Texas Roadrunners

Old War Posters

2010-04-07T19:18:00.000-07:00

Got this though email. Thanks Debbie! I love the look of these old posters.

~ These were our parents ~

What in God's name have we let happen ?

I guess we are the last generation to see, or even remember anything like these !

Whatever happened?

Political correctness happened,

Lack of God's name happened,

Lack of personal responsibility happened,

Lack of personal integrity and honesty happened,

Lack of respect and loyalty to our country happened,

Lack of being an American happened.

Did all of these things die along with common sense

I for one am still proud to be an American!

"The two enemies of the people are criminals and government. So let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so that the second will not become the legal version of the first." Thomas Jefferson

Banana Pudding (unusual)

2010-03-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

I stole this recipe off Allrecipes.com. It was so unusual that I had to try it. It's great.

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces sour cream (YES...SOUR CREAM)
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups whole milk
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla wafer cookies

4 bananas, peeled and sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1.In large bowl combine sour cream, whipped topping, pudding mix and milk. Stir well. In the bottom of a trifle bowl or other glass serving dish, put a layer of cookies, then a layer of pudding mixture, then a layer of bananas. Repeat until all ingredients are used. Refrigerate until serving.

FOXNews.com - 7 Sickening Questions About Obamacare

2010-03-25T08:10:00.001-07:00

FOXNews.com - 7 Sickening Questions About Obamacare

Posted using ShareThis

Time to get off the fence.

2010-03-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

If a conservative doesn't like guns, he doesn't buy one. If a liberal doesn't like guns, he wants all
guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn't eat meat. If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is homosexual, he quietly leads his life. If a liberal is homosexual, he demands legislated respect.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation. A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn't like a talk show host, he switches channels. Liberals demand that those they don't like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn't go to church. A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and religion silenced. (Unless it's a foreign religion, of course!)

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it. A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.

If a conservative reads this, he'll forward it so his friends can have a good laugh. A liberal will delete it because he's "offended".

It's a sad day in America with the passing of the Health Bill

2010-03-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

This says it better then I could:

REPUBLICAN PARTY OF TEXAS CHAIRMAN STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF THE DEMOCRATS’ 2.5 TRILLION DOLLAR GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE EXPERIMENT

WASHINGTON – Republican Party of Texas Chairman Cathie Adams released the following statement tonight:
“This evening, following a series of backroom deals and arm twisting, President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi convinced their members to support a $2.5 trillion dollar government-run health care bill that increases taxes, raises premiums, slashes Medicare and does nothing to control the cost of healthcare. This bill does nothing to help Texans struggling with rising insurance premiums, but instead is loaded with sweetheart deals and kickbacks for special interests, which seems to be just business as usual in Nancy Pelosi’s Democratic Congress. This bill saddles Texans with over $24 billion in new spending over the next ten years, spending which the Democrats in Washington are mandating but will not cover and which Texas cannot afford. This bill creates a new army of over 16,000 IRS agents to enforce its oneruos new taxes and Democrat-imposed mandates. This bill is not reform.
“Unfortunately for all Texans, our Democratic representatives in Congress ignored the consistent pleas of their constituents, asking them not to vote for such a reckless piece of legislation, and instead chose to stand with their party bosses in Washington. Make no doubt about it, come November the people of Texas will come to the ballot box in droves to vote for Republican candidates who will listen to them and focus on creating an enviroment that promotes jobs in the Lone Star State – not a government takeover of their healthcare.

To those Obama-Reid-Pelosi Democrats in Texas, today we send a message: In November, Texans will remember. It's time to fire Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House, and the surest way to do that is to vote Republican in November.”

Please support the Republican Party of Texas to help keep the Lone Star State strong, free and prosperous.

http://www.texasgop.org/

My phone is MIA

2010-01-08T17:52:00.000-08:00

It started around noon on a Sunday. I had just about completed the routine 50(+/-) loads of laundry and was clearing the top of the entertainment center which is the prime nesting spot for cell phones. Mine was not in the nest. When the dh caught me trying to sneak up on the elusive hiding spot of my phone, I had to confess. The perfect rose color LG enV2 phone with the sweet little flip keyboard and my contact list had ran away from home.

“Where did you have it last?” Well, Mr. Smartie Pants, if I had known that why was I prying up large pieces of furniture and wailing like my best friend had left me? To accept his sincere help, I confess that I didn’t know where it could be all the while explaining every step I had taken in the last 24 hours. DH dialed the number. We stood perfectly still, waiting for the sound. We heard nothing so like all foolish hearts, we moved to another location and repeated the act. We got no response from the little lonely sad rose phone.

Last night, we had dinner and played cards at friends house. (Thanks Wendy & RC- love you guys.) I couldn’t have left the phone there, they would have called by now. Last night, I would have come into the house, tucked the little phone on top of the entertainment center next to the dh’s phone and went to bed. So we went over the areas, the living room, the bathroom counter tops, and the dressing table top and under the dressing table. Under the bed, in the bed, in the kicked off shoes all proved fruitless. The poor dogs didn’t even look guilty.

After awhile we decided to forget about it for awhile. Pretend you don’t care that it is missing. Soon it will show up with its soft vibrating call for its mother. Then I heard a sound. It was the banging sound of something not normal being tossed around within the washing machine. By my calculations, my wayward rose color phone had been though approximately 2.5 washes. It was dead!

DH tried to console me but it was no use. He rescued the little memory card but he couldn’t staunch the flow of soapy water from the little guy. After grieving for approximately 30 minutes, we had about 2 hours to get to the Verizon store before closing. We were on a mission of mercy to adopt another phone.

We had heard about the Druid phone from the land of Google. The large display pulled my dh directly to her. That Druid had all the sweet enticing gimmicks to charm my man into wanting her. DH was cooing to the Druid, touching her, running his fingers over her and watching in amazement as she responded to all his touches. DH offered the Druid to me to inspect but it just didn’t feel right. It was too slick, too busy and the key pad wasn’t as responsive as my little LG enV2 had been. I had my TomTom for directions and my laptop with mobile wireless internet. I just need a phone that I could text and use as a regular phone.

Somehow, that bold sophisticated Druid phone with all her tricks came home with the dh. I got his black LG enV2. One day, I might too be seduced by the Druid but for now, it’s nice having the comfort of an old trusted friend. All and all, it’s a great solution. I have a phone that I understand and he’s got a new toy that keeps him busy learning and can’t control the channel changer in the evening.

Happy Anniversary

2009-10-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary to my husband of seven years. We were married on a very rainy Monday in a little park.

No 7 year itch allowed.

The great thing is, we are still grinning at each other.

I'm looking forward to many more anniversaries.

Love ya husband.

screwed up

2009-10-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

got it all screwed up and trying to get it corrected

Joking around........sorta

2009-10-14T04:08:00.001-07:00

Cartoon from Scotland Press.

Catch what they are saying across the Pond.

Camping

2009-10-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

I love October because it's official camping weather in southeast TEXAS. We have a little membership to a private campground on the north end of Lake Livingston called Marina Village.
We arrived and got sit up just in time to watch the sun set.

The next morning was rainy but it didn't matter. The fish weren't biting and the twins were in the wrestling mode. Hard to believe those long legs belong to an eight year old.

I thought he had the twins under control for a moment.

Then they started plotting together. One keeps him occupied while the other circles around from behind. Sounded like a good plan.

Until the old dog catches on and comes in to help.

Even with the nasty weather, it was a great weekend.
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9-12

2009-09-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

I got these pictures from emails that have been sent to me. I feel very strongly that the people that were there represented me more so then any elected official. This movement isn't about being a certain party, it's about making our government responsible. Government spending is out of control. The more names they call us, the more lies they tell us, the more they chose to ignore us, will only make us stronger.

This event was not reported on any of the MSM (Main Stream Media) even though it was a larger group of people then the inauguaration or the Million Man March. The MSM believe we, the people, do not count, that we, the people, do no deserve to be taken serious.

When will the media, President Obama and Congress figure out that we are tired of their wasteful spending?

This is the first great conservative anti-statist manifestation in American history. The conservative movement, which developed in the post-WWII, Cold War environment has now fully matured into the most significant political movement of the 21st century. I believe that this day could be referred to in the not too distant future as the day that changed America. This was the day the great silent conservative majority finally found its voice.

Many of the attendees were quite meek and timid and were unsure of exactly what to expect, this being the first time in their lives they’d been involved in a protest movement. Their fears evaporated early in the day and I saw people reveling in the camaraderie , the joy and sheer civility that was exhibited at the entire event. Chants of “Freedom, freedom, freedom”, “No more czars! No more czars!” carried through the air without the slightest hint of rancor or incivility which is the norm at the leftist rallies I have photographed over the years

Nancy Pelosi has accused patriotic tea-partyers of “carrying swastikas” implying that they are Nazi sympathizers. This event was wall to wall hammers and sickles and words like “socialist” “communist” and “Marxist” etc. It continues to fascinate me how long the Democrats will tolerate this without ever commenting on it. Either they like it, or there’s something

WALNUT – Workers Against Lazy Non-Producers United Together — the conservative answer to ACORN. Didn’t have to ask them if they were receiving any taxpayer money like radical left-wing ACORN. Different DNA!

The two photos above show a tiny fraction of the two million ABC estimates attended. I saw signs and heard lots of comments comparing this event to Woodstock. At the time this photo was taken, around 1:00 p.m., Pennsylvania Avenue was still jammed completely, and the mall was packed from the Capitol Building past the Washington Monument. See aerial photos here.

There were notable differences though, in the behavior of these attendees. Although the legend of Woodstock is that there was a friendly atmosphere of camaraderie, the truth is that most people were there for the drugs, sex and rock and roll. Today in D.C. there was a true kinship amongst these people based on shared values and intellectual understanding of what America is and how its future is imperiled by big radical government.No one was having sex in the Reflecting Pool let alone the mud, and I saw no one projectile vomiting on the steps of the Capitol. There were no warnings to avoid the bad acid which would send you on a trip to the hospital. Not just a different era, but a different level of civilized behavior and thought. Oh, and by the way, these people didn’t leave tons of garbage behind when they left. Actually they left no trash behind at all.

In the very center of the photo, above the Silence is Consent – Can You Hear Us Now sign, you can see Pennsylvania Ave., which at this time is totally blocked with protesters who cannot move forward to the Capitol area. Sorry, full up.

San Diego radio host Mason Weaver said from the podium: “I came here because I thought you might want to hear a black man speak without a teleprompter…This government is trying to make a nation of dependent people. Americans have always been independent people…This is not a Republican thing, it’s not a Democrat thing. It’s not a black thing or a white thing. It’s an American thing…We the people are telling them ‘No more! We’ve had enough!”

These Ohioans took a day off their rodeo bullriding schedule. They said they’ll be back at it tomorrow.Mike Pence (R-Indiana) was one of the speakers who addressed the crowd: “After years of fighting runaway government on this hill, you people look like the cavalry to me..I believe we are on the verge of a great American awakening.”

Protesters came from every state in the union. This man came from San Antonio, TX. He said that he was really sorry he hadn’t brought his family. He stated that being a black conservative he was afraid to expose his children to what he expected would be a lot of liberal abuse. He was thrilled with the tenor of the event and the fact that no liberals were present to harass him. He spoke about how incredibly intolerant the left is to black individuals who don’t bow to the party line.

Just a little extra note, there were no arrest made this day, no trash left behind or property destroyed. Doesn't sound like a typical mob.

Life is Good

2009-09-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

This says it all. No matter what kind of sucky day you've had, you have tomorrow. Life is good.

August 2009 Debt Pie Chart

2009-08-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

August was a strange month. We just had a lot of extra stuff pulling at our budget but we still manage to get the truck PAID OFF! Yea us!

*happy dance*

There is a little change in how I am getting my numbers for the house. I was using numbers that reflect how much the house is worth vs what we took a mortgage out for. I decided just to use the debt number (outstanding mortgage amount).

We are hoping to have the car and rv paid off in 2010, and the house in 2011. It is a plan.

Dave Ramsey rocks.

2009-08-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

Front porches are so important. They are the "wave" to the passing neighbor. The first impression to a passer-by. Mine was blah and bland. Nothing inviting that made you want to linger and sit awhile and watch the world go by.

Lowes has paint for plastic for about $4.50 a can. The primer did cover the two chairs and I need a can of red pain per chair. Total $13.50. This red is the only shade of red available.

I sanded down the small table. One can of white outdoor wood spray paint ($3.50) made the table looke great. I put on about 2 coats with an hour wait in between coats of paint.

I had some extra red paint to accent the table. I cut an old kitchen sponge and just sponge on red squares for a quickie chess table.

It's bright and cheery. Stop by. I'll make some sweet tea and whup your butt in a game of checkers.

Dining Room

2009-08-07T06:39:00.000-07:00

I use the term dining room because it sounds better then "the hallway to the outside". It's a very small 103" x 120". There was an air conditon built into the wall (not a window). The door open into the room and took up much of the floor space. With 3 dogs in the house, I wanted a doggie door.

We liked the glass door looking out to the back of the property. Another glass door was a must. We special order from Home Depot an extra large sliding glass door. Even though I hate dirty tracks associated with sliding doors, I felt that to free up the floor space from swing doors, this was the only option. The dh did a great job taking out the old a/c unit, enlarging the door opening and installing the new door.

The doggie door panel was easy to install with a couple of screws and the glass doors will lock onto the panel. As extra security, we got a piece of wood cut to fit into the track.

The curtains were added. At first DH thought they made the room look even smaller. I decide against a valance and placed the rod close to the ceiling. It seem to help. I love the cottage feel of the room now.

Now, I'm on the hunt for a smaller table. Maybe something square with pull out leaves. It must seat 6 when completely pulled out for family get togethers but breaks down small enough to walk around on most days.

Aunt Tina

2009-07-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

"Death leaves a heartache No one can heal;

Love leaves a memory No one can steal."

My husband's beloved Aunt Tina passed away this week. I had met her a couple times. She was always ready with a smile and a loving hug. It's so hard to realize that a life can be taken away at a young age of 53. Colon cancer is an ugly disease. Her husband of 32 years is lost without her. I feel for the ones left behind. Her husband and her son. How do you ease some one's pain from a distance. We are here in TEXAS and the family is grieving in Maine.

Tina had worked in Crisis & Counseling for more than 20 years. She also taught adult education for the Augusta School Department. What an empty spot Tina's passing has made is so many lives.

We send our prayers to our family and hold them in our heart as they travel though this time of grief. On the other side is only the sweet and warm memories of good times filled with laughter and soft smiles.

You will be miss Aunt Tina. May the angels deliver you safely into heaven.

Teeth Whitening

2009-07-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a major ice tea drinker and am always looking for a whitening system that works and doesn't bust my budget. I read great reviews about Plus White Whitening and finally found it at Walgreens.

The box that I purchase included:

Plus+White Pre-Whitener Rinse which helps remove film and loosen stains from your teeth, enabling the Gel to lift away stains even more effectively.

Plus+White Teeth Whitener Gel

Soft Foam Mouth Tray (I already had a tray. It's easy to buy the cheap football player mouth pieces for $1 from Walmart. Put them in boiling water for about a minute and then once they are cool enough, bite them and they should form to your own teeth.

Directions:

Mix one part of the Pre-Whitener Rinse with three parts of lukewarm water. Swish in mouth for 2-3 seconds and rinse out.

Squeeze a small amount of Plus White Speed Whitening Gel onto your finger and push it in between your teeth. You may want to add some gel to the mouth tray. I usually don't have to. Put in your mouth pieces. Bite down very gently. Very little pressure is required to achieve maximum results. Wipe off any excess gel.

Leave in for 5-10 minutes for regular whitening.

Remove tray and rinse mouth several times with lukewarm water, thoroughly flushing any remaining gel from mouth and gum area. Do not swallow gel. Rinse tray thoroughly in lukewarm water and air dry.

The package recommends for best results, use twice daily for two weeks. Results of 5 Minute Whitening System will start to work with the very first application. After the second week, taper off one or two applications per week or as needed. Store 5 Minute Whitening System Plus White Speed Whitening Gel in a cool, dry place and keep away from sunlight.

I haven't experience any sensitivity to my teeth or gums. I usually forget to use it twice a day but I have used it about a week now. I see a difference. I'm in the process of getting the DH and DS to try it too.

We The People

2009-07-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

Bob Basso author of "Common Sense" plays the role of Thomas Paine to ignite the fire of change in America. Patriotism and Pride for America lead Thomas Paine to help take back America!

This video may be a little long for most but well worth it.

Highlights include solutions to many of the problems. Why does congress sign into law bills that they have not read and understood? The regular citizen are told repeatly to read any contract we sign. Should our representatives be allow to have thier own better retirement? They will be exempt from this health care bullshit they are trying to forced down our throats. Are you mad enough? I am.

(Thanks Edda for passing this video on to me)

Tea Party

2009-07-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

The Montgomery County Tea Party was held on July 2, between 5-9 pm on what could have been the hottest day of the month. After work (5:30ish) I headed over to the Lone Star Arena and was happily surprised at the traffic. The announcer said there were well over 4,000 people in attendance. There were so many signs, funny ones and very serious ones.

Tea parties are not divided into neat little political parties. This is about "We the people" being over taxed and having our liberties and freedom taken away. It's sorta like the old how do you cook a frog story. If you put a frog in boiling water, he'll jump right out but if you put him in temper water and just gradually turn up the heat he'll be cooked before he knows it. This Cap and Trade bill and the Health Care Reform scares me. As usually, I got just a little side tracked.

Jim Mcingvale (Mattress Mac) was a great speaker. He had all of us standing up and shouting. There were two other speakers that were excellent. One had escape Cuba as it was becoming a socialist county and the other was a preacher that I really admired. Plumber Joe was there too.

It's easy not to get involved and to believe that your opinion doesn't count but it's like that penny found plus another penny plus another and before you know it adds up. The future of our children and grandchildren are worth our input. We must make ourselves heard.

I'm still very disappointed that the tea parties are not getting news coverage. The one in Dallas had over 35,000 people. You would think that was news worthy.

Ever Quest II

2009-07-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

Gamers are a strange sort. We aren't all tattoo, metal studded, hang in the darken rooms staring at a computer screen for hours type. We all do get into a obsessed period of time where nothing comes ahead of the game. I just recently did away with War Hammer due to not enough people to group with and take on the more challenging quest. Then I tried Sims 3. Either you love Sims or you don't. I don't.

Ever Quest II (EQ2) is one of my all time favorites and I've decided to go back to it. I'm playing on server Guk. There are new extensions to the game and it's almost like a new game. Yes, this past weekend was my obsession period. 36 hours of almost straight playing. :-)

June 2009 Debt Pie Chart

2009-06-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

End of June and time to review where we stand. It slow going but we are difinitely making progress. We have a plan and we are working the plan. Our snowball amount wasn't as big this month because we added insulation to the house.

What is our plan? It's the Dave Ramsey snowball plan. Yes, I've dranked the koolaid and am considering shaving my head.

Trampoline in TEXAS

2009-06-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Isn't much trampline jumping in TEXAS.

Sunday Supper - Crock Pot Meatballs

2009-06-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

CROCK POT MEATBALLS

1 pkg frozen fully cooked meatballs

onion powder to taste

garlic powder to taste

1 cup water

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

2 pkg beef gravy mix

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 package noodles

Combine onion, garlic, water, brother, gravy mix, ketchup and oregano in 4 quart crock pot. Mix well and add meatballs. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours.

I usually thicken sauce with a little cornstarch.

Servid with coleslaw, broccoli and cornbread.

Insulation & Radiant Barrier Spray

2009-06-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

President Obama's promise of cap & trade to bring our energy supplier to their knees with fines and over taxation passed the house and soon the senate. We will all be facing unbelievable increased cost to heat and cool our houses. Grrr......I could go on and on about this but what I was intended to talk about is getting our attic in shape to handle the summer heat.

We had radiant barrier sprayed in and 10 inches of insulation blown in. The whole operation took about two hours plus 15 minutes talking the old dog into letting them out of the attic. She even got a taste of one.

The spray on barrier helps keep your home cool by reflecting back the suns radiant energy and preventing heat build-up in your attic. They promise a 30% savings on your electric bill. It's hard to believe this very thin silver tinted wash would do much. The whole package cost $1,300. Its going to be a while before we recoup that cost but I believe the house is staying cooler.

Huntsville, Texas tourist

2009-06-27T16:58:00.001-07:00

We decided to load up the family and play the tourist today in Huntsville. First stop was the statue of Sam Houston located on the south side of the city. It is the worlds tallest statue of an American Hero at 67 feet tall on a 10 foot sunset granite base.

From the visitor center we moved to the Sam Houston Museum located on the campus of Sam Houston University. First stop was to watch a 15 minute video on the life of Sam Houston in the Education Building. There were several quilt hanging on the walls that were interesting.

The Exhibit Hall held guns, indian artifacts, tools for building houses, cotton gin and tartans of Scottish - TEXAN imigrants. The Woodland House was a typical dog-run log cabin. The Streamboat house was more interesting by comparison. In fact, I believe it was consider an eye-sore.

The little pond on the site was more interesting to the twins instead of the exhibits. Turtles, fishs, ducks, geese, oh my. Thankfully we had the fore thought to bring crackers and bread.

The main museum was nice. There was plenty of Houston's personal effects and enough guns and swords to keep two eight-year boys entertain for a small period.

Sunday Supper - Beans & Cornbread

2009-06-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

CROCKPOT BEANS & CORNBREAD

1 lg onion, chopped
1 lb ground white turkey
2 cans (16 oz each) baked beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red kidney beans
1 can butter beans
1 can tomato sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tbsp liquid smoke

Cook onion and turkey until brown.
Add to Crockpot with remaining ingredients.
Cook on low 4-6 hours (the longer, the better).

Serve with rice and cornbread.

Hair Cut Day

2009-06-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Started the day off by making blueberry pancakes and making a list with the dh of things to get accomplish. Next thing was to clear out the attic because next Friday we are having a heat barrier sprayed onto the rafters and insulated added. We found an old screen door. :-) I hauled it across the street to the neighbor. She was happy to have it. Isn't that a "green" act - recycling or something. With the attic cleared out, it was time to run errands. First stop was J C Penny to buy two new dress shirts for the husband. He only likes Van Huesen (16/32-34 Fitted). They always fit and he doesn't have to try them on. It's a win-win situation. Next was the shoe store.

Then it was time for the haircuts. Casie at Texas Hair Team Ste 700, 2948 Interstate 45, Conroe, TX 77303-7901, (936) 760-1033‎ is by far the best stylist in the area. For $21 and a tip she can take 4 or 5 pictures and come up with a cut that works with my hair type.

Believe it or not, that was about one year grow out from last summer. I'm thrilled with it. Now I just need to get some silver hoop earrings and it will look great.

A little lunch and then time to get back to the house and start the laundry. Life is good.

Tea Party

2009-06-19T04:50:00.000-07:00

There is a Tea Party planned on July 2, 2009 from 5pm to 9pm.

It will be here in Conroe at the Lonestar Convention/Expo Center. It is so important to have concerns voiced and to know that there are a lot of people that feel the same way as you. By listening to most of the tv news, you would think everyone is thrill with our government making fake money and spending our grandchildren's future. You can just get so much blood out of a turnip.

It's time to get our voice heard. Maybe if a large amount of people make their future a priority, the politicians will take notice.

I'll be there with my sign.

Obamanation :-)

2009-06-18T18:37:00.000-07:00

Biggest Loser @ work

2009-06-18T17:40:00.000-07:00

Today was weigh in. I lost one pound which is what I predicted.

There are several guys in the contest and last week most of them drop big numbers. Bill dropped eleven pounds! He said he's going to lose 4 pounds next week. I put a $1 bet on that one. I've seen the way he keeps walking toward the candy machine. So I have one week to sabatoge him. I want him to lose 3.5 pounds just not four. So tomorrow, I will leave a brownie on his desk and this weekend I'm searching for "food" smelling candle or room plug in.

I started working with my weights this week. So I'm just trying to work though the soreness.

Autocad Civil 3D class

2009-06-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

I spent the day in class going over the latest Autocad Civil 3D 10. It is a massive software for Civil engineering drawings. AutoCAD Civil 3D does geospatial analysis to identify the best project site, stormwater analysis for more sustainable designs, quantity takeoff and dynamic earthwork calculations to optimize material usage, and 3D visualizations to better understand project impacts on environment. I could go on and on about the styles.

Sims 3

2009-06-15T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited I got Sims 3 today. I'll be giving updates.

I started weights today. Lower body workout (LB). I did lunges and squats with weights. Then I did some crunches. Follow with a light supper and I'm done.

Sunday Supper Special

2009-06-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

DIRTY RICE

I've seen this dish made with about as many different types of meats that you can think but usually it's squirrel or rabbit. I use ground pork and bacon. But feel free to substitute. I can't ever remember seeing a written recipe. It's more of an interpertation of a dish. This is mine.

2 Tablespoon bacon grease (or canola oil)

1 lb ground pork

left over bacon (4-8 slices)

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili pepper

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 celery stalks, chopped fine

2 garlic gloves, mince

1 jalapeno or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper

1 tablespoon oregano

3 cupes cooked rice

1/2 bunch scallions (white & greens) chopped

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Heat a littel leftover bacon grease (or 2 tablespoon canola oil) in a large skillet over high heat.

Add meat (ground pork) and heat unit browned.Add left over bacon (or any left over cooked meat).

Add salt, black pepper and chili powder.

Let the meat mixture get crusty.

Add 1/4 cup chickent broth and cook untill it has evaporated.

Add onion, celery, garlic, red pepper, and oregano.

Cook and stir until veggies are brown and starting to stick to pan.

Add rice.

Add remaining chicken broth.

Stir and heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is heated.

I like to serve mine with sweet cornbread. But I have one strange child that insist on totillas.

Note: no squirrels were harmed in the making of this dish.

Crockettt, TEXAS

2009-06-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Our favorite fishing hole (this week) is Houston County Lake near Crockett, Texas. The lake is filled with stumps and big bass. Near the dam, the stumps are missing which allows for jet skis and skiers. As most bass fishers know, the highly stump populated areas are great for fishing. Crockett Family Campground Resort has boat ramp and a cafe that we enjoy. The campground isn't my favorite place. I think the cost is too expensive, the sites are too narrow and too many. The pool is undersize and the whole place just doesn't have a friendly family atmosphere. But the cafe, The Way Stop, has one of the best burgers and the onion rings are awesome. The back porch is a great place to take in the view of the lake and enjoy a good old fashion burger.

The Holiday Inn on the loop is a great alternative to camping. The hot tub is great and the pool is in the shade. The sheets are soft, and the HBO and breakfast is free. After a supper of subway sandwiches we headed out to the pool area. I slept great but the dh said there was lot of hallway noise.

Easy Friday

2009-06-12T14:48:00.000-07:00

Today, I got my final check from the Dr. I left without 3 tubes of blood and starving. Grrrr. I hate missing meals. Don't sign me up for Survivor. I was heading to the Kolache Shop but got side track with a Chick-fil-A. Until a couple of days ago, I had never eaten at a Chick-fil-A. Chicken sandwiches just wasn't something that appeal to me. I heard on Dave Ramsey that Chick-fil-A has a no-borrowing-money policy and a strong sense of community by supporting several scholarships and youth-base events and close on Sundays. I don't think they will be expecting the government to bail them out. $4.82 this morning got me the biscuit/bacon/egg, honey, hash brown and a large ice tea. Yummy!

With a nice full belly and feeling back to normal (normal for me) I go shoe shopping. I love these! I hope I can think of a place to wear them. Shiny, strapping, high heel.
I love bummer stickers. I don't have any on my own but I can appreciate people expressing themselves. My opinion would most likely end up with my car getting keyed or smashed with a cart. This was a good one that I saw today. "I'll keep my Freedom, my Guns and my Money... you can keep "THE CHANGE".

And this has got to be the stupidest thing I have seen on the store shelves in ages. Doggie weight loss support diet pills. The sad thing is, some poor fool is buying this for their little pooch. Dog lovers are a unique group of people. I should know. :-)

Letterman vs Palin

2009-06-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

David Letterman on Monday evening's "Late Show" said :

One awkward moment though during the game, maybe you heard about it, maybe you saw it on one of the highlight reels. One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked-up by Alex Rodriguez.

On Wednesday, Palin's office released the following statement:

"Concerning Letterman's comments about my young daughter (and I doubt he'd ever dare make such comments about anyone else's daughter): 'Laughter incited by sexually-perverted comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old girl is not only disgusting, but it reminds us some Hollywood/NY entertainers have a long way to go in understanding what the rest of America understands -- that acceptance of inappropriate sexual comments about an underage girl, who could be anyone's daughter, contributes to the atrociously high rate of sexual exploitation of minors by older men who use and abuse others.'"

Late Show" host David Letterman, in response to Sarah Palin's statement concerning a disgusting joke he made about her daughter getting knocked-up by Alex Rodriguez in the middle of a Yankee game, made a shabby attempt at apologizing by repeating the joke on Wednesday's show.

Palin’s response was strong and classy and she did it in heels.
Hooray for everyone that stands up for thier or any one else's child.
Making nasty jokes at the expense of a child is unforgettable.

Letterman and CBS shame on you!
CBS is removed my channel list.

Biggest Loser Contest at Work

2009-06-09T18:28:00.000-07:00

There’s a Biggest Loser contest at work. I could lose 10 lbs or so. So I signed up and handed over my $12. HR told me that I was the lightest contestant. The part of this contest that I disagree with is they are judging by the weight not the percentage. Yes, I did write HR a little email and gave them my 2 cents. There isn’t a chance in blue blazes of me winning this contest. But I’m in it for my 10 pounds and I love a good competition.

I’m going to try just a good low calorie, high fiber diet. I’m not very good at missing meals, snacks or chance meetings of any time of food. Let’s hope the dh can survive me during this time. If not, I wonder how much fiber is in a husband.

Tomorrow, I’m going to start back with weight lifting and a little cardio each day.

Here’s my little tracker:

I’m going to log my nutrition details in SparkPeople. Weigh in days will be Thursdays. Wish me luck.

The Great Global Warming Swindle

2009-06-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=288952680655100870

A good friend gave me this video. It's a must see.

This video goes into scientific detail of why “global warming” is a bunch of malarkey. Al Gore’s and his little scare tactic movie is questioned. Gore’s claim of carbon dioxide (co2/green house gas) is the big bad boogie man is debunked. Gore explains that his connection between co2 and Global Warming is too complicated for ordinary people to understand but man is killing the earth with co2. There are many scientists that state co2 is an effect of temperature rising with an 800 year lag. Al Gore, the politician, wants us to believe that co2 is making the temperature rise. Every ice core test shows that the temperature rises first and then about 800 years, the co2 level rises.

Co2 is a natural gas. What makes the most co2? It’s not man, or animals, or bacteria or volcanoes or decaying vegetation. The biggest cause of co2 is the ocean.

The history of global warming can be traced back to a political move in Britain. It was a political benefit to make oil and coal unpopular (co2 producers) and make nuclear energy the new trend. The key to doing this was to throw money at projects that would prove this point. Oil and coal produces co2. Global warming was born.

A global committee, IPCC, was put together to investigate global warming and published a report. That report was filled with misconstrued information and deliberately left out key information. So much that most of the scientist left IPCC. IPCC continue to use the scientist names without authorization.

I’m all for turning off a light and putting the air condition at a higher temperature to control cost. I drive a small car to use less gas because of the cost of gas, not because of emission. I even have a compost bin.

In my opinion, being “environmental green” and conservative isn’t the same as being a global warming groupie.

Diverticulitis

2009-06-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

I had a nasty run in with this little problem last week. I had all the symptoms. The fever, the bloating, and the pain were all there and just gradually got worse. I finally called the doctor and they worked me in that morning. Due to the pain being on the right side, I was sent for a cat scan of my appendix. I had to drink a large amount of dye. Then I laid on a table that moved me into the machine for scanning.

The doc called in some heavy duty medication and put me on a liquid diet. Just for the record, a liquid diet sucks even if you get to eat ice cream 12 different ways. The medication makes everything taste nasty. I spent a week laying around the house with my foo-foo dog. She was very sympathetic.

On the follow up visit, the dr put me on a high fiber diet.

Grain Products:
whole grain breads, buns, bagels, muffins, Bran Flakes, All Bran, bran Buds, Corn bran, whole wheat Shreddies, 100% Bran and Fiber 1, Cooked cereal such as Red River and Oat Bran
whole-wheat pastas , whole grains such as barley, popcorn, corn and brown rice
Fruits:
dried fruits such as apricots, dates, prunes and raisins, berries such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, oranges, apple with skin, avocado, kiwi, mango and pear
Vegetables:
broccoli, spinach, swiss chard, green peas and other dark green leafy vegetables
dried peas and beans such as kidney beans, lima beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas and lentils
Nuts and Seeds:
nuts and seeds such as almonds, whole flaxseed and soynuts

The list doesn’t look too bad, except I’m to limit popcorn, nut and seeds. There is the little problem with me not being a big bread eater and I don't like pasta at all. One more follow up on Friday and hopefully I’m done with this.

Library Has New Tricks

2009-06-04T10:10:00.000-07:00

I'm an audio book fanatic. A lot of my work is data entry and having a good book read to me makes the task go faster. Our local library (Montgomery County Memorial Library) is great. They have introduced a new concept. Its a little ipod do-dad already loaded with an audible book or music. You have to add an AAA battery and personal earphones. The thing that I love about this new gadget is how mobile it is. It’s small enough to throw in my back pocket and go.

The library web site also has several different digital media available for download. If you prefer, you can download straight to your ipod (or iPhone, MuVo, etc). They have eBooks in Adobe PDF format and Mobipocket eBooks. To use any of these formats, you must download software first. But it’s well worth it.

Visit a library.

KFC Grilled Chicken

2009-06-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

I got a chance to try the new KFC Grilled Chicken. It wasn't as good as the deep fried crunchy crust but it was good. The skin is still on. I'll go back if I'm in a pinch for something quick and healthier then a Jumbo Jack.

LINE JEWELRY (aka Spinnerbait)

2009-06-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

These are wonderful little fishing lures found in any tackle box of a dedicated bass fisherman. It is my opinion that these are the jewelry of fishing. Spinnerbait are flashy, shiny and comes in fashionable brilliant colors. There are three main parts to consider in a Spinnerbait. The blade, the hook and the skirt. I’m sure there are more to them but my attention span can only handle 3 parts.

The blade part is a mostly a flatten piece of metal (aka an oval pendant). The pendant (blade) can come in a smooth polished look, a painted color or the all time favorite, hammered nickel. The hammered nickel tends to pick up more reflections which equal more blink. The shape of the blade is a clue on how to reel it back in. The more elongated blade that looks like a willow leaf requires a fast retrieval. So if you are fishing one of these be prepared to reel like crazy. If you fish for several hours, you might want to have margaritas waiting at home to help relieve the tension in your wrist and shoulders. The more rounded pendant doesn’t require as much reeling to get the same vibration and flash. So in my opinion, wider is better. Convince your darling hubby of this point and you can pack brownies on your next trip without guilt. Wider hips would mean…well, you can figure out where that was going.

Hooks have two basic shapes. A stick me once or a stick me three times shape. Also known as a single or a treble hook. My DH (darling hubby) files down that little barb on all the hooks we use to make it easier to remove it from the fish or from the back of his arm, my bad. The treble is a cluster of hooks that is usually easier to keep your catch caught but sometimes too much of a good thing isn’t good. I have the worst luck with treble hooks. They just seem to migrate to tree limbs, grass, lily pads, and husbands. The single hook isn’t as aggressive and I can retrieve them at a steady pace to keep them from grabbing things like a 3 year old at a checkout line.

Skirt is another name for accessory. It enhances the hook and makes it more attractive to the fish. Plastic skirts are usually recommended. They last longer in the tree branches. Skirts come in solid or multi colors. I would think the more colors in a skirt the better. In addition, some spinner bait has an additional skirt called a trailer. Needless to say, a trailer was not named by a woman. This lower ruffle (or trailer) doesn’t seem to do much besides adding more eye candy for the bass to see. I am all about more accessories so I like the extra fluff.

If picking the right color, the right size and the right shape was all it took to catch a little bass, we would all quit our jobs and be pro fishers. But spinnerbaits have this little hidden secret that makes it an important tool instead of just another piece of fluff to carry around. How did I figure out this phenomenal? I watch my husband.

After casting, he gets into a stalking stance like a bird dog. He watches the water. His senses are tuned into the feel of his lure being pulling though the water. His eyes encased in super hero fishing sunglasses allowing him to see though the murk. His hearing shuts down. This mighty spinnerbait secret is depth. The depth below the surface that you retrieve the spinnerbait appears to be more valuable than the shine, sparkle, color or rattling. Knowing what the magical depth is will remain a mystery to me. Usually, I can only find 3 depths for my lure: bottom of lake, top of lake, husband.

Get Out of Debt Review for May 2009

2009-06-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

It's good to know where you stand. Even better to know where you want to be and having a plan to get there.

THINGS I’VE LEARN WHILE FISHING WITH MY HUSBAND.

2009-06-03T13:44:00.000-07:00

THINGS I’VE LEARN WHILE FISHING WITH MY HUSBAND.

•He who controls the motor controls the fishing trip.

•Bathroom breaks are limited to lunch break.

•Lunch break is determined by the fish.

•If twitch twitch, wait wait, crank doesn’t get any bites after 30 minutes, then try twitch-wait-crank, twitch-wait-crank

•A man that has no color sense with his clothes has an amazing understanding of the difference between watermelon color and pumpkin seed color.

•Double check all labels. Spray Yum Shad can be mistaken for spray on sun screen.

•Depth finders can only be viewed by the boat operator.

•Depth finders lie about fishing being right under the boat.

•Apple cores float. Gum sinks.

•Having a bird’s nest is a way of testing your patience.

•There is as many different ways to tie knots as there are crochet stitches.

•Why do the names of knots sound like mixed drinks? I’ll have a Baja knot on the rocks. How many calories are in a Slim Beauty Knot without salt?

•It’s acceptable and normal to lubricate knots with saliva.

•Clippers are used to trim tag ends close to the knot. Same said clipper cannot be used to clip anything as weird as fingernails.

•Fishing in the Rain: first it’s “good cloud coverage, it will cool things off”, then “it’s a dizzy, it will pass”, “I like your hair fizzed out like that”, “wet tee shirts are hot” and finally, it’s “Baby, start bailing while I get in just one more cast”.

•Your husband will take the best possible picture of the FISH you are holding but neglect to notice that your hair is matted down from the hat, your eyes are close and your mouth is hanging open in mid sentence. Then he will proceed to show the picture of the “FISH” to everyone, even posting it on the web.

There appears to be many more trips in my future, so I'm sure this blog will be updated regularly.

http://www.wentfishingtexas.com/