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11月30日 Brrrrrr!!!!!!!I'm cold! The entire northern half of Texas is freaking out because we got some ice, a little snow, and realllly cold temps. What can I say? We're just not cut out for this stuff. The blood never gets ready for cold temperatures. I mean, come on, it was 80 degrees two days ago. I took off today. I was honest with the boss and told him I just flat didn't want to get out in the cold rain and sleet. I have about a brazillian accumulated sick & vacation leave days so he was cool. (Ha! Get it? He was COOL? - I'm crackin' myself up.) Timber and I have snuggled and relaxed all day. He is VERY glad I stayed home. I wouldn't have left him outside today in this weather but he would have been bored to dog-tears in the utility room all day. You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I really do think he cries. When he's been by himself for any length of time he gets "tear tracks" from his eyes down his cheeks. I've said this to people before who poo-poo'ed my theory saying that animals don't have emotions or feelings but that's crap. They DO have feelings. They're a lot more forgiving than humans, tho.
I asked a guy from work what time he would be over tonight, to which he replied "huh?" "Well, it's gonna be a two-dog night and I only have one dog!" I'll shit a gold brick if he shows up at my doorstep tonight. Ha!! I guess, though, that would be a double bonus - gold AND a 25 year old manchild to keep me warm.
My washing machine didn't drain correctly today and partially backed up into the bathtub. Ugh. I hate house problems. It's a mystery to me how houses and cars seem to know when it's payday and/or a holiday. The fastest way to get something to screw up at my house is to save a coupla hundred dollars. Seems like everytime I manage to do so I have to call Roto-rooter. How much does THAT cost? Yep, $200!!! I poured Drano down the bathtub drain today. I'm praying that will dissolve whatever is in there. It's kinda weird because nothing was going on until today - no slow drains, no weird flushing, no gurgling - and it hasn't been below freezing long enough to actually freeze a pipe. Everybody send a positive vibe to my plumbing so it'll miraculously unstop itself. Thanks in advance!
Chuck T.I.T.S. brought me his military jacket so I can change out his insignia patches before he goes to war in Shreveport this weekend (USAF Reserves). I would hate for him to get cold in the nice hotel room that you and I are paying for while he does his "one weekend a month" duty.
My other sewing project is an elf outfit for tiniest baby CeeCee. Her 4-month old cousin Addie is going to be Santa Claus and CeeCee will be her elf. It's gonna be hilarious. All I need to finish is the elf hat. I've already made the coat, pants, and shoes. I hope it all fits as I didn't have a pattern. I'll be making a coupla trips to Dallas in the next few weeks to babysit so my niece can get out and do some shopping and whatever. She can't take the baby out since it's flu season. She's done great for someone who is used to going and doing - I would have had cabin fever deluxe by now.
I was telling Matt the Intern the story of the elf suit. He said, "now which one is Addie - the normal one?" Uh! Both baby girls are "normal" - one just happened to be early so is small. But yeah, Addie's the normal one. At first I felt kinda bad for Addie because CeeCee was so tiny and delicate that she seemed to be getting more attention from most of us. Now my feelings are shifting a bit and I feel bad for CeeCee because she's "special" and Addie is the "normal" one. We pass happy little Addie around like we're throwing a football because she's strong and healthy and thinks we're all here to serve her needs and entertain her. (I guess we ARE here for those reasons, come to think of it!) The only time she cries is when she's sleepy, hungry, or poopy. We're all so careful with CeeCee, though, because of her size and, well, because you're supposed to be more gentle with preemies until their systems catch up to their age. She tends to be colicky so is often inconsolably fussy. I wonder if she senses our nervousness at handling her. I wonder if that makes her nervous. I wish I could tell CeeCee that she feels fabulous in my arms or laying across my shoulder. I'm hoping that, if she can sense any nervousness that she also senses my absolute adoration of her, too. I could sit for hours holding either of the baby girls. They feel different and they act different but they both feel wonderful. Love is usually intangible but when I hold my baby girls it becomes tangible.
Everybody was talking yesterday about how the cold weather was gonna put people in the Christmas spirit. I'm sure it would have but they cancelled the Christmas Parade due to the cold weather. Ha!!
Okay, I guess I better finish Chuck's coat so I won't be sewing on patches at midnight.
Y'all stay warm... 11月26日 Christmas Shopping.Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Super Sunday. Good Grief! Remember the old days when, if you spent enough time shopping and put enough thought into each person's gift, you could eventually find just the right little toy or unique item that would make your loved ones happy without breaking the bank? Ahhhh, the olden days... I've actually gotten requests from nieces and nephews for gift cards so they can spend 'em the way they want (or need). Bleah. When I was a kid we told Santa Claus what we really, really wanted but all the other presents were a surprise. We had no idea what might be in the shiny, beribboned packages piled under our tree. So we would sneak into the living room when the parents (Tree Police) weren't looking and we would shake and measure and anticipate each gift because, to us, each one had the potential to bring unlimited fun! And on Christmas morning as the packages were distributed, we would open them in order of fun potential. For instance, we always knew Aunt Mary's gifts were gonna be goofy (like bubble bath from Perry Brothers five and dime) so we opened that first and quickly cast it aside. [It was only when we got older that the dollar bottle of bubble bath was all she could afford. That realization changed our perspective but not the order in which we opened her present.] Aunt Larrine's or Aunt Pat's presents were usually pretty good so we saved those for last. We opened presents from my grandmother somewhere in the middle and with much trepidation. She usually made our gifts, especially mine and my sister's. She was an extremely talented seamstress and the work was something that would have been envied in Paris or Milan, but she could pick some of the worst crap material you've ever seen. We would have a beautifully sewn little dress made out of cloth that looked like our Daddy's boxer shorts. Or leftover from kitchen curtains. She did make us some beautiful green satin robes one year but when I put mine on my sister told me I looked like Montez (a midget neighbor of my aunt's who scared the piss out of me) so I yanked off the robe while screaming and crying (I was REALLY afraid of that midget) and never put it on again. Mother was so mad at my sister for saying it, and madder at me for refusing to put the robe on again even after a spanking. But I digress... For the past few years my nieces and nephews have pretty much known what was gonna be under the tree from me. The only surprise would be not knowing which thing off their list might be in the box. There's no package shaking, no big buildup for Christmas morning when we open our gifts. No wide-eyed wonder at my cleverness or generosity. Nope. Just an acknowledgement that I got them something from their list. Oh, they like the gift. Why wouldn't they? They picked it out! Welllll, this year is different. Most of them have given me suggestions but for the most part I've put thought into what they might like and come up with some surprise gifts. I think they'll like them. What I'll like is them not knowing exactly what's under the tree. After all, it's the anticipation that puts the wonder under the tree. There may be a gift card or two but probably not. And there MAY be (and I can hear my peeps groaning in dread) some homemade things thrown in for good measure. Ha! In-laws, with the exception of my oldest nephew's wife, are the hardest to shop for! I don't know them as well as I do their spouses so I'm clueless over what they might need. And the things I know they have an interest in are out of my price range. So, while I have prizes for them, I don't feel as confident in my selections. I'm pretty sure they'll like my choices but not so sure they'll knock their socks off. The main thing, tho, is that they will be able to tell I did put thought and love into the selection process.
My oldest nephew told me the story of his dedication to St. Jude's Children's Hospital. I've known for years that he gives money regularly but didn't really know why. I think it's great that a young man in his twenties made that choice, but thought it a little unusual for him to do so before he married and had a [very healthy] child of his own. Turns out that when he was twenty and shared an apartment with a bunch of his guy friends, he and one of his buddies were en route to my brother's house when they started listening to the St. Jude's telethon on the radio. These two twenty-year-old athletic-type hunky guys got so upset that they had to pull over on the shoulder of a busy Dallas highway to get a grip on their emotions because they were crying so hard. Now, a part of me thinks that's the sweetest story but that didn't stop me from asking my nephew, "Are you sure you're not gay?" Ha! To honor my sweet nephew I will make a donation to his favorite cause again this year with a prayer that none of mine ever need to use their services.
Congrats to the Sooner fans who read my blog! Y'all can thank my Fightin' Texas Aggies for whippin' the longhorns so y'all could clinch the Big Twelve South with your win over OSU. I'm just so happy to beat the damn longhorns I can't even see straight. The only bad thing about our win is that it might help Francione keep his job. YECH! I reallllly want him to move on so we can get a good coach that doesn't call stupid plays at inopportune times. Freak.
Y'all have a good week. Drive safely while you're amongst the holiday shoppers. I've realized that people who are shopping to honor the birth of Christ or celebrate their Kwanzaa heritage or Hanukkah or atheists that are just out taking advantage of holiday prices tend to get road rage very easily. So much for that whole Peace and Love thang for the season...
11月23日 Thanksgiving.I hope all of you are having a good Thanksgiving. I almost feel guilty this year having so very much for which to be thankful. I know this is mushy, but I would be remiss if I didn't tell you guys who read this space regularly and leave comments (not the anonymous shitty ones) how much I am thankful for YOU, and appreciate you stopping by. I even hope the anonymous shitty person(s) has a nice Thanksgiving - maybe it'll put 'em in a better mood. Ha!
This day has been awesome. I've been home sewing, baking things to take to my family tomorrow, watching the Cowboys win (woo-hoo!), napping, doing laundry, and playing with Timber & Genny (Timber's girlfriend). In the morning I'll haul me arse outta bed begrudgingly (NOT a morning person!) and go spend the day with family. We're all gonna watch our Fightin' Texas Aggies. I know it's shameful to do so but I can't help sayin' a tiny little prayer for an Aggie victory. If t.u. beats us I'll probably have to kill a little boy at work who loves the longhorns. Ugh. I've already warned him not to come to work if the 'horns beat my Aggies because I know he'll be talking shit. {big sigh}
Well, like I said, I wish for all of you a great day (although it's almost over) and a great rest of the weekend. If you're traveling, please be careful. Take care!! 11月19日 Romo.I saw an interview on regional sports with Tony Romo's grandparents (Dallas Cowboy quarterback). Very interesting. They're Mexicans. Thick hispanic accented Mexicans. In all honesty, they were probably "wetbacks." [Definition: "wetback" - Mexican who comes to this country illegally by crossing the Rio Grande River, which is the border between Texas and Mexico. Not exactly a term of endearment.] It never dawned on me that "Romo" is an hispanic name. Of course, I never thought about what kind of name it is at all. I thought how cool it is that this family who probably came to this country illegally to make a better life for themselves, worked those "jobs that Americans don't want to do," and now their grandson is the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Wow. And then....
Tonight I watched "60 Minutes" where they did a feature about Hazleton, PA - a town that is having a hard time dealing with illegal aliens from Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries. For those who didn't see the show, this town has created ordinances and local laws that punish employers and landlords who employ or rent to illegals. And they're actually enforcing them. While not directly punishing illegals, their efforts are designed to run 'em outta town. They're upset because crime has increased, schools are spending hundreds of thousands on English-as-a-second-language classes, and medical expenses have gone out the roof due to increased indigent patients. Somebody call the "waaambulance." Texans have been dealing with these issues for YEARS. Women cross the border for the day just to have their babies in U.S./Texas hospitals so they'll be residents, qualifying them for all kinds of benefits. And, if the baby is legal then it would be kinda crappy to send Mom back. It's costing Texans (and the U.S.) billions of dollars.
So am I against immigration? No. Am I prejudiced against immigrants, particularly Mexicans? Not on an individual basis, but probably so en masse. Not because of the people but because of how much the uncontrolled illegal immigration costs my state. Do I think a border fence will help? Hell, no. Texas, and probably Southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico, are unique in the fact that we share a lot of the Mexican culture. The border is kinda fuzzy, almost like East and West Germany back when they built the Berlin Wall. (Gee. Didn't they finally tear that sucker down?) All that to say, illegal Mexican immigrants are expensive but they're not scary. However, if it's this easy to cross our border, who else is coming in? THAT is scary.
I think anyone who claims to have no racial or cultural prejudice is a liar. I got in a big discussion with a girl from NYC about the movie "Crash." She claimed not to be prejudiced but then dogged Southerners for "our prejudice." Oh, she was quite superior about the whole thing until I pointed it out to her. Even if a prejudice doesn't manifest itself as hatred, I believe there's a bit of reservedness or leariness regarding things with which we're not familiar because most of us prefer our own comfort zone.
Ew, so serious today! And it all stemmed from an interview with Romero and Felicita Romo. My gosh, they were soooo proud of their grandson. I'm pretty proud of him today, too, since he led the Cowboys to a butt-whipping over the Colts. YES!! My great-nephew was asked in school one day what his nationality is. His response? "I'm half Mexican, half human." Ha!! My sister wrote "Irish" on her citizenship form that we used to have to fill out every year back in the olden days. She had always heard my Mother say "me fither's name is Owen Finnegan *****" so she thought we were Irish. In actuality, we're more like Heinz 57.
I bet Mexico wishes they had closed their borders back in the mid-1800s and built a big-ass fence. Then I'd be living in Tejas instead of Texas and this would all be written in Spanish.
Buenos noches, mi amigos y amigas..... 11月13日 Score one for the deer....In the past week and a half I've seen two dead deer by the side of the road, killed by vehicles. I don't know why but a dead deer is so much sadder than a smushed possum, armadillo, or skunk. It's mating (or "rutting") season so the deer are hunting for mates. It's a thousand wonders I haven't been run over and left on the side of the road for dead since I've been searching for a mate for SEVERAL years now. Ha! [I hesitate to post that piece of self-deprecating humor as there's some anonymous ass that takes things like that and posts really hateful comments about what a loser I am. Well, here's to ya Hon.] Anyway, I was feeling bad for the deer when I heard about a little deer-hitting accident down by Lufkin (TX). Seems a deer was hit on a backwoods county road so the driver stopped to check his truck. While he was inspecting the damage to his vehicle another car sped past hitting the rack (horns for you non-hunters) and sending them into the side of the first guy. The guy was hospitalized for several days but he's okay. This is one of those stories where you want to laugh but realize that somebody was injured pretty badly so you kinda wait to hear how the person is..........and then you laugh.
A friend of mine shot 'n killed a guy Saturday morning. They were asleep at around 4:30 a.m. when they were awakened by someone pounding on their door. They live in a quiet neighborhood in an older, more established area. My friend jumped out of bed and grabbed his .44 magnum. As he walked into the living room yelling "who's there?" the guy kicked in the front door. So my friend shot him. The guy stumbled out to the driveway and bled to death. Turns out the kid was a drunk student from a local university, probably at the wrong house. Well, duh, yeah - the WAY wrong house. I have mixed feelings about this incident. I feel strongly that my friend was justified in protecting his home and family from an intruder, and the guy did kick down their door for crying out loud. However, was he too quick to pull the trigger? But if he had waited and the other guy had a gun he could have been shot first. But if he had waited two more seconds might he have seen the kid was just drunk and lost? We'll never know. The kid did have a juvenile record of public intoxication, some fighting, and burglary to a vehicle (stereos). Well, kid...he was 23. I feel sorry for my friend. He's a nice man and he will have to live with the fact that he killed a young man. No matter that he was protecting himself, his family, and his home - he killed a 23 yeard old guy. A college kid. Did I mention the guy was hispanic? Yeah, that probably didn't help. It happened so quickly, though, that I don't know if it mattered - whomever kicked in the door was probably doomed no matter their race. It's a bad deal and I'm sad for everyone involved.
I haven't been posting much lately as I've been busier than a one-armed paper hanger. I started one frazzlin' project that snowballed into an entire overhaul of my house. The stuff in one room went to another room, then the things that were in that room had to be moved around, I had to clean out closets in order to put away some things, gave some things to my sister, on and on and on... I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel, though, and will be glad to get to the long Thanksgiving weekend to wrap this up. Note to self: Next time I think about rearranging, kick myself in the ass so I will not do it.
I'm working a soccer tournament this week. FINALLY...I found something more boring than watching grass grow or paint dry....soccer. Ugh. And, as someone who finds big, burly football players and tall, sinewy basketball players very appealing, the small and quick soccer players just don't do much for me.
Y'all have a good week. 11月5日 Boomer Frickin' SoonersI did it. I talked shit on Nadine Hightower's velvettush space about how my Fightin' Texas Aggies would kick her Oklahoma Sooner's asses. Little did I know that the offense and defense would blow smooth up under the leadership of Coach Fran. I posted the Aggie War Hymn on Ms. Hightower's space, so in fairness and in the spirit of good sportsmanship, I now post the Oklahoma fight song here:
Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner Ugh. That did NOT feel good. Didn't feel as bad as the Aggies having twelve men on the field after a timeout and a review on a series of downs that would have given us at least an opportunity to come back to score. Oh, GYA!! You would think that after eleven years of working in an athletic office that I would have learned (1) don't talk shit until AFTER you win the game, (2) stop replaying the game in your head - no matter how many times you do it the outcome won't change. Okay, I'm DONE. And I realllllly dread the post from Ms. Nadine Hightower rubbing in the Oklahoma victory......... I went to Shreveport yesterday to visit with my grandbabies in HELL. Okay, it wasn't hell, it was Chuck E. Cheese but it sure felt like hell. My oldest grandson, NaShaun, is soft-spoken and affectionate. His little brother Devonn, however, is hell on wheels. Ha!! He thinks he has a grandmother strictly for his amusement and thinks everything I say is hilarious. He has an awesome laugh. My daughter-in-law decided she wants her 38th birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. She's a lot of fun and was up dancing with Chuck everytime he did his little routine. She said this in jest but I'm gonna talk to my son and we'll surprise her next summer! tee-hee. I wished my friend LarrytheCheeto had been with me. There was a FABULOUS mullet there that JT would have LOVED. It was a skinny, meth-looking woman in a fringed jacket, tight jeans, and little boots with fur around the top. Her hair was very 70's layered in the front and sides, with hair down to her waist in the back. There was also lots of teasing on top and lots of extra-hold hairspray on all those Farrah feathers on the sides. Her hairstyle was very "business in the front/party in the back" but unfortunately for her, the business was probably something like, um, prostitution. You know, the kind of prostitution that takes place in truck stops or roadside parks (quick & cheap). I'm about halfway finished with moving my sewing crap to the newly painted room. Good grief. It turned into one of those never-ending projects because of all the sub-projects that grew out of the original plan. I decided I needed a cabinet in the sewing room for my supplies, so I had to clean out the knick-knacks that were there, pack 'em up, and put 'em in the closet. Then I had to rearrange the closet to make room for two more boxes. I'm beginning to think I'll never finish. I got the main stuff moved and set up so I can sew if I need to. I tend to nest, though, and like allllll the stuff I might need right here beside me. I've been trying to think of Christmas stuff. I like to get my nieces and nephews gifts they'll like the best, which negates trying to shop early because their lists change daily. Grrr! I have a few ideas in mind but wish they would provide me some lists. So much has happened in the family this year! New nieces, moves/relocations, first house... and there are more changes on the horizon. I can think of a lot of things that I think everyone needs but I'm not sure if they're things anyone else would think they need. Ha! Of course, I would be right but nobody would ever admit it. (tee-hee) A little boy, probably about 12-13, came by the other day and asked if I'm moving. Noooo, why do you ask? Seems he had been peering into the window of my newly-painted room and surmised that, since there wasn't anything in there, that I'm packing up to move. Niiice. So I asked, "Well, dang, Kolby, how often do you come by and look in my windows?" His reply, "Only when the blinds are up." There was no embarrasment or remorse in his voice so I could tell he didn't realize he probably shouldn't be looking in. I asked, "You ever heard of a peeping-tom?" "No." So I explained, and then told him to stop looking in peoples windows before he got his head blown off. It was disturbing (not very) and funny all at the same time. If he were older it would be disturbing. I chalked it up to kid curiosity. Okay, Cowboys v Washington is gettin' ready to come on. NO, I will not talk smack about this game! I'm still mad at the Cowboys for signing Terrell Owens - I don't care how good an athlete he is. I do NOT like hotdogs and he's one with mustard and relish. Yech! Nadine, I'm waiting... 11月2日 Deer SeasonThis weekend marks the beginning of deer season in East Texas. If you look really close, you'll see about half of the male population walking around with semi-hards. Ugh. Local news just interviewed a gun dealer:
Reporter: Have you noticed an increase in business as deer season nears?
Gun Dealer: Aw yeahhh. I been sellin' a buncha guuuuuuns, lotsa am-yu-ni-shun. I sold a bunch o' them new thangs they got out this year like some doe scent to get them bucks to come out. And I sold some o' them new kevlar-lined jackets we got. Then thangs'll cut down on human see-yent [scent].
Reporter: So hunters are ready for opening weekend?
Gun Dealer: (in a patronizing voice accompanied by nasal laugh-snort) Ah, we been ready since las' year. A hunter is always ready t'hunt.
Angie's definition of modern-day deer hunter: Person who feeds deer all year so they can hide in a deer stand and shoot the nearly-tame little thangs during deer season when they come to the feeders. Pffft!!! I'm all for hunting, but give the little things a chance for crying out loud. [Now, Nadine, don't tell Roy what I said! I know he's a hunter. And I know that if deer hunters didn't feed the deer a lot of them would probably starve during the summer, and that if some of 'em weren't killed off they would over-populate the area, again resulting in starvation and disease.] I've gotten soft. But not so soft that I don't eat the hell outta some good venison chili when my friends get back from killing Bambi. I mean, once it's dead and processedya might as well enjoy it, right? Why, it'd be a sin not to!
I have several female friends who are hunters. Well, they SAY they're hunters but from their stories I'm pretty sure they just like hanging out at the deer camp and getting drunk. Sounds like several weekends of people freezing their asses off in sleeping bags at night and getting drunk as Cooter Brown. I wouldn't be any good at that. I can't handle squattin' t'pee. I always pee on my own feet, or stand downhill so pee runs onto my feet. Ugh. I love to camp. I don't mind roughin' it at the Holiday Inn at all!! I gots to have me hot-n-cold runnin' water and a flushin' toilet.
I hunt. I go from grocery ad to grocery ad huntin' for the best prices, and then I go there and by my groceries. Ain't I the wild one? Ha!
When I was a kid we raised our own meat which meant sometimes we ate a pet, but we knew the thing's destiny when Daddy brought it home. I bottle-fed a calf, played with it, loved it, and loved it on the dining table. Sounds heartless now but at the time it was a way of life. A way of life I wouldn't trade. I mean, if anything happens and we all have to go back to livin' off the land, I feel confident that I could grow my own grub, milk my own cow, make butter, process hogs, gather eggs, etc. I would prefer NOT doing all that, but I do know how if need be. It's hard work but damn good eatin'.
Well, this walk down memory lane has been a joy but it's time to get back to modern times where Grey's Anatomy is fixin' to come on the tv. And I need to turn my heater up as it's a little cool in here. And I think I'll microwave me some supper. God bless modern conveniences!!!
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