I think I jinxed it...

Oy. Happy Super Bowl Sunday.

I haven't posted since Wednesday, because I jinxed my recovery and had a relapse. Called the doc's office Friday and they were not impressed. Been there, done that, apparently. They said I'll be hacking and blowing and *relapsing* for a couple more weeks. Sigh.

Feels like a relapse to me. Harrumph. So it shall be, in my world.

At any rate, it's put a dent in my little power productivity drive I had going on upon feeling better. Drats. Oh well, story of my life. Might as well be used to it.


So it was a good day for a national holiday, then. Hubs and I started out with some chips and dips.


Then, some appetizers...namely, Pillsbury Savorings Flaky Pastry Bites. The cheese and spinach ones are my favorites.


Finally, our entree: Super Bowl Recovery Soup. It's basically ministrone with ground beef mixed in. Soup is good food.

You probably know that I do not watch football. Not a fan of the game, and not a fan of any of the pro sports, really. I do try to make an exception for the big world-class games like the Super Bowl and World Series, though, if Hubs wants me too. And he did want company this year, I decided to be nice.

Neither one of us had any kind of a favorite this year, mainly due to a long-held grudge against the Steelers. Old-timers down here remember them as the arch-enemies of our team, the Oilers (who are now the Titans after leaving Houston and moving to Tennessee).

Still, my head said bet the farm on them. They were our arch-enemies and we hated them, but we did respect their venom. My heart tugged for the Cardinals. So, it was pretty boring until the final 5minutes or so. The commercials were pretty much my only diversion.

So, anyway, Hubs is now asleep and I am watching The Office and trying not to cough. Time to go re-slather Vicks on my feet. :-)))

Finally...

Finally, I think I am officially off *Depends Suicide Watch*. I'm still not well yet, but I'm definitely on the mend and happy to be there. I'm still coughing, but not like a couple of days ago, when the post-nasal drip got so dang bad that after awhile my abs popped their elastic band and died, leaving me with nothing but the well-earned nickname I.P. Freely.

At one point, I was yelling to God at 3 a.m. after being stuck on the toilet for hours, because every time I tried to stand up I'd have another coughing fit and pee my pants even though I'd just relieved myself more than relief deserves.

I truly cannot remember an attack this bad ever in my life. Which is why I still think that I had a cold at first, and then it morphed into allergies gone wild. The doc said I had no fever and no sign of infection, and that both cold viruses and allergies are rampant right now. He said my immune system is fragile right now because of the arthritis meds and therapy I'm on, so theoretically both could have hit me.

But, back to my diaper story...

I am ashamed to say that I ended up actually buying a package of Depends, or rather, Hubs did. I initially felt I owed him a big one for doing that, until it became so difficult talking him into doing it that it wiped out all my feelings of goodwill. Let's just say I'm glad I'm in menopause, because he always refused to buy tampons, too. He had absolutely no sympathy with the possibility of me having a coughing fit and peeing my pants in the middle of CVS trying to buy them myself.

So, how did I talk him into it? I simply reminded him, "okay, then don't blame me when one day you might be shitting all over yourself and need a diaper, and I pull the same crap you're pulling now."

That did the trick. :-)))) But you know that old saying about needing stuff only when you don't have it? Fate intervened. Within hours of my receipt of said dreaded diapers, I began to improve. I was able to go get my steroid shot and the diapers remain unopened, forever to remain in the bathroom cabinet when truly needed. By either one of us. winkwink

Oh, I do wanna pass on a home remedy Hubs picked up at work: rub Vick's Vapo-rub all over the bottoms of your feet and put on some socks, and you will stop coughing for a few hours. I did it and it worked for me. This has been discussed on Snopes but no conclusions were reached either way. Another great thing it does is soften the heck out of the skin on my soles. Seriously. It's become a new tradition for me.

So, anyway, word of advice to you younger ladies who still have abs that work: Youth, Thy Name is Kegal!

How sick can I get?

Yup. I'm pretty sure I can make my diagnosis now.

My head feels like there is a definite pressure cabin problem, yet no fever.

No matter how many times I blow my nose, it's always one blow short of being able to sound the All Clear...and by now I have the Rudolph to prove that.

You can definitely hear my every breath. Especially when I breathe through my mouth.

Every so often, the need to cough gently gives way to a whooping sound and chest rumble, which feels like there's a little concrete trying to set up in there.

My eyes kind of burn and the skin around them feels like it's lost all elasticity, so rubbing them hurts. I just finished putting some Visine in them, and they didn't even burn (any more than they have been).

And my body aches in places my arthritii has not yet gone. I do as little physical activity as possible, because it feels if I exert myself I'll make my cold worse. I do get my yoga stretches done twice a day, but then I have to just sit there for a long time afterwards.

I'm seriously considering sleeping for 3 days, until I remember I can hardly stay down for 6-8 hours anymore when I'm "ok". So much for that idea.

Still, I'm doing good so far about not having developed bronchitis yet. Once it settles into my chest, I'm a goner. It's Doc time.

So, here I sit, half expecting the worst, and marvelling at how there's still a chance I might just get better and over this in a matter of days. I am chugging down the OJ, hot green tea, vitamin c, and h2o.

If you would, please send me some get-well wishes. With any luck, I can head this thing off before my coughing gets to the "I-shoulda-bought-some-Depends" stage.

You older ladies will understand... ;-)))

Fun with Family

Missy drove home Monday night and brought her roomie Matt with her, so that we could all go to see a school performance in a nearby town of The Wizard of Oz. We had members from both sides of our family performing: my oldest nephew, who had a supporting song-and-dance role, and youngest niece, who was a munchkin. The show was absolutely awesome. They had a real, live Toto dog in the opening scene on the Gale farm with caged baby chicks to boot! (The poor dog barked hilariously nonstop at them, too, which was why he was only in the opening scene...Dorothy held a stuffed animal after that.) When the tornado hit, the little farmhouse twirled around on wheels and the wood trees and fence were all picked up by black-clad prop people and twirled while a light show and sound made it as realistic as could be. A boy! played the Wicked Witch fabulously.

Everyone was fabulous. Hubs (who has to get up at 4 a.m. every workday and was awake way past his bedtime) even said it was the fastest 2 hours he'd ever spent (which means he enjoyed it). My nephew is growing up so fast and will be 16 in March. It was great getting to see him and his family (my brother). You know I'd have had photos, except that school district is uber-strict about no photos or video, darnit. That was the only thing wrong with the whole evening. Family memories get no respect, I tellya!

On the shopping front, I found me a few good little bargains online after Christmas. I should add, I found tons of fantastic bargains and they are still coming. It's been tough not to snatch up more of them, but this is one time my K-marty frugality comes in handy, LOL.

When I got my fantastic fur-lined Crocs that I still love, I immediately threw out my old crappy terry cloth slides that were more than past their prime, but I did need to replace those. The tootsies need to breathe sometimes, even in winter.

So, I found some perfect ones for $2.99 at Carol Wright Gifts.


Now, I did not need a new purse, but if you have boobs and a v-j-j, you know that doesn't matter.

And when I saw this purse on sale for $4.99, I added it to my order so that my new terry slides wouldn't feel alone in the box. Isn't it a great winter purse? I have developed a sizeable crush on snowflakes, so the design lets me indulge for a little longer. (The white soft fleece scarf is an Old Navy hand-me-down from Missy).

And of course, no blog entry of mine is complete without a little good eats photo. :-)))

Do you tend to eat more hot soup during the colder months? I sure do. But when I need a little somethin-somethin in the bowl to give more staying power, I add a torn-up biscuit. After I eat a buttered one, of course. LOL No really, this works great for soups that would taste great with dumplings in them, like beef barley and of course, chicken noodle. Saltine crackers will work in a pinch, but not nearly as good. Keep a can of store-brand biscuits in your fridge and try it sometime.

Tag - I'm It!

I was tagged by my friend Rozette and my fingers have been giving me fits last couple of days, so I wanted to get right on it in case this is all I can post today:

Six Things About Me:
1) I am a Leap Year baby (1956 crop).
2) I owned my own accounting business for 20 years.
3) I have a pretty great husband and a pretty great daughter.
4) I have a very sweet and obedient dachshund.
5) I am allergic to dust mites, pecan trees, shellfish and bananas, just to name a few things.
6) I crave salads and chocolate (but not together).

So if you read this and want to share 6 things about you, please feel free to consider yourself tagged by me!



I also just wanted to show you the pretty salad I made myself with still more cole slaw (I keep making it) and some sliced rib-eye that Hubs grilled. It was delish!

I am also happy to report that I weighed on Friday and those 5 pounds I gained over the holidays are gone. Now to email the nutritonist as to how to proceed...

Thoughts on Consistency

con·sis·ten·cy
n.
1. Agreement or logical coherence among things or parts.
2. Reliability or uniformity of successive results or events.

synonyms: agreement, harmony, correspondence, accordance, regularity, coherence, compatibility, uniformity, constancy, steadiness, steadfastness, evenness, congruity

con·stan·cy
n.
1. Steadfastness, as in purpose or affection; faithfulness.
2. The condition or quality of being constant; changelessness.

Consider the value of consistency / constancy in our lives. Frankly, I think it is an immensely under-valued and over-looked asset by many who just don't realize the value of the trait in themselves or in other people.

Here's a good question: if you could be either brilliant or consistent, which would you choose to be?

Now, I am not trying to insinuate that people are either/or. Plenty of us are both. Plenty of us are neither. (You can file me away into that latter category, by the way.)

It's just that, all too often, it seems that Society values brilliance and ignores consistency.

Take for example, the words of Oscar Wilde: "Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative." OUCH! Dang, Oscar, no wonder you're a Grouch!


I wonder if Mr. Wilde was just a little jealous....

Then there are those who've begrudgingly given token kudos to consistency, such as Aldous Huxley, and I quote: "The only completely consistent people are the dead."



True that, Aldous...but what's the point for the Living? To always be clever, no matter what?

...{SIGH}

Not that being consistent is the right thing to do all the time. Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, I think: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."



Yes, it is the wise consistencies in people which are the golden gems. They make the world work. And they make it safer, more predictable, more reliable. And, that frees us up to do better things.



That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, Willis!


Take RAIN, for example. All the drops are the same. We know what to expect. What if we had to dodge a bunch of different and unpredictable water bombs every time it rained?


And the athletes we love to watch. Tiger Woods nailed it when he said, "Consistency is the key to repeating success."



True but odd fact: I was a member of my college bowling team for a year. Even had a scholarship. My average was 151... not brilliant, but my performance was amazingly consistent, and that was enough to help my team win again and again.


Yes, consistency is a cookie-cutter kind of thing. It produces an assembly-line of reliable results. I like that in a person. My husband aka Hubs is one of the most consistent people I know. When I think back to why I grew to love him and why I decided to marry him, his consistent manner was a definite deal-maker. I lacked it and he had it, and what was important to him was that I valued it in him when past loves had called it "boring" and "predictable".

Funny how those things work, huh?

I was thinking the other day about my cyber-friend Linda, and I realized that among her many attributes is a marvelous consistency that I in awe of when I think about it. I'm guessing here, but I believe she makes it a priority in her life, to be consistent for her family, her crafting, her blogging, her friendships.

Kudos to you, Linda. You have a rare gift, a talent for consistency, that flourishes by virtue of hard work, discipline and commitment. It just shines through. I want you to know that it shines on me and warms my soul, dear friend.

This year I hope to explore stuff like this, stuff that doesn't often get examined. To me, it's part of re-assessing. And what better way to do that than to discover the little gems of gold that already lay before me in my own life!

What little gems lay before you on your path? I'd love to know!

I'm Finally Free!

I do apologize for my absence, but I just decided to go with my natural linear behavior and finish up my tax business paperwork before doing anything else. I think it might have been the only way it was ever gonna get done, LOL. I am finding that my ability to multi-task, a skill at which I used to excel, is slowly but surely ebbing from my bag 'o tricks.

Sometimes you just gotta work with what ya got left. In Texas, we say we gotta dance with who brung us. And I did. There will be a bit more paperwork later, but the ball of it is now in my buyer's court (quite literally, as it's all legal sale paperwork, winkwink).

I can now breathe and feel pretty darn free. The continual pressure of IRS deadlines and client expectations are now a thing of the past. YAY!

So, where does my mind go for comfort? To food, of course. LOL No, seriously, I've been wanting to share with you what we ate on New Years' Day, because it was just so pretty and colorful. Well, to me it was. And delicious.

Simple Southern "country" food. Nothing fancy. And remember, our wall oven is broken, so everything had to be chosen based upon if it could be cooked on the stovetop or in the toaster oven.

We also fixed that yummy cabbage coleslaw at Thanksgiving. It's my new favorite comfort food, and it's made with a package mix. Ham requires an oven, so we just chose another pork: breaded pork chop fillets. The cornbread did not taste quite as good as when we bake it in a cast-iron skillet in the wall oven, but the teflon pan toaster oven version was tasty enough. There's something about cornbread baked in grease that makes it perfect, I guess.

Thanks for letting me share (belatedly). Are ya hungry? winkwink

But anyway, that was our feast to ring in the new and to give us good luck and prosperity for another year. I never feel quite right not paying homage to that glorious food tradition, so now I can proceed with 2009.

Especially now that I only have one tax return to do every year from now on! Yay!

The life vision thing for 2009

First of all, a heartfelt wish to our military boys and girls in harm's way for a safe, peaceful, productive 2009.

Yes, 2009 is here now, and there seems to be two ways to look at it.

A new year: how exciting and promising -- an adventure with unlimited potential.

OR

Another year: might as well make the best of it.

Which sounds more familiar to you?

What if i told you that, around here, we accept both interpretations. lol

Why? Because, in reality, the truth of the thing is closer to both.

If you have any years under your belt, you know that the first approach is fraught with potential for a set-up for failure for most of us (except for the fabulous Tina Zarlenga and the equally fabu Sarah Coggins, both of whom I'd bet real money on to actually and consistently do the impossible -- they are incredibly energetic and self-disciplined women that I greatly admire, even though I have little understanding of what it is that makes them tick much faster than me...not even when I was younger did I have that much focused energy to complete so many things).

I kid about Tina and Sarah when I say that I privately suspect addiction to crack or something similar...to repeat, I'm kidding! It's just that I would have to literally be hooked up to an amphetamine IV in order to do half of what they get done, and then my lack of focus would sabotage even that. Anyway, hats off to you both, my friends. I'm looking forward to seeing what you conquer this year.

As for Sarah, that goes double since she recently announced that she is expecting her first baby! This is such wonderful news! Congrats to her and hubby Trent.

And a little story on Tina: I read today she mentioned not meeting her goal of reading 100 books in 2008. OMG, did that ever make me eyeroll and chuckle. You see, I'm one of her friends over on Good Reads. I get emails when friends update their reading lists. Let me tell you, that girl updated her list more frequently than a squirrel finds nuts, all year long. She read over 50 books! That's about 1 a week. I think I might have read one the whole year...sigh.

I might kill to get that kind of energy back again. But until then I'll just live vicariously through them both.



Anyway, I'm going to try to just stick to making the best of 2009:

-->Accept what I can and cannot do.

-->Focus on doing the things that will accomplish the goals I've chosen, whenever possible, but remember that it doesn't always work that way.

-->No pie-in-the-sky goals, but stuff that will really make some sort of positive difference in my life.

For me, 2009 needs to be about adjusting to 2008 changes. I need to re-assess and re-calibrate:

-->I am right now working on completing the paperwork that will officially end my tax business and my SOHO-career in accounting. I cannot stress how big a change this is gonna be for me after 30 years of living my life around the IRS's filings and deadlines schedule, but it is a change I welcome with sheer gusto.

-->Ike caused some changes for us that we still need to deal with, namely to finish clearing debris in the back yard and to go through several big plastic bins in our garage that are full of stuff that was stored in our portable buildings that are now debris. Our city had to "hurry up and wait" until Congress appropriated more money to pick up debris, but they finally did. Removal begins again next week and throughout January. We will probably be getting right on that, since we are not being told exactly when the trucks will be on our street...lovely planning, huh? Guess I'd better call them...

-->Missy getting her own apartment in early December with much of our furniture caused changes. Good changes, but changes, nevertheless. I have decisions to make about new furniture, as well as a new room in the house to give a function to.

And, I am finding it very enjoyable. I frankly marvel at how frugal I naturally am. Here it is, the first time in my married life that I can buy outright whatever I want, yet I am firmly rooted in a "if it ain't broke, don't throw it out and replace it" mentality. I figure it's all good, cuz I can always buy it later if things change, right?

Still, I'm needing to move things around and make existing pieces work in new spots, and at the same time look good enough. And, had Missy stayed in the dorms, this would not be happening, and I'm happy she left the dorms. I'm happy to give her the furniture. This is forcing me to re-assess how things work and don't work around here. Plus, I am trying to include my ideas for decorating with all my little ideas, like the miniature trees I've been buying to hang paper pretties and ATC's and such.

-->Then, there is my weight loss and fitness. I go to a nutritionist 4 times a year, and she finally made me a believer of her approach to it. Basically, she preaches that if it took 5 years to gain 40 pounds, it's gonna take 5 years to take it off for good. Anything quicker, and it won't be for good. For the last 2 years, I've been a skeptical follower of this, and I can now say, I think she is right.

Case in point: in May, 2006, I was 80 pounds overweight: 40 of them slowly creeping on over 10-15 years time and the other 40 blobbed on in the immediately preceding 4 years (due to me being over-medicated for pain and depression after contracting my arthritii in 2002). I spent the rest of 2006 losing 30 pounds. And then I spent all of 2007 and 2008 holding the line on those 30 pounds. As of today, 25 of them are still off of me. (I gained 5 pounds over the holidays, which is a blessing considering what I've indulged in!)

This is almost exactly what my nutritionist says should happen: that without surgery, most people can lose only about 20-30 pounds at a time without "resting" and letting the body catch on and catch up. She says that we should have periods of maintenance within the weight loss process, or we are sabotaging ourselves. The body needs to re-learn the new weight and adjust daily metabolism and energy needs, and that takes time. Otherwise, that "fight or flight" thing activates and the body fights against you to reclaim those pounds.





I didn't just waste the last two years, but now it's probably safe to lose some more, slowly and surely. So, I'll be attempting to lose 20-30 more in the coming months. No, it's not much fun to realize that at this rate, it'll take me 4 more years at a minimum under her regime, but hey, if it works for good, I'm there. I just need to remember that all good things take time, and that Rome wasn't built in a day, get back on the horse that threw ya, etc, etc.

So, there you have it -- my stab at doing my life vision thing (aka resolutions) for 2009. Yikes, them's some big goals, and I was trying to not be over-reaching. And double-yikes, we still have some chocolate ice cream and cookies left. Oh, the temptations...teehee.

What is your life vision thing for 2009? I'd love to know!

the day after the day before! it's here!

hehe...



this was after our christmas eve "just-us" family celebration last night. notice the time on the clock on the wall. hilarious, huh? both of them, out cold. missy slept 12 hours, straight thru. dang, i think she's been partying just a tad too heartily. (her excuse? she got her grades for this fall semester and all a's and one b, dean's list again, so we can't really blame her for celebrating a bit.)

here is my present from missy: a really soft chenille/velour robe, something she knew i would like but don't ever buy for myself.



and hubs surprised the crap out of me by giving me some fur-lined crocs:



i haven't had them off my feet since i opened the package, lol.

our lunch with the relatives turned out to be very nice. i was treated wonderfully and i even got something close to an apology for being manipulated! i'll gladly take it! plus, none of the family members i had issues with behaved in the ways i don't like. everyone played nice. i did begin my visit kind of aloof, but once i saw it was going to be a good visit, i chimed right in the convos. the only disapointment of the day was that my parents didn't really want their present i'd sent (a digital phone system that was too technical for them, but my dad is going to think about keeping it for a few days).

since i always love to look at snow photos, here is another one of our december 10th snowfall. this one is what the pasture behind our house looked like. it was just the most gorgeous thing...



i am hoping everyone i know out in cyberland had a wonderful day in at least some small way.

it's really the night before!

i promised to share some photos from our snowfall on dec. 10th. here are 5 that really show it. it even lasted overnight and part of the next day, too.

see the snow drift forming against our pumpkin-colored fence?

hubs looking out from the storm door

one side of the front yard

and the other side of the front yard

the back yard deck - check out the back fence (it's leaning cuz it got damaged during ike)...

tomorrow will be christmas day. amazing. where does all that time go, exactly? i could have sworn thanksgiving was just a few days ago.

as far as exchanging gifts with the relatives, we are having an austere christmas this year like most other people i know. just a few good things, and no excess fluff. hubs and i gave both our parents the same one thing, and every child is getting one gift card. this means it was a very manageable buying chore for me. i went to kroger one low-traffic afternoon and got all of the gift cards at once, and then i ordered everything else online.

i don't do well in the holiday shopping crowds at all. it's stressful and exhausting, but i don't rebound well and i usually get pain flares for all my trouble. i do miss the feel and atmosphere of it occasionally, but i really fell out of love with it around the same time i quit trying to get missy the "in" "hot" toy (the last one i moved mountains to get her was a life-size barbie...quite a long time ago, maybe 15 years ago).

as for gift-giving between hubs, missy and me, hubs and i usually don't buy stuff for each other unless we know the other one really wants it. and then half the time, we just buy it for ourselves. we probably wouldn't even buy anything during the holidays except to get a sales price.

it's been hard not to buy everything in sight this year because of the great prices. we've been good. but i confess it's because we both are betting that those sales prices are going to last and last. maybe even get better. just a hunch. anyway, hubs really wanted the sham-wow rags this year. he also wanted a new recliner and got that earlier this month. he had been wanting a sleep number bed, but then decided he did not. so i got him the sham-wows and a wall calendar.

because missy's been in college, she knows not to expect lots of little things like when she was younger. we have been giving her one big thing and some money for a while now. this year the one big thing was some expensive adobe software for her new imac (that she bought for herself). it's called in design and she uses it all the time for her advertising classes.

as for moi, hubs asked what i wanted and i said that i want him to take me to ikea in west houston next week while he is off. and i want to buy an expedit bookcase...not for my scrap room, but for books in the family room. and he's putting it together for me. that's my present.

when hubs picked up the other recliner this morning, he talked to the store owner about an adjustable bed for me (the kind where you can elevate the head and the knees and feet...like a hospital bed). so that looks promising. i may eventually get a full night's sleep in one place yet! lol

tomorrow's the big day - a very merry merry and happy happy, ya'll

the day before the day before...

a random photo of Reggie getting his occasional treat -- salisbury steak!:

he is such a sucker for anything with gravy, lol.

and, sometimes he does eat the carrots if i butter them.

##

here is one of our new recliners:

i got down on the floor for the first shot, trying to make the photo more interesting. can i just say...not worth the pain that caused!
and, another "normal" shot, more close-up:


i could only fit one of them into my honda crv, so hubs is picking the other one up in the morning...because he is off work, yay! well, yay for now. he doesn't go back until jan. 5th and i will be climbing the walls having him under foot by next week, trust me. but anyway, back to the recliners. this is a champaigne gold color, i think that's what they called it. i arrived there this afternoon at 5:15 by the car clock, and i was back onto the highway at 5:27. yep, that's gotta be a record for choosing a piece of furniture AND getting it loaded into your car, huh? that's why i shop there, cuz if i can't choose and be done with it, i end up not being able to make a decision at all.

##

and, a shot of our bare white christmas tree...nothing but lights this year:

basically, i first decided to go "bare" because with hubs working so much and me dependent upon him getting the decorations down from the attic, i didn't even ask him to do it. of course, this meant that i had to improvise a skirt (a leopard print throw) and live without a tree topper, so i decided to treat the tree as just another light source in the room. it has added an understated and unexpectedly elegant touch. we're enjoying it.

##

ok, so i had a few rough moments today giving in to my real feelings about being with the relatives on christmas day. trepidation, mostly. i will be trying to hide some not-so-nice feelings, so i figured i needed some kind of gameplan with at least a few specifics. maybe reading an advice column could help, so I googled and got this:http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-12-23/how-to-uh-talk-to-people/2/
it was mainly advice on how to chit chat effectively at holiday parties, but would have been great help. except that when i read the comments to the article, i found myself agreeing to them more. and then i realized that i really don't much care about convincing anyone of my sincerity...i'm really looking for a way to sort of diss a few folks, but in a way that leaves them confused until 3 hours later after i'm long gone and they realize it.

hehe. no small order. guess i'm out of luck of making that happen, since the most i can come up with is to act disinterested yet pleasant. like, if one of them talks to me, act like i'm hard of hearing, make them repeat it, answer really ambiguously, that kind of thing. yeah, leave them wondering.

meh. i am not good at faking stuff. i would much rather address the issue head on and let the facts stand in my defense, maybe even resolve something, but manipulators don't play that game, so i would have to force the issue and create a scene in order to have that opportunity. and i am trying not to do that, as that just plays into the manipulator's hands, so Thursday should be interesting.
##
finally uploaded my photos from the snowfall we had a couple weeks ago, and i will try to show those tomorrow. every time i look at them, it puts me in a wonderment mood.

i just can't quit you

hehe

yep, guess who. me. it's like i just dropped outacybersight (and outamind, probly, by some of you, but i deserve it for being so neglectful). i most assuredly was present and visible in the *real* world, though. i just got caught up with life and a few bouts of painful days. more than a few, ok. and really caught up with my life.

ok, so what have i been doing?

i do know that some annoyingly large blocks of time were spent pondering current questions of life, such as:

do relatives ever have a decent function besides being pains in the arsses?

now that my christmas tree is up, do i have to decorate it or can i just enjoy it with lights only?

does anyone alive seriously believe that there is someone in charge in d.c. actually knows how to solve this financial crisis (because the #1 reply to my question "so how about this financial crisis?" is "nobody has a clue how to solve it")?

am i in denial if i just cannot believe this crisis will still be wreaking havoc in may 2010 when missy graduates college?

if it appears by all rational logic that a loved one is dying of cancer, yet no one talks about it or says anything, what is the proper way to think? i mean, do you ignore the obvious, or do you ignore the insane denial of it? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW. SERIOUSLY.

and on and on it goes. that's just a sampler. seriously, the first question was the one most of my energy was spent on. i better not go into detail, but suffice it to say that i know this family that is going through some tough times right now and they do not know how to lean on each other openly, so that makes family dinners hard. some families just behave secretly. it sure does make it uncomfortable for the ones who are not privy to pertinent details. you wanna feel for those who are suffering, but hell, if they won't even admit to suffering, after awhile ya think, why even care?

the holiday family gatherings are merry and bright for many, but also very difficult and stressful for many others. i feel for those of you caught in the family crossfire. it really sucks. but about the only thing to do is to just repeat over and over to yourself that it is not you causing the problem and it's not you who is responsible for any of it. just brace yourself, get through the hours or the day, and then get over to the other side of the thing and then smile.

yeah. ok. so, you get the drift. really tough to do, but necessary, especially if the problems are being caused by different stresses. i've been trying to handle my anger at being manipulated by one or more people in my own family. and since i will never really get to handle it right, i'm trying to figure out how to let it go without resolution. i go days thinking it is gone, then, bam, it hits my face again. the only great thing is that missy has figured it all out and totally sees it the same way as me. thank god. at least i am not alone with it. i'm so glad i got raising her right. as she grows into adulthood, our close relationship just keeps getting better and better.

speaking of missy, she is now the proud renter of a 2-bedroom apartment. she and her work bud matt are roomies. (don't worry, matt's gay, not that there's anything wrong with that...hehe, seinfeld, get it?). i'm really excited for them, because they are excited. it is the first apartment for both of them. we gave them practically all of our living room furniture and that room is now decorated with 5 stiff modern chairs until we decide what we want to replace things with.

she had friends show up with 3 trucks and they whisked it all away, last weekend. that has been an adjustment for me, because i miss having a couch. i was glad to lose that couch because i want a new one, but i tend to miss it more now than i normally would because there's nothing yet to take its place.

a lot of times, i can only sleep a few hours on my bed and i have usually gone to the couch and slept sitting up until i can get pain-free enough to go back to my bed. this past week i've not had that and my back or whatever body part is hurting has been letting me know it's not happy. sometimes it is a pressure point with my fibromyalgia, and the ability to move my position is crucial to mitigating pain.

so i need to decide on something soon. hubs gave missy his old recliner so he was forced to finally get him a new one, and it's very comfortable. i may just go get myself one tomorrow and that'll take the pressure off needing a couch. i wanted to try several and take my time on it, because i'm considering a nice leather couch this time.

well, enough for awhile. it's a very brrr-y 29 degrees here right now with light rain, and my hands are crampy and achy. time to quit keyboarding and go lay down under an electric blanket for a bit...

back atchya

guess it's past time to get back on here and figure out what this blog's purpose is gonna be. With the election over and my art on its own blog, frankly, i'm trying to rationalize any and all lame excuses for not closing it down.

i am lately full of all kinds of ideas for my paper playing and not much else if I can avoid it. what to write, what to write? i have some bragging i could do on missy and hubs. they have both been busy this fall. guess it wouldn't hurt to share. i will try to tone down the bragging.

missy made the deans list last spring, went to the national conference in dc of her student professional society last month, and a couple of weeks ago her team won their fall student competition among 6 or 7 regional universities, including texas a&m and ut. she is a junior advertising major and is focussing on the creative side of it as opposed to the marketing side. so, she has to work doubly hard and is very into her campus ad-fed society. we basically just leave her alone lately, we call at the wrong time a lot, and i think it's nothing more than she doesn't really have two seconds to spare.

there's more, like her job and her plans to rent a house next semester, and her getting serious about learning adobe in design by buying her first apple mac, but like i said, i'm trying to tone down the bragging. ;-)

hubs is still running his special project that i don't know the first thing about. he's been at it since august. that's a long time to work 6 days a week 12 hours a day, isn't it? it's supposed to last at least a year, maybe 18 months. ugh. he's so dependable though, he just chugs right along. i just avoid him if he's in a bad mood, which isn't often, knock-wood, and he's only awake a couple hours when he's at home so i do try to be accessible to him. i think missy not being here helps. it's more boring and calm here now...in a good way.
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i've always liked this shot. it allows me to *know* what comes next, yet *feel* the last few moments of what was Camelot. the *knowing* is what i must remember. the *feeling* is what i yearn to remember.
it was that heavy. americans of my generation ventured into unchartered territory that day. nobody's dying today or in the last 50 years (after martin and bobby) could ever produce the same shock for us. we were children basking in JFK love. then, bam.
i used to joke that kids my age grew up learning one set of choices and consequences, and then entered a world without any. this photo lets me go back before all that, 45 years ago today.

Weird, whacko and wild

the story of sarah palin depicted with action figures

This was the first link that greeted me in my inbox this morning, in an email from a fellow politi-blogger. She was incensed. I LOL'd. Sometimes I don't think people take the time to slow down and read. It's a pretty tame parody, sort of sweet, like if you had a thing for your Barbies your entire life. It could be far more rude and biting. I just enjoyed the novelty of the whole thing, "filming" a story (in stills) using dolls as the actors. It's almost an homage, but I do agree, it's pretty weird when you think about the vast amount of time and tedium this blogger goes to in order to play with dolls. Enjoy if you have a mind to...

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The second link in my inbox was to Ann Coulter's latest column. Gotta say, I'm only a fan of hers about 1/3 of the time. the other 2/3 of the time I usually thinks she goes way too far (you thought *I* was too argumentative, HA!) .

Today's Ann read was in the 2/3 pile.

First of all, that title -- rukiddingme?

The Reign of Lame is Mainly on McCain???

Ann has clearly gone off her meds. She's particularly biting here, so if you like Bride of Frankenstein, you'll enjoy the read. Her nerve is amazing. She goes right back to blaming the party for allowing McCain to win the nomination, instead of wondering -- oh, I dunno -- maybe why it is that the GOP almost won with a moderate candidate against a liberal?

I know, I know...then she would have to admit that her far-right wing flavor is an even smaller faction of the electorate than she thinks everyone else thinks it is. I can see right now she isn't going to be fun to read for quite a while. Or, maybe I shouldn't say that, because she is always good for a xtreme caustic zinger or 3.

I think the real point here might be that I may lack the stomach for it.

Case in point:

"This was such an enormous Democratic year that even John Murtha won his congressional seat in Pennsylvania after calling his constituents racists. It turns out they're not racists -- they're retards. Question: What exactly would one have to say to alienate Pennsylvanians? That Joe Paterno should retire?"

Oh, Annie, Annie. And she goes on, with this little bitch-slap:

"Apparently Florida voters didn't mind Obama's palling around with Palestinian activist Rashid Khalidi and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, either. There must be a whole bunch of retired Pennsylvania Jews down there."

All I can say is, the size of her balls must be freakish. And of course, I'll keep reading and being shocked. Why am I thinking she would be perfect for the 2Peas NSBR? (bwwhaaaaaa)

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Then someone sends me a link to Reason's blog, where they are asking the age-old question: will we finally make an honest woman of pot now?

"The Marijuana Policy Project's Bruce Mirken notes that the majorities supporting the marijuana decriminalization measure in Massachusetts and the medical marijuana initiative in Michigan (65 percent and 63 percent, respectively) exceed the share of voters who went for Obama in each state (62 percent and 55 percent respectively). In those states at least, you could say marijuana reform has a bigger popular mandate than the president-elect. In retrospect, this is not so surprising: National polls have long indicated that a large majority of Americans think 1) patients who can benefit from marijuana should be able to obtain it legally and 2) people should not go to jail for smoking pot."

This was on Reason's blog, so there were comments. And that's where the high-larity was:

"Yes, We Cannabis!"

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And finally, a wild Blast from the Past as we go Back to the Future, all at the same time, with that rapidly deteriorating icon Ralph Nader. Seems he tried to prove the old addage, I don't care what you call me, just so you call me. Check this out if ya missed it:

"Ralph Nader calls Obama "Uncle Tom" and Fox News calls him out:
As if Ralph Nader wasn't a big enough tool already, he went on Fox News on election night - the very night Barack Obama broke the racial barrier on the presidency - and uttered the words "Uncle Tom." Not only that, after being called out on the words (which he initially said in a radio interview) by Fox News anchor Shepard Smith - and given a point-blank chance to apologize and take them back, Nader said he wouldn't. It's a stunning bit of television and a lot of people missed it."

(The You Tube of it is at the bottom of the story)

Election Day...

I've had a very long day and am about to hit the sack, but I want to congratulate the Obama and Biden families, and all Obama supporters tonight. It's a very historic event today. Even I felt stirrings of pride. I can imagine that for minorities it is a truly once in a lifetime experience. I sometimes think of what it must have been like for women in 1920 when they got the vote, so I thought of that today.

I watched CNN for the first time in months and months when I got home tonight (I still couldn't stomach more than 15 minutes MSNBC, but I'll try again after awhile). McCain gave a fabulous concession speech and handled himself like the gentleman and class act that he is. I'm disappointed he lost, of course, but mostly relieved for it to be over. Plus, I'm not going to have too much trouble, as thinking like a Democrat has been in my DNA for 52 years. It won't be nearly as hard as if I had actually become a Republican or something.

Which is what I wanted to chat a bit about. I spent a few minutes perusing some of the McCain blogs I've kept up with, because I was frankly looking for some gracious language to borrow. But, funny thing, couldn't find any. The vast majority are still in denial or just downright depressed or catty.

I find it kinda old. C'mon, guys. It's a contest, a competition. I do feel for them, though. It's been a rollercoaster for our side ever since the conventions. We fight back and then the meltdown hits, and we come soooo close when we really never shoulda had a chance, actually. Not if you consider a mediocre campaign, a controversial VP pick, no money, and a candidate whose entire career has been anathema to loyal factions so he really has none. It's truly a wonder this wasn't a total blow-out. I'm grateful, anyway.

My precinct where I worked this afternoon was very busy, but not as much as we thought it would be. Finally, about 5 pm, someone from the county clerk's office called to let us know we wouldn't be getting a surge at the end, because we'd have huge early voting from our precinct. That was helpful, because we were constantly wondering when they would storm in. We were all kinda punch drunk goofy after that. It was more stressful than we'd realized.

Well, I cannot hardly keep my fingers typing, I'm so tired. I guess I'll have to fall back on blogging about my own boring life again now. Meh. Maybe I can think of something more interesting...

Til then, stay safe and party if your guy won, or try not to drink too much if yours lost. :-)