ADDITIONAL: Introducing LUCY To My Humble Abode & You!

This is Lucy! Her "kennel" name was "Jasmine" and she doesn't respond to that any more than she does "Lucy" so I thought what the heck I'll call her what I like! She's somewhere between 15 and 17 pounds and around 15" high at the shoulders. She carries her tail as a plume when she's running. She has only been with me for 24 hours, but I think she's pretty much housebroken - at least she hasn't attempted to "go" in the house and she 'cops a squat' when we go outside. She's going to sleep in Cody's huge kennel at night just because it's the best place for her IMHO. Right now we're working on how doggies do NOT get on the furniture or the bed (mine!) or take flying leaps into my lap from across the room with little or no warning. She also needs to know that any contest of wills is already decided..... I'm bigger and stronger! Mom wins, thanks for playing. She might be smarter, only time will tell.....







After checking the SPCA and CAPS and finding nothing I was interested in I gave my vet a call and was told about the Prestonwood Kennels, home to the Poodle Rescue organization. This is the picture of "Jasmine" that was online...



Lucy was "strong positive" for heartworm disease as well as being positive for microfilaria. She was picked up by Harris County Animal control and ended up at the poodle rescue place. Lucky girl! She's current on all the shots including rabies. If it hadn't of been for the info from my vet I'd of never know this place existed! Funny how stuff like that works, isn't it!


She's going to the groomers tomorrow and the vet Wednesday. I'm hoping the groomers can clean up her mouth gunk a bit and the vet can tell me that her heartworms are gone and she's otherwise healthy. I'd also like to narrow down her age. I was told she was 2 and then got her and the paperwork home and found out the shelter's vet says 4. I'll settle for 3 if it's up for debate!

She's a sweet dog and loves loving, but she does have a mind of her own. She's asleep right here at my feet and has been sticking to me like glue so it's not going to take long for her to find her place in our small pack of 2!


This Just In!

Lucy went to the vet today and he agrees she's probably 4 years of age, but said her teeth look real good so I can say she's 3 if I want. He also wanted to know HOW I knew she was spayed. I said "they said so". He said "did THEY do it"? I said "I don't think so. I checked the papers and it doesn't say she had any surgery during the time they had her". So she might NOT be "fixed". I went to the Kennels and they couldn't say how they knew either. My vet couldn't say she was and yet couldn't rule out she wasn't. He couldn't find a healed scar. The Kennels say they'll get her fixed IF she comes in heat and that it should be within the next 6 months. Great. Just great. She weighs 16 pounds. Her heart, lungs and tummy all checked out okay. She's on antibiotics for 7 days because she keeps licking her nether region and might have some kind of urinary tract problem possibly as a result of the heartworm treatments.

I didn't notice before but the paperwork from Harris County says she's Standard Poodle and Lhasa Apso. The vet said she also had terrier in her and to prove THAT point she snarled and almost snapped at him! She had been doing fine and then just went a little nuts!

She was adopted once and then brought back....the snappy part might be the reason, plus the way she goes off when she sees other dogs. She sounds like a Tasmanian devil dog! I'm fairly certain all she really needs is some stability and boundaries. She'll NEVER be Cody, but she can be a good dog if given the chance.

Houston Astros: Assorted Observations

It's been tough watching "the boys" this year. They have certainly NOT lived up to their potential. There have been glimpses of what could of been and the entire BGO phenom brought tears to my tired old eyes more than once. In that once grand baseball land of old he would of been just as bright a star back then as he is today.....not just in Houston, but anywhere there are fans of the game. Fans that applaud not just the un-drug use, but his sheer talent, grit and determination. Craig Biggio makes "Charlie Hustle" look like he was asleep on the basepads! Rose was a slacker compared to Craigy!

Perhaps one of the most distressing pages written in the Astros book of 2007 will feature my own personal fav Lance Berkman. I firmly believe that the old Lance is still in there and he's just having an off year. I think it's some kind of Sophomore jinx thingee. Even though he's been an Astros since 1999, he signed that big contract and I think that put the skids of him for some reason. This too shall pass. He has more strength in his Big Toe than anyone else on the team outside of Senor Lee.

NOW what I really wanted to talk about!

Sex appeal! Buns! Babes! Even HAIR!

The Houston Astros are the best lookin' bunch of males assembled in one dugout on the planet. Hands down. Bar none. Hubba-hubba!

Lance is adorable! Pence is just like a big lovable puppy! He's all arms and legs in the teenage stage, but he's got that same Craig/Rose spark of talent and he knows how to play The Game. He's a student of the sport as well and you can see him studying Biggio and learning every day. And not just Biggio, he's open to any ways to improve his game. Lord I hope he isn't traded off or lost to free agency. He can easily be the cornerstone of the Astros future. I'm going to take the high road and only allude to the length of his arms, legs, fingers, nose and the ultimate speculation of whether or not the unseen parts of him are as impressive! What a catch for some lucky coed!

But I digress. This is about buns! Craig's got a good set in his own right. So what he's over 40, he's still got IT. I love the way his face lights up when he smiles too.

Then there's Luke Scott's hair! Absolutely gorgeous! I sure hope male pattern baldness doesn't run in his family because he just wouldn't be the same without ALL that beautiful hair!

Brad Ausmus is another cutie! Plus he's funny and smart. That's an almost lethal combo! His smile is devastating!

Adam Everett is soooo adorable! I think every female with a pulse wanted to kiss it and make it all better when Lee plunked his great arse down on Adam's leg bone and snapped it like a twig! It was a sight I hope never to see again!

Roy O - great butt! Carlos Lee - nice smile, beautiful completion, really well built! Brade Lidge - also a nice tight one and poise under extreme pressure makes him sexy as hell! I just wish he'd quit growing weird hair clusters on his face! Chris Sampson - one of the best lookin' pitchers on the mound on any team! And just as nice as he is talented! The list goes on, but my back grows weary from sitting here slumped over the keyboard. Much less the constant drool is endangering that same keyboard!

Bottom line - love 'em! Love their bottoms! Love their muscles! Love their smiles! Love to see them showing off their God given talents! Love knowing they ARE The Good Guys. They are all God fearing, flag waving, morally fit and mentally sound and C U T E to boot!

Goodbye To A Good Boy

Cody hasn't been doing well most of this year. It got really bad this past month and today it was time.

He wasn't putting any weight on his right leg and he had gotten so weak that just trying to stand upright made him tremble all over. Earlier this week his back legs spread so much that he couldn't recover and had to have help to stand upright again. He didn't eat his food nor drink any water today. He had cut back on his food consumption and seemed to not be getting nutritional benefits from what he was eating.

I called the vet's and said it was time. At first they said I'd have to bring him in tomorrow because they were booked solid. She was very nice about it and kept saying she was so sorry. I wasn't going to take 'no'. I said Cody had been going to that vet since he was 6 weeks old and he would be 14 in September and this would be his final appointment. They finally said if we'd come right in they'd see him.

My best friends went with me and him. Paula drove and I sat in the back with Cody. The first thing they did when we got there was to put him on the scales. He weighed 56.5 pounds. He'd lost 7 pounds since January and 9 pounds total in less than a year.

He stopped playing so gradually that I can't even say how long it has been. He wanted loving and his treats and he loved for people to visit us. Most of the time he slept. He will be missed by a lot of people. He was a good boy.

It's super difficult to make the call and say when it's time. But when you do decide you just know it's the right thing to do. The vet said he likes to think that doggie Heaven is squirrel hell. I think he might be right.




Nursing Home For Old Dogs?

Cody Is 12 Years Old Today

My Best Friend

What Kind Of Friend Am I?

You Are A Good Friend

You're always willing to listen Or lend a shoulder to cry on You're there through thick and thin Many people consider you their "best friend"!

What Kind of Friend Are You?

I dunno, I found the question difficult to understand! Like this one...

# If you and your friend were crushing the the same person, you would:

* Let a few of your friend's not so fine points slip out when talking to your crush.
* Have a one on one talk with your friend about it. You'll figure something out.
* Go out with your crush, your friend, and a big group of people - and pay attention to how your crush acts.
* Let your friend win. It's not worth risking the friendship.
* Make it a bit of a fun contest between you and your friend to see who can nab your crush.


I'm guessing that I'm just too old to get it! Although the double "the's" in the question made me crazy! I know what a "crush" is, but I've never seen the expression "crushing" used before either.

But I digress. (As I am wont to do!)

I guess I'm an okay friend, but my basic core is more self serving than a real friend's should be. By that I freely admit to being selfish! I rationalize that being selfish is being protective of self. YOU watch my back and I'll watch it too! I'll watch YOUR back because I need you and if something happened to you, where would I be then!

I honestly don't know if that character trait is indicative of basic self preservation or if I'm just a total loser in the friendship game!

Like I'd give you the shirt off my back, no problem...UNLESS it left me naked. If I was naked then I'd be vulnerable to ridicule and I can't hang with public humiliation! I must of had a lot of ancestors in stocks! And I don't mean the kind Edward Jones sells!

Why Do They Jack With Tradition?

This is not a world shaking issue. It's probably more a personal observation, but if this blog isn't for me to vent then what good is it? (Don't answer that! It was rhetorical, honest!)

Anyway this one is about the folks that are empowered to sing the National Anthem at such events as the Astro's ballgames at Minute Maid Park. I've been privileged to see a LOT of games over the years (thanks, Paula and Larry!) and it's gotten worse. I don't like the Anthem f*cked with! Sing it like it's supposed to be sung, don't go throw in all that jazzy, saloon style ebbs and flows. It's not hip-hop, it's not rap, it's not rock! I don't know squat about music or singing, but like art, I sure as hell know what I like and some of "them" make me cringe with their vocal embroidery!

I'd rather Papa Drayton played a CD or something rather than to turn some of these folks loose on the unsuspecting patriotic traditionalist like me. There was one a few weeks back that made me beg for Roseanne Barr's rendition over her own and that's just wrong! I got it when Roseanne did her thing....it WAS funny and she got slammed because that's not the time nor the place to be funny. I got that too.

I also get it that these folks take the opportunity to heart..this is their moment, this is their chance to show off their artistic ability.....fine and good......do it at home! Do it in the shower like the rest of us! Do it on a CD and see if anyone buys it! Don't do it where we are forced to stand at attention, hands over hearts, hats in hands, trapped and at the mercy of any yoyo that decides to "improve" the National Anthem of the greatest country on Earth.

'Nuff said.


Star-Mangled Banner

Oh Say, Can't You Sing: Celebs Who Tortured the National Anthem

Happy 4th of July!

I hope you all have a safe, happy 4th of July celebration!








God bless the USA! God bless our armed forces world wide past and present!








Go ASTROS!

There's Now 100 Pounds Less Of Me To Love!

Today it's official, I've lost 100 pounds!

I wish I had a picture of what 100 pounds looks like!

This is the best I could come up with....just visualize 100 of these globs!




I know what 100 pounds less FEELS like!

It feels like I won the lotto!
It feels like I can cross my legs and tuck in my shirts!
It feels like I can do anything! I am superwoman!
It feels like I still have 13 pounds more to go...



I can actually look in a mirror now and recognize HER as me. I can go into a dressing room and not come back out in tears. No salespeorson asks "Did that fit?". I can wear a belt! I can get on the scales at the doctor without cringing! I can sit in plane, train and automobile seats and fasten seat belts without extenders! I can tie my shoes....hell! I can SEE my shoes!

There's down sides too, of course, and I probably need a whole post covering those, but not today.......today is a day to celebrate!

It's taken 8 months on the 6th of July to lose 100 pounds. There's no doubt in my mind that I'd do it again tomorrow if need be. This is what Roux-En-Y surgery looks like on the drawing board...





And this is what it looks like in real life! That's me on the left and my inspiration on the right. My daughter Elaine is my inspiration and my coach....she had the surgery 3 years ago and she's doing a wonderful job of keeping the weight off!






To be continued....as soon as I reach GOAL!

Stayin' Busy and Out of Trouble!

Wow, it's been a long time since I wrote anything. Time flies when you're over the hill!

Let me catch you up with all my adventures!

First I bought a new computer and it's taking LOTS of my time and energy. It's a Dell XPS 710 that I call "Overkill" because it's far more computer than *I* need, but when has that ever stopped me? My roots are based in Commodore and consequently you can't insult me with too much RAM or harddrive space. This one has THREE harddrives internally and TWO externals! One of the externals is just until I'm sure I got everything off of it that I want and the other one is what I've been using as a backup drive for over a year now.

One of the internal harddrives is going to hold photos and graphic files and the other is for music. More about that later... I'm running Windows XP Media Edition and have only had one problem so far. I wanted to label some disks last night with the Roxio that I bought with this monster box and it crashed the program. That really irritates me because I had the older version that worked perfectly on my older computer. Now I'll be forced to play Dell Hell trying to figure out who can help me squash the bugs. It's always been my experience that 'A' will send you to 'B' and 'B' will say it's 'A's' fault and I ended up feeling like a ping pong ball.

I also bought a turntable that easily fits into the "Overkill" description. It's the AT-PL120 made by Audio-Technica and it drove me crazy trying to get it all tweaked, then like a bolt of lightening it all of the sudden found the correct combo it liked and the rest is all history now. I've got a least 50 LP records that have been well taken care of and I've always wanted to rip them into MP3's and be able to play them on my computer whenever I want. Of course it'll be great to put them on my iPod too.

I ended up using the great program that came with my SoundBlaster card called Creative Smart Recorder. After I've ripped the side I run it though Audicity to cut the individual tracks out of the larger file. Then I use MP3 Tag Tools to plug in all the info on the song so that iTunes won't show them as 'unknowns'. LOTS of work and very painstakingly slow, but it gives me a project and I'm lost without a project.

The purest among us would most likely turn up their noses at the quality of my rips, but I'm tickled pink and amazed with how good they sound. The Creative Smart Recorder even takes the hisses and pops out for me. The only problem so far was that my Mario Lanza record is horribly warped and it's just not going to work for me to get any good tracks off of it. I have a CD of his and that will have to suffice.

My tastes is music gravitate to music from the 40's probably because *I'M* also from the 40's! But I have, believe it for not, some rap to go along with the country and rock and rock 'n roll. I have some jazz which I don't normally care for, but like all music there are certain tracks that I like in small doses when the genre as a whole leaves me cold. I don't haunt the Blues section at the music store and yet I loved Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong and others like Etta James and Billie Holiday. I have a bunch of music videos too and love Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats and pretty much anything by Toby Keith. I bought his newest CD Big Dog Daddy and just love Get My Drink On.

I've also been lucky enough to see some outstanding Astros baseball games. I was there when Craig Biggio got his 3000th hit. It was magical. It was the finest baseball game I've ever been to and that's saying plenty because I've been going to ball games my whole life. I was there the next night too when there was yet another walk off homerun to win the game. That game was shaping up as the single most boring one I'd ever seen clear up until the cowhide hit the Crawford boxes.

So that pretty much explain my absence. The rub is not only am I not posting I'm doing very little responding and visiting. I got a tad burned out because one of the ones I read is going through some D-I-V-O-R-C-E pain and it's distressing to read at the best of times and so far this has just been horribly one sided and she could use either a boot to the butt or a couch to lie upon and some chill pills. She's surely not thinking of the welfare of the kid they both produced no matter how much she's convinced herself that she has. I always feel for the kids. Grown ups are supposed to be grown up, but kids don't get to BE kids much anymore especially when their security gets a boot to the head.

Oh well, it's times like those that make me hum Maurice Chevalier's song from Gigi...I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore!