Booooorrrrrrrrring!!

Is my life so boring that I can't think of one single thing to talk about? The most exciting thing happening to me these days is the fact that the new fall season has started on TV.............I don't like television that much. Well, that isn't really true. I like television, but I feel like such a lump when I watch it. There are things to be done, letters to be written, homework to be done, people to talk to, crafts to be crafted, bills to pay, books to read, housework to be done, clothes to wash.........and I sit watching a rerun of Seinfeld that I have seen 25,000 times, mouth open ready to repeat the script word for word and laugh at the same lines I have laughed at 25,000 times before. I then wake up for work in the morning and find I have no clean underwear because I haven't done the wash for 2 weeks. Yeesh...........I should be exercising, cleaning, volunteering for Katrina relief, babysitting my grandsons, creating a family history, scrapbooking the 35 years of photographs I have, and trying to get ahead at work (don't get me started there, I am in over my head)......I just don't feel like it........Maybe it will pass...........Oh , Oh , Oh, the season premiere of "Lost" is on!! Later.........

Are You Ready For Some Football?

There was a game on last Thursday. It was the first of the season. Today, however, it begins in earnest. FOOTBALL SEASON!

Believe it or not, there are a lot of women that love football too. Now don't sick all of the women's organizations on me for my next comment, please. I love football because "my boys" love football. The sweetheart of my youth, middle age, and beyond has made me a football fan over the years. (Although I still have not made him a fan of shopping.) Watching my 2 boys and my husband take in football together is a lot of fun. Because these men in my life are so adverse to showing their softer side, I get the positive reinforcement I need that they are indeed close to one another during football season. They are more animated during football than at any other time of the year. My youngest son mostly grunts when I ask him anything, but before a football game he can't shutup. He actually knows a lot of words and can put them together coherently! My oldest son doesn't live close to home now, but last year, he flew home for the Superbowl (we bleed Eagles green, and last year gave us such a high) because watching without benefit of fellow blood Eagles fans just doesn't cut it. He calls during games to talk to his dad and his brother and when a great play happens or a horrific play happens, I can guarantee the ringing of the phone will not be far behind.

One comment here, my daughter-in-law is unbelievable. She delivered my first grandchild on January 1st of 2005. She needed gall bladder surgery in February, but postponed it so he could come home for that Superbowl. Way to go Jessica! She gets it. (And I don't mean football!)

I am not a football widow, I am a football fan. I have to be........it's a family rule. Even my oldest daughter converted her husband to Eagles football. He wasn't much of a sports fan because his dad wasn't, but now he watches too.

I can't spout all of the statistics, or make the picks like everybody else can, but I do understand the game. (It is a game after all, I can understand most games. My youngest son would like to ban me and any other female who thinks they know football from making any comments, however. Raspberry to him! ) I understand who has been good and who has been bad over the past 25 or so years. (Maybe I could make a few picks after all.) We haven't always been so good......but our time is here now. We have the best coach to ever lead an Eagles team. (Although I always like Dick Vermeil)

So break out the Doritos, the buffalo wings, the chips, the dip, the soda, ( sorry, all those beer commercials are lost on us), change the big screen to high-def so we can see the pores on the nose of the cornerback, and let's do some serious armchair quarterbacking.

E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!

Soapbox Time!

I have been in mourning long enough. It is time to get back to blogging. The hard part about this is what I try to do here is have a little fun and try to make a few people smile. With all of the tragedy in LA and MS after Katrina, it is hard to get light hearted about anything. So just let me get up on my soapbox for the next few minutes and get these thoughts off my chest.

I am disappointed...and a little embarrassed.....that the world has to see us infighting so much. This is a time to come together as a nation......not point fingers of blame. The mayor of New Orleans wants to blame the federal government and especially President Bush for not getting to the city on time, for not getting food to the city, for not getting transportation out of the city, for wasting time. My question is: As Mayor of a city that resides below sea level, (I am sure you knew that before the storm!) why did you not offer your citizens who were too poor, too sick, too young, too old to get out on their own, an opportunity to get out? Could you not have asked for transportation? Could you not have asked for your own National Guard to help? (Yes folks, the National Guard is a program that can be activated by the local authorities) Did the storm take you by surprise, or did you know several days in advance that you might get flattened? When you called for evacuation, did you consider all of those who might not have the ability to go? Are they not under your local care?

The democrats are so happy that they have something to criticize Bush with that they are about ready to pee there pants. C'mon guys let get perspective here. Drop the attack and get on board the help train. I wanna see Trent Lott and Ted Kennedy working side by side down there cleaning up! (Well, they might not be in the best health for that, but you get my drift.) Do you realize that it makes the rest of the world nervous when we get out of whack? Please, let us put on the face that shows the land of the free and the home of the brave. That is what we are....... in spite of political battling..........And please don't play the race card for me. I just want to blow a gasket. When members of the congressional black caucus get up and say on TV that they are ashamed of America and ashamed of the government because they believe we do not care what happens to these victims because they are black, I just want to explode. It's one thing to criticize the government, but I say to you, how dare you criticize the people of your own nation......people who are opening there wallets and giving of their time and talents to assist all of the victims. How dare you......I am going to help in spite of your mean natured comments, because it isn't about you....or me.

It doesn't really matter who you want to blame now, its done.....it's tragic....we all need to pray for those who have been devastated by this and dip into our pocketbooks to donate cash. We also need to dip into our hearts and think about what we can do, no matter how little, to help our brothers and sisters out there. What I believe is that the vast majority of our nation is not wasting time pointing fingers, but are trying to do what they can to help, with money, donations, talents, and time. Let's forget about the stupid politics of it all and learn a lesson here. If we are not prepared for these kind of things, how do we get prepared? What can we put into place after this tragedy to prevent it from happening again? (Because believe me, this will not be the last time here or abroad that we have disaster....we are living in the last day my friends. Don't get all freaky on me, I am not looking toward heaven for a chariot of fire yet.) We have ways to respond, how can they be better? What are you doing in your family to be ready for a disaster? Do you have a plan? We need to take responsibility for ourselves as well, and not expect for the government to be there waiting with open arms. They will help, but we are talking human beings here, they are not perfect. At least be ready to keep yourselves sustained for a short while. (72 hour kits, guys)

No matter what you feel about what happened or how the response should have been, the fact remains that we have thousands that need our help now. You can do something...anything, open your doors, send a canned good, give a dollar, better yet give a lot of dollars if you can, just do it, you'll feel better....... and someone else will be better too.

Goodbye Buddy

I think if you asked any person on the street the question "What constitutes a happy life?" They would probably answer with a combination of things like money, a nice house, good kids, having a good marriage etc. I think that if you asked the question "Do you think that loving, being loved, and feeling loved is the most important thing in life to make us happy?" that the overwhelming answer would be yes......If that is the case, I can say that Ed had a happy life. It's ironic that just 2 weeks ago I posted about my Ed and how he had surgery to remove a growth under his eyelid. He was the picture of health. He was the picture of health Sunday night. Monday morning, however, Ed was acutely ill. It all happened so quickly. His big sweet heart just developed a problem that couldn't be fixed. As the day progressed and the hopes of restoring Ed to his former healthy self became less and less possible, I had to face the reality that Eddie would be leaving us and I had to make "The Decision". Would I take heroic measures that would probably not extend his life to a great extent, or would I let him go peacefully and painlessly? Hoping I had made the right decision, I chose the latter. I held his head in my lap has he took his last breath. I wanted to be there with him and let him know that he didn't have to be afraid and that someone who loved him was there at the end.

Ed was a devoted friend. He loved hugs around his big hairy neck. He loved the snow. He loved to eat. (Isn't if funny, I love those things too!) He loved to be brushed and scratched on the behind. He was afraid of thunderstorms and tried to hide under things that were too small for his great big body. Just last week I heaved him up on my bed during the middle of the night so I could put my arm around him and assure him that the thunder was not going to hurt him. He stayed until it was all over and then jumped down to do his job of protecting the household. (Even though he was always a big chicken!) He loved children and especially liked them when they were eye level, or licking level to him. He loved to go for rides and was first to the door when asked if he wanted to go. When he was young he could do this amazing vertical leap over couches and chairs and he loved to play "footsie", putting his feet on top of yours and then you putting yours on top of his, and then his on top of yours at a frantic pace until he would get so excited he would take off and "do a lap" around the house. He probably was the most gentle dog I have ever owned (and I have owned a few). We had a Yorkshire Terrier at one time and that little stinker would grab onto the hair of Eddie's neck and just hang there growling and shaking his head. Ed would look at me with this pleading look as if to say "Can you get this off, please?" He usually didn't get into the trash, but sometimes he couldn't resist if it was something he thought would be good. The funny thing was that he didn't hide the fact that he was getting into the trash. He would pick up whatever treasure it was and carry it tentatively into the room where the family was doing what families do and look around like, "Is it OK if I have this?". I'll never forget him carrying in a great big watermelon rind. It looked like he was carrying a giant smile. It was almost as funny as the time he got the trash lid caught around his neck and he raced to the bathroom to hide. He was sheepishly looking at us like "I really don't know how this got caught on my neck.......really"

There are many who say "It's a dog for cryin out loud." I would venture to say that they have never had the distinct pleasure of owning and loving a dog. I know that there are real tragedies in the world. I know that there are vitally important things to do for the safety and well-being of mankind. I know there are things that are much more important than a dog. However, Ed loved me unconditionally; that meant a lot to me. He never expected more than a pat on the head and a bowl of food in the mornings. I hope I did the right thing for him. Eddie was faithful and true and lived to the measure of his creation.......I should be so lucky as to have someone say that about me at the end of my days.

I hope you are doing vertical leaps on the other side Ed.........I am going to miss you, buddy.

Quick, can you teach me Chinese?

I love my job. I really do. Really......... However, sometimes, when people make decisions that affect me, I just cringe. Sometimes I get that deer in the headlights look, or the who? me? look.

I am supposed to go to China and Taiwan in the next couple of months. I am looking forward to the experience. I have always loved to travel, although when I travel for work, I tend to just work, work, work, sleep, work some more and then go home. The good thing about these trips was the fact that I was taking a colleague of Chinese descent. I was very happy that she was going so she could give me the ins and outs of communicating and maybe show me a few interesting spots, not to mention, I don't speak Chinese......at all.....ever......never.

I found out today that she will probably not be allowed to go due to the fact that it may not be critical for her to go and budgets are tight (not unusual in these fuel expensive days). It was said that I knew my job quite well and there was every confidence that I would do just fine by myself.

Am I being a baby, or is it OK for me to feel like.... BY MYSELF!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING!!!???? NOOOOOOO!!!

Here I am, this giant Caucasian woman going where I can't read the road signs. Who knows where I could end up? No one will be there to tell me what to eat.....or, more importantly, what not to eat. No one to tell me "Please shut-up you have offended everyone in the entire room." and then apologize for my ignorance. No one to take pictures with me in them. (I went to Paris and only got a couple of pictures with me in them, I found an American couple to help me out.) And how do I figure the money? Will I pay $3,000 for a taxi on my American Express and not know until I come home? I don't think the company will reimburse for stupidity.

The biggest problem here is that my company has confidence in me.........ME.........I have faked everybody out. I just know all of the abilities they think I have are really non-existent. I am a phoney, a fake, a fraud!! They are going to ask that 15 years of salary be returned due to my total lack of knowledge. I don't have it.

I guess I will have to have my affairs in order before I go........I may disappear and never resurface......Maybe Chad Lewis is free??? (If I have to explain that one, never mind)

No More Death Breath!

This is my dog Ed. I love Ed. As you can see, he is pretty good size. His top weight was around 135 pounds, but he is down to about 109 now. Ed will be 11 years old this year. I took Ed to the vet last week because he had a tumor on his eye. Well, it was under his eyelid, but it began to grow out. The vet said it had to come out, so on Friday he went to have surgery. The vet said he would clean his teeth too. I had wanted to get that done for a long time cause Ed has Death Breath. I mean when he pants, he could clear a room. I just thought that dogs had nasty breath because they sometimes ate nasty things. Just so you know, dogs can have Death Breath because they have a bad tooth. (WARNING! WARNING! GROSS STUFF AHEAD!)My poor Ed had a hole in the gum by his back molar that had become necrotic and filled with.........well, suffice it to say it was bad. The roots of his tooth were exposed and he had a pus pocket along his jowl. (I am sure this was the source of the said Death Breath)The vet took pictures and showed them to me. (Those of you that know me will know that I found that cool. Somebody has to like doing this kind of stuff, or we would all walk around with yucky things on us and our pets!) Anyway, the eye is fixed, the teeth are fixed, and Ed is like new. No more pushing him away when he looks up at me with those big brown eyes and then belches. Thats a sign of love from a dog you know! The vet said he had the blood work of a 2 year old, which makes me happy. I hope Eddie is around for a while to come. Just don't ask me what all this cost...I still wince a little. But look at my big baby! It was worth it.

What's In A Name?

I need some stress relief. I have had way to much to do lately. For some reason, coming here and doing a post takes my mind off of the things I should be doing. I am not sure if that is good or not. Probably not, since it is taking me away from the things I should be doing. Procrastination is one of my strong points......I need to talk about that another day.

Anyway, I was reading over my posts, and I saw that I use the word 'moron' a lot. That is not particularly nice. Although, if the shoe fits..........Well, I decided that I should be nicer; but then I got to thinking about the word moron. If my memory is correct, words like moron, idiot,and imbecile were once psychiatric terms that described an IQ level or a level of mental disability. If you were a moron, you were mildly disabled, if you were an imbecile, you took it up a notch, and if you were an idiot, you were profoundly disabled. So, really if I call you a moron, I am only saying you are mildly stupid! It's not like I am calling you an idiot! If you look these words up in the dictionary, it says they don't use them clinically anymore because they are considered an insult these days.

So, if it was around 1900 and I called you a moron it would be a medical term. Can you just imagine?..................."Mr. Jones, I have to advise you that after our testing, we have found that you are a moron, which is not as bad as an imbecile and far better than an idiot! So cheer up and have a wonderful day!"

Did you know that "numbskull" is in the dictionary? You can spell it "numbskull" or "numskull". I would have to say that "numbskull" is more appropriate. You know, indicating that your head is numb and all. The definition is.....n. a stupid person. Couldn't that also be an adjective? Let's see, person place or thing as a noun....Descriptor as an adjective..."He is a numbskull!" I am trying to bring up my sentence diagramming skills from elementary school.....You know, they don't do that any more. I always liked diagramming sentences, it was fun.

Going on with the name thing, if I were stupid, and I looked it up in the dictionary to find out what it meant, would I understand it? And did you know that 'stupidness' is a word??!! It is right in the dictionary and is a noun. So now I can say "His stupidness was unbelievable!" and be right!

But I digress. The whole point was I am going to try to be nicer. I don't ever call people names to their face because it isn't nice. So I will try not to do it in my mind or on my posts....How does 'dumb' strike you?