My Boy... The Man

My son called to tell me he finally accepted the promotion at his job. They had been trying to get him to accept it for 2 or 3 years now. He is now some manager type person for a particular department at Market Street

I'm so proud of him. But then again, I'd be just as proud of him if he chose to be a struggling musician, which part of him wants to be. And I'm not so sure he won't some day just drop everything and go in that direction. He's expressed such musings to me before. Partly because it was on his mind, partly because I think he was wanting to see my reaction. Ahh... my reaction...

I've never pushed my kids into doing something they didn't want to do. (minus homework, chores and being good kids, although I really didn't have to push them on any of those things) I DID push my kids into trying new things that might interest them, though. I raised my kids on the "you can be anything you want to be" philosophy. And I still believe they can. My son is like his Dad in that he's a VERY hard worker. Has been since the day he started working. For the last 5 years, he's gone to school full time and has had a full time job. When he's not doing those things, he's practicing with his band and performing. In between all of that, he finds time to practice and record his own music, study, play on the computer and go out with friends. I don't think he's dating right now. (That's a story unto itself) So when my 22 year old son comes up to me and tells me he seriously thinks about quitting his job (with a most certain profitable future) and doing his music full time (with a NOT so certain profitable future) and he hangs on the end of that sentence, looking at me expectantly, his eyebrows raised in unknown anticipation, my mind is racing through possible things I could/should say to him.

Unfortunately, this conversation took place about a year ago and exactly what I said to him has been lost in 40 year old memory land. The basics were this: On one hand, he has a job he really likes, he has a certain future there, he will be paid moderately well. On the other hand, he has his passion and his heart. That one thing that drives him and will always drive him, but the money and success are always iffy, but if they come, they could be BIG and I won't have to fear being old, poor and a burden on my kids. He is excellent at both and has the energy and maturity to be able to do either. I told him he would always have his music if the job thing didn't work out the way he wanted, but he might not always have the job if the music didn't. In a nut shell, I told him he had to go with what would make him the happiest. Then I'm sure he said something like, "You weren't any help at all". That or, "I'm hungry".

Hugz

Mystery Solved

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

AT LEAST IT WASN'T THE TOILET PAPER.

A Day In The Life

I've been curious how this little kitteh rug kept ending up like this:

I just assumed it kept getting run over during 'let's eat, poop, and run like we're on fire' time that we have each morning. Nope. Turns out it's from this:

I bought a bag of these puff balls and my cats hate them and won't play with them:

I've yet to solve the mystery on who is doing this, but every once in a while, there will be a pile of this:

And I caught Spazz in the middle of a sneeze:

Dancing With The Stars

So it's that time of year again. New seasons of shows coming on. Me forgetting those shows are on and having to catch up online. I have been consciously noticing how often I DON'T turn on my TV. But I do turn it on occasionally. And I'm sure I'll be giving you plenty of show updates to bore you senseless. Starting now.

DWTS is one of my favorite shows. You get to see these stars and athletes as they are, and not scripted. The ones I have noticed this year stand out not only for their performance on the dance floor, but personality goes a long way with me as well.

Cloris Leachman. Who DOESN'T love her? She's 82 years old and last night I watched her shimmy like a 60 year old! I don't know how long she will last, but it may be a situation like Jerry Springer was. Terrible dancer, but people still wanted to watch him because he was just SUCH a nice guy! Cloris is going to be the same way, I think. They are going to have to work on keeping her from wandering off. So far they have not done a good job at that. But she's been hilarious so far.

Toni Braxton. Those that are watching are waiting for her to drop at any moment. She's got coronary microvascular angina and I'm not sure how serious it is, but she's brave to go out and do what she's doing.

Susan Lucci. I can't do much here but sigh. She's been a soap opera actress for so long that she acts like other actors do when they are doing a spoof on a soap opera actress. It's tiring to watch.

My favorite this year is going to be Chef Rocco DiSpirito. Who doesn't love a man that can cook!? I'm not sure how his food tastes, but he sure looks yummy. Great personality, great dancer, and so sexshy, sexshy, sexshy! I want to marry him.

These are my first thoughts on the show so far. Lots of weeks left to go and I'm sure I'll be updating you as the season progresses. Lucky you.

Ze link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICZy5rdaON8

It's A Shocker!

I read this article today. Who would have thought?! Who could have known?! Him, of ALL people!! WOW!

Okay... on a more lighter note... or not... pictures of the beginnings of fall around herra:
SUMMER NOT WANTING TO LET GO
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT KIND OF BUSH THIS IS
DA WATERMELON
ZINNIAS!
OVERFLOWING FLOWERBED
I tried to catch the kitteh looking out of the window at me, but instead got a picture of where the kitteh obviously was. Yes, my cats are a little white trash.

Autumn Equinox Day

Ahhh... Autumn is here. Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? This week won't feel so much like Fall around here. 90 degree weather all week. But last week sure gave us a taste of the season to come.
Do you hold any festivities for today? A celebration, if you will, of the end of the harvest, the changing colors, the cooler weather? Do you call today Autumn Equinox, Fall, Mabon? Or is it just another Monday for you? Have you noticed the subtle changes occurring in nature? The leaves are starting to turn, the berries are reddening up, my Cricket is starting to be fluffy again. Take a few seconds today to think about the coming season, to stop and notice something that you may pass every single day of your life, yet never stopped to notice before.

Most of us tend to think of this time of year as a fast paced time of year. When you have kiddos at home, it's especially hard to see it any other way. You have Halloween coming up, football games, homecoming, marching season, then it's off to Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Autumn is the preparation time for the coming Winter. We start cleaning out our flowerbeds for next Spring's coming, we get our Winter clothes out and aired and if you are like me, you move your furniture around.

I've Got That Itch Again

So I have this thing that I do. And I don't know if a lot of people have this same thing, or not. I can't say I've ever talked to anyone else about it but then again, I don't see this coming up in conversation very easily so I can see how it's been avoided. I can remember one of my ex-boyfriends commenting one time about it... in a jokingly manner. Can't remember who it was, though. But I do remember it was the first time it made me stop and think that maybe I wasn't normal in this particular area. I think my kids have given me some words about it, but I think I just assumed that they were needing it, too.

I'm talking about change. Rearranging of the furniture. Not a make-over, really. All the same stuff, just in different places. Pictures on the walls moved. Tables, chairs, cat towers, computers, beds... moved. Granted, if I had the money to spend, total room make-overs every chance I got. But I don't. So I just move stuff around. I think psychologically it's my inner self telling my outer self that I need some change. Sometimes I think it corresponds with the changing of the seasons, and I think this is one of those times.

I'm watching a mockingbird eat the berries off the Lantana bush by my window. I had no idea the birds ate those things. Lots has changed in the last week with the upcoming Autumn Equinox just a couple of days away. The Lantana have completely quit blooming and have made those berry things. The berries on the bush things that I don't know what are have started to turn red as well. If I can get my old body out today, I'll take the camera. My watermelon is getting bigger every day. It seems late in the season for it, but maybe I'll be able to harvest at the right time this year. I've only seen the one. Last year I thought I only had two, but when I went to clean all the vines away, I found a bunch more that just never matured. Didn't help that I wasn't watering them.

Walk in peace my friends.

Compact Disc Era

I can remember when music CDs and players first came out. It was space age technology staring us in the face. To me, it was so profoundly, off the scale, cool and futuristic, that at the time, no one I knew could afford one. Then they were mass produced and can now be bought at a dollar store.

I have a large collection of CDs. Old ones. There was a time when buying a CD was the thing to do. I did it. A lot. Then one day I just stopped. I don't remember when it stopped(over 5 years... maybe closer to 10), or even why I stopped. And I can't remember the last CD I purchased.

When I bought my stereo system, desktop models had already become the "thing" to buy. I didn't want a desktop model. I wanted a full fledged cabinet stereo with big honking speakers so I could surround myself with music when the moment struck. I think I must have bought the very last one in existence. And even so, it's more of a desktop model that sets on top a huge woofer in a cabinet and has big honking speakers along with Dolby surround sound speakers. That would be Dolby 1 technology.

So not only can I not remember the last time I played one of my CDs on my ginormous stereo system, I can't remember when I last turned on my eyesore of a stereo system. The computer has replaced my source for music. I'm older so I don't have to have the music as loud as I once did, and the speakers are pretty decent so stuff sounds good coming out of them. And the list of music is endless when you have the internet. And my daughter does the IPod thing, so I have all her music to listen to as well.

Sunshine

...on my armpits(Cricket):

...on my chin(Cricket):

...on my belleh (Jynxy):

...on my pretty Cricket:

Explanation

You see, you guys can make fun all you want about my weather reports, but when you are a crazy cat lady, sometimes to divert my attention from all the meowing and scratching, I watch the weather. And said weather may fascinate me more then your average crazy cat person. And it COULD have been interesting if something HAD happened here. I blame the weather people. Always blame the weather people. As far as rain goes, I have things in my body that are more accurate than those guys anyway.

Season Premier of HOUSE tonight. Whoo hoo!

And now a funny video. I call this the Libby game because Libby LOVES to play Ninja Kitty. My daughter LOVES to play the Libby game with Libby when she comes over. How this person took this video without busting out laughing is beyond me, though. If I ever DO get a digital video camera, all my videos will be shaking from trying to keep from laughing and the only sound you'll hear are my guffaws that I won't be able to stop.

Thy link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muLIPWjks_M

IKE - Fah Fah Away

So I quit updating yesterday because there was nothing to update. Winds got up to MAYBE 25mph and we had some very good soaking rain, minus lightening and thunder. Aside from cooler temps and a good rain, here in our area, it was an extremely uneventful hurricane... again. Not that I'm asking for my house to be blown down or anything, but these weather folks get us all worked up about nasty weather and when it never happens, I'm just kind of like, ho-hum.

For those that have been devastated by this storm, my thoughts and well wishes go out to you and your families.

It's a most gorgeous day out! Find something to do out there today.

IKE - 1145 hours

Steady rain coming down harder from the north. Winds NNE at 10mph with gusts up to 15mph. Are you tired of these updates yet?

IKE - 0930 hours

We have rain. Still not a lot of wind.

IKE - 0800 hours

Mostly cloudy. Light winds coming from the north gusting to 13 mph. No rain.

IKE - 2340 hours

Winds from the NE at 5mph. Partly cloudy. No rain.

IKE - 1945 hours

Thinking About Cameras

One day I will eventually make Kitty Cam happen. But until I do, loving videos like I do, I'm thinking my next electronic purchase will be a digital video camera. Not any time soon, no. But sometime within the next couple of years. (I'm anticipating that I will still be rambling on in here in two years) The problem is, I don't know a lot about them. There's a bunch you can get for only $100, but how good are they? What should I even look for in one? I just don't know. If anyone DOES know, please email me or leave a comment. 'Cause I'd really like to know.

In hurricane news, they have projected the path of Ike to hit to our East which means we won't get the torrential rains... BUT... we should still get some pretty heavy winds as huge as this thing has become. The main thing, though... is that they can only predict a little. Hurricanes are extremely erratic and do things they don't expect. So until it happens, no one really knows how bad it's going to be up here. Granted, it won't compare to the coast, by any means, but winds without rain can be as damaging as winds with rain.

Would calling into work because of a hurricane be okay?

I Should Be Asleep, But...

Sometimes things like this make me laugh... a LOT.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REQRHdMRimw

Hurricane Ike

We up in the Fort Worth area have been advised to prepare for hurricane Ike. We've been told to expect 4 to 6 inches of rain, sustained winds of excess of 50 mph and gusts up to hurricane force. We've been told to stockpile candles and batteries, water, and to gas up our vehicles in case of power outages. I don't foresee anyone in this area taking this warning too seriously. But this was issued by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth at 0500 this morning.

I looked around online to see if I could find any history of this area being impacted like this from a hurricane, but I couldn't find anything. Doesn't mean it's never happened, but with the information technology that we have now, it's hard not to keep up or read about so much going on in so many places now, compared to 20 years ago and vaguely realizing the storms we are getting are from an unknown named hurricane. Times, they have a changed.

As I'm stockpiling water and batteries and gassing up my vehicle, I will also be remembering the lives lost on this day 7 years ago... the tragic events that changed so many lives, destroyed so many lives, and changed the way we as a nation felt about our security here in the US of A. And as you go about your day, please also take a few seconds from your day and just remember those we lost that day, and those we've lost since then because of that day. You may not agree with the war, but the simple fact is, we have men and women in places they would rather not be, doing things they would rather not be doing, so you and I can go about our daily lives of stockpiling water and candles and batteries for random hurricanes.

RAIN PICTURE FROM YESTERDAY

I'm Falling For You

There comes a time in a person's life where falling down becomes something more than just falling down. But at what age does falling down become dangerous? I guess it's always dangerous depending on when and where the falling down occurs, but I'm referring to the missteps, not the skiing and falling off a mountain, or dirt bike racing and falling off the bike, or any extreme sport and falling down. I'm not talking face-plants.

When my 104 year old grandmother was younger, age 100, she was turning away from her sink and caught her foot in her walker and fell down. She broke off the tip of the bone that goes into her hip. If a 30 year old had done the same thing, it is doubtful that any bones would have been broken. Not guaranteed, but doubtful.

When I got to the hospital she was still in the emergency room, full of morphine, with a smile on her face reciting everyone's birthday that she knew. She also had surgery and the doctors exclaimed how she may be 100 but that she's got the body of a 75 year old. She came through the surgery wonderfully and was 100 percent recovered in less than 6 months. That's my Nanny for ya!

So anyway, I went and saw my son's concert last Saturday. Aside from one of their guitar players breaking his guitar and them having to shorten their set because of the time it took for him to get a second guitar, get it hooked up and them start playing again, it was a wonderful show. The more these guys play, the better they get. Afterwards, we went to a pizza place located in the Stock Yards which is in the same courtyard area as The Door, where my son played, and Billy Bob's which is across the courtyard. The pizza was WONDERFUL! So we're walking back to my car and I step off of a curb that I didn't see and down I went. Of course the first thing I do is look around to see if anyone saw me. Then the pain hit and it actually took me a couple of minutes before I was able to walk. So I sat on the curb that I so blindly didn't see and I thought... "I'm 40 years old. I'm too old to be falling down." But aside from some bruising and soreness for the last few days, nothing major came from the fall and I'm thankful for that. When we are kids, we fall down all the time. It hurts, sure, but we bounce back quickly enough and move on to the next fall. But when does it become BAD to fall down?

I know, I know... it's never GOOD to fall down. And worse when you are an adult in public and people see you fall down.

Random Images

Got my camera back! Here's some walking around my house images.

Happy Birthday, M

I met M when I was 14 years old. At church camp. He was from another church that was attending this same camp and I have absolutely no idea how we even met, but we did. Time has a way of fading memories as you get older and the few distinct memories I have of M from way back then are of kissing him on a bridge after a heavy rain until an adult Baptist came and made us stop and a couple of trips to Six Flags which I only remember going to, not the actual trips themselves. The only reason I went to church camp when I was 15, was to see him again. You see... he lived in Dallas and since we were so young, Dallas was a loong way away from Fort Worth. Six Flags was a middle road that our parents graciously took us to. And when we were not church camping, or Six Flagsing, we were devoted pen pals.

M was the first love of my life. I had been kissed by a couple of boys before, but I had never felt the way I felt for M before. I adored this tall, dark haired boy who held my hand as we walked from evening service in the dark, along side rushing waters with fireflies blinking in the trees surrounding our path. It was a magical moment in a very young girl's life and although many memories faded over the years, the memory of him never did.

Time passed and as was inevitable we both grew older and the letters eventually stopped. There were a few long distance phone calls from time to time, but since it was long distance, time was always ticking away the minutes. The last phone call I received from him was when I was 17. I had just found out that I was pregnant and was about to get married. He had called to invite me to Six Flags. And life moved on...

Fast forward almost a quarter of a century. I'm on MySpace because my kids were on MySpace and as a responsible parent I was spying on them. (I always use this excuse for my reason for being on MySpace) I was bored one night. Alone. And I searched his name. And I found him. And on April 24, 2007 I emailed him this letter:

From: Laura
Date: Apr 24, 2007 11:54 AM

Okay... I have to know. Did you used to live on Cxxxx Lane? If the answer is yes, I'll explain to you who I am. If not, then I apologize for bothering you. But your eyes tell me you are who I think you are. I think you will freak out when I tell you who I am. I live miles and miles from Austin, so I'm not a stalker. :)

I know, I'm a dork, but he replied and knew exactly who I was.

So we became pen pals again, although the technology is MUCH different and faster. (For the young ones out there, when I was a teenager there wasn't such a thing as email yet.) And now that I'm an adult and Dallas isn't such a long way away, he now lives happily in Austin and that IS a looong way away from Fort Worth. He came into town not long after we started writing again and I got to see him in person. I invited him to see one of my son's concerts and afterwards we drove to a What-A-Burger and we sat at a booth, had coffee and ice water and talked for hours. There's been a handful of phone calls and lots and lots of emails since then. He's become one of my closest friends.

In the summer of 2009 we have a date to go to Six Flags which I'm holding him to even if I have to drive down to Austin and drag him back by his hair... oh wait... uh... EAR... to get him there.

So Happy Birthday, M. May the party barges be kind to you, the beer fresh, the music as sweet as it comes, and I'll see ya next year! Seriously... I'm not against ear dragging!

Intoxication

And then sometimes
When you least expect it
The kiss happens
And the world becomes all lemon drops and butterflies
You remember younger days
Wearing silk while
Standing under a windy full moon
And you again understand why you keep going back
What it is that first drew you
What it is that keeps drawing
And all the answers to your questions come crashing in

And then sometimes
When you least expect it
The kiss happens... again.

40, White, Single, Naive, Female Seeks What?

Some days I think back to what it was like having a man around on a daily basis. I think about the good and the bad and the bad being mostly sacrifices that were worth making because of a partnership and caring and love.

I joke about the longer I am single the less likely I will be able to EVER sacrifice for a guy. And every time I think about having that guy around on a daily basis, the less of a joke this becomes.

I use to have a pretty high tolerance level for men's different idiocies. Now, I find, I'm overly intolerable of the most minute things. Where once my life was all about "him", I have traveled to the dark side and now everything is about "me", and who cares what "he" thinks. And it's not a case of me being uncaring. I think I've just forgotten HOW to care. Which is kind of sad because I used to be all about the caring.

So on this journey of self discovery I have to wonder... have I lost part of myself in the process? A part that most men really seemed to be attracted to. I sometimes feel a part of me has returned to the naive and unsure 15 year old girl that I once was. But it's worse because I'm a 40 year old who remembers not being naive and unsure at one time... or maybe I just thought I wasn't.

Early Bird

I don't think there is anything to compare to shopping at Wal-Mart at 6am in the morning. Maybe shopping at Wal-Mart at 3am, but I at least wanted it to be daylight when I was loading the groceries.

So I was going to mow yesterday... couldn't get the battery to charge on the riding lawnmower (no surprise) so today I get to use the push mower yet again. I actually just walked out there after that sentence and hooked up the charger again, juuuuust in case I can get it to charge and I won't have to sweat any more than necessary.

Last week I had this terrible crick in my neck. It went away pretty quick, but it's back again this week. Something to do with my days off, maybe? Makes it hard to do just about everything. I didn't realize how much I turn my head during the day, especially while driving.

It's another beautiful morning. I am SO looking forward to Autumn.

Ahhhh

It's a wonderful 63 degrees outside right now. Only supposed to get up to 85 today. I didn't turn on my air conditioner once yesterday and slept all night with it off.

I have a hummingbird that comes and visits my Lantana by my computer window every morning around this time. I first spotted him about a month or so ago.

It's only been a week since I mowed last, yet I think I'm going to mow again today. It's looking scraggly and it looked so good last week. Project for the day. Plus it's so beautiful, how can I NOT got out and do some kind of yard work?

I re-colored my hair last night.

I have nothing much to say today. Not that you couldn't already tell.

Gustav Was A Dissapointment

Hurricane Gustav was suppose to bring us SO much rain. Not a drop at my house. We DID get and are currently getting some nice gusty northern winds and lots of heavy cloud cover. But no rain. I think it saw the DFW area and turned North and East just to avoid this area. Most rain showers do that this time of year. But the rain we got a couple of weeks ago has done wonders for my yard. Again, another camera-less moment, but as I was pulling into my drive this morning, there's a random Spider Lilly in the middle of my side yard. It hasn't bloomed yet, but I took a walk around the house and noticed the other Spider Lillies are coming up nicely. I finally texted my daughter to bring home me camera and I should be getting some nice boring shots for you soon.

I'm playing hooky again from work this week. Taking another Friday and Saturday off so I can go see my son play at the Door in Fort Worth on Saturday. They have taken the last several months off because their lead singer became a daddy. I'm looking forward to the show.

My cats are enjoying the cooler weather as well. I have every window in my house open and they can't decide which one they like the best as they run from window to window and jump up on screen doors and just act crazy.

September Update

I was really, really worried about weighing yesterday evening when I woke up. My legs have been very swollen, I cheated SO bad when my daughter was with me and I've just felt overly overweight. Knowing how bad I have been, I was SURE I had gained back 10 pounds. I could FEEL I had gained 10 pounds. Turns out I only gained 2. Which is still not good, but not near as bad as I was thinking because my legs are still swollen which means the 2 pounds I am looking at, are two pounds in my legs, not in my butt. BUT, I was still really, really bad this past month and this September I know I really need to step up my work. I'm just about back into my routine of boring daily life so I'm really hoping for an impressive month.

Post Topic

I often think throughout my day, "I'm going to blog about this... or that" and I occasionally will sit down and do exactly that. But on most mornings when I pull up my chair and open this page, I haven't a clue as to what I'm going to blog about. Some days it never happens for me at all. I will open this page and while I'm thinking about what to write about it will get too late and me too tired to mess with it. Or, during my internet travels each morning, I might come across something that I think someone might be interested in, or just something that I want to share.

This morning's blog post idea started out being about my cats and how cats know when they are being bad or about to be bad and when they are caught in the act of doing or thinking, they will suddenly start acting guiltily innocent and pretend they meant no devious acts at all. And before I could get over to write about that, while I was drinking my coffee I had coffee suddenly spew forth from my nose and I'm thinking I'm going to blog about that, except without pictures it probably wouldn't be NEAR as funny as WITH pictures... coffee snot hanging from my nose, coffee splatter all over me and my desk... I was all, "What? Am I 5 years old or something?!!" Now all I can smell is stale coffee and my sinuses burn all the way down to my throat.

But as I was going through my daily blogs, there's one blog that's a little bit different then the rest and he only posts on Sundays, and what he posts are actual post cards sent from around the world with a personal secret written on it. I highly recommend that you bookmark this site and visit at least once a week. It's called Post Secret. Here's a video of some of the stuff you will see. I hope you go and visit. You will be glad you did.
PostSecret Mini-Movie