Economic Conundrum

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

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

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

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?

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

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!

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

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

One is funny, and one? OMG...

Fun Monday Query

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!