MERRY YULETIDE TO ALL !!

If you are one of "those" who get their Holy Nights in an uproar over the "Happy Holidays" vs "Merry Christmas" then I feel terrible for you the misinformed Conditioned Christian. Yes, we Christians have adopted this time of year as the birth of the Lord. Did you realized this time of year the celebration is held is kind of ... well ... errr ... stolen?

No one truly knows the exact date of Christ's birth however, as the early leaders of a Christian religion trying to convert the Pagans, combining winter celebrations seemed to be a good concession in enticing new church members.  

Through the centuries the words of Yuletide season somehow transformed into the 12 days of Christmas. (Christmas through the Epiphany)   One Christian holiday to another  .... so in essence it is the celebration of 2 holidays.  Now, point that out if you come across one of "those"!

In some Northern European cultures the season lasted for months so Happy Yuletide season .... and keep that holiday feeling as long as you want!

Reminiscences of an Old Crabby Broad

I’m going to go out on a limb …. tempting  fate …. Whatever …. I’m gonna predict we are all going to be here tomorrow and probably the next day and the day after that and after that and after that …….. 

In my lifetime I have now lived through 5 or 6 dooms days ……..  Let’s see ….

The first was when I was about 12 and my neighbor said she heard from some psychic there was going to be a Zombie apocalypse in 1977 …. We would all be eaten alive in a “Night of the Living Dead” scenario.

Then there was the Nostradamus 1984 prediction that a worldwide nuclear war would annihilate human kind  but …. Oooops ....... it was interpreted incorrectly! The interpreters meant to say 1997. Only the Heaven’s Gate cult took them seriously this time. We know how that went. 

Let’s not forget the Y2K …. Not sure what was going to happen to us then …. Was it our own machines would destroy us because 2000 = "kill humans" in binary code?

Then there was the far-right Christian preacher Wacko ...... they let on the radio ..... who insisted about a year ago that the Book of Revelations prophesied the end. I'm guessing his loving, compassionate, merciful God was going to punish innocent people just to get the evil doers. 

Right now as I type the planets are aligning causing a magnetic shift to the earth's axis where tsunamis will rise, mega-super volcanoes fill with lava ready to explode, earthquake faults shifting, the sun flaring   ……………………………………………………….........….  NOPE  …..  still here!

CAN'T WE POSTPONE ONE OF THEM TILL THE NEXT WEEK?

This is me about now.....

ME + CHRISTMAS +THE END OF THE WORLD ....

'NUFF SAID

THERE ARE 11 OTHER DAYS OF CHRISTMAS YOU KNOW ....

GOO doesn't see what geese have to do with Christmas. He says our goose Christmas decoration is hideous and ridiculous looking.  For the past 2 weeks he has been making it clear he wants me to get rid of my goose display (see left). As a matter of fact there have been threats that there is a "while I'm work" goose-napping about to go down !!!

Today while daughters were standing at the end of the driveway waiting for GOO to pull the car down for them to get in, a car pulls over in front of our house. The lady inside rolled down the window and said to daughters "Excuse me .... Can I ask WHERE did you get that BEAUTIFUL duck" . Half chuckling, oldest told her that I got it online somewhere and that it was a decoy. "Oh" she said, " I have to check into that!" 

When daughters got into car, GOO inquired as to what the lady wanted. They gleefully told him she wanted to know where she could get such a beautiful DUCK! Of course, now that I know the neighborhood is admiring my "DUCK" .... there is no living with me! However, I'm not so sure I want everyone to get one! GOO can only chase away so many!

IRRITATING CRAP MY HUSBAND DOES ... or the man who doesn't know the words to the "Twevle Days of Christmas" ... a working title

My husband  …. God Of Organization …… does nothing when it comes to putting up the Christmas decorations. It is all on me, even the outside lights ……. every other husband’s territory! Oh he will give his opinions ….. not enough lights on that side of the yard …… that looks stupid ….. I don’t like all white lights ….. is that all the lights you are putting up/ have? I tell him every year those who do not help with the decorations HAVE NO OPINION on what goes up …. The "putter-upper" is the decider.

We have a flat landscaped area in our yard that I use for main displays. In past years it has had giant candy canes, a lighted tree .... okay it was lights I strung up to look like a tree .... and lighted grapevine shaped gifts stacked with a bow. The recent gift display always blew over and were a pain in the ass to put together. I decided to donated them to Goodwill ….. I know how generous of me.  Now I had that empty place in the yard and went shopping for a new lighted display.

I hate those blow-up things so, once you eliminate those there isn’t much left out there. My preferred tastes are kind of more “Williamsburg”-ie. I was looking for "1776" and tasteful. Of course,  there is the lighted deer, Eiffel Tower … yes nothing says Christmas like a random French structure …. Snowmen and snowflakes. Then I saw these lighted geese …. Oh I didn’t buy them …… a little more comical than Colonial ….. but it gave me idea as I left the store humming “six geese a laying” …..

I went home to start my search for more real-life looking geese. When I got to my computer I Google’d “lifesize goose decoration” …... up popped DECOYS!!!! I could buy them sitting, standing, eating and of course laying! I ordered one that had detachable feet to stand or lay …. Perfect!

It arrived by FedEX about four days later. Goo thinking it maybe his Christmas present restrained himself from opening the box and announced to me when I got home from work that I had a delivery he left in the basement. Since I did not want any un-necessary comments on my new found prized decoration, I waited till Goo went upstairs to watch TV in bed. When I got my goose decoy out of the box, I was so excited I put him …. I assumed it’s a him … outside in the landscape with a spotlight under the cover of darkness.  I figured I would find a bow to put around his neck and some lighted branch accessories tomorrow.

The next day at work I got a text message from GOO ….. “Where did that goose come from?”. I responded that it was the item in the FedEX delivery. To which he responded ……. “Well, I thought it was REAL and I tried to chase it out of the yard! When it wouldn't move I got closer to it and saw it was fake! “   My co-workers heard shrieks of laughter coming from my office and I filled them in. However, after that no work was accomplished that day. 

The moral of this GOO Christmas tale is:  

GEESE NEED TO DO THEIR A-LAYING SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Reminiscences of an Old Crabby Broad

Finally the Holiday Season is define!  For the past month I have been driving by Halloween Ghosts blowing in the wind while hanging off the lower tree limbs next to a waving plastic Santa Claus blow-up sharing the same yard space.

I have "younger" neighbors that faithfully on November 1st  throw out the stuffed scarecrow from Michael's with their cornstalks and pumpkins and hang the artificial pine wreath and the red and green twinkle lights. Can't say I blame their "what holiday season is it?" confusion solely on them. Retail stores were doing the same thing!

I remember a time when you never ever ever never saw so much as a Christmas bulb till the day after Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving season ..... a fall Harvest season holiday ..... has somehow now become .... or shall I say .....  blended with Christmas.  Unfortunately Christmas ... and the shopping of .... is slowly being forced on us earlier and earlier each year. Stores that formally closed on Thanksgiving, giving their employees a holiday off .... unpaid I'm sure  ..... and not having them worry about "requesting off" to spend the day with family. It was sickening to see alll the stores that opened virtually during dinner .... THE WHOLE FOCUS ......  of the holiday and enticed those weak individuals to shop. Was that couple $$$ they "saved" actually worth giving up their holiday allll to satisfy the greed of some CEO retailer looking for their next Million dollar bonus in January ?

I stayed home. Oh, I'll shop for Christmas ..... I have a WHOLE MONTH!!! .... and I'll spend the same amount of money and on the same amount of people I planned on from the beginning. For now, me and my "older" neighbors will be decorating our houses now that it is after Thanksgiving ....... like we remember.

FOUND MY WAY BACK .....

Back from VaCa .... The island of Providenciales is gorgeous !!!! One of our best vacations EVER .... NO ONE WANTED TO LEAVE!

This is one of my photos from the restaurant/bar .... the bar I mentioned earlier in my blog ...... Horse Eyed Jack's .... unfortunately I could not do the scenery justice :-(

DAY ONE

GOO making Friends .... Clayton will be sooooo Jellus!

Our boat "parked" on Iguana Island.
Daughter sitting in surf to the left.

FIRST SNORKEL TRIP WITH DAUGHTER 1

Walkway to the boat

Visiting the Iguanas

Snorkeling Treasure ...actually the residents
... a couch .... were lunch!

SECOND SNORKEL/SAILBOAT TRIP 

THIS WAS AN OVERCAST DAY!

Just sailing along ......

NOOOO  .....
that is not a creature from the deep

 LAST DAY BY THE POOL

After removing the "Couch", the snorkel operators
gave us the shell. Unfortunately, 4 days later the
shell still reeked! I figured I did not want a
passenger mutiny with my ejection from my plane
so, I left it behind ;-(

 Maybe some day I can go back and get it!

I'M STILL EXHAUSTED!!

It's allll over ... THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN !! ...... 

If you had listened to the pollsters in the last few months, the State of OHIO went from "Obama" country to a "SWING" State ... as in it was up for grabs for either candidate ....  and in the last ....  ohhhh, month or so, there were several other "Obama" States added to the playground and my State was one of them! AND I suffered for it ..... because the automated calls started and kept coming day and night and they were all Republicans!!!!

The calls were early AM thru late PM .... there was 1 sometimes 2 calls EVERY  hour  ...... I heard from pollsters and Candidates ALIKE!  Why MITT himself called .... and his wife ..... and his kids ...... and his employees ..... and his random supporters and it didn't stop at the Presidential race ..... there was the U.S. Senator candidate, and his wife, his kids, his employees, his random supporters ....... the U.S. House candidate, and his wife, his kids, his employees, his random supporters .... Dick Cheney stop by for a heart to heart chat and Clint wanted to make my day  .... then the State Attorney & Auditor Generals, State House & Senate ...  the wives were not as involved at this level .... I quit answering the phone.  DID IT STOP THEM????? What do you think? The pollsters ..... that started it alll in the first place ..... started knocking on the door the last three weeks ..... at one point I had a pollster at the door and one on the phone at the same time  !!!!!!!  I reached a pinnacle around last Friday where I decided no matter what, no matter how much I liked them ....... I was not voting a REPUBLICAN anything !!!!!

I was done and then it happen: Monday late afternoon ......... SARAH CALLED !!!!!!!!!!!!  Oh Joy!

Yesterday, all the "Swing" Sates apparently swung back ....... one tooo many phone calls maybe? ......  I JUST WISH THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IT A LITTLE SOONER!!!

YOU ALWAYS CAN FIND FRIENDS ON THE BEACH

This friendly fellow is saving my beach spot for me next week ...... "he" (or she) is an endangered rock iguana and is the only inhabitant found on Little Water Cay (island) just east of Providenciales.  They were almost wiped out totally by the growth of dog and cat populations on the other Turks and Caicos  "Cays". But here, on their own little private island .... you know some scabbie developer would just love to get his hands on this virgin sand .... they are protected and flourish with a 98% survival rate!

Tourists ... of which I plan to be in 2 weeks ........ of the non-furry kind can come and visit and pay the admission that goes to help protect them.

IRRITATING CRAP MY HUSBAND DOES ....... OR THE MAN THAT THINKS I'M HIS GIRL FRIDAY .... a working title

It never fails .... almost every time I sit in front of the computer .... just to sit and read and respond to "fun" web sites and email instead of the email I handle at work all day like firing off  ..... the " you are in notice of noncompliance" moron!, ...... the "what exactly do you think you are gonna do on my construction site" moron!, ...... the "you did what?" moron!, ...... the "you want what? moron! ..... and my favorite .... the "why can't you boys quit acting like a bunch of girls and get along" morons!!!  .... sigh !  (please note: the "moron" part is not written, only merely implied. I am nothing but professional .... to the morons)  ....  such the life as a female construction manager! Then I come home to a new job!  That of GOO's Admin Assistant !!!!

While I'm at the computer doing my "fun" surfing,  I hear the orders ...... oh no I know I'm in trouble ......... from the "Boss" on the living room couch while watching .........
Old reruns of GUNSMOKE/THE RIFLEMAN/BONANZA/BIG VALLEY. "Hey, lookup" ...... 
How old this old actor is?

If this actor is alive?

If this actor is still working?

When this actor died?

THE NEWS HOUR. "Hey, lookup" ........

This person's obituary?

And see if I heard my old friend’s house was on fire maybe?

One of my ex-employees was on the 5 PM news. See what they did?

ADS AND DISCOVERY CHANNEL you become the TICKET OBTAINER & GENERAL FACT CHECKER. "Hey, lookup" ........

To see if we can get tickets for this concert ? …. as in Artist I never knew he liked or comedian I never heard of .... AND put it on MY credit card !

What is winning the grossest scene Poll on the "Walking Dead" site .... like I want to know that!!!

The lyrics to this song or when it came out or who sang it .... is there a game of "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE" going on in the living room or are you the "phone a friend"? 

What time that store closes … also see if it tells you if they carry this random/weird item? ... next you are going to want me to go and get it ................. aren't you?

See if this is true urban legend or history trivia ? ..... really really ???

Have I mentioned my GOO is on disability and is home .... except for a few Dr appts during the week .... ALLLLLLLL day.

Apparently,  no one can get to the facts like I can!

COULD I BE NEXT???

I just want to know  ..... choice of words where they actually fit  .... WTF do you have to do to get yourself  FIRED from a blog .... a blog .... not a TV show  .... A BLOG !!!   AND you can tell the guy who runs the site was mad! His letter to his members was just full of "I am soooo PISSED off at this beeotch!".  No one on a web site can really see your true self. Only what you want them to see but apparently it is coming out what her issues were:

•  Not quite giving unique advice to her end of the real "deals". Example: One of her suggestions were to subscribe/download to Coupon Cabin to the members of  ....... Coupon Cabin ..... Who did she think was reading her column?
• Making demands for things like security.  YES ITS TRUE, TRUE, ALLLLL TRUE .... we bloggers have that pesky fanatical fan problem. Mine are lying in wait for me at "Bottom Dollar"as I type. 
• She was making things up to enhance her column. Some of us don't have to. 

So from me and MY "support staff" we thank you for reading! 

Photo Credit: Laura Cavanaugh/Getty

NOTHING SAYS HALLOWEEN COSTUME LIKE A SESAME STREET CHARACTER

GOOOOOD NEWS THIS HALLOWEEN LADIES!!! 

You are NOT just limited to buying the sexy witch, the almost bare breasted nurse or a tightly corseted pirate costume! It is the year we have all been waiting for. Finally, costume makers are expanding their horizons in women's Halloween costume choices! 

This year you can be a seductive BERT, a belly baring ERNIE or a naughty sleek and slim BIG BIRD in spandex!

What ....  oh what should I chose?

ITS FIVE O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE

"Somewhere" for me will be the Infinity Bar ..... yes that is a bar ......  at Grace Bay Resort in Providenciales .... Turks and Caicos in case you forgot ..........  in 35 DAYS ......  I'll have a margarita for you!

VOTE 2012

I know as an ideal well informed American voter I should watch this tonight .... I just can't! 

Debates are  ...wellll ... boring. AND they lie.  They both will make stuff up to get their point across. I CAN NOT STAND THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE. WHY? Why do they have to do this? .... for the few applause they receive when they one up the other guy ...... is that what winning a debate is all about? Beside there always the fact checkers ready to pounce and it will be published tomorrow by all the news agencies who spun the biggest and most whoppers ...............  SO in an effort to not dislike my already chosen candidate I shall refrain from watching something where I will think less of him .... that and there is a new episode of GHOST HUNTERS is on at the same time.

HARVEST MOON

I've been very busy lately with my "HARVEST MOON" dinner tomorrow night.  Oh yes, Saturday, September 29th is a Harvest Moon .... and what is a HARVEST MOON DINNER? Something I started with my family .... actually it is supposed to be any FULL MOON that falls on a weekend ..... an excuse to get together with family and friends. I'll fess up .... I actually saw the idea in Better Homes & Gardens years ago. Everyone looked so festive ...... in the posed pictures .......  to be out in the crisp autumn evening air ...... probably freezing their asses off ......... 

As I have said before, Fall is my favorite season! And it is quite possible I decorate more for Fall than Christmas  ..... wellllll there is that (2) tree thing going on in my home ..... regardless my Fall Harvest decor will be up for 2+ months.

ITS TIME FOR ANOTHER PROVIDENCIALES PICTURE

OOOoooooh no that's not me on beach YET! 54 days to go .........

Here is your Link Daughter TURKS AND CAICOS BLOG

IRRITATING CRAP MY HUSBAND DOES OR THE MAN THAT DOESN'T KNOW WHEN TO SHUT UP ALREADY!!! .... A WORKING TITLE

End of next month I have a big test for my engineering state licensing. I find very little time to actually study .... oh what about now? Can't you see I'm busy .... AND I need pretty close to total silence. I was never one of those who had to have a radio on blasting to study like so many of my peers.

Recently, I have been reading books on the "T" ..... local subway system to some ..... every once in while there are two obnoxious people behind me carrying on some nonsensical conversation just to hear themselves ..... and everyone else around them ...... talk about totally or disgustingly nothing! That would never be my GOO!

GOO is a man of few trivial words. He has no patience for silly conversations and will usually find a way to end them fast. However, our poor disabled little GOO man is home allll week by himself. When the weekend comes and I'm home, he keeps insisting we go somewhere, we do something ... spend money on garden gnomes .... breakfast, lunch, dinner .... even festivals ..... he never did a festival the whole time I've known him!!!

Last Saturday we were taking a long drive ... an hour there and an hour back .... TWO HOURS OF STUDYING I SAID TO MYSELF. I announced to GOO I would be doing just that. So, I brought my BIG book to the car and settled down to concentrate on Differential Equations and Logarithms. Suddenly .......  I hear a voice talking to me about inane subjects .... is that GOO? .... grass cutting, the house going up for sale across the street, what's for dinner ..... five minutes into the car ride and I had to remind him of my planned study time. Of course,  he got all indignant ... it wasn't like my study opportunity was a secret BEFORE we got in the car !!!!!! What did he think I was doing with the 10 lb, five inch thick book?

 OK so he's mad .... at least he is quiet. ...... BUT WAIT ... he turns up the radio .... I won't let it shake my concentration while I differentiate this equation ..... he starts singing with the song "Free Falling" .... to find the velocity and position of this imaginary particle of matter in a three dimensional system only knowing the acceleration  .... oh know he is harmonizing with Tom Petty on the chorus ....... of a gravitational system that obviously cannot be earth's and  ................  

SHUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUPPPP!!!!!!!!

My book is on the floor but I can definitely say there was total silence.

THE HYPOCRITE’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY

Still holding at that 20 lb weight loss .... just can't seem to stay on the FULL diet ..Hhhhmmmmm ..... could be another topic for irritating crap my husband does ..... maybe next time.

Things I have discovered why I can't get motivated ...

1. I have a new wardrobe!  I'm wearing things now that have been in my closet so long my co-workers have never seen them. So they think I bought a new clothes, right?
2. I am feeling better! The walk up hill to work from the trolley or around my job sites has been more effortlessly. My arthritic hip, knee, back don't bother me as much and can bend over to tie my shoes without doing an expert Hatha Yoga position. 
3. People are noticing! 20 lbs yeah sure ... who wouldn't? MEN THAT'S WHO! Don't get the wrong idea ....  I'm not out there trying to get a date.  Now let me explain, I work mostly with men. Now you know they would never mention it to me BUT they will talk amongst themselves. I been told there has been talk!

I am determined ..... no matter how many days it takes ..... to get back on that diet!

WHEN U DIE .... deep thoughts

Okay I admit I had a few drinks tonight and being a holiday I had my father over who loves nothing more than reminiscing about his younger days .... he got me thinking ....... aside from the remember when, what and who stories do you ever think about who will remember YOU when you are gone?  How many lives can I touch before I'm gone, enough that they would want to "come visit me"? DEEEP STUFF MAN!!!

My maternal and paternal grandmother have me and my children.  My grandfather .... on mom's side ... had her and her brother .... both now gone and I never met my Mom's dad. I know where he is buried 'cause Mom  took me there in my preteen years. Do my cousins know where this place is? They were closer to him but I went there after my mom died and could tell, no one has been there in years. His flat heastone was nearly grown over by the lawn. My dad ..... who was with me ..... and I ripped it all back to reveal his stone again with our bare hands ..... kinda creepy ehh?

WHO will come visit ME?

Time to look ahead

Its September 1 .... 70 days till vacation .... I found a blog site today from someone who lives on Providenciales island in the Turks and Caicos and posts pictures of everyday life on Providenciales  .... one of many I will share ... Its the view from the so-called "dive" .... and I don't mean with a tank ...... bar called HORSE EYE JACKS

I think I found the place I will be eating dinner the first day ................

I LOVE a full moon  ...... so mystical ... I feel all witchy.  Tonight is a Blue MOon  ... No it is not really blue ....

ONCE IN A BLUE MOON

I'm sure you have heard the saying or used it when you were telling your husband the next time he could buy another garden GNOME .... whew thank God I didn't say that ..... a blue moon is merely in our urban tale-ology the full moon that happens twice in a month. Astrologically, it is the the 3rd full moon in a season with four full moons .... don't ask me what that one is called .... Either way it won't happen again till 2015 !

And in honor of Neil Armstrong (buried today) his family asks for those who see tonight's moon to wink at it to remember him by.

Someone at work said she had her oranges ready .... I didn't get either .... for the Beer silly ..... I prefer wine so I'll toast Neil !!!

I'M GOING THERE ......

Time for a vacation picture aaaaaaaahhhhhh.....

Okay it is not the pool at my beach house. It is however the house in front of it .......... Close enough !!!!

I WANNA GO THERE

THERE IS Grace Bay on the island Providenciales of the Turks and Caicos! Imagine yourself swimming in water so clear you can see every shark coming at you for miles .... admit it you think about it.   I could use a vacation ...... hmmmmm let me see ... let me see ......  husband luke warm about the beach scene .......  I see recession has hit the here too ...... little more affordable than the last time I looked at this place ........ five hours flight ... sick hubby can do that he says ! ........ What hotel price is good ....... hmmmm what is this? A new web site with rental houses ..... Found good deal for beach house .... One last thing ....... Tell hubby there is a CASINO .............................. WE'RE IN !!!!!!

 I have been looking at this place for about FIVE years .... We are going in November!  Until then I shall torture you all with pictures of my future destination. We shall start with this one  ...... That will be me in that snorkel gear in 3 months ..... hmmmm I better stick to the diet to get into that bikini!!!

Here comes Honey BOoBOo

Let's face it, plain and simple this is the JUNE Show. Honey Foo Foo is nothing but background noise compared to her MaMa. I'll admit I was ready to write this show off as one of the typical TLC ..... one of the biggest exploiters of "different" lifestyles .........  reality trash jackpots!  It is beyond all the Rock of Love tour bus whores, Counties of Housewife Beeochees and drunken Bravo Bad Girls Club or "Jersey" reality anythings.

June for all her white trash antics is who she says she is.  She is the mom of an obnoxious tot beauty queen and three other girl teens  ... one knocked up but June admits so was she at that age ...... . She proudly touts herself a southern redneck. She isn't pretty and knows it. She isn't petite and perfect and she flaunts it.

She is surprisingly sensible  ..... hey did she let her daughters go play in the bacteria ridden swimming hole at the Redneck hoe down ? ....... yet predictably fun, outspokenly ...... and cringingly ..... slutty yet a world of knowledge on womanly lessons learned from the hard knocks that life has punched her with.  Her home appears clean and well stocked and yes she isn't seen feeding her family highly nutritious or organic food but as a semi-extreme couponer she is saving money on a tight fisted budget  .... okay 20 boxes of milk duds are not on my shopping list either but she had coupons where she got them for FREE.

 If she manages to not let TLC Executives lead her astray into becoming a "Kate Gosslin" she could have a long long long entertaining TV career. Although the last episode I saw, TLC set her up for a SPA visit ...... hmmm where oh where have I seen that before (19 Kids and Counting, Little People Big World, The Little Couple, Table for 12, Jon & Kate AND KATE + 8, etc.)

OKAY TLC "WRITERS" THE SPA EPISODE IS OUT OF THE WAY!!!! ........ now take your "unique" show concept ideas, stick them somewhere .... JUNE will tell you where ...... step aside  and let us see the real June!

THE HYPOCRITE’S GUIDE TO HEALTHY

I admit it.  I tumbled off the wagon ........ a bit .... the last few ..err.. weeks ...ummm..... OKAY it was the MONTH .... THE MONTH .... THE WHOLE MONTH of July! Oh ..... and maybe part of August TOO!!! But I'm baaaack to that diet. Thankfully, I did not gain. As of this morning it is official .... I LOST 20 LBS !!!!!

WHAT I REALIZED WORKED FOR ME: Don't limit yourself to starting your diet on MONDAYs. Only starting on MONDAYS = FAILURE. If you don't make it through the day you have given yourself a whole 'nother week to stay fat.

I "start" a new diet everyday, I'm bound to stay on it all day on one of those days!

BINGO UPDATE !!!

Bingo's "owner" showed up ....... finally after 5 DAYS ..... . with a plan of some sort apparently.

The plan? Show up at the VET’S office as an indignant screaming white trash banshee ….with outfit and face paint to match ….. , acting out for the clients in the waiting room that SHE is the injured-party of this conniving VET who is out to extort money from her for unnecessary medical care given to her dog. Yea he's faking that broken leg there ..... They did not get permission from her to treat her animal. SO uuuummmm aaahh ... Banshee ...... when you woke up out of either your liquored up or drug induced stupor ....  that apparently lasted FIVE DAYS ...... this was best ploy your small impaired mind came up with to NOT pay the VET bill?

When she found out daughter .... who happen to be there when the banshee arrived ..... saved her dog from the street and brought the dog there ..... NOoooooo ...... Thank YOU wasn't what she had in mind ....... she yelled she was going to have her arrested for .... wait for it ..... kidnapping!!

Needless to say police were called. Police said you are not getting the dog white trash banshee. Police made her leave empty handed.
Lesson learned today: Banshees who abandon their dog for five days do not have the police on their side. 

Nor are the police on their side when they show up the next day .... knowing there is a transfer to the shelter ..... to prevent the dog going to the care shelter. Especially, when are screaming you want the person who saved your dog arrested as you luge for her and grab on to her.
Lesson learned that day: Those actions do not get banshees dogs. It gets them a set of handcuffs and a free ride to jail. I have a feeling she has been there before .........

  

I "C" HORRIBLE PEOPLE

Five days ago youngest daughter witnessed and had to get out of the car to saved a dog that was hit by a vehicle on a busy State Route ....... 4 lanes with added turning lanes where every driver thinks they are going slow if they are doing 60 ......   The small dog would have been hit again and as my strong minded daughter step in front of cars to stop them they angrily honked and screamed at her.  Fortunately for the dog she scoped him up and took him to our VET. Youngest talks of becoming a VET tech and has interned in a VET office .... she had to help with operations and gagged up whatever the first few times afterward ......  so, she is used to seeing animals hurt. This pooch got himself a broken leg out of his adventure.

The scuffy little dog .... not him in the pic by the way .... had a collar with a name .... BINGO .... and the phone number of the owner. Youngest visits her rescue everyday .... and he wags his tail and looks happy to C her ..... since she took him to our VET. The VET's office staff told her they have been calling the owner 4-5 times a day and left messages as to what happened to and how their pet is. NO RESPONSE. This is where I would normally rant but you are probably already doing that so .... I will save my energy!

Of course, daughter wants to adopt him BUT we have an old pooch that would never put up with a newbie. The VET has made arrangements to send BINGO to a local organization "no kill" shelter called ANIMALS FRIENDS. There he will have a better chance of having someone that really wants him and take him home instead of the scum bags he obviously ran away from!

I'd like to get my hands on that collar phone number!

Never a DULL Moment.......

Don't you just love the headlines from London!

The heart tuggers:

DOUBLE AMPUTEE MAKES SEMIFINALS - Oscar Pistorius ... or by the nickname Blade Runner .... lost both legs as a child but has always been an athlete.  Is it a little too "6 Million Dollar Man" and an unfair advantage ? ..... the future will tell.

QATAR'S FIRST EVER FEMALE OLYMPIC ATHLETE PULLS HAMSTRING AT STARTING BLOCK - It is a religious thing that females are/were not permitted to compete in sports in Qatar. What changed their minds? Qatar wants to host the 2024 Olympics. Olympic committee said "not a chance in hell, with your antiquated views on the place of women in your society" ...... okay roughly what they said.  SO, .... suddenly ..... Qatar is allowing women in sports  .... hmmmm may be it wasn't done for such "religious " reasons after all!!!




The Things I didn't need to know:

ST. KITTS/NEVIS ATHLETE SENT HOME - don't shed any tears for this moron ..... He couldn't follow the simple rules of his team officials: NO ONE IS TO LEAVE THE ATHLETE VILLAGE PERIOD. Simple enough you would think, except  for this arrogant bastard left anyways. NOT for a few minutes, not for a few hours .... DAYS .... DAYS!!!!! Where was he? In a London hotel 'GITTIN' SOME' from his wife ..... SSSSSERIOUSLY ???? I don't feel sorry for you. You were there probably on your Country's dime, expected to medal in a once in lifetime international stage and you can't keep it in your pants for 2 weeks ???? GO HOME .... you are now officially a loser on the international stage ..... AND I've been to Nevis/ ST Kitts it  ain't all that ..... now you have to stay there and git all you want 'cause now you have the time.

RYAN LOCHTE PEES IN POOL - Sigh ..... AND tell me which one of them hasn't that might be the bigger news .... You wait 4 years to write reports from the Summer Olympics. This is your lead story? .... good luck on your writing career !

THE DRAMA BEGINS ......

aHHHHH ..... the Olympics begin this weekend ....... Of course when I say drama, I don't mean the nail bitter moments before Michael Phelps is 1/100th of a second in front of the competition for his 700th Gold Medal. I'm talking the catty stuff, the diva attitude, national embarrassment .... i.e.,CHINA having the "pretty" girl lipsync the "homely" girl's song in the opening ceremonies .....  poor sportsmanship comments,  the expected winners losing, Doping and cheating, ..... suspected underage gymnasts. Who was that again ..hmmm ... oh yea CHINA ....  unexpected triumphs and tragedy .... there is always that one guy that misses the bus to the arena. You waited 4 yrs for this chance and YOU MISS THE BUS!!! ....

Of course,  the drama began before the games. All over these opening ceremony uniforms by Ralph Lauren.  eeeegh ... they're okay but what the hell is up with that skirt???? Ralph even I can tell there is something wrong with the proportions!!! Sheeeesh .... I thought you were a designer with an eye .... Then we have Berets ... berets???? .... what is American about a Beret????  There were better choices out here Ralph ... a designer baseball cap would have been better. Yes Ralph,  baseball,  you know .... it is what some of your millionaire clients do for a living. It's America's sport .... well no it isn't probably football is but I digress ......  Just to top off allllll the wrong ...... Ralph tries to save a buck and has them made in CHINA!!!!!  Well .....  maybe that explains the ill-fitted skirt ......

I WANNA GO THERE ......

There is Havasu Falls in Arizona .... that could be me in that turquoise water! Arizona I can do that!!! Let me see... let me see ..... where is the closest airport to this place. Oh .... in the Grand Canyon area ... hmmm okay well I guess that would be Vegas or Phoenix ..... rent a car and drive to SUPAI??? where is that exactly ... scratch head ..... on the west side of Grand Canyon. What's over there? I thought the touristy stuff was north and south rims? .... Oh wait now, Wikipedia says its the capital of the Havasupai Indian Tribe Reservation .... hey sounds like a world of new cultural experiences to me ..... Oh, look there is a lodge on the reservation .... now all I have to do to get there is drive to the end of the trail head and  ..... HIKE 8 MILES FROM THE NEAREST ROAD .... what? ... oh wait there are other options. OR .... ride a pack mule or rent a helicopper .... OH ....... is that all? Oh no? Of course, the falls are another 2 mile hike from lodge .... hhhhaaaahhhhhhhh ..... my husband will leave me after this trip ...... hmmmmm ! That could me in that turquoise water!

Ahhhhhhh ... our newest addition!!!!!

Please welcome with us our newest addition to the family !!

The backyard family that is ...... that's right we are the proud new owners of our second garden gnome.

 He looks almost exactly like his brother across the patio! Lets remember:

You know how they get jealous with a new one in the yard!

Sniff ...

 It was just a few weeks ago I wished Ernest "Happy Birthday" !!! Now he is gone .... along with Andy. During my childhood they both had 2 of my favorite TV shows.  Don't know why Ernie never came back to TV. He was well liked as I remember. Andy did a few other shows. Never as good in my opinion so I never watched either. Hubby and I will still watch "The Andy Griffith Show"  on TV Land .... it IS after all a top TV classic. Will never get tired of it.

They say .... who is the "they" that say this by the way? .... death always comes in threes .... I don't want to guess who is next BUT I will say this for the first two of the trio they lived an extraordinarily good long loved life. Peace guys.