Saturday, January 31, 2009

NFL Fantasy players

What is fantasy football? I haven't a clue.. except a friend emailed me this video, and I was like "wow!" with these guys skills with the football

notes from the inbox

To the Guy Who Mugged Me Downtown (Downtown, Savannah )

I was the white guy with the black Burrberry jacket that you demanded I hand over shortly after you pulled the knife on me and my girlfriend. You also asked for my girlfriend's purse and earrings. I hope you somehow come across this message.

I'd like to apologize. I didn't expect you to crap your pants when I drew my pistol after you took my jacket. Truth is, I was wearing the jacket for a reason that evening, and it wasn't that cold outside. You see, my girlfriend had just bought me that Kimber 1911 .45 ACP pistol for Christmas, and we had just picked up a shoulder holster for it that evening. Beautiful pistol, eh? It's a very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head, isn't it? I know it probably wasn't a great deal of fun walking back to wherever you'd come from with that brown sludge flopping about in your pants. I'm sure it was even worse since you also ended up leaving your shoes, cell phone, and wallet with me. I couldn't have you calling up any of your buddies to come help you try to mug us again.

I took the liberty of calling your mother, or "Momma" as you had her listed in your cell, and explaining to her your situation. I also bought myself some gas on your card. I gave your shoes to one of the homeless guys over by Vinnie Van Go Go's, along with all of the cash in your wallet, then I threw the wallet itself in a dumpster. I called a bunch of phone sex numbers from your cell. They'll be on your bill in case you'd like to know which ones. Alltel recently shut down the line, and I've only had the phone for a little over a day now, so I don't know what's going on with that. I hope they haven't permanently cut off your service. I was about to make some threatening phone calls to the DA's office with it. Oh well.

So, about your pants. I know that I was a little rough on you when you did this whole attempted mugging thing, so I'd like to make it up to you. I'm sure you've already washed your pants, so I'd like to help you out. I'd like to reimburse you for the detergent you used on the pants. What brand did you use, and was it liquid or powder?

I'd also like to apologize for not killing you and instead making you walk back home humiliated. I'm hoping that you'll reconsider your choice of path in life. Next time you might not be so lucky.

If you read this message, email me and we'll do lunch and laundry. Peace!

On a lighter note

Here is a little USSA video for you to view

Is the grass truly greener on the other side?

Do you ever feel that you're always getting the short end of the stick? Or do you constantly compare your life to others' lives? We are bombarded with daily images of the posh lifestyles of celebrities. Their expensive wardrobes and status can entice even the happiest person to drool over such luxury. But by thinking about the world as a whole, you'll find that your own life is wealthy beyond compare. Make a short list of some of your overlooked privileges. Owning a car (or two!), having access to television, computers, drinkable water, a respectable wage at your job, and all of the freedoms you enjoy that are a foreign idea to many people around the world. Be grateful for your life and over time maybe you will see that your plot in life is someone else's "greener grass."

This was in my email, for a reflection quote.. aren't we all guilty of looking over on the other side and thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? "If only I had XYZ, I'd be happier" mentality. I've been broke and living in a van for 2 years, and I was happy. I've had money and living in a large house, and I was unhappy. I guess its what you make with life.. External circumstances is not what makes you happy - its what you do with the circumstances.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Foods

Mercury found in high fructose corn syrup? yep! and here you thought it was 'safe' according to their commercials. Never mind the fact that it doesn't give you a feeling of fullness and you will keep sucking down the sodas that have it instead of sugar or some other sweetener - something to do with the insulin. USAToday has an article about mercury being found in HFCS - HERE so if you are interested in that, go read. Here is a page that lists some foods that do not contain HFCS > http://www.stophfcs.com/list.html and probably has some good ideas for NOT using it. I use Splenda when I bake, or stevia. When I make tea, I use a bag of licorice tea. Works great, just don't leave it in too long, or it will be very sweet.

On another note in foods, our grocery store started carrying Bacon Salt! Comes in a little jar, its salt..that tastes like BACON.. without the fat, and calories. I am going to buy a bottle of this, and try it.. not sure one what one would USE it? Eggs? Popcorn? Maybe with a porkchop. Jazz that puppy up! Normally I use Tony Chachere's on popcorn, or during the fall when I buy a pumpkin or two, and make roasted pumpkin seeds.

This coming March is our church's Preacher's Fellowship, and I volunteered to cook more so that the church would not have to purchase more food from local restaurants. Now to figure out *what* to cook. Figure 75 people, I am going to need more pans! Those disposable foil pans are going to come in handy during this time, I can tell. I am actually looking forward to this, because since the church did not start up a school year this time, I have not had much of anything to do, no class to teach.. so this really gives me something to do that I can enjoy.

Looking back

Going through my email this morning, and I received an email with a link in it to a site that lists #1 Song on this date in history. Interesting. Also more of the peanut recalls - evidently EVERYTHING from that PCA company is being recalled - peanut paste, butter, and whole peanuts. Mildew, roaches, the whole works in the factory according to some of the reports I've read. Blech! On a better tasting note, Carino's Italian restaurant is having their 'two can dine for $19.99', 3 course meal for 2 - unlimited soup/salad/bread, 2 entrees, 2 mini desserts. Now to see if I can get hubby to take me out for Italian.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Greebo is !

Such a cat..and living up to his name (for the Greebo in the Terry Prachett books.

Is your cat plotting to kill you?

for all those Bond'ers out there...




Your International Spy Name is Anaconda X



Your Code Name: The Pilot



You Reside in: Miami



Why You're a Good Spy: You have total recall

Time to get started on your gardens

January checklist for southeast:

You can prune dormant rosebushes after the first of the year. Take out damaged, crossing, crowded and long canes. Shorten the remaining branches conservatively, by no more than a third of their length.

Now's the ideal time to inventory your supplies. Stores are stocking up, and you can replenish before the rush. Shop for soil amendments, pesticides, stakes, plant labels and even a new tool or two.

Some perennials and ornamental grasses start to look pretty disreputable about now. Chop them low with sharp clippers. They'll look much better, and it'll be easier for new growth to emerge.

But my rosebushes are putting out flowers right now, its been so warm here lately. We had on the air conditioner yesterday, it got up to 75, and is supposed to get up to 74 again today. However, a cold front is supposed to come through and be only in the 50s tomorrow. So much for south Texas winter! Its time in February to start planting fruit bushes, so I will get a couple of orange trees, and maybe a satsuma tree or two if they require a pollenator. Almost time to go to the nursery in town and pick up some victims.. I mean plants.. for this coming year. I only had a couple die on me this past year - my hibiscus are doing quite well since I started on a regular feeding schedule. They had not been doing well and growing like they should be, but now are blooming quite often, despite Mr Fatty doing his business around the base of it. And time to figure out how to keep the outdoor cats from figuring the mulch I lay down is their new litterbox. Maybe if I try that new rubber mulch? that is made from shredded tires. Maybe it will last longer than the red bark mulch. We shall see. It doesn't cost that much more, and is supposed to be more weather-proof.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Driving around a small town


Its gotten so bad driving around our town lately. The posted speed limit down the main drags are 30 mph, 35 in some spots, but you're darn lucky if you can get going over 20 mph! And that is on the 2 lane roads. What is it, an influx of Sunday drivers? I've noticed it for around the past 3 months.. is it just me, driving the speed limit is going *too fast*? And it's not just old people, or people talking on their cell phones either. It's younger people too, driving 10 miles below the speed limit when it's 30 for pete's sake! Just doodling through town, when I have somewhere to be.. like ANYWHERE but sitting behind their slow-moving vehicle!

On another note, the local speed trap out of town going west, has been plagued lately by the DPS, one sitting on either side of the bridges. There are a couple of bridges just out of town that *feel rural* so you go faster than 55, and that's where they nab you.. and in this little town, not necessarily with DPS, but with the city police.. if ONE pulls you over, there's more likely than not to be one or two more pull up to chit-chat with the one that pulled you over to find out what's going on if it's a slow day. So you can have a traffic stop, with three cop cars. All blue blinky lights, and then traffic going by, goes EVEN slower than 20, because of the rubberneckers "let's find out who's stopped, see if we know them!" it crawls down to around 5 or 10 miles an hour.

What has gotten into people lately? It used to be you could get across town in 7 minutes tops. Now it takes 15 minutes to get from Dairy Queen to Walmart!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Update to Houston Marathon



I have the stats on hubby's marathon Chip time: TIME: 1h:39m:57s (gun) / 1h:39m:17s (net). He came in 410th in entire field of half marathon, with 8023 finishers behind, about 5% ahead. 304th place in Male section, 3277 finishers behind, about 8% ahead. Result in his age division 34th place - 489 behind, about 6% ahead. From 6.1 miles to finish he passed 21 runners, and 31 passed him.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Houston Marathon - half marathon

Well not much happened today with me, but my husband Paul ran the half marathon up at the Houston Marathon - he finished with a time just under 1:40 for 13.1 miles.

Records were set at this year's full marathons, Deriba Merga of Ethiopia crossed the finish line to win the 2009 Chevron Houston Marathon with a course record time of 2:07:52. The first woman to cross the finish line was also from Ethiopia. Teyba Erkesso’s time was 2:24:18. It was her first-ever marathon and she beat the previous record by seconds.

Men's half marathon winners:

1) Dathan Ritzenhein,1:01:34

2) Meb Keflezighi,1:01:40

3) Brett Gotcher, 1:02:12


Women's half marathon winners:

1) Kelly Jaske, 1:12:00

2) Desiree Davila, 1:23:17

3) Amy Rudolph, 1:12:30


My youngest daughter, is in training right now to run her first 5k the end of February up in Ft. Worth, the Cowtown, and hubby will be running his first full marathon (26.2 miles) that day also. I started a couch to 5k program when daughter did, but did a klutzy thing, tripped over a board and fell hard on my knee, now in PT for my knee, no running, jogging, kneeling, squatting, biking on my leg. bah. I was hoping to get to jog/walk a 5k in February, to be able to do it! I have 2 weeks left of PT, and then back to the doctor, maybe I can get back into the swing of things, and back on that couch to 5k program, or at least back to biking.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Google causes climate change! woohoo!

Go figure.. using Google causes c02 to be released. From a news article here. But Google gives you the best results. I'm not about to stop using Google any time soon because "it causes global warming" or "global cooling" or anything. The earth naturally goes through warming and cooling cycles. Ever leave a glass full of ice and water on a counter to sit and melt? Does it overflow when all the ice melts? No. So those doomsayers that say "sea levels will rise several feet!" are full of it. I remember in an old Scientific American magazine we have kicking around somewhere, we saved it because it had the first 'in the womb' pictures available, it had on its cover "the coming ice age". Global cooling was the rage, and there was doom and gloom portrayed as 'mankind's usage of power was causing global cooling and bringing in an ice age' and we had to use less power, etc. Now it's global warming. Wish they'd make up their silly heads.

Remember these?

The Frito Bandito pencil topper from the late 60s? I had more than just a few. Wish I had kept them around! They are collectors items now. There is an Ebay auction for one, going right now for $31 current bid. Go figure. All these things we had as children, and just played with, and lost.

Ayiee, yie-yie-yieeee,
I am dee Frito Bandito.
I love Frito's Corn Chips,
I love dem I do.
I love Frito's Corn Chips,
I take dem from you.
I can still hear in my head the little Frito Bandito cartoon on the television singing this song when I read the words. I guess it's not politically correct anymore to have a large mustachioed mexican bandito complete with gun cartridges swinging across his chest singing about Fritos, but it sure was cute. What made me think of this? Who knows? My mind wool-gathers alot.

On another note, went to the Houston symphony last night, heard a Tchaikovsky violin concerto that we had heard Leila Josefowitz play a couple years before. She really tore up her bow on that piece, 6 strings hanging down loose by the time she ended it, he (Leonidas Kavakos) only had one loose string hanging down from his bow. But both performances were superb. She's like a rockstar, go figure.. she really gets into the music. If you like classical, see if you can find her performing somewhere and go see it. Will be worth it.

Friday, January 16, 2009

hah!





I'm an embarrassment to Barack!


I only scored 19 on the Obama Test






Up before 4 am?? what was I thinking?

Here I am..up before 4 am.. well its 5:02 am now. Decided to start a blog, after having lots of stupid stuff happen to me in town, and thinking "I need to tell someone about this".. and hubby does not want to hear me rant and rave about the idiots driving around town or what happened at the grocery store.

Looks right now like we might not be going to the next season of the symphony next year - except one concert in April - they will be playing Shostakovich symphony #5, which I love, but my husband HATES. He calls it the "screeching monkeys" symphony. Lout! For the past five years, we have had season tickets to the Houston Symphony, row C, seats 9 and 10. Had a grand time, going out to eat before and then to the symphony and then to the concert, or else stopping at Taco Cabana on Bellaire on the way home afterwards. Especially when they have the shrimp tacos. So *that* is up in the air.

Winter is here in south Texas, and we have a cold front in right now, from the north. The midwest is in the negative digits, and we are in the 40s and 50s this week. I was hoping to have 70s for this weekend, for the Houston Shell Marathon, but that looks like it will be only in the 50s. Husband will be running the half marathon for that on Sunday, only 13.1 miles, his fourth half marathon. More later today if something happens, but I doubt much of anything happening today.