Thanksgiving Down, Christmas to Go

I am almost done with the holidays - I got through the Turkey Day meal without totally destroying it. I had to throw out the first attempt at the sweet potatoes and send dad to the store for more yams. I am the cooker of the dressing and sweet potatoes - even though I hate both of those dishes. We are still learning mom's new house and how things work. Her stove top has a dual burner and we learned that makes things a little too hot. I burned the yams.

I have all my Christmas shopping done with the exception of my co-workers. I hate to shop during the holiday season so I always try to get it done before thanksgiving. I managed to almost finish so I feel good about that.

What's new? I bought a recliner for my livingroom and have been using it a lot lately - what I love about it is that Winston thinks he has to sit on my lap when I am in the recliner. It doesn't matter that there's an empty couch in the room, he has to sit with moma!

Enough for now.

Happy Tuesday

Good Tuesday morning all. Why am I so chipper - don't know, don't care! Maybe its the Gregorian Chants in the background, maybe its the fact that I am over that icky cold/sickness, maybe I just want to spastic and silly.

I am once again back into my reading habit - it's amazing to me how one bad book can knock you out of your reading groove. Since I finished the bad uninteresting book - I have read the Dreaming Water by Gail Tsukiyama and I will finish the Hobbit by JRR Tolkien tonight. Less than one week I have finish two books and it took more than 2.5 to 3 months to finish the bad one. I have a policy as to not start reading another book till I finish the book I am currently reading, if I do I'll never finish the bad books and they will yell at me from the bookself. It really bugs me not to finish a book. I highly recommend both Tolkien and Tsukiyama. I learned about Tsukiyama by accident with the Friends of Library books (no book jacket - just a leap of faith) with her book the Samurai's Garden it's turned out to be on of my all time favorites.

Down With Chavez, Up With Rangle?

Personal experiment - Day Seven - don't feel great and a little cranky, 42 Days to go.

I really have nothing to share today. My personal world is okay, Winston got out from mom today but she was able to catch him rather quickly so it wasn't a major trauma. His stitches weren't ready to come out so we go back on Sunday to get them out. I faultered on my diet Wednesday [Taco Bueno] and Thrusday [McDonald's] gained a pound so right back on my diet I go.

What do you - out there in cyberland - think of Hugo Chavez calling our President the devil? I was offended and outraged but mostly stunned because it caused Congressman Charlie Rangle to come out and denounce him. Rangle hates all things Bush but he did the right thing when he said not in my country, my district about my President. Who knew he had it in him! Boycott, Citgo - Chavez's gas company.

Enough for now.

We're on Road to Getting Better

I have begun a personal experiment - Day Two - in about one month I'll let you know if it worked. Alls I can say is that it will be a long hard road - so keep your fingers crossed for me.

Winston gets his stitches out on Tuesday and boy howdy is he driving me nuts! The incission is healing and he is trying to scratch. You can't let him out of your sight for five minutes or he'll be at them. I've started calling him Whirlpool, since these recent vet bills have cost me my new frigerator but that's okay - the frig will come eventually.

Since I gained all the weight I lost at the first of the year - I am back on my diet. I swear I have lost the same five pounds 100 times or more. I am doing okay on the diet - 5.5 lbs in 10 days - 10 to 15 more to go, but what I would do for a quarter pounder with cheese, large fries and coke! I got my head on right for this but the slightest set back can do me in. Please send me all your weight loss vibes - I'll need the help.

Ice asked if I have done in more house projects lately and the answer is nope! As far as major projects, I am down to the bathroom renovation and that will be close to a grand and I'll have to have my brother-in-law's help for that. I will probably do that next fall. I also plan to cedar line all my closets and I am going to ask everyone to give me Lowe's gift cards for my birthday and Christmas so that I can get that done. I didn't realize how much financing the windows would cut into the remaining projects.

Enough for now.

Lump Free and Happy

I have baby home safe and sound without that ugly bump on his chest and a more ugly three inch incission in it's place but I now know that nothing potentially dangerous is growing in there. Man was it hard dropping him off at the vet this morning -he looked at me like "where you going momma" broke my heart. When I picked him up he was as spastic as ever, what a relief. It was a very long day but worth it.

Enough for now.

Peace and Calm for the Moment

It a gray rainy day, I have my windows open and I am soaking in the pitter patter of the rain. It feels good. Seamus is sprawled out on the floor with me here in the office. Winston is hiding in the bedroom - he's afraid of the rain and the office. My Sooners won yesterday - it may have been ugly but a win is a win. Today, life is good.

Tomorrow is a totally different story - I return to work and it's in turmoil right now. Winston goes in for surgery on his lump that didn't go away with two weeks of antibiotics. I don't want tomorrow to come - I want to live today forever.

Enough for now.

I Vote to Evict Will!

I basically have no news to report. So I am strangely going to talk about how much I am enjoying this beautiful weather. The severe heat that we had this summer absolutely wiped me out. I lost any enthusiaism for any home improvement projects, any creative anything. I hate to admit how lazy I have been - no energy for life. It's like I've been in a heat warp and I am just now coming out of it.

I took a few days off on each side of the labor day weekend and boy howdy did I not want to go to work today. When I take vacations, it's usually 10 days at a time and 5 days wasn't enough! Right now, work is last place I want to be - I need a real vacation.

Winston is all better from his neutering but now the little stink pot has a strange lump on his chest. The vet put him on antibiotics for two weeks before he decides to cut it off. It could be a number of things but the only one I can remember him saying is tumor (must think happy thoughts, must think happy thoughts). He will have his recheck on Tuesday and really hope that the stupid thing goes away by then but it doesn't look like it's changed in the week he's been on the pills. Keep your fingers crossed for baby.

Anyone watching Big Brother this season? If so, did you do the happy dance when Will, aka Dr. Evil, got evicted? I squealed like a sissy girl when it happened.

Enough for now -

Winston's a Unic Now

If I am going to blog this week / month, I'd better do it now while I am at work. I am unable to do anything at home except sit on the couch and watch tv/Winston. Last Thursday, I had Winston neutered and his back dew claws removed. If they would have told me how horrible it would be to do that I would have only had him neutered. The dog is a noodle and can wiggle around the satellite dish hat he is sporting this week and lick the wounds on his back legs. Mom has stayed with him all week trying to keep him away from the incision but he still got to them. I had to take little man back to the vet last night to have him restitched and the stitches wrapped. They also gave him a larger satellite dish. He really looks like a dork now. I am worn out and ready to get my dog back.

Enough for now.

I Believe

I am clueless as to how to help or console my friend so all I can do is ask for prayer from many. My friend Suzie found the love of her life 6 or 7 years ago, married him in Hawaii in a truly fantasy wedding and later had two beautiful boys. Last week, Mark, her husband, was diagnosed with a brain cancer. It's the worst kind of brain cancer to get. Suzie and Mark need all the help in the world to weather this situation. Pray for them. It doesn't matter if you know them or not, you know someone who is in loving marriage, raising children and needs a lifetime to be a part of those gifts and you know the need for a father and husband.

Deja Vu

At 10:30 this morning, Mom calls me and her voice is shaking and she asks if I am having a good day. What's wrong? I ask. She tells me that she let Seamus and Winston out this morning as she always does and went and got a soda. A few minutes later, Seamus comes back in the house and she looks outside for Winston. He doesn't answer her when she calls, so she walks around the side of her house and sees the back gate wide open. She runs back in the house and to the front and sees Winston running down the street. Quickly, she runs to her bedroom grabs a robe (since all she had on was her night gown). Puts Seamus on his leash and goes running after Winston.

Winston saw them and came running to her but wouldn't let her grab him. It's a game with him. So for another 10 minutes of playing catch with an insane beagle, Mom finally grabs him when he stops to mark the neighbor's bush.

Two days in a row.................Little Man is going to get expelled from doggie day-care if he's not careful - oh and by the way, Dad is in the dog house now for leaving the back gate open. I don't envy him!

Winston's Big Adventure

Yesterday, I took Winston to mom's house before work as I always do. He runs to her room and snuggles in to bed with her and Seamus. Around 10 a.m. she took both boys backs to my house to hang out in the backyard (mine has more room to romp and play). Then she went to her part time job. After noon, she decided to leave them at my house while she cleaned her floors. At 3:00 p.m. she decided to go get them - as she drove up my street she saw Winston walking across the street back into my front yard. Paniced she stopped the car (in the middle of the road) jumped out and called Winston to her. He immediately came running to her and got in the car - then to her surprise Seamus also came running.

With both dogs safely in the car, mom pulls into my drive way, still shaken she gets out to investigate how they got out. There was no sign of an escape point. She then called me still upset that they got out - I left work to check out my backyard and go calm mom down.

It turns out that mom didn't realize that the new fence latch was hanging up and that just shutting the gate wasn't totally securing it (there is now a lock on the gate). My neighbor, Harold, tried to get the dogs back into the backyard but Seamus growled at him, so rightfully he backed off. He saw them at noon, so they were out terrorizing the neighborhood for three hours. Seamus would lay on the porch watching Winston and when he could no longer see him - Seamus would get up and go to where ever Winston was then walk back to my house with Winston in tow. Seamus was the hero yesterday - if Winston had been alone I would probably still be looking for him.

Today, I have to go get Winston a tag for his collar - somehow the other one came off and is lost. Had someone pick up Winston there would have been no way for them to know where he belonged.

Enough for now - I am just happy to have my baby home and safe.

I Work More Away From Work

This has been an exhausting weekend! Aren't we supposed to relax and unwind on the weekends? The work on my front porch post is complete - FINALLY! Before I state that I want to refinish another piece of woodwork, someone please remind me how hard this was. I sanded off at least four to five layers of white paint on that darn thing. The project lasted three weeks because dana was solo on the sanding project and my back didn't like it. I had to take it slow but I did it none the less. Last week, Dad brought over his monster air compressor - Black Max (yes, that's the brand name) and sprayed painted the post a super high gloss. It looks really good and now with all those layers of paint gone the wood grain really comes through. So I needed to finish up the front for the project to be complete. Today, I re-hung this wrought iron bell on the post - it's not my style but I keep it for kicks. Then I noticed that with this heat wave, I couldn't keep one of my planters watered enough for the Lamb's Ear plants to survive. So off to Lowe's I go for mulch. I spread two biggie size bags in soaring heat and viola! the front projects are complete and I feel good.

Project two, this weekend was to prune out some tree limbs in my backyard. Some of my mature trees are not doing well since too many young trees are crowding out the sun. I have to remove approximate nine skinny but substantial trees to let the sun shine in. I was able to remove the top portion of five of those trees until Dad can come in with chain saw for the main trunks. So I had a lot of foliage to bag and get ready for trash day. I didn't make it - what's left will be Monday's job.

Today has been a hard day for my little man, Winston. He's had two pretty hard episodes with his reverse sneezes, so his allergies must be acting up. He's learned that when these happen, he runs to me so that I can perform the tick the vet taught me to stop them. It really takes a lot out of him - poor guy. We are planning on vegging out the remainder of the evening and go to bed early.

Enough for now.

Tonight I Ramble

I guess I should actually blog every now and then versus just posting pictures of my adorable beagle. I've almost survived the commencement print productions nightmare I face every year - just two more programs to get printed. I thought I was going to make it this year without a major reprint and I just might but one school's was printed, sat in my office for a few days prior to the school picking them up and today at 4:24 the sponsor called to tell me that text had strange spaces. Their commencement is tomorrow at 8 p.m. I don't know how we can reprint, let dry enough to fold. I checked the printed programs as they came in but then it got busy and I didn't check their's - LOVELY!

I am walking around with a wonderful ear ache that is setting me on edge. The pain is running down my neck and I think I will die soon. I suspect I have this thanks to the sanding that I am doing on my porch colum that I want to repaint or stain. I am kicking around the idea of staining the colum "pickled oak" - kind of bleached wood look. I am not sure yet. I swear there has to be 15 layers of paint on this thing, which is wrecking havoc with my sinuses.

I gave up cheating on my diet for lent but I am afraid I am going to have to give up food altogether for GAS. While OKC hasn't hit $3 per gallon yet, it's still outrageous! When I moved into my house 2 years ago, I budgeted only $40 per month for gas. I now spend close to $90 per month. It hurts and I am thinking of asking Dawn if I can borrow her bike to get to work - only problem is I would be a Ford (Found On Road Dead) after the first half mile.

Everyone, give Friend Shana a hand for landing a new job in Big D, where she really likes everyone. Good luck girlie.

I posted a few new pics on my Green Door Blog of my new windows - they are beautiful.

Enough for now.

Winston Standing on Grandma

My new fence and rock garden

The tupip vine is causing that giant shadow that denied the grass much need sun causing the area to be a giant mudd pit.

Itty Bitty Butt Head and Biggy Biggy Butt Head

You try to get two dogs to stand still - Seamus wants to go out and Winston is standing on Dad's lap.

My Big Guy

Today, we managed to scare the snot out of Winston between the riding lawn mower and the repair to my desk. But it got better when I carried him out front (he loses his mind out front and runs away so he only gets to be carried).

Invasion America

Okay, I am angry! Angry as can be! I am not against anyone moving to a different country to find prosperity but I am against anyone who comes here illegally and expects to have rights. Those protest a week or so ago made me realize that our country has been invaded and I am rather pissed at our Congress men and women are so impotent to correct the problem. It is very simple - follow the rules below and we might get some relief!

Build a freaking fence - we deserve to be protected against criminals and terrorist who would want to enter under a cloud of secrecy. With a fence, our border patrol won't be in as much danger and overwhelmed.

Fix our immigration policy - allow those who want to come in legally to do so without having to wait 12 to 15 years.

Punish our businesses - hiring illegals needs to be a crime punishable by jail time. They are reaping so much profit by exploiting the illegals that paying a just a fine won't be enough to stop the problem. If there are no jobs illegals will go home and wait till they can come over legally.

How did we end up with so many morons in Washington?

Enough for now.

My Summer of Leisure Begins

I have come to the conclusion that if I don't blog at work, which is probably a bad habit to start - I'll never blog again. Once I am home in my comfy jeans, sitting on the couch, watching tv - I am not going to actually get up walk 15 feet to the computer to blog. It just won't happen. I have become a sloth.

Well, Dad and I finished up the last of my outside make-over this Saturday. We dug a 10 foot trench added a drain to redirect pooling water. Smashed up the last of sidewalk to my backyard and hauled the concrete away. Added ten 40 lb bags of dirt, sod and created a path with flagstones. It would fabulous be if the new sod we added was green but grass isn't green anywhere.

I hope I really enjoy all this since I am flat broke until I can pay off the windows. No more new projects. I am not sure if I will be able to stand a whole year without some type of renovation but that's what it will have to be.

Friend Shana, are you out there? Who's turn is it to email?

enough for now.

My House Gets an Exterior Make Over

Hello blogland - have you wondered where I've been? More than likely not but I'll tell you anyway. If I didn't have my nose in a book, my feet where in the mud. I finally got my rock garden built. It's 12 feet by 21 feet large with red river rock. It's really groovy. I also replace the chain link fence that flanked my house with a 5 foot picket fence which gives it a real cute and homey look.

I ordered my new replacement windows March 17th and 10 weeks from then when they come in you will hear squeal like a sissy girl when they go in - I can't wait!

Enough for now, I'm too tired to blog.

The Boys are Growing Up

Is there one single person out there that's not puny? Everyone I know is sickly with me on the verge. This bizaar weather we are having isn't helping much even though I love the fact that I ditched my coat already and it's only 11:30 a.m.

I had a great weekend at my annual trek to nerds day out. The Friends of Library Book Sale is where I get all my books for the year. The only problem is that I have yet finished reading the books I got at the previous two booksales. I now have more than 60 books to get through before next February rolls around. Winston and my new house cut into my reading time so the average of 20 to 30 books a year has drastically dropped. So why did I buy 28 more books this year? BECAUSE I COULD. Yes, I am a nerd and the book sale is way fun.

My high school nephew who lives in another state, is being looked at by the wrestling coach of the University of Oklahoma City. How cool would it be if he were to go to college right down the street from my work? Everyone keep your fingers crossed.

Army nephew is doing real well, he graduates from NCO school this Friday. I am very proud of all his efforts in the Army and hope he keeps it up. I think/know his new wife wants him to get out and become a wrestling coach/history teacher. Army nephew has never wanted to do or be anything other than a solder and joined up as a junior in high school. I know the corporate and educational world and do not think he would be happy in it. Also, if he leaves the Army due to any other reason than his own and he doesn't like what he ends up doing, he will resent those who influenced him to leave. Everyone keep your fingers crossed for him too.

Enough for now.

Keep Swinging George!

I feel like an icicle! Here ya go Ice Chick, your winter weather has arrived. I am not going to moan about it considering the wonderful weather we've had so far. The funny thing about this weather is watching Winston go out in it - he doesn't like his feet to get wet so he hoops to various places in the yard and when he must stop to investigate something he will hold one paw up until the other gets too cold then alternate.

I do have one complaint - has the world gone mad? I am living proof that tag doesn't kill you. As a little girl in school I loved running around the playground chasing my friends for no good reason. These idiots who believe tag is bad for the children are just stupid in my opinion. That brings me to my next point, the idiot who has filed suit over Curious George is just as stupid. I loved those books as child and still do! Why do idiots think that we should all do as they do? Why don't they just not play tag nor read Curious George and leave the rest of us alone!

enough for now.

I Need Food!

My diet is going well, I have lost enough weight to fit into my "not-as-fat" clothes but still not quite into my "skinny" clothes yet. The problem is that I am bored with this diet, 1,000 calories a day, anyway I want just no more than that. Mentally, I am also bored with this diet, so I think I am about to starve. Whenever your head is not on straight the diet will fail and my head is all crooked right now. This has been the hardest week yet and I am six weeks into this endeavor. I fear that my resolve to be skinny again will faulter - I want MacDonald's, Taco Bell, Sonic, Wendy's and Pizza Hut.

enough for now

Blog Blocked and Need Help

Sometimes this blog haunts me, it whispers in my ear saying "blog darn it, blog" when I don't blog for a few days. I didn't realize how much spare time I had when I rented my little apartment and didn't have a demanding beagle. Winston gets quite put out with me when I enter my office - to him, it's the scarry room. So five minutes after I sit down at the computer he is running in and out of the office jumping on me. I have been trying to blog after he goes to bed (yes, around 8:30 p.m. he gets up and goes to the bedroom and goes to bed) but by then I am tired or not in the mood.

So here I sit at work at 12:28 p.m. and I am blogging - the problem is that I am not inspired. My life has settled down now that all the house projects at my place and my parents are done. Work is incredibly dull and I dread going every day. So what's left to blog about? World Politics? Okay, who knew cartoons could be deadly! Are there really that many crazy muslims in the world that would riot because some idiot drew something offensive? I am a Christian and there is no drawing or cartoon of Jesus that would alter my reverence or awe of him and I know that come judgement day God will be judging the cartoonist not me. So I would just ignore the idiot and his work and go about my day. I just don't get the protesting and violence.

Another topic, how did I get in all those phoney stock brokers who want me to buy stock email databases and how do I get off? How did my name get on E-harmony's database and how do I get them to stop emailing me. I haven't reached the desparation point that I will spend money on a personal ad. When I need a date I'll go to their site - when I need stock I'll go to Ameritrade. SPAMMERS LEAVE ME ALONE!

Enough for now.

Trying to Save Every Penny

Just call me the super saver! I have been on a rampage ever since I received my $143 gas bill - geez, give me a break, I only have a 1,000 square foot house. I have put my decorative sconces on a timer so they come on only when I am at home. My garage light is now on a motion sensor so that I can get to my car without stumbling in the dark or leave that light on all day. And I have replaced my thermostat with one that I can program to lower the heat while I am away and asleep. I think my old thermostat was not working properly since my heater rarely comes on with these beautiful days that we are having. I wish I could just live in the most comfortable way but I have to be careful and $143 is not careful.

I wish I had something insightful to write but I feel yucky. My diet is going well but I am hungry - my sinus' are rebelling and I am battling another infection. Arrrggg. On a good note, I've already file my income taxes and already received my state refund. Gotta love Turbo Tax!

Enough for now.

Reverse Sneezes Suck!

Today started all wrong starting with oversleeping then stupid people started bugging me. Normally, I don't have a hard time with people in my building but today those that do bug me all decided to seek me out. By noon I was about to go postal!

I probably could have dealt with people at work better if I had gotten enough sleep last night but Winston had a very bad night thanks to his allergies. At 2 a.m. we were up with his reverse sneezes that scares both of us to death. It sounds as though he's having an asthma attack. The vet showed me a way to stop them by holding his mouth shut and covering his nose but the last two nights these attacks have be so severe that the trick didn't work. After one of these attacks Winston is so shook up that he won't lay down - he'll only sit at the edge of the bed very upset. I think the drainage that causes these attacks gets worse when he lays down. So last night I ended up sitting up with him and holding him upright until he feel asleep. My poor baby is having to take allergy medicine that makes him groggy and I hate it. Keep your fingers crossed that whatever is causing this problem goes away soon. I need my little man's world to be right again.

Enough for now.

Happy Birthday to ME!

The dozen roses on my kitchen table tells me that it's my birthday (again, whimper). It was a good day for a Monday. Mom instructed Dad to go get me roses and then we all went to my favorite Mexican restaurant. Oh yeah, for the topper I got my car's oil changed - okay, did that while at dinner but a productive evening none the less.

All my birthday presents came as usual at the same time as the Christmas presents. As a child, Jan. 9th was always a special day set aside just for me. Now, it just easier to open my Christmas/Birthday presents at the same time.

Winston and Seamus spent the day together. When I got home and let them in Winston ate and promptly went to bed. He tuckered himself out completely. So little man hasn't been much company tonight. I'll just have to wake him up when I go to bed and get him out of my spot - he'll groan and moan but he'll live.

Enough for now.