Friday, September 30, 2005

Fair, enough!

So the fair is going on in the big town. Everyone goes to the fair. The kids are given a few days off school (some of them the whole week so they can work at the fair), the seniors are temporarily employed hawking fudge and candy, traffic is backed up for miles, and of course it rains. It always rains during fair week.

Last year four of us went to a concert at the fair. It was raining and the stage seating (the ground between the stage and the grandstand) was of course muddy. Two of us remembered to bring ponchos and ended up sharing them with the other two. So picture two mud-splattered tent-looking contrivances, each one with two heads sticking out of it, one of those heads wearing an umbrella hat. Yes, I did say umbrella hat!

I bought one at the dollar store for the sole intention of wearing it to the fair. I could take a regular umbrella but it takes one hand to carry it. I need both hands free for the fair; one to bring whatever gastric delight I've just purchased to my mouth, and one to toss dimes and/or play bingo. An umbrella hat was the obvious answer. By the way, I am the dime-toss queen, y'all. That totally goes on the resume if I ever apply for a job in Alabama.

Now picture the umbrella-hat-wearing head holding a fried dill pickle in one hand and flipping dimes with the other. Occasionally interchange "fried pickle" for "cheesecake on a stick" and "flipping dimes" with "playing bingo" and that's pretty much me at the fair.

Oh, and we aren't going this year. It's not raining.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Countdown To Freedom!

Sunday: Invited friend over and baked cookies all afternoon. Subs for dinner, didn't feel like cooking after five hours in the kitchen.

Monday: Got broken fingernail fixed. Mailed cookies to a friend in Mississippi. (He lost everything to Katrina... others were helping with the stuff, but cookies might cheer him up.) Got frantic phone call from stepmother, who had just lost her brakes driving downhill in town. Picked her up and took her to get the truck from Dad. Received a package from Australia... thanks K! Big hugs to you! Ate dinner on the fly.

Tuesday: Worked. Broke another fingernail ($#@!!!) but it wasn't bad so I was able to fix it. Got a letter from the bank stating they were unable to withdraw our loan payment because our account was locked (see earlier rant about Em and Tee). The loan is through the same bank, and they were able to take out other charges, and B can withdraw/deposit money... so why couldn't they take out the payment? It was there! Called and griped about it, decided to switch banks ASAP. They have done nothing but jerk us around since we found out about them paying out of our account for an obviously fraudulent e-check. They don't want to take responsibility. And they owe us a lot of money too. Having tamales for dinner.

Wednesday Plan: I'm going to go to work late so B and I can have a little chat with the bank manager face-to-face. Have to call garage to arrange truck inspection, if Mike will ever answer the phone. Roasting a chicken after work.

Thursday-Saturday Plan: Work, possibly drop truck off at Mike's, call credit union about transferring our loan from Em and Tee, close account and tell manager we'll be looking forward to our reimbursement check. That was supposed to be our vacation money... grr. Now it might be Christmas money. Come home and begin vacation prep: laundry, clean out fridge, begin packing. Actually I'll probably procrastinate until Tuesday night and then run around like a maniac until three in the morning, but at least I'm able to go anywhere with a single duffel bag. Most women can't do that!

Sunday Plan: CARLISLE!!! We were discouraged to find out that the Fall Carlisle car show (one of the biggest of the year) was the weekend before we left, when we're trying to save what money we do have, but it turns out we'll be able to carpool down and spend the day drooling after all. They have worship services on Sunday too. At a car show! How cool is that?!

Politicians At Large?

Romans 1:21-22

Their thinking became useless.
Their foolish minds were filled with darkness.
They said they were wise, but they became fools.

Saturday, September 24, 2005

The Irish in me...

My blood runneth green.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Stuff n' Nonsense

Changed my mind on the hunting post, at least for now. Some ultrasensitive animal activist might flame me from here to the Happy Hunting Grounds if I write what I originally intended.

So... work sucks. Everyone's getting shifted or laid off for the rest of the year, which creates scheduling hassles for me. Not to mention fewer people to share the workload. Ah well... T minus 10 days until I forget about it for a couple of weeks. I'll assess the damage when I get back.

Yesterday was the first day of autumn. We've been complaining about the unseasonably hot weather here, but today it was like Momma Nature flipped a switch and POOF it was fall. Seems like the colors started changing overnight, the weather got cooler and the breeze picked up... I'm loving it. It's my favorite time of year!

I just joined another message forum. After reading the posts and replies for twenty minutes or so, I realized just how good ours is. I was stunned at the things I read. Not one of the members there would last past their first post on our site... they'd get nuked immediately. I decided to unjoin pronto... thought I'd have to claw my eyeballs out for a minute there when I clicked on a topic and was confronted with a picture of... well... never mind, I don't even WANT to go there. Ewwwwww........

Prayers going out to those in Hurricane Rita's path. Y'all bootscootn'boogie on outta there, y'hear?

I'm out.

Sunday, September 18, 2005

Hi Y'all!

I had to turn on Comment Verification. This blog doesn't get much traffic, but within 15 seconds of a new post yesterday I had 3 comment spammers. I'm not wasting time going back and deleting them, so CV is on. Sorry to the couple of folks that are nice enough to leave comments.

I should get some self-tanner for my ankles. High heels with a sock tan is not fashionable. It screams Redneck!!! As if anyone needs proof.

Speaking of... you might be a redneck if someone mentions how they wish they had another 2 inches, and the first thing you think of is a lift kit for a pickup truck. You know the speaker is a redneck if that was, in fact, what he was referring to!

One from the Forum: You might be a computer redneck if your username indicates that you are the spouse of another forum member.

You might be a redneck if -ing endings do not exist in your vocabulary; rather, you use -in'.
As in fishin', huntin', swimmin', muddin'...

You might be one if a coworker sees you wearing anything other than your work clothes, and says they've never seen you without a baseball cap on... and you're female.

You might be one if Fireballs just ain't as hot as they used to be... if you know Tootsie Rolls are better after you've softened them up in your pocket for a while... and if you buy Dum-Dum lollipops at Halloween and eat them all yourself.

Coming up: Hunting recap. 'Tis the season soon! Now y'all excuse me, I have to get to the store... I'm out of ammo.

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Today's Tidbits

I wrote an article for our company website/newsletter about what the company is doing for Hurricane Katrina victims. Hoping it gets published. I may well be the only person there who can spell, so I think I've got a good shot.

Debating whether to see "Transporter 2" or "March of the Penguins" tomorrow night. It's been a few years since the hubby and I have been to an actual movie theater... am waiting semi-anxiously for "Tim Burton's Corpse Bride." Burton, Danny Elfman, and Johnny Depp... it. must. be. good. (Did anyone else know that Tim Burton was an animator for the Disney movie "The Fox and the Hound?" How cool is that?)

Tomorrow afternoon the hubby is going up to Dad's to do something with the tractor and help clear trees. I might go, but I might also stay here and rearrange some furniture. *scoots wheeled desk chair six inches to the right* Well, that's done. I guess I'll go along.

Two and a half weeks... not another movie title, but the time left until we go on vacation! This is going to be interesting. My husband hates flying, and for the first time since we've been together we're NOT driving. He hasn't been on an airplane since he was in the Marines and said he actually preferred jumping out of one to having to stay in it... I, on the other hand, like to fly. The world looks so different from up there! I hope we aren't over the wing.

I've never been allergic to anything in my life. Suddenly, I have allergies. Might be my place of employment, might not, but either way the doc gave me Allegra. I'm going to lose weight now... about 5 pounds of sinus pressure, that is. I feel like a bobble-head doll. Little body, big ol' heavy head... I think I'm allergic to poinsettias. And I think it's psychological. Bet I feel better after I kick a couple of them.

A funny website: www.stuffonmycat.com A few minutes of mindless entertainment.

I just read Janet Evanovich's latest, "Eleven On Top." It's one of her Stephanie Plum novels. She went full-tilt on this one, laying on the improbability incredibly thick. Wasn't nearly as funny as the first six or seven in the series. I still giggle thinking about Grandma Mazur shooting the turkey. At least Stephanie hasn't blown up the Buick... I'll stop reading them if that happens. The Buick is my favorite part of the series, and IMO the best returning character. A car! Of course!

Have to start thinking about our Christmas card photos soon. Last year we set up the tripod at a scenic spot, only to have power-plant security come check us out and run our license plate. I guess they own the view, along with everything else in the area. The year before, we wanted photos taken in our hunting gear but Wal-Mart wouldn't let us bring our guns in with us. Not even unloaded! People are so suspicious anymore... *grin* It was fun asking, though.

And again with the shoes... made the mistake of driving past Boscov's last Monday and the gravitational pull was too strong to resist. Got a pair of Skechers for 10 bucks. Tres passe, but I needed new sneaks. "You get more mileage from a cheap pair of sneakers..."

I've decided I'm on Team Aniston. Life-altering, isn't it? NOT.

With that, I'm out.

VAROOOOOM!


It ain't practical, but it sure is pretty.

Monday, September 12, 2005

No Pictures Today

I tried to upload some pics from yesterday's car show fundraiser using the image function, but for some reason they aren't working.

We went to support a friend of my husband's sister, who has cancer and is trying to raise money for treatments. The turnout was incredible, the cars (and trucks, and motorcycles) incited visible drooling from yours truly, and the weather was as perfect as it could be. There was a moment of silence in recognition of 9/11 and a nice memorial speech, plus a Chinese auction, raffles, and a bake sale that found repeat customers from our table. Whoever made the shortbread cookies needs to market them. Seriously, they were fantastic!

The DJ had some catchy nostalgic tunes going... I boogied my way from car to car, admiring just about all of them for one reason or other. Oddly, I found myself drawn to the former duds... a Chevy Luv pickup, a Maverick with a pea-green and tan plaid interior, and an absolutely gorgeous Edsel. And of all things, a mint-green four-door Buick Skylark... that Buick thing again! Gah. Resistance is futile...

Other highlights were a Dodge Warlock pickup, a Shelby Mustang GT-350, an El Camino (that sadly didn't have a FOR SALE sign on it anywhere), a couple of sweet Indian bikes, a mint '54 Vette, and one of my personal dream cars: a '66 Barracuda fastback (with that huge rear window). There must have been over a hundred cars there... No Grand Nationals, darn it, but one guy did have a Grand Nat engine and drive train in his Cutlass. I was jealous... wanted to do the same thing with my own car.

Speaking of Buicks... mine has been sick. It's been smoking and losing power on the hills and the engine light goes off and on. Same thing happened when the last oil pump went out, so I was afraid we'd have to tear it down and put yet another heavy-duty spring in there. We checked it out today... turns out the breather filter (the small one on the side of the air cleaner) was clogged solid. Three dollars later and it's fixed! That has got to be the cheapest fix EVER for that (insert expletive) car. The downside is, if it's running I'll have to drive it through the winter again, and it doesn't do well at all in snow. I need to invest in snow tires.

Or just get over my protective paranoia and drive the Bronco... is it wrong to pamper a truck? I think on some redneck level, it is... at least my dad makes fun of me for it. I won't even drive it up the mountain to his house if the bushes haven't been trimmed back to avoid scratching the sides. Dad: "It's a TRUCK, for cryin' out loud!" Me: "But it's a NICE truck! I wanna keep it that way!" Dad: *eyeroll*

Yeah, I got it bad. But I'm going to have one of the sweetest original Broncos out there someday. Then I'm going to sell it and buy a late-60s El Camino. See, I have a plan....!

Saturday, September 03, 2005

What you talkin' bout?

Everyone's talking about the hurricane, the survivors, and the fuel prices, so I'm not going to. I won't stop thinking about it, but I doubt anything I could say would be any different than what everyone else is discussing at work and home and everywhere else.

Therefore, I'm going to yap about something else. A favorite rant: SUV drivers vs. SUV haters.

I was on a message board last night where people were complaining about gas prices. Half the group started flaming the other half for owning "big, pretentious, gas-guzzling, environment-polluting monsters on wheels." Also "4Wd is SO unnecessary!" Okay then. You there, in the Honda Civic with the spoiler and the lo-pro tires... Come up here when there's a foot of snow on the ground and try to get up my road. Come on, you can do it! What's that? Your 3" ground clearance isn't enough? Your slick tires have no traction? Well, turn up your bass booster, maybe you can bounce your way up the mountain... No? Gee, sorry to hear that. Mind getting that useless tin can out of my way so I can get my 4X4 in gear and go to work? No problem, I'll just push it out of the road with my bumper... Come back and pick it up after next spring when the mud dries up, okay? It's not going anywhere. Oh, and remember...4WD is SO unnecessary! *Snickering as I drive off*

As to polluting the environment... vehicles today have stricter emissions standards than ever before in the history of automaking. Please tell me how my modern-emissions-equipped SUV, which passes state emissions tests annually, is pumping out more pollutants than your 1987 Econobox with the exhaust leak and the oil dripping out of the valve cover? (If you have a newer hybrid vehicle, I defer that remark. I envy you, truly.)

Having said that, Hummers and Escalades and the like really are pretentious. People that buy them and then gripe about gas prices will get no sympathy from me. Hey Hummer dude, back away from the gas pumps! Save some for the rest of us!

Taken By Storm

Isaiah 22:1, 2
What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops,
You who are full of noise, a tumultuous city, a joyous city?
Your slain men are not slain with the sword,
Nor dead in battle.

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

A Quickie

I'm tired so I'm going to be quick about this.

The birthday was okay. We're shaking the piggy bank right now so I told hubby not to even think about a present... I'd have felt too guilty otherwise. He made dinner instead which to me is infinitely better than trinkets. A friend and I went out pseudoshopping... we had a lot of fun trying on the ugliest, Barbie-est shoes we could find. Hats too, natch. There are some seriously fugly hats out there...

I'm feeling under the weather today. Been dizzy (no jokes please, if you know me) and slightly off-kilter... I think it's the weather. Ordinarily I love rain, but it's been hot and humid along with the showers which means misery in the plastic bubble I work in. Everyone had headaches today.

Hoping everyone in Katrina's path is okay... prayers to all of you.

I'm taking myself and the latest issue of GAMES to bed.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Random Bits

No news today, except I just got my mother addicted to Kitty Cannon. (It's sick and twisted, but the sound effects are funny. You can find it yourself; I'm not posting a link!)

B's dad had eye surgery today. They found some blood clots, so he'll need to go back, but we haven't gotten any details yet.

Decided to fly instead of drive for our vacation in October. The vacation we were supposed to be on right now, that is... got postponed for the third time. We just don't have the $$$ to drive the Bronco all that way, and it actually IS cheaper to fly. (A year ago I was joking about that. Very sad to see my sarcasm become reality.)

Oh, and the biggest news of the day: B (the hubby) had dinner on when I got home. He made his incredible meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and broccoli... He really does make one heck of a good meatloaf, using venison and ground sausage instead of burger. Plus the requisite onions and mushrooms and spices and stuff... and NO baked-on ketchup. It doesn't need it!

He's now gearing up to bake a carrot cake for my birthday, like he does every year.

Was my husband replaced by an alien clone, or does he just want something and is sucking up? Neither, actually... he's just a sweetheart. Yes, he does have a brother, who is married. Sorry.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Made me laugh out loud.

From PostSecret (link at right). I can sometimes relate. Mmm, enchiladas....

Oops!

To whomever has a username similar to mine:
You should be getting one of those "password recovery" emails tonight. I deleted my cookies and cleared my cache, and had a total brain-drain afterwards. Turns out I got the password right but the username wrong. (I've used the same one for ages... no idea why I went with a variation this time.)

I'd like to see your blog and find out if we have anything in common! ;-)

Monday, August 22, 2005

Launch!

Poinsettias are here.

You're thinking... poinsettias? Aren't those Christmas flowers?

Yep. But they have to grow somewhere. And they take six months to grow and bloom properly. Our site got the cuttings in July; my greenhouse gets the transplanted rooted cuttings and grows them until we either sell them all or get sick of them and stomp on....um.... I mean, until the holiday season's over. Yeah, that's right.

Poinsettias are susceptible to every plant disease known to man, and then some. They attract insects. They get mold, mildew, and scab. They are incredibly sensitive to environmental changes, which is why even though it's been hot as heck in the GH, we've discussed turning on the floor heat at night already. They get too tall, or stay too short, requiring numerous amounts of growth regulators to keep 'em short or shoot them up. It's like Alice and her mushrooms. They need calcium supplements, salt supplements, fertilizer supplements, and possibly One-A-Day vitamins... not sure about that last one but I wouldn't doubt it. Couldn't hurt, anyway.

There is this widespread myth that poinsettias are poisonous. They aren't. Not to humans and most animals, anyway. Might make your cat or your toddler a bit ill, if they ate a bunch of them, but you could have poinsettia hors d'oeuvres at a cocktail party and be more likely to get salmonella from the chicken pate' than die from poinsettia consumption. I wouldn't recommend it, however; I know what we spray on those things. I'd rather play poinsettia bowling than actually eat one. (P-bowling is a great way to release frustration at the end of the year. Due to the shape of the pots, it requires a wicked curve to win.)

I hate poinsettias. Really I do. This year I'm going to put Operation Poinsettia Launch into effect, and see how far I can hurl a six-inch pot using a bicycle tube tied between two posts. INCOMING!!!!! Thwannnngggg..... I feel better already. ;-P

Saturday, August 20, 2005

The Numbers Game

I stopped to pretend to put gas in my car after work today. I got 7 gallons of fuel and some Gatorade, and the total was $27.72.

Other than the obvious comment about fuel prices, what's so odd about that?

In 7 days it will be the 27th (my birthday). '72 is the year I was born. 27 and 72 are both divisible by 3; 3/3 (33) is my age.

My mom did a "magic numbers" diagram for me on my self-proclaimed Lucky Birthday six years ago. I was 27 on the 27th. Every single way it computed, if one believed in numerology my day was destined to be a good one.

Guess what? It was my first date with my future husband. We went out for Mexican food, met his sister and future BIL at a karaoke bar (great first impressions there!) and ended the night with the radio cranked and the windows down cruising back country roads in a pickup truck.

What's changed? Well, we never went to another karaoke bar. The rest is pretty much the same. Six years next weekend... Every birthday is a lucky one. I'm blessed no matter how the numbers line up.

Although... I wonder if there's a bus going to Atlantic City next Saturday?

Friday, August 19, 2005

My Inner Imelda Marcos

So what is it with women and shoes, anyway?

I never had that shoe fetish. As a kid, I had sneakers and flip-flops, though it was hard to get me in any kind of footwear at all, most of the time. I'd spend entire summers barefoot if my parents let me.

As a teen, when most girls were begging Daddy for money for the latest trends, I had sneakers (hightops, of course; it was the 80s after all), flip-flops, and three different-colored pairs of Keds. And I still went barefoot quite a bit. Not a lot of variety in the shoe department... believe it or not, I'd decided that turquoise L.A. Gears went with anything. Did I mention it was the 80s?

Then I had to get a pair of boots for riding. I also retired the L.A. Gears in favor of Converse All-Stars during one of their many fashion revivals. Turquoise, naturally. I still had not owned a pair of leather sandals or high heels.

Moving on, I switched to boots. Black motorcycle boots for hanging out, black combat boots for casual days, and black cowboy boots for dancing. It was a strange time... At one point I had a pair of suede knee-high lace-ups for "formal wear." Yes, you read that right.

Eventually I had to break down and buy heels. There were weddings to attend and functions where black boots weren't quite the expected mode of dress. I had the same pair of heels for years... and when they wore out, I bought another pair just like them. I also gave up the motorcycle boots for clunky black Oxfords. I'd pretty much given up on color at this point; everything I owned was black or grey, except t-shirts and one dress for the abovementioned occasions.

Today, I spend working hours in leather hiking shoes, Gore-Tex'd and waterproofed. For all other times I own five pairs of leather sandals, three pairs of glorified flip-flops, four pairs of heels, one good set of sneakers and one grubby set, the old standby combat boots, hunting (snow) boots, rubber ones for work, slip-ons for running next door to the store, and a great pair of black square-toed "witch shoes" I wear at Halloween. Plus boat shoes, fuzzy cow slippers, and a throwback pair of grey-and-black Acme cowboy boots from the Salvation Army in case I ever get the mad urge to line-dance again (hasn't happened yet, but if it does I'm prepared).

To top it all off, Boscov's had an incredible sale this past weekend. I'm feeling a little guilty, but who could resist name-brand shoes for 12 bucks? What I'm trying to figure out is when the Imelda Syndrome hit me. From a shoe-fashion disaster to a closet heel-hound... I never thought it would happen to me.

Ironically enough, when I left Boscov's the first thing I did was take my shoes off, stick them in the bag with the new ones, and walk across the parking lot barefoot. Some things never change.

X marks the Spot

Matthew 6:21
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

My Latest PC Add-On

A must-have for anyone running anything connected with Micro$oft. Or for those who mod on volatile message forums.