Got Some Shopping TO Do

Our daughter arrives at noon today for a Long 4 day weekend. I am super excited to see her and spend some quality time together.

We plan on hitting all the places we didn't have time for the last time....and we'll re-visit our favorites. A bakery that specializes in macarons, the Dallas farmer's market and even two estate sales are on the list for today! Today will also be the first time I will drive the BMW. I think it's got Henry a bit nervous as he's told me at least 4 times to not get too close to the curbs and I will need to park far away from other vehicles...don't want door dings. I love our Jeep. Heck, you could jump curbs in it! And door dings? The doors are too high to worry, and it's a Jeep, built for offroading.

*a quick update on Brian. He is still at home (yay!) and is getting a little better each day. Gaining weight is his primary focus, and second to that is increasing the length of his walks each day. He is able to get around their apartment without his walking stick, and only needs it when he goes outside...so steady improvements each day. Thank God.

It's Mac-Fabulous

Henry's new computer takes up much less room in the office area; and after moving the lower shelf up to accommodate the monitor and finding a new spot for photo albums, his office is coming together. Yay!

I am loving my new IPad, because it is compact, yet I can enlarge any page if need be. If I were to critique anything about it, I guess I would say it is totally slowing down my typing speed. When I took my first typing class in the eighth grade (with a manual typewriter), I was taught to type with both hands. No one finger pecking and no looking at the keys. Plus the fact that I have always loved typing (and shorthand, but that's a different story) , this will take some getting used to. And what is with this auto text stuff? I seriously do not need a computer to guess what I am trying to say. All of that aside, the IPad is awesome!! Thank you, Henry, for buying it for me.

**on edit, I need to retract something. As I was proofreading this post, I noticed I misspelled a word, and in correcting it, the IPad suggested the correct spelling. Cool!

Geography Lesson...Fail

See the little geography problem the White House has on their own site? In a failed attempt to promote Obama's west coast fundraising campaign, it seems they don't know Colorado from Wyoming. Sheesh.

I like Herman Cain!

Some sushi, some Sake and Two New Computers

Last night we went out for sushi then hit the mall, which is completely out of character for either one of us. Henry went into the Apple store and I did some shopping at Anthropologie. He did not buy a darn thing (I did, however). That was last night, today is a new day.

Henry took off early this morning to get a haircut downstairs and on to the Apple store. Two hours later he arrived back home with a new computer. His computer has been giving him fits for a long time, so he was due. What I did not know until he handed me a bag from the Apple store, was that he not only bought himself a new computer, he bought ME an IPAD!!! I have been wanting one for a year, but never thought I would actually get one. It is pretty cool and small and I love it!

I think Henry is enjoying his new Apple, too. ;)

The Bar (guess that doesn't sound real good, right?)



Actually...first things first




The bar with door open showing hanging glasses




with the door open, it provides a shelf for sitting your glass on. The top slides open for extra surface room




And, door closed

 We also switched the recliner and my chair. Henry decided he wanted the corner, which is fine, as I actually like the way this looks better.

Youser!

These pictures are from Shanghai. I think it is fascinating that the people there can balance such loads on a bicycle.

Dude!

It'd be fun to have this photo enlarged and framed

Have flowers

Okay, now you sure wouldn't want this load to get away from you!

News Of The Day

As Soon as Bernanke opened his mouth today, the stock market took a nose dive and closed down -283 points . His new plan is dubbed 'Operation Twist.' We'll be twisting and shouting all the way to the bottom I'm sure.

Remember back in March, Obama promised we would only be in Libya for days, NOT WEEKS? He also promised 'no boots on the ground' Yeah. He lied. Today, it was announced NATO is extending the mission in Libya for another 3 months...and, yesterday we were told in addition to the 4 people on the ground, they are now sending in an additional 12. Surprise. His Lie And the truth

The Iran hikers that have been held in an Iranian prison for the past two years are finally, at last, on their way home!! Good news! Isn't Ahmadinjead in NYC now? Arrest him!

Oh, and Obama's golf buddy, Eric Whitaker, a 'goes way back' friend from the streets of Chicago, who just so happened to have worked with MO back in the day, has been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. Another scandal from the corruptocrats in Chicago....not my kind of town. Can you say more fraud?

Solyndra. What a story. $535 million in Federally backed funds, aka the taxpayer's money, *poof*, gone. The Solyndra Executives are going to be pleading the 5th and will not answer questions at House hearing . Aww, another surprise.

Out of all the stories, this one is the one that truly makes my blood boil. A couple in CA. are to be fined $500.00 for the Bible study group they hold in their home....each time! Why? Because the State of CA. sucks? Hmmm....I suppose that is part of it. No. The State claims any gathering of 3 or more is considered a 'regular gathering' and requires a conditional use permit. Story here ---Here's a thought. If Manuel Rodriquez and his clan of 20-50 cousins, nephews, aunts and uncles gather each Monday evening at 7 p.m. at Manuel's house for a book review, or to sew buttons on their underwear, shouldn't that also, by the same token be considered a 'regular gathering'? Thought so. Think someone would report them to the authorities for not having a permit? Doubt it.  Whatever happened to religious freedom? And I don't mean the honor killing, asslifting while pointed towards mecca 5X daily, throw acid in the face of your daughters kind. And on that note.....

Rumors are swirling about that Hillary just may be running in 2012. Perhaps the plan all along was for Odumbo to be a one term president, destroy our country, his poll numbers drop,  and then they usher in Clinton at the last minute to save the day....but of course, we know she works for the same master puppeteer and has always been Soros's BFF, so if the rumors are true, nothing will change. Would the Obamabots be disappointed?
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(It's okay by me if you report me to Attack Waaaatch for talking poorly of our prez.)  :))

Did You Know?

You better know what's in it. Here's a start:

Buried deep, deep on page 133 of the bill, it states:

SEC. 376. FEDERAL AND STATE IMMUNITY.

(a) Abrogation of State Immunity- A State shall not be immune under the 11th Amendment to the Constitution from a suit brought in a Federal court of competent jurisdiction for a violation of this Act.

Under the bill’s authority, states are not immune from federal prosecution if they “violate” the act. In the event this bill passes, it will override a state’s sovereign authority as defined and protected under the 11th amendment:

The Judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity, commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by Citizens of another State, or by Citizens or Subjects of any Foreign State.

MORE...

Any state that receives Federal assistance under the direction of bill automatically forfeits its sovereign immunity. Should an employe of the act seek federal prosecution, the state must abide.

They will literally make a Federal case out of it. The bill continues:

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE- With respect to a particular program or activity, paragraph (1) applies to conduct occurring on or after the day, after the date of enactment of this Act, on which a State first receives or uses Federal financial assistance for that program or activity.

c) Remedies Against State Officials- An official of a State may be sued in the official capacity of the official by any employee or applicant for employment who has complied with the applicable procedures of this Act, for relief that is authorized under this Act.

(d) Remedies Against the United States and the States- Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, in an action or administrative proceeding against the United States or a State for a violation of this Act, remedies (including remedies at law and in equity) are available for the violation to the same extent as such remedies would be available against a non-governmental entity.
(theblaze)

I'm just waiting for Nazi Pelosi to tell us 'we have to pass it to find out what's in it'. How sad that so many are preoccupied with watching Chaz on that dance show (can't recall the name of it), then they are with the demise of our country. My father in law always said 'they'll be kicking rocks down the road wondering what the hell happened.' By then it'll be too late.

Etsy Finds

I know my daughter visits Etsy's site frequently and has purchased several items from different sellers.
Last week I decided to check them out for myself. The site can be a bit overwhelming at first...well, it was for me, anyway. I don't do well with too many choices, so that's probably why.
However, I made use of their search engine, typed in 'fabric coasters', and up popped waaayyy too many choices. So, I narrowed the search to 'yellow coasters'. Much better. Long story short, I found the perfect coasters, set of 4, just $10.00. $1.95 shipping, and they arrived yesterday. I couldn't be happier.
Like Amanda said, you can find inexpensive, handmade, custom made items that will be original, plus you are helping a fellow American in their business. No 'made in China' crap. Okay, so here's three items I like:

Dog Dishes! I will order Jack's without the polka dots, but aren't these super cute? I love the words 'eat' and 'drink' at the bottom of each bowl.

Okay, this is an old dough bowl. Just so happens, the seller lives in Texas. I saw a new version at Williams-Sonoma for $165.00. Ouch! This one is much cheaper and is the real deal. I want Henry to drill a hole in it so I can hang it on my pot rack.  A touch of rustic for the kitchen.

I absolutely LOVE this little bowl, and only wish it were much larger in size. The lettering on it comes from an old ledger book and is an order for various yards of fabric.  The mustard color caught my eye! I may email the seller and ask if she could make a larger one.

Pictures Of Our Condo

Pam asked about pictures of our condo. I'm sorry I had not posted any, and was kind of waiting until it was all done, but here's what it looks like today. :) You can see it is still a work in progress. We need to buy accessories like pictures and decorative pieces to jazz it up, which is why Amanda is coming to Dallas next weekend to 'finish the job' as Henry puts it.
When she was here originally, everything was so hectic and we had so much to buy, we ran out of time and energy. This trip should be much more relaxed and buying the 'pretty things' much easier. I will post more pictures of the final rooms then.
We love the furniture, the rugs and just the overall way the rooms feel. I could not have done it without Amanda's help for sure!

The bathroom

Henry's Office with doors open

Henry's office with doors closed.
(much better)



Entry



Living Room

Panning to the right. The empty corner will be filled with a bar that I've ordered and  is on it's way. Amanda and I had quite the time finding one that would work size wise and color

The TV in living room.

better picture

Kitchen. The pot rack will have new shiny pots and pans hanging from it just as soon as I get them ordered.

another kitchen shot

Small walk in pantry behind the doors in kitchen

entrance to the bedroom

Is that Jack in the picture again? Goodness.

different angle of living room. You can see the doors open to his office again

We totally need something under the clock

our balcony

the view looking straight out (we're just 5 stories up)

The view from end of balcony looking west

My mini roses are finally coming back to life

Saturday Humor

Hilarious! What a waste of taxpayer money. This photo was taken in Florida.

He's Home!

A quick update on my son, Brian.

He was discharged from the hospital two nights ago and so far, so good. I guess they received a huge round of applause from the doctors and nurses as they left the wing of the hospital. He was in there for 45 days total.
On their way out of the hospital, they had to stop at the pharmacy and get all his prescriptions filled....grand total for that was $1800.00. Ouch.

He's still got both the eliostomy and colostomy bags which he's been told he will have for a minimum of one year before the surgeons take him back in to reconnect. The dressing on his wound needs to be changed every 4-5 hours so his wife will come home at lunch to help with that. Other than that, Brian says his main goal is to get some meat on his bones and build up his muscles. He's got a long way to go, but if there's one thing I can say is that the kid is tough as nails. He's been through alot over the past 10-12 months and has proven he is one hell of a fighter.

Brian is thrilled to be home, but it will be some time before he gets his strength back and is able to care for the children. Evan and Maddie are staying with Sarah's parents for the time being and I'm not sure what the plan is at this point with bringing them back into Anchorage.

I'm happy to finally be reporting some good news about him!

Humility and Arrogance

In case you haven't seen it.
This picture was taken Sunday at a 9/11 memorial.
What a distinct difference between these two men.
Just had to share.

Fulltiming vs. Not

Maybe it's because it's September. Maybe it's because I've been thinking about our fulltiming friends, as every year at this time, the fulltimers begin to migrate south toward warmer climates like Arizona, Florida or South Texas, and it's been on my mind alot lately.

We've got friends that workamp every summer in places like Montana, South Dakota and Indiana. They are probably finishing up their summer jobs right about now and heading to their winter destinations. Some will be going to their winter workamping jobs and the rest will take the winter off. As I think of each of them, I pray they'll be safe in their travels. I am going to miss meeting up with them, catching up with the latest and will especially miss happy hours around a campfire.

Last year we were closing up the KOA in West Yellowstone and heading to Coffeyville, Kansas to work through the Christmas season.  A lot has changed in the past year in our lives and we're about to experience a winter in Dallas, which can't be all that bad as far as weather goes. I'm hoping anyway.

Do I miss fulltiming? Yes and no. I miss it for all the reasons I just mentioned, but I like where we are in our lives right now. I don't have to worry about something going wrong with the motorhome that could cost a fortune to repair, and I don't have to endure overnights at a Wal-mart or truck stop (which I never really felt safe about).

I love our condo. Dallas is a big city with lots to see, and I love having a place to come home to where I feel safe, but yet we can expand our circle of exploring every weekend if we choose.  It's comforting knowing we have health insurance (something that was always a concern when we were fulltiming) and now I can seek out my favorite grocery store, dog groomer and a place for haircuts and pedicures, and become a regular customer.

I love having somewhere my kids can come and stay. I love it that Jack has one place to get used to, as opposed to somewhere new all the time. Oh, and little things like having a full size oven and refrigerator, and a pantry! So far, life not fulltiming is good! I do miss seeing and talking to our fulltiming friends though.

9/11

Enough said.

Good Intentions

Well, I thought it was a good idea. I have a $25.00 gift certificate to the House of Blues, a restaurant/music place in uptown Dallas, and it's only 8 miles from the condo......Friday night, dinner, somewhere different....might be fun. I even checked out their website online to view the menu, check the prices and get their hours.
Traffic in Dallas on a Friday evening....eek! We got to the restaurant and saw two signs:
Valet parking $15.00
Self park: $10.00.....what??!! --Fortunately there was metered parking on the street and a place to park. We plugged the meter with $2.00 for 2 hours and walked over to the restaurant..only to watch a line of people form.
They weren't waiting to have dinner, they were in line because the restaurant was closed for a private event. Now, do you think their website might have mentioned that? Would have been helpful. -
Lucky for us, there are lots of other places to eat right there, and not wanting to waste my $2.00 in the meter, we walked across the street to a pizza place....that just happened to be dog friendly. (we sat outside on the patio) The pizza was okay, but expensive. All in all, had I known we'd end up eating pizza, I'd rather have ordered in and stayed home. We were actually 'out' at night, in the dark. I can't remember the last time that was the case.

Contagion....The Movie

CONTAGION opens this weekend in theatres. Sounds like one I'd even go see. Here's a summary of it:
"Contagion" follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself. At the same time, ordinary people struggle to survive in a society coming apart.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Matt Damon star in it.

(I was going to post the $5.00 movie tickets that AMC was offering, but looks like I am too late. I see they are already sold out. Shoot.)

We Will Never Forget

And They Will All Be Chanting: 'Pass the jobs Bill~'

It's a mere 45 second clip from the 'jobs' speech last night. There is a reason I'm sure, that he used the same phrase, so many times. Kind of like a song that gets stuck in your head? Who knows.
I caught the first 10 seconds on TV, just enough to notice that Joe Biden and the prez. were both wearing their purple ties....again. This morning I see online that Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO, also had his purple tie on last night.
Purple = Unions.

It's Show Time!

In just a couple hours from now, Odumbo will be giving his jobs plan speech....well, not exactly. It's really more about spending $400 Billion, but whatever. We can play along like we're fat, dumb and happy, because obviously that's how he sees us. I, for one, will definitely not be watching tonight, as the mere thought of having to look at AND listen to him, curdles my stomach. Instead, I shall be deeply engrossed in an NCIS re-run.

To go along with your Obama Bingo game, this video's a hoot!

**OOPS! I almost forgot. In case you catch a glimpse of tonight's 'joke', use this.

Getting A Texas Driver's License

Oh my! Henry went yesterday to register and get the tags for the BMW...he also filled out the application for his Texas driver's license and planned to do both at the same time. Oops. That's when he learned that vehicle registrations and driver's licenses are done at completely separate locations. Not in the same building. Not across the street. Nope. Totally different address.
He registered the car, after an hour of waiting.

Today, he went to the DMV office for his license. After waiting one hour, he thought 'geez. well, I'll give it more time.' ......and hour and a half into it, he continues to wait. Two hours later, he's thinking 'are you kidding me!! Really should not leave, because I've already wasted 2 hours.' ......so he waits, and waits, and waits.

THREE hours later, it's his turn.  Ridiculous! He's still not home yet, but just called to say he's finishing up a few things at the office, then he proceeded to tell me about his fun at DMV. Can't wait to find out how long it took after getting to the window. He did say though that with about 11 windows, only 3 were open. So typical, right?

Boy, I am so excited now about going to get my license!! not.

BINGO In an Obama World

Click on the image to enlarge it. Here are the rules for Bullshit Bingo:
1. Before Barrack Obama's next televised speech, print your "Bullshit Bingo"
2. Check off the appropriate block when you hear one of those words/phrases.

3. When you get five blocks horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, stand up and shout "BULLSHIT!"
(thanks, Smokey! Love it!)

Odumbo's next live speech will be in just two days, this Thursday. Topic will be........wait for it.....
JOBS!  He was originially going to lay out his complete plan for creating jobs, and then at the end of last week, we were told  'well, he's not going to tell us the entire plan, just part of it.'  ----What a loser. He has no plan. He's just full of crap. Remember the 'summer of recovery' and all the 'shovel ready' jobs he promised? Remember the stimulus money was guaranteed to create millions of jobs? --The hope is fading for anyone that believed it to begin with. Unemployment is at 9.1% and there are 10 million unemployed Americans.
Nice job, Ovomit.

Feels Like Fall!

I have no idea if this is typical for September in Dallas, but I like it! Temperatures have cooled down significantly just since last week. I believe we're looking at highs of 85 degrees for the week! What a difference from 105 degrees.

It's time for me to get serious now about finding some work. Fortunately, there are several Title Companies within walking distance, so I'll print several copies of my resume and go. If no luck there, I'll explore something else. I wonder if I could handle a waitressing job? The pay is not great, but.....tips! And, if you're good, you can make some great money!

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I'm still not 100% convinced about Perry, but I like this via gatewaypundit:

It's A BMW

Our new to us car

Yesterday, after dropping Jack off at the groomer, finding a Waffle House for breakfast, then picking Jack up from the groomer (they were super fast!), we set out to look at three cars Henry had narrowed his list down to.
1)  A 1999 Mustang Cobra, white, with just 88k miles
2)  A 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee, black, with 85k miles
3)  A 2003 BMW 325i, silver, with 88k miles (one owner)

The guy with the Cobra is apparently not interested in selling his car because he said it wouldn't be available until Tuesday to look at.  Good-bye.
After booking out the Jeep, that guy wanted way too much money for it, and no offer would have brought the price to within reason. Good-bye.
The silver BMW looked pretty sweet online, but upon closer inspection, it was pretty dirty, had some scratches, and for the high dollar they were asking....Good bye.

So, we got on Craigslist again, and looked again at one we had both seen before and liked. We called the guy, asked if we could come take and look. He was very accomodating, so at 3:00 yesterday we pulled up to his house and by 4:00 Henry made him a reasonable offer, paid him, and we are now the proud owner of a 2002 BMW 525i, silver, with 75k miles on it. This car does not have a scratch or a door ding or any blemish on it. It is gorgeous. He had just put new tires and wheels on the car very recently, and he had saved the old ones. So, we've got new tires and wheels and old tires and wheels.....and living in a condo. with nowhere to put the old ones. Henry will probably sell the old ones. Anyway, we rented a *gasp* storage unit. Small 3x5.

Did you know???????  To rent a storage unit in a post 9/11 world, they require fingerprints and Homeland Security paperwork to be completed. We even have to provide them proof of our homeowner's insurance.
Something else I discovered today is that you cannot write a check at WalMart for $100 over the amount anymore. You are only allowed $20 over....BUT, you can immediately make another purchase (like a pack of gum which I did), write a 2nd check and make it for over $20.  Crazy, right??!!
Oh, brother.

It's Friday!

Three day weekend. Yay! Henry's got the rental car until Tuesday now, so if all goes well, we will hopefully find a replacement vehicle this weekend. I think he's looking at anything larger in size than the Maxima, and something with low miles. It was a big job finding the Nissan, so it's not going to be fun starting the search again. You've got scammers to contend with and then the people that claim their vehicle is in excellent condition with no body damage, until you go to look at it...only to find they forgot to mention all the hail damage on the hood or that the rear end is smashed in. Crossing my fingers that the perfect car will magically appear for us.

Why is it that car shopping, house hunting and flying all used to be things we enjoyed, and today they are just a pain in the butt?

On my return flight from Alaska, I missed my connection in Phoenix and had to wait over six hours for the next available flight. People watching can be very entertaining! As I was sitting at the gate, a flight to Cabo was preparing to board, and the attendant at the podium announced several times that anyone flying on flight 1338 to Cabo San Lucas must come to the podium to have their passport stamped prior to boarding.
As I sat there watching people texting or on their laptops, I wondered at the time why so many did not go up to the podium as requested. I decided they must be waiting for the flight to Dallas and weren't going to Cabo. Then, the boarding began, and I had to laugh to myself as some of those same people that ignored the call to the podium were in fact going to board the plane. They'd get all the way to the front of the line to show their boarding pass, only to be told 'Sorry, you have to get your passport stamped at the podium'.

I guess it just proves that for the most part, people don't really listen, pay attention, or even know what is going on around them as they're glued to their IPhones. Whatever happened to reading a book or magazine while waiting....OR, here's an idea! Having a conversation with the one you're traveling with?
Times have certainly changed.

**An update on my son. He was told two days ago by the doctors that he can expect to remain in the hospital at least another month. Today is day 33 for him. It was devastating news, but I'd rather they keep a close eye on him to ensure his recovery. His fourth surgery was last Friday evening, so this is good news. 7 days post-op and all is well. The real test will be when they try to start him on solid foods. He still needs lots of prayers.

We've Got the Kenyan Squatter In The WH

AND here we have yet another one of his many village idiots! Hilda Solis, the labor secretary just bought a new car! Watch the short clip below first..she's so proud!

Here's where the village idiot phrase is applicable: The car she so proudly speaks of......was MADE IN CANADA. The parts are made in Canada, the car was built and assembled in Canada. She must be exempt from eating her peas, right, Obama?