P.S. It Was A Good Day

This afternoon I was walking on top of the missile silo and happened to check the cutout in the concrete slab. This is the cutout where a rattlesnake took refuge in a few weeks ago. Long story short, there was another rattler holed up there. Rick went out later and found him sunning himself on the concrete and was able to shoot him. Looks like that cutout in the concrete is a winter den.

The Little Flower Fairy

Tonight we took Katie Trick-or-Treating. She was a flower fairy, which was the same thing she was last year. (I know, Bad Momma, but in my defense, she really didn't understand Halloween last year; the costume wasn't cheap and it still fit.) The Stamford Ministerial Alliance set up in the town square and kids were able to walk from vehicle to vehicle to Trick-Or-Treat. It is actually called Trunk-or-Treating.

From the town square we then went to the Church of Christ where they had more Trunk-or-Treating in their parking lot. With Rick's prompting, Katie started out saying "Trick-or-Treat", but then progressed to just raising her Disney Halloween pail to any kind looking soul. However, she always said, "Thank you" of which I am very proud. So much candy and treats were given out that her little Disney pail filled up quickly.

Rick and I both commented on how Trick-Or-Treating has changed over the years. Now there are set hours, as well as Trunk-or-Treating. Living out in the country, Katie will not get to experience going door to door. Maybe when she is older and has friends in town she will be able to do that. Anyway, here are pictures from the evening.

Doodlebug and I before heading out for Trick-or-Treating.

Rick and Doodlebug on the town square.

Filling up her Disney Princess Halloween bucket.

Sitting on the lawn of the church.

"A Tootsie Pop!"


"Driving" down the driveway.

Sitting on the swing at home and marveling over all of her candy.

"Wow! This is great!"

"What do you mean I can only have two pieces?"

Taking inventory of her bounty so she knows if Momma or Dada take any of her Halloween candy.

Getting Pretty

"Ooooo, you caught me."

Boo! Did I Scare You?

This year, for the first time in my life, I have not carved a Halloween pumpkin. Even when I was in college and childless I would carve an elaborate pumpkin. I must say some were pretty outstanding. This year the holiday crept up on me. I just decorated the house this past Sunday and did manage to get the ghosts tied in the front yard's trees. We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch this year. To top it off, yesterday when Katie and I went into town neither Wal-mart or Lawrence Brothers had any pumpkins left. So no very scary pumpkin. To remedy the situation, I filled an old Sunny-D juice container with dyed orange water and drew a face on it. Here is my pathetic attempt to have a pumpkin on the front porch.

I also dressed a owl lawn ornament for the holiday. Katie loves the googly-eyed glasses.

Rudolf

Today I made a Christmas present for Katie. It is a "Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer" fabric book. Wal-mart had the material, as well as a completed sample. Katie loved the sample book so I bought the material, which was one yard long and contained six panes. Each pane had two pages of the book. I doubled the thin quilter's batting for the filing. Here is a picture of the completed project.

In The Front Yard

Found this flying around the front yard.

And this eating crickets in the front yard.

The Three Faces of Katie

Katie's Protector

When I tell Katie it's time for ni-ni, which is the term we use for nap time or going to sleep for the night, she will run to Rick. If he is laying down, she'll climb on top of him and hold on tight. To Katie, her Dada can protect her from everything including Mean Momma who wants her to take a nap. Here is a very tired Katie taking refuge on Rick.

On The Fence

Today I had my yearly mammogram. Because of the history of breast cancer in my family, I actually got my baseline done when I was in my thirties. The mammogram tech was a very nice lady. When she saw the age I was when Katie was born, she said she had a question for me that had nothing to do with the procedure. She was wondering if I had done in vitro to conceive--no we didn't--because she will be undergoing the procedure soon. It reminded me how fortunate Rick and I were when we decided to start a family. We were married in September 2005 and wanted to start a family right away. Because of my age, I assumed we may have trouble conceiving. I even bought a fertility monitor. To first use the monitor, you have to wait for your period. Mine never came. We were pregnant in the second month of trying. My joke at the time was that those fertility monitors really work. All you have to do is buy one and you get pregnant.

Anyway, I now wait for the results from the mammogram. I had the opportunity to get tested for the breast cancer gene when I lived in East Lansing. I had a long conversation with my doctor and decided against it. At the time I wasn't ready to take action if I did have the gene, such as a mastectomy or drug therapy. I wasn't yet married and still planned on having children. Now my circumstances have changed and I am vaguely considering exploring the possibility of being tested. Can you tell that I am still on the fence?!

Pensive

Today we had a professional photographer as the guest speaker for MOPS. So of course I have been playing with the camera all afternoon. In this photo I turned the flash off and got a picture of Katie by our bedroom window. She looks rather pensive in this shot.

Miracle Sauce

Why the picture of ketchup? Because it took me two years to figure out that the only way I can get Katie to eat meat is if I drown it in ketchup. It also works on eggs. Hallelujah for the miracle sauce.

Very Scary Pumpkin

Katie and I had MOPS today. In her MOPPET class she made a pumpkin Halloween decoration. Her very scary paper plate pumpkin is the centerpiece of the Halloween decor on the fireplace mantel.

Hearts and Prayers

Our friends James and Marion, who are our Texas tutors, suffered a tragic loss this weekend. Their 21-year old nephew was killed in an vehicle accident. A 17-year old driver ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed and plowed into their nephew's vehicle. The teenage driver thought that the stop sign was a yield sign. Don't understand that one. The signs are different color and shape. Leah, a fellow blogger and the coordinator for Highland MOPS, just had a similar experience, but fortunately her husband saw the car coming. It humbles me when I think how in a split second your life and the lives of your loved ones can change. Our hearts and prayers go out to family as they confront this unexpected loss of a young life.

Who's The Einstein?

Do we have a Baby Einstein on our hands or has Rick been been playing with the refrigerator magnets?

W.H.Y. Better Be The Answer For Paper Wasps

It's a slow day for us here at Corinth West. I'm feeling just about normal. Whether I am normal, that's another post!

It's anything but a slow day for the paper wasps. They are just swarming the house and the entrance to the missile site. They are so bad that when I walk out the front door I take a fly swatter with me. Also, I have to stand in the doorway with the fly swatter when Eric comes in the house. It takes him so long to get up the steps that the kamikazes wasps fly right at me trying to get in the house. I don't ever recall it being this bad. As I sit in the office here, numerous wasps are zinging around outside the window and hitting the glass pane. There is a new insect trap, the W.H.Y. trap, coming out in spring of 2009 which is supposed to work for paper wasps, as well as numerous other flying uglies. Right now there is no fool-proof way to get paper wasps other than locating the nest and unloading an arsenal of pesticide into it. Here is a link to the WHY Trap if you suffer from this plight.

Today's Smiles

I feel like such a mom. The reason being is that today I purchased magnetic refrigerator letters and numbers for Katie. The appliance now resembles a scrambled neon message board. It makes me smile.

Today Katie was playing in her room. I heard her give out her distressed cry. When I got to her room she was lying on the floor with both of her legs shoved into one leg of her turquoise sweatpants. She couldn't stand up and was basically stuck in her sweats. She looked like a little mermaid. It made me smile.

Balloon Heads

I am still suffering the effects of a stomach virus. Last night was the first time I attempted to eat a meal. It wasn't long before I was throwing up. I am pale as a ghost and need to get some subsistence down. One can't get nutrition from food that quickly returns whence it came.

Katie has a Doodle-Pro board on which she just loves drawing. Rick and I will also draw pictures and ask her to identify the objects. Today I tried a new exercise. I drew a head with hair, nose and eyes. I told her to draw the ears and mouth, which she did. But then she drew a line coming down from the head. She giggled and said, "Balloon." I thought that was pretty smart. Here is the drawing of the balloon head. (It kind of looks like I feel!)

She's been a little cranky today, so we played dress-up. She chose one of my shirts and a pair of shorts. Here is her ensemble.

The next picture is from yesterday. I call it "Pouty Little Cowgirl". I think she had the attitude because we were on our way outside and I stopped her to take a picture. "Darn Mama always blinding me with that flash when I have places to go, things to do."

Honey, Look What I Found

Today Rick and a gentleman from NRCS, Natural Resources Conservation Service, went next door to the property we bought last year. The NRCS is doing a conservation plan for acres that we lease out as pasture land. Well, I am embarrassed to say that we have owned the property for ten months and we have yet to check out all 144 acres. When Rick came home, he said that he had a surprise for me. He won't tell me what it was, but wanted to show it to me. After dinner, we went over to the property. The surprise was the stock tank. Now I knew there was a stock tank for the cattle and not having grown up on a farm, I had imagined a large metal tank. In reality it is widening of a creek that runs through the land. It has a little island in the middle where Rick plans on planting a hammock. It even has fish!

Here's a picture of our "stock tank."

Katie and Rick on the shore.

Katie and Rick on the shore. Rick is looking for rocks for Katie to throw into the water.

Sparkly Stones and Fashion Stylista

I wanted to post a picture of Katie's Treasure Stones that I made at MOPS. I painted sparkly dots on them so they would look less like poop. She did have fun breaking them open to find her treasures, which were candy and a little plastic toy.

This afternoon I was folding laundry and Katie was helping. She folds clothes by trying to roll them into the tiniest balls she can. I appreciate her efforts. Anyway, for the very first time ever she picked out the clothes that she wanted to wear. Here is a picture of her choices

Those are turquoise sweatpants, lime green shirt and bib overall shorts on top.

Appetite and Parts Needed

I've been absent lately because of that vicious stomach bug that is going around. Katie got it first and I have been wiped out since Saturday. I have ZERO appetite, which reminds me of a great line from The Devil Wears Prada "I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight. "

Here's my question/rant for the day: Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get parts for an 40+ year old Atlas F Missile Site? Even though all of the sites were built exactly the same, the military does not have a warehouse of parts since they no longer construct Atlas F sites. I see a lot of custom-made items being ordered. In 1960, it cost $2 million to build a typical Atlas F site. Today, one site would cost $14.5 million. The part that cost $275 in 1960 will cost about $2000 today and that is without the additional cost of custom creation. Oy vey! Lots of $$$$$.

Scratch and Sniff Memories

I believe that the sense of smell is a very overlooked sense. A scent can trigger emotional memories for me more so than a picture or song. My memories associated with a scent are so powerful that I feel as if I am transported back in time and I feel what I felt at that time.

Usually I prefer to cook rather than bake. By cook I mean meal making, and by bake I mean the bread, cookie, cake and pie thing. However, lately I have been baking and it hasn't been for the goods, but rather for the smell. Today I made honey, bran, apple muffins with a streusel topping. The scent of cinnamon filled the house with comfort. This had my mind wandering to why I absolutely love the smell of bread baking. My mom makes homemade bread. I mean real homemade bread without the bread machine. The smell of bread baking reminds me of my childhood and Mom kneading bread dough.

Here are some other scents and the memories that they evoke.

• Lemon Pledge--a high school boyfriend used to Pledge the inside of his car.
• Sun-Ripened Raspberry from Bath and Body Works--a summer when my ex-fiance and I were very happy together. It's funny that I label that a happy time because our relationship was long distance that summer. I guess that explains why he is an "ex".
  
• Country Apple from Bath and Body Works--a friend who gave me this scent as a Christmas gift. She died a few years ago at the age of 27, so it's a bittersweet memory.
• Dried leaves--Autumn, football games and jumping in the leave piles we raked.
• Pine--Childhood Christmases. When I was growing up we always had real trees. I remember the intense joy I felt each time I walked into the pine scented house. The smell of a Christmas tree just pulls me back to my childhood.
• Pier 1--All the Pier 1 stores smell like their scent Ginger Peach. I loved that scent and I used it exclusively in my old apartment. Unfortunately, that building burnt to the ground in 2003 and I lost everything except my cat and my car. I also purchased a lot of furniture, glasses, place mats from Pier 1. Couple that with the smell of a Pier 1, I get depressed when I walk into one of their stores.

The list goes on and on as do the memories entwined with scents.

Katie's Many Aliases

Here are some of the many names which I call Katie. Amazingly, she responds to all of them.

• Doodlebug
• Doodle
• Dootsie-Tootsie
• Doots
• Kater Potater
• Potato
• Kay-Kay
• Kay-kee
• The Littlest Bunny Rabbit
• Sunshine Buttercup
• Princess Buttercup--when she was itty-bitty I used to sing a Brenda original to her when she woke up in the morning. It went something like this: "My Princess Buttercup is up. My Princess Buttercup is up. My Princess Buttercup is up." Ummm....I guess those are the only lyrics.
• Monkey Moogala
• Honey Bunches of Oats
  

Happy Birthday Hallie!

My calendar in Outlook was kind enough to remind me that it's Hallie's birthday today.

Happy Birthday Hallie!

Blaaaah!

Last night Katie was sitting on our bed with Rick and watching TV. All of the sudden, "Blaaah." She threw up and threw up and threw up all over our bed, so I was doing laundry late into the night. It was during the Presidential debate, so I did not get to see that much of it. Anyway, when Katie was done, she was all smiles and laughs. Matter of fact she never cried or showed that she was scared. She threw up a few more times later on in her bed, but not at all today. However, she is still not in tip-top shape. This is only the second time she has thrown up. The first time she was not even a year old and it was one little "blah" and then it was over. When we were at MOPS on Monday, I heard several moms commenting on their children or themselves having been sick. I am sure Katie picked up a stomach virus there. Matter of fact--and knock on wood--Katie rarely gets sick, but when she does it is usually a few days after we have been at MOPS. I am sure if she was in daycare, she would be sick a lot more often.

Peas and Ga Goo

A cold front has moved through the area so the temperature is only about 60 degrees. On the positive side, we haven't run into any rattlesnakes because of the colder weather.

A few days ago, Eric started ripping the bandage of off his leg where he had the cyst removed. Rick removed the rest of the wrapped bandage when it appeared that his circulation was being compromised--his paw was swollen. Rick retaped his leg, but Eric ripped that off. Last night I noticed that Eric ripped his stitches and the wound was wide open, so Rick dropped him off at the vet's this morning.

Katie is talking in sentences more and more. Her new favorite is, "Hey, that's mine." She says that whenever you pick up something that belongs to her or take a bite of whatever she is eating. Last night Rick and Katie were chasing each other through the house. That consisted of hiding and then jumping out at each other and saying, "Raaaaaaah!" At one point, Katie came running into the kitchen, grabbed me by the legs and repeatedly said, "I'm sorry." I believe she said that so Rick would stop scaring her. Usually when she wants you to stop doing something, like tickling her, she says, "Okay, okay."

Everyday her personality and quirks are becoming more prominent. Today when I put her down for a nap, she wanted her socks off. When I put them on top of her changing table, she started patting her bed and saying, "Socks." She wanted her socks to be by her when she slept. Strange. Perhaps she wanted them handy in case she had to make a quick escape.

She also is using the polite phrases of please, thank you and you're welcome with more regularity. "Please" comes out as "peas" and "thank you" is "ga goo". "Peas and Ga Goo" sounds like the Wednesday night special on the kid's menu at Outback Steakhouse.

Treasure Stones, Balloons and My Buddy

Today, Katie and I went to MOPS/MOPPETS. The topic of discussion was birthday parties and we were presented with ideas for children's parties. I especially enjoyed the different items you can make for the goodie bags. Actually, the tub-time crayons and super bubble ooze would be good crafts for Katie and I to do just for fun. At the meeting we made treasure stones, which are handmade stones in which you can hide candy or small toys. Then the child can break them open and find the treasure. However, the stones look like poop and I need to paint them so they will look less poop like before giving them to Katie. If I don't, she'll be picking up Eric poop or coyote poop looking for a treasures. Once again Katie came home with a craft from her MOPPET class. This week she colored a picture of the Bible and stuck religious stickers all around it. Marissa, another table leader, had balloons on her table, so when we were cleaning up, she gave Katie a bouquet of balloons. So it was a red letter day for Katie.

When we got home, Rick told me he got my buddy. Yes, what would a day be without a rattlesnake? (A pretty good one, gosh darn it!) Anyway, while Katie and I were at MOPS, Rick went over to the silo and the fuel loading shaft and there was a snake in the same spot that I saw one yesterday. Rick shot him. I am sure that was the same snake because today's dead and yesterday's escapee both were high-strung, quick to rattle and in the same spot.

Now for Buddy's eulogy: Farewell, Buddy. I knew you for a brief, rattling moment but I will carry on and not mourn you because, frankly.........I prefer you dead.

Of Course

Today, while Rick was getting the pool ready for winter, I was walking around on top of the silo checking out all of the clearing we have to do. (For those of you not familiar with an Atlas F, the entire complex is underground so the top of the silo is ground level. Over the years the earth has settled quite a bit, so the silo cap is about 18" above ground level now.) I walked onto the top of the fueling shaft, and of course there was a rattlesnake down below on the concrete. I was apprehensive about shooting into concrete, so I got Rick's attention. By the time Rick got there, the snake had slid into a square cut out in the concrete and went underneath the concrete slab. Rick waited patiently for an hour or so, and it did not come back out. We even tried smoking him out to no avail. It is possible there is a tunnel underneath the concrete and he may have exited elsewhere. On the positive side, we got the weeds and brush cleared away from the the fueling shaft.

Cut to tonight. Rick was cleaning up his yard tools and heading down to the shop when, of course, he came upon an ornery rattlesnake. I was outside, but up at the house. I heard him yell something, so I yelled back "What?" He replied, "Get the shotgun." By the time I got to where Rick was, the snake had moved off into a cactus. Rick just shot into the cactus and it stopped rattling. It was either a very lucky shot or Rick shot the rattle off of the snake. Then the snake moved quickly, not the movement of a dead snake, so Rick shot again. Finally dead, Rick used a rake to get him out of the cactus and sure enough the first shot just took the rattle off.

Rick deposited the dead snake into a garbage bag. Since our garbage gets picked up tomorrow, our garbage can was already street side. So we took the golf cart up to the street to throw out the dead snake. And of course, on our way back, Rick spotted a fingerling in the driveway. Rick shot him, bagged him and we had to make the trip to the garbage can again. With the snakes killed Friday night, Saturday and today, that makes six dead rattlesnakes in the garbage. I am sure that is a record here at Corinth West.

There is no way to know if the snake Rick shot on the way to the shop is the same one that went into the hole. I'd like to think so, but I am a smart person, so of course the hole-dweller is probably still out there. Besides, Rick said the one he shot didn't smell like gasoline, which is what we used in our attempt to smoke him out.

Here is a picture of Rick eating lunch on top of the fuel shaft while he waited for the rattlesnake to emerge. The round concrete is the silo. I took a few pictures, but I like this one because you can see the silo doors.

Nuk-Nuk All Gone

It's been 24 hours since Katie lost her last pacifier. We looked high and low, and could not locate it. We decided that when the last one became M.I.A., we would not buy anymore. She's not too happy about the situation and screamed almost all the way to and from Abilene last night. However, she did go to sleep without it and took her nap today without her beloved Nuk-Nuk. When she asks for Nuk-Nuk, we tell her "all gone." Today Rick found Nuk-Nuk on a dining room chair. My response was, "Quick, hide it." I figured we had made progress in the Nuk-Nuk free world and didn't want to regress.

Potty training is a challenge and I have put it on the back burner. I figure when she is ready to give up the diaper, she'll let us know. Forcing her to do so before she is comfortable results in a battle and frustration on everyone's part.

When Rick goes out of town, Katie gets to talk to her Dada on the phone. The picture below is from Thursday night. She's chatting with Dada while lounging in her bed.

Kirboom

Okay, this is getting ridiculous. Twenty minutes ago I took Eric outside for his second morning walk. I decided to head down to the shop to get my weed pulling tool. Based on the bounty of rattlesnakes from the previous evening, I took the shotgun with me. Glad I did. About half way to the shop, there was a rattlesnake in the path. I was pretty nervous and a bit excited. Kirboom! I shot him. To make sure he was dead, I shot him again. Overkill. Pardon the pun. The second time I shot, the blast sent the snake airborne. I promise not to post anymore pictures of dead rattlesnakes, but this is my first kill and I am proud of me. The number of snakes that we have run into the past week has Rick concerned. Why so many? In addition, all of the snakes have been within 100' of the front door.

Bing, Bam and Boom

The victims of the moonlit hunt, Bing, Bam and Boom, are still there this morning. Bam, snake two, continues to slowly move. They can do this for hours after losing their heads. Boom, snake three, is the fingerling. He is hard to see in the daylight, so I am surprised I saw him at night with a flashlight.

It Was A REALLY Good Night

Rick, Katie and I ran into Abilene this evening. When we came home, Rick carried cranky Katie into the house then went to park the van. After doing so he decided to enjoy the beautiful, moonlit evening. Also enjoying the evening was a rattlesnake. Rick came into the house for the shotgun and a spotlight. I followed him outside with Big Spot, which is an one million candle power flashlight. He was sure the rattlesnake had slithered off into the bushes, but when he passed the outdoor living area, there was a snake on the concrete. Bing! After offing that one, we walked a few more feet, and son of a gun, there was another one about 15' from the first one, but in the bushes. Bam! He was a goner too. We walked over to the Missile Base entrance, and it was on our way back that I saw a baby rattlesnake. Boom! Another one bit the dust. He was small, about 1' long, and the only reason he stood out was his black and white tail. Frankly, that little sucker scared the hay-barns out of me because he was so small and easy to miss.

Three rattlesnakes in one night. That is a record at Corinth West. Also all were found in a span of ten minutes, which is another record for us. I didn't take pictures and the dead snakes will most likely be picked up by the coyotes tonight. Rick's comment our moonlit hunt was, "It was a REALLY good night."

Imitating Life

At two years old, Katie likes us--I am sure that will change when the teenage angst years arrive--and she shows it by continually emulating Rick and I. She copies our facial expressions, body movements and body positions. For example, one evening when we were walking down the driveway, I had my hands clasped behind my back. Pretty soon the Doodlebug was doing the same thing. What is really funny is to see her lie in bed and watch TV with Rikki. She will check out how he is positioned and then she'll cross her legs and put her hands behind her head like her Daddy.

Today Katie decided Baby needed a diaper. She demostrated her vast knowledge on diaper changing, which was gained from her own diaper wearing and watching Mommy and Daddy do the dirty deed for the past two years. She retrieved her diaper bag from her bedroom; put the changing pad down on the coffee table and proceeded to diaper Baby. Then she realized she forgot to use a wet wipe, so she opened the diaper and wiped Baby's butt.


Katie also likes to "get ready" with me and actually follows me step by step. She'll put on face lotion, underarm deodorant and body lotion as I do. When I put my make-up on, I'll take the big fluffy blush brush and pretend to dust her cheeks, which amuses her immensely. This evening she and I were in the master bath. I stepped into the bedroom for a few minutes, and when I arrived back in the bathroom, Katie had gotten into my makeup. She wanted the total makeover. Below is her first her first attempt at applying mascara, which apparently she also used as eye shadow and brow enhancer. She was so proud of her accomplishment that I couldn't yell at her happy, smiling face. But a thought did occur to me, is that what she thinks my eye makeup looks like?!!

"In My Daughter's Eyes"

Sorry for the multiple posts in one day, but I just have to get this one in.

Since becoming a mother, I am more comfortable with my mortality. Perhaps it is because I see someone who, with the grace of God, will go on after me. Katie also makes me want to be a better person and I find myself continually striving to do so. I often stumble, but trying is what I do every minute of the day, which was not the way it was before Katie. After Katie's birth, and for the first time in my life, I realized that it wasn't all about me. It was a stunning revelation and so very comforting to know that there was something more important than me.

Which brings me to a song I heard. Usually I have to hear a song a few times before it hits an emotional chord and causes tears to form in my eyes and slowly roll down my cheeks. However, today I heard a song that struck that chord right away.

Katie and I were driving back from shopping at the Wal-Mart in Stamford. Katie was content in her car seat as she quietly ate her Lifesaver Gummies. This song came on the radio. It is performed by Martina McBride with words and music by James Slater.




Here are the lyrics.

In my daughter's eyes I am a hero
I am strong and wise and I know no fear
But the truth is plain to see
She was sent to rescue me
I see who I want to be
In my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes everyone is equal
Darkness turns to light and the
world is at peace
This miracle God gave to me
gives me strength when I am weak
I find reason to believe
In my daughter's eyes

And when she wraps her hand
around my finger
It puts a smile in my heart
Everything becomes a little clearer
I realize what life is all about

It's hanging on when your heart
has had enough
It's giving more when you feel like giving up
I've seen the light
It's in my daughter's eyes

In my daughter's eyes I can see the future
A reflection of who I am and what will be
Though she'll grow and someday leave
Maybe raise a family
When I'm gone I hope you see how happy
she made me
For I'll be there
In my daughter's eyes

Scooby Snacks In The Front Yard

I don't know if Eric has been watching "Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmerman", but somehow he has developed a palate for crickets. If you are familiar with Texas, you know that crickets are in abundance. When they get into the house, Rick tries to scoop them up and put them back outside. If he does not, Lupe, our cat, will catch them and then proceed to torture them by ripping their legs off. (Nothing like finding leg-less cricket bodies on the floor.) Anyway, lately when I let Eric outside, I noticed him forging around the front yard. I thought he was looking for his poop that we had not scooped up yet. (Yup, that's right, Eric eats his poop. When his brother was alive he ate his brother's poop too.) Earlier this week, I ascertained from the loud crunching noise coming from Eric that he was snacking on crickets. Oh well, in some countries crickets are considered a delicacy and his breath doesn't smell like poop.

Groovy

The Internet is finally working after being down all day yesterday, so I have a few updates.

Eric made it through his surgery and his nails are nicely groomed. The vet told me that Eric has "old dog liver" so we will have to start giving him supplements. When I went to load him up in the minivan after surgery, I could not get him to even attempt to get into the van. He just stood there looking around and seemed oblivious to my prompting. Then it occurred to me that the poor dog was stoned and was too busy looking at all the pretty trees and groovy clouds.

Yesterday when Katie woke up, like usual I brought her to our bed. The first words out of her mouth were, "Where's Dada?" Then we left Eric at the vet's, which confused her. When I told her we were going to pick Eric up, she was excited. However, when we got to the van, I opened the side door and she peeped her head around the corner. The first words out of her mouth were, "Where's Where-ick?" I guess she thought he was in the van even though she was there when I left him at the vet's. I think the child was starting to become concerned with the missing people and pets because she kept a wary eye on me as we drove to the vet.

Last night I indulged in my guilty pleasure, which is watching "Biggest Loser." It is rather out of character for me to get into a reality show, but for some reason, I care about the contestants. I also am amazed at the transformations. The second half of "Biggest Loser" comes on tonight. It was cut down to one hour because of the Presidential Debate. I tried to watch the debate but I wasn't hearing anything enlightening. This race is shaping up to be, like so many of the Presidential elections in my lifetime, as a choice between the lesser of two evils.

On the financial crisis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that a $150 billion economic stimulus plan is needed now because of the faltering economy. Why does that not surprise me? Even more salt in the wound of this American is the fact that less than one week after the feds gave an $85 billion rescue loan to American International Group, employees for the insurance giant partied at a conference at an expensive California resort/spa. Click here to read the story, but only if you have the stomach for it or if you are complacent and don't give a hoot. AIG says the "conference" was planned prior to the rescue loan. But come on, the writing was on the wall when this event was in the early stages of conception.

I need to find a new topic to blog about rather than the financial crisis. I am depressing myself. I am disenchanted with our congress after they passed that hasty bailout plan. I was naive enough to believe for all of my years that this country was about the people. Well, I now see that it is about screwing the people and encouraging the greedy. Maybe I need to take some of Eric's drugs and go look at the groovy clouds.

This And That

It's the end of a busy day and tomorrow promises to be more of the same. Rick left for Plano and will not be home until Friday. Tomorrow Eric has surgery on his elbow cyst and will also get his nails clipped. His appointment is at 8:15 a.m., so Doots and I have to be up and at it fairly early. Wednesday, I have my yearly appointment with by gyno. Ooo, what joy. Actually I really like my doctor. He is the one that delivered Katie.

I saw on the Internet where a 90 year old woman shot herself when they came to evict her. She had her mortgage through Fannie Mae and had lived in the house since 1970. Fannie Mae agreed to forgive her mortgage and allow her to remain in her home. I fear we will hear more of these stories.

I also read an AP article about today's congressional hearing aimed at understanding why we, as a country, are in this financial mess. The article states that "the now-bankrupt investment bank arranged millions in bonuses for fired executives as it pleaded for a federal lifeline." That takes brass ones! Further more, Richard S. Fuld, the Lehman chief executive "said a compensation system that he estimated paid him about $350 million between 2000 and 2007 even as the company headed for disaster was appropriate." And I suppose the big fat zero that the shareholders received was appropriate also! However, the best part is how this arse places blame, "Lehman did everything it could to limit its risks and save itself. It failed, he said, because of a 'crisis in confidence' on Wall Street, market manipulation in which investors preyed on distressed financial players by betting on their demise, and would-be buyers who waited for the government to step in to help fund a sale." Lord, I do not understand and hope I never will understand that type of greed and inability to take responsibility.

On that "happy" note, good night.

I-Keem!!

Katie, just like her Daddy, loves ice cream. She'll eat three bites of a meal and then look at me and say, "I-keem?" as if she finished her meal and was ready for dessert. Rick and she also get into this playful back-and-forward conversation that goes like this:

Katie: I-keem!
Rick: No I-keem!
Katie: I-keem!
Rick: No I-keem!

Well, you get the idea. This can go on for awhile with both of them raising their voices as the conversation progresses.

So last night Katie was still up at 9 p.m. Rick and Katie were having the "I-Keem" conversation. I walked into the kitchen and over to the refrigerator. I looked down to see Katie standing next to me with her arms stretched up to the freezer. I pulled out the red tub of ice cream, and she raced from the room in full-tilt excitement. She ran into our bedroom where Rick was and began screaming "I-keem! I-keem!"

Yup, that's right I gave her a bowl of ice cream at 9 p.m. I love the fact that I can make her day, or night, and fill her with such joy with a bowl of ice cream. I know it will not always be that way. Here's the Doodlebug eating her i-keem on a breakfast tray in our bed at 9 p.m.

The Great Outdoors

This weekend has been spent outside doing yard work and such. We are slowly cutting the brush back from the edge of the driveway. As posted earlier, we are trying to achieve the same 5' shoulder that originally lined the drive. We have approximately 80' done. Only 2320' to go!

We also began the mesquite massacre. Rick wraps a chain around the base of the bush then the chain runs up and over a wheel to the hitch on the bumper of the minivan. We were successful in uprooting three small trees. Best of all we didn't tear up the minivan!

We also finally got all of the old siding into the burn pile. The contractors had ripped it off of the house and piled it on the front patio. I had to pull all of the nails out and Rick would haul it to the burn pile. So glad to get rid of that eyesore.

Rick cut the yard, which takes about eight hours. It looks really good. I'm hoping this is the last time that we have to cut it for the year. Tonight we have a 90% chance of thunderstorms with a possibility that they may be severe, which means hail and high winds. I'm crossing my fingers.

Achmed

We have the DVD "Jeff Dunham Spark of Insanity". The guy can make me laugh. Below is the YouTube clip of his bit with Achmed the Dead Terrorist.

Don't Wink At Me

Rick and I watched the Vice Presidential debate Thursday evening. Governor Palin did better than I anticipated, but it did appear that she had attended intensive rehearsals. Rick and I laughed when at one point her face brightened up with a big smile and large eyes. It was like she was five-year old that knew the answer to the teacher's question.

Now for her winking at various people during the debate. Pretty weird. Could you imagine Joe Biden winking? Or how about Dick Cheney? It lowered her level of respectability for me.

Speaking of Dick Cheney, here is an article about a Federal Judge ordering the Vice President to preserve his records from his time as Vice President. Cheney argued that the office of Vice President is legislative and not part of the executive branch, so he shouldn't have to. Dare I wonder what is this guy trying to hide? During the debate Senator Biden said, "Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous Vice President we've had probably in American history." I agree.

Toto, We Ain't A Democracy Anymore

According to a Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times poll from September 23, by a margin of 55% to 31%, Americans oppose the bailout plan. Today, the House of Representatives chose to ignore them, which resulted its passing. President Bush quickly signed the Bill who admits that even with the passing of the Bill, "our economy continues to face serious challenges."

My issues with the Bill include the obvious, such as bailing out financial institutions that created the mess. However, what is even more infuriating is that "Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson pledged to begin using his new authority quickly." This is the same guy that just pulled a figure ($700 billion) out of the air, not a figure based on careful financial analysis. Now he is going to oversee the money?!! This bill was quickly rushed through Congress because of fear-mongering and lies. So quickly that there is no plan in place how to "best" allocate the money. What is this? Get $700 billion--sounds like a high enough number--and then figure out how to disperse it? Who is going to oversee Paulson and his "new authority"? I don't know of one person that would lend me $700 let alone $700 billion if I said, "I think that's what I need, but I don't know and I have no clue how I will use it." I see a big black hole that will suck that $700 billion up in no time. And hey, Paulson already has an excuse, "I thought my $700 billion stab-in-the-dark figure would free up the credit market, but I didn't have all of the pertinent financial data. We need another $700 billion."

Also, did you know that a good portion of the $700 billion is going to foreign investors. Foreign banks, which were initially excluded from the plan, lobbied successfully over the weekend to be able to sell the U.S. mortgage debt owned by their American units to the Treasury, getting the same treatment as United States banks. Doesn't it feel good to be helping out the whole darn world, but not your neighbor who is in foreclosure?

Here is something depressing from a MSNBC article by By John W. Schoen, Senior Producer:

Last week, some 200 university economists and finance professors wrote an open letter to Congress expressing shared concerns about the government’s $700 billion plan to shore up the banking system and reverse the ongoing unwinding of the global credit markets. Those concerns centered on three basic issues. One was the fairness of a government bailout of financial institutions that made bad bets. The second was the plan’s ambiguity, as little detail was provided initially about just how it would work. The third was whether taking urgent action just to calm the markets in the short term might actually weaken the financial markets over the long term.

Will the government’s plan work? Even the plan’s backers on Capitol Hill say there’s no way to know.

“I suspect it’s not going to solve our problem,” said Charles Jones, a finance professor at Columbia University.

From The New York Times, Tao from Piscataway, New Jersey wrote the following comment:

This Bill is ill-conceived without any comprehensive analysis of the economic situation, without inputs from most experts, and certainly without inputs from the majority of taxpayers who are against it. This Bill mocks the democracy of US.

Guess what, stocks continue to sink even with the passing of the Bill. So, are you scared yet? I know I am. I also know that "my people" in Washington, Representative William Thornberry and Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn will not get my vote come election time.

Yours Truly

I finally added my picture to the right rail. Like our friend Brad, there are very few pictures of me as I am always the one behind the camera. So since I was having an okay hair day, I asked Rick to take a picture of me.

Tomorrow, I'll write more about the new and improved, and porked up $810 billion bailout--yes, the $700 billion bailout has grown-- and the Vice Presidential debate. Too many thoughts swirling around right now. Take care and good night.

Child Labor

Today, Katie helped me make chocolate chip cookies. Her contribution in the making process was stealing the chocolate chips out of the bag and stuffing them in her mouth. However, she was a big help in the cleaning-up process. The child loves to wash dishes and stood at the sink for a half hour scrubbing away. Finally, the child is starting to earn her keep!

Katie is also learning her numbers. She can count to three and if you ask, she'll tell you she's two while she holds up two fingers. She also seems to understand the concept of the number. For example she gets excited when she finds two Nuk-nuks (pacifiers) and will tell you, "Two nuk-nuks!" Today she was looking at the Wall of Shame, which is a floor-to-ceiling picture collage that we have in the hallway to her bedroom. She found a picture of Eric and Max and told me, "Two Where-icks."

Not A Good Backup Plan

I am insulted by the choice of Governor Sarah Palin as McCain's Vice Presidential running mate. Was she picked purely because she is a woman because obviously she wasn't picked for her political and governmental acumen. Does McCain and his camp honestly think that women are so idiotic that they will vote for him based solely on the gender of his V.P. pick? I don't care about the race or gender of the next President or Vice President, but I do expect him or her to be knowledgeable and articulate. Based on her interviews with Katie Couric, this woman comes off as an airhead with her head in the clouds. Do we really want this woman to be our "backup" President? Here is a video of Governor Palin unable to name one magazine that she reads.

Bailout

The following is an excerpt from an article on Yahoo! by Jeanna Bryner, a senior writer for LiveScience.com. It compares the $700 billion bailout to other sums.

From 2003 through the end of fiscal year 2009, Congress has appropriated $606 billion for military operations and other activities associated with the war in Iraq, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The entire military budget for fiscal 2008 is $481.4 billion.

Social Security is a $608 billion annual program.

Many analysts fear the bailout because the cost must ultimately be borne by taxpayers.

Based on the U.S. Census Bureau's estimate of the current population of about 305 million people, each person would have to pay $2,300 to fund the $700,000,000,000. If each American (including children) paid a dollar a day, it would take more than six years to pay the money in full. One might argue, however, that this $700 billion would be a modest splash in the bucket of national debt, which already stands at well over $9 trillion (which means you already owe $31,642 each).

It is all very depressing, not to mention infuriating. In a nutshell, these financial institutions made bad decisions and continued to make bad decisions even when the writing was on the wall. Now we, the ones that play by the rules, have to bail them out. No one will bail us out when we, my husband and I, make bad financial decisions, so we don't.