

I truly cannot remember an attack this bad ever in my life. Which is why I still think that I had a cold at first, and then it morphed into allergies gone wild. The doc said I had no fever and no sign of infection, and that both cold viruses and allergies are rampant right now. He said my immune system is fragile right now because of the arthritis meds and therapy I'm on, so theoretically both could have hit me.

But, back to my diaper story...

I am ashamed to say that I ended up actually buying a package of Depends, or rather, Hubs did. I initially felt I owed him a big one for doing that, until it became so difficult talking him into doing it that it wiped out all my feelings of goodwill. Let's just say I'm glad I'm in menopause, because he always refused to buy tampons, too. He had absolutely no sympathy with the possibility of me having a coughing fit and peeing my pants in the middle of CVS trying to buy them myself.

So, how did I talk him into it? I simply reminded him, "okay, then don't blame me when one day you might be shitting all over yourself and need a diaper, and I pull the same crap you're pulling now."

That did the trick. :-)))) But you know that old saying about needing stuff only when you don't have it? Fate intervened. Within hours of my receipt of said dreaded diapers, I began to improve. I was able to go get my steroid shot and the diapers remain unopened, forever to remain in the bathroom cabinet when truly needed. By either one of us. winkwink

Oh, I do wanna pass on a home remedy Hubs picked up at work: rub Vick's Vapo-rub all over the bottoms of your feet and put on some socks, and you will stop coughing for a few hours. I did it and it worked for me. This has been discussed on Snopes but no conclusions were reached either way. Another great thing it does is soften the heck out of the skin on my soles. Seriously. It's become a new tradition for me.

So, anyway, word of advice to you younger ladies who still have abs that work: Youth, Thy Name is Kegal!

Fun with Family

Missy drove home Monday night and brought her roomie Matt with her, so that we could all go to see a school performance in a nearby town of The Wizard of Oz. We had members from both sides of our family performing: my oldest nephew, who had a supporting song-and-dance role, and youngest niece, who was a munchkin. The show was absolutely awesome. They had a real, live Toto dog in the opening scene on the Gale farm with caged baby chicks to boot! (The poor dog barked hilariously nonstop at them, too, which was why he was only in the opening scene...Dorothy held a stuffed animal after that.) When the tornado hit, the little farmhouse twirled around on wheels and the wood trees and fence were all picked up by black-clad prop people and twirled while a light show and sound made it as realistic as could be. A boy! played the Wicked Witch fabulously.

Everyone was fabulous. Hubs (who has to get up at 4 a.m. every workday and was awake way past his bedtime) even said it was the fastest 2 hours he'd ever spent (which means he enjoyed it). My nephew is growing up so fast and will be 16 in March. It was great getting to see him and his family (my brother). You know I'd have had photos, except that school district is uber-strict about no photos or video, darnit. That was the only thing wrong with the whole evening. Family memories get no respect, I tellya!

On the shopping front, I found me a few good little bargains online after Christmas. I should add, I found tons of fantastic bargains and they are still coming. It's been tough not to snatch up more of them, but this is one time my K-marty frugality comes in handy, LOL.

When I got my fantastic fur-lined Crocs that I still love, I immediately threw out my old crappy terry cloth slides that were more than past their prime, but I did need to replace those. The tootsies need to breathe sometimes, even in winter.

So, I found some perfect ones for $2.99 at Carol Wright Gifts.


Now, I did not need a new purse, but if you have boobs and a v-j-j, you know that doesn't matter.

And when I saw this purse on sale for $4.99, I added it to my order so that my new terry slides wouldn't feel alone in the box. Isn't it a great winter purse? I have developed a sizeable crush on snowflakes, so the design lets me indulge for a little longer. (The white soft fleece scarf is an Old Navy hand-me-down from Missy).

And of course, no blog entry of mine is complete without a little good eats photo. :-)))

Do you tend to eat more hot soup during the colder months? I sure do. But when I need a little somethin-somethin in the bowl to give more staying power, I add a torn-up biscuit. After I eat a buttered one, of course. LOL No really, this works great for soups that would taste great with dumplings in them, like beef barley and of course, chicken noodle. Saltine crackers will work in a pinch, but not nearly as good. Keep a can of store-brand biscuits in your fridge and try it sometime.

The life vision thing for 2009

First of all, a heartfelt wish to our military boys and girls in harm's way for a safe, peaceful, productive 2009.

Yes, 2009 is here now, and there seems to be two ways to look at it.

A new year: how exciting and promising -- an adventure with unlimited potential.

OR

Another year: might as well make the best of it.

Which sounds more familiar to you?

What if i told you that, around here, we accept both interpretations. lol

Why? Because, in reality, the truth of the thing is closer to both.

If you have any years under your belt, you know that the first approach is fraught with potential for a set-up for failure for most of us (except for the fabulous Tina Zarlenga and the equally fabu Sarah Coggins, both of whom I'd bet real money on to actually and consistently do the impossible -- they are incredibly energetic and self-disciplined women that I greatly admire, even though I have little understanding of what it is that makes them tick much faster than me...not even when I was younger did I have that much focused energy to complete so many things).

I kid about Tina and Sarah when I say that I privately suspect addiction to crack or something similar...to repeat, I'm kidding! It's just that I would have to literally be hooked up to an amphetamine IV in order to do half of what they get done, and then my lack of focus would sabotage even that. Anyway, hats off to you both, my friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what you conquer this year.

As for Sarah, that goes double since she recently announced that she is expecting her first baby! This is such wonderful news! Congrats to her and hubby Trent.

And a little story on Tina: I read today she mentioned not meeting her goal of reading 100 books in 2008. OMG, did that ever make me eyeroll and chuckle. You see, I'm one of her friends over on Good Reads. I get emails when friends update their reading lists. Let me tell you, that girl updated her list more frequently than a squirrel finds nuts, all year long. She read over 50 books! That's about 1 a week. I think I might have read one the whole year...sigh.

I might kill to get that kind of energy back again. But until then I'll just live vicariously through them both.



Anyway, I'm going to try to just stick to making the best of 2009:

-->Accept what I can and cannot do.

-->Focus on doing the things that will accomplish the goals I've chosen, whenever possible, but remember that it doesn't always work that way.

-->No pie-in-the-sky goals, but stuff that will really make some sort of positive difference in my life.

For me, 2009 needs to be about adjusting to 2008 changes. I need to re-assess and re-calibrate:

-->I am right now working on completing the paperwork that will officially end my tax business and my SOHO-career in accounting. I cannot stress how big a change this is gonna be for me after 30 years of living my life around the IRS's filings and deadlines schedule, but it is a change I welcome with sheer gusto.

-->Ike caused some changes for us that we still need to deal with, namely to finish clearing debris in the back yard and to go through several big plastic bins in our garage that are full of stuff that was stored in our portable buildings that are now debris. Our city had to "hurry up and wait" until Congress appropriated more money to pick up debris, but they finally did. Removal begins again next week and throughout January. We will probably be getting right on that, since we are not being told exactly when the trucks will be on our street...lovely planning, huh? Guess I'd better call them...

-->Missy getting her own apartment in early December with much of our furniture caused changes. Good changes, but changes, nevertheless. I have decisions to make about new furniture, as well as a new room in the house to give a function to.

And, I am finding it very enjoyable. I frankly marvel at how frugal I naturally am. Here it is, the first time in my married life that I can buy outright whatever I want, yet I am firmly rooted in a "if it ain't broke, don't throw it out and replace it" mentality. I figure it's all good, cuz I can always buy it later if things change, right?

Still, I'm needing to move things around and make existing pieces work in new spots, and at the same time look good enough. And, had Missy stayed in the dorms, this would not be happening, and I'm happy she left the dorms. I'm happy to give her the furniture. This is forcing me to re-assess how things work and don't work around here. Plus, I am trying to include my ideas for decorating with all my little ideas, like the miniature trees I've been buying to hang paper pretties and ATC's and such.

-->Then, there is my weight loss and fitness. I go to a nutritionist 4 times a year, and she finally made me a believer of her approach to it. Basically, she preaches that if it took 5 years to gain 40 pounds, it's gonna take 5 years to take it off for good. Anything quicker, and it won't be for good. For the last 2 years, I've been a skeptical follower of this, and I can now say, I think she is right.

Case in point: in May, 2006, I was 80 pounds overweight: 40 of them slowly creeping on over 10-15 years time and the other 40 blobbed on in the immediately preceding 4 years (due to me being over-medicated for pain and depression after contracting my arthritii in 2002). I spent the rest of 2006 losing 30 pounds. And then I spent all of 2007 and 2008 holding the line on those 30 pounds. As of today, 25 of them are still off of me. (I gained 5 pounds over the holidays, which is a blessing considering what I've indulged in!)

This is almost exactly what my nutritionist says should happen: that without surgery, most people can lose only about 20-30 pounds at a time without "resting" and letting the body catch on and catch up. She says that we should have periods of maintenance within the weight loss process, or we are sabotaging ourselves. The body needs to re-learn the new weight and adjust daily metabolism and energy needs, and that takes time. Otherwise, that "fight or flight" thing activates and the body fights against you to reclaim those pounds.





I didn't just waste the last two years, but now it's probably safe to lose some more, slowly and surely. So, I'll be attempting to lose 20-30 more in the coming months. No, it's not much fun to realize that at this rate, it'll take me 4 more years at a minimum under her regime, but hey, if it works for good, I'm there. I just need to remember that all good things take time, and that Rome wasn't built in a day, get back on the horse that threw ya, etc, etc.

So, there you have it -- my stab at doing my life vision thing (aka resolutions) for 2009. Yikes, them's some big goals, and I was trying to not be over-reaching. And double-yikes, we still have some chocolate ice cream and cookies left. Oh, the temptations...teehee.

What is your life vision thing for 2009? I'd love to know!

the day after the day before! it's here!

hehe...



this was after our christmas eve "just-us" family celebration last night. notice the time on the clock on the wall. hilarious, huh? both of them, out cold. missy slept 12 hours, straight thru. dang, i think she's been partying just a tad too heartily. (her excuse? she got her grades for this fall semester and all a's and one b, dean's list again, so we can't really blame her for celebrating a bit.)

here is my present from missy: a really soft chenille/velour robe, something she knew i would like but don't ever buy for myself.



and hubs surprised the crap out of me by giving me some fur-lined crocs:



i haven't had them off my feet since i opened the package, lol.

our lunch with the relatives turned out to be very nice. i was treated wonderfully and i even got something close to an apology for being manipulated! i'll gladly take it! plus, none of the family members i had issues with behaved in the ways i don't like. everyone played nice. i did begin my visit kind of aloof, but once i saw it was going to be a good visit, i chimed right in the convos. the only disapointment of the day was that my parents didn't really want their present i'd sent (a digital phone system that was too technical for them, but my dad is going to think about keeping it for a few days).

since i always love to look at snow photos, here is another one of our december 10th snowfall. this one is what the pasture behind our house looked like. it was just the most gorgeous thing...



i am hoping everyone i know out in cyberland had a wonderful day in at least some small way.

it's really the night before!

i promised to share some photos from our snowfall on dec. 10th. here are 5 that really show it. it even lasted overnight and part of the next day, too.

see the snow drift forming against our pumpkin-colored fence?

hubs looking out from the storm door

one side of the front yard

and the other side of the front yard

the back yard deck - check out the back fence (it's leaning cuz it got damaged during ike)...

tomorrow will be christmas day. amazing. where does all that time go, exactly? i could have sworn thanksgiving was just a few days ago.

as far as exchanging gifts with the relatives, we are having an austere christmas this year like most other people i know. just a few good things, and no excess fluff. hubs and i gave both our parents the same one thing, and every child is getting one gift card. this means it was a very manageable buying chore for me. i went to kroger one low-traffic afternoon and got all of the gift cards at once, and then i ordered everything else online.

i don't do well in the holiday shopping crowds at all. it's stressful and exhausting, but i don't rebound well and i usually get pain flares for all my trouble. i do miss the feel and atmosphere of it occasionally, but i really fell out of love with it around the same time i quit trying to get missy the "in" "hot" toy (the last one i moved mountains to get her was a life-size barbie...quite a long time ago, maybe 15 years ago).

as for gift-giving between hubs, missy and me, hubs and i usually don't buy stuff for each other unless we know the other one really wants it. and then half the time, we just buy it for ourselves. we probably wouldn't even buy anything during the holidays except to get a sales price.

it's been hard not to buy everything in sight this year because of the great prices. we've been good. but i confess it's because we both are betting that those sales prices are going to last and last. maybe even get better. just a hunch. anyway, hubs really wanted the sham-wow rags this year. he also wanted a new recliner and got that earlier this month. he had been wanting a sleep number bed, but then decided he did not. so i got him the sham-wows and a wall calendar.

because missy's been in college, she knows not to expect lots of little things like when she was younger. we have been giving her one big thing and some money for a while now. this year the one big thing was some expensive adobe software for her new imac (that she bought for herself). it's called in design and she uses it all the time for her advertising classes.

as for moi, hubs asked what i wanted and i said that i want him to take me to ikea in west houston next week while he is off. and i want to buy an expedit bookcase...not for my scrap room, but for books in the family room. and he's putting it together for me. that's my present.

when hubs picked up the other recliner this morning, he talked to the store owner about an adjustable bed for me (the kind where you can elevate the head and the knees and feet...like a hospital bed). so that looks promising. i may eventually get a full night's sleep in one place yet! lol

tomorrow's the big day - a very merry merry and happy happy, ya'll