Monday, November 26, 2007

I'M TRYING NOT TO WORRY.....

DEXTER MORGAN

I've been watching "Dexter" on Showtime. (As a matter of fact, I subscribed to Showtime just so I could watch "Dexter".) It disturbs me a little that I enjoy this show. For those of you who don't know, Dexter is a serial killer. Plus, he works on the police department. He studies blood evidence. The FBI has entered the hunt for the "Bay Harbor Butcher" (what they're calling Dexter). I find myself rooting for Dex. I know I shouldn't hope he gets away with it; but somehow, he's rather endearing. Apparently, it's a very well-written show if I'm rooting for the bad guy. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

I'LL BE GLAD.....

when this year is over. I know you're not supposed to wish you life away, but I can't help it. The second half of 2007 has not been kind to us. Willie's dying would have been more than enough. But, Tony had a heart attack at the end of September. It was a mild heart attack and there was minimal damage.........but the damage was in a really bad spot and a day or so after the attack, his heart stopped. From what we gathered from everyone we talked to, he very nearly died. Meaning, the hospital staff worked on him and came very close to quitting. Add to that the fact that my back has been acting up since May and I'll eventually need some surgery and Shannon's mother-in-law died November 2 after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. I'm going to try to do better after the first of the year with this blog. By the way.....Tony is doing wonderfully. He saw Dr. Adam yesterday, Nov. 20, and Dr. said he didn't see how Tony could be doing any better than he is. We thank God daily for the miracle of his life.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

WE'RE GOING TO.....

Yup, we've never been and we're goin'. Our 35th wedding anniversary is July 29th and we've decided to splurge. We'll be staying at the Wynn Las Vegas Hotel from August 4th through the 11th. We're going to see the sights, take a couple of tours, go to a couple of shows, lie by the pool, nap, eat and have an excellent time. We've got great flight times and we will be staying a week. We are SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!!!!!

Monday, July 9, 2007

WATCHING PAINT DRY.....















We've been talking about painting our bedroom for the last three years."Honey, I'd like to paint the bedroom." "Honey, we REALLY need to paint the bedroom." "Honey, if we don't paint the bedroom, folks will think we've been mining for coal in there."

Honey finally told me it was time to paint so I made big plans. I bought a new bedding ensemble: sheets, pillowcases, comforter, shams, bedskirt, valances.....it was ALL totally coordinated. Then I went to work deciding on a color to paint the walls. This was not an easy task for me. I have trouble deciding between paper or plastic when they ask at the grocery store. The bedding was predominantly blue, but there were numerous shades of pink, cream and green in it, as well. I took one of the shams into the bedroom and held it up, doing a lot of squinting and trying to imagine what the whole room would look like. I pretty much ruled out pink from the get-go. I'm not really a "pink" kinda gal, even on my most "feminine" of days. And cream was out because we were going to be painting over cream. (The cream that white turns into after 15+years.) And I had painted the bathroom green a couple of years ago. That left only blue. OK, I had my paint color.....blue it would be.

Now, I'm not a handyman, or even a handywoman, but I think Home Depot is an awesome place. I only had one small problem: getting past the supremely futuristic refrigerator they had blocking the entrance. Man, if I had an extra 15 million bucks lyin' around, that's the one I'd be gettin'.

I did eventually make it to the paint department.....and immediately had a "decision meltdown". There were at least four brands from which to choose: Behr, Porter, Disney and some "designer" paint which I knew from the name would be out of my price range. And the Disney paints seemed to be geared more toward playrooms and circus tents. That narrowed the field by two. But I'm still basically faced with the "paper or plastic" decision. And, as I stated, at the very least, I get sweaty and my head starts to pound when faced with even minor decisions. (Some of you may think picking out a paint color IS minor, but it's not. I mean, if I decided that I had made the wrong choice when choosing paper over plastic at the grocery story, I could just throw the mistake away. But I'll have to look at these walls every time I wake up for the next 15 years. [remember, we don't paint very often])

AHA! I'll ask that knowledgable-looking man (wearing an apron with his name written in magic marker on the chest). He and I spent the next 15 minutes discussing the various pros and cons of Behr and Porter paints with a few offhand remarks thrown in by an impartial bystander. And it was decided that Behr is the paint of choice.

I then turned around and was confronted with the Behr paint display. I wish I had a dollar for every shade of blue on that display. (I could have hired the whole job out.....including the decision-making!) ARGGHHHHHH!!! Talk about a headache. I had taken one of the shams along with me and was nearly reduced to tears trying to pick just one shade of blue off of it to try and match. Forty-five minutes later, after accosting a couple of strangers for their opinions, much muttering and swearing under my breath and again consulting with the apron-clad paint expert, I made a choice: Viking (trust me, it's blue).....two gallons, semi-gloss, non-returnable. (The non-returnable part nearly did me in.) I went toWal-Mart and picked up an all-inclusive set of rollers, brushes, masking tape and all the other accoutrements needed by the "paint-a-room-once-every-15-years-whether-it-needs-it-or-not" school of thinking.

I think it turned out very well. And Honey only threatened to quit twice during the painting process. (After the second time, I thought it wise to keep my comments to MYSELF considering that he was doing it all by HIMSELF.) Thanks, Honey. I "HEART" you!!

I NEVER REALIZED.....


.....what I sick woman I am until I looked at myself through someone else's eyes. I ran out of bookshelves several years ago and started using this couch in the basement. I need help.....I really do.

WHY YOU SHOULDN'T WORRY TOO MUCH ABOUT BEING CLEAN.....

I decided to clean the bedroom today, dust, run the sweeper, pick up stuff and put it away. When I do that, I take everything on the desk and put it on the bed. I take the computer apart and when I'm putting it back together, I clean all the pieces. When I got to the keyboard, I pulled out the vacuum cleaner and really gave it a good vacuuming. Then I got the windex and tried to clean the keys. I found something crusty on the back of the space bar and was trying to get it off. I succeeded, too. I also noticed a smudge of something on the next key up. I nearly had THAT cleaned off when I realized it was the "comma". Someone help me, please.......

Monday, June 4, 2007

OK.....

the new Tab (which is in a cute little can all covered in pink squares and called "Tab energy") is absolutely NOTHING like the old Tab. It SUUUUUUUUUCKS!!! Don't buy it!!! To the Coca Cola Bottling Company.....fool me once, shame on you.....fool me twice, ain't gonna happen.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

I'M IN TEXAS.....

from May 26 until June 3. I'll get back to blogging after that.

IT ALWAYS HAPPENS.....

Just as soon as I really start liking something and get hooked on it, they decide to discontinue it. It's happened with perfume (twice), lipstick, blusher, face powder and now Coke Blak. I really like that stuff. How could it be any better? Coke AND coffee in one bottle. Plus, the bottle is just the right size.....8 ozs. When I was in Texas back in December, I found out that they were going to stop making it. I bought up what they had at the local grocery store (which wasn't that much) and left what I didn't drink at daughter's house. When I went back to daughter's in May for a week, she reminded me that there was still some in her pantry. WOOHOOOOO!!!!! Four beautiful little bottles waiting for me. I've looked on e-Bay, but those people are cuckoo. One person has one bottle and it's going for something like 12 bucks. Another person has four bottles and the four are going for 16 bucks. Now, I DO like Coke Blak but not THAT much. So.....if any of you readers happen to have some that you'd like to get rid of or know of someone who has some, let me know. And don't even think about trying to charge me e-Bay prices. You wanna get rich off of a couple of bottles of Coke Blak, do it on e-Bay. (Thank goodness they've brought TAB back.....*sigh*)

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

THE MIRACULOUS WD-40.....

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego RocketChemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought itin bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you. When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed. Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a child's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
37) Florida 's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.
38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
P. P. S. Keep a can of WD-40 in your kitchen cabinet over the stove. It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS.....

Be sure and use your sound.

http://www.youtube.com/v/RB-wUgnyGv0

YOU MIGHT WONDER.....

why the previous post about Christmas appeared in May. It's because I'm transferring some of my favorite entries from the old blog site to this one. Deal with it.

I'VE BEEN THINKING OF CHRISTMASES PAST.....

My BEST Christmas memory EVER was the year I fooled the kids Big Time. And they weren't small.....daughter was in college and son was in jr. high. I had taken all of their Christmas gifts to my work place and wrapped them individually. Then I put them all in one big box. BUT.....I put a tag on that big box that said it was for my dad. I brought it home and had son carry it into the house. In the meantime, I had written several short poems to help them find their gifts. The first one was in a small box with both their names on it. They were supposed to work together to find the next clue by reading the one they had. As I recall, I had written probably six or seven clues which took them all over the house in their pursuit of Christmas. The final clue was hidden in the Christmas tree and told them that the present they thought was for my dad was really for them. I'd be willing to bet that they would tell you that that was their best Christmas memory ever, as well.

THIS IS WHY I HAVE GRAY HAIR.....

I was sittin’ in the living room the other night, watchin’ tv and mindin’ my own bidness. Butch, the cat, was lying on the floor in his usual after-supper stupor. Butch suddenly roused and made a bee-line for the kitchen. At about the same time, I heard an odd noise in there. Now, Butch is our only pet other than the occasional spider and I’m pretty sure I would have noticed if we had a spider big enough to make THAT kinda noise. So, being the adventurous soul that I am, I got up to investigate. I went to the kitchen and turned the light on. Something was flying around in there. Ah, a bird…..over the years we’ve had a bird get in the house occasionally. They manage to get into the fireplace chimney and find their way into the house. I watched it circle the ceiling for a few seconds and realized that it wasn’t exactly flying like a bird. It was flying more like a…..hmmm…..OMG.....IT WAS A BAT!!! Ok, the hell with the adventurous soul persona. I kicked it into hysterical housewife mode. For those of you who aren’t married, hysterical housewife mode consists of tearing through the house and bumping into every piece of furniture and doorframe on the way to where you’re going. I was headed for hubby. He was watching tv in another room, totally oblivious to the fact that we’d been invaded. “THERE’S A BAT IN THE KITCHEN!!!,” I announced, as calmly as I could. He got up and followed me in there and confirmed my discovery. By this time, it had worn itself out and landed on top of one of the ceiling fan blades. He said we should close all the doors we could to try to keep it from getting any farther into the house and that I should get him a towel. He opened the front door and I handed him his weapon of choice. I also had gotten a towel on the pretext that I would keep it from getting through the doorway into the hall. What he didn’t know was that I had other plans. I was gonna duck and cover if that thing even looked like it was THINKING about heading my way. I took up my position and he headed to the kitchen. It was over before I could even work up a good nervous sweat. He came walking calmly through the living room with it in the towel and pitched it out the front door into the yard. He had swatted it with the towel and thought he had maybe knocked it out. Perhaps even killed it. (I could only hope.) I checked later and it wasn’t there. I now live in fear that the little bugger will be back with reinforcements to take revenge. I think I might need to get all my turtleneck sweaters back out. I think I might even sleep in one.

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

DO I NOT HAVE.....


The cutest grandkids on earth? "H. B., 2, enjoys a good meal at the First United Methodist Church’s Whole Hog Breakfast Saturday morning. She is the daughter of Ryan and Shannon B." (Photo By: Don Rice)

This was on the front page of daughter's local newspaper a couple of months ago. H went around the house for the next two days saying, "I'm on da FWONT page!"

I THINK MY BROTHER.....

just wants to see himself immortalized in cyberspace. He's always reminding me that it's time for another blog entry. He's known me all his life. He can't POSSIBLY think that anything I have to say is all that interesting. PLUS, I never thought he liked me all that much.....I mean, he used to beat the tar out of me when we were kids. (I'm older but he was, and IS, way bigger. And he has LOTS more gray hair than I do, too.) SOOOOOOOOO, when I got the hint this time, I just decided to write about HIM.

He's an Indiana State Policeman and has been forever. Well, it seems like it, anyway. He joined the force when he was 21 and he's 50mumble now. That's probably about all he'd want me to tell you about him. Oh, and here's a picture of him. He's the good lookin' one in the back with the tan jacket. (Next time, baby bro', you might want to suggest a topic..LOL)

DAMN.....

I need to figure out how to get BIG pictures on this silly thing!!!!!

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE......

interested in things like this, there's going to be a Blue Moon either in May or June, depending on your calendar and/or location. Follow this link: http://www.obliquity.com/astro/bluemoon.html

If that's not enough information for ya, go here to get the straight poop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_moon
(Don't forget to click your BACK button to come back here for more of my interesting crap.)

Monday, May 21, 2007

NO CRUISES ON THE POSEIDON FOR ME, THANKS.....

Several years ago there was a movie about a cruise ship called the Poseidon. There was an unfortunate incident and, to make a long story short, it sank. There were only a handful of survivors. Apparently, they pulled it up, restored it and filled it up with people again because there's ANOTHER movie about the same damned ship and, I know this is hard to believe, but.....it sinks AGAIN!!! Again, there are only five or six survivors. Talk about bad luck. Trust me. I'm gonna find out what cruise line that is and I ain't EVER gonna book a cruise with them.

(How pathetic has Hollywood gotten when they start remaking bad movies with more bad movies?)

A NEW DAY - A NEW BLOG SITE

I've had a blog for a couple of years on another site. It only seemed to work properly on Firefox and I don't care for Firefox so I've come looking for a new place to brag about grandkids, inform and amuse readers with my vast knowledge and wit and whine to anyone who'll listen. We'll see how this works out. It would be nice if I could figure out how to transfer all my old posts from the other site to here as I've kept the same blog name. Perhaps I'll get lucky and it'll be a cinch! Wish me luck.....