One of my resolutions for 2009 is to get more organized in the paper filing department. It is a requirement at the work place but I lack discipline on the home front. Nothing frustrates me more than when I am looking for a particular letter, document or even paid receipt and it takes me longer than if I had simply filed it in its appropriate place.
So I bought a box of folders and began this project yesterday evening. Lord, have mercy! I had no idea just what kind of mess my paperwork was in. In sorting through a filing cabinet drawer, I found Kris' acceptance letter from Baylor as well as our certificate of insurance from our previous health insurance carrier. (Needed that when I transferred to BC/BS but had to request a duplicate copy because I couldn't find the original.)
I still have a huge job ahead of me in getting the filing system in place. I have boxes that I need to go through and hopefully I can burn some of the paperwork I've been holding on to "just in case". Sigh.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Ex-President Sighting
Kris is feeling better and ventured out to the Lady Bears basketball game last night against Oklahoma. She will text me the score at quarter intervals if I can't find the game on television. The game started at 7pm and I couldn't find it on the boob tube. I received a text at 7:03pm from Kris. Already a score check? Message was, "GEORGE AND LAURA BUSH ARE SO TOTALLY HERE!"
Leave it to my country bumpkin to refer to the ex-president and his wife as "George and Laura". Kris didn't have her camera with her and she said her camera phone wouldn't have taken a very good picture. When pondering why the Bushes would be attending a college basketball game, it dawned on me that Crawford is just up the road from Waco.
My celebrity sightings are few and far between. I lived in Austin in the mid-80's and remember when President Ronald Reagan came to town to deliver a speech on a topic I do not remember. On one of my many trips to Acuna, Mexico, I literally bumped into Patrick Duffy at the Corona Club at the bar. I didn't recognize him at first (could've been the amount of alcohol in my system?). I realized that several girls were getting his autograph so I thought what the hell. I was wearing black lace-up boots so I removed my right boot and asked him to sign the inside of it for me. Don't know what happened to those boots....
My biggest celebrity sighting would have to be the one that lasted for ten years. I never thought of my grandfather as a celebrity, though. I was too young to fully understand the fact that he was an ex-governor of Texas. He was "Papa" to me and "Mr. Coke" to those that knew him in the outside world.
So unless a celebrity lands in Little Town and I bump into him/her at the grocery store, I'm probably not going to increase my celeb sightings any time soon. Oh, the Lady Bears lost to Oklahoma 56 to 51 (or something like that).
Leave it to my country bumpkin to refer to the ex-president and his wife as "George and Laura". Kris didn't have her camera with her and she said her camera phone wouldn't have taken a very good picture. When pondering why the Bushes would be attending a college basketball game, it dawned on me that Crawford is just up the road from Waco.
My celebrity sightings are few and far between. I lived in Austin in the mid-80's and remember when President Ronald Reagan came to town to deliver a speech on a topic I do not remember. On one of my many trips to Acuna, Mexico, I literally bumped into Patrick Duffy at the Corona Club at the bar. I didn't recognize him at first (could've been the amount of alcohol in my system?). I realized that several girls were getting his autograph so I thought what the hell. I was wearing black lace-up boots so I removed my right boot and asked him to sign the inside of it for me. Don't know what happened to those boots....
My biggest celebrity sighting would have to be the one that lasted for ten years. I never thought of my grandfather as a celebrity, though. I was too young to fully understand the fact that he was an ex-governor of Texas. He was "Papa" to me and "Mr. Coke" to those that knew him in the outside world.
So unless a celebrity lands in Little Town and I bump into him/her at the grocery store, I'm probably not going to increase my celeb sightings any time soon. Oh, the Lady Bears lost to Oklahoma 56 to 51 (or something like that).
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Computer Operating 101
Why, oh why, does the computer always feel like it's got to "one up" me?! Yesterday afternoon the computer I use at the office was acting stupid. It had absolutely nothing to do with the operator. We utilize "outlook" as our email option at the office. The program became extremely sluggish and then locked up. I needed to send some documents to another title company and promised I would do so right away. AAARRRGGG!
I am not a patient person about anything. Those that know me can attest to this. In a moment of frustration, I popped and clicked on several buttons. "To hell with it", I thought. I shut the son of a bitch down. It did its start-up routine and we came to a mutual understanding that we would finish the afternoon in harmony or so I thought.
I like to listen to XM radio online while I'm working. Depending on my mood, I have several channels to select from. After the computer was mean to me, I needed some ass-kicking music. Signed back on to XM radio and saw that it wasn't connecting to the media. OH.HELL.NO. After several attempts, I punted. But then I noticed that there was absolutely no bells or whistles happening when normally the computer takes advantage of every chance it can to beep or boop or chime at me. I realized that absolutely no noise was coming out of the speakers. Damn it. Power on, power off. Nothing. Switched speakers with another computer. Nothing. I wasn't in the mood to jack with it so late in the afternoon and decided to tackle the problem in the morning.
And now for the lesson of the day: WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, REBOOT - AGAIN! So far, so good this morning. Currently listening to Fleetwood Mac. Hoping for a smooth and uncomplicated day.....
I am not a patient person about anything. Those that know me can attest to this. In a moment of frustration, I popped and clicked on several buttons. "To hell with it", I thought. I shut the son of a bitch down. It did its start-up routine and we came to a mutual understanding that we would finish the afternoon in harmony or so I thought.
I like to listen to XM radio online while I'm working. Depending on my mood, I have several channels to select from. After the computer was mean to me, I needed some ass-kicking music. Signed back on to XM radio and saw that it wasn't connecting to the media. OH.HELL.NO. After several attempts, I punted. But then I noticed that there was absolutely no bells or whistles happening when normally the computer takes advantage of every chance it can to beep or boop or chime at me. I realized that absolutely no noise was coming out of the speakers. Damn it. Power on, power off. Nothing. Switched speakers with another computer. Nothing. I wasn't in the mood to jack with it so late in the afternoon and decided to tackle the problem in the morning.
And now for the lesson of the day: WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, REBOOT - AGAIN! So far, so good this morning. Currently listening to Fleetwood Mac. Hoping for a smooth and uncomplicated day.....
Sunday, January 25, 2009
White Woman Wins
It is a sad day for Anson the Armadillo. I saw him by the trashcan and dashed back inside the house to get the gun. The good news is he never saw it coming. I felt a nano-second of remorse and then he ran under my vehicle and into the carport leaving a trail of evidence. Son of a bitch. Now I have to clean up the evidence before a local law officer shows up.
I immediately looked around the neighborhood to see if anybody heard the gun shot. So far, so good. I located Anson and grabbed him by his tail. He still had a little bit of fight left in him. I dispatched him to the vacant lot behind the House of Dortha. Just when I thought all was done, Gopa hollered at me and asked me if I heard a shot. "Guilty", I told him. He was relieved that I had taken care of a factor that contributed to Cordelia's barking at night.
Then Dortha got home from church. I proceeded to tell her what I had done and she told me that if she was twenty years younger she would've beaten me to the punch, er, shooting of the armadillo. Seems that she had seen him a time or two and was close to calling the Animal Control Officer to do something about it. Then another neighbor from up the street was doing his afternoon walking and stopped to say hey. Brought him up to speed and he said, "Well, good, I'm glad I don't have to worry about being the one to shoot it."
And leave it to Dortha to ask me, "Was it male or female?" I replied, "How in the hell am I supposed to know the difference?" She laughed and said that she always used to ask Butch the same question and got the same reply I gave her.
Final score: Anson - Dead; White Woman - Neighborhood Heroine
I immediately looked around the neighborhood to see if anybody heard the gun shot. So far, so good. I located Anson and grabbed him by his tail. He still had a little bit of fight left in him. I dispatched him to the vacant lot behind the House of Dortha. Just when I thought all was done, Gopa hollered at me and asked me if I heard a shot. "Guilty", I told him. He was relieved that I had taken care of a factor that contributed to Cordelia's barking at night.
Then Dortha got home from church. I proceeded to tell her what I had done and she told me that if she was twenty years younger she would've beaten me to the punch, er, shooting of the armadillo. Seems that she had seen him a time or two and was close to calling the Animal Control Officer to do something about it. Then another neighbor from up the street was doing his afternoon walking and stopped to say hey. Brought him up to speed and he said, "Well, good, I'm glad I don't have to worry about being the one to shoot it."
And leave it to Dortha to ask me, "Was it male or female?" I replied, "How in the hell am I supposed to know the difference?" She laughed and said that she always used to ask Butch the same question and got the same reply I gave her.
Final score: Anson - Dead; White Woman - Neighborhood Heroine
Varmint Control
The armadillo was cute until he started digging trenches in my yard. These holes are deep enough to cause a person to turn an ankle. I have shooed him away a couple of times because I was in too big of a hurry to shoot him. I am not a blood-thirsty kind of person but enough is enough and I'm going to have take him out.
I had the perfect opportunity yesterday afternoon. Anson was digging yet another trench in my front yard so I went inside to get the .22 and handle the situation. Got back outside and he had scooted on over to Gopa and Mimi's yard. He ducked behind the hedges along the front of their house. Not a good place to shoot especially if I missed. From there, Anson did the armadillo shuffle across the street towards the House of Dortha. I followed him along the side of Dortha's house and he either disappeared underneath the cat house or he made it to the vacant lot.
It is illegal to discharge firearms in the city limits but I'm willing to take the chance at getting caught. And I'll be doing my neighbors' yards a favor as well by dispatching Anson the Armadillo to varmint heaven. Current score is Anson - 1, White Woman - 0.
I had the perfect opportunity yesterday afternoon. Anson was digging yet another trench in my front yard so I went inside to get the .22 and handle the situation. Got back outside and he had scooted on over to Gopa and Mimi's yard. He ducked behind the hedges along the front of their house. Not a good place to shoot especially if I missed. From there, Anson did the armadillo shuffle across the street towards the House of Dortha. I followed him along the side of Dortha's house and he either disappeared underneath the cat house or he made it to the vacant lot.
It is illegal to discharge firearms in the city limits but I'm willing to take the chance at getting caught. And I'll be doing my neighbors' yards a favor as well by dispatching Anson the Armadillo to varmint heaven. Current score is Anson - 1, White Woman - 0.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Stepping Stone
Kris was four years old the first time she told me, "I can do it by myself!" She was referring to tying the laces on her shoes. I stood close by in case she got frustrated and needed a helping hand. After numerous attempts and lots of knots, she mastered the art of tying her shoe laces.
I was hard-pressed to stand by idly the first time she styled her hair by herself. In looking at her school picures, she asked me, "Mama, why in the world did you let me leave the house with that hair style?" Live and learn.
And so when Kris called me yesterday complaining about chest pains I felt the immediate need to drop what I was doing and head to Waco. After contacting the campus health center, she decided it would be best if she went to the emergency room. "Emergency" is not a good word to drop on me. She assured me that she would have a friend/classmate take her to the hospital and she would call me when she knew something. Kris was hooked up to an EKG machine, blood work was done and she hung out at the hospital from lunch until 7pm. After a CAT scan, it was determined that she has "walking" pneumonia.
Those seven hours were very trying for me. As a mother, I wanted to be there and comfort her. At the end of each of phone call or text message, I would ask her again if she needed me to head that way. And each time she would confirm that she would be okay without me. We have both crossed yet another mile stone in our lives. She handled the situation just as she should have and I let her deal with it on her own. That is saying a lot in both of our books. I will spend the next several days keeping in close contact with her. My overnight bag will be close by just in case she decides she needs me.
I was hard-pressed to stand by idly the first time she styled her hair by herself. In looking at her school picures, she asked me, "Mama, why in the world did you let me leave the house with that hair style?" Live and learn.
And so when Kris called me yesterday complaining about chest pains I felt the immediate need to drop what I was doing and head to Waco. After contacting the campus health center, she decided it would be best if she went to the emergency room. "Emergency" is not a good word to drop on me. She assured me that she would have a friend/classmate take her to the hospital and she would call me when she knew something. Kris was hooked up to an EKG machine, blood work was done and she hung out at the hospital from lunch until 7pm. After a CAT scan, it was determined that she has "walking" pneumonia.
Those seven hours were very trying for me. As a mother, I wanted to be there and comfort her. At the end of each of phone call or text message, I would ask her again if she needed me to head that way. And each time she would confirm that she would be okay without me. We have both crossed yet another mile stone in our lives. She handled the situation just as she should have and I let her deal with it on her own. That is saying a lot in both of our books. I will spend the next several days keeping in close contact with her. My overnight bag will be close by just in case she decides she needs me.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Walking to Class
When Kris began kindergarten, I would have to walk her as far as the front door of the building. This lasted for about a month and then she braved the elements and walked by herself. HOWEVER, I couldn't drive away until she turned around and waved at me.
First grade rolled around and I walked her to her classroom for about a week. Then she announced that she was a big girl and could walk by herself. Again, I had to wait for the wave before I could drive away. The walk to the second grade classroom was only for the first day. And so that's how it went until she got to middle school. The wings of independence began to flutter when she began the sixth grade but I still had to wait until she turned and waved good-bye before cruising on down the road.
It was with mixed emotions when she began driving herself to school. What a convenience it was for both of us but I missed that little wave she used to give me. Now she is a freshman in college and starting all over in finding class rooms and getting into a routine. She calls me (voluntarily) every morning as she walks to the first class of the day. I can hear her shoes tapping along the sidewalk and the birds chirping along her route. We talk about the weather and what she had for breakfast and just girl stuff in general. And as she nears the door of the classroom, she tells me to have a great day and that she loves me. And I can just see her giving me that little wave that tells me that she's going to be all right.
First grade rolled around and I walked her to her classroom for about a week. Then she announced that she was a big girl and could walk by herself. Again, I had to wait for the wave before I could drive away. The walk to the second grade classroom was only for the first day. And so that's how it went until she got to middle school. The wings of independence began to flutter when she began the sixth grade but I still had to wait until she turned and waved good-bye before cruising on down the road.
It was with mixed emotions when she began driving herself to school. What a convenience it was for both of us but I missed that little wave she used to give me. Now she is a freshman in college and starting all over in finding class rooms and getting into a routine. She calls me (voluntarily) every morning as she walks to the first class of the day. I can hear her shoes tapping along the sidewalk and the birds chirping along her route. We talk about the weather and what she had for breakfast and just girl stuff in general. And as she nears the door of the classroom, she tells me to have a great day and that she loves me. And I can just see her giving me that little wave that tells me that she's going to be all right.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Jury Duty Excuse #8
I received a summons for petit jury duty a couple of weeks ago. Of course I grumbled about it. It is my civil duty and I have no excuse not to report to the court. I jokingly told my boss that it would be amusing if I contracted an illness on the day of jury duty or maybe he could write a note requesting that I be excused to our work load.
I estimated about 150 names had been drawn. Only 60 prospective jurors showed up. Then about 10 of them approached the bench and were dismissed for various reasons. The most original reason was a man who stated he is not a citizen of the United States of America. So how did his name get drawn?
After the formalities, we were seated in the order of our original summons number. The defense attorney didn't like what he saw so he requested a reshuffle. That took about 40 minutes and then we were re-seated in the new order. I was juror #20 out of 50. About 20 minutes after the shuffle, my stomach started doing flip-flops. I vaguely remember getting the baliff's attention to be excused and then power-walking down the stairs to the restroom. Needless to say, I ended up at home with the stomach flu.
I would've much rather had taken my chances on being a member of the jury panel as opposed to being sick. I think this lesson falls under the "be careful what you wish for" category.
I estimated about 150 names had been drawn. Only 60 prospective jurors showed up. Then about 10 of them approached the bench and were dismissed for various reasons. The most original reason was a man who stated he is not a citizen of the United States of America. So how did his name get drawn?
After the formalities, we were seated in the order of our original summons number. The defense attorney didn't like what he saw so he requested a reshuffle. That took about 40 minutes and then we were re-seated in the new order. I was juror #20 out of 50. About 20 minutes after the shuffle, my stomach started doing flip-flops. I vaguely remember getting the baliff's attention to be excused and then power-walking down the stairs to the restroom. Needless to say, I ended up at home with the stomach flu.
I would've much rather had taken my chances on being a member of the jury panel as opposed to being sick. I think this lesson falls under the "be careful what you wish for" category.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Of Mice and Women
OMG -- opened the door to the laundry room on Sunday morning and it literally smelled like something had died in there.
My laundry room is also my storage room and it is full of crap. To find something in there is sometimes like looking for a needle in a haystack. Not only do I have lots of boxes of crap on the shelves, I also have a washer, dryer, chest freezer and regular sized refrigerator crammed into a very small space. I am very tempted to purchase one of those ugly metal storage buildings and plopping it down in the northeast corner of my back yard.
Back to the smell....after my initial inhalation of the odor I decided that it was probably a dead mouse. I have had more mouse problems this winter than ever before. So I begin pulling out boxes, coolers, sacks of sacks, fans, blankets, more sacks, hummingbird feeders, softball bats, fishing poles, tv trays, etc. I finally came to the conclusion that the smell was coming from UNDER the freaking refrigerator. Mother. Trucker. I went outside to take in some fresh air and tried to come up with a plan. Moving the refrigerator by myself really wasn't an option. Kris isn't much help when it comes to dealing with anything smelly. I thought about opening up one of those air freshners in the shape of a Christmas tree or marijuana leaf and positioning it over her ears and under her nose but I don't think she would've seen the humor in it. So I punted on asking her to help me.
I ended up leaving the window open all day and night in the laundry/storage room. I piled all of the crap back on the shelves and shoved the little things into nooks and crannies. I did not manage to do this without using very colorful adjectives. So if there is a mouse under the damn refrigerator it can just decompose on its own time. The smell didn't seem as bad this morning but I didn't take any chances. I armed myself with some kind of apple-cinnamon spray from Pier One and spritzed the room with it before loading the washing machine. Nothing like the smell of a decomposing mouse carcass overlayed with apple-cinnamon air freshener.
I bought some more mouse traps and will strategically place them in the laundry/storage room this evening. Hopefully I won't have to hold my breath the next time I open that door. Wonder what the decomposition rate is for a dead mouse?
My laundry room is also my storage room and it is full of crap. To find something in there is sometimes like looking for a needle in a haystack. Not only do I have lots of boxes of crap on the shelves, I also have a washer, dryer, chest freezer and regular sized refrigerator crammed into a very small space. I am very tempted to purchase one of those ugly metal storage buildings and plopping it down in the northeast corner of my back yard.
Back to the smell....after my initial inhalation of the odor I decided that it was probably a dead mouse. I have had more mouse problems this winter than ever before. So I begin pulling out boxes, coolers, sacks of sacks, fans, blankets, more sacks, hummingbird feeders, softball bats, fishing poles, tv trays, etc. I finally came to the conclusion that the smell was coming from UNDER the freaking refrigerator. Mother. Trucker. I went outside to take in some fresh air and tried to come up with a plan. Moving the refrigerator by myself really wasn't an option. Kris isn't much help when it comes to dealing with anything smelly. I thought about opening up one of those air freshners in the shape of a Christmas tree or marijuana leaf and positioning it over her ears and under her nose but I don't think she would've seen the humor in it. So I punted on asking her to help me.
I ended up leaving the window open all day and night in the laundry/storage room. I piled all of the crap back on the shelves and shoved the little things into nooks and crannies. I did not manage to do this without using very colorful adjectives. So if there is a mouse under the damn refrigerator it can just decompose on its own time. The smell didn't seem as bad this morning but I didn't take any chances. I armed myself with some kind of apple-cinnamon spray from Pier One and spritzed the room with it before loading the washing machine. Nothing like the smell of a decomposing mouse carcass overlayed with apple-cinnamon air freshener.
I bought some more mouse traps and will strategically place them in the laundry/storage room this evening. Hopefully I won't have to hold my breath the next time I open that door. Wonder what the decomposition rate is for a dead mouse?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Birds and BB Guns
Outside Kris' bedroom window are several different kinds of trees in Gopa and Mimi's yard. During this time of the year we are able to spot and identify various kinds of birds. Right now, a male cardinal and a male blue jay are having a very animated conversation. Or maybe they are competing against one another with their noisy twittering and chirping.
Growing up on a ranch and in Little Town ensured that most kids had access to sling shots, BB guns and even pellet guns. Santa Claus brought Daisy BB Guns to Marshall and me in 1973. WOW - talk about a feeling of power! We couldn't wait to get dressed and out the door to shoot anything and everything. BUT.....first we had to have the "BB Gun Lecture" from Mama. Under no circumstances were we allowed to shoot and/or kill ANY KIND OF BIRD. What the #&%(? Then why in the hell did we get BB guns for Christmas? Talk about take the wind out of our sails.
Our excitement wasn't diminished just yet because we could shoot other things. Squirrels and....nope. Not even squirrels. Daddy decided it would be best if we started out shooting at a paper target. That meant waiting for Mama to use all of the detergent in the CHEER soap box. Remember the three different colors on the back of the CHEER laundry box?
Marshall and I decided we would go on a walk-about to Grandmom's house. We figured that what Mama didn't know was in the best interest for everybody. And so we off we went down the road with our Daisy BB Guns slung over our shoulders. BB's loaded and extras in our pockets. (Oh, yeah...another part of the lecture was to NOT load the guns in the house. BB's are not good on vaccum cleaners.) And of course we saw birds....lots of birds. And they were sitting on the fence acting all sassy. And of course it was triple dog dare time and did we shoot those birds or what!? Or so we thought we did. Neither one of us hit a one of those birds. We figured no harm was done.
WRONG. Mama saw the whole thing. And even though we didn't kill any birds, she walloped both of us soundly and took our BB guns away from us. The guns were put in time out in the gun cabinet for two weeks. Marshall and I would walk by the gun cabinet and gaze longingly at our precious guns. It made for a long Christmas break to not be able to enjoy our Christmas gifts.
It wasn't the last time Mama took our guns away from us. We would slip up from time to time and take aim at a dove, a peacock or even one of Mama's chickens. And I'll be damned....Mama really did have eyes in the back of her head.
Wonder if Mama remembers the time her Electrolux sucked up BB's out of the carpet in my bedroom?
Growing up on a ranch and in Little Town ensured that most kids had access to sling shots, BB guns and even pellet guns. Santa Claus brought Daisy BB Guns to Marshall and me in 1973. WOW - talk about a feeling of power! We couldn't wait to get dressed and out the door to shoot anything and everything. BUT.....first we had to have the "BB Gun Lecture" from Mama. Under no circumstances were we allowed to shoot and/or kill ANY KIND OF BIRD. What the #&%(? Then why in the hell did we get BB guns for Christmas? Talk about take the wind out of our sails.
Our excitement wasn't diminished just yet because we could shoot other things. Squirrels and....nope. Not even squirrels. Daddy decided it would be best if we started out shooting at a paper target. That meant waiting for Mama to use all of the detergent in the CHEER soap box. Remember the three different colors on the back of the CHEER laundry box?
Marshall and I decided we would go on a walk-about to Grandmom's house. We figured that what Mama didn't know was in the best interest for everybody. And so we off we went down the road with our Daisy BB Guns slung over our shoulders. BB's loaded and extras in our pockets. (Oh, yeah...another part of the lecture was to NOT load the guns in the house. BB's are not good on vaccum cleaners.) And of course we saw birds....lots of birds. And they were sitting on the fence acting all sassy. And of course it was triple dog dare time and did we shoot those birds or what!? Or so we thought we did. Neither one of us hit a one of those birds. We figured no harm was done.
WRONG. Mama saw the whole thing. And even though we didn't kill any birds, she walloped both of us soundly and took our BB guns away from us. The guns were put in time out in the gun cabinet for two weeks. Marshall and I would walk by the gun cabinet and gaze longingly at our precious guns. It made for a long Christmas break to not be able to enjoy our Christmas gifts.
It wasn't the last time Mama took our guns away from us. We would slip up from time to time and take aim at a dove, a peacock or even one of Mama's chickens. And I'll be damned....Mama really did have eyes in the back of her head.
Wonder if Mama remembers the time her Electrolux sucked up BB's out of the carpet in my bedroom?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Kick-Ass Attitude
I attended the JV Girls' basketball game yesterday evening. My niece, Katybug, is a freshman this year and is a member of the team. This is the first high school basketball game I have attended since Kris graduated last year. After four years of Little Dribblers, two years of JMS and four years of JHS basketball, I have taken a leave of absence from attending JISD basketball games.
Last night, JHS played the neighboring town of Rocky Top. Katybug only got to play a couple of minutes in the first half and about three minutes in the second half. She is a smooth operator on the court but doesn't have the "IN YOUR FACE" attitude that coaches are looking for these days. Basketball has become extremely physical in the past twenty years. Most of the shoving and pushing is overlooked and considered part of the game. Twenty-five years ago, we couldn't even breathe in the direction of our opponent without the whistle blowing.
I called my youngest sister, Kelli, last night to catch up on the latest with her. I told her I went to Katybug's game, blah, blah, blah. I pointed out that out of Nana's twelve grandkids, I could think of only one that has the "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS" attitude. That would be Kelli and Kyle's second oldest child --- Miss Kori. That girl only has one gear and it is all about winning and winning BIG. Kelli agreed but said that child number three, Miss Kyler, can get down and dirty when she needs to...and then she's back to chasing butterflies. Miss Kori is extremely competitive and everything is a race. Race to the door, race to the car, race to the bathroom, race to the pool, etc. Makes one tired just reading about it; doesn't it? Kole, the oldest child, just wants everybody to get along and have a good time. The jury is still out on the youngest child, Kase. For those of you that don't know the K-Krew, these children are ages 8, 6, 4 and 2. (Say a prayer for Kelli.)
I told Katybug she will have to toughen up and get more aggressive if she wants to see more playing time. It will be interesting to see if her paternal genes kick in during her high school basketball career and the "IN YOUR FACE" attitude emerges.
Last night, JHS played the neighboring town of Rocky Top. Katybug only got to play a couple of minutes in the first half and about three minutes in the second half. She is a smooth operator on the court but doesn't have the "IN YOUR FACE" attitude that coaches are looking for these days. Basketball has become extremely physical in the past twenty years. Most of the shoving and pushing is overlooked and considered part of the game. Twenty-five years ago, we couldn't even breathe in the direction of our opponent without the whistle blowing.
I called my youngest sister, Kelli, last night to catch up on the latest with her. I told her I went to Katybug's game, blah, blah, blah. I pointed out that out of Nana's twelve grandkids, I could think of only one that has the "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS" attitude. That would be Kelli and Kyle's second oldest child --- Miss Kori. That girl only has one gear and it is all about winning and winning BIG. Kelli agreed but said that child number three, Miss Kyler, can get down and dirty when she needs to...and then she's back to chasing butterflies. Miss Kori is extremely competitive and everything is a race. Race to the door, race to the car, race to the bathroom, race to the pool, etc. Makes one tired just reading about it; doesn't it? Kole, the oldest child, just wants everybody to get along and have a good time. The jury is still out on the youngest child, Kase. For those of you that don't know the K-Krew, these children are ages 8, 6, 4 and 2. (Say a prayer for Kelli.)
I told Katybug she will have to toughen up and get more aggressive if she wants to see more playing time. It will be interesting to see if her paternal genes kick in during her high school basketball career and the "IN YOUR FACE" attitude emerges.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Leaving the Little One Behind
I helped Kris move back into her dorm room last weekend. The hustle and bustle on a college campus still overwhelms me. But then most things overwhelm me once I cross the county line heading in any direction from Little Town. I followed her to Waco and we stayed in contact with each via walkie-talkies during our trip. Made for some interesting conversation along the way.
Our first priority when we rolled into Waco was to purchase books for the spring semester. It was fairly quiet at the campus book store on Friday afternoon. We were able to purchase all but two books and were advised to return on Saturday or Sunday afternoon to see if the new shipments had arrived. From there we made a trip to Wal-Mart so Kris could buy a small vaccuum cleaner for the scrap of material called carpet in the dorm room. For those of who know Kris, you won't be surprised when I tell you that she bought a PINK vaccuum cleaner. We then relocated to a parking lot across the street from her living quarters and proceeded to make numerous trips from vehicles to dorm room. Ugh. At least the weather was cooperative.
It took us right at three hours to get her stuff organized to her liking. Picked up a pizza on the way to the hotel and called it a night. Started over on Saturday morning with a trip to Target to buy her some groceries to stash in her room. Decided to grab a bite to eat at Cheddar's and caught the matinee of "Marley and Me". We couldn't decide between "Marley and Me" and "Bridal Wars". We discussed "Seven Pounds" as well but went with the movie about a man and his dog. Take kleenex with you if you decide to watch "Marley and Me".
Went back to the campus book store to check for the outstanding books but to no avail. Took advantage of some down time before heading out to Red Lobster for an early dinner. It was 6:15pm when we pulled up in the restaurant parking lot. WOW -- it was crowded and come to find out, there was an HOUR wait!! We decided on IHOP where the atmosphere was much more calm than Red Lobster. Called it an early night even though Kris wanted to go watch "Twilight" for the fourth time. (She has pre-ordered the movie which will be released in March, 2009.) And for the record, it was cloudy and I did not get to see the moon rise.
Sunday found us back at Target for a few items Kris had forgotten on Saturday. Grabbed a bite to eat at Chili's and then it was back to the campus. We made our third trip in as many days to the campus book store. There were kids lined up outside the book store waiting for the door to open at noon. The two books needed were on back order so we punted. Kris started feeling icky so I waited around to ensure she was going to be all right. During the process of driving around campus, I spotted a UBS store that appeared to be selling books. Sure enough, we found the two books she needed and now she knows to go there in the future to avoid the crowd at the campus book store.
The inevitable arrived and I had to drive off without my baby girl....again. This time the lump in my throat didn't burn quite as bad as when I left her in August but it still hurt. The trip back to Little Town was uneventful but I missed having her to talk to along the way. Sam worries about me every time I go to see her or when she comes home because I tend to go through withdrawal pains when we have to say good-bye. I'm getting better and I admit that I eagerly await her phone calls and text messages. Motherhood -- I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China!
Our first priority when we rolled into Waco was to purchase books for the spring semester. It was fairly quiet at the campus book store on Friday afternoon. We were able to purchase all but two books and were advised to return on Saturday or Sunday afternoon to see if the new shipments had arrived. From there we made a trip to Wal-Mart so Kris could buy a small vaccuum cleaner for the scrap of material called carpet in the dorm room. For those of who know Kris, you won't be surprised when I tell you that she bought a PINK vaccuum cleaner. We then relocated to a parking lot across the street from her living quarters and proceeded to make numerous trips from vehicles to dorm room. Ugh. At least the weather was cooperative.
It took us right at three hours to get her stuff organized to her liking. Picked up a pizza on the way to the hotel and called it a night. Started over on Saturday morning with a trip to Target to buy her some groceries to stash in her room. Decided to grab a bite to eat at Cheddar's and caught the matinee of "Marley and Me". We couldn't decide between "Marley and Me" and "Bridal Wars". We discussed "Seven Pounds" as well but went with the movie about a man and his dog. Take kleenex with you if you decide to watch "Marley and Me".
Went back to the campus book store to check for the outstanding books but to no avail. Took advantage of some down time before heading out to Red Lobster for an early dinner. It was 6:15pm when we pulled up in the restaurant parking lot. WOW -- it was crowded and come to find out, there was an HOUR wait!! We decided on IHOP where the atmosphere was much more calm than Red Lobster. Called it an early night even though Kris wanted to go watch "Twilight" for the fourth time. (She has pre-ordered the movie which will be released in March, 2009.) And for the record, it was cloudy and I did not get to see the moon rise.
Sunday found us back at Target for a few items Kris had forgotten on Saturday. Grabbed a bite to eat at Chili's and then it was back to the campus. We made our third trip in as many days to the campus book store. There were kids lined up outside the book store waiting for the door to open at noon. The two books needed were on back order so we punted. Kris started feeling icky so I waited around to ensure she was going to be all right. During the process of driving around campus, I spotted a UBS store that appeared to be selling books. Sure enough, we found the two books she needed and now she knows to go there in the future to avoid the crowd at the campus book store.
The inevitable arrived and I had to drive off without my baby girl....again. This time the lump in my throat didn't burn quite as bad as when I left her in August but it still hurt. The trip back to Little Town was uneventful but I missed having her to talk to along the way. Sam worries about me every time I go to see her or when she comes home because I tend to go through withdrawal pains when we have to say good-bye. I'm getting better and I admit that I eagerly await her phone calls and text messages. Motherhood -- I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China!
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Ditch
The ditch that ran through our back yard was the ultimate play place during the summer. My grandfather had the foresight to pipe water directly from Christmas Hollow (a fresh water spring that feeds into the river) to the pens located behind our house. An artesian well was located at the beginning of the ditch. The water was routed through the pens, our back yard, back through the pens, through a field, through Grandmom's yard, through another field and finally back into the river. Daddy, being the rock mason that he was, "rocked" the sides of the part of the ditch that ran through our yard to help contain it within its boundary. The ditch was about three feet wide and only a couple of feet deep so we were able to play around the ditch without adult supervision. (I know that is unheard of in today's times. CPS would probably file a neglect case against parents.)
Mama never said, "Don't get wet" because it was not up for discussion. Rest assured, we wore old clothes and shoes when we played in and around the ditch. The most common game we would play would be to drop an object at the beginning of the water flow and see how far it would float before sinking or getting stuck. Nothing ever got any further than ten feet or so because of the rocks. Marshall was particular about which of his trucks we could play with in the water. Match Box cars were absolutely, positively forbidden to be anywhere near the water. That left us with mostly plastic trucks to entertain ourselves with.
Another favorite past time to play around the ditch was "Cowboys and Indians". Yep, we would drag out all of the little plastic cowboy and indian figures and set up camp. (akin to "army men") Our cowboys and indians got along really well until one of the indians drank too much fire water and then the battle was on. On rare occasions, the "sea monster" would get a hold of our plastic men. The sea monsters being crawdads that resided under the silt at the bottom of the ditch. (Another reason we wore shoes while wading in the water.)
I introduced Kris to the ditch when she was about nine months old. I was careful not to let her toes dig too dip in the silt for fear that a sea monster would get a hold of her. It was extremely gratifying to splash around with my baby in the same way I splashed around with my siblings so many years ago. The ditch is still there and still follows the same route as it has for over 50 years. I hope it will entertain several more generations of our family......
Mama never said, "Don't get wet" because it was not up for discussion. Rest assured, we wore old clothes and shoes when we played in and around the ditch. The most common game we would play would be to drop an object at the beginning of the water flow and see how far it would float before sinking or getting stuck. Nothing ever got any further than ten feet or so because of the rocks. Marshall was particular about which of his trucks we could play with in the water. Match Box cars were absolutely, positively forbidden to be anywhere near the water. That left us with mostly plastic trucks to entertain ourselves with.
Another favorite past time to play around the ditch was "Cowboys and Indians". Yep, we would drag out all of the little plastic cowboy and indian figures and set up camp. (akin to "army men") Our cowboys and indians got along really well until one of the indians drank too much fire water and then the battle was on. On rare occasions, the "sea monster" would get a hold of our plastic men. The sea monsters being crawdads that resided under the silt at the bottom of the ditch. (Another reason we wore shoes while wading in the water.)
I introduced Kris to the ditch when she was about nine months old. I was careful not to let her toes dig too dip in the silt for fear that a sea monster would get a hold of her. It was extremely gratifying to splash around with my baby in the same way I splashed around with my siblings so many years ago. The ditch is still there and still follows the same route as it has for over 50 years. I hope it will entertain several more generations of our family......
Saturday, January 10, 2009
The Rabbit in the Moon
"If skies are clear Saturday, go out at sunset and look for the giant moon rising in the east. It will be the biggest and brightest one of 2009, sure to wow even seasoned observers."
I copied the above paragraph from Yahoo's home page. I have always had a fascination with the moon, planets and stars. I am not a space nerd and I don't keep track of which space shuttle is set to make the next trip beyond the earth's atmosphere. With all due respect, I think it is amazing that men and women actually want to walk in space. It has never been a desire of mine to jet off into outer space and learn about the unknown.
Back in the eighth grade, I remember a solar eclipse was predicted to happen during our Language Arts class. Forget conjugating verbs on that day because we were all psyched up about the eclipse. Mrs. Roberts' classroom was on the second floor of the school building facing eastward. We battled for the best position to be in as we pressed our noses against the window panes. And waited impatiently for the sun and moon do their thing. I remember looking through several layers of film negatives as I watched the eclipse.
I have since seen a couple of lunar eclipses but the wonder and awe of that solar eclipse has not been surpassed. It is a certainty that I will be looking towards to the east this evening anticipating the moon rise. My birth sign is Virgo which is an earth sign and I will be content to continue watching the wonders of the Milky Way Galaxy with my feet planted on terra firma. For the record, I never could see the "man in the moon". Mama showed us how to see the "rabbit in the moon" and you can bet I will call her this evening as the moon rises above the horizon.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Using Your Imagination
I was talking to a friend of mine who was complaining about how much time her kids spend in front of the television set. And then was quick to blame herself because the television set is such a great babysitter. Her kids glare at her when she walks by and turns off the TV. She tells them to go outside and play. "Play with what?" the children ask. "Use your imagination", she replies.
Alas, the art of using one's imagination is falling to the wayside. As kids, we spent countless hours outside. We only received one channel on our television set when we moved to the ranch in 1973. It was CBS and it was very, very fuzzy. Daddy would have to go outside and turn the antenna and one of us would holler at him when the picture became clear enough to watch. Have you ever tried to watch a tennis match on a fuzzy channel?? Kinda hard to follow the ball.
Daddy was a rock mason back in the day. He would dump left over sand from his jobs in a pile by our playhouse. We could while away a warm afternoon just building roads and towns in the sand pile. Mama could keep an eye on us from the kitchen window. I'm not sure Marshall appreciated Boo and me handling his Tonka trucks but he was a good sport about it. Summer days found us outside from sunrise to sunset. Having several acres to roam around was better than any park playground.
When cold days kept us inside, we played board games. Nothing like cabin fever and getting your butt kicked in the game of Life to spark an argument or two. We never played Monopoly to the finish because invariably someone would get pissed off and the board would "accidentally" get toppled. We would build forts out of sheets and blankets and incorporate Mama's formal dining room furniture into our hideout.
If I close my eyes, I can hear Mama yelling, "IT'S GETTING DARK! TIME FOR Y'ALL TO COME INSIDE!" And the grumbling from the four of us because we are trying to figure out how many fireflies we have to catch to have enough to be brighter than a flashlight......
Alas, the art of using one's imagination is falling to the wayside. As kids, we spent countless hours outside. We only received one channel on our television set when we moved to the ranch in 1973. It was CBS and it was very, very fuzzy. Daddy would have to go outside and turn the antenna and one of us would holler at him when the picture became clear enough to watch. Have you ever tried to watch a tennis match on a fuzzy channel?? Kinda hard to follow the ball.
Daddy was a rock mason back in the day. He would dump left over sand from his jobs in a pile by our playhouse. We could while away a warm afternoon just building roads and towns in the sand pile. Mama could keep an eye on us from the kitchen window. I'm not sure Marshall appreciated Boo and me handling his Tonka trucks but he was a good sport about it. Summer days found us outside from sunrise to sunset. Having several acres to roam around was better than any park playground.
When cold days kept us inside, we played board games. Nothing like cabin fever and getting your butt kicked in the game of Life to spark an argument or two. We never played Monopoly to the finish because invariably someone would get pissed off and the board would "accidentally" get toppled. We would build forts out of sheets and blankets and incorporate Mama's formal dining room furniture into our hideout.
If I close my eyes, I can hear Mama yelling, "IT'S GETTING DARK! TIME FOR Y'ALL TO COME INSIDE!" And the grumbling from the four of us because we are trying to figure out how many fireflies we have to catch to have enough to be brighter than a flashlight......
Monday, January 5, 2009
Brrrr.....
Nothing like a cold front to remind us of what type of weather we can have in January. We reached our high of 35 at 8:15am today.
Back in December of 1984, the Little Town experienced a helluva flood. Two or three days later, we were hit with a snow/sleet storm. The Little Town was incapacitated for several days. People who live north of IH-10 have to understand that we are not accustomed to snow/sleet. And you don't want us to try to drive in it.
A couple of years ago there was an ice storm that stretched from Fort Stockton to Austin. Several highways and sections of IH-10 were closed for a couple of days. I counted five cars on Main Street in a two hour period of time. Count me as six when my employer decided to send me home.
So northerners and snow birds can continue to poo-poo us for closing schools and businesses early due to bad weather. South Texans are not equipped to deal with ice and/or snow and you truly do not want us on the highways and byways.
Back in December of 1984, the Little Town experienced a helluva flood. Two or three days later, we were hit with a snow/sleet storm. The Little Town was incapacitated for several days. People who live north of IH-10 have to understand that we are not accustomed to snow/sleet. And you don't want us to try to drive in it.
A couple of years ago there was an ice storm that stretched from Fort Stockton to Austin. Several highways and sections of IH-10 were closed for a couple of days. I counted five cars on Main Street in a two hour period of time. Count me as six when my employer decided to send me home.
So northerners and snow birds can continue to poo-poo us for closing schools and businesses early due to bad weather. South Texans are not equipped to deal with ice and/or snow and you truly do not want us on the highways and byways.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Insurance
Sam is not a happy camper. "Insurance" is a bad word in his vocabulary right now.
Back in October of 2008, Sam was asked by some of his buddies to help load a bull to take to market. The bull was going to require some encouragement to load up in the trailer. Sam is very knowledgable about darting animals and has the equipment to do so. He checked with the local vet and secured the correct drug and instructions on how much to use, blah, blah, blah.
The Day of the Bull (as I call it) was on Columbus Day. To make a long story short, Sam was gored by the bull. Makes sense that the bull would charge the man with the gun; doesn't it? The bull caught Sam in the back just to the right of his spine. Tossed him like a rag doll. The boys loaded Sam in a pickup truck and hauled ass to the hospital. Victor broke the sound barrier getting Sam to town. Once they arrived at the hospital, it was determined that Sam had some internal bleeding around his liver. The attending nurse told Sam to be prepared for surgery. This required being transferred to a trauma center. Sam requested to be taken by ambulance. Request denied and a helicopter ended up taking him to Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Internal bleeding was confirmed but surgery was not required. I brought him home two days later.
Guess how much that helicopter ride cost? $18,000.00 No shit. So Sam is jumping through hoops and trying to get the insurance company and the helicopter company to negoiate the medical costs. There is a helluva lot of red tape involved and I suspect this matter will take a while to get settled.
So my advice to everybody: Make sure you know what kind of coverage you have on your insurance policies. This includes health, home, auto -- all of it! It may sound boring but take some time to look through your policies instead of just filing them in the bottom drawer of the desk.
Back in October of 2008, Sam was asked by some of his buddies to help load a bull to take to market. The bull was going to require some encouragement to load up in the trailer. Sam is very knowledgable about darting animals and has the equipment to do so. He checked with the local vet and secured the correct drug and instructions on how much to use, blah, blah, blah.
The Day of the Bull (as I call it) was on Columbus Day. To make a long story short, Sam was gored by the bull. Makes sense that the bull would charge the man with the gun; doesn't it? The bull caught Sam in the back just to the right of his spine. Tossed him like a rag doll. The boys loaded Sam in a pickup truck and hauled ass to the hospital. Victor broke the sound barrier getting Sam to town. Once they arrived at the hospital, it was determined that Sam had some internal bleeding around his liver. The attending nurse told Sam to be prepared for surgery. This required being transferred to a trauma center. Sam requested to be taken by ambulance. Request denied and a helicopter ended up taking him to Brooks Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Internal bleeding was confirmed but surgery was not required. I brought him home two days later.
Guess how much that helicopter ride cost? $18,000.00 No shit. So Sam is jumping through hoops and trying to get the insurance company and the helicopter company to negoiate the medical costs. There is a helluva lot of red tape involved and I suspect this matter will take a while to get settled.
So my advice to everybody: Make sure you know what kind of coverage you have on your insurance policies. This includes health, home, auto -- all of it! It may sound boring but take some time to look through your policies instead of just filing them in the bottom drawer of the desk.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Street Lights
Three or four months ago, the city council decided to have stop signs placed at various intersections in the Little Town. Intersections where before there had not been a yield or stop sign. One such intersection is in front of my house. I'll be the first to admit that I rarely if ever stop at said intersection. The sign is within spitting distance of my driveway so I have already looked all directions before backing out into the street.
Let me remind you that my neighborhood is 90% retired folks. And I've just been waiting to see who will either run the stop sign and get a ticket OR hit the damn sign. And it finally happened when Kris and I weren't home. Our neighbor up the street has two granddaughters that frequent our street. And one of the granddaughters "bumped" the sign. No damage done to her or her vehicle. But the stop sign will need to be tweaked.
It was already dark when Kris and I drove up as the local law officer was taking pictures of the sign. During the course of conversation I made a comment to the officer about how dark it is in our neighborhood. (This is the same officer that is my backyard neighbor -- the one whose yard where the dead 10-point buck was discovered.) There are no city street lights within a three block range of my house. Dortha has a privately owned one on the east side of her house. And GoPa has one behind his house in the alley. That's it.
One of the things I plan on doing on Monday is to find out how to go about having a couple of street lights erected in our neighborhood. We've had a few recent instances take place that probably could have been prevented had we had a few lights here and there. Hhmm, wonder if I should petition my neighbors or not?!
Let me remind you that my neighborhood is 90% retired folks. And I've just been waiting to see who will either run the stop sign and get a ticket OR hit the damn sign. And it finally happened when Kris and I weren't home. Our neighbor up the street has two granddaughters that frequent our street. And one of the granddaughters "bumped" the sign. No damage done to her or her vehicle. But the stop sign will need to be tweaked.
It was already dark when Kris and I drove up as the local law officer was taking pictures of the sign. During the course of conversation I made a comment to the officer about how dark it is in our neighborhood. (This is the same officer that is my backyard neighbor -- the one whose yard where the dead 10-point buck was discovered.) There are no city street lights within a three block range of my house. Dortha has a privately owned one on the east side of her house. And GoPa has one behind his house in the alley. That's it.
One of the things I plan on doing on Monday is to find out how to go about having a couple of street lights erected in our neighborhood. We've had a few recent instances take place that probably could have been prevented had we had a few lights here and there. Hhmm, wonder if I should petition my neighbors or not?!
Dishwasher
I LOVE MY DISHWASHER! Marshall and Sam installed it on Tuesday with a few pointers from GoPa. I finally had enough dishes loaded in it yesterday to justify the electricty and water it takes to operate the appliance. Utilizing the dishwasher falls under my plan of taking time to smell the roses. Instead of spending 30 to 40 minutes washing, rinsing, drying and putting away the dishes after lunch, I was able to begin reading John Sanford's newest novel.
Since this was the Whirlpool's maiden voyage, I checked for water leaks the first few times I heard water whooshing around inside the dishwasher. Marshall and Sam passed the test because it worked like a charm. I will forever be in their debt for all the manly chores they tend to for me. The guys had to remove four drawers in order to install the dishwasher. The utensils and some other kitchen necessities are currently stored in a couple of paper sacks and a Rubbermaid tub. Dennis and Marshall are going to build a cabinet to house the four drawers so I won't lose any storage space.
Alas! Old habits die hard. I ended up hand-washing the breakfast dishes this morning. It might take a little longer than I expected to fall into the habit of hiding dirty dishes in the dish washer.
Since this was the Whirlpool's maiden voyage, I checked for water leaks the first few times I heard water whooshing around inside the dishwasher. Marshall and Sam passed the test because it worked like a charm. I will forever be in their debt for all the manly chores they tend to for me. The guys had to remove four drawers in order to install the dishwasher. The utensils and some other kitchen necessities are currently stored in a couple of paper sacks and a Rubbermaid tub. Dennis and Marshall are going to build a cabinet to house the four drawers so I won't lose any storage space.
Alas! Old habits die hard. I ended up hand-washing the breakfast dishes this morning. It might take a little longer than I expected to fall into the habit of hiding dirty dishes in the dish washer.
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