Blog-worthy

From an email forward:

"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right? The Newsweek poll alleges that 67% of Americans are unhappy with the direction the country is headed and 69% of the country is unhappy with the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't happy and want a change.

So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so unhappy about?'' Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4% of these unhappy folks have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?

Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean without having to present identification papers as we move through each state? Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way that can provide temporary shelter? I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the world is just not good enough. Or could it be that when we wreck our car, emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a helicopter to take you to the hospital.

Perhaps you are one of the 70% of Americans who own a home. You may be upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings. Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will come to defend you and your family against attack or loss.

This all in the backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the residents. Neighborhoods where 90% of teenagers own cell phones and computers. How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67% of you folks unhappy.

Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U. S., yet has a great disdain for its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.

I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan to get us out? The president who has a measly 31% approval rating? Is this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks? The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending you and me?

Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad? Think about it...... are you upset at the President because he actually caused you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss your sorry ungrateful behind every day. Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently no draft in this country. They didn't have to go. They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge, an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a ''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.

So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69% of Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells, and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O. J. Simpson to write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done it this way...... Insane!

Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV, burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage. Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially more good than bad. We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative. With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

So it appears Mr. Leno did not write this after all. Thanks to Ian for researching this. See comments.

Be a Johnny Today

Very touching....

When did I become so crotchety????

Wow, I was so grouchy the other day. Do you ever have those days where EVERYONE and EVERYTHING is just annoying the CRAB out of you? That was me on Sunday. I don't know if it was because I was tired or PMSing or just still recovering from an emotionally tough week or all of the above. But I was a total crab!

We were shopping for new bedding & I was annoyed that we couldn't agree on anything & how hard it is to find a cat-proof comforter that doesn't cost a million dollars and that we both liked. (We did eventually find one.)

THEN! We decided to have lunch at Lupe Tortillas. The layout of this restaurant is such that it is broken up into rooms. We just happen to be the ONLY table without children in our little room. There were LOUD, ABNOXIOUS, RUDE, OUT-OF-CONTROL little monsters in that room & they were driving me crazy! Yelling, running around, crying, being bad. When did parents start letting their kids act like demons??? No scoldings, No spankings...just let them do whatever they want. BRATS! I tell ya...this is part of the wussification of our nation.

THEN to top it off, our waitress was also incredibly annoying. She managed to use as many terms-of-endearment in one visit as possible. Ugh! "Hi sweeties! What can I get you to drink, babies. OK handsome. OK Pretty. I'll be back with your drink in a minute, sweethearts. What would you like for lunch, baby?" She did that at every table. Wow....that was grating on my nerves big time.

When I have days like that, I just need to stay at home. Period.

I asked the hubby, "Am I becoming a crotchety person or what?" He replied with a smirk, "Yes!" My retort (in my crabby voice), "Well, I learned it by watching you, all right!" *return smirk*

Yes...... I can be a crab.

Get Grace, Give Grace

I'm back. It was a tough week, but glad I was there...especially to see & help my family. A lot of tears, but also a lot of laughter. It was nice to see and hear about all the lives my Great Aunt touched. She was a staple in that little Ohio town.

I was amazed.... that scripture from Thessalonians that I posted was read by a family friend at the burial. Interesting.... Comforting...

She is loved & will be missed.

Hope in the midst of grief

I am not a preachy or even a churchy person these days & perhaps should be more so. But I always find strength & hope in His Words....especially when I/others really need it. It truly does help me.


Psalm 18:2.
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive [and] remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

If I was in The Simpsons....

......I guess I'd look like this

& Hubby would look like this:

Make your Simpsons' character!

http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html


Pretty excited about seeing Spider-Pig.....

For ETK....

"ETK said... You really need a picture of bread-kitty."

My Singapore Days as an Assistant Zoo Keeper

I need to find a way to get my Singapore pictures into a digital format. I lived there in the late 90's and before digital pictures were popular. I should try scanning them, I guess. Here are a few I found. Unfortunately, they didn't come out so well.

Some of these were taken on my first day!! I worked in the small mammal & reptile exhibits...also known as The Repile Garden.

Me IN the crocodile exhibit!

The ones behind me are in the water &

there is no glass separating us.

Rhinoceros Iguana

Ring-tailed Lemur



Galapagos Giant Tortoise



New-born elephant.
Poor thing had a broken leg from its momma stepping on it.
It was a cutie & very sweet!



Practicing my blow-gun skills. ;)

Taught to me by the zoo vets,

whom I also worked with time to time.

Thanks to Ian for inspiring me to post a little about my S'pore experiences.

His posts of his visit there brought back the good memories!

You Know You are Boring Old Married Homeowners When...

You spend 15 minutes looking at & discussing different types of dish sponges & scrubbers and after all the ANALYSIS, you walk away WITHOUT getting even one!

You spend part of your day researching & getting EXCITED about new bath & hand towel bars for the master bath & then spending part of the evening discussing whether or not you should have gotten the matching toilet paper holder.

When did we become so lame? LAME!

;p

Things I Love

Jim Gaffigan and Hot Pockets!!!

Cat Sees Box = Cat Must Be in Box!

Do you woof me?

The hubby wanted me to take pics of Merlah to show his co-workers. This one was too cute! I just had to post!

Croc Walk

So due to my feet dilemma, I cycled on our stationary bike in my barefeet & took the pooch and myself for a walk in my Croc flip flops. All I can say is Thank God for Croc flip flops. They are not attractive by any means, but they sure are comfy walk fairly long distances in!!!!

I am so livin in flip flops right now. Thank goodness I have a flip flop addiction (one other little known factoid about) & and have a fast growing collection.... (Reef & Teva are my favs right now)

Nobody makes me bleed my own blood, nobody!

UGG! I've been wounded on the battle field, and it is keeping me from fighting.

So, I got some narly blisters from running the other day AND got MORE from the cute shoes that are not meant to be worn walking across campus yesterday. Now my feet are in pain with just about any shoe but flip flops right now. I tried going on a nice brisk walk with the hubby yesterday with my new Nike Shox and was in so much pain, I could barely walk. AND to top it off, I ended up getting blood on my new shoes. GRRRR!!!!!

So now what? I can't just sit around until my blisters heal.

Maybe I can dance in my bare feet. ;)

Stupid blisters!

100 mph to 0...ugh!

I am soooo used to being incredibly and almost insanely busy to now just casually working on my research project. I am already getting bored. Not good! ugh! You think I would be all excited to have more free time, but man, I got so used to being insanely busy.

Now I guess I have to get motivated to do other things to keep me busy. Let me start my list:

1. Study for my board exam which I can't take until late December or January at the earliest.
2. Thoroughly CLEAN the house.
3. Organize the "office."
4. Start painting our interior walls (still the boring standard off-white builder color).
5. EXERCISE like a mad woman!!!!! (I bought yet another dance workout video).
6. Volunteer at the student-ran clinic in Galveston.
7. Shadow some doctors.
8. Spend more time with friends and family who have barely seen me over the past 2 years.

I guess that's a good start.... ;)

Free Hugs!

I love this song & video



"All the same" by Sick Puppies

The San Fran Trip

Ok, so I am finally posting about our San Francisco trip.

We had a blast visiting with my BFF & her hubby. We arrived in San Jose last Thursday and drove about an hour to their apartment in San Francisco. What a beautiful drive that was! We hung out with BFF on her wonderful deck enjoying some good beer and cheese until her hubby came home from work.


That evening we walked a few blocks to have dinner at local restaurant for some good home cooking type food. I had a delicious gourmet meatloaf and potatoes.

On Friday, we headed to Napa Valley for a day of wine tasting. Just like Sonoma, Napa is absolutely BEAUTIFUL. I could totally live there. The hills & vineyards are amazing. One interesting thing we noted was the microclimates of that area. It was in the low 60's in San Fran but only an hour and half away in Napa Valley, it was in the low 80's. Craziness! But both felt great and looked great compared to this rainy, hot climate we have going on in H-town right now. ugh. Anywho, we went to numerous wineries. My 2 favories were Domain Chandon, which specializes in sparkling wine, and Darioush. Both had lovely grounds and very tasty wines. We had lunch outside at Chandon & a nice glass of sparkling wine. I decided we need to have more sparkling wine....you don't need a special occasion to enjoy it. :) What a fun day that was & the weather was amazing!!! Sunny, low 80's, and low humidity!!! Greenery everywhere. Lovely!!!

That Friday evening, we had some awesome deep dish pizza at trendy little pizza hangout in San Fran. It is so popular, it was an hour wait for a seat! :) But it was good.

Saturday, we spent the day at the Golden Gate Park. We visited the historical Conservatory of Flowers, which is an amazing greenhouse type museum of plants that was first built in 1879. We also visited the bisons and horses that live in the park. We drove down to the seashore edge and walked around a bit, saw the historic Cliff House & Sutro Baths remains and ate lunch the historic Beach Chalet Brewery and Restaurant that overlooks the Pacific Ocean where the Golden Gate Park meets the ocean. We then got to be the first to see BBF & her hubby's townhome that they just purchased in a town just outside of San Fran. Very cute!!! We can't wait to see it when they move in. I guess we'll have to visit them again, soon. ;)

Our last evening in San Fran was spent walking to and dining at a small, but yummy sushi place. Good stuff!!!


What a great trip! I can't wait to return.

Dancing! Dancing! DANNNN-CINGGGGG!

So, I have made a goal for myself to lose 5-7 lbs by the end of the summer & more importantly get back into good shape. My problem has been that I have lost my discipline. I used to run and work out ALL THE TIME......and then life & good food got in the way.....and now I am outta shape. Again, it is not really the weight I see on the scale that bugs me, it is the feeling of being out of shape. So, time to crack the whip on myself. Now that I have a lot more free time, there is no excuse. Also, since we have a little workout room in our home, there is really no excuse. I can bike, lift weights, do assisted pull-ups, and leg lifts. Also, I just purchased a dance workout video. I tried it yesterday & had a lot of fun, especially the latin dancing part. And man, did I break a good sweat. I think this may be a new, fun way for me to work out. I always loved to sing & dance, although not good at it at all. What a fun way to get into shape! Now I need to find more dance videos. And once Houston dries out, I plan to slowly get back into running shape. I REALLY want to run another half marathon and even a full marathon some day.

Oh yeah. The video I purchased at Target is a good beginner DVD. I wouldn't say it is the best, but I had fun with it. Now I just need to find one with really cool music & dance moves.

More Than Meets the Eye

We saw the Transformers movie yesterday.

The hubby & I were big fans when we were kiddos &

so were excited to see the movie coming out!

I was a big tomboy as a little girl!

Starwars, GI Joe, matchbox cars, Thundercats &

Transformers were some of the boy toys I loved.

This was a GREAT movie with awesome special effects.

It is a huge story line to cram into one movie & the screen was very busy at times, but I still loved it! It'll definitely be on my lists of movies to own.

Happy Independence Day!