Two Thousand Six In The Sticks

I'm sitting here waiting for the New Year to begin and thinking of celebrations past. My husband and me used to split a bottle of pink bubbly every New Year's Eve. Now that would put me under the table....so I have a glass of my favorite wine (Llano Blush) at my fingertips and the laptop in my lap. I spent the day doing my laundry! My goal was to have all my laundry done before the end of the year. A modest goal, laughable even, but since I'm pretty sure I won't be instrumental in bringing about world peace or the cure for the common cold, I'll just stick to my little rut and do my chores.

Happy New Year!!

I'm In The Near-Elderly Category!

I'm a near-elderly woman, at least according to the article on life expectancy and aging here. I've never heard the term "near-elderly" before, but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that "The 55-to-64 age group is expected to rise from 29 million Americans in 2004 to 40 million in 2014. That is because of the baby boom, the explosion of births during the prosperous postwar period between 1946 and 1964". I'm not sure if I like that term or not. Does it mean pre-old? Or does it mean no-longer-young? I've made many references on this blog about my age.....
1. Take That, You Young Whippersnappers
2. Does That Make Me The Oldest Now?
...but even though I call myself "old" I don't really mean it. The older you get the younger you think you are! The young think I'm old. The older think I'm young. Go figure! Maybe it's one of those grass-is-greener deals where depending on which decade you're in decides how you feel about young or old age?
The great equalizer is your health. Again the young think they are bullet-proof and the "near-elderly" with health issues know differently. As we age we lose our parents and our siblings and then our friends and it begins to dawn on us how fragile life is and how fleeting. I've mentioned my own issues in my post Get Checked. I guess in the long run labels about longevity don't mean squat....it's the realization that every day your eyes open up is a good day!

Crunch! Tollroad Oops!

Neither of these is my car. I don't know where this happened, probably Houston, but I'm not sure. I'm just glad the friend that sent them to me, sent them to me!

What Is This Butt Paste Of Which I Speak?

I have an extreme sense of humor. It's both a gift and a curse. It pops out at inappropriate times and is frequently not understood by the youngsters around me. I can pretty much amuse myself and will laugh out loud when somethings strikes me as funny.

THIS is funny.


It's probably a great product too. I'll never try it because I don't have any little butts around to diaper any longer, but I'd love to have sent my husband to the drug store at 3 a.m. to ask for "butt paste"....

Ash Began To Sass

I'm was surprised that Astro's announcer Alan Ashby's contract wasn't renewed, but I understand the need for new blood behind the mike. During the playoffs and World Series, in my humble opinion, Mr. Ashby went nuts. He was talking trash about everyone. That's just not done by the Astros.

I used to grit my teeth I'd get so sick of hearing all of our radio announcers make nice, nice about players on other teams that I couldn't stand, but I understood that was the way it had to be. You can't go around making enemies and talking trash when you are reporting the play by play. Even if you are doing color commentary, which I believe Mr. Ashby's job was, you've got to think about what you say and how it might come back to haunt you some day. I can't remember anything specific he said, of course, but I remember being shocked that he was being overly harsh in his comments about the Astros.

He had his glory days catching some of the Astro's best pitchers and earned his way into the history books, but he never went to the World Series and how dare he criticize those that did and then fell short. Surely he didn't think the guys weren't doing all they could to look better than they did? Bottom line, he forgot the most important rule: if you can't say anything nice about someone, then just keep your pie hole closed.

That Figures

Did you know that "Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married"?


I know this because when I had an ad all I heard from was married men looking for nooners.


I also know this because I read it here.

Little Dicks Need Love Too

There's a great bit on SciGuy's blog that got me to thinking. The premise is that guys with big brains have small balls and visa versa. Now I hasten to add that the "study" that this proposition comes from was done with BATS not well endowed BABES.

My own study has shown that the men with the biggest wallets tend to have the smallest dicks .... but .... thank God .... not always visa versa. The perfect man would have brains, brawn, balls and a big bracket in the tax racket!

HPD & HCPAAA's Comida Food Drive & Me

I recently spent four days at my local Fiesta grocery store running the Comida Food Drive sponsored by the Houston Police Department and the Houston Citizen’s Police Academy Alumni Association. I’m proud to be a graduate of the HCPAAA’s Class 30 and this is the 2nd consecutive year I’ve been the “Captain” at “my” Fiesta. Its hard work to beg people for money and/or canned goods, but someone has to do it and why not me?


I had help from two of my Class 30 classmates and one nice lady from Class 32. I had lots of help from several churches too. As I understand it, the churches provide the list of names of people that need assistance and then they are more than willing to send volunteers out to the 20 city-wide Fiesta stores to do the actual begging and pleading and subsequent thanking for the donations. In fact there was a LOT of thanking going on the entire four days. Every penny that went into the jar was appreciated and everyone that gave us anything got vocal thanks from all concerned.



Our store earned $2,076.22 of the over 48K raised. We turned in 13 boxes of food as well. Last year we raised less money but had more food donated. I don’t have the totals on the amount of food city-wide, but forty eight thousand dollars should buy lots of staples. Last year the Comida Food Drive gave out 3800 boxes of food! That’s a lot of canned corn. I say canned corn because that seemed to be the #1 most popular food stuff that was donated.

HPD promises the store captains uniformed officers to both help keep the money collected secure and to be on hand to interact with the citizens that donate so generously. The children get such a kick out of seeing the police officers up close and personal too. This year I had my very own officer assigned for the entire four days….his named was Officer Jed Rose and I tried to get a picture of him, but he was camera shy…..so here’s the next best thing! That’s his trading card that he autographed and gave out. He was quite the celebrity and a big hit with the kids because he’s young, friendly and very personable.


I’d like to thank and acknowledge all the members of the Houston Police Department that helped: Officer Jed Rose, Officer Ed Hall, Officer P. Abercia, Officer J. Duran, Officer D. Anders, Sergeants B. Leatherwood and B. Roberts and civilian employee Betty Harrell. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, thanks to the store managers and other employees that “put up” with us invading their space for 8 plus hours a day. Fiesta is both generous and smart for allowing this yearly event and we do appreciate it.

About That Cryin' Mary Statue...

I was raised Catholic so I know better than to joke about stuff like this.

A statue of the Virgin Mary appears to weep bloody tears outside a Catholic Church in Sacramento, California, and who knows, maybe it's on the level. Maybe it's cleverly designed to wash away the very devil. Maybe it's an even more clever way to garner attention which equates into dollars. I'm not about to say which. Like the man said, I hope the CC investigates it throughly (you know, like letting O.J. pick his own judge, jury and prosecutors) and then we'll know the truth (kind of like the real killer, only not).

But here's what brought me to my keyboard .... how come the statues always cry whether it be tears or blood or Coca Cola or chocolate milk? Why don't they laugh out loud? Or move? Or talk? Or levitate? It'd be more effective if it just sat down and said what's on its mind. Then Barbara Walters or one of those TeeVee ladies could interview it and depending on what was said, the whole world could stop screwing around and get down to God's business. It'd be clear, concise and not shielded by robes and vespers. There'd be none of this interpreting it to fit whatever agenda one has. And one of the sponsors could even be Kleenex....

What Is This BBS Of Which You Speak?

I got some mail the other day that blew me away. I was asked if I was the same person who used to run the BIO BBS years ago. I told him "guilty as charged"! Only I'd called it BIO Feedback BBS and I was at the helm for 10 long years. I also called myself "Momma Bear"..... because my late husband called me "Teddy Bear" and I wanted to make it absolutely clear to my "users" that I was a mom and a married lady and not some pimply, horny 13-year-old boy posing as a hot babe. You laugh, but lots of kids did that very same thing back then! You got better "access" if you were female (even old like me!) because there just weren't that many gals online. I had a ball too. I ate all that attention up with a spoon and asked for more. I "met" a lot of great guys and some of them I'm still in touch with. Heck, one of them, ("Osprey"), even became my son-in-law!

I Support Our President

I support the President and respect him too. He didn't make the mess in the Middle East, but he's responsible enough to know we can't just pick up all our mables and come back home and be looked upon as anything more that quitters and weak. No one likes it that American and other allies are being killed, but to leave before the job is finished is to say all those deaths didn't matter.

Thank you, Mr. President for doing the most difficult job in the entire world. Thank you to every man and woman in uniform serving our country with pride and dignity. There are millions of us that applaud your efforts and pray for your safe return and for the end to the hostilities. However I believe that withdrawing is not the same thing as winning and we can't ever afford to let a bully have his way. God bless the USA.

BOLO My Bears, Dammit!

A year ago this adorable Christmas decoration, a gift from a son-in-law and daughter, was happily ensconced in my front yard to greet the holiday travelers passing my humble abode. It was meant to cheer up everyone who saw it, including me. It cheered me up just to see it and it reminded me of all that's good about Christmas time. It helped to alleviate some not so happy memories about Christmas time too.

Three days afterward it was GONE. Stolen. Relocated to that cheap flea market in the sky. Ripped off. Confiscated. Appropriated. MIA. Lost for all time. I called the cops, they looked serious, but thought it was funny. I wanted a BOLO, I offered a reward, I cried. I got a replacement that's okay, but it wasn't THAT one and it had to go in the backyard where only family and guests could see it and my big dog would sink his fangs into anyone that dared to mess with it. But still I grieve. So I thought, in an attempt to salve my feelings, I'd rant about it here in the one place I can freely rant without being tagged a whiny ass crybaby ingrate. (In theory).

So I'm back to offering that reward for information leading to the return, in good blow-up-able shape with no questions asked. The reward is a 9 x 13 inch pan of my delicious chocolate fudge with or without nuts, your choice. You'll also be the object of my undying gratitude and semi-devotion for all times or until I croak, whichever comes first. Study the picture well, then BE ON the LOOK OUT for. God speed!

But What About The Doctor?

I sent e-mail to the reporter covering the story on the JP that tried to re-up her dead moms handicap placard and she never responded.

This is what I asked her:
Has anyone checked into the doctor who had to sign off on the form for Ms. Bell to renew the handicap parking privileges? You can't just waltz down and get a placard/plates without a doctor swearing to your handicap status. Surely the mom's doctor would know she was deceased! I know how thorough Ms. Goode is so I'm assuming that was checked into and it just wasn't considered relevant....but I'm curious nonetheless......

I've got a handicap placard and before I got it and the one time I renewed it I had to take a form to my doctor and get him to fill it out confirming my need for the placard. I do know how thorough Ms. Donna Goode is too because I've been priviledged to sit on a couple of Grand Juries and see her work for myself. She's one of the brightest stars in Harris County's justice system. And I'll bet she wanted to see a stiffer punishment for Ms. Bell. I bet I did too.

My Pie Hole Has A Cavity!

I made my semi-annual trip to the dentist to have the barnacles scraped off my teeth today. He found a tiny cavity BETWEEN two teeth AGAIN. Bummer. I hadn't had one in awhile and thought maybe I was "over" them. He'll patch this one up, but next time it'll mean yet another crown because it's been patched before on the other side. I've got so many crowns now I feel like the Queen of England!

Most folks hate going to the dentist and my name is at the top of that list. I had some inept ones work on me when I was growing up and they pretty much scarred me for life. Plus my teeth are not the best to begin with and I smoked for most of my life. I'm nicotine free for 13 years now and I only want one every 6 months or so. You don't get over the craving completely (don't listen to anyone that tells you differently), but you'd be as nuts to return to smoking as you ever were to have begun in the first place.

I'm lucky to have found the best dentist in Houston. Well, there are two of them actually, but mine is such a sweetheart and he babies me. He's also extremely skillful and has given me several root canals, in addition to the fillings and crowns. Only once did he have to send me to a specialist. I probably shouldn't brag about this because I'm going to give out his name, but he still cleans my teeth! He knows how chicken I am and I think I might have even "threatened" to stop going in altogether if he sent me to the hygienist. There are a handful of us that he humors and I don't know about the others, but I'm so grateful that I'm in the "in" group! He's just the best. I trust him completely and he is as gentle with me as can be under the circumstances. His name is Dr. John L. Walker and he's in the Memorial Professional Building with Dr. Frels....their number is 713-465-6786.

Love Behind Bars (Gag me)

I enjoyed watching some of the True Hollywood Story on "E" tv, but currently I've TiVoed one called Love Behind Bars and I'm having a difficult time watching the whole thing. I watch and then I stop it in disgust and then later, due to boredom, I go back and watch some more. Some of the shows I've seen have been interesting....sort of like Biography on steroids....because they last 2 hours instead of just one hour. But I digress...

Those that know me know I take a dim view on feeling sorry for criminals that got what they deserved whether it be jail or tomb. A show like Love Behind Bars excentuates how people that murder can continue with their lives and those that they killed can't. There will never be a website entitled www.writetothedeadvictims.com....find love on the other side. It seems that the more "famous" the crook the more mail they generate. That's just wrong. It's rewarding them for their infamy. I'd prefer to think of them all rotting in their cells and training roaches and bettles for entertainment.

Google ME!

Just how the heck many Google sites are there anyway? Let me count the strays….

Dwight Silverman just pointed out the newest one, Google Base. “Google Base is a place where you can add all types of information that we'll host and make searchable online.”

Then there’s regular vanilla Google. Which to me is like always having white bread in the pantry.

Next up is Froggle and Google Local. (Are we sensing a theme here?) I wonder what they’d call an adult only search engine. Nope, I’m not touching that one with a ten foot you-know-what! I’m a good girl, I am.

Moving onward to my personal favorites…. Images….and Groups. Closely followed by News, which I have to say I’ve never been to until just now to snare their link. I get most all of my news from my Earthlink home page and the Houston Chronicle online.

Then there’s Webs, which I’m not at all sure what that searches. Can you say ‘redundant’? I knew you could.

OHMYGOD! I just clicked on MORE! Google has more links than you can shake a stick at! Truly you could find your own ass in the dark with a handy Google link! I’m not even going to attempt to list them all! I’m old and not might have that much time left!! Although I did always think they would find me slumped over either my computer (the Commodore 64 – you know – waiting for it to load a program!) or the washing machine.

Well, suffice to say, my brain has been BOGGLED at the expansive Google empire! I’m not entirely kidding about the adult only aspects either…..

Dogs & Hearts - My Own Story

According to an article in the Chronicle today, a study confirmed that bringing dogs into hospitals is beneficial to patients, especially heart patients. I think ANY dog lover could of TOLD them that, but this way they did some scientific calculations and saw it for themselves.

Nine years ago I was in the hospital after having a heart attack and my doctor allowed my grown children to bring Cody to see me and it was wonderful for both of us. He couldn't come into the hospital, but the doc let me go just outside the doors, in a wheelchair, and love on him to my heart's content. It was good for him too because he's such a 'momma's boy' and I'm sure he was confused about why so much upheaval was going on in his den.

BTW that doctor with a heart is my cardiologist, Dr. Thomas DeBauche, M.D., and he's just the best, most caring, smartest doctor in town and I'm convinced he saved my life. He's one of those that won't take "NO" for an answer, but he does it without causing a fuss...he just smiles and next thing you know you're in the cath lab. When it's your turn in his office, he comes out personally and takes you by the hand and leads you back and then gives you 110% of his attention. He has a sense of humor and when you hear him laugh, THAT'S good for your heart too. All of his patients just adore him! You can see for yourself how great he is, just call 281-890-8588 and tell him "Edie" says "hey".

The Ambulance Chaser & The Speed Freak

I see in the Chronicle where a speed freak who was running a returns scam in Walmart was ACCIDENTALLY killed by a loss prevention officer and other employees. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide...which only means it wasn't natural causes or suicide. The attorney hired to milk the cash cow over the alledged wrongful death will sing and dance about what a swell fellow he was with no mention of his meth habit or the fact that he was a common thief and brought the whole deal down on his own head. What's worse, Walmart will probably pay to settle the suit and that only feeds the greed. Whatever happened to crime not paying? So the bottom line is he was killed over $94....well, boo me a whoo...if he hadn't of been trying to cheat he could of just walked out the door and gone on with his life. What a loser.

My Olympus Christmas

I just gave myself my Christmas present early…..it’s an Olympus Evolt E-500 digital DSL camera and it’s a pip! It’s got way more megapixels (8!) than I’ll ever need and the capacity to allow me to expand creatively as my technique skills increase. The auto actually is auto and the auto focus is astounding…I honestly don’t think I could do it any better manually. I’ll need to learn the nuance of how to focus on tricky stuff….like a bug inside a window screen when I want the bug as the focus and not the individual wires, but that will come in time. At least NOW I don’t feel so frustrated trying to become a pro overnight like I had to when I had a Cannon Rebel last year. That sucker was so complicated that I ended up selling it off the first chance I got to recoup my dough.

I bought the camera with the two lens kit at Digitally Unique for only $831.00 drive-out …taxes and shipping included. I say “only” because the manufacturer suggested is $899.99.

The folks on the forums say that Olympus cameras are the best kept secrets in the photography world and I have to agree with that. This is the 4th one I’ve owned and they just get better and better for my needs. I read all I could find about this camera on Digital Photography Review and it sounded too good to be true, but after having it for only a few days I was sold. Here's another site of interest to see examples of this and other great cameras.


This was taken in my very own backyard using the camera's macro mode.

Oh, and one other thing that I think is vital - this camera, complete with the long lens and batteries and strap weighs practically nothing! It's not going to be a chore to lug it along wherever I go. True, it won't fit in my purse, but it would if I got a bigger one!

Now all I have to do is convince my family to let me photograph them. They get all weirded out if every hair isn't in place and they don't look Sunday-meetin' prime, but I know from the pictures I have of my daddy and my husband (both of whom are gone now...daddy 33 years TODAY and John 9 years in Dec.), you treasure any image that was captured in time. You'll never be the same as you are right this minute and the people that love you want to have mementoes to treasure when you can't pose any longer. So, come on, be a sport and say "CHEESE", please!

I'm So Now!

Cool article in this morning's Chronicle about us old fart bloggers! Check it out.

If you don't have the time to check it out, here's the part I liked:

Three percent of online U.S. seniors have created a blog and 17 percent have read someone else's blog, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Compare that with online 18- to 29-year-olds: Thirteen percent have created blogs and 32 percent have read someone else's blog, according to Pew.

Imagine that....3%...I've never been up-to-date or in-style in my whole life! Usually by the time I get on board it's passe! Like the man said though, it's cool to be able to say whatever you like and get it off your chest if it's on your mind!

Thanks www.blogger.com .... I appreciate the space, dudes!

The Sox Swept & Our Fans Wept

It wasn't supposed to happen this way. The Astros were supposed to win something in the World Series, but in the end they didn't win even one in a row. They didn't exactly lose either. I kept wondering where are my Astros and who is this team wearing the open star? This team got no breaks. Well, okay, the homerun that wasn't, but that didn't change the outcome of that game. I don't want to open a vein though....not like playoff losses of past glory years....the guys made history on several fronts and if they can all come back, they can and will do better next time.

Some of the guys, mostly, that post to the blogs feel cheated....like the Astros made them look bad. Like now they can't hold their heads up at the sports bars. Like all you have to do is flip a switch and you can bat anything any pitcher thows at you. Like if they were the manager then it'd be a shoo-in and Mr. Garner can't manage his way out of a bag of popcorn. They don't seem to realize that in the entire 45 years history of this club no manger has taken us this far. HE can't flip that batting switch either. God knows if throwing a chair could of made them win we'd of at least taken a few of the games. It's just wasn't to bee. The Sox swatted the bees. The Sox swept the Astros up like they were leftover crumbs on the field of dreams.

There's a lot to be up about though and more of it will surface as the cold months fly by and our hearts mend and dreams of Spring and the training that will ensue. The best part is we got beat by someone new! Like my bro said "the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, Braves, Cubs, Giants, all had to watch it on TV" .... we didn't get beat by any of them! We ended up being the best the National League had to offer and that means we were on the top of the pile if only for a little while. And like Arnold said "WE'LL BE BACK".

The Wheels Came Off

The wheels came off the bus we call Astros and I don't understand why. What is the intangible something we lacked? Or, like the song said, what did we have a great big lack of? We left 15 on base...that means we had to be doing SOMETHING right to get them on base. Again we only lost by 2 runs...that's easily not the worst score possible. Our pitching didn't suck that much. True our manager went nuts and showed some emotion and not in a positive way, but I'll go to my grave saying he got us this far.....no other manager in the history of the team got us to the Series. It couldn't of been because we didn't deserve it, so I guess it was simply because we didn't earn it.

AND, God knows, the MLB was against us. The media networks were against us. The decision to close OUR roof was deeply implanted into the brains of each and every player and that worked against us.

My best friend was there and she pointed out something that no one else has..... the seats that usually are filled by the ordinary fans, the ones that hoot and hollar for the team, were being filled by the bosses and executives and others that were there to observe the victory and history. They might of held up a few signs with their lily white paws, but they weren't about to get loud. That's not to say that the fans let the team down though. If anything it's the other way around. And yet we got to the World Series, and that's an accomplishment in its own right.

Let's win one. Just one. If the Boston Red Soxs could start with one win last year, then why can't we?

My Jersey Gets To Go To The Show!

My good friend, Laurie, borrowed one of my Astros jerseys and she's wearing it to Game 5. I'm so happy for my shirt. It's not the first time my clothes have had more fun without me in them! And I guess it won't be the last time. Go Jersey! Beat the SOX!

Speaking of which, I HAD to wear socks yesterday and I wore BLACK SOCKS on purpose. Ha! Take that, Chicago!

There's a piece in the paper today about a "fan" in Chicago slapping Mrs. Biggio. That's pretty chickenshit. If I was in charge I'd outlaw beer sales, but that'll never happen because a lot of folks just go to sporting events to have an excuse to get wasted. Losers. Then this genius, the Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, suggests that if it happens again the perp should be taken to the dugout to let the player deal with it. GEEZUS, the idiots will beat those poor women to death for a chance to get into the dugout! Again, if I was in charge, I'd arm the families of the ballplayers in a NY minute!

Speaking of NY....whoa, it seems they aren't interested in watching the Series since none of their high dollar jocks are in it. Boo me a who! Like I was interested in seeing them or any of the rest of the media darlings that go year after boring year. So to liven up things, the powers that be are convinced that the Sox are going to win the whole show. I don't think so. One thing is crystal clear, if they can come to our house and beat us, then we don't deserve to win, but could we have some honest officiating for a change and a level playing field? Just give us a break and we'll give you back some entertaining wins!

Go Astros! Do it for Roger's momma and my daddy and, dadgumit, me too!

Ouch!

They are all talking about Brad Lidge and the effects the grand slams could have on his psyche. Hey, what about the fan's psyche? Why is it that any kind of defeat makes us feel like we did in past baseball and football and basketball loss years? I got a news flash for 'em too....there IS crying in baseball! It's darn hard for a fan to stay positive and optimistic. It's easier to point fingers and whine that this or that should of been done and that player should or shouldn't of been employed. All of the sudden the bright light of hope dims to bring out the Dark Side of human nature.

Well, I'm so not going to dwell on the what could of beens in Chicago. It's in the books now...nothing any fan vomits out on the blogs can change that. Moving on. Coming home. Turn the page, keep writing, it's not over until The End of the story.....

--------- Change of Pace........

This is a waaaay cool link! It's Minute Maid Park as viewed by God, probably..... check it out!

Baseball On The Brain

My old brain is just spinning in anticipation of The Game. I’ve read and watched everything I can if for no other reason than to try and get a handle on the White Sox. I know nothing about the current team….just the scandalized one. Obviously they are a talent bunch….one would think they are the best the American League has to offer since they are wearing their league’s crown. Mostly I’ve read about how Chicago treats them like bastard stepchildren…or at least HALF of Chicago reportedly does. How weird is that? When I think of the cities that would LOVE to have a ball club of their very own, it boggles the mind to wonder why everyone wouldn’t embrace one of their own.

We’re going to win this thing. I can feel it. I went to MLB.COM and bought lots of goodies….T-shirts and bumper stickers and the like, but I held back from going completely hog wild in anticipation of buying stuff AFTERWARDS to commemorate winning the 2005 World Series. Even if we don’t win it all, it’s so great just to BE there. I wish my daddy could have lived to see this day. No, that’s not right…. I wish my daddy could have lived so I could see him see this day. He’s watching….him and Roger’s mom and all the other moms and dads that have gone home. And just think, UP THERE they don't have to jockey for good seats and SRO is on a cloud! I get a lot of comfort thinking stuff like that too.

Go Astros! All the way to Chicago and back and bring it on home to the new dome! You earned it, we deserve it!

Is He A Girly-Man?

I don't exactly mean to be mean spirited about St. Louis Cardinal Yadier Molina, but why does he look like a girl? His eyebrows looked plucked and he appears to wear more makeup than me ... which is not hard to do, I hate the stuff. I guess he could be mid-way in his transgender transition, and that'd be cool, but he's a good catcher and I don't know why he'd want to ruin that with pantyhose and high heels. It's darn hard to squat in a dress!

How About Those Astros!

After having my baseball heart broken so many times.... over and over again.... year after year.... and the knowledge that all of those teams were great teams and we deserved to win..... to finally see the dream come through, come true, gives me indescribable joy. I was born and raised on baseball as were my brothers. We were taught that you never, ever criticize your team and that you didn't even boo the other team. The love was instilled for the game and the athletic abilities it takes to play the game. I can applaud a great catch or an outstanding pitching performance no matter which team accomplished it. A fine play is a fine play no matter the color of the uniform. But these Houston Astros are in a class by themselves! It's about damn time too! Not just for the guys to prevail, but for the whole world to know how great they are. I’m so proud of them and so happy for them too! Go Astros! Bring home the 2005 World Series Pennant!

Fun With Ball Talk

I've been having fun "talking" Astros baseball on Chip Bailey's FanBlog. I wonder if he's any kin to my Baileys?

I've developed a system for watching the game. I don't. I listen to Alan & Milo and TiVo the game ... then when we win I watch it! I can't stand listening to the "baseball experts" that are on FOX so I don't, at least not while my heart is racing and my palms are all sweaty. Last night it was as if the Cardinals were playing a game of MASTURBATION BASEBALL ... that's where only one team plays and the commentators watch. Now I know that's not a very nice thing for a little old lady to say, but it sure expresses how I feel about Curly, Moe and Larry aka Thom Brennaman, Bob Brenly and Steve Lyons.

As an old time Astros/Colt45's fan I'm going out on the limb and says "win or lose I'll love them" ... no one can keep those thoughts of past should-of-beens at bay, but THIS time I think they'll do it. THIS TIME is OUR TIME. Broken baseball hearts can and do mend and you live to love all over again. Life is good that way.

I Love The Astros Even More!

What a team! What a game! If I'm dreaming don't wake me up!

Thank you Astros for the best game I've ever seen! (The good news is I didn't have a heart attack while watching it! And there was no bad news at all!).

I Love Those Guys!

I Love The Astros!

I got to see the Astros play their last two regular season games yesterday and today. Today they clinched the NL Wild Card Championship by beating the Chicago Cubs 6-4. It was great and so exciting and extremely loud at Minute Maid Park. All the fans really got into the game too. Well most of them....there are always those that just sit there like they are catatonic and I always wonder why they even bother to come if they aren't going to cheer and applaud.

The Astros, 15-30 after a loss to the Cubs on May 24, became the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the playoffs after being as many as 15 games under .500.

After the game we heard that the Astros have extended Craig Biggio's contract another year. Yea! He was awesome this year.... he gets better with age .... just like Roger Clemens!

The picture is of the Cubs manager, Dusty Baker, hugging Jose Cruz when they brought out the line-up cards before the game started. I thought it was sweet.... I don't think I've ever seen anything like that before a game. I hope they hugged after the game too!

Go 'Stros! Beat the Braves!!

I Feel Mr. Brown's Pain

Poor guy got shafted all the way around and now he's got to face Congress. I liked what he had to say here. The bad part is the Dems (Dims?) in charge won't be allowed to give him a break and the Reps will be accused of political brown-nosing (Oh God, don't take that like it sounds!) if they do. Anyone doing his job at that time would of been hung out to dry. It's not his fault that he had to deal with Louisiana and the worst natural disaster on record.

NOW I'm Feeling Kinda Guilty!

Thanks to the deities that Rita took pity on Houston/Harris County and was a No Show. Thanks even more that my casa was spared the agony of losing electricity! I've had satellite throughout, my DSL worked flawlessly and my phone service was never interrupted. My only complaint is that I missed all the new shows on NBC, CBS and ABC due to local broadcasting of the traffic horrors. I couldn't even sign up for the Chronicle's Blogger Reports because I had nothing to report!

SO now I feel kinda guilty. Like survivors of plane crashes do only on a minuscule level. My brother in Hemphill has no electricity and no phone and is probably running out of cold beer and it was expected that they were far enough away for the storm not to be a problem! He had folks evacuate to his place to be safe!

I felt so bad that when the neighbor next door ran an extension cord across the street to the neighbor directly across from him, I did the same with the one across from me. The trucks on in my Hood today and everyone will be cool and comfortable tonight. Good deal!

If there was some way to run my extension cord to Hemphill, I would! But knowing my bro tho he has scored a generator and at least has a fan running.

It goes without saying, but I've never been one to not state the obvious ..... it's the little pleasures in life we take for granted until we lose them. Like being able to bitch about the price of gasoline while we are pumping it into our over priced gas guzzlers. Or griping about the crap on TV as we waddle to the fridge to pop another brewski. Or being able to walk though the house instead of wadding through the flood waters. The best plan is that man (and that included woMAN) is an adaptable creature. God sure knew what She was doing, huh!

Best "After" Article

Check it out at Ken Hoffman's A Little Disappointed, A Lot Relieved. He always does a good job of cutting to the heart of the matter and telling folks what he thinks is the matter!

Don't Mess With The Best

Law Enforcement in Harris County Texas has zero tolerance for looters. It just won't happen here. Some of Sheriff Thomas's finest are actively searching for a passel of looters in the Wal-Mart store off F.M. 1960 even as I type and they won't rest until all the culprits have been rounded up and hauled to the Inmate Processing Center. I applaud both their attitudes and their skills.

Come to think of it, now is as good a time as any to say how proud I am of the Houston and Harris County power base that worked seemingly effortlessly with FEMA and The Red Cross and Metro, etc. I was impressed with all facets that planned and executed the evacuation and particularly the way no one was trying to pass the blame if plans did not go as smoothly as hoped. I feel that is a talent learned through experience, intelligence and maturity. How easy it is to whine and finger point and deny personal responsibility these days. You-know-who in N.O. comes instantly to mind. I believe that the unspoken, or perhaps not spoken to the media, agreement was that our guys and gals were going to bend over backwards to show the world that Texans know how to get the job done right! And darn if they didn't do just that!

Ready For Rita

I've got a TV on all day, two radios tuned to 740 AM and even my Harris County Sheriff's scanner broadcasting and as near as I can figure from the deluge of information being widely disiminated by all in authority: We are going to die.

However, just in case we don't, they say you better have lots of water, etc. and don't be shocked if the power is off for two weeks, etc., etc. I think the bottom line is if you do die it's your fault for not heading The Word.

I'm doing what I can to be a good former Girl Scout. The Boy Scouts were told to Be Prepared. The Girl Scouts were told to clean up after the Boy Scouts and keep our mouths shut. My main hurricane preparations have been to get my washing done and make sure all the dishes are clean.

I've never seen the eye of a storm as tight as this one. It is scary, but once you're done all you can, you just have to trust that God will take care of the rest.

Cody Is 12 Years Old Today!

Today is Cody's 12th birthday! That's quite a feat for a large dog. He acts just like a puppy most of the time too. He was raised on Eukanuba dry dog food, which I consider the best in the biz. After his TPLO surgery I switched him to Iams canned and dry. I alternate Iams Lamb and Rice with Iams Beef and Rice. Today he got Beef and Rice for his birthday repast. Now he's stretched out digesting and wondering what a wonderful day he'll have today. Here are two snapshots to mark the occasion. I aplogize for the poor quality, but without using a flash, it was the best I could come up with. He's not fond of the camera and moves so fast just as I snap the shutter that it's usually easier to catch him in the yard when he's lighted better and capable of distractions.

Where Do The Shopping Carts Come From?

Is the Red Cross giving out shopping carts to evacuees to put their belongings in? If not, where are they getting them? I've been to the Dome dozens of times and Reliant a few and dang if I ever saw shopping carts for the taking.

And on another touchy subject.... how can you lose your children? Especially your little kids? I'm pretty sure I'd drown before I went off and left my kids. They can't all of been with their daddys on the other side of town! I must be missing something because that just doesn't ring true to me.

But now it's clear why the illustrious Mayor Ray Nagin is whining and cussing..... he sees the chance to make some bucks! He'll probably end up doing quite well financially once the Feds gets through paying him off.

It's Never To Early To Campaign

My take on the N.O./Katrina/Blame Some White Boys fiasco….

Give me a break! It’s gone from merely sad to downright ridiculous. Why are President Bush and his whole friggin’ administration taking heat for a natural disaster? The only evidence I’ve seen that even remotely hints at a slower than normal recovery process is being spoon fed by CNN, etc. And just when did the Federal Government become responsible for every facet of our lives? Come to think of it, I can’t think of a single, solitary thing the Government has ever done for me or mine and we like it that way!

If you listen you’ll hear the most vocal are the most malcontented and the ones that hope to boot the Republicans out of office by hook or by crook. Even a Democrat must know that at the beginning the Federal Government had no business rushing into the Gulf Coast and taking over. The States have rights and the citizens should look first to their own State for assistance. Now President Bush “took responsibility today for federal government mistakes in dealing with Hurricane Katrina” and that’s just wrong. As wrong as Mr. Brown taking the rap and leaving his job at FEMA.

Who are the malcontents? As usual when the race card is played, Jesse Jackson has his mug in front of the cameras pointing and, guess what, he’s a Democrat. Then there’s Louisiana's Democratic governor, Kathleen Blanco; Mayor Ray Nagin, Democrat ; Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va.; Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.; and, of course, the Democratic Senator from N. Y. who wants to be President. They are all beating their drums trying to make sure the Democrats have a chance at coming back politically.

Well I’ll never vote for any of them and if this keeps up I predict the backlash from people who think as I do will be terrible and swift. People are donating and trying to do everything humanly possible to ease the suffering and they aren’t going to take kindly to being constantly criticized. The malcontents are not just bashing Mr. Bush, they are bashing each and every one of us that are trying to aid and comfort. Have you seen even one picture of any of the above scooping up dead bodies and bagging them or standing in a dank warehouse sorting through tons of unmarked donated clothes, or making and delivery food etc.? Ha! No, I didn’t think so. I’m proud of my President and this country and I respect the tremendous job that FEMA and the military and all the volunteers are doing. God bless them all!

I Blame It On Pacman

In 1980 PacMan was the hottest game in town and I blame the way people drive in traffic today on that very same game. I know that Pong was actually the first computer game, but IMHO PacMan was what let the manic out of the man. The object was to win and to win you had to gobble up everything in sight….. I think that gobble mentality has been pervasive in every facet of our daily lives.

People used to let you “in” more and not be so aggressive in traffic jams. They used to stop at stop signs. They used to use either turn indicators or hand signals and not just expect folks to read their mind about the direction they intend to go. I learned to watch people’s head for clues as to what they had in mind, but then they started putting window tint on so heavy it’s more difficult to see the head….. well …..and that’s if a head is visible and not almost completely lying down in the back seat!

When we first got Right On Red, the rule was to come to a complete STOP and then you could turn Right, unless otherwise forbidden, if the way was clear. Now they don’t even bother to slow down and they get mad at the oncoming traffic if it’s in their way.

Used to if people saw a sign that indicated they had to go straight, no turns allowed, they knew what that sign meant. Same can be said for the signs that said you had to turn… going straight wasn’t an option. Now folks just do whatever they want and get sore if the cops pull them over. The speed limit is how fast your car can go. The right of way is whoever gets ahead of you. Tailgating is how you ‘encourage’ the guy ahead to get out of your way. I don’t foresee it getting any better any time soon either. I guess my best course will be to go ahead and dye my hair blue or white and get a big Lincoln or Caddy and putt down the road oblivious to all around me.

Get Checked

I saw this in the Chronicle today......

"It is estimated that more than 18 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, although some do not know it. The number of people with diabetes is believed to have tripled in the past quarter-century."

I've had "it" for 12 years. It's no fun. In fact, it sucks. I recently had a health care authority tell me that diabetes is "a progressive disease".... no shit, Sherlock. Who knew?! The best one can hope for is to keep the beast at bay, and there in lies the rub. The wisest thing you can do is find out if you have it and then deal with it if you do. Diabetes is forever. It doesn't grow up and move away after 20 or so years. You can't get a divorce from diabetes. You can't ligate it either. You can pretend you don't have it or ignore that you do, but it'll bitch slap you sooner or later to get your attention. For sure, it's one of those 800 pound gorillas.

A Single Dove

They say “one is the loneliest number” and they are right.



All my life I’ve heard that doves mate for life. I’ve been Googling today and can’t confirm that, but I did find some interesting Dove Sites. What I didn’t realize was that it’s not “morning dove”, like I’ve always thought, its by-God “Mourning dove”! No wonder they release them at funerals! There are links all over the WWW for funeral releases.

I have one sweet little dove that lives in my yard. I’ve seen her time and time again. I think she is a widow because she is always by herself and in with a flock of sparrows. Years ago I remember seeing a dove grieving by the side of the road, watching over the dead body of another dove. I just knew that was her mate lying there. I don't know if this is the same dove or not, but she reminds me of me. I’ve been single, through no choice of my own, for nine years come December 17, 2005. Right now, when fall is in the air, I get melancholy and miss him as much now as the day he went away. A bucket or so of tears will fall and then I’ll pick myself up and dust myself off and keep going because that’s all a single dove can do.

Here’s my favorite picture of my sweetie …..

What ya gonna do when they come for you?

New Traffic, Criminal Laws went into Effect September 1.

Check 'em out at TDPS.

My favorite one is:

HB 225 extends the renewal time for a CHL from four to five years, which will reduce the average annual cost of a license.

and

HB 1038 reduces CHL renewal fees by 50 percent for anyone over 60 years of age.

What A Loser!

Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans is sure no RUDOLPH W. GIULIANI. If he can't keep his big mouth shut they ought to lock him up. What has he done besides run his mouth at the media? Shit rolls downhill and as the mayor, the pile is at his feet now and he's just whining and complaining and cursing as if that will help. I know nothing about the man, but I'll bet he's a Democrat...

How to help the evacuees coming to Houston

Go to the SciGuy's Blog and see how you can help these poor people. I just love lists like these! It takes the guess work out of what should I do? Or how can I help?

How 'bout this for a blast from the past? From the Burdick Family archives, October 2, 1963...

Does That Make Me The Oldest Now?

I saw this in today Houston Chronicle: "A Dutchwoman, the world's oldest person on record who swore by a daily helping of herring for a healthy life, died today aged 115".

Does her death make me the oldest living person now?! Will my obit say something like 'she lived to a ripe old age and she swore by a daily helping of HoHos and diet soda"?

It is pretty cool that she made it to 115 and could still swear. I think I'll down a diet Pepsi in her memory.

Jay Lee's Patented Spyware Removal System!

Jay Lee's Patented Spyware Removal System!


A comprehensive "how to" based on the experiences of Jay Lee, host of Technology Bytes Radio, is an excellent place to go when you suspect spyware has made your computer life a living hell.

I wish I'd of said that!

On DVDTALK, one of the reviewer's wrote:

"In general, police are the ultimate garbage men; doing what we don't want to do and handling those situations we can't muster the courage to handle, all with their handguns and "thin blue line" of dedication to their own ranks. This is the subject of today's review of The Glass Shield: Collector's Series."

I wish I could of said that as eloquently -- for what he wrote is exactly how I feel!

Take that, you young whippersnappers!

In the 1990s, however, the number of 18- to 34-year-olds shrank by 9 million and its poverty levels rose, while people older than 50 grew by 12 million. More important, he said, people older than 50 now control 70 percent of all U.S. wealth.

Aug. 21, 2005, 1:10AM
Baby boomers set to revolutionize retirement
Spending power shifts the market from the young to the young at heart
By DAVID KAPLAN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

HPD, Their Chief & Tattoos - My Take On It

I see where the men and women wearing the Blue for Houston will soon have to cover up any tattoos that they have that are visible to the public. This is supposed to be some kind of effort to make them look more professional. If the tattoos are on their arms and not covered by their short sleeve shirts, then they are going to be required to wear LONG SLEEVES in HOUSTON! If they are bike patrol officers and happen to have visible tattoos on their tanned, buff, yummy limbs, they'll have to wear long pants. (Which sucks because then how are old gals like me supposed to admire those young, yummy gams!)

I don't know why the Chief is taking this hard line about something so insufficient. I mean, okay, if someone has a swastika or KKK or something equally repugnant, then fine, make them cover up and then stand back and watch them keel over from the heat, at the very least. Why hire someone in the first place if you don't like the way they look? Make it a new rule that new hires can't have blah, blah, blah on their fill-in-the-offending-body-part.

The brand new Chief of Police is probably doing a good job, but officer moral ought to be worth something. The public is spoon-fed anti-cop stuff on a daily basis by all the local medias. The only time someone says anything nice about them, other than the little blurb from Schepps's Dairy, is when they get killed in action! And then all the nice-nice is gone once the poor devil is buried. Why would the Chief want to bring them down even further rather than thinking of ways to support their hard work and show them that work is appreciated? Surely there are enough problems in the department for the Chief to find and then try to fix.... this "problem" serves no one in a city with a climate like ours.

I say the cops should be forced to cover up or otherwise remove their tattoos the same day the criminals have to cover up or remove theirs. And it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway, that a lot of law abiding, regular folk have tattoos. At the very least our police already look professional because they have HPD-Blue uniforms, big guns and shiny badges on their chests. I doubt any of them will read my blog, but if even one does.... let me say THANK YOU for being there for us... that thin blue line between the good and the evil.

What's The Deal With Wooden Floors?

I don't get it. When I was growing up and newly married, wooden floors were all there was for living rooms and bedrooms. Now one might have a throw rug or two or even some blends of brown lenths of rope-looking stuff that coiled around and around on itself to make a braided rug, but wood floors were standard. Perhaps rich people had Persian carpet...I don't know though because none of them ever invited me to their houses to see. But, back to wood floors, they are difficult to take care. They scuff and scratch and are not at all comfortable to sit upon. The best thing I can remember about them was that they do bounce a jack ball nicely when playing jacks. When one was "movin' on up", you got wall to wall carpet! Now that was a sign of prosperity! The deeper the plush the more dough you had "invested" and the more impressed your guest. It seems like a giant Mother-may-I step backward to revert to hard to care for wooden floors.

If You Have A Large Blog....

"This might take awhile.....If you have a large blog.."...

Is it just me, or is that statement suggestive?

Is there such a thing a blog envy?

My New Discover Credit Card

It seems that Discover changed banks that handle their charges and what-not and so they sent out new cards. Yea. Except then one has to go through the call-this-800-number-to-activate crap. This time, even though I was told my card had been activated, "it" went into three sales pitches for extras like.... I don't know...... checks on your credit rating and how to transfer balances, etc. ... frankly, I wasn't listening to the babble. Just the part where the gal says "and if you decide to pass up this extraordinary offer even though your left tit might fall off.......hit 2 now". Well I think she said the tit thing....but like I say, I wasn't listening. I was thinking of how I was going to blog the b*tch ASAP. What a pain the the posterior. Any fool would of hung up after the first part when she said the card was activated.....but.....noooooo.... not me..... what if you have to listen to the whole spiel in order for the activation to 'stick'?........ grumble....grumble.....

Genealogy - I'd rather switch than fight

I'm in love. Earthlink's Trellix Site Builder is the way to go and then some! Mickeysoft's Frontpage can take a hike!

I've been busting my..... (fill in something busty) for a couple of weeks now, but except for the almost constant fine-tuning because "MONK" is my middle name, I'm all set to launch! Well, actually I published it the first day or so, only because I was worried it would crater on me and I'd lose all that work. Check it out at http://home.earthlink.net/~edie_genealogy/ (how's that for a creative title!).

The only problem I foresee is the sheer volume of the work.... it's too difficult to get around the site, most likely, but I don't know how else to put a gazillion generations "out there". My mom's alone is 16 generations long! You gotta love those Cajuns and Catholics....back then they'd write it down when someone so much as farted! Too bad they lacked creativity in naming their kids.... they found a name they liked like "Jean" or "Pierre" and just named all the boys the same like George Forman!

1st Friday Of The Month Massage

I'm trying to establish a pamper routine. For two months I've had a standing appointment for a massage the 1st Friday of the month. It gives me something to look forward to all month long. My massage therapist works out of her home and she is so very good at finding all my ouwee spots and trigger points and applying enough pressure to make me practically levitate. Today she topped me off with some kind of essence of peppermint and I tingled for hours. She charges me $60 for an hour and I'm too cheap to tip her anything additional, although I did take her some gumbo one day as a treat. I don't know which I like better....when she massages my feet or when she works on my back where the neck ends and the head begins. God that gets tight sometimes.

ABC13.com Blogging Tips

Blogging Tips

Very cool .... it's a how-to for blogging. It's just the sort of blog info I was hoping to find.

Here's a sample that I wholeheartedly agree with:

Kevin Whited of blogHOUSTON offers his five tips for bloggers:

1) Write on a topic you care about (whether it's your personal diary, or about politics, or about a hobby, or about some niche topic).

2) Use standard English (check your spelling, use proper grammar, use proper punctuation). If it's hard for the average reader to read, why would he bother? And if you don't want readers, why would YOU bother?

Getting Old in A Young World

I looked around today at some of the other blogs and discovered I'm probably the oldest female here. Sigh. I don't know why I don't just fess up to the year of my birth too. I'm not exactly ashamed of my age. I can't help it if I'm relatively computer literate and hangin' with the kiddies. I'm proud of being slumped over a keyboard rather than molding somewhere in a rocking chair and wearing a shawl.

I did just read one young lady's blog and she's only 21 years old. She wrote eloquently about interviewing World War II service people and it was touching as hell to read what she wrote. It cheered me to think that someone of her tender years was out talking to the old soldiers and not just hanging with her friends and getting high or worried about what she was going to wear next. In fact, I'm so impressed I'm going to open another tab and go find out what the link is to her blog so I can show y'all what I'm impressed with. (Obviously bad grammar does not disipate just because one has been on the planet over 60 years!)......here it is.... her name is Zettie

Pet Peeve #1

Does anyone even say 'pet peeves' anymore?

Call me old-fashioned if you must, but people that write their blogs without using capital letters where appropriate and punctuation annoy me.

It's a shame because some of their prose would be more entertaining if it were easier to read.

Top 20 Favorite Movies

There a website called Your Movie Database that is where you can make lists of your top and worst movies. Mine is at http://www.ymdb.com/user_top20_view.asp?usersid=27436

They are sure a lot of friendly people there and it's a good place to look for suggestions for what to rent or buy.

My Best Friend

This is my best friend. His name is Cody. Lord willing, he'll be 12 years old on September 17, 2005. I've given him a webpage all his own right here. He has had two TPLO surgeries at Texas A&M in the past year and now he thinks he's brand new. He's absolutely amazing and makes me laugh at least once a day.

Cody's favorite activity is playing. He follows me around with a toy in his mouth trying to tempt me into a game. If I'm in the bathroom and the door isn't closed, he'll toss his ball at me in the hopes that I'll bat it back with my foot....after all, I'm just sitting there, doing nothing....

Rocket Science, Part I

This is a test of the babble ability of TexasGoodies. Had this been a real blog you would of been instructed to.....WAIT!... who am I kidding? I can sling blog babble baloney with the best of 'em. Welcome to my rut! I know, as ruts go, it doesn't look like much, but give me some time. Once I hang some curtains and put a picture or two on the walls, you'll be more comfortable. Heck, I'll be more comfortable! It's not like this is rocket science or brain surgery.