Thursday, September 30, 2010

Look What I Got!

Today was inventory at work. As in past years, I went in this morning having no idea what time I'd get off. I remember one year we started at 5:30 AM and didn't finish until 9:00 PM. Lately, however, they've made some changes in the process, and I got sent home just after 11:00 AM.

I opened the windows and was enjoying the fall-like atmosphere for a while, but then it got too hot. I had to close the windows and turn the A/C back on. It's supposed to cool off a bit more with highs in the 70s and 80s for the next week. Still no rain in sight, though. It's been so dry that the dust on the road where I walk the dogs seems like it's two inches deep.

But I digress...I was sitting there watching DVDs and knitting, when I heard the Brown Truck of Happiness pull into the yard.  I looked out the window, and sure enough, it was him.  I was wondering a bit, because I hadn't ordered anything.  He gave me an envelope, and inside was this:


And then, I knew what was going on. See, the Dallas Cowboys Pro Shop is having a special.  Order any jersey and you get a free 50th anniversary patch.  I really wanted one, too, seeing as how I've been a Cowboy fan since before I could even remember.  I was going to order a Dez jersey anyway, and the patch offer just gave me the impetus I needed. 

Well, I received the jersey last Friday, and was so excited about getting it, that I didn't even notice that the patch hadn't been included.  It was Sunday before I realized, "Hey, wait a minute.  Something is missing here."  I still had the box (yes, I have a strange fascination with cardboard boxes), so I went and checked it.  No patch.  I carefully looked through all the packing material, and no patch.  I lifted up the bottom flaps of the box, and still no patch.  So, like any red blooded, hard working American, I e-mailed customer service.  The never responded, so I e-mailed them again.  Now, they must have sent the patch right after they got my first e-mail, but since I never heard back from them, I didn't know.  I still haven't gotten any sort of response, which I think is pretty poor service.  Oh, I'm glad they sent the patch, but it would have been nice if they'd at least acknowledged my e-mail. 

In the meantime, I've been working on charity scarf #2. 


It is self striping, and is turning out to be rather pretty. I'm making this one a bit skinnier than the last one, so it'll be longer.  Speaking of...

It's not really charity, but one of the blogs I used to read before I got kicked off Ravelry --something for which I still have not received a satisfactory explanation-- Adventures in Paradise, has got a cool project going.  The blog is authored by a mother and a daughter.  The daughter is an officer in the Navy, and she wants to give hand knit hats and care packages to all the sailors on her ship.  The information can be found in this post.  I do so want to participate, but she wants washable wool.  I dug through my stash and just don't have any washable worsted weight wool.  (How's that for alliteration?)  So, you know what that means? 

ROAD TRIP!!

I'm off tomorrow, but I'll probably not go until Saturday.  I need to take Rylea to the vet.  It's time for her annual vaccinations, and I'm also going to ask about her weight.  Even though I have her on weight management dog food and we walk every day that the weather permits, she just keeps getting fatter and fatter. 

Sigh, kind of like me...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Wedding Gone Wrong

A couple or three days ago on Carole Knits, she told some stories of weddings gone horribly wrong, then asked what our wedding stories are.  I answered briefly in the comments, but I thought I'd tell the story more completely here. 

It happened back when I was in the Navy.  I'd finished Phase 1 of my Electronics Technician school in Orlando, Florida and had gone up to Great Lakes, Illinois for my second phase.  Once I got up there, I knew quite a few people, but I also met some new ones.  One person I met is someone who was in the same class as I was.  He called me Guns, and I called him Chaps.  We became good friends.  Of course, I knew from the beginning that he was engaged.  He told me right off, and to tell the truth, I was relieved.  Finally, someone I could be just friends with and not having to worry about him wanting any sort of relationship.

A few weeks later, his fiance finished Phase 1, and she came up to Great Lakes.  The three of us went everywhere together.  If Dawn ever felt threatened by my friendship with Chaps, she never let on.  She jokingly referred to me as his mistress.  She knew there was nothing going on between us.  Or at least I thought she knew.

All that changed three weeks later when Dawn's best friend Tina arrived.  In retrospect, I think it was Tina who was threatened by my presence.  When we were all still in Orlando, I didn't know any of them.  It was Tina who held that place in their relationship that I had taken over.  She had been the "mistress".  Now, there was this usurper in her place.  Suddenly, there was a tension between Dawn and me that hadn't been there before.  I believe Tina was telling her things about me and Chaps.

Well, Dawn and Chaps were busy planning their wedding, with Tina's help.  I, not being into that sort of thing, hung around the fringe, which was all right with me.  At one point, Dawn said to me, "You ARE coming to the wedding, aren't you?"  I replied that no, I hadn't planned on it.  But she and Tina ganged up on me and INSISTED that I attend.  They even picked out one of Dawn's dresses for me to wear, and practically dragged me to the chapel on their wedding day. 

About a week before the wedding, Chaps and his best man had a bit of a falling out.  Chaps said to me in the hall outside our classroom (we were in school, you know) that now he didn't know who was going to be his best man.  I said, "Isn't it supposed to be your best friend?"  Chaps replied, "Yeah, but you'd look funny in a tux."  I was pleased that Chaps thought of me as his best friend.  Soon Chaps and his best man worked things out, and everything was good to go again.

Finally, the day of the wedding arrived.  Chaps and Dawn got married there in the chapel on base.  After the ceremony, I was sitting on a chair in a small room at the back of the chapel.   Chaps and Dawn came through that room, and into another small room behind it.  They closed the door for a moment of privacy.  At that point, I got up and went back into the main chapel.  After a minute or two, they came out and we all went to the reception.

The reception was in another town not too far from Great Lakes.  It was held in a pretty little restaurant that looked like it had originally been a house.  The reception was on the top floor, which was opened up into one big room.  Half of the room was up a little step, and that's where the sit down dinner was.  Tina sat at the table with the bride and groom, and I was seated at a table completely on the other side of the room.  I thought that was odd that they'd sat me way over there, since we were all supposed to be such good friends and all.  But it was their day, and I didn't want to make any waves.

After the meal, everyone was mingling and socializing.  I'd sat down in a chair over by the fireplace, and I heard Dawn tell Chaps to go get the brown envelope out of her purse so that they could pay for the reception.  In retrospect, I find this to be extremely unusual because don't you usually pay for everything in advance?  You know, so you don't have to worry about settling accounts on your big day.  But at the time, I didn't really know any better, though I did think it strange that they would be talking about paying bills at their reception.

Chaps went down to the car, but he couldn't find the envelope.  Dawn, who was conveniently stationed by the open window shouted down to him that it was a brown envelope in her purse.  Chaps shouted up that there was no brown envelope in her purse.  Dawn's immediate conclusion was that someone had stolen it, and that she knew exactly who.  Chaps came back upstairs and said, "It seems we have a thief in our midst."  Just a few minutes later, Tina came up to me and said she was going back to the base and would give me a ride.  She practically insisted I return to the base with her, even though no one else was leaving yet.  The bride hadn't thrown the bouquet, nor had the happy couple left. 

When we got back to the base, Tina followed me into my barracks room and there she accused me of stealing the brown envelope with the reception money in it.  To say that I was stunned would be an understatement.  First of all, I would have had no way of knowing that she'd had that money in her purse to begin with.  And there's no way I would dream of stealing something --anything-- that belonged to --well anyone, but for sure I'd never steal from someone I considered to be my friend.  Tina "encouraged" me repeatedly to give the money back, but I couldn't, because I didn't have it.

Dawn and Chaps only had the weekend for a honeymoon, and when they got back, Dawn came to my room and she accused me of stealing the money.  Despite my protestations --to the point of tears, in fact-- that I hadn't stolen anything from her, she insisted that I had.  She told me that they'd had to borrow some money from their "real" friends to pay for their reception.  Oh, how she had changed in just a few short weeks!  She further accused me of stealing the money in an attempt to ruin their wedding and honeymoon because I was jealous.  I was jealous of her because I was secretly in love with Chaps.  I insisted that I wasn't.  That he was just a friend, and that I was happy for them, that I'd been happy to hear he was engaged, but she never dropped her accusation.  She also cautioned me not to mention this to Chaps.  I didn't, but in retrospect, I think maybe I should have talked it over with him.  The whole thing seemed fishy to me then, and the more I think about it, the more fishy it seems.  I think I was set up.  I'm sure of it.  Don't sit-down-to-dinner receptions cost more than $100 anyway? 

About two months later, Tina suddenly got married herself, and pretty much dropped out of sight.  That's about the time Chaps and Dawn began talking to me, again.  They acted as if nothing had ever happened.  That this whole stolen money fiasco had never occurred.  I went along, because we only had about two more months of school anyway, but we never again were as close as we had been. 

And that's my wedding gone wrong story.  Even after all these years, it still grieves me to think that they could do this to me.  Not so much Dawn and Tina, but I thought sure Chaps had known me better than that.

I guess I was wrong.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

What A Difference

That creaking sound you hear is the sound of all the bandwagon fans jumping back aboard.  Funny how much things can change in just one week.

Last week, Roy Williams was a bust.  They'd paid too much for him.  He wasn't worth a first round pick.  They needed to cut him, or trade him.
 
HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Wide receiver Roy Williams  of the Dallas Cowboys runs away from Kareem Jackson  of the Houston Texans for a 63 yard touchdown in the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

A week later, with a notch in the win column, he's worth every penny and more.

Last week, this running back by committee was a dumb idea.  It needed to be scrapped.  They needed a feature back.  Just pick one and stick with him.
 
HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Running back Marion Barber  of the Dallas Cowboys rushes past cornerback Glover Quin  and linebacker DeMeco Ryan  of the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

A week later, with a notch in the win column, the three headed monster is the most fearsome thing in the NFL.

Last week, the entire coaching staff needed to be fired.  Wade Phillips looked lost and Jason Garrett couldn't coach his way out of a paper bag.
 
HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Wade Phillips of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sideline during a football game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

A week later, with a notch in the win column, they should both be up for coach of the year.

Last week, Tony Romo needed to be benched.  He couldn't manage a game.  He wasn't a leader.  The team didn't follow him.  They didn't respect him.

HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Quarterback Tony Romo  of the Dallas Cowboys makes an adjustment at the line of scrimmage against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

A week later, with a notch in the win column, he's one of the NFL's elite.

Last week, the team was doomed.  The season was over.  They might as well hang it up, and try again next year.

HOUSTON - SEPTEMBER 26: Wide receiver Roy Williams  and Miles Austin  celebrate after scoring on a 15 yard pass from Tony Romo in the third quarter at Reliant Stadium on September 26, 2010 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

A week later, with a notch in the win column, they are Superbowl bound once again.  Oh, what a difference a week makes.

Oh, what a difference a win makes. 

Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber (L) celebrates a touchdown with teammates Doug Free (68) and Chris Gronkowski (44) in the first half of their NFL football game against the Houston Texans in Houston September 26, 2010. REUTERS/Richard Carson  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

Monday, September 27, 2010

Music Monday

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Then God created man and woman and placed them in a beautiful garden in the center of the earth.  And God saw that it was good.  The man and woman cared for the garden, and God walked with them in the cool of the day.

But the man and the woman chose to turn away from God.  Because they sinned, they had to leave the garden.  They could no longer walk with God.

But God said, I will send you an angel--one that you can see, and touch, and love.  And he will remind you every day of my never ending love for you.

And God sent the dog...



The longer I live, the more convinced I am that dogs are God's visible angels. No one else but dogs love us so unwaveringly.

I look up and I see God.

I look down and see my dog...

*This story is not Biblical.  I made it up.  You know, just in case you've never read a Bible. 

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Anybody Want Some

Cotton?


Yep, that's cotton all right. I picked that much up off of the sides of the roads while walking the dogs. You can always tell when they start hauling the bales to the gins, because it looks like it has snowed.  Loose bits of cotton fly off the trucks, and they don't go back and get it.  I've thought about doing this for years, and today I did.  I just started picking the bits up off the ground and stuffing them in my pockets.  Before I got back to the house, though, my pockets were full and I was just clutching at the rest. 


This ended up being just a shade under 8 oz, though after picking the seeds and trash out you end up with a lot less usable fiber. With wool, it's approximately a 25% loss, but will be even more with cotton because of the weight of the seeds.  I can still get more, though.  They haven't even finished picking the fields on my road.  I'm thinking I may give this away, since I likely won't ever do anything with it.  Oh, I'll have good intentions, but I know me.  You know what that means.

Contest!

I haven't decided what to do yet, but I'll think about it while waiting for them to pick the rest of the fields.  It'll probably just be a comments contest.  Those are the easiest, and the fairest.  Just one note:  the cotton will be awarded as is.  You'll have the joy of picking it yourself.  Ain't that sweet of me? 

Moving right along...

I finished my first charity scarf


and I especially want you to see this:


That is how much yarn I had left over.   Just enough to weave the end in.  I love it when that happens.  And I cast on a second one.


This one looks like it's going to self stripe. It's going to be fun to knit.

I know, I know, it's not Saturday, but today's sky was so beautiful when I woke up this morning, I had to snap a shot.


They'd predicted scattered showers this weekend, but we didn't get a drop of rain. The dirt road where I walk was so dusty I had to turn back early. We desperately need rain here. Last year at this time, we had so much rain that they farmers had to hire migrant workers to come in and pick their crops by hand. The fields were so muddy that they couldn't get the heavy equipment into them. What a difference a year makes.

The best news of the day is, the Cowboys finally won a game, and in decisive fashion, too. Since the Giants also lost, the Cowboys are still only 1 game back in the NFC East. I'll get a post game post up, hopefully tomorrow. Who Dat also lost in overtime to the Falcons. So it's been a good weekend for football--well, except for that absolute spanking Texas got.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

A Sad Saturday

Texas got absolutely trounced by UCLA.  Final score was 34-12.  It wasn't pretty.

We knew Texas wouldn't be the same team as last year.  They'd lost so many of their weapons.  Colt McCoy, Jordan Shipley, Earl Thomas.  They'd really struggled this year, but had caught some lucky breaks.  Well, this time it caught up with them.  Too many turnovers, too many mistakes.  Oh, they'll get it together, but probably not this season.

AUSTIN, TX - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Garrett Gilbert  of the Texas Longhorns looks to pass against the UCLA Bruins at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)


LSU, on the other hand, has struggled for the last three years...ever since Matt Flynn, Jacob Hester, and Early Doucet graduated.  Even as I type, they are leading West Virginia, but have really seemed disconnected on offense.  They just aren't moving the ball.  The crowd is booing Jordan Jefferson more and more, but Les Miles won't bench him.  I can tell it's going to be a frustrating season for LSU fans. The one bright spot in this game has been Patrick Peterson's 62 yard  punt return for a touchdown.

BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 25: Patrick Peterson  of the Louisiana State Univeristy Tigers runs for a touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Tiger Stadium on September 25, 2010 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)


I spent most of the day working on my newest charity scarf.  Simple garter stitch, I really needed something mindless.


One of my friends has offered to send me some extra yarn that she has, which I gladly accepted.  I haven't really been making these scarves much lately, though I used to have one going all the time.  I've missed it.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who still posts Saturday Sky photos.  The web ring seems to have died.  Even I don't do it every week any more.  Anyway, today's Saturday Sky was partly to mostly cloudy all day, but we didn't get any of the promised rain that we so desperately need.


I've watched football all my life, and I think I have a pretty good understanding of the game, but still, when I saw this book, I knew I had to have it.


Judging by the reviews on Amazon.com, it's not a beginner's introduction to the game. That's good for me. I don't really need a beginner's introduction. But sometimes, there are things I'd like to know--like the difference between a screen and a bubble screen, or what makes a skinny post route a skinny post route-- and there's no one around to ask.  Maybe this book will provide some answers.  I'll do a full review after I've read it.

And since I was ordering from Amazon.com, I went ahead and picked up this musical


I've been wanting it for a long time, and I finally got it.

Well, the LSU game is over now.  They hung on to win it 20-14, thanks in large part to their defense.  Now, if only they could find an offense.  And since the dog doesn't believe in sleeping in, I'd better head to bed.

.

Friday, September 24, 2010

It's Here! It's Here!

My new Dez Bryant jersey is here! And in time for Sunday's game, too.


I just hope it'll be cool enough to wear it, though if the Cowboys play the way they've played these last two weeks, there'll be enough sweating going on as it is.


It hasn't been pretty.  But the jersey is.  The main difference between the premier and replica jerseys is that in the premier, the name and numbers are sewn on rather than melted on.  I'm not so sure it's worth the extra $30, though.  I'll probably just stick with the replica jerseys from now on.  I am considering buying myself a Tervis Tumbler, too.  Maybe for Christmas.

In knitting news, I transferred my Orkney Pi shawl to a larger size needle, so I was able to spread it out a bit for a photo. 


It's still moving right along.  I've also worked on the Conwy Sock and the Fruit of the Vine scarf, though they don't really look any different.  Just longer.

You know, I'd made some mighty big talk about reducing my WIPs, so what did I do?  I cast on something new.  This is another charity scarf, and yes it is made out of Fun Fur.  Call me low born, or ill bred, or whatever, but I like Fun Fur.  I like it because it's furry, and...well, fun


Plus, the director of the charity I send these to says they're a bit hit at the cancer center. And charity projects don't count as WIPs anyway.  So there.

Last night, I watched the Harvest Moon rise.  I'd missed it the last few years, mostly because I wasn't paying attention to when the September full moon was. This year, someone posted it on Facebook in time for me to get out there and see it.  It sure was pretty, but it's devilish hard to take a good photo of the moon.  Well, it is with the camera I've got.

When I was little, one of our family traditions was that we all went outside and watched the Harvest Moon and the Hunter's Moon (October) rise. 


When Cody was little, we started that tradition ourselves.  I'd make Harvest Moon cookies, which were just cut-out cookies that I cut with a large drinking glass to make them look like full moons.  We'd go out and watch the Harvest Moon rise, then come back inside and eat cookies and drink hot chocolate.

My dad loved astronomy.  There were a couple of us on our street who had telescopes, including my older brother.  We'd gather in the street --it was a dead end street, so no traffic to worry about-- and we'd look at the moon and the stars.  I remember watching the Apollo 11 landing on TV, and one time when I was very small, my parents got me and my brother up in the middle of the night to look at some comet.  I'm not sure which one it was.  I was only about 4 at the time.  I never did see the comet, but I finally just said I did to get my mother to stop shaking me. 

Tomorrow is another adoption fair up at Petco.  I guess I'm just not supposed to be getting another dog right now, because Texas kicks off at 2:30.  I'm not sure I'd have time to get up there, pick out a dog, and get back in time.  It's a two hour drive each way.  Plus, with the neighbor's dog spending so much time over here, I almost feel like I have two dogs already.

Oh, and speaking of the neighbor's dog, good news!  They are finally going to get him neutered!  Woo Hoo!  I know Rylea will be relieved.  Now she won't have to spend half the day with his nose up her hoo hoo.


Rylea says, "Thank goodness for that!"

.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Passing The Torch

It happens every so often that things in our lives change.  We have once again come to that bittersweet moment in my life when I must put away a notebook filled with my thoughts, my passions, my fears, and open the cover on a new era in my life.



It's an exciting prospect, opening a new book with its creamy white pages.  Fresh.  New.  Unsullied.  Waiting to be filled with my inspirations, reflections, dreams, and hopes for the future.  Yet, this excitement is tinged with a hint of sadness, as I must set aside an old friend.  It has been my constant companion this last year and a half.  But now, its pages are full.  The old must give way to the new.

In time, the new will touch my heart the way the old has.  But for now, I must mourn.

Just a bit. 

I've always had a thing for writing tools.  Pens, notebooks, fake leather journals with ribbon markers.  When I was younger, I collected them like some people collect baseball cards.  I seldom wrote in them.  Somehow, I didn't want them to lose their newness.  I haven't changed that much.  I still have a thing for notebooks and pens.  I still collect them.

I was looking for a new blogging notebook last week.  Now, this is not as easy as it sounds.  It can't be just any old notebook.  It has to be one that reaches out and grabs me, and says, "Here I am.  Here is your heart."  A blogging notebook also carries the added restriction that it must fit inside my lunch kit.

This one reached out and grabbed me.


This one said, "Here I am.  Here is your heart."  This one I fell in love with.  This one didn't fit inside my lunch kit.

I bought it anyway.

Because that's just who I am.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Happy Autumn

Today is the Autumnal Equinox, marking the first official day of fall.  I love fall.  It's my favorite season of the year.  To me, fall means crackling leaves, hot chocolate with marshmallows.  The first frost.  Back to school.

Fall is crisp days and chilly nights.  Open windows. That fall smell to the air.  Turning the heater on for the first time.  Turning the air conditioner off for the last time.  Breaking out the sweatshirts and the hoodies.

Fall is harvest.  Fall is pumpkins, hay bales, Indian corn.  Fall is scarecrows, spider lilies and Halloween.  And of course, fall is football.

What fall is not is


Somebody didn't get the memo. 

On a brighter note, looky what I got in the mail today.


I bought it from an Etsy shop, and the color is Cowboy Way .  The colors look pretty good in the hank, but I wish I'd paid more attention to the description.  It's worsted weight.  If I'd known that, I'd have probably bought more than one hank.  Still, it should be enough to get a hat or a scarf out of it.

Squeaky says, "Or you could make a kitty blankie for me."  

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Ten On Tuesday

This week's Ten on Tuesday is 10 ways to have a happy birthday.  Since it's been years since I've really celebrated my birthday in any sort of way, I'm going to have to kind of be creative with this one.

1.  Go to work.  I know this isn't celebrating, per se, but we don't get days off for our birthdays.  Not unless I request a vacation day.  Say, there's an idea.  Then I won't have to listen to everyone say, "Why didn't you tell us?"  The answer to that is, because you would have bought me a cake I couldn't eat, then got offended that I didn't eat it.  Which segues nicely into #2. 


2.  Bake myself a cake.  I usually have to make my own anyway, because of my egg allergy.  This year, I don't know if I'll do myself a football cake, or a Texas shaped cake.  But I've got time to decide.  My birthday isn't until November.


3.  Buy myself a present.  I've always done this too.  Sometimes, I hand Cody money and tell him what to go get, but just as many times, I don't.  This year, I've already bought my birthday present.  I've ordered myself a Dez Bryant jersey, and I got the premier style.  It's a better quality, but a bit more expensive.

4.  Make myself some shrimp and sausage gumbo.  This is becoming a tradition.  Anyone want to come for dinner?  Wait, that would require vacuuming.  Scratch that...



5.  I will say, "Yes, I really am 46.  Well, thank you for thinking I don't look that old, but I really am.  Do you want to see my driver's license?" exactly 387 times.   Or maybe 391.  It all depends.

6.  My birthday is on a Thursday this year, so I'll be watching Bones.  It's always nice to spend any day with Seely Booth.  It's even better when it's your birthday.

7.  My birthday is also a national holiday, so I won't be getting mail.  Bummer.  But that just means I'll get twice as much the next day.  So joy!

8.  My birthday is on Veteran's Day, so I'll wear my dog tags, post something meaningful about veterans, and give a hat tip to all the veterans out there.

9.  I will knit, and listen to my podcast, Talkin Cowboys.  As always.

10.  I'm running out of ideas...Like I said, I haven't really celebrated my birthday in a long time.  Even when I was a kid, I didn't have parties.  My mother would bake a cake, and my grandparents would come over, but that's about it.  It was always a tradition that whoever's birthday it was got to lick the bowl.  One year, my mother made me go take a bath, and when I got out, I discovered that she'd given my bowl to my brother.  I was heartbroken!  It was supposed to be my bowl! 

Maybe that's why birthdays tend to go un-noticed around here.

Monday, September 20, 2010

They Grow Up

It's a commonly heard refrain in society in recent times:

"Kids grow up so fast these days."

Kids grow up so fast these days. But why do we think that? Because every 10 year old in America has a cell phone? Because they know how to operate a PlayStation, or play games on the computer? Because 12 and 13 year olds are allowed to date--and have sex-- and not have to deal with the consequences of their behavior?

Do kids really grow up much faster these days? Only if you believe that knowing how to play with the latest techno gadget makes one grown up. Truth is, we are keeping our kids immature much longer than we used to.

Think about it this way. A hundred and fifty years ago, no child would ever be allowed to sleep until 1:00 in the afternoon, after having stayed up all night playing video games. No, kids back then got up before the sun and fed livestock, gathered eggs, milked the cows and turned them out to pasture, cleaned the barn, brought water from the well, and filled the woodbox --all before breakfast.

Then they went off for a full day of school, and when they got home, they chopped more wood, hauled more water, weeded the vegetables, hoed the corn, fed the stock again, rounded up the cows and milked them, cleaned the chicken coop, helped with dinner and the dishes, then did their homework by lanternlight.

When they grew up, they got married at 17 or 18 years of age, and those marriages worked. Those marriages lasted because those kids grew up knowing what it takes to make a marriage last. They knew how to be responsible, and had the maturity to do so.  Kids today don't have that maturity.  Kids today don't know how to work.  They huff and blow and sulk just doing the simplest of chores like taking out the trash or putting their dirty dishes in the sink.  The don't know how to earn what they want.  They expect to have every little thing they want just handed to them without them lifting a finger to earn it. 

The biggest problem is the parents.  They've bought into this strange idea that a parent's job it to make her kids happy all the time.  So instead of raising mature, competent, contributing members of society, today's parents raise spoiled, whiny, selfish perpetual children who demand everything from medical care to food to housing to phone service be handed to them at no cost to themselves. 

Kids today don't grow up faster than they used to.  Kids today don't grow up at all. 
.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Music....Sunday?

Today is Talk Like A Pirate day.  Avast ye lubbers!  Ahoy ye scurvy bilge rats.  Here be ye a lesson on how to be a pirate. 

Saturday, September 18, 2010

I Know

I know.  I said I wasn't going to do this, but there's just too much alliteration here to pass up.  So here is your very first ever

Gratuitous Garrett Gilbert Photo.  


Goodnight, Gracie. 

Friday, September 17, 2010

We Can All Agree

I think we can all--whether Democrat, Republican, or Independent; whether liberal, conservative, or middle of the road--we can all agree that government has gotten out of hand.

They throw around money like a child at the beach throwing sand. Take the three recent stimulus bills.  The theory behind them was that spending more money would stimulate the economy, thus bringing us out of this recession we've been in for the last 4 years.  We won't get into economic theory here, though.  I'll just say that the vast majority of these multi-billion dollar (and that's YOUR money they're spending, mind you) stimulus bills has been just completely wasted.  That's money we don't have, mind you.

It's pretty obvious that the wanton waste has gone beyond ridiculous. It's gotten to be absurd. I mean, seriously????

Penis washing lessons????

Seriously??? 

For men in Africa. Penis washing lessons.  And just how is this supposed to stimulate OUR economy, pray tell?

Sheesh.  I'm going to the football game.  At least that's something that makes sense.

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Thursday, September 16, 2010

One And Ten

One thing to cross off my WIP list. I finally finished this charity scarf.


I must say, this yarn was simply awful to work with. But this was for Scarves From The Heart, and somebody had donated a bunch of yarn for scarves. I volunteered to help and this is the lot that was chosen for me.

Another blog I read Carole Knits, does this weekly thing called Ten On Tuesday.  Every Tuesday, she posts a topic and participating blogs list 10 things pertaining to that topic.  I don't usually participate, because by the time I get around to compiling my list, it's Wednesday or Thursday.  This week's topic was pretty good, though, so I decided to do it.  Even though it is now Thursday, here is your Ten On Tuesday for this week.

Ten Reasons to Watch Football. 
(Anyone care to hazard a guess as to why I chose to participate?)



Almost everyone else who participated mentioned two things in common:  knitting time, and food.  You won't find those in my list, as you can knit just as well watching dumb shows like Desperate Housewives or 30 Rock.  And you can eat any time.  My list takes a slightly different tack than the others listed.  ( Notice that nowhere in my list will you find any mention of tight pants or butts.)

Ten reasons I like to watch football are:

1.  That bone crunching sound that they make when one player hits another really, really hard.  And the blood that sometimes accompanies such hits.


New York Giants Eli Manning bleeds from his forehead after being sacked and hit in the head in the second quarter against the New York Jets in week 1 of the NFL Preseason at New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on August 16, 2010.    UPI /John Angelillo Photo via Newscom


2.  The excitement, the anticipation--knowing that every play could be THE BIG PLAY.  Especially when someone like Felix Jones is on the field. 

3.  When that big play finally happens, like Dexter McCluster's 94 yard punt return Monday night.

4.  The excitement of a last second, come from behind touchdown for a win (unless it's your team on the losing end of that deal.)

5.  The fact that football is the ultimate team game.  You have 11 guys on the field, and if just one man doesn't do his job, it could cost you that game. It is an exercise in total cooperation and teamwork. 

6.  The 76  yard touchdown runs.

7.  The 50, 60, even the 90 yard touchdown passes.

8.  The circus catches, the one handed grabs, the impossible interceptions.

9.  The history and tradition of the game.  Football is a uniquely American game, and is the most popular sport in America.  More people watch PRE-SEASON football games, than watch the Stanley cup, the NBA finals, or the World Series.  It truly reflects the heart of American culture.  Football was developed here, and, though other countries are starting football leagues of their own, it still belongs here.

10.  That certain kind of crazy camaraderie that is found only among football fans.


A Washington Redskins fan watches the Redskins play the Dallas Cowboys at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on September 12, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom


SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 12: A fan of the Seattle Seahawks wears a 49er doll on his head, pierced by a spike of his hair during the NFL season opener against the San Francisco 49ers at Qwest Field on September 12, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 31-6. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - SEPTEMBER 12: Giants fans show their colours during the NFL season opener between the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers at New Meadowlands Stadium on September 12, 2010 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)


So, there you have it. My top ten reasons to watch football. What are yours?

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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Dear CoWorker

I'd like to get this work finished so we can go home.  Kindly shake your boobs at the garbage man on your own time.  Thank you.

Oh, and this also goes for shaking your boobs at the maintenance man.

and the quality man,

and the other maintenance man

and the prototype man

and the other maintenance man

and the man that runs the Newcor machine

and the test tank man


I could go on, but I think you get my drift...

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Tuckered

I'm just too tired to blog tonight.  I'd even walked down to the cotton fields and taken some photos, but I don't feel like fooling with them.  I had it out with my boss again today.  He'd made some changes, and I told him that we don't need anything out there that would make our morale even lower.  He seemed surprised that I thought morale was so low.  I told him he'd have to dig down about 10 feet under the floor to find any morale in that place.  I said it's a whole different world out on the shop floor than it is in the front office. 

I know most people agree with me, but they're afraid to speak up.  They're afraid of losing their jobs.  But you know what?  I'm just so fed up I don't even care any more. 

They would be doing me a favor by firing me.  And I'd hug their necks for it. 

Monday, September 13, 2010

Can't Get A Break

When the Cowboys traded for Roy Williams in the 2008 season, he was supposed to come in and be the savior of the team.  A big play threat.  Someone to take the pressure off of Terrell Owens.  Someone to stretch the field.  Someone to make the team all but invincible.

After a lackluster finish to the 2008 season, followed by an even more disppointing 2009 season, much of his shine had tarnished.  Yet, here in this game, he had the chance to redeem himself.  He finally had the chance to be the hero.

He'd already shown flashes of brilliance, using his size and strength to snatch a seemingly uncatchable ball out of mid air, and converting a key third down.  Now, here he was, with 4 seconds left in the game.  All alone in the end zone.  In a position to score the game winning  touchdown. 

It had been a game riddled with mistakes.  The Redskins' defense had taken advantage of an offensive line plagued by injuries, bringing blitz after blitz.  Tony Romo, unsure of his pieced together protection tossed quick dump off passes and check downs to receivers who weren't always ready.  And there were penalties.  Too many penalties, and at the wrong times.  Penalties that stalled Cowboy drives, or extended  Redskin ones.  The biggest mistake came just seconds before the first half ended, when Tashard Choice fumbled the ball, which DeAngelo Hall recovered and returned for the Redskins' only touchdown of the day.  What would have been a 3-0 lead at halftime suddenly became 10-0.

By the time the second half started, the Cowboys had settled down some, looking more like themselves.  But it was to be no cakewalk.  It is always tough to play the Redskins, especially at Fed Ex Field.  This game, this one game each year when they play the Cowboys at home, this game is their Super Bowl.  They weren't going to just give it away.  When Miles Austin scored a touchdown, the Redskins answered with a field goal (assisted by three Cowboys penalties).  All seemed to be lost, but then...

The Cowboys got the ball back with less than two minutes in the game.  Tony Romo did what Tony Romo does best.
 
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo passes during the Washington Redskins vs Dallas Cowboys NFL football game in Landover, Maryland, September 12, 2010.  REUTERS/Jason Reed  (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)


He drove them down the field, and with just 4 seconds left on the game clock, threw the game winning touchdown to none other than, that's right, Roy Williams.

Roy stood tall and proud in the Redskins endzone.  Marion Barber jumped on his back.  Miles Austin came running over to join the celebration, and over on the sideline, Tashard Choice breathed a sigh of relief.  But the celebration would be short lived, for there on the field, like a discarded handkerchief, lay

CHICAGO - AUGUST 28: A penalty flag lays on the ground during a preseason game between the Chicago Bears and the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at Soldier Field on August 28, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Cardinals defeated the Bears 14-9. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)


a little scrap of yellow cloth.

A holding penalty.  A clock reading 00:00.  And Roy Williams watched his chance to be a hero slip ignominiously through the fingers of one Alex Barron.

Aug 15, 2010; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams (11) at training camp at River Ridge field. Photo by Image of Sport Photo via Newscom


Even when he does it right, the poor guy just can't seem to get a break.

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Music Monday

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you will know that I absolutely LOVE football. And what could be better than football but a song about football. I absolutely, absolutely LOVE this song:

Saturday, September 11, 2010

September Saturday

Today was our town's annual Downtown Jubilee. I didn't go last year, but this year I wanted to go because they were going to have a September 11 memorial thing.  It started raining early, and I almost didn't go, but the rain passed pretty quickly.

I got there just in time for the entertainment to start.  The first thing they did was, we pledged allegiance to the flag.  Then someone got up and sang our National Anthem.  The someone led a prayer.  Yes, we had a prayer.  We still pray before football games, too.

Anyway, after the prayer, they recognized firefighters, then policemen, and finally veterans and military personnel.  I eschewed my normal practice of flying incognito and actually went up there with the vets.  Once all the speechifying was done, the community choir got up and sang patriotic songs.

By that time, I was walking around perusing the craft booths.  They really didn't have a whole lot to offer, but the guy with the sports stuff was back.  He makes plaque type things with mostly football cards.  I'd bought some in years past.  He was heavy on the Manning brothers, but did have some Tony Romo and Jason Witten cards.  In the end, however, I made just one purchase.  
 

After that, I came home.  The sky would cloud over, then clear up,


 then cloud over again and even rain a bit.  No matter, I had plenty of football to watch.  Florida easily defeated South Florida 38-14, then I watched Oklahoma pulverize Florida State 47-17.  Bummer, though, that Texas and LSU played at the same time, and neither one on my TV.  No matter.  I watched LSU defeat Vanderbilt on the computer, and followed Texas on Yahoo sports. 

LSU definitely has some problems.  Last week, they led 30-10 at halftime, and didn't score another point during the game.  Moreover, they let North Carolina 14 points, and get within one play of scoring the game winning touchdown.  This week looked to be almost the same.  At the end of the third, the score was 10-3.

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)


Then Les Miles took Jordan Jefferson out of the game and put in Jarrett Lee.  The whole offense seemed to pick up then, and they scored 17 points in the 4th quarter to put the game away.  Still, they're going to have to do better if they want to win in the SEC. 

I stayed up last night until 12:30 AM.  That's something I haven't done in a long, long time.  I think it's time for me to head for bed.

Got Cowboys/Redskins tomorrow.  I want to be ready for it.

Never Forget

Ever.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Dogs On Thursday

A couple of weeks ago, I bought this toy



for the neighbor's dog.  You put treats inside it and it is supposed to keep the dog occupied for hours trying to get the treats out.  Well, Indy (I've finally decided to give him a name), hasn't quite got the hang of it yet.

Rylea, on the other hand...


I see you in there, you food you!


Hmmm, maybe if I roll it on its side.



No, then I'll just chew a hole it this thing.



Grrrr, come out you food so I can eat you!

I was watching Rylea come up the front steps, and she looked like a seal waddling across the ground.  Yes, she is that fat.  I don't understand it.  We walk nearly every day, and they're long walks, too.  Not piddling little 15 minute walks, but usually between 45 minutes and an hour.  I have her on fat dog dog food, but she is still a little blubber ball.  She should be up for shots soon, so I'm going to ask the vet about her weight and what else I can do to help her get fit.


And I've just about broken my self imposed moratorium against casting on already.  I wanted to knit this yarn

up just to see how it did knit up.  I've decided to make a couple of little hats out of it.  I think I'm going to *looks around furtively* swatch first, since I've never knit with DK weight before. Swatching doesn't really count as casting on, does it?  No, of course not...

Now if you will excuse me, there is football to watch on TV...

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

It Worked Before

I have come to the realization that I have once again accumulated an inordinate amount of WIPS.  Once before, I challenged myself to complete every last one of my WIPS before casting on anything new.  I think I'm going to try that again.  I will need you, Gentle Reader, to keep me on course with this--as you did before.  To give myself a starting point, here are all the WIPS I have currently OTN.

1.  Conwy Socks, from Knitting On The Road by Nancy Bush  I'm still working on these, but unfortunately, they've fallen prey to the siren song of lace knitting.  But I'll get to that in a minute.


2. Pixie Dust Socks: The pattern is Bubble Wrap.  Yeah, these have fallen by the wayside.  They aren't hard, I'm just not feeling the love for this yarn.  It is Knit Picks Imagination, and it is very loosely spun.  It's totally not right for socks, but I've already finished one, so I'm determined to finish the pair.


3. Unnamed Scarf: Based on this pattern. I really should pick this back up. It was for charity and the yarn was donated.  I don't think I'd be knitting with it otherwise.  I cast on over a year ago.  Heck, it may be two years now.  I'd have to check back through the blog to see for sure. 


4.  Anniversary Mystery Shawl 10: The mojo for this one has gone on vacation, so I'm just going to let it marinate for a while.



5.  Orkney Pi Shawl:  The mojo for this one finally came home, and I picked it back up this week.  I really like this pattern so far.  The repeats are fairly short, making it easy to remember.  I don't have to keep looking at the chart while I knit.  Just one thing, though, the charts are difficult to follow and have some errors.  However, the written instructions are clear and so far, error free.


6.  Fruit of The Vine Scarf:  It's moving right along.  I was knitting quite well on it until the Orkney Pi mojo came a knockin at my door. 


I think that's all the active WIPS I have at the moment. I do have a couple of things in the planning stage, but I'm not counting those. I'm also not counting the two blankies, since they are more knit-when-I-get-yarn projects.

Speaking of getting yarn, Peaches and Cream cotton is coming out with some new colors.  I've picked up these two so far:


 They are Desert Sunset (left) and Yorktown (right).  They have another color called Coral Reef, which I absolutely love, but Wal-Mart only has it in a cone.  I don't really want that much of it.  Maybe when I head back up to Southaven, they'll have it at the Jo-Ann's there. 

One of the blogs I visit often--make that daily-- is Confessions of A Pioneer Woman.   She's got the kind of life I always wished I could have.  Except that she has more kids than I would ever want.  And she sits in the truck and watches all the fun...I'd be out there in the middle of it.  Calf nuts and all.

Anyway, in today's post, she shares some blogging tips.  I'm not going to repeat them all here.  You'll just have to go to her site and read the whole thing.  A couple of them stood out at me, though.  Her #1 tip:  Be Yourself-- write as if you are talking to your sister.  Little does she know that I couldn't do that.   Mainly because when one talks to my sister, one doesn't talk.  One just listens.  My sister talks.  So fast sometimes, I have to watch to make sure she's somehow taking breaths in all that chatter.  But when I first started blogging, I had blog buddies.  People who came by my blog, and who's blogs I visited every day.  When I sat down to write, I imagined that I was sitting with those people over a cup of coffee--or in my case Dr. Pepper, since I don't drink coffee --and just chatting about my day.  It's more difficult now.  Most of those people don't come around any more.  Many of them have quit blogging completely.  The rest, I guess, just found me boring and left for more interesting pastures.

The second point she makes is to blog often.  To consider your blog a precious bloom that requires daily nurturing.  I think this is where I began to go wrong.  Here lately, I've been spending more time on Facebook, and the blog has taken a back seat.  That is about to change.  Now that we're no longer working until the point of exhaustion, I'm going to make the blog a priority again.  I'm going to bring it forward from the back burner.  It will once again become a forethought, rather than an afterthought.  And if my Frontierville crops die, they just die.  That's a dumb game anyway.  I just can't stop playing it.

The final point that I'm going to repeat is to value every person who takes time out of her day to stop by the blog.  And I do value you.  Sus, who's been with me from the beginning, or nearly so.  Stephanie, who's been here nearly as long.  Ruth, who seldom comments, but I know you're out there.  And the rest of you who have me in your feed readers.  I value each and every one of you, whether you stop and leave a comment or not.

I love ya.  All of ya.

Squeaky says, "Hmmmm, what shall I blog about today?"