Tiggerlane, the Neophyte Blogger

Week Two, and I'm Still Very Much Alive!

2012-01-17T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well, there it is!! GREEN STUFF. It is one of the additions I have made in my quest for a whole-grain, plant-based lifestyle...and surprisingly, it is TASTY. At least to me, it is.

I was so pleased when my mother told me that this was one of the best things I could do for my body...and that she was proud of me for changing my lard-eating, carb-absorbing ways. Keep in mind, my mother lives in California - the land of the healthy. I am languishing in the fried-food heaven of the South, where food must be covered in either batter or cheese to be considered edible. And let's not mention my former addiction to batter dipped and fried cheese. In fact, let's not tell my mom....ok?

My father passed away last August from chronic heart problems, and even though I am adopted, logic dictates that if I continue eating like I have been...I will follow in his footsteps. I can't. I won't. I refuse. I just have to convince my body that it doesn't NEED fat. It doesn't NEED McDonald's french fries. It doesn't NEED bacon. It doesn't NEED those cute little candy hearts that they only put out around Valentine's Day. And over time, I hope to convince my heart that the love of those things will be deadly - because I can't tell you how much I LOVE those kinds of foods.

Week one of "The Change" went well. I had no cravings for beef, cow's milk or soda. None. I didn't cheat once. Since the beginning of the year, the only meat I have had is one boneless chicken breast, one tilapia filet, and a few small chunks of chicken in a quesadilla. I haven't eliminated all the animal products from my diet, but I AM working toward that goal. Yes, I'm getting plenty of protein. No, I'm not tired. I feel better than I have in a long time...honestly! And I am more regular than ever (and yes, I just admitted that on the internet).

So, how do I make this green stuff? Well, it's easy! I usually prepare the bulk of the smoothie the night before in my blender:
1 cup baby spinach leaves (I make sure to rinse them and pack them down in my measuring cup to get a full cup)
1 cup kale (Which I had NO clue was something you ATE. I thought this was just the decorative stuff you put UNDER the meat and cheese on the party tray!)
1 pear (I cut mine into bite-sized pieces before adding)
1 1/2 cups orange juice (Make sure you do NOT get sugar-added juice! Just PURE JUICE!)
1 frozen banana (Bananas need to be peeled BEFORE you freeze them, FYI.)

Now, I put everything in the blender EXCEPT the banana the night before. In the morning, I cut up the banana, pop it in, and blend on the "smoothie" setting for a few minutes, or until the kale pieces are pretty tiny. I like how the orange juice tends to saturate the greens overnight, making their taste almost non-existent.

I had a rude awakening when I realized that I am now drinking more fruits and veggies every day than I had been eating over a two-week period. I'm not ever sure that this smoothie would qualify as half my daily requirements. We hear that "fruits and veggies" business all the time...but have you ever tracked how many you eat? You might be surprised how LITTLE you eat. And if you take away all the "processed" fruits and veggies, with added salt and sugar...you might be even more shocked.

On to a healthier life...and to document the next part of the experiment...tofu.

A New Year - I Want a New ME!

2012-01-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

It's the start of a new year, and I am going to try blogging again! AND...I am really making an effort to start a "new me." Previous efforts to get fit (lose weight) and get healthy (eat right) involved me jumping in 100%, with both feet, and usually ended up with me backsliding and then failing altogether.

However, I'm scared now. I recently watched two movies - "Food, Inc." and "Forks Over Knives." And this time, I'm going to start changing what I put into my body. For real.

This is NOT going to be easy. I love cheese. And cheeseburgers. And ice cream. And cheese. And cheesecake. And cheeseburgers. And fries. This is no one-sided love - these things love my thighs, my butt, and my gut. Unfortunately, they have made their way into my heart that is decidedly unhealthy. Wait...did I mention that I love cheeseburgers? Sigh.

I purchased "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn. It's a primer for change, and I am still reading and learning and scaring myself. Day One involved going to my local grocery store, and being dismayed at what I COULDN'T find. But there was success - I discovered I like the taste of vanilla almond milk. Eliminating cow's milk will be an easy change.

Day Two? I made my own hummus! I am not a fan of plain hummus, but it's healthier than cheese dip or ranch dressing. I want to wean myself off these things, and store-bought hummus contains olive oil or other fat....so I did an experiment with hummus, adapting a recipe from the book.

(That is not my actual hummus pictured. Mine had no garnish, and was in a Tupperware bowl!)

Here is what I used:
1 can chickpeas - rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic
4 Tablespoons of lemon juice
3 Tablespoons of water
5 sun dried tomatoes
1 jalapeno, seeded and drained

I tossed it all in the food processor, until it made a creamy paste. It was fabulous!!! It also tasted a lot better than store-bought hummus.

Baby steps. I think I will do better that way. Week one - I will eliminate all soda, cow's milk and beef, and do my best to avoid foods that are not whole grain or plant-based. "DO MY BEST" being the key phrase. I have to change my mindset, retrain my taste buds, and realize this is a LIFESTYLE change...not a diet.

And breaking up with cheese? Oh, the agony. You have no idea. Wish me luck.

Reposting a Literal Rant

2010-03-22T09:20:00.000-07:00

Okay gang, I know those of you who have followed my blog for a while will recognize this as a previous rant - BUT - spelling errors are rampant on Facebook. I don't ask my FB friends to be particularly articulate for my humble sake - but I am beginning to wonder about our ability to properly communicate the written word. I don't want to believe that Americans are dumb. Reading and writing correctly are important indicators of our society's intelligence! Okay - enough of me and my soapbox...the word in question this time is "definitely." Now, this is a more complicated word than others I've seen butchered...so I'm going to repost a rant I made about a word that should be SO SIMPLE to spell, but eludes so many.

I've really tried to ignore the inability of some people to spell words correctly. I've tried to be understanding that not everyone was privileged to have the secondary education that I enjoyed. But the blatant misuse of ONE WORD IN PARTICULAR is very troubling to me...and I'm afraid that before long, no one will remember how to use this word correctly. It's the word LOSE.

Does anyone remember that word? Because I haven't seen it in a LONG TIME. Seems like people are "loosing" things a lot...and it's driving me INSANE.

So, quick lesson for you all: you LOSE something, which means you have misplaced it or got drunk the night before and flailed it asunder. You didn't LOOSE it...that word means to make something "less tight." Unless, in some strange event, you lose your belt after loosening it, then you are allowed to use those words in the same sentence. Just in that instance.

You are "losing" the battle. Oh, and we seem to have the spelling of the word "lost" down okay - can we maybe draw on that knowledge, to remember the base word has ONE, and ONLY ONE "o?"

You don't LOOSE an election - you LOSE it. I know it's tough, this English language, with all the bizarro rules. You are used to pronouncing the singular vowel in a word structured like "lose" with a STRONG vowel sound, right? It's got that "e" at the end, with that funky consonant right before it. So, it doesn't seem right - "lose" is one of those words that defies the rules.

But that's why I like "lose." It's unique. It doesn't follow the crowd. So, please, for the love of the poor word, use "lose," okay? Please?

Cricket...cricket...cricket...

2010-03-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, yes...indeed...Tiggerlane seems to have left the dang building. SO WRONG.

I was thinking today that so many of my blog buds followed me over to Facebook, and judging from our continual dialogue in that forum, still enjoy an occasional dose of my insanity. Yes, I'm still FB'ing....but not blogging much. However, you can find me easily on FB at http://www.facebook.com/tiggerlane.

Also, based on how many folks alerted me that my Twitter account had been hacked, I still have followers there, too. I'm all Tiggerlane up in there, in case you didn't know.

As I was rooting around the blogosphere today, I noticed many of my old blog buddies aren't maintaining their blogs like before. I haven't visited all of them, but so many have ceased. Why? Are they like me, and have found another forum? Or, have they simply used the blog as a crutch to get thru a difficult time? I wonder....

I promised I would write more here, but haven't. And I am feeling the guilt.

Enough is Enough

2009-11-11T14:53:00.000-08:00

Did you think I had abandoned the blog? I almost did - I almost gave it up. But as much as I'm having a secret, illustrious and gloriously satisfying affair with Facebook, I realize once again that its format does not lend itself to my writing style. Much like Twitter left me longing for just a few more characters - so Facebook can only give me a quick fix, and doesn't do justice to what I REALLY want to share.

Like music. SO...as in the "olden days" of the blog, I have two new addictions to share with you! The first - well, let's just say, I want to BE this girl:

Whew...just TOO FUN! Where are my dancing shoes?? The music just runs thru me...you know? Oh, and here is my other new addiction:

I not only enjoy music that can make me MOVE...but also videos that are visually appealing, which both of these are. No question.

Now that I've gotten the music out of the way, on to a few more things.

The band is on a brief hiatus, but that's okay - b/c Roger is working on a new song that will soon be another addiction. I'm not sure when we will perform again - if you really want to see a video, leave me a message, and I'll send it to you privately.

We are finishing the paperwork with our insurance company on the old house - and we may have found a buyer! I'm so sad that the tornado damaged it so much - but it's time to move on. The new house is starting to gather dust bunnies (are there dust elephants?) and need addressing.

Tell me what you want to know...I miss you guys, and I'm coming back.

Vacay - Or Was It?

2009-07-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

You know it's going to be an interesting vacation when, five minutes into the trip, your car starts acting funny. Funny, as in RPMing up to 3,000....4,000 and NOT shifting. Good thing I had built in extra shopping time into the trip before Amber's orthodontic appointment.

A quick drive back into town to our car dealership revealed that we were NOT in for a quick fix. We loaded everything into a rental car (warning: Arkansas charges a 22% sales tax on rental cars), learned that the extended warranty on our broken car had expired, and hit the road again, a little gloomy. However, I kept telling myself it could have been worse - we had been back and forth to Conway (a three-hour drive one way) twice in the prior week...and the roads between here and there are isolated. A break-down on those trips, or further into our vacation, would have been horrible. Oh, and the trip to Conway was to take Amber to choir camp, where she worked hard and had a BLAST:

She's the one in the front, on the left. I still don't know why I pay for jeans that look like they have been molested by a werewolf.

Amber had not-so-good news at the orthodontist. Remember those stubborn baby teeth? Well, by not falling out, they have diverted the paths of her adult teeth. She will need oral surgery to remove the remaining baby teeth, cut open her soft palate and attach metal handles to her upper canines so the orthodontist can move them into place. I don't know what they will plan for her twelve-year molars that never erupted. Poor thing.

BUT, I keep telling myself it could be worse - she can survive this. My pocketbook may not survive, but she will.

Speaking of my pocketbook - one of my air conditioning units at the office building took a dive. Sigh. Sometimes it's great owning your own company.

When we arrived in Mountain View, AR....it was raining...but our cabin did have a view of the river:

The worst part about the cabin? No cell service. I thought Amber was going to have a coronary. Every so often she could get a text message thru, if she contorted her body behind the living room futon. We had to drive two miles into town to get service.

The next morning, when we DID drive into town before visiting the caverns, I got a fun little text message telling me my office building back home had flooded. Try focusing on vacation after THAT little gem.

Oh well, at least our adventure was NOT going to be ruined by rain, since we were going into Blanchard Springs Caverns. Check out this formation that resembles a ship:

It was a fascinating tour - my photos didn't do the caverns ANY justice. I was completely amazed. We took the "Dripstone" tour - which took us through the most highly decorated level of the caverns, after an elevator ride 216 feet down into the earth.

I was impressed with the lighting, which was done by a man who usually assembled lighting for opera houses. It made the caverns all that more beautiful. Once again, I was in awe at the wonderous beauty of our earth, and remembered how tiny we all are in the face of its majesty.

Roger had never seen this level of the caverns before, so he was impressed, too. He even got to visit a music store in downtown Mountain View, and joined a "pickin'" session with several other musicians. He must have spent an hour there, while Amber and I poked thru galleries and found treasures here and there.

Our last stop before leaving town was this rock:

That's Roger, standing underneath. Years ago - like over 17 years ago - his best friend took a photo almost identical at this very spot. It was neat to find this again, and almost two decades later, take a similar photo...which we then emailed to his friend.

We are back home - and have taken care of all the office flooding. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined, and Roger did a lot to help clean things up. Amber came back to a new cheer coach for the varsity squad - her coach from last year - which made her very happy. Shorty missed us terribly, but having Lucas house-sit definitely eased our minds about the care of our three animals. He did, however, start a new trend by allowing her to sleep with him in the guest bed. So guess who is sleeping with us now?

Tell me about your vacations, if you had one this summer!

Random Miscellaneous Tigger Thoughts

2009-07-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

I know I've abandoned this blog, it seems. It's always on my mind. However, with the instant gratification that is Facebook (yeah, I've abandoned Twitter, too), coupled with the addiction of Farm Town, my online presence has metamorphisized, and my writing skills have suffered.

So, if you want to know what I've been up to in the last few weeks, here it is, in random, stream-of-consciousness fashion:

We have a new guitar player in our band. And remember BND? Band Name Discussion? Well, we are officially changing the name from 7th Wave to one of our original picks - Searching for Signals. With the guitar player change, it seemed like a good time. And I like that name better anyway.

Shorty the Doxie Pin is doing VERY well, and if I could make her a house dog, I would. She has already learned the "sit" command, and I need to review Dog Whisperer episodes to figure out how to stop her from "happy piddling" on my tile floor whenever she sees me. Any tips are appreciated.

Oh, and she has really bad breath. Which is a trademark Dachshund thing. But she doesn't smell like a dog anywhere else, which makes her nice to cuddle. Until she yawns.

The Offspring is evidently going to need orthodontic work. I guess it's not good to be 15 1/2 years old and have over 8 baby teeth still in your mouth.

We took The Offspring to choir camp on Monday in a town three hours away. Left her in a dorm on the third floor that had NO air conditioning. We drove the three hours back as quickly as possible, just so I could sit in a 2 1/2 hour cheerleader parent meeting with the high school cheer coach and the superintendent of schools. Grueling.

We have acoustic band practice tonight to work on harmonies. I have to make up harmony parts for songs that have no existing harmony. Our next gig is a 60's/70's part in a show September 12th.

We are going to Blanchard Springs Caverns in Mountain View at the beginning of next week. I've lived in Arkansas for 17 years and have NEVER seen them! We rented a cabin on the river...I'm ready to GET AWAY.

The upstairs A/C unit went out at my office. I have a new unit now. One thing after another, you know?

Oh, and the A/C unit in the downstairs part of our home failed this week, too. NOT good with temps reaching over 100 degrees...but it was a simple fix, and we are cooling just fine now. Who knew that A/C units needed condensate drains? LOL!

Really, any tips on how to keep the puppy from piddling with joy - I need them.

I'm evidently a Facebook Junkie. OMG...if you're not on it already...GO.

I'm actually excited about going to a Target store on Monday. I haven't been in one since I left Texas in 1992. I'm pathetic.

STILL haven't settled the insurance claims for the tornado damage to our old home. I got enough to pay off the mortgage...but still not enough to cover the damages. I plan to dig up the azaleas and hydrangeas and move them to our new home. As well as some of that gorgeous St. Augustine grass. Basically, I'm going to rape the landscaping.

We are planning a trip to Canada next year. I need to work on getting passports NOW.

I've lost 15 pounds since last October. Only 15 more pounds to go, but I'll settle for 10. Is getting back to high school weight a stupid goal?

The Offspring broke her toe, right before cheer camp. But she is healed. And their squad did AWESOME at camp - we were so proud! But oh...the season has just begun.

I splurged and bought a bunch of new underwear at Victoria's Secret.

We also splurged and bought new equipment for the studio. Roger now has wireless capabilities for his electric guitar, so he can run around. We also have new spot monitors, and big Mackie speakers that sit on very sturdy stands. Oh, and we're going with ear-bud monitors that hook into some complicated board that I don't understand.

Oh, and most importantly, I really miss you guys. I'll be back from vacation next Thursday at the latest!

Fun Monday Purses and Wallets

2009-06-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Church Lady is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see our purses and wallets! Well, I'm not a "big purse" kinda girl...so this is what I schlep around:It's not convenient when I need to free up my hands...but I really don't like purses. Everything I need can be stuffed in here. In fact, the only reason I would even consider getting a purse is because I'm now the owner of a small dog. I could stand a classy dog purse. Right? And a diamond-studded collar for the little thing? Yeah...

BTW, who even needs all these credit cards? I see four already that I never use, but I'm afraid to get rid of, because I don't know if that's good or bad for my credit score.Let's not forget the snazzy little compartment that holds my driver's license. You know what makes me mad about this? I was told to SIGN MY NAME when I got my license. When I did, I was told it was no good. When I asked why not, the revenue department employee told me it wasn't "legible." I tried to explain that it was my SIGNATURE, and that when I sign my name, it is quite distinctive. She told me to re-write my name anyway. I tried another time, but it still wasn't good enough. Being picky, I asked, "So, you really don't want me to SIGN my name, right? You just want me to write out my name in cursive handwriting so that it can be read." Of course, I got an affirmative response. What's the point of signing your name, if it's not your signature? I just don't get it.
I also would not be totally honest, if I did not include the satchel o' death:It is named such because I am afraid that some things may go IN there...never to be seen alive again. This is really just the bag I shove my wallet, keys, digital camera and sunglasses into when I'm going to work. I'll put snacks, water, Valium, all number of other items in the bag that I think might help me thru the day. But I just take it to work...nowhere else. Kinda like a kid's backpack for school, but with extra Valium.

Okay - I finally posted something on a Fun Monday! Now go visit all the other participants!

A New Member of the Family

2009-06-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Could you resist this little face? I mean, really?
Evidently, we couldn't. One night, our band drummer and friend, Lucas, noticed a small puppy across the road from our property, curled up against a stump, while on the way to our house. I was headed down the driveway to go check out the situation...when Roger said for me to just let it be.

And then Lucas left to get food about an hour and a half later. I received a frantic text message from him that the puppy was still there...and something had to be done. Knowing that I would never be able to sleep at night with the thought of that baby, down there alone, I headed down the driveway with food and water bowls to at least give the poor thing a chance. Lucas was already trying to coax her away from the stump...as Roger watched from our porch. Finally, after listening to Lucas and me fret and carry on and attempt to assist her, Roger said, "Go ahead and just bring the dog up here."She looks cute in Roger's lap? Doesn't she? She is SO SMALL! Well, at least to me...after having Poo Woo for so long. And I DON'T LIKE SMALL DOGS. Usually. I'm a "big dog" kinda girl. But something about this little face...this sweet personality...I'm sunk.I don't know what breed she is, but with a little bit of internet research, my guess is half Min Pin, half Dachshund. I'm taking her to the vet for her first visit on Friday, so maybe he'll have a clue.

She's a good cuddler, too. I don't know if it is my maternal instinct, my hormones, my age, or just that I can't resist such a little cutie...but I think Shorty is going to be a part of the family.

(Oh, and The Offspring's reaction? She was okay with it...not thrilled...and mostly worried that the dog would cost us money that would not then be available for HER needs. Jerk.)

Two New Addictions

2009-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I know I've been absent - AGAIN - but there's been lots going on. I promise I'll share soon. However, I have to share my latest addictions (besides Facebook). The first is Sexy People. This site has me seriously LMAO on a daily basis. For example of some of the folks featured on the site, check out the awesomeness that is Chad: Oh, the mullet...and the bare chest...wonder how short this guy is? The site is full of all sorts of gems! Chad is actually one of the better looking people on the site, if you can believe it!

My other addiction is Awkward Family Photos. I couldn't post the MOST awkward one I found...but OMG...click on the site, then click on the "Saturday Night Special" in the sidebar. Here is a more "appropriate" photo:
ENJOY!

All Kinds of Crazy

2009-05-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still alive...and yes, I'm still in a band! The last few weeks have been filled with the craziness that happens after a tornado hits your town. Most of my personal craziness (besides the normal crazy I enjoy) has been centered on long talks with insurance adjusters, trying to get what is needed to really fix our old home properly. I've received three checks so far (each adjuster seems to disagree with the one prior), and it looks as if I will receive two (if not three) more before all is said and done.

Meanwhile, we took band photos last weekend - and The Offspring did well on a moment's notice. Not to mention, it is difficult to get seven people to hold still for any period of time. Oh, wait, excuse me - it's even MORE difficult to get seven MUSICIANS to hold still for any period of time.
She took a ton of photos - and then quickly photoshopped a few. We tried looking serious, looking goofy, looking happy...just tons of photos.I loved the walking ones the best - we tried taking baby steps up the driveway while she snapped away.
We have a gig this Friday night, and then one the weekend following. Just local stuff - and hopefully we will entertain the crowd and have fun at the same time.
So, if you don't know already - which photo do you think we chose as the "official" photo for the band?

Belated Mother's Day Repeat

2009-05-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Can you get any worse that being LATE for a holiday, with the possible exception of posting something you've previously posted?

Oh well, if you know of a way to beat that...tell me, and I'll perform like a bear at the circus.

I just had to share this again - even though it came out in 2006, it STILL makes me laugh today. Enjoy.

My favorite line: "Put down the yardstick!"

Fun Monday - Yeah, I'm BACK! Well, Sorta...

2009-05-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's Fun Monday! And Karisma is our gracious hostess! I had to do a "repeat" because I'm still a little behind on my blogging, but this is my vow to return, once and for all! Our task was to share a "funny, silly or just downright cute story about your pets or your children." I'm not sure my story fits ANY of those categories, but here goes:

It began as a joyous occasion, my executive secretary's 80th birthday. This is a woman for which I have the utmost respect, as she has been dutifully keeping my books and cutting checks to pay my bills, as she did for the previous owner. She is more than a secretary - she's like a second mother, who thinks nothing of admonishing me for spending too much money, or giving me a good-natured slap on the ass when I say something off-color.

At the end of her party, she gave me a flower arrangment, adorned with balloons and beautiful curly string. It is for this reason that I secretly resent her. See this innocent looking feline? Well, I could have throttled her with my bare hands. I knew well enough to place the bouquet of flowers on a high surface when we went to bed that evening. What I forgot is the ability for Whiskas to leap upon tall furniture in a single bound.

When Roger and I awoke the next morning and stumbled into the kitchen to retrieve that life-saving first cup of coffee, our bare feet slipped on something. "What the heck is THAT?" we wondered, sleepily. After turning on the light - we noticed brown streaks on our white floor. Not only in the kitchen, but across the bathroom floor as well. Seems as if Whiskas discovered the curly string, ingested it in a frenzied moment of play, and spent the rest of the evening attempting to remove it from her intestinal tract by alternately scooting her bottom across the floor and sharting.

After many expletives were hurled, we rectified the mess. Time to rectify the cat. Upon inspection of her puckered exit, we discovered a lovely, brown-stained curl of ribbon portruding from her anus. Remember those Chatty Cathy dolls? Much the same effect can be achieved by holding down a cat and pulling curly string out of her ass.

Now go visit the other participants!

Aftershock

2009-04-28T15:05:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while, friends...but it's been a hectic few weeks here in Mena, Arkansas. Even though I can "forget" what happened on April 9th by going to work (where my office is perfectly intact) or to my new home (where every tree limb is perfectly in place), it only takes a short drive thru the middle of town to see absolute devastation. I know I'm fortunate, and I'm not living the true nightmare that others are experiencing, but I still feel an immediate wrenching in my gut when I drive thru areas like this:
This photo was taken by Jim Zornes, the Forest Service Ranger for our district. It gives you a small snapshot of what happened in our little town of 5,600. The F-3 tornado traveled approximately 14.5 miles, with winds ranging between 135-165 MPH. I'm still amazed that so many survived.

Our little house on Ninth Street just isn't the same - and sustained some roof damage. Unfortunately, we were on a waiting list to have the roof replaced for hail damage - so no additional monies for us. It was heartbreaking to see the big beautiful trees, all gone.I never considered myself a "tree-hugger" - but this area lost some of the oldest, grandest trees in town. It makes me sad how our landscape has changed. I can't look at the skyline the same - you can see for blocks and blocks, where before you could only see a few houses down the street. Now, there are roots and bare earth and utility trucks and demolished homes.
This is our back yard tree - it crashed into our shed. We were so fortunate...I just can't believe we didn't suffer more devastation. Others were not so fortunate - they lost everything. So many were uninsured...or underinsured. Some lost their home, their vehicles and their possesions, all in one fell swoop. Our middle school is now uninhabitable, including the auditorium that was used by the entire community for all sorts of performances throughout the years. The college was extensively damaged....it's all so overwhelming. Thankfully, we got word that we will be receiving assistance from FEMA.

I can't describe how bizarre it is to drive thru areas of our town. I cry. I weep for those who have lost so much. I gaze in disbelief at the changed landscape. I can't believe things are so "out of whack," only two and a half weeks since the tragedy. Some told me that their towns suffered for almost five years, before things were "normal" again. I'm ready now. I'm impatient.

But I'm blessed.

We Survived!

2009-04-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all of you who were concerned about the well-being of me and my family.

For those of you who were not aware, our small town of Mena, Arkansas, was devastated by an F3 tornado that hit Thursday night, April 9th. The town will never be the same, but the resilience of our community has been evident these past few days. I have never been so proud of the strength and generosity of the hard-working people here...

We only suffered three fatalities, which is mind-boggling, considering the aerial photos of the destruction, found at this link.

I also uploaded some photos here on my flickr site.

An image that says a lot, is one I captured two houses down from where my daughter's best friend lost her home:

The chalk on the siding says: "Katrina! Arkansas takes care of its own!"
The day after the tragedy, there were people with chainsaws everywhere. No one "waited to be rescued." We are tough. We will survive. And I thank God above that we weren't in our old home on Ninth Street anymore (even though we still own it). Times like these help us remember what the real priorities are in our lives - each other.

Finding Balance

2009-04-01T10:11:00.000-07:00

In speaking with a dear friend the other day, I realized that she and I shared the same dilemma: that of regaining our balance.

Every so often, life circumstances change in such a way that I find myself "off-kilter." The symptoms usually include bank statements that are ignored, haircuts that are overdue, dust bunnies (okay, full-grown rabbits) collecting in and around our bar stools, and the OMG moments when I realize I'm five minutes late to pick up The Offspring.

I tend to throw myself into every project that comes my way, and I am fastidious about keeping my commitments. Good traits, but daily responsibilities can often suffer as a result. Priorities tend to shift, and something always has to give in the end. That's one reason I haven't been blogging much.

However, blogging kept me thinking...kept me writing...and definitely made me more likely to use my camera. I miss it, and I miss you all - my blog buddies. My writing skills are important to me. I still cringe every time I see a misspelled word or a punctuation error (OCD, I know). So, I will recommit myself to this world that I had temporarily abandoned. For my sake as much as yours. Blogging is not and never has been a massive priority but something I have let slide to a point that I'm no long comfortable with.

To re-engage you, I ask: When have you found yourself to be out of balance in life? When have you had to rethink your priorities? And what did you do to resolve the problem?

Running on Hope

2009-03-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

You know, I think I'd rather watch these guys deliver the news each morning. Then, maybe it wouldn't sound so depressing.

Running on Hope from Douglas Sarine on Vimeo.

Poor Obama.

Fun Monday Economic Adjustments!

2009-03-09T09:01:00.000-07:00

Wow...how many Fun Mondays have I missed? A lot...I'm sure! Sayre is this week's hostess, and she wanted to know what kind of personal changes we are making to deal with today's economic challenges! Well, believe it or not, most of the changes our family is making is due to Roger's influence. He is definitely the most frugal of us all.

I noticed the first "change" the other day...in dishwasher detergent. For some reason, I've always been a fan of name brands. Even when I learned in business school that many "off brands" are made by the same company and are the same product without the fancy packaging, I still gravitate toward the colorful boxes with the names I know. When I saw the $1.00 box of no-name detergent under the sink, I was skeptical. But guess what? That detergent works JUST AS GOOD as the name brand stuff.

I'm not sure this qualifies, but we are slowly changing out the bulbs in our house to these twirly things. It's conserving energy, which is important to our future economic survival, right? These bulbs are uber-expensive, so they had better pay off.

We have also eliminated some of our eating out, which we needed to do anyway. It's so much cheaper to prepare food at home, and we used to do it a lot more in the past. We are trying to revive that habit, now that cheer season has ended and our nights should be returning to normal.

Personally, I haven't gotten a massage since before Christmas. That's a big sacrifice, since I'm usually as tight as a drum. I still am, but the guilt about money spent on my tooth extraction has kept me from indulging.

I feel even more guilty that I haven't been able to come up with more "cost-cutting" ideas. Maybe it hasn't fully hit me that we are really in a recession. Or a depression. Or a free fall. I'm hoping the other participants have great ideas that I can borrow.

Speaking of cheer season, this weekend was a 'milestone' of sorts. The Offspring has been cheering for the past seven years. She tried out for the high school cheer squad (she will be a sophomore next year), and MADE IT.

She Lives! And Still Breathes...

2009-03-04T14:39:00.001-08:00

What a crazy week and a half it has been since I last blogged to you, my good friends! Yet the absolute best part of it, hands down, had to be spending three days with The Offspring during her All State Music Conference and Choir Concert. She was so thrilled to make All State her freshman year, and as you can imagine, I was one proud mom. I got to sit in on her rehearsals, as well as Ben's (pictured here with her). After rehearsals, we all went shopping and to the movies and had a heck of a time. (Note: Go see Coraline 3D. It was pretty cool.) Now, the title "Shorty" definitely fits Tiggerlane's Offspring. Standing at a mere 4'11" (she insists it is 5'0" - whatever.) Amber could hardly been seen on the back row. The choir is arranged based on voice part and chair placement from auditions, but the director decided that our little one should be right on the FRONT ROW! She even called her "Shorty," which made me giggle. But I was thrilled because it made it easier to see the squirt. But you know what made the day even better? Our friends! They made the drive to hang out with us and see our daughter perform! Here are Jeri Dee and Greg (she is our lead singer in the band, and he is our main bass player):Also, Brent and Dave are among The Offspring's biggest fans, so they drove in from Little Rock to see the performance and to give our baby props:
Of course, here are the proud parents, doing their best to embarrass the child:
So, the following Monday, I went to the oral surgeon to get the wisdom tooth yanked. First, I tried talking him out of putting me under. After all, I've had minor surgery TWICE with just local anesthetic with no problem. Plus, at the age of 14, I had four adult teeth pulled for my orthodontics. I also had the other three wisdom teeth pulled while I was wide awake. This guy was having NONE of that...and insisted that my tooth needed drilling. He assured me I wanted to be asleep for that.

I am such a control freak...and I HATE being incapacitated. So, non-compliant patient that I am, I took a very few of the percocet I was prescribed for pain. They just made me too loopy to work, you know? Besides, I had NO INTENTION of not working the following day. Unfortunately, the pain was so horrible the next morning, I ended up taking a half a pill, and then passed out until noon. Still, I went to work the next day - didn't ice my cheek (who has time for that?), and spent the rest of the week looking like this:I know, I should have heeded doctor's orders, gotten some rest, etc. But I had important meetings Wednesday, paperwork to do at work, a presentation on Thursday, and a conference to attend Friday/Saturday. See why I haven't had time to have this tooth pulled before?

Even though I had a swollen cheek and some pain, I did well. I'm almost able to yawn normally now, and the socket seems nice and clotted.

I'm just bummed that of all the teeth that have come out of my head (including baby teeth), this is one I didn't get to keep.

Done Deal

2009-02-19T08:26:00.000-08:00

Well, our first gig is finally behind us! It was a LOT of fun, and the audience seemed to think we were okay...so we might do this again! I know I haven't blogged much lately, but hope to get back into it next week. I'm leaving today to attend the Arkansas All State Choir clinic and conference with The Offspring, and then Monday the dreaded yanking of the wisdom tooth. Pray for my well-being!

And, as promised, the first Youtube video of our band - 7th Wave! I'm the bouncy little retard in black:

HONEST feedback is appreciated! And yeah, I know I could stand to lose about 10 pounds. Sue me. I like cake.

Whirlwind of Pleasure and Pain

2009-02-12T11:16:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been!! Those of you who follow me on Twitter or look at the sidebar every so often have a small inkling of what I've been thru, but here's a recap for the remainder of my blog buddies.

Last Friday was an exhausting, yet exhilarating day. I had a HORRIBLE week...and by Thursday I could tell my nerves were shot. There was a lot going on at work, plus, I had been harrassing The Offspring to practice for her upcoming All State choir audition. If you have ever raised a teenager, you know that eye-rolling and sighing are part of the ordeal. It was also the same week I got ANOTHER phone bill delivered in a cardboard box, outlining the 18,625 text messages sent and received by said Offspring. Needless to say, "Mother of the Year" awards are not in my future for 2009.

Friday morning found me on a bus at 5:30AM, riding over two hours out of town to help chaperone kids for All State choir auditions. Thankfully, all the kids on the trip were GOOD KIDS...no behavior problems, and genuinely sweet. Still, my 40-year old butt does not enjoy sitting on CONCRETE in a gym for an entire day, waiting for auditions to end. We arrived around 8:15AM, and the kids got their audition numbers. There were 126 Alto II's numbered for auditions...and what number did The Offspring get? That's right. Number 126. She didn't audition until 4:30PM. The stress and nerves from waiting all day didn't phase the kid, however. She made the choir. Her FRESHMAN YEAR. I was so excited, I cried...surely tears of relief, joy and pure exhaustion. You go, Girl!

During the week, my one remaining wisdom tooth had been "twinging." I had three of them pulled in 2003, but my dentist said that last lower right tooth had a crooked root and required an oral surgeon's touch. The closest oral surgeon is an hour and a half from my home...so what have I done? Put the extraction off. For years.

The tooth has flared up over the years, but a good dose of antibiotic has always settled it down. This past Sunday, it decided to give me a run for my money. Now, I had a baby with no drugs...but this pain? OMG. EXCRUCIATING. Mind-numbing. Blinding. I was literally rocking back in forth in my recliner, tears streaming down my face, unable to focus because of the pain. I ended up in the ER, trying to determine if I was going to die. It was THAT bad.

Nothing like being FORCED to address a problem, you know? Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I push myself 110%, that I go, and go, and go...and rarely stop. Well, this tooth stopped me dead in my tracks. It got my attention. After VERY strong antibiotics, an x-ray, words of encouragement from my dentist, and LOTS of Motrin, I am better. I have "constant but manageable" pain. Which is a good thing, since I have to sing backup vocals for our band's debut this upcoming Saturday night.

Tiggerlane has learned her lesson. She is going to have the tooth extracted on the 23rd. I don't know if the world will keep turning, but if it stops suddenly at 11:00AM CST, you'll know why.

Hair-itage and Memery

2009-02-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Hey - I'm still alive out here. I know, I've been absent. But, one of my most faithful and loyal and FANTASICALLY WONDERFUL blogger buddies tagged me a while ago, bringing me out of my blogging slump. So, a big THANK YOU to Kila, aka momto3cubs, for giving me an assignment and luring me out from under my rock. Love ya, babe.

Okay - here goes!

THE RULES

1.Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
2.Go to the 6th Folder, then pick the 6th picture in that folder.
3.Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.
~~4.Tag 6 other peoples that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.~~Yeah, I'm gonna save you all some grief and NOT tag. You're welcome.

So, I did this, and had to laugh when I saw the photo...I received this quite a long time ago. In fact, those of you who have followed The Story will truly appreciate this. Back when I first discovered part of my heritage, I had an identity crisis. One of my blogger friends felt my pain and wanted to help me embrace my ethnicity, so she sent me this composite:
Can you guess the celebrity? Yeah - it made me feel better. And I feel HORRIBLY ROTTEN b/c I can't remember which of my blogger friends did this for me...and I'm running out of time to post, so I have no way to go back through archives and research. So, if it was YOU...many thanks! I remember how this picture lifted my spirits and made me identify less with the local illegal aliens.

AS a woman of "some" color...I am rediscovering my hair. I have kept it straight for so long, but it is naturally curly. I realize that the blessings of my heritage include hair that grows quickly, has fantastic body, and yet can be easily manipulated. So, which hair do you like best on your Tiggerlane? This is how I've been wearing it some lately - natural curl, with some gel thrown in. This was taken late, on my cell phone - not the best quality, but you get the idea: This is with a little bit of curl...a bit of body...and yeah, I took this last night after I had rubbed off most of my makeup. You're welcome. But you're supposed to be looking at the HAIR. And yeah, doesn't my nose look big here? Weird.
And this is how I've worn it over the last few years:
I've been having multiple-personality hair lately - wearing it all three ways several times in one week.

Think I should just keep changing it up?

Lame Posting...But POSTING, Nonetheless!

2009-01-27T10:39:00.000-08:00

I'm finally posting, and posting something I stole from Matt's Animal Mind.

I am waiting for an ice storm to hit our area today, and so far, I've been disappointed. I had planned a day of relaxation and goofing off, but I'm at work and the kiddo is at school. Is it wrong to wish for the power to stay on, yet want them to cancel school so I can shut down my office? I'm a kid in an adult body.

However, I found this gem, which brightened my spirits. Name all the cameos - I dare ya!

HIGH-FIVE INAUGURATION! - watch more funny videos

Here's hoping you are staying warm!

A New Day

2009-01-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning, I realized that it was THIS DAY. Bush's last day. I bought this mug for Roger when I visited D.C. in 2007...and it seemed so far away then.

No matter your politics, you have to admit that today was historic.

At the time I bought this, I had no idea who our next president would be. I just knew that I wasn't a big fan of the one we had at the time. And I can say HAD ... now that he has lifted off in his helicopter and left the White House behind.

Watching today's inauguration, I was pleased to hear the crowds chanting, "USA! USA! USA!" I'm not sure I've ever heard that chanted outside the Olympics. Congratulations, Mr. President. I hope that the entire country can pull together now and work toward rebuilding all that has fallen apart in the last eight years.

I want to know from you...did you watch the Inauguration? And what is your hope for our nation's future?

First Post of the New Year

2009-01-13T08:34:00.001-08:00

Oh my, where has the time gone? SO much has been happening...and my blogging time has suffered. First, New Year's was fun. No one got hurt, and we only had 13 overnight guests, mostly teenagers. We survived! Here is a quick peek of attendees - though not all are pictured. First the "adults:" Then, the teenagers: OH...AND...big news... we have chosen a name for the BAND! Okay, you guys had great suggestions. Really great ones. In fact, I honestly liked many of your suggestions better than the actual band name. BUT...there was a breakdown, and it's all my fault. About a week into the "Band Name Discussion" (let's refer to it as BND for short), I was getting excited. Lots of good names were floating around. We even had a written list, and I had reduced the BND to a few pieces of paper, including the printed list of blog comments. Many of your suggestions were applauded during the BND.

Another week later, Roger discovers a book of mine - 1,000 Meditations or something similar, and it is chock full of ideas. The book becomes a focal point of the BND. Names are thrown out...here and there...it becomes fuzzy and impossible to focus on what we should be. BND had evolved into a laborious exercise. What did your Tiggerlane do? Decided to shut down her brain and no longer particpate in BND. Not really, anyway.

It had become exhausting. And the PRESSURE. BND was no longer fun. BND moved into the realm of text messaging. BND was raunchy at times. (Well, THAT part was fun.)

One night, we faced a deadline. We are actually going to perform on stage February 14th (of this year). BND carried on for so long that my only response became, "Just pick a name." We did. BND produced "Carousel of Time." Keep in mind, BND ended at 3AM.

By morning, the name was no longer favored. BND resumed. I refused to participate. I was exhausted.

Finally, BND was over. Again. We have a name.

7th Wave.

Sting sang about it. Do you know about it?

I'm just glad it's over. Oh, and the pictures above? Those are from our first "outside the studio" rehearsal at the auditorium where we will play our gig. Wish us luck.

And the Holidays Just Keep on Comin'

2008-12-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas holiday! In case you don't follow me on twitter, let me tell you about a "fail" I pulled on the Santa present. We got The Offspring an acoustic/electric guitar set with everything she needed to rock the house. For a week, we've had it hidden in the closet of our bonus room (that infamous 8x28 closet). Now that the bonus room is our studio, we use it as a place to chill and relax...

On Christmas Eve, my baby girl didn't feel too well. She was laying on the couch with me and woke up around 1AM. Since our living room is tile, sound tends to carry to every room on the bottom floor. She wanted to talk, so I suggested we go up to the studio so as not to wake her father in the master bedroom.

Not a good idea. Because unbeknownst to me, the father had moved the humungous box with the guitar and amp inside into the MIDDLE OF THE BONUS ROOM/STUDIO so that he could attach a big bow to it. She and I trudge upstairs, open the door, and after I'm a few feet into the room, WHAM.

"Get out of here!!" I holler.
"Okay," she says, running back down the stairs.
"Did you see it?" I query.
"Uh...no..." she replies, totally unconvincingly.
Then the father appears at the bottom of the stairs. Not exactly happy. Technically, it WAS Christmas morning. And yeah, she did have to wait until we got up to actually play the thing.

I think she enjoyed it:We went to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra for her birthday the next day - and let me tell you, it was incredible. If you get a chance to see them, GO.

Our next adventure? New Year's Eve. We usually have an adult party, with 20 or so revelers. This year, the kid wanted to invite more than just a few friends. She passed out fliers at school before the break. Fifty fliers.

This ordinarily wouldn't worry me - after all, you usually can expect half of the invitees to show. However, a few weeks ago, she asked me (with a sweet innocent face, let me add) if she could have FOUR or FIVE friends over. Got that? A few text messages later, and kids start showing up to my house. From out of nowhere. When it was all said and done? This is how many ended up there:In case you're not good at counting, there are 23 kids in that photo. At one point, as one kid is hauling in the whole set of Rock Band to play in the living room, I asked her, "When exactly is this party over?" In return, I got a shrug.

A bottle rocket/roman candle war broke out in the yard shortly after the bonfire was lit. And when I left the house in the care of the male influences, I returned to find a kid being duct-taped to a tree:She DOES appear quite happy about it.

Hopefully, I will survive New Year's Eve. We are cleaning out the garage (not that we've had much time to get it messy) and hope to contain some of the teen melee in there.

Pray for me, will ya?

And here's wishing you all a happy and SAFE New Year!

A Holiday Favorite

2008-12-23T12:21:00.000-08:00

I hope you and yours are preparing yourself for a fantastic holiday, recession/depression be damned! This is one of my favorite holiday stories, which appeared in a book by Jeff Foxworthy many years ago. No idea if it is true or not, but this is the kind of family stuff that makes the holiday season special!

As a joke, my brother Jay used to hang a pair of panty hose over his fireplace before Christmas. He said all he wanted was for Santa to fill them.
What they say about Santa checking the list twice must be true because every Christmas morning, although Jay's kids' stockings overflowed, his poor pantyhose hung sadly empty.

One year I decided to make his dream come true. I put on sunglasses and went in search of an inflatable love doll. They don't sell those things at Wal-Mart. I had to go to an adult bookstore downtown.

If you've never been in an X-rated store, don't go. you'll only confuse yourself. I was there an hour saying things like, 'What does this do?' 'You're kidding me!' 'Who would buy that?' Finally, I made it to the inflatable doll section.

I wanted to buy a standard, uncomplicated doll that could also substitute as a passenger in my truck so I could use the car pool lane during rush hour.
Finding what I wanted was difficult. 'Love Dolls' come in many different models. The top of the line, according to the side of the box, could do things I'd only seen in a book on animal husbandry. I settled for 'Lovable Louise.' She was at the bottom of the price scale. To call Louise a 'doll' took a huge leap of imagination.

On Christmas Eve and with the help of an old bicycle pump, Louise came to life. My sister-in-law was in on the plan and let me in during the wee morning hours. Long after Santa had come and gone, I filled the dangling pantyhose with Louise's pliant legs and bottom. I also ate some cookies and drank what remained of a glass of milk on a nearby tray. I went home, and giggled for a couple of hours.

The next morning my brother called to say that Santa had been to his house and left a present that had made him VERY happy, but had left the dog confused. She would bark, start to walk away, then come back and bark some more. We all agreed that Louise should remain in her pantyhose so the rest of the family could admire her when they came over for the traditional Christmas dinner.

My grandmother noticed Louise the moment she walked in the door.
'What the hell is that?' she asked.
My brother quickly explained, 'It's a doll.'
'Who would play with something like that?' Granny snapped.
I kept my mouth shut.
'Where are her clothes?' Granny continued.
'Boy, that turkey sure smells nice, Gran,' Jay said, to steer her into the dining room.
But Granny was relentless. 'Why doesn't she have any teeth?'
Again, I could have answered, but why would I? It was Christmas and no one wanted to ride in the back of the ambulance saying, 'Hang on Granny, hang on!'
My grandfather, a delightful old man with poor eyesight, sidled up t o me and said, ' Hey, who's the naked gal by the fireplace?' I told him she was Jay's friend.
A few minutes later I noticed Grandpa by the mantel, talking to Louise. Not just talking, but actually flirting. It was then that we realized this might be Grandpa's last Christmas at home.

The dinner went well. We made the usual small talk about who had died, who was dying, and who should be killed, when suddenly Louise made a noise like my father in the bathroom in the morning. Then she lurched from the mantel, flew around the room twice, and fell in a heap in front of the sofa. The cat screamed. I passed cranberry sauce through my nose, and Grandpa ran across the room, fell to his knees, and began administering mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

My brother fell back over his chair and wet his pants.
Granny threw down her napkin, stomped out of the room, and sat in the car.
It was indeed a Christmas to treasure and remember.
Later in my brother's garage, we conducted a thorough examination to decide the cause of Louise's collapse. We discovered that Louise had suffered from a hot ember to the back of her right thigh.
Fortunately, thanks to a wonder drug called duct tape, we restored her to perfect health.
I can't wait until next Christmas.

Fun Monday Kindness

2008-12-12T13:33:00.000-08:00

The lovely Mommy Wizdom is our hostess for this latest Fun Monday, and BOY...was it a doozie! She wanted us to perform a random act of kindness, and then blog about the experience. OR...blog about being the recipient of a random act of kindness.

One suggestion she had was to "smile at everyone you meet for a day, no matter what." Well, I decided that I would do just that during my weekly shopping excursion. The store, of course, was unbelievably crowded...and as much as I wanted to just get in and get out, I felt obligated to complete the assignment! What happened was inevitable - in a small town, everyone knows everyone else...and with just a smile, I found myself engaged in conversations with folks. But I didn't smile just at people I knew.

I smiled at an elderly lady who looked lonely - she did a double-take, looked at me suspiciously for a moment, then returned a feeble smile. It was almost as if she was surprised that someone would notice and smile at her.

I smiled at a little girl, who was checking out my daughter's funky attire for the day. She looked puzzled, but seemed comforted by the gesture.

I smiled at someone who was hard at work, in appreciation for what these employees must have to endure on busy shopping days. Once again, a slight double-take, then a return smile.

It was too easy. I smiled at so many people - most of whom were unknown to me. It was interesting to see how many people were a bit taken aback by my smile (promise, I didn't have anything in my teeth). Has our world become so troubled and cynical that a simple gesture seems entirely out of place? I don't live in the big city, mind you - but a small, Southern town. Yet, I felt a bit out of place, smiling at people all over the store.

I perform acts of kindness each day - from picking up a friend's child at a party, to taking an extra kid home from school, as a mother I'm usually pressed into service. I also volunteer with my local Rotary Club and serve on board of two local organizations. Service to others is something I try to accomplish EVERY day. However, a free smile to a stranger may be a more welcome gift. The gift of random kindness that is free, and makes us feel better in the process.

Now, perform your act of kindness today - AND check out the other participants!

Name Us - Make Us Famous

2008-12-10T14:51:00.000-08:00

Remember these guys?
Yeah, well, they need your help.

Desperately.

We need a band name. Soon. Like, NOW.

ATTENTION: If you are a LURKER...and NEVER COMMENT on this blog, I need you to comment NOW. If you don't have a blogger account, comment anonymously. Whatever it takes. But I need your suggestions for band names.

Five of us were up until almost 1:00AM trying to think of a name (and practicing a little, too).

What kind of music do we play, you ask? So far we have been working on rock music, like Fleetwood Mac stuff (no Pantera just yet - sorry Greg). The Pretenders...Sheryl Crow...Tom Petty...with plans to do many more songs...

If you need to know more about us to start throwing out names, then just ask in the comments. I will respond!

This is like BRAINSTORMING, folks....anything goes! We are taking any and all suggestions!

Why the rush? We may have a gig! Oh, and there will be a prize if we pick your suggestion...so GO FOR BROKE!

Fun Monday Holiday Music

2008-12-08T07:40:00.000-08:00

Ooh, I'm LATE today...maybe because I stayed up until wee hours...but then, none of you care about my excuses. Blah - get with the program.

MamaLang is the hostess for this Fun Monday, and she wanted to know our favorite Christmas songs and our favorite Christmas item.

Only THREE songs? Wow...okay...that's a tough assignment!

1. I LOVE (adore) George Winston's version of "Holly and the Ivy." If you have never heard this piano version, take a listen here.

2. Mannheim Steamroller and Christmas - This version of "Silent Night" has a very special meaning to me, b/c of a very special Christmas, many years ago. I wonder if Mr. Big still remembers?

Kinda weird to see a house in lights to this tune, but here ya go:

I get tears in my eyes every time I hear this.

3. I don't actually think this last song is a Christmas song, but I can't spend a holiday without listening to it. And for the record, this song will prove that I am a total dork. And nerd. And should be wearing glasses and braces and carrying a stack of books under my arm. I had a Christmas album by Dean Martin as a kid, and I LOVED it. Yes, Dean. Poor, dead Dean. He just always sounded like he was SMILING when he sang, you know? Now, I realize his smiling might have been due to large quantities of alcohol consumption. Still, I love this tune, called The Things We Did Last Summer. Listen if you dare. Total cheese.

As for my favorite Christmas thing? Well, I could pick all sorts of ornaments...pretty little glass things...but when you go into labor on a Christmas Day, it's hard to pick much else but my almost-a-Christmas-Baby as a reminder of what this season really means to me:
Now go check out all the Fun Monday participants!

The Doghouse

2008-12-05T08:16:00.000-08:00

I know this is really ad advertisement, but it's not "in your face."

I found this funny, b/c my husband told me early on that he believes in "practical" gifts. For example, last year - I received a new blender and a food processor. Other gifts have been similarly useful, but at least he does have the sense to throw jewelry into the mix at least every other year.

Enjoy:

Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious! - A funny movie is a click away
Have you ever received a gift that made you want to send your significant other to the doghouse? If so, I wanna hear about it!

The Commute

2008-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

I have watched this several times, and think it is SO CUTE!
If it took me more than two minutes to drive to work, I would seriously have one of these built. Especially if I got to go thru the library.

Fun Monday Neighbors from Hades

2008-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Whew...now that NaBloPoMo is over, I'm actually glad to merely focus on Fun Monday for a while! Ari_1965 is this week's hostess, and she wants to know about our worst neighbors EVER.

Living in a small town, I figured this could get me in some trouble. I started thinking of all the bad neighbors I had in the past, and then realized they were bad neighbors only b/c they had such little tolerance for the late-night partying ways of a college student. Other neighbors that city ordinances define as 'bad' were the quietest, most non-obtrusive on the block.

I've only had one REALLY bad set of neighbors...though they didn't live quite next door. When I lived in the "old part" of town, my house was very close to the houses on both sides. Likewise, the houses across the street were close. One of these houses was obscured by overgrown bushes...it used to be a cute house, belonging to a local artist. When The Offspring was a toddler, the house became a rental. The occupants had NO restraint when it came to the use of expletives - LOUD expletives, shouted for the entire block to hear. Sometimes, their voices could be heard even with all the doors and windows shut.

As years wore on, activity at the house increased. A lot. Random folks would seem to appear on the sidewalk, and stumble away with hazy eyes. Young men would sidle up the alley behind our house, and magically find themselves across the street, at "that" house. Only to stay for a moment, before exiting, bleary-eyed. The traffic became so obvious, that it was only a matter of time before police vehicles frequented the domicile. We observed one occupant (female) submit to officers as she was led away in handcuffs, crying, pleading...to no avail. Most disturbing were the little children in and out of the house. I wondered what their existence must be like. I was sad for them.

In our old home, our master bedroom windows faced the street. One morning, in the wee hours, I awoke to flashing lights. Reds and blues, blinding almost...as I went to the window to see what was going on, I couldn't see anything. There was a haze in the air, with only red and blue flashes within the fog. Slowly, I came to realize that this time the flashes were NOT only from the police, but also from the large fire truck in the street. That 'haze' I was struggling to see thru was the smoke from a fire that had broken out upstairs at 'that house.' The smell that filled the air was horrific...I'm not sure what was going on at 'that house,' but I was assured that the fire was caused by something left on the stove unattended. I was glad the children escaped the home unharmed.

I don't miss living so close to my neighbors. Granted, I do miss some of the porch visits and talks with my "good" neighbors, but I like the serenity of the pastures I see, and my new neighbors - a pair of docile horses!

Now, go check out the other participants!

NaBloPoMo Day 30 - The End. Period.

2008-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Thirty. Endgame. I did not fail. I rock. Again.

I really can't believe that I accomplished this month-long-daily-posting thing - and yet, I still have a lot to say. And music to share. If you care.

Interestingly enough, I am saddened by the fact that I haven't visited many of my blogger friends in the past month. OR in the past few months. But I will...and I will respond to comments, as always.

But you know, I started this blog to have an outlet for expression and to find out what YOU were thinking...and I'm so thankful that so many of you share your thoughts with me.

I will return to visit you all soon...all of my faithful readers...I have enjoyed blogging this month! For now, enjoy one of my "new" favorite groups...Paramore:

And imagine me and The Offspring, thumping in the Intrepid, singing along.

NaBloPoMo Day 29 - Life in the Country. Or Not.

2008-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Nine.

Ever since moving into our new home, I've had to get used to "country life." I know, I only live 2/10 of a mile outside the city limits...but remember, I'm a CITY girl at heart. Big city...like Houston kinda city. Even living in my small town seems extremely rural and isolated.

Across the road from our home are several pastures. Do you see what I see in this photo?There is a hay bale in that sunny spot of field. And atop that bale? Not just one, but TWO birds of prey. Zoomed in and cropped...you can see them. We usually break out the binoculars to spy.
Another afternoon, we spied something in roughly the same pasture. Can you tell what it might be?
Zooming in, we spot a deer! It's amazing how far one can see with the naked eye.Here is another little critter that ended up on the hood of my car. Well, he ended up there after I was terrorized by several people, as they shook him in my face. Menacingly.

Naturally, as things go...he was worse for the ordeal than I was.

I'll get used to living here - I know I will. And the dog has already been skunked once, and I survived that. I love the peace and quiet...but the critters? Gonna take some getting used to.

NaBloPoMo Day 28 - Blast from the Past

2008-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Eight.

I know this will date me, but I used to watch "WKRP in Cincinnati" as a kid growing up. And I loved the theme song. I admit it.

Making the rounds this Thanksgiving - one of the most popular episodes of that show. Enjoy a scene from "Turkeys Away:"

Hope you had a GREAT Thanksgiving!

NaBloPoMo Day 27 - Happy Fat Bird Day

2008-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Seven.

Giving Thanks.

There are so many things I am thankful for this year, not the least being that I can wake up in the morning, step out on my porch and enjoy the first light through the trees.
I'm also grateful that I HAVE this porch - a year ago, this house was still under construction, and I could only dream of what it would be like to live here.

Now, I sit on my porch, and gaze at the mountain, which gives me peace.But most of all, I'm thankful for this person in my life:She brightens every day, and if I lost everything and everyone else in my world? Well, she'd be enough to sustain me.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

NaBloPoMo Day 26 - A Show is in Our Future

2008-11-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Six.

Guess who we are going to see in concert exactly one month from today? It is The Offspring's birthday, and I convinced her that her 16th would be a MUCH better birthday for which to host a 100-teenager party. For the 15th? Definitely need to go to this concert instead:

Have any of you see this group live? I expect they will rock a little more than Mannheim Steamroller. If you have seen this group, let me know.

Sure hope those chicks with the nightgowns don't flounce around the stage the whole time, though.

NaBloPoMo Day 25 - Worse Than Marnie

2008-11-25T00:10:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Five.

The other day, or month, or whenever she decides to randomly post, Marnilicious questioned her own sanity, as she had become transfixed and enamored with the lastest video from Britney Spears. Well, obviously, I'm no better. In fact, I may indeed be a lower life form in comparison. Why? Because recently, I've been hooked on this:

I have a few issues with the video...mostly b/c it implies a relationship between a much older Paris and a young boy. But the song is SO CATCHY, and I love the lyrics...and as we all know, that's what COUNTS.

NaBloPoMo Day 24 - Fun Monday High

2008-11-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Four - hey, this is almost over, isn't it?

Mariposa is this week's Fun Monday hostess, and she wanted to know about those 3-5 "high" moments in our lives. NOT what you are thinking...but those moments when we felt "on top of the world." Or something like that.

My "first" high is easy - the birth of my daughter. Especially since that day marked the first time I had ever met someone who was my actual blood relative. (Click here if you missed out on all that drama.)

Another "high" that always catches me off guard is when I hear The Offspring sing. She has been singing since she was a wee thing, but now when she is performing I am overcome with emotion. It doesn't hurt that she has sung with a talented all-region choir for the past three years, not to mention a select auditioned group at school and a special group at choir camp. These perfomances tend to move me to tears.

And an everyday "high" also involves MUSIC. I can't live without it, in one form or another...I honestly think I would be lesser of a person if I didn't have a broad musical background and the opportunity to listen on a daily basis.

I was late to Fun Monday today, so forgive the short post! Be sure to go check out all the other participants!

NaBloPoMo Day 23 - Jammin' with Justin

2008-11-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Three.

Do you love SNL?? Well, I love Justin Timberlake on SNL. If you haven't seen the actual skit he did with Beyonce, here is a taste:

I hope they don't remove this before it posts to my blog...it is interspersed with the actual video. Justin, is on the far left. Enjoy!

NaBloPoMo Day 22 - Winkin' and Slayin'

2008-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty Two.

I know I could make a drinking game out of this video. However, I just could NOT take my eyes off the guy in the background. Palin is fairly oblivious, but I suppose animal slaughter is a common thing in her world. Just not something I witness on a daily basis. Watch if you dare.

In a weird way, I'm kinda glad to see her again. Brings back memories of the election.

Happy Thanksgiving, Ya'll!

NaBloPoMo Day 21 - We Really Rock

2008-11-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty-One.

If you follow me at all on Twitter, you may have read a tweet or two about band practice. This is for reals, ya'll.

When we designed our home, one of our requirements was a music studio...part of the house, but over the garage. This portion of our home has extra insulation, and eight-foot walls, so that Roger can hang his guitars there. I was able to snap a quick photo from my cell phone one night:This was taken at an impromptu practice...the sleeping bag hoisted on the wall is for baffling. You can't really see it, but there is a monster monitor on the bottom right hand corner of the photo. Our lead singer is going thru song lists and lyrics in the middle of the photo, sitting down.

I've been a musician all my life...but there is a man playing the digital piano who is FAR more talented than me. I just fill in as a backup vocalist for the real talent in the group.

We are NOT playing country. No gospel. But we are having organized band practices, every Friday night...and by next Spring, we may be ready to go live. After only two months, we have four songs down almost to perfection. Now we are working on our next set. We have practice for sure tonight!

Any suggestions for songs you would like to hear? And feel free to guess what music we've dabbled with so far!

NaBloPoMo Day 20 - Election Withdrawals

2008-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

Day Twenty.

Is it just me? Or do you feel a little bit of letdown, now that the election is over? (Well, over for most - I guess for Al Franken, it will be a while.) Seriously, when all the commercials were popping up on each channel and the yard signs were cluttering yards, I was ready for the election to be HISTORY. But now? Now I'm having DT's.
I miss the media coverage the most, I suppose. It was truly insane, and more entertaining than I gave it credit for at the time. Every night, I would be sure to watch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, in case I missed a media feeding frenzy. Often, I would learn many new adjectives in the process. Most of them akin to "colossal."

Somehow, the announcement of new cabinet members just doesn't give me my fix. A week of Palin interviews helped stem the tide of my depression...but now? Now...I'm in a funk.

Am I alone in this? Is anyone else experiencing this phenomenon?

NaBloPoMo Day 19 - A Random Meme!

2008-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Nineteen.

Thanks to Richies, a blogger who lives in the SAME TOWN as your dear Tiggerlane, I have a meme to help me finish this month of assignments! Here are the rules (I love rules):

1. Link to the person who tagged you. (Done!)
2. Post the rules on your blog. (Done!)
3. Write six random things about yourself. (THAT is going to be hard.)
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (Easy!)
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog. (Okay - six blogs and comments in an hour - I can do it!)
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up. (Will do!)

And just for fun, here is a RANDOM painting of my dad's:
At first, I thought this would be really difficult, since I have done this meme so many times. Then I remembered: I have many new readers...who don't know my randomness. So, if I repeat something that you already know about me, please forgive me and remember, it's for the love of the newbies, k?

1. I have no idea what day, time or place I was born. No clue. If you are not familiar with this little fact, click this link, go to "Show all posts," and read from the earliest post forward. Or don't, and revel in the mystery.

2. My second toe is longer than my big toe. That's random.

3. I still sleep with a teddy bear (NOT my husband).

4. I actually enjoy public speaking. Doesn't bother me in the least to train or present to crowds numbering in the thousands.

5. I still have one wisdom tooth in my head, needing to come out.

6. Even though I live in the South, I have NEVER gone hunting.

Okay - here are the victims:
SayreSmiles
Karmyn R at Dreaming What Ifs
Desert Songbird at The Ice Box
M@, b/c he LOVES to be tagged and he is the KING of random.
Bond on the Big Leather Couch
Spellbound

Done!

NaBloPoMo Day 18 - Gettin' Pussed

2008-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Eighteen.

I can't believe I've made it more than halfway thru this challenge!

Now, before you get all wonky at the title of this post, it is NOT what you think. THIS is what the title refers to:
That is The Offspring with our cat, Whiskas. Whiskas has a habit of making herself comfortable upon any member of the family (and a friend or two) who sits still long enough to let her. We call this "gettin' pussed."

She will then purr incessantly, post-pussing. The worst time is at night, when I am her favorite victim. I like to start out sleeping on my side...and Whiskas will lay upon me, her body stretched along my side...her head on my shoulder. Sounds real cute, doesn't it? Well, it's NOT. Because the next step in the pussing is when she takes her paw, CLAWS EXTENDED, and snags my lips. No glass of warm milk or dose of Valium will allow me to sleep thru the torture. Not to mention the loud purring in my ear.

And when I turn? She doesn't budge. I have to turn and hoist her off me, and as soon as I am settled on my other side, she climbs back on. I've had lovers who were less clingy.

Sometimes, when I get into bed, she has already pussed Roger. Then I laugh and giggle that he is the victim, not me. Of course, he is usually lying on his back, with Whiskas on his chest. Still reaching for his lips, with that crazy paw. However, as soon as the lights are out, I get pussed. All thru the night, I toss and turn and shove and move that cat, and just like a magnet, she returns.

Purring and pussing - she is the reason I have bags under my eyes.

NaBloPoMo Day 17 - Fun Monday Talismania

2008-11-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Seventeen.

M is for Misanthrope is the host of this week's Fun Monday...and has a fun topic: Do you have a piece of jewelry or other item that holds great personal significance for you, and that you wear or keep with you every day? Show us a photo of your talisman, and tell us why it is so important to you.

I know we're not supposed to "repost," especially during NaBloPoMo, but I just HAD to...because my post from February 19, 2007, was too poignant not to repeat...

Much like a gypsy - I always wear several gold rings. A total of FOUR on my wedding finger, my Texas Aggie ring, my MBA ring, and then, my most prized - I've worn it on my left hand ring finger for almost 21 years.
I received this ring from my grandmother - my mother's mom. Before you get all in a twitter, I'm talking about the only family I've ever known - my adoptive family. My grandmother attended Marlborough School, a prestigious all-girls' high school in Los Angeles, CA. The inscription inside the ring is "BCM 1934," for Barbara Corinne Morrow - graduated in 1934. My grandmother sent it to me shortly before my own high school graduation in 1986. The crest and lettering were once clearly defined; they have worn down now, and the ring has taken on the shape of my finger. The ring I'm talking about is the top one in this photo.

My grandmother was articulate and wrote long letters to me over the years, discussing everything from current events to stories of her past. As the eldest of her granddaughters, even sharing her middle name, I felt very close to her - even though we lived many miles apart. I only saw her a few times after my family moved to Texas in 1976. The last time was during Christmas of 1992, when I flew to California to visit my parents, who were then serving as my grandparents' caretakers. Unfortunately, she was no longer completely lucid, and our conversations were limited by the onset of her Alzheimer's.

I started this post late last night - too late to phone my mom and ask more about my grandmother's past. I knew she had attended college, but couldn't remember where. I found a "missing alumni" entry for Barbara Morrow Weir at the Alpha Phi site, in the UCLA Beta Delta chapter, with a graduation year of 1938. I assume she married my grandfather during her college years. I remember hearing that she had also attended Cornell University, though I wasn't able to access their alumni site for verification.

I am extremely proud of my grandmother, as it was quite an achievement for a young lady to attend college during the Depression Era of the mid-1930's. The ring reminds me of the challenges she might have faced, as well as her determination to receive a quality education. I am honored to wear it each day, and it has given me courage to face adversity as I seek my own place in this world.

No go see our other participants for Fun Monday!

NaBloPoMo Day 16 - Houdini

2008-11-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Sixteen.

I totally think this is the kind of dog the Obamas should get. Can you imagine the Secret Service response?

You have most likely received the video of this little guy in your email inbox, but if not, enjoy:

I'm SO glad this is not my dog.

NaBloPoMo Day 15 - Now Fuzzier

2008-11-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Fifteen.

I have just found the bane of my existence.

Thanks to the community of Twitter, I have found the ultimate in time-wasters. Yes, I have discovered the horror that is PuppyCam.

Click the link to see these adorable Shiba Inu puppy stars:

The six Shiba Inu pups (3 boys and 3 girls) turned 5 weeks old on November 11th. This is the first litter from their mom, Kika.

Girls:
- Autumn (Purple collar) - 3 lbs 5.8 oz (as of Nov 11th)
- Ayumi (Yellow collar) - 3 lbs 3.4 oz (as of Nov 11th)
- Amaya (Red collar) - 3 lbs 6.6 oz (as of Nov 11th)

Boys:
- Aki (Green collar) - 4 lbs 0.4 oz (as of Nov 11th)
- Akoni (Black collar) - 3 lbs 12.6 oz (as of Nov 11th)
- Ando (Blue collar) - 3 lbs 1.2 oz (as of Nov 11th)

Live streaming cuteness...fuzzy puppies. Can't. Tear. Myself. Away.

NaBloPoMo Day Fourteen - Musical Fluff...Again

2008-11-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

Day Fourteen.

I know it's been a while since I've introduced you to any addictive musical drivel. Don't worry, The Offspring is STILL making sure I don't miss out on any new music. If the XM radio isn't blasting Ethel, I will assume the electricity to our home is cut off. Especially if I hear wailing and gnashing of teeth. Preceded by a scream of, "MOOOOOOOOOOOOM!" The child's life has a soundtrack, guaranteed.

Occasionally, good sense will NOT prevail in her musical world. This usually results in the constant repetition of ONE DAMN SONG. Over and over ad nauseum. The second she gets in the car, the song is immediately found and blasted. Her phone blasts it. The iPod blasts over speakers while she is in the shower. It can't be ignored. What happens in the process is that I become brainwashed, and the song will not leave me be. I am humming and singing it all the time. Remember those geeky guys from Hellogoodbye? 3OH!3, featured below, is much the same:

I love the line, "Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips." Helen would have loved it.

An addiction from a few weeks back, Family Force 5...and I liked the song a LOT more, before I saw this video:

It was a rockin' song...until...sigh.
Why do geeky guys make it on the music scene? I just don't see the same market for rockin' geeky girls.

BTW, I think FamForce5 inspired The Offspring's latest look.Have a great weekend...I'll still have posts, just not as intense!

NaBloPoMo Day Thirteen - Whoring Out My Dad

2008-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Day Thirteen.

Is it wrong to blatantly use my father to help me come up with a post for every day? Surely not. If blogging had been around when I was growing up, I would have been the source of his daily posts...ad nauseum. Including photos of me with buck teeth. So, all's fair.

This is a little different side of Dad's stuff. And to be honest, I wouldn't be so ready to throw all this out there if you guys hadn't been so supportive.

And don't feel like you have to gush all over his stuff b/c he is my dad. Remember, I'm adopted. I can back away and say I don't share any of the genetics. So let's get critical here. The first one just reminds me of the letter "N." Too much Sesame Street as a child, I think. Speaking of, do any of you out there think numbers and letters are supposed to be a certain color? Or is that just my weirdness? For the record, the letter "A" is supposed to be RED.That one...looks...kinda...you know?That one is my favorite. Lots of energy.

Okay, get to criticizing, folks.

NaBloPoMo Day Twelve - What Does Red Mean?

2008-11-12T07:04:00.001-08:00

Day Twelve.

And the Palin interviews continue. It's strange to me that the RNC kept Palin AWAY from the media, in so many respects, and NOW she is on every channel. It might have behooved the Republican ticket if they had let the country see who she was BEFORE the election.

Or not.

Since the election ended, the analysis of the results has been frenetic...have you seen this map?

The colors indicate how 'different' things were in this election, compared to the 2004 presidential election. It was surprising to me for two reasons:

1) The vast majority - VAST - voted more Democratic (Democratically?) than last time.
2) One area of the country voted strongly more Republican than last time.

Guess where I live? Just pick the darkest red state on the map. Yeah, see?

An article in the New York Times commented on the reasons for this shift further right, in what is called the "Black Belt" of America.

I have my theories, especially having lived in the area for 16 years now.

I want to know what YOU think. Why did these states in particular lean MORE toward the Republican side, while the rest of the country shifted in the opposite direction? What are your theories?

NaBloPoMo Day Eleven - Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T06:54:00.000-08:00

Day Eleven.

I have a veteran in my home. My husband was a Navy Corpsman during the Vietnam era, and to this day, can vividly remember the atrocities he saw during that time. Please take a moment and remember those veterans who served by taking care of the wounded and dying. Theirs were sometimes the last faces our brave men and women saw in this life.No one knows the loss felt by the ones who served in the medical service of the military. They served our country by providing comfort to those who had been wounded in ways we can only imagine.And if you have never visited a National Cemetery, I urge you - just once - to go. It will be an overwhelming experience.Thank you, to all who have served this country. We owe you more than we could ever give.

NaBloPoMo Day Ten - Fun Monday, in Honor

2008-11-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Day Ten.

It's FUN MONDAY again, and this week's hostess is Janis, who wanted us to show our support and salute to the veterans who have served our country so well.

One of the most stirring things I've done in my life was visit Arlington National Cemetery in D.C. I was so overcome with emotion, I had to visit twice during my week-long stay. What struck me during my first tour was the vast number of headstones, just rows and rows of them...I had no idea how many were interred there. Here is a glimpse of that experience:
Please visit Janis' place, and enjoy the other tributes.

NaBloPoMo Day Nine - Swan Lake, Revisited

2008-11-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Nine.

It's Sunday, and a day of rest and relaxation. I was cleaning out my email, and found this gem. Watch and enjoy - the best part is AFTER the frogs:
AMAZING!

NaBloPoMo Day Eight - Irritating Phrases

2008-11-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Eight.

They say some of a blogger's most popular posts are RANTS...well, when I saw this topic on CNN, I KNEW it was rantworthy.

Recently the Plain English Campaign in the UK conducted a survey to find out their readers’ choice for “most irritating phrase”. Here are the results, in order of "irritation":

1 At the end of the day
2 (joint) At this moment in time
2 (joint) Like
4 With all due respect
5 To be honest
6 Touch base
7 I hear what you're saying
8 Going forward
9 Absolutely
10 Blue sky thinking

Hmmmm...yeah....you know what? I have some more things that irritate me. Here is my short list:

1. The use of the word "irregardless." It's not a word, people.
2. Text language. I can't communicate with my daughter anymore.
3. Usage of "also," "too," and "in addition" IN THE SAME SENTENCE.

So, what irritates you?

NaBloPoMo Day Seven - First Dog?

2008-11-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Seven. End of Week ONE.

In the excitement that was Tuesday, I seem to have lost my bearings. Now that it is behind us, let's move on to more pressing matters - the selection of the First Dog.

President-Elect Obama promised his daughters they could get a puppy for their historical moving party. My mother and I had a discussion this week, debating the type and breed of dog the Obama family should acquire. Here's an idea of how the conversation went:

Mom: I think it will be something cute and fuzzy. Cuddly.

Me: Nah, they'll pick something stronger, Mom. Something with character. I'm thinking Beagle. Or maybe Heinz 57 mutt.

Mom: Now, those little girls are gonna pick something small. Something real cute. Poodle, maybe.

Me: Poodle? Are you kidding me? Obama wouldn't own a poodle!

Mom: But the girls get to pick. Not him. I think they'll go for something furry, like a Bichon. Maybe a Lhasa.

Me: Aren't ALL dogs furry?

Mom: Well, they DEFINITELY won't pick a German Shepherd or a Doberman.

(I'm wondering why she is thinking this, but don't ask.)

Me: I doubt he'll get a pit bull, either. It's not like he's Michael Vick or anything. Still, he might get a pound dog.

Mom: THE GIRLS get to pick. He won't have any say.

Me: I still don't think Michelle would stand by and let them get a wussy dog. I think a Labrador would be good. Clinton had one, right? Maybe a hound. I still think it will be a Beagle.

Mom: I'm TELLING you. It will be a small, fuzzy dog.

Me: Oh! I know! He wants to bridge the red and blue states, right? He should get an Alaskan Malamute! Female, if you get my drift! Right? That's a compromise, isn't it?

Mom (staunch Republican): NOT funny.

So, what do YOU think?

NaBloPoMo Day Six - More Art

2008-11-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Six.

Since you seemed to enjoy my father's painting a few days ago, I thought I would share a few more of his works with you. And I am trying to distract myself from the post-election coverage, because the over-analysis of the whole process is frightening me. However, I do have to applaud Americans for the huge turnout. You rock.

At any rate - here is the first of the series:A little different feel than his last work. Dad does this as a hobby, but he has about 100 letter-sized sheets of paper with this type of work on it. I'm just sharing the actual paintings that are done on flat canvass. He has LOTS of them:I call this one "Anenome" because the little floweredy things remind me of sea anenomes, opening and closing on the ocean floor:I have no idea what Dad calls these works. He just piddles around with them.

I wonder if there is a market for this type of art? Thoughts?

NaBloPoMo Day Five - It's Not Over, It's Just Begun

2008-11-05T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Five.

An exciting night. An historic election. I hope you made your voice heard, and voted. One way or the other.

We just changed history - and it's only the beginning. Now is the time for everyone to forget red and blue states, and work together to make our nation better.Congratulations, Barack.

NaBloPoMo Day Four - Now with NO Election Commentary

2008-11-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Four

My First Ruby Tuesday, and sign up is here.

I am not going to talk about the election. I WILL be attending an election blog party. I will only say this: if you haven't already, GO VOTE.

Today I would like to introduce one of my father's paintings:
I took a trip to California this summer, and was able to take photos of his artwork. He has volumes of sketches, pen and ink creations, and pencil drawings.

If you are interested in seeing more of his work, check out my flickr set of his paintings. I will try to feature more of them during this month!

NaBloPoMo Day Three - Fun Monday Reasons

2008-11-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Day Three.

Our Fun Monday hostess is Bee Dancer, who wanted to know WHY we blog...and then wanted a photo that represents the area in which we live.

The reason I started this whole blogging thing was simple; I did it for her:
I wanted her to be able to look back, long after I am gone, and read my thoughts and concerns and maybe get a laugh out of the perspective of her mother. I also want her to take comfort in the fact that NO, you DON'T have to have everything in life figured out when you are 30...or 40. I figure my ramblings and questions would help her see that. Now that she is 14-almost-15, she thinks she knows it all and that her parents are woefully ignorant...we all know the perspective of a teenager, right?Then again, I am blessed with a pretty good kid. We have an awesome relationship. And something I didn't expect? She actually reads my blog from time to time.Something else I didn't expect was her propensity to rock the fangs every Halloween.

As for a photo of my area? I love the mountains here. They aren't the Rockies, but their natural beauty during every season bring me peace.Now go visit the other participants!

NaBloPoMo Day Two - Or Is It?

2008-11-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day Two.

So, are you an election coverage junkie? Or are you just sick of it all?

Do you relentlessly check the various news networks, to see who is making the largest stump speech gaffes?

Do you sneak onto the computer, in the wee hours, just to play with the fancy electoral college magic map like John King on CNN?

Then you might have noticed this new feature:That's right, a few DAYS ago...get that? DAYS AGO, CNN began posting the number of DAYS until the polls close. Remember that they used to only do this on ELECTION DAY? Sometime in the morning, they would let us know how many HOURS until the polls closed. Now, I suppose feeling bolstered by the number of states participating in early voting, they have a countdown in DAYS.

I first saw this when we were 5 days, 23 hours out...I had to blink, reblink, and just laugh. It counts down...second by second. The news media has always astounded me with their extensive use of vocabulary in describing the same event using 42 different adjectives, but this? Oh, this was too good.

And I'm wondering about the chances of this REALLY being over on election night.

NaBloPoMo Day One - Dogs on Halloween

2008-11-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Day One.

I received the typical "dogs dressed up" in an email this past week, and there's NOTHING I love like a dog in costume. In fact, a few Halloweens ago, we dressed ours up as a cow (and yes, that is an UDDER). I was struck at how different The Offspring looked back then (on the right): I used to dress the dog up in sweaters. However, the hubby insisted that I was making our dog "gay" by doing so and finally disallowed the dog/sweater phase of our relationship. (I will share some cute photos of that in another post.) Then again, I can't imagine that having a dog's testicles removed would have ANYTHING to do with his sexuality. Right? I mean, that's NOTHING. But a SWEATER? Forcing a dog to wear a SWEATER? Yeah - I am warping our dog's sexual identity. Ha.

At any rate, here are my favorite dog costume photos from that email:Is anyone else wondering how long that balloon stayed inflated? And did the poor dog have to walk around all night like this? And WHAT is that balloon attached to? Granted, it is a little better than our dog's cow impersonation.Two scary things about this photo: 1) The dog seems WAY TOO HAPPY to be wearing a "Hello Kitty" hat. 2) This was done, from all appearances, in a professional photography studio. This is the best costume of the year, IMHO. LOVE the hooves.

So, do you dress your pets?

Saving it for Saturday

2008-10-30T10:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know you are used to me NOT posting a lot. So, you probably didn't expect a post from me so soon.

However, I have lots to tell you. I am holding back, in order to spew forth a blog post EVERY SINGLE DAY in order to participate in the insanity that is NaBloPoMo.

Topics will include:

The teenager.

My dog.

Random photos of critters that have been discovered lately.

Music. (duh.)

Random photos of people I know IRL.

Occasional rants about stuff going on in my daily life. On second thought, I think I could post a rant a day, but then you would just think I'm some miserably unhappy person with a fork stuck in her eye.

Television.

THE ELECTION. (Yeah, I figure I can milk this, long after Tuesday.)

Of course, I'll be trying out Fun Monday and Ruby Tuesday, with a little Wordless Wednesday thrown in, just in case I run out of material.

Is there anything YOU would like to see me post about? In particular?? If so, leave a comment. If not, leave a comment.

Wish me luck.

Fun Monday Costumery - Errr...Pumpkinry

2008-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sayre is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see our Halloween costumes...or pumpkins! When I read the assignment, I remembered dressing up one year in a black garbage bag with autumn leaf garland poking out of it...while carrying a rake. Could I find the photo? No. One year, in the midst of the scandal that was Michael Jackson - I dressed up as him, complete with fake baby and face mask, ready to dangle said prop over any balcony I could find. Photos? Nope. I figured I would cheat and use the kid's costumes, and then I realized that I had already posted my favorite Halloween costumes that The Offspring has sported here. However, I found this one from 2003. It indicated the beginning of a mode of dress that became slightly less garish, but similar in spirit:
However, I WILL share a pumpkin project from a few years ago. The Offspring had to enter a contest at the middle school and wanted something TOTALLY DIFFERENT. So, we made this little guy out of pipe cleaners, gourds, mushrooms and a cucumber. We even put a strobe light inside:We got the idea from a web site, and when we finished the project and sent it to them, they displayed it here!
I think she won second place for this monstrosity - and let me tell you, skinned cucumbers get REALLY nasty looking after a few days!

Now, go check out the other participants!

Couldn't Resist

2008-10-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

I just absolutely used to LOVE the WAZZUP commercials from Anheuser-Busch. Now? There's another one:

Just couldn't resist sharing this clever take! Have a great Sunday.

I'll be back for Fun Monday.

Remiss, but Making Amends

2008-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

Long, long ago....in AUGUST, I received an award from one of my favorite bloggers: AOJ & the Lurchers. August. Did you get that? I am waaaay behind. How on earth am I going to get thru the blog-fest that is NaBloPoMo?

At any rate, MANY THANKS to AOJ & the Lurchers for this sweet award:

It originated with another blogger, RDH Mom. Why did I get this award? HA...b/c I "rant real good."

So, I need to prove I am deserving of the award. The topic: Last Minute-itis. The victim: Me.

Those of you with children will totally understand this. Those of you not blessed with the experience of raising a child, feel free to borrow mine for a taste of adventure.

Last Minute-itis means that somehow, I have to write a check for an insane amount of money, right before the teenager leaves the house for school that morning.

Last Minute-itis means I get a text message, asking if the teenager can run around town with another teenager, five minutes before I was supposed to pick said teenager up.

Last Minute-itis causes the teenager to mention that she needs a specific article of clothing, that is NO WHERE TO BE FOUND in our tiny little town...like at 9PM, the NIGHT BEFORE the event requiring the attire.

Last Minute-itis means that the teenager will need help on a complex subject like Geometry, about 30 minutes before bedtime, and after I have consumed a glass and a half of Pinot Grigio.

I know this is an "on demand" society - with all our fancy devices. I know that part of the fault lies with ME...The Enabler. I also am guilty of eye-rolling and the typical parental response such as, "WHY did you wait until the absolute LAST minute to tell me this?" And such response usually results in a prolonged argument that drives the male parental unit insane.

Is there a cure for Last Minute-itis? If so, could you share it with me?

Since I don't have one, I'm taking my only form of revenge: posting a silly photo of the teenager on my blog. For ALL to see. Hehehehe!

Fun Monday - A Normal Day

2008-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted photos of our "normal" day...

I signed up late, it's Sunday, and I may have a little trouble with this one. I can't start off in the morning, so how about a peek at a 24-hour period? Let's start with Friday night...we heard cheeping, coming from a strange place, and found a helpless baby cardinal nestled between some decorative items at the garage entry. Quickly devising a trap, we tried to decide if the red spots indicated an injury.

The bird was cheeping and "panting" - so we put it in a larger tub for a closer look:
No, those are NOT bloody spots. Those are little red feathers! A baby male cardinal! So, being the curious sort - I just had to lift the lid to get a better look...and...well...then....
MAYHEM! Healthy cardinal, yes. Injured, no. BOTH good things...except for all that flying around the kitchen. And all the screeching by the child. And all the flailing of the male persons in the immediate area. I was beginning to wish we didn't have such an "open" floor plan.
Finally - a successful recapture. Now, what was that saying again?

Okay - time to head outdoors. Our first attempt to "release" did not turn out as expected.
The second attempt included a flight, with the same result. Finally, the baby was placed in a bush near an area where we could hear what sounded like panicked cardinal parents. And more flight! But...the baby seemed to want a new parent...
Sigh. C'mon bird...another flight later, and the baby wants to roost on our back lights. Gentle coaxing was necessary.
Coaxing, coaxing, and then? Something told me that we might have to send the bird home with our friend.
Finally, after a bit more encouragement, the baby cardinal decided to depart us.
The next morning found me working at our town's "Wheels and Wings" festival at the local airport, where I got to watch my kiddo and her choir group perform.
And had an encounter with a chicken. Oh, but look deeply into her eyes...this is no ordinary chicken.
This chicken has a special talent. She is trained to walk on a leash.

What's even better is that halfway thru her walk, she laid an egg.

Just another normal day in the life of Tiggerlane. Now go to Sarah's, and check out all the other Fun Monday participants!

Random on a Dreary Thursday

2008-10-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

If you're coming here, expecting the usual coherent post, might as well click away now. I'm sleepy. My thoughts are disjointed after a night of vivid, realistic dreams and a morning that did not include enough coffee. But I MUST get in gear for the insanity of blogging that is NaBloPoMo, which still sounds like something nasty you do to clowns.

First of all, don't you know "Joe the Plumber" was cringing last night? Someone told me his name was mentioned 26 times in the debate. Joe Six Pack's day in the sun is officially over.

Today, if you have never done so, I encourage you to play this game:

Warning: it can be addictive. Good news: your addiction will make a difference, and very well may save someone's life.

Grr...I was DVRing "Project Runway" AND "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" last night. DVR went awry. Boo. Hiss.

Major congratulations to my kiddo for making the SATB All-Region Choir as a FRESHMAN! She is the second alternate for All-State auditions...and I just couldn't be any prouder. Who knew that all those hours I spent listening to her bellow out songs from "The Little Mermaid" would actually pay off someday?

Oh, and her yellow pants are in high demand. Had a friend and his daughter visit last night, so that she could borrow them to wear at today's pep rally.

Last, but not least - a triple thank you to Swampilicious. Not only did she send me a beautiful, Swampy-made card the other day, but she awarded me with this:I know I lot of you bloggers have had this for a while, but not me! Swampy is a special lady - a survivor of breast cancer, and a big advocate for breast cancer awareness. If you have never been to her site, GO NOW.

I am supposed to award this to other bloggers, but Swampy has given it to all of you already, methinks. However, if you don't have it, and want it, GET IT! Put it in your sidebar...but one catch, you MUST VISIT SWAMPY FIRST.

Okay - all my energy is gone. And I must do some work. Remind me not to play drinking games during presidential debates.

Fun Monday Doodles

2008-10-13T07:07:00.001-07:00

It's another Fun Monday! And this week's hostess is {i}Post, over at Nine Acres - 20 Miles North of Nowhere. The assignment was to start a "doodle," with a red nine - and go from there. We were to aimlessly scribble, doodle, etc. on a page...and guess what? I cheated.

I don't doodle much. If I'm doing something while watching television, it's most likely texting, checking email, twittering, putting on makeup. HOWEVER...I DO know someone who doodles CONSTANTLY: The Offspring. So, I handed her the piece of paper (I did draw the nine myself), and told her to doodle away. Being the expert doodler that she is, in less than five minutes, I got this:
I'm almost afraid to check the analyzer and see what this says about my kid. I did tell her to make it "PG" for the Fun Monday audience.

Now go check out the other participants!

She Sends Me Email

2008-10-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

One of the joys of parenting a teenager involves keeping up with their activities. It was easy when I was a child. All my mom had to do was peer into my room. Now, I have to monitor my child's myspace page, text messages, iPod, music downloads and emails. Not to mention all the other profile sites for which she has accounts.

The up side to this is that I often get text messages in the wee hours. Sometimes, I get them when she is spending the night at a friend's house. The messages are often heartfelt, and deal with subjects she might be mortified to mention face to face. I won't go into sordid details here, but suffice it to say at least she is discussing things we might never talk about if not for the power of technology. Things that are downright uncomfortable to discuss between a teenager and her mother, even with my reputation for being frank, open and providing T.M.I.

All this leads to an email I received from her. Halloween is her FAVORITE holiday, because she has the opportunity to dress in shocking attire. Here are some previous outfits: Halloween, 2005 - and yes, she totally had shorts on under that skirt.
Halloween, 2006Halloween, 2007

So I get this email entitled "just some suggestions as to wat i want for halloween", that states, in typical teenager fashion, "i kinda want to get that seductive victorian maiden sorta look...or a victorian doll thing...idk yet but i wanna wear a dress thats frillyish and dark =D." Followed by a photo of a $54 Tripp brand dress from Hot Topic. SEDUCTIVE VICTORIAN MAIDEN???? NOT. And to go with it? These: Adding insult to injury, the message continues: "also if u have read twilight....which is a no....well there are victorian vampiresses....and well that would be hot." And another photo to solidify the intent: HOT? The goal for Halloween is HOT? Sigh. I may not have read "Twilight," totally ruining my credibility as a worthwhile parent, but I DO watch "True Blood" on HBO.

I'm thinking...how is this Halloween different than any others? And exactly when did Halloween become an excuse to dress as a sexy vampire? In looking at costumes online, I became acutely aware of the options NOT available for purchase. Everything was a "Sexy Vixen" or a "Sexy Maid" and even a "Star Wars Sexy Adult Leia" costume (NOT the gold bikini, mind you). Even the "classic" women's costumes had titles like "Medusa the Mythical Siren." Since when did Halloween get so sexy? Let me hear from you.

Fun Monday Story Challenge

2008-10-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

This Fun Monday is hosted by Mommy Wizdom, who had a "wordzle" assignment - we had to use one of three themes, ten words in our story, and optional bonus words. I have highlighted the words we were required to use (and the bonus words I could manage) in yellow.

The theme I chose was "Raising a Teenager," AKA "Why I No Longer Have Time to Blog"

The room of a teenager is a mysterious place, and I am constantly fascinated with what I might find hanging from the doorknobs at any given time. Lanyards, keepsakes, nametags, beads - all manner of items that are "treasures," not to be disturbed by me. I see that a panda backpack has found his home there, looking a bit lethargic - not obviously remembering that he was a MUST HAVE purchase in a Washington D. C. museum gift shop, requiring me to jet across town on the Metro at lightning speed to provide the needed funds. I also remember the bookcase - innocent, white, and so adorable that held her "Goosebumps" books from middle school. Now, all the bookcases in her room are the requisite fashionable color of black, and her reading choices have moved to magazines, strewn across an old-fashioned trunk that was also painted black, to match the overall room decor.
And the room is often filled with a variety of the teenager's friends - corralling them all into participating in a simple activity such as dinner is akin to herding cats. And the dinner itself? Well, sometimes, I have to take a bit of respite in a shot of tequila in order to calm my jangled nerves. Such moments find me offering meal items such as a can of chicken soup, Ramen noodles, or a couple of biscuits leftover from the morning breakfast. I know - I sound like a horrible mother at times. But have you raised a teenager lately? With their wireless devices constantly at the ready, I feel like a prehistoric relic of an age gone by.
When I finally have a moment to myself, I am tired beyond belief. Being able to use the computer at home is a rare privilege, and so checking my comments is a treat indeed. Much less blogging a full post. And what do I sometimes find? That a blogger with an avatar of an ostrich has left me a humorous comment that brings me to tears, reminding me that there are people out there, just like me. Mothers of these beautiful people we call children, even though they can sometimes suck the very life out of us.

And yes, I finished this post shortly before 11PM, when the teenager finally let me on the computer. Now go check out the other participants!

Economic Conundrum

2008-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

All this talk of a bank crisis, Wall Street panic, economic meltdown, Chicken Little "sky is falling" media buzz has got me thinking about my future financial plans. I need your help - FAST!

Since both of our vehicles have been paid off, I have been anticipating the release of the 2010 Camaro convertible (the coupe version will be released in early 2009). I had plans to trade in my car to get The Offspring a new ride in late 2009 (16th birthday) - something like a VW Bug. Or to better suit her personality, an old VW van - HA! At any rate, at the same time, as a little present for me...I was going to get the convertible. Now, before you all start thinking I'm going through a mid-life crisis, here is my logic:

1. How many times have you seen OLD folks in a convertible, and thought, "Those people are SO NOT HOT ENOUGH to be deserving of that car?"

2. I have worked hard. I deserve this car.

3. I would look darn good in this car.

4. As a little girl, I didn't have pictures of boys on my walls. (Okay, maybe one requisite photo of Shaun Cassidy.) I had pictures of cars. Concept cars, exotic cars, classic cars...I went to car auctions with my dad. Who better would appreciate this hot car?

5. I want to get this car before I'm so old that some teenager shouts at me in disgust, "That chick is SO NOT HOT ENOUGH to be deserving of that car."

6. I want an investment I can control. Who will maintain the car? Me. Not some lame board of directors or a CEO who will take the car on some boat to Switzerland to fraternize with his mistress. I WILL ADORE THE CAR.

7. I can't think of a seventh reason. Except I really, really, really, really, really (are you getting this internet?) WANT THIS CAR.

Okay. Time to talk some logic and sense into me. Or not.

Oh, wait, I did think of a seventh reason: I TOTALLY did NOT spend $5,000 per seat for the OPTION of buying season tickets for the Dallas Cowboys at their new stadium. So, I'm making sound financial decisions, right?

Let me hear from you.

Fun Monday in the Closet

2008-09-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

It's another Fun Monday, and this time RDH Mom and Cassie are hosting. They wanted to see the INSIDE of our closets, and we were NOT allowed to tidy them up before we took photos! I was honest, and did not clean my closet. I could have just shown you this first photo. Since we have only lived in our new home for seven months, I haven't had too much time to clutter things up:Not bad, huh? Look at those top shelves...nothing there! And room on the floor for me to actually walk into my walk-in closet. Lots of room for pants, too.

But that's not being totally honest. To be TOTALLY honest and reveal the true nature of my closet, I must show you this:Yup - there is a pile of clothes there. One small pile is stuff that needs to go to the dry cleaners. The other piles are clothes that I hastily stuffed into clear bags and moved. There is lingerie mixed with t-shirts and sweatshirts and who knows what else in those bags. Bags which are partially hidden by some cardboard and tissue paper that was stuffed into a shirt I bought. You notice how I just tossed that into the closet - in a heap? Sigh. I know better.

Now go check out all the other Fun Monday participants who are bound to be much better organized than I am!

Fun Monday Sportage

2008-09-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your patience with my Fun Monday posting delay! Heather is our hostess, and she wanted to know what sports teams we are rabid for! Of course, it doesn't take much to guess that I am a RABID FOOTBALL fan. Besides, I designed the floor plan of our living area so that the kitchen would be in direct line with where I put the Samsung Plasma HDTV (official television of the NFL). That way, Roger will be able to eat home-cooked meals between September and the Super Bowl. For once.

Teams? Well, I grew up in Texas - and many Sundays my father and I would travel to the Astrodome to watch Earl Campbell and the Houston Oilers play football. I love football. I am insane about football. And even though Roger jokes that it's kinda strange that a "manly" sport has all these terms such as "wide receiver," "tight end," and those celebratory pats on the behind...I am inclined to see football as an intensely physical battle - one that tests the athleticism of man in ways no other sport can! Players flip in the air, land hard on the ground, twist, turn, get pummelled - can you remember the last time you fell and hit the ground? Hurt for days, didn't it? Imagine doing it over and over, for a few hours. While big heavy guys land on you.
My current favorite team is the Dallas Cowboys. Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not a fan of Tony Romo. In fact, during most games, I curse him at least once. But since Arkansas does not have an official professional team (don't get me started on the Arkansas Razorbacks), the Cowboys are the next best option. And since running back Felix Jones (pictured) is so HOT right now - well, all the more reason to cheer them on!

I still love Peyton Manning and the Colts - and I enjoyed watching little brother Eli win last year's Super Bowl. I still carry the torch for my alma mater, the Texas Aggies (don't get me started on them, either). However, there is one team I will always hate - the Pittsburgh Steelers. They used to always beat the Houston Oilers when I was a kid, and I just can't forgive and forget.

I love all sports, but football is my thing. One of my friends commented that when the season starts, she knows she won't be able to communicate with me properly until February. Oh, and another reason this post was late? I was busy watching the Cowboys play the Packers last night, and just couldn't tear myself away!

Now go check out the other participants!

Fun Monday Hoarders

2008-09-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

It's another Fun Monday! And this time, our hostess is Rayne at Crunchy Bits. She wanted to know what "stuff we hang on to that un-enlightened people might, possibly, consider junk."

Since moving into our new home, I have seriously been keeping JUNK to a minimum. We "had" a junk drawer, and after six months of living in our house, it has been cleaned completely out. NO JUNK. However, I DID get something at the new house that has caused me to hoard in a whole new way: DVR.

It's great to be able to go about my business, knowing that my favorite shows will be stored up, ready for me, whenever I need to watch. For instance, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart:"I think I have about five episodes saved that I still haven't watched. And some saved that I want to watch again. He makes me LAUGH...and for an example of the kind of humor I enjoy, see the post below this one.

I also have seven episodes of Cesar Milan's "Dog Whisperer" saved up. They are an hour long, and I have SO MUCH TO LEARN from Cesar. I have to save certain episodes so that I can totally perfect his "ssshhhtt" sound and how to poke my dog in the neck effectively, like the pack leader I know myself to be.My latest addiction is HBO's new series, "True Blood." I have watched the premiere episode twice, and the latest episode is still waiting for me. Just be warned, it's NOT for the faint of heart. HA!I also love "Weeds." I have to save these episodes, b/c some of the humor gets missed the first time around. Tiny little quips that I don't quite catch the first time. Last week's episode was cutting back and forth so quickly between two simultaneous scenarios that I got a little lost, so I'll have to rewatch it before tonight's episode. Not only that, there was rare full-frontal male nudity scene last week that...well...it's just so RARE...and...nevermind.Lastly, I'm glad in this time of political upheaveal, Bill Maher has returned. I have to save his shows, b/c oftentimes his guests will speak over one another. I have to go back and try to focus on one panelist at a time. Last week the guests were Salman Rushdie, Janeane Garofalo, Paul Begala, Roseanne Barr and John Fund. Not a shy group.So, there you have it. My collection!

Now, go check out what our other Fun Mondayers are hoarding!

Hypocrisy?

2008-09-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, I TRY not to get political on this blog, but this was just too poignant not to share. It's not so much a commentary on the presidential candidates themselves, but more of a honest look at how some in the media tend to "flip flop," depending on the party of the candidate of which they speak.

If you don't watch ANYTHING about politics this season, you really don't want to miss THIS:
Somehow, it would be more amusing, if it wasn't so terribly true...

It Only Happens Once

2008-09-08T12:11:00.001-07:00

You may be wondering why I've been such a bad blogger lately. Or maybe you don't care. Besides being swamped at work, I think it's my age.

You see, I hit a milestone last Friday. The Big 4-0. Normally, I'm not a numbers girl, but this one? This one is kinda different. It means a new bracket.

I did have a fabulous party - and received fabulous gifts. I could tell the story, but I think the pictures do a better job.

First, no one seemed to care that I was brandishing a knife:And at the beginning of the evening, some of my guests were very well-behaved. Even after I put the knife down.I was feeling very loved, as more and more of my friends showed up, showering me with gifts and hugs.I should have suspected this good behavior wouldn't last...I mean, see that look of mischief on Roger's face? And I do believe he is tugging on Lucas' ear in this photo.

And then...what the heck are they doing in the background here? I think they started the melee...ruining a GREAT group shot! Kids.Oh, and let's not forget that there were girlz chasing me around, trying to spank me. So, I just decided to stand there and take it.

At one point, we were all singing in the music studio...I wish I could say that I was being serenaded, but I think I was doing a lot of the singing myself.Then again, the singing might have been due to the Goldschlager. I was pouring shots and accidentally spilled some on my VERY clean counter. Well, it would be a sin to waste it, right? Am I right?Something tells me the Goldshlager and the Hpnotiq led to the guests' descent into wild revelry.All in all, it was a great night/morning. I think I crawled into bed at 3AM. And guess what? NO HANGOVER in the morning. I was a responsible (if old) drinker.

Another year older, but not necessarily any wiser.

It's Fair Time Again!

2008-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

I didn't participate in Fun Monday this week - in fact, I wasn't sure if Fun Monday happened due to the holiday. However, I had a FUN weekend at the local county fair. I rode all the carnival rides until my neck was severely injured and my shoulders bruised from being suspended upside-down for long periods of time. Good times.

Once again, The Offspring entered photographs in the youth section. Here is her blue-ribbon winning entry for the color portrait section:What is amazing is that she took this photo of herself...with a digital camera built into her videocamera. Imagine what she could do with a super-duper camera!

This photo of our cat won third place in the black and white animal photo category:Her computerized self-portrait won second place in the computer photography category:And here is the blue ribbon winner for the black and white portrait category:I think she did pretty well this year! And for the first time, she entered a poem in the fair. I didn't know better and just brought a sheet of paper with her poem typed on it. All the other poems were framed for display. Oh well, I guess display didn't matter, because her poem (featured below), won first place!

Not Like Most Girls

Every girl wants a fairy-tale relationship.
Every girl wants the tall, dark, handsome boy.
Every girl wants a boy who brings her tons of flowers every anniversary.

Every girl wants a boy who is at her side at all times.
Every girl wants that special guy.
She always wants him around - always wants to know where he is.

Well I’m totally NOT one of those girls.

I want a boy who trips when he sees me.
I want a boy who forgets.
I want a boy who slips and tells me something I shouldn’t know.

I want a boy who can make fun of me.
I want a boy who can get in trouble.
I want a boy who has all these flaws, but I don’t see them.

I want a boy to love me.
That’s all.

I want a boy who is loyal.
Forget fairytales.
I want a real relationship.

Love isn’t a fake romance.
It’s a real life story.

Yes, I'm a proud mom, indeed.

Fun Monday Trivia

2008-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

The funny ladies at Mama Drama are the hostesses for this week's Fun Monday, and they wanted to know: What funny trivial fact do you remember that you probably should have forgotten a long time ago?

At the risk of appearing EXTREMELY boring to my readers - and revealing myself as someone who actually DID pay attention while working on her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration (specializing in Managment) - and someone who went and got her MBA, even thought she didn't HAVE to...here is my trivial fact: American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first class.

Now you know the truth. My boring useless fact!
Just to help rebuild my reputation as a fun-loving, silly girl, here is the latest track that The Offspring and I are addicted to:

Let's hope that worthless piece of musical fluff restores your faith in me!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2008-08-20T11:33:00.001-07:00

One is funny, and one? OMG...

Fun Monday Query

2008-08-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

What an easy assignment this Fun Monday! Lisa's Chaos is our hostess, and she wanted us to ask our readers one question. Just one. Easy for me, tough on my readers.

At the risk of being the silliest Fun Mondayer of the lot, here is the question:

Why do you think drawings of Adam and Eve show them with bellybuttons? (If you do a google image search, you'll see what I mean.)

If that requires too much thought, then just enjoy this summer video of twin moose (meese?) enjoying a backyard sprinkler:

Now go visit all the participants!

Fun Monday Photo

2008-08-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's Fun Monday again! And The Lurchers are hosting this week. The task was to show our "favourite" photo...and guess what? BLOGGER IS NOT COOPERATING on my home computer! So, I had to go to older posts...yadda, yadda...and if you've seen this before, I apologize. But curse Blogger, not me.

I actually teared up when I received this photo as a surprise in the mail. When The Offspring was about 3 years old, we visited my parents in Laguna Beach, CA. One of my uncles, who has a love of photography, was selected as an exhibitor in the presitigous Festival of the Arts. He shot some very candid photos of my little girl while we were in town. Later that summer, he sent us three portraits of her, complete with mats and frames. I was touched that he took the time and effort to send us this precious gift and that he down-played his talent by claiming it was just a "silly hobby." This is my absolute favorite (favourite?):He captured a non-posed moment, and though it is difficult to see here, he used a slight watercolor wash on the paper after he printed the photograph. It reminds me of her innocence at that age, yet I see glimpses of the thoughtful old soul she carries inside - that is much more prevalent now in her thoughts and deeds. One thing I hate is that we still haven't hung these pictures in our new home...in fact, the three photos he sent are among the very few items I will insist adorn our walls!

I am looking forward to visiting all the participants, and checking out some great photos - you make sure to do the same!

The Edification of Tiggerlane

2008-08-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a younger person, a child really, I had a voracious appetite for books. Books allowed me to escape into different worlds and satisfied my thirst for knowledge. As an only child, I was afforded many opportunities to read, and weekends would find me raiding the local library for new titles. I can recall the BookMobile coming to town, and an attendant scolding me for trying to check out a book about heart attacks. "That's not appropriate for your age," she hollered, taking the book from me with a look of disgust. She had no idea that at the tender age of nine, I had already devoured books about maladies far more grotesque than angina.

Unfortunately, the varied demands of being a wife, mother and business owner have cut into my reading time. I used to always have a book with me, and now that is a rare sight, indeed. I miss reading. I find that my mind works differently when I am in the midst of a good book...that my vocabulary increases and my daily speech improves. So, when I took The Offspring back-to-school shopping yesterday, I purchased two books so that I might reinvigorate my mind. The first is Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope." I began this last night, and I can already tell that my grammar will improve and my vocabulary will be expanded from the influence. The second book is "The Power of Now," by Eckhart Tolle. A friend of mine read this recently, and it gave her great inspiration. I love books like this because I am forced to look within, and I usually come away with a nugget of powerful information that stays on my mind and in my heart, long after I have finished the book.

I want to know if any of you out there have read either of these tomes. Since they both made it to the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list, SURELY one or two of you have perused the pages. Tell me what you think!

Oh, and lest you think The Offspring is illiterate, she is dying for a copy of "Disco Bloodbath," the true story by James St. James on which the movie "Party Monster" was based. She is interested in expanding her horizons in a completely different way!

Fun Monday - WORD!

2008-08-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mothers of Brothers volunteered to host this Fun Monday - and it's all about our favorite words! I could have bored you with a ton of words that just SOUND funny to me, or words I love to say (for instance, onomatopoeia). But I narrowed them all down to just two. I know you have lots of people to visit today.

The first word is "plethora." I just love how it rolls off my tongue, and it sounds kinda sexy with my Californitexarkansan accent.

The second word I love is "epiphany." Not only for it's meaning, but also because it is the only word I know that ryhmes with my name. A friend of mine (we'll call him Mr. Big) used the word in a sentence once: "I had an epiphany while at the symphony with Tiffany." Sweet.

And speaking of WORD...The Offspring was jammin' to this awhile back, and she was shocked when I told her that it WAS NOT originally done by Korn:

Seriously, how could even a metal band compete with the genius of a bright red codpiece? Here is the original - for your amusement!

Now, go check out all this week's participants - maybe you'll learn a word or two!

Sheep in Composition

2008-07-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

Okay - here's a puzzle, especially for those of you born after 1980. Can you identify what these sheep are made of?You might have to click it to big it...

Got this in an email today - and thought it was TOO CUTE!

Fun Monday Power Trip

2008-07-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Fun Monday this week is hosted by Mommy Wizdom, and she wanted to know what we do if we were ruler, for a day/week/month/year - whatever time frame we so chose!

Since I'm always considering myself "diva-stating," this is right up my alley. Excuse me, while I adjust my tiara.

First of all, I don't think the world could handle me as ruler for more than six months. I'm a Virgo. A perfectionist. I'd get drunk with power, and we would all be forced to look fabulous, 24/7. All you ladies would be ready to throttle me for making you trot around in 4-inch heels.

Humor aside, there are some serious changes I would make.

1. I would rid the world of genocide, rape, war, torture and cruely to animals.
2. I would make the week last for EIGHT days. All the regular days would still be there, but "MY DAY" would be included. We would each have a day that we could do whatever we wanted. This would also shorten the number of months in the year, making us have to pay our bills less often.
3. Christmas would be totally de-commercialized.
4. Siestas in the afternoon would be expected.
5. The field of medicine would be less barbaric - and more holistic approaches would be customary and accepted.
6. Weekly massages for all would be mandated, free of charge - paid for by your government.
7. News channels would no longer be allowed to report on celebrity screw-ups, as if it were real news.
8. Pharmaceutical companies and oil companies would have to contribute half of their profits to help feed the hungry and clothe the poor.
9. Everyone would have to be exposed to MUSIC and LITERATURE as part of their education in this life.
10. I would do all I could to spread the messages of peace, love and spirituality, far and wide.

I could go on and on, for there is so much wrong with our world today. Some of it mildly annoying, some of it just insane, and some of it too painful to bear. I thought long and hard about this challenge - and realized that we ARE all rulers, in reality. We rule ourselves, and we have the power to make a positive change, every day.

So go visit the Fun Monday participants, and begin changing your world!

Literally Ranting - Again

2008-07-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

I've really tried to ignore the inability of some people to spell words correctly. I've tried to be understanding that not everyone was privileged to have the secondary education that I enjoyed. But the rampant misuse of ONE WORD IN PARTICULAR is very troubling to me...and I'm afraid that before long, no one will remember how to use this word correctly. It's the word LOSE.

Does anyone remember that word? Because I haven't seen it in a LONG TIME. Seems like people are "loosing" things a lot...and it's driving me INSANE.

So, quick lesson for you all: you LOSE something, which means you have misplaced it or got drunk the night before and flailed it asunder. You didn't LOOSE it...that word means to make something "less tight." Unless, in some strange event, you lose your belt after loosening it, then you are allowed to use those words in the same sentence. Just in that instance.

You are "losing" the battle. Oh, and we seem to have the spelling of the word "lost" down okay - can we maybe draw on that knowledge, to remember the base word has ONE, and ONLY ONE "o?"

You don't LOOSE an election - you LOSE it. I know it's tough, this English language, with all the bizarro rules. You are used to pronouncing the singular vowel in a word structured like "lose" with a STRONG vowel sound, right? It's got that "e" at the end, with that funky consonant right before it. So, it doesn't seem right - "lose" is one of those words that defies the rules.

But that's why I like "lose." It's unique. It doesn't follow the crowd. So, please, for the love of the poor word, use "lose," okay? Please?

Fun Monday Do-Overs

2008-07-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Fun Monday this week is being held at the Irish Coffeehouse, which I hope serves up some Irish Cream in their coffee...I need some this morning! Monday, and I'm running late...

She wanted to know what our career aspirations were as a child, and what they are now. Well, what little girl growing up in the '70s didn't want to be a rock star? Oh...was I the only one? I recently attended a Flyleaf concert with my daughter and her friends, and just watching the lead singer get into the music made that dream come flooding back. I was always into music and imagined being on stage with a microphone, belting out tunes...while in reality I was chained to my piano, practicing Mozart and Bach for endless hours.

Now? Well, I'm more realistic. After I finish this "first" career in real estate, I would like to take advantage of the fact that I am NOT afraid to speak in public. Working as adjunct faculty at the local community college was a GREAT experience that I wouldn't mind exploring more. I would love to teach, but...mind you...only at the university level. Something about teaching people to "think outside the box" and see things from a different perspective appeals to me. I'd just have to work on my Californitexarkansan accent a bit, so I'm understood.

Now, go check out all the dreams of the other Fun Monday participants!

Fun Monday Birthday

2008-07-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

IamwhoIam at Dungarees Ablaze is this host for this week's Fun Monday, and it's all about birthdays! This was tough for me, as my husband's 50th was incredibly special, and upcoming? Well, guess who is gonna hit the big 4-0 in September? Yeah, just don't tell anyone - I'm gonna try to still pass for 35.

To be honest, since I was abandoned within days of my birth, I have no idea when my actual calendar birthday is.

The most special birthday was the day The Offspring was born. I went into labor around midnight, Christmas Eve - I remember it distinctly, b/c I was just SURE I had gas that needed to be expelled. And I would wake up each hour, trying to expel it. All Christmas Day, I was in hard labor, as I was frosting five dozen sugar cookies that I had made the night before. Finally, after the contractions were about 5 minutes apart and we had returned from celebrating Christmas at Roger's family's home, it was time to have a baby. Nevermind my OB/GYN who kept insisting I was having Braxton Hicks false labor - I knew better. This was it. My doctor slid into the room, just as I was pushing her out. It was an easy delivery, all natural, no drugs, and though it was painful - I had the luxury of being the only patient in labor that night.

Click here for photo - Blogger is being difficult. At 3:21AM, on December 26th, 1993, I met the only person that I know for sure is related to me. My precious little girl. I had always wanted just one child and always wanted a girl. In this day and age of sophisticated ultrasound equipment, we had decided NOT to find out the sex of our baby beforehand. So I was ecstatic that SHE had arrived! And the look she gave us? It was incredible. She was full of wonder and life and spark - eyes big and checking out her new world.

She was the most precious gift I've ever received, and I treasure all the moments we continue to share. It's a birthday I treasure...and will never forget.

Sorry about the lack of photos! BLOGGER and I are NOT getting along tonight!

Recovering from a Wild 4th

2008-07-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

For so many years, our Fourth of July celebrations consisted of blowing stuff up on Roger's dad's property. I LOVE this holiday. I LOVE blowing stuff up. And I LOVE taking photos. The photo to the left is one of my favorites from our own little fireworks display. If you look closely, you'll see the trail of how the firework went UP...then DOWN...then started to explode. Did I mention that I LOVE this holiday? And this year? Oh...this year was SO different.

You see, we got invited to a creek party. In the middle of NOWHERE. And when I say in the middle of nowhere, I mean it. I honestly was shocked that I had cell service. It took us 20 minutes on the highway to reach the turnoff, then another 10 minutes on a bumpy lane, before we landed at the creek. The contractor who built our home owns the property, and he and his entire extended family had a HUGE blowout, complete with fireworks, food, and live music. As I enjoyed the kind of relaxation that is priceless, I reflected on the fact that just two weeks ago, I had been sitting in a revolving lounge, atop one of the tallest buildings in LA, enjoying a chocolate martini. For some reason, sitting creekside in my tank top with a beer was SO much better.Oh, and they blow stuff up the same way we do - only I think with a little more enthusiasm.There were some GREAT musicians at this gathering, and they let my husband sit in for a few jams. There was singing, and picking, and grinning. I think Roger was the one doing most of the grinning.The party was so good, we actually came back on the 5th! It was more low-key, and as relaxing as ever. I know I'm not the typical "country" girl, but there is truly something to be said for living in this area. The people are REAL, you know? I felt at home, even though I didn't know hardly anyone in attendance. I honestly can't remember having had a more fun time on the 4th of July. Or the 5th.

Back home, we still had fireworks. Now that we live outside the city limits, we can shoot fireworks off AT OUR OWN HOME! For the first time! So I set the boys in motion to make our annual fireworks launching pad:I know it was technically the 6th of July, but what else are you supposed to do with leftover fireworks? Besides, everyone around us was firing them that night, too.Last night, we even heard more fireworks exploding. Something tells me I've lived in the city too long. I think the country life was calling my name.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Fun Monday Quirks

2008-06-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

Lisa's Chaos is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and did I miss something here? I know I've been a negligent blogger, but did you notice that stuff has changed A LOT at her place? I could have SWORN there was some black/pink fontage going on over there...and yet...today...white and green...

Smack me.

Well, she wants to know about our quirks, and I've got enough blog material right there that I should be ashamed about posting so infrequently.

1. I whistle Christmas songs and military songs all year, especially at work. Why military songs? Well, I got hooked on them in college when watching the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band march and play. I know, Band Geek.

2. I absolutely cannot leave the volume level of the television on an odd number, unless it is a multiple of 5. JUST. CAN'T. It must be 12, not 11. It mustn't stay on 23, but at least be 24. I could handle 25, but that would probably be too loud.

3. I listen to new music every week, and when I find that song? OMG...I will drive anyone within listening distance of my vehicle absolutely BONKERS by playing that thing ad nauseum, at ear-splitting decibels. (I don't care about my ears - they were split years ago.) I know the locals think my daughter and I are psychotic from the way we sing and thump around town like a couple of heathens in my car. But every week, there will be a song or two we are junkies for. This weekend? It was Robyn:
Now, go to Lisa's pyschedelic place and check out the other Fun Mondayers!

Back from LA

2008-06-24T12:34:00.001-07:00

So, I made it back from LA in one piece...though I'm not sure LA will be the same without me.

The worst part of the trip? The possibility of not getting out of Little Rock on time. We were all on the plane, ready to fly to Memphis, when the pilot mentioned a wee problem. Some light was on that shouldn't be on - a malfunction of sorts. We were already on the tarmac, so I figured someone could hit a button, get rid of the annoyance and we would be on our way. No such luck.

After idling for a while, we were sent back to the gate, b/c evidently this is a SPECIAL LIGHT that only the GROUND CREW can fix. Too bad they took away our hammers during the security screening, or I would have saved ground crew the trouble.

Those with connecting flights (yes, that's us) were told we might want to exit the aircraft. After dealing with a few people at the terminal who were NOT so gracious about rebooking our flight and/or getting us to LAX, I was about to lose it. Finally, we are back on the plane, with no way to make our connection from Memphis to LA. Can you believe that they couldn't even book a flight out of DFW to LAX? Not after 6PM? Yeah - they were just wielding their power. Luckily, the airline held our connection, since there were 14 of us they didn't want to buy hotels rooms for that night...and we made it to LAX, albeit a tad late.

It didn't matter to me at that point, b/c after our ordeal in Little Rock and we were FINALLY on a plane to LAX, I found some in flight therapy:

Yeah, that's four drinks. You know, the planes are LONG, and who knows when the flight attendant might be able to return with that magical cart of beverages? It could be an hour or more, and I was NOT going to run out of therapy.

One day, we made our way to Santa Monica Pier, and just HAPPENED to wander onto a movie set...and just HAPPENED to see Eddie Murphy:In all my trips to Southern California, I've NEVER been that close to a celebrity. I could have TOUCHED the man, if I had wanted to be escorted out of the area in handcuffs.

Oh, and yes, I got to hold hands with Matt Damon:And as an added bonus, I took a train from downtown LA to Laguna Beach to see my mom and dad on Father's Day:I'll have more to tell about my adventures in coming days...but now, I gotta catch up on work and REST!

LA Twitters

2008-06-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the Tigger is headed to the West Coast - wish me luck as I join the rest of the crazies! At least I'll feel right at home. I know I have been a bad blogger, and one of my Mid-Year Resolutions is to start blogging more regularly. However, I CAN'T blog while in LA! There is a solution, for those who need their Tigger Fix, and that is TWITTER. See that in the sidebar? Yeah, instant updates. I plan to Twitter the entire time I'm on this trip. I'm traveling with five other women, one of whom has NEVER FLOWN BEFORE. And she's older than me - can you believe it? Should make for some GREAT Twitters!

So...if you miss me, check the sidebar, and I'll be twittering away while I'm gone. Feel free to run amuk in the comments, and respond to my twitters.

Off to LA, and Laguna Beach!

Fun Monday Memories - A Little Late!

2008-06-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Once again, I'm a bad Tigger/Blogger. I just can't seem to get on this computer, and then when I do? It's all about WORK! Plus, I'm getting ready for a trip, so my life is in overdrive. Molly was kind enough to host this week's Fun Monday, and she wanted to know about our fondest childhood memories.

I wish I could narrow it down to just one thing, but I can tell you that my relationship with my mother was very special. We have the same sick sense of humor - which was bad enough when I was growing up that my father had to relocate to the living room during dinnertime. We would get a fit of giggles and start talking about gross stuff at the dinner table, driving my father away.I also have fond memories of "Ugly Shopping," where we would try to find the most hideous piece of clothing (VERY easy during the '80s) during a shopping excursion. Then we would laugh hysterically as other shoppers would ooh and aah over the same monstrosity. I also remember learning to drive with my mom in the car. In particular, there was an incident during a Houston rainstorm where I was behind the wheel, and Mom was my passenger. I couldn't see a thing with the rain pounding down so heavily, so I took my hands off the steering wheel and closed my eyes. My mother screamed at me until I regained my senses - probably fearing for her life! How she survived raising me, I'll never know!

I grew up in a stable home, which is so rare nowadays...and for that, I'm SO grateful. I look around at my daughter's friends who struggle with the challenges brought on by divorce, remarriage, and so many other problems - and I realize just how blessed she and I are to have grown up in this way.

Now go check out all the childhood memories - and happy Fun Monday! OH...and I WILL be commenting back to all of you soon - by tomorrow, at the latest. Thanks for your patience!

Fun Monday Talents

2008-06-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Karisma is this week's hostess for Fun Monday, and she wanted to see what we make with our hands! Well, my main "craft" in the last few years has been making Victorian Christmas ornaments. This one is from a kit, and it is the prettiest one I think I have ever made. It even won a blue ribbon in our local county fair: This is one I designed on my own - not quite as fancy, but all those pins and sequins are a real pain to get just right:Another talent I have is drawing with pastels. I haven't done it in a very long time, but I am very proud of this piece. It is the Texas A&M Mascot, Reveille:Oh, and does making kick-ass margaritas count for something?Now go check out how talented our Fun Monday participants are!

Fun Monday, A Day Late

2008-05-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Alison (RDH Mom) was so gracious to host Fun Monday on a holiday - and guess who is late? Sigh. I think I need the "Bad Blogger" award, if there is one.

She wanted to know our favorite vacation - and I have to be honest, my favorite one so far was my trip to Washington D. C. last year. And it was a trip that didn't include my husband or daughter - which might seem strange, but I learned so much that I have to chalk it up as the best.

I have shared so much about this trip in other posts, but I have to share some NEW news! A photograph that I took during the trip and uploaded to flickr was recently selected for inclusion in the Schmap East Coast Guide, and can be seen here, though I find the site tough to upload. Here is the photograph, and in honor of Memorial Day, I think it will be the only one I post.Now go find out where your fellow Fun Mondayers like to vacation!

Oh Kila, Forgive Me!

2008-05-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

You have no idea what a lousy blogger I have been - just the WORST. That's why I am not even sure I should accept this award from Kila, which she gave me back in APRIL. In blogger time? I have committed a SIN. I know she is too kind and forgiving and nice and not a meanie and saintly to give me hell on the 'net, so I'm wallowing in a self-made crap-bath, riddled with guilt for not acknowledging her gift sooner.

I honestly don't know what has happened with me in the blogging world, but I can see that I'm not alone. She of the Hobo Carts, My Real Friend IRL, and Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee are on hiatus. (The Snarky Aussie had a brief fake hiatus, but just did it to scare everyone and get comments for his ego.)

So, major thanks to Kila for giving me this honor...hope I can post it in my sidebar without feeling too much guilt!

I have a REAL excuse for not blogging lately - and that is the fact that my husband is not well. He is having horrible abdominal pains, can't eat, and well...you can imagine the rest. We went to the ER last Friday night, and his bloodwork, CT scan, etc. came back normal. Blood pressure was 198/110, which is NOT good! However, pain can cause that. Four days later, and he's not better. Ultrasound showed no gall stones...but he may have a nonfunctioning gall bladder. We meet with the surgeon today at 1:30. Pray for us...and I will be back to the blogging world as soon as I am able.

Fun Monday Collections

2008-05-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Fun Monday's hostess this week is Mariposa, who wants to see our collections! Since you have all seen my house, I'm hoping you don't show up in the middle of the night and steal mine...and no, it's not toenail clippings. I collect hand-blown glass egg paperweights.

Yeah, I know, WEIRD. And all I remember is that my mother sent me one for a present one year, and I was hooked. Most of my eggs are from the Glass Eye Studios in California. A very few are not, including a monster egg on the bottom shelf of my display case...which I'm not gonna tell you about. Nope. Can't. Because there ARE wacky people on the 'net who might look it up, find it here, and break into my house to steal it.

I used to have a lot of them on lightstands, so that colored lights would shine up thru them and illuminate the colors. Right now, I haven't even finished unpacking them all - so here is what we have displayed so far:
I have also developed an interest in other types of handblown glass, including The Planets, but I only have "The Black Hole" and "Pluto" so far. I got Pluto soon after the scientific powers that be decided it was no longer a planet. I figure the studios will stop including it in their collection, so I snatched one up. Here are a couple of my glass vases that sit on our dining room table:Now go check out some other collections at Mariposa's!

Fun Monday Jerkdom

2008-05-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

What a great topic for Fun Monday, as given to us by Sauntering Soul! She wanted to know what kinds of things we do that make us JERKS! Well, I have a list - but most of the "jerky" things I do are unintentional.

1. I don't write thank you notes. I know, horrible. All the time, people do things that are special to me, and I think, "Hey, I should send them a thank-you note - right this minute!" And then I don't. The thought counts, right? Nah, I'm a jerk.

2. I drive like a jerk. Well, not the kind you need a cannon mounted on top of your car for, but the kind who does NOT abide slower drivers. Plus, The Offspring and I LOVE MUSIC IN THE CAR. So, those annoying jerks that pull up next to you, bass blasting as they scream along? Yeah, that's us.

3. And to be perfectly honest, I don't clean the cat box. Ever. Never. We have owned a cat of one kind or another since The Offspring was three years old, and I retched horribly the first time I tried to clean the cat box. And refused thereafter to go anywhere near it. So Roger has been the sole cat-box-cleaner, and I have continued to be a jerk in ignoring it. BUT...guess who has had the task these last two weeks? Yeah, I'm a double-jerk, b/c I could care less that Roger has passed the task on to The Offspring. She even has to wear a surgical mask to get thru it. HA! At least it's not me, the JERK!

Now, go visit the Sauntering Soul, and find out what jerks your fellow bloggers are!