The Amazing World of Techies

I purchased some new software today. I needed to upgrade my Quickbooks at work to a newer and more advanced version. The old version did not have the capability I needed to do some "stuff" my boss wanted. Well, I could have told her to go jump in the lake since my boss is my daughter but I decided to try to accomodate her wishes and install the upgrades myself. OMG ! That was a disaster!

I followed the simple instructions to the letter only to jam my computer into complete uselessness!! It would not move! Even control alt delete just sat there and stared back at me!!! There is a computer wizard in our office who used to be the business manager for a major company and as a last resort I solicited her support! Good thing she didn't have any appointments this afternoon because it took her three hours on the phone to India to get the thing installed! The first two techies who tried to help - she had to ask for different ones because she was repeating every word approximately 17 times to get them to understand Alabamian - and you can imagine what it was like to understand whatever language they were speaking.

Finally, my co-worker requested another techie and after asking for the same information over again as she had given to the previous two, she was ready to start over with the "head honcho"!

He confirmed that the software was installed properly but it would not transfer my information from the other version I had on my computer so the bookkeeping records for the last three years were somewhere in cyberspace and could not be found!

I want to make it clear that I love techies - my son-in-law is the best one in the world but he was at work and I couldn't talk to him and besides he had told me that Quickbooks is not his forte so we spent literally all afternoon in utter frustration!!! Knowing that middle of the month checks have to be written tomorrow I was pretty much freaking out when the fellow in India said if we would give him permission to go into our system, he could transfer all the data to the new program. At that point, I would have given him permission to get into my personal bank account, my health records, my school records, my credit card numbers , and would have given him my date of birth and social security number just to get some relief from the mess I was in.

Three hours and ungodly frustrating trials later, I got it all working properly. Now I just have to figure out to work the new system!

I know one thing - techies don't get paid enough!!!! In fact, a couple of them in India probably turned in their resignations after today.

Matt Lauer Calls Foy Union

For those of you who are Auburn fans, check this out! For those of you who aren't - oh yeah, you probably aren't reading my blog anyway. www.thecornernews.com/index.php/news/comment/today-show-calls-foy/

My Pet Peeve

I work in a 10-person office. One of my jobs is to answer the phone and frequently someone will call and say, "Someone just called me from this number!"

I go through my list of questions: "Are you working with someone at a real estate company?"
"Do you know who might have called you?" "Do you want me to name the people who work here to see if you recognize any names?" The more questions I ask, the more peeved I get! What if it were someone from Wal-Mart who called? They have 1.8 million employees - could have been any one of them. Do you want them to see if they can figure out who called you ?

I want to say, "If someone called you and it was important, they would have left you a message, you numbskull! Is that all some people have to do - look at their phones for missed calls and try to track them down?

Okay - I'm glad I got that off my chest!

Some Days Are Special

I have an extended family member who lives in an assisted living facility and since I visit her a couple of times a week I have grown to know most of the other residents who live there. I talk with all of them and most have something to say in return but one lady in particular rarely speaks. I have actually wondered if she had the ability to speak but I continued to greet her each time I visited.

Today, I went to pick up my family member and as I was signing the registration book, I felt a tap on my shoulder and the quiet lady asked me if I wanted to come look at something in her room? She showed me a quilt that she had made by hand. It was squares of each of the 50 states. Each square had a state embroidered on it with the name of the the state, the number of the state and the date it became a state, all stitched by hand. Included in each square was the state bird and state flower all embroidered by hand. Each square was sewn to strips of cloth and they were perfectly lined and perfectly square. There were literally millions of hand stitches all done to perfection.

In my estimation, it would have taken her years and years to complete such a project and it is unbelieveably beautiful! She told me her husband was sick and bedridden for many years before his death and she occupied her time working on the quilt.

Today, I left there with a lighter step, a song in my heart, and a promise to bring my camera next time I come so I can take pictures of her quilt. She thanked me and smiled.

Some days are just special!

My Beautiful Granddaughter

Kristen participated in the Fort Payne High School Calendar Girl contest Saturday night. She was absolutely gorgeous and she placed in the top 10 in her class. Of course, to all of her family she has always been beautiful in more ways than one!

In addition to being beautiful, she is also smart, talented, and sweet. We are so proud of you, Kristen, and we are blessed to have you as our granddaughter. Congratulations!

As Time Goes By . . . .

In the school year 1991-1992, Mikko Hollo from Finland lived with our family as an exchange student. Grandson Will was 1 and 2 years old during that year and we took a picture of Will, Susan, Mikko and Amy.

Last week, Mikko came back for a visit and we took the same picture. Of course, it was a little harder for Will to sit in Susan's lap but we had a blast trying to recreate the picture.

Now THIS is a CAKE !

Someone spent a lot of hours on this but it is actually a cake! (Click on picture for a closer look at detail. ) I'm dressed in orange and blue as I write this and am heading to the plains for a weekend of tailgating and watching the Tigers with my family.

Life is good! WAR EAGLE!

Worth Remembering

The really lucky people are not necessarily the ones that have the best of everything -
They are the ones who make the most of whatever life throws at them.

Fun Times in Athens !

This weekend I went to Athens, Georgia, to watch Hunter and Will play in an SJGT golf tournament. It was held at the University of Georgia golf course and I have never seen so much red and black in my life! Even the bathroom at the course was red and black! I have to admit that even though I am definitely NOT a Georgia football fan, the little UGA bulldogs on each tee box were absolutely adorable!

Anyway, Will was tied for the lead the first day but didn't do quite as well the second day and ended up in 4th place! Will is now ranked #5 in point standings in Southeast Junior Golf stats. Hunter had a good day the first day but not so good the second day but Hunter never lets it get him down. He is always the same in attitude no matter what his score and that is such a good quality to have. (Will will be signing with Auburn University and Hunter will be signing with Troy State University the third week in November.)

The course has really suffered due to the drought in Athens but all in all, the weather was beautiful and we had a wonderful time! Traveling with two 17-year-old boys who are funny, have a great positive attitude and are polite and well-mannered is just a good thing to do. Thanks, kids, for giving a Grandmom a great weekend!

ANDRUW JONES LEAVING BRAVES

For those of us who have made our living in nursing, social work, teaching, etc. with our paltry salaries of $25,000 - $30,000 per year, it is really hard to have sympathy for a guy whose contract was not renewed when he asked for $20 million a year!

I don't care how many Gold Gloves you have - you are not worth it !!

Some "greats" are just "greater" than other "greats"!

It's always "GREAT TO BE AN AUBURN TIGER" but sometimes the feeling of pride looms larger than at other times. Such was the case yesterday when the unranked Tigers took on #4 Florida in Florida. No one believed Auburn could win - especially all the sports commentators. Most had Florida a three-touchdown favorite and some had it even more than that!

Florida Coach Urban Meyer had never lost a game in Florida and was pretty sure his team would have no trouble putting Auburn away in short order. Florida was also hoping for another shot at a national title this year. Supposedly, they have a #1 quarterback (Tebow) who is touted as one of the top best three in the nation.

Auburn's team has young players and a quarterback who had a rough start this year and by all calculations and all common sense, Auburn was supposed to lose and lose big! The only thing wrong is that apparently, nobody told the Auburn players that! And apparently Coach Tuberville gave his "Little Engine that Could" speech just at the right time and Auburn came on the field ready to win!

We had to beat Florida and also beat the referees - for instance, when a Florida player had the ball in his hand and got hit and then Auburn was penalized for hitting him because he didn't have time to call for a "fair catch"! That was preposterous!

Our freshman kicker had to end up kicking a field goal twice due to a little trickery on the part of Florida's desperate coach but all in all, we played hard and deserved to win! Our young defense just about shut down Florida in the first half and kept Tebow from showing off his stuff.

My hat is off to you, Tigers! You gave your fans a great game! Thanks and WAR EAGLE!

The VFW Fair Begins!

The DeKalb County VFW Fair has won 1st Place honors for Best County Fair in Alabama for years and last night I attended the opening night of this year's event.

There are the typical carnival rides, and judging of displays with ribbons being awarded for flower arranging, home-canned and home-baked foods, hand work and needle work of all varieties, agricultural products and much, much more!

Being a farmer's daughter and having participated in showing farm annimals at various events, I am always most attracted to that segment of the fair.

My favorite part of last night's visit to the fair was when a little 8-year-old boy (the son of one of my former customers) ran up to me, grabbed me by the arm and insisted that I go look at his prize-winning chicken !

Life is good at the Fair!

BOOM DAYS IN FORT PAYNE

Saturday my home town celebrated its heritage by celebrating the Boom Days in Fort Payne. These were the years from about 1880 to 1893 when the population swelled from 450 to thousands as northern investors came to Fort Payne to invest in the Fort Payne Coal and Iron Company. They built beautiful homes, a huge hotel, and the now famous opera house. As the iron ore fizzled, the investors went back up north but many of the things they left behind are still a large part of our community.

There were people dressed in period costumes, horse and buggys, a smelting display, broom makers, furniture makers, as well as area artisans of all kinds displaying their work.

Fort Payne was honored to host the Gees Bend Quilters. These are ladies whose quilts are world renowned and have such a rich heritage as children and grandchildren of the original quilters carry on the tradition of making gorgeous quilts. I would have bought one but they are pretty pricey but well worth the money. The workmanship on them is unbelievable.

Another interesting display was the folk art work of the late Howard Finster. Again, I would have loved to have purchased something but his work has gotten a little out of my price range. I have a couple of signed prints by him and thankfully, I bought them a long time ago while I could still afford it. Maybe my children and grandchildren can enjoy them for a long time to come.

Finally, Fort Payne celebrated our home town boys Alabama by dedicating a beautiful park in their honor. It is across from Union Park in downtown Fort Payne and has walking trails and will have a beautiful bronze sculpture of the guys when it is completed.

Thanks, Fort Payne, for such a great celebration!

Another Alabamian Sets a Record !

Jeremy Harper, a 31-year-old UAB graduate, computer programmer and valedictorian of his high school graduating class accomplished a goal Friday. He finished counting to 1 million out loud and recorded it all on camera on the internet.http://www.millioncount.com

It took him 89 days to complete the count - days in which he never left his home - just sat there and counted!

I don't quite understand the attraction for doing something such as that but then I don't understand soaking hot dog buns in water so you can swallow hundreds of them in order to win world hot dog eating contests. Maybe I'm just satisfied with mediocrity more than I am interested in setting world records.

There were at least two good things that came out of this: (1) Jeremy raised $10,500 for Push America, a charity for the disabled; and (2) he gave us somebody to read about in the paper besides Nick Saban!

Thanks, Jeremy!

Carrying Low Inventory Eliminates Problems

Several times I week, I pass the G & G Auto Sales car lot and their inventory always seems to be very low. Last week they had one car on the lot and my daughter Susan and I discussed taking a picture and putting it on her blog showing their selection of one! Too late! They have apparently sold the one car they had and now have none! I suppose there are advantages to carrying such a low inventory.

1. If you don't have anything to sell, you don't have to worry about disgruntled customers.

2. If you don't have any employees, you don't have to worry about not making payroll or paying unemployment.

3. If you don't sell anything, you don't have to worry about paying taxes.

4. You don't have to worry about taking trade-ins because you don't have anything to trade.

5. You don't have to worry about rearranging the placement of inventory on the lot so it doesn't look like you don't have anything new, because you don't ever have anything new.

Come to think of it, if I ever decide to have a car lot, I think I'll have one with no inventory - I think it would be a lot easier.

AND - Topping the List of Ridiculous Rules . . . .

I am a huge football fan and certainly not a football expert but for the life of me I can't find one single redeeming feature in the penalty for "too much endzone celebration."

Do they think that one man doing a little dance after running 80 yards is the last stop before he turns to drugs and child pornography?

I think scoring a touchdown should be a cause for celebration. We ask those athletes to risk breaking their bones, splitting their heads open and suffering other serious injuries for the love of the sport but then say - "Don't have any fun with it or we will penalize you."

Yogi Berra entertained fans by jumping into Don Larson's arms after a World Series perfect game - good thing he wasn't playing football - that would not have been allowed.

The further absurdity of this penalty is the fact that it is up to the referee to decide what is excessive celebration and what is not. I saw some guys high-fiving and bumping into each other in the endzone - no penalty. I saw another guy jump up and down twice and hold the ball up high in the air - oops! Can't do that ! Penalty!

I think a lot of old men are making rules for young men who just want football to be a fun game that they can get excited about. In my opinion, making a touchdown is something to celebrate - not penalize!

Mixed Dog Breeds

Mixed dog breeds have come into a world of their own lately. They even have names for them. The Maltipoo, Peekapoo, and Labradoodle are quite popular but there are so many that the breeders have missed, I thought I would come up with some of my own. Here are my suggestions and I invite my readers to add their breeds to the list:

Purebred Canaan Dog + Chow Chow = Purina Dog Chow
Chocolate Lab + Maltese = Chocolate Malt
Cocker Spaniel + Bull Mastiff = Cock n'bull
Teacup poodle + Irish Setter = Tea Set
German Shepherd + Dalmation = Germination
Bloodhound + Kerry Blue Terrier = Blueblood
Whippet + Bull Dog = Bullwhip
Shih Tzu + Bird Dog = Shihtbird

The Three Purchase Categories

I have always said there are three categories of purchases:

#1. These are purchases you need and get excited about making and showing off to your friends; such as, new clothes, new shoes, new cars, new houses, etc.

#2. These are puchases you don't need but make anyway and get excited about making them and showing off to your friends; such as new golf clubs, new jewelry, new motorcycles, new boats, etc.

#3. These are the purchases you need but don't get excited about making and rarely ever show them off to your friends.

Today I had to purchase a new stove! Definitely a category # 3 ! The old stove would start out just fine - on broil or bake - then about halfway through the process, the oven would take on a life of its own, cut off, and the food would sit there sogging for the remaining part of the cooking cycle! I tried going the "repair route" but I think all those people probably get commission on every new item sold because they always tell you it will cost more to fix it than to buy a new one. The "sensor" I needed to repair my old stove was $500 and the new stove was $524. That sort of seemed like a no brainer so for all my friends and family out there who could care less about whether or not I have a new stove, I'm telling about it anyway and am enclosing a picture for your viewing enjoyment!

Today is My Day!

Today is National Left-Handers' Day. (If you don't believe it, look it up) Us lefties deserve a special day. After all, history has not been very kind to us. There is a strong association with things referred to on the left as being bad. The word "sinister" is from a Latin word that means "left", and a left-handed toast amounts to a curse, not a well-wish.

Just one generation ago, many left-handers were forced to change with the rod of the school marm hitting their left hand every time they tried to write with it. My uncle, who was born left-handed, was forced by his parents to switch to being right handed and it caused him to stutter so badly that he had to go to a speech therapist.

Growing up left handed in a right handed world is not easy. I spent most of my college years sitting sideways in a desk which had the arm and desk part of a chair on the right side. I can't really use a power saw, hedge clippers, or a can opener , vegetable peeler, knife sharpener or many other helpful tools and appliances without the threat of amputating my limbs. After ironing with the cord sticking in my stomach for years, I finally learned to iron right handed and the same thing with scissors - just finally gave in and started cutting stuff with my right hand.

Here's a leftie discrimination for you. You can play polo if you are right handed or left handed except polo rules state that you must hold your mallet in your right hand. DUH!

So, for all you lefties out there who struggle in our right-handed world, today is our day ! Enjoy it and go out and play a trumpet or trumbone or strum a guitar (oops, I forgot- you have to be right-handed to do that!)

US Junior Amateur in St. Louis

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the US Junior Amateur Golf Tournament in St. Louis. It was spectacular! The golf course was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was perfect.

Grandson Will advanced to the top 32 out of a field of over 3100 junior amateur golfers and is now ranked number 81 out of a field of thousands of junior golfers throughout the world. I don't know how we could be more proud of his accomplishments. (And he still hugs his grandmom in front of people which is the thing I like most about him. )

World's Longest Yard Sale

It starts today! The 630 mile-long yard sale which goes through several states passes through the area where I live and there is quite possibly more junk than you could ever imagine amassed in one place! There are people who bring huge trucks and trailers to travel the entire distance picking up trinkets they don't want so they can sell them to someone else who doesn't want it so they can sell it to someone else - well, you get the picture. It is some sort of cult, I think. They call it perpetual junking.

Anyway, I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that I do not have to go out much for the next four days because getting from point A to point B is virtually impossible.

Breaking the Summer Slump

It seems as though I and my fellow bloggers have hit somewhat of a slump this summer. I look every morning and see very little new on the blogsphere so I decided to write an update of things going on in my life.

My grandson Will has been setting the woods on fire with his golf tournaments this summer. He qualified for the US Junior Amateur (only 155 qualified out of over 3000 who attempted to qualify). We are going to St. Louis next week to watch him for a couple of days. Today he is leading by three strokes in a Southeastern Junior Golf Tournament being played in Auburn- having 7 birdies in yesterday's round and finishing with an amazing 67! Way to go, Will!

This past weekend, we gave a little party for our friends, Jeff and Anna, who are getting married in September. It was lots of fun and all the wedding plans seem awesome! My daughter, Amy, will be in the wedding since she and Jeff have been friends since high school.

We had a nice trip to the cabin on Weiss Lake on the 4th. Eric almost tore up something he might need later when he was slung off a float device which was being pulled behind a boat traveling at about 50 mph. Another participant broke two ribs trying the same stunt! I think we probably need to stick to swimming with noodles and forget the motorized water vehicles.

We are enjoying summer and all it brings but are also already talking about football season which is right around the corner.

How about some new posts from my fellow bloggers. Chuck's trip out west, Amy and Eric's fabulous new loft, Susan's golfing excursions, and Heidi's new job would be a good place to start!

Celebrating the 4th of July

Tomorrow I will go with my family to the lake to celebrate the 4th of July. It is probably one of my most memorable holidays. From the time I was very young, I remember celebrating the 4th with family. When I was 6 years old we celebrated by building a new swing in the back yard, cutting watermelon with my grandparents and saying the Pledge of Allegiance (and yes, I still remember that day as if it were yesterday.) Watching the fireworks display at the Hamilton Drive-In was another childhood favorite way to celebrate the 4th.

For many years, we celebrated the 4th at my brother's house where we cooked out, sang songs, wore red, white and blue and saluted the flag. The most memorable of those occasions was July 4th, 1990. Our beloved dad passed away on July 1st and was buried on July 3rd. There was some concern that it would not be appropriate to celebrate so soon after his funeral but as we discussed our options, we decided that was exactly what he would want us to do. He was a true patriot and would have wanted us to continue to remember our country's heritage and the freedoms we enjoy. So we proudly sang the National Anthem with tears streaming down our faces.

Tomorrow, I will proudly celebrate with my wonderful family. We have been blessed in a thousand ways and we are fortunate to live in a country where we can pause for a day and thank God for the opportunity to live in America!

Happy 4th of July!

Bottled Water Reaches $15 Billion Mark

Today, it was announced that we are now paying $15 billion annually for bottled water and yes, I buy my share of it too but I did a little research and found some interesting statistics.

The NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands and found the following:

1/4 of bottled water is bottled tap water.

Much that claims it is "spring water" is brought to the surface by a pump in a well and is then treated with chemicals.

5 brands were sent to a microbiologist to be tested for bacteria and there was no difference in bacteria content in the bottled water and tap water.

Bottled water regulations are inadequate to assure consumers of purity or safety.

Everest water is not from Mt. Everest. It is from Corpus Christi, Texas. Glacier Clear water is not from a glacier in Alaska, it is tap water from Greenville, Tennessee.

Dasani and Aquafina are both reprocessed tap water.

On a final note, a taste test was conducted in NYC and testers were to rate water tastes as bad, average or great. K-Mart brand (which was also the cheapest) won. Aquafina (which is reprocessed tap water) ranked second, Iceland Spring and plain tap water tied for third and Evian (most expensive) ranked dead last.

So, if there is no evidence that bottled water is healthier and there is no evidence that it tastes better, I guess we are just spending $15 billion a year on hype!

But if buying bottled water makes us drink more of it, which we all know is good for us, I say, "carry on!"

Remembering Hazel

My sister-in-law's mother died last night shortly before her 96th birthday! The last seven years of her life were spent in the same nursing home and in the same room where my mother spent her last three years.

Being residents of the Alzheimer's unit was never without interesting moments. While it is sad to watch a loved one's world get smaller and smaller as the disease strips them of their ability to remember much to talk about, there are still many fond memories of their life as "roomies".

They had separate closets but it didn't really matter a whole lot because if they saw a dress or sweater they liked, they just put it on! They both wore dresses and hose every day because that was the daily attire of their generation.

The could entertain themselves for hours looking at a newspaper, reading the same story over and over. They frequently read to each other - the same story, of course.

They could also be in the same room with little conversation taking place but they somehow knew if one needed something and the other one was quick to report it.

Mother and Hazel were friends and they were bound together by a strong family relationship. They were fighters - both living much longer than most of us and they milked all they could out of life on this earth.

Thank you, Hazel, for a life well-lived. You will be loved and fondly-remembered by all who knew you.

A Great Idea !

For the past 30 years, my son has been in a wheelchair and I have watched scores of times as able-bodied people have parked in handicapped spaces, jumped out of their car, and run in a store, taking up the only space in the lot so they wouldn't have to be inconvenienced ! Other than trying to control my utter contempt for the perpetrator, there has been nothing else I could do ----- until now!

Check out this site: www.caughtya.org. You can now just take a picture with your cell phone of the license number of the person illegally parked, send it to this site anonymously, and they will do the rest ! Incidentally, they are always illegally parked unless their vehicle has a tag, or handicapped sticker clearly visible.

This is Really "Off the Chain"

You may have noticed that I like my new expression "off the chain" (stolen from my son-in-law) but there are some things that defy comprehension and this is one of them ----

According to MSN, Paris Hilton's orange-colored prison jumpsuit and underwear are on sale on Ebay - the togs she rejected because they didn't fit properly! I imagine it would be hard to find prison attire which would fit as properly as the designer clothes to which she is accustomed. Wish I could help the government get rid of its surplus clothing but I think I'll just save myself the humiliation of trying to fit into it.

Cruise Bound !!!!

For months, our family has been planning a cruise to the Caribbean and the time has finally arrived !!! We leave this weekend and will visit the Bahamas, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten.

We plan to eat great food, laugh our heads off, do a lot of "vegging", and enjoy each other's company.

Bon Voyage !

And the Winner is . . . . Susan !

After weeks of anticipation, last night's winner of the American Idol family pool was Susan T. ! She was teased by some for having ZERO points leading up to last night's competition but because she was the only person who picked Jordin Sparks to win and she also had two more of the top four so her total points were 240 and she won $210.

Thanks to all who participated - it was lots of fun !

Need to Make a Payment ?

If you need to make a payment on anything, there is a Quick-Shop on Godfrey Ave. in Fort Payne that will take it.

Ready for the Cruise

My son, Kirk, rolled into my office today and said, "I'm ready for the cruise!". It may be a long week ! :)

Idol Update and Other Stuff

So I cannot be accused of being stale at my blogging, I wanted to update Idol watchers. When Melinda was voted off last week, it sort of blew the heck out of the pool but smiling in the background is Susan who is the only one in the bunch who picked Jordin to win. If she is chosen the American Idol, she stands to make millions of dollars in record sales and Susan stands to win $210.

If Blake wins, it throws the whole thing into a tail spin since no one picked him to win. I could probably figure out the winner but it would take an hour or more and that is absolutely an hour I don't have at this point.

To my fellow bloggers, I continue to check your blogs every morning and Chuck continues to tell me that it snowed on April 6th, Susan continues to show pictures of the prom which took place in March and Amy continues to tell about her hair compliment !

In that period of time, Susan's son Will has made a name for himself in the golfing world, Chuck has been to Ireland and has bought a gorgeous new house, and Amy has been diligently training at a gym, has had a wonderful trip to Kentucky where she attended a horse race, and is moving into a cool new place so how about some new stuff to read guys??

One week from tomorrow, our family is going on a cruise ! We are all so excited ! I'll post some pics and some fun stuff when we get back !

More Than Meets the Eye

This is more than just a picture of a flower in my yard. It is the first attempt at taking a picture on my phone and sending it directly to my blog without going through a computer.

I learned how to do it myself - NOT ! I had the able assistance of my son-in-law . Thanks, e !

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And I Was Thinking of Giving a Wal-mart Gift Card

Presently, I have 9 graduation invitations in my drawer waiting for me to decide on a gift to send. An internet article on graduation gifts caught my eye so I clicked on it and read it.

Skin resurfacing, liposuction, breast implants and nose jobs now show up at the top of many grad's wish list. From 2002 to 2006, cosmetic surgery performed on kids from ages 13 to 19 doubled to 244,124 including 47,000 nose jobs and 9000 breast implants.

I am attempting to be "Open for Renovation" and not let myself get outdated in my thinking, but I may have to give up on that one.

Time Flies - and Occasionally Stands Still

Friday night the phone rang and it was Jane and Dianne.

To set the stage, Jane and Dianne were my closest friends throughout my school years. Most people referred to us as The Three Muskateers - one was rarely seen without the other two. We went to the same school, same church, were in the same clubs at school, in the band and the list could go on and on. Almost every weekend we spent the night with each other. We spent thousands of hours in the summers at Dianne's parents' lake house.

Janes' dad was killed in a wreck when we were in junior high school and we spent several nights at her house piled up in her bed grieving over a lost parent.

Dianne was in a serious boating accident in high school almost losing her leg and we spent lots of nights piled in a hospital bed grieving for our injured friend.

They were one year ahead of me in school and the bond was so close that I went to summer school and skipped my senior year in high so that I could enroll in the same college at the same time they went to college.

Time, circumstances, and distance separated us over the years and when they called Friday night, thery were in town for their 50th high school reunion! We made a plan to meet on Saturday. It had been many years since I had seen either of them.

Some things change drastically over time and some things never change. We don't look the same (one of us has gray hair and two of us are still very "naturally" blond); we don't act quite the same (thank goodness ) but we feel the same. True friendship never changes. It's amazing how our minds can recall the minutia of seemingly insignificant events - events that become the cornerstone of the memories of a happy life lived so many years ago.

We reminisced, showed pictures of children and grandchildren and told silly stories (we would probably have told a few more if Jane had not brought her serious-minded husband along) and we had an absolute blast !

Occasionally time stands still and allows us to recapture moments that might otherwise be forgotten.

Thanks for the visit, girls ! I will always love you.

American Idol Standings

After last night's elimination, here are the poll standings:

Eric - 50 points
Amy - 25 points
April - 50 points
Kirk - 50 points
Kristen - 50 points
Terry H. - 90 points
Susan T. - 0 points
Chuck - 90 points
Susan C. - 50 points
John - 65 points
Sara - 90 points
Benji - 90 points
Terry W. - 50 points
Pam J. - 40 points

Further calculation shows that no person has the top four left. The following people have 3 of the top 4 left:

Amy
Eric
Kristen
Kirk
Pam J.
Benji
Terry W.
Susan T.
John Q

The only participants who have Blake in the top 4 are:

Amy
Eric
April
Kristen

So, I think at this point, it is still up for grabs !

Grandmom's Bragging Rights

This past weekend, my granddaughter participated in a music competition at Chadek Conservatory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and received a Superior rating. This entitles her to compete in the State competition. Congratulations, Kristen ! We are so proud of you !






Yesterday, my grandson won 1st place in his high school sectional golf competition and his team won first place in their division. The top two teams from each section participate in the state competition in Auburn in a couple of weeks! Congratulations, Will ! That is awesome !

This is Cool !

A week from this Sunday, at three minutes and four seconds after 2:00 a.m. , the date and time will be 02:03:04;05/06/07. According to people who sit around and figure those things out, that will never happen again. I believe them because I am certainly not going to go to the trouble of trying to prove them wrong !

Beautiful Smile !

This is my granddaughter without her braces ! She just got them off today. It was a happy day for her !

Just Doesn't Get Much Better !

Here are some things that happened to me this weekend :

My son, son-in-law, and granddaughter went to the A Day game in Tuscaloosa (along with about 93,000 others) to see their beloved TIDE and they had a blast !

My daughter and son-in-law traveled to Kentucky to visit friends and went to their first horse race. They also had a blast !

My granddaughter participated in a music competition at Chadek Music Conservatory in Chattanooga and did extremely well. She is also getting her braces off today.

My grandson came and spent over three hours at our house just visiting . His high school golf team played in three tournaments this week and came in 1st, 1st, and 2nd.

I took a meal to an extended family member who was recovering from surgery and took another extended family member on an outing to DeSoto State Park.

I had dinner with some favorite in-laws from Heflin, Alabama.

The weather was extremely beautiful and I sat in the yard for a while and watched the birds.

Thank Goodness !!!

Sanjaya is gone !! We won't have to be subjected to his talentless attempt at singing anymore on AI. Since I picked Lakisha to win, I'm pretty sure I won't be taking home the pot of money because she is not measuring up to the high standard she set the first week when she sang the Jennifer Hudson song from "Dreamgirls" which prompted Simon to tell the other contestants to book their tickets home.

It's strange how things change on the show. I was totally surprised that Blake was in the bottom three. I guess the unpredictability of it is what keeps millions of us tuning in each week to see what happens.

This is Gross !

A zoo keeper had his arm bitten off by a crocodile. Fortunately, the arm was reattached but not before a photographer snapped this prize pic !

Status Report of American Idol Pool

To date, these are the points scored by each person participating in our American Idol pool:

Eric - 50 points
Amy - 25 points
April - 50 points
Kirk - 50 points
Kristen - 50 points
Terry H. - 50 points
Susan T. - 0 points
Chuck - 50 points
Susan C. - 50 points
John - 25 points
Sara - 50 points
Benji - 50 points
Terry W. - 50 points
Pam J. - 0 points

Extraordinary Snow Ball Bush

I took this picture yesterday. This is located in downtown Fort Payne close to the court house. I believe it is the most beautiful bush I have ever seen.

The picture doesn't begin to do it justice. Did I mention in an earlier post how much I love Spring ?

Congratulations, Amy and Jeff !

My daughter, Amy, participated in the ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon yesterday. There were 15,000 participants and she made it to the finish line in less than 4 hours, which exceeded her goal by an hour and 10 mintues.

Our friend, Jeff, also participated, and finished in slightly over two hours which also exceeded his goal. We are all proud of both of you !

It Was a Hoot !

Yesterday, my son Kirk, agreed to play on a basketball team for his daughter's youth group at church. The game was "loosely-regulated" allowing players to foul with no penalty. Kirk's method of "guarding" the opposing team was to run his wheelchair full speed ahead at the person with the ball preventing them from having any chance at scoring !

Watching him was a blast !

Talent Winners

Will (grandson) and Hunter Hawkins won 2nd place in their high school talent competition last night. They played "Dueling Banjos" from the movie "Deliverance" and it was great ! The audience was clapping so hard during the best part I could barely hear the instruments. I was really proud of them. And they won $75.00 for their second place victory. Congratulations, Will and Hunter !

Spring is Here !

I know the official first day of spring is not until tomorrow but yesterday as I was making my rounds, I couldn't help but get out my phone and snap some pics of trees and shrubs coming to life ! Absolutely one of my favorite times of year. And the dogwoods haven't even started blooming yet.

American Idol Pool Entries

Due to popular demand, I am posting the entries in our American Idol pool so those of you who participated can keep up with who has the most points. Getting # 1 correct scores 100 points; 2-4 gets you 70 points each; 5-7 earns you 40 points each and 8-10 earns 25 points each. I am not sure exactly how the points work because I am not the system administrator so any and all questions regarding scoring should be addressed to Terry H.

Amy's Picks:
1. LaKisha
2. Blake
3. Melinda
4. Chris R.
5. Gina
6. Jordin
7. Chris S.
8. Stephanie
9. Phil
10. Haley

Eric's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. Blake
3. LaKisha
4. Chris R.
5. Jordin
6. Stephanie
7. Gina
8. Chris S.
9. Haley
10. Phil

April's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. Chris R.
3. Blake
4. Stephanie
5. Jordin
6. LaKisha
7. Chris S.
8. Gina
9. Haley
10. Phil

Kristen's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. LaKisha
3. Chris R.
4. Blake
5. Stephanie
6. Jordin
7. Chris S
8. Gina
9. Phil
10. Haley

Kirk's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. Jordin
3. LaKisha
4. Stephanie
5. Brandon
6. Gina
7. Blake
8. Chris R.
9. Chris S.
10. Haley

Susan T. Hawkins Picks:
1. Jordin
2. LaKisha
3. Melinda
4. Chris R.
5. Blake
6. Haley
7. Gina
8. Sanjaya
9. Stephanie
10. Phil

Terry Hawkins Picks:
1. LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Phil
4. Sanjaya
5. Jordin
6. Blake
7. Chris R.
8. Gina
9. Stephanie
10. Haley

Sara's Picks:
1. LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Chris R.
4. Gina
5. Phil
6. Stephanie
7. Blake
8. Jordin
9. Chris S.
10. Haley

John Q's Picks:
1. LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Stephanie
4. Jordin
5. Blake
6. Gina
7. Phil
8. Chris S
9. Chris R
10. Brandon

Chuck's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. Stephanie
3. Lakisha
4. Chris S.
5. Blake
6. Sanjaya
7. Chris R
8. Phil
9. Gina
10. Haley

Susan C. Hawkins Picks:
1. LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Chris R.
4. Phil
5. Stephanie
6. Blake
7. Jordin
8. Chris S.
9. Gina
10. Brandon

Benji's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. LaKisha
3. Jordin
4. Stephanie
5. Phil
6. Gina
7. Blake
8. Chris R.
9. Chris S.
10. Haley

Terry Willmon's Picks:
1. Melinda
2. LaKisha
3. Phil
4. Jordin
5. Chris S.
6. Blake
7. Stephanie
8. Gina
9. Chris R
10. Haley

Pam James' Picks:
1 LaKisha
2. Melinda
3. Jordin
4. Chris S
5. Phil
6. Gina
7. Blake
8. Stephanie
9. Chris R
10. Brandon

A Prize for the Ugliest Outfit

Celebrities do some strange things - one of which is having a go-zillion dollars at their disposal to buy clothes and then coming out in outfits like these. Which do you think wins the prize for the ugliest ?

My Day at the Hospital

You may remember after reading a previous post, that I have a strong aversion to anything remotely connected with medicine, doctor's offices, and hospitals. Yesterday, I had to go to the hospital for a little "procedure".

First, they make you come there at 5:00 a.m. so you can wait another five hours to be called in for surgery. Then they give you what they call the "little stick" which is where they run the 7 inch needle into your arm to start your I.V. Then you strip , don the beautiful hospital gown and wait your turn. Finally, someone comes with a 10-inch wide cold table to transport you to the holding pen just outside the operating room. You can remain in this pen for a long time while they ask you your name and date of birth and what you are there for about 100 times - (it seems to me they should know that stuff already) Finally, they come to take you to the operating room.

Let me assure you that an operating room is the most foreboding place I know. It looks like the inside of a Star Wars Space Station. The temperature is kept at 60 degrees and every person in there except the patient is wrapped from head to toe with hats, coats, gloves, and masks - nothing exposed but their eyes ! The patient, on the other hand is lying there naked on a cold slab of steel with a klieg light directed at his or her worst parts.

They hook you up to about 25 monitors and show you the tray of knives, chisels, hammers, saws, probes, tubes, etc., and then wonder why your blood pressure just went up 20 points ! Finally, the little guy with the needle says, "We are going to give you a little something to make you rest", and by the time you say the "O" part of "Okay", you are gone.

Minutes later you are back in that holding pen without a clue about what went on in that cold room. They give you the complimentary flat-tasting Sprite and send you back home; in my case, with a resolve never to say a word about any ailment again for fear of being taken back to that dreadful place ! By my count, I have been in a hospital 3 times (other than to give birth) so I figure that's about 20 + years between visits. Hopefully, yesterday's visit will hold me another 20 years !

Happy Birthday, Susan

Forty three years ago today, my daughter Susan came into the world. Our family has been so lucky to have her in our lives. She is a talented musician, a very smart businesswoman, and a loving wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend.

Susan has kept us laughing with her sense of humor and quick wit. She loves being with family and friends and of course, we love being with her.

Happy Birthday, Suz, and thank you for being such a wonderful, loving daughter.

I love you.

Invasion of the Body Scanners

The Transportation Security Laboratory is testing the new airport body scanner and this picture is of a fully-clothed woman as she looks on the scanner.

I hope it is about 25 years before this security system goes into effect. By then, I figure one of two things: (1) Either I won't be flying anywhere, or (2) I won't give a flip about what I look like naked.

Prize Contest

My blogger son-in-law offered a prize contest on his blog (which I won, I might add) so I thought I would offer my own contest.

I am offering a prize for the best headline submitted which might appear in the year 2050. It must be based on current trends. Submit your entry and a panel of one (me) will select the winner and award the prize. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

1. "George Z. Bush Plans Presidential Run in 2052."

2. "Baby Conceived Naturally - Scientists Puzzled."

3. "Postal Service Raises 1st Class Stamp to $16.82 & Reduces Mail Delivery to Once a Week."

4. "85-year, $70 Billion Study Reveals Diet and Exercise Are Key to Weight Loss."

Now let me have your entries.

Countdown to Cruise Begins. . .

Five years ago our family went on an awesome cruise and we vowed to go on another one as soon as possible. It has taken five years for the "possible" to materialize but we are headed to the Caribbean three months from today !

You might think three months is a long time for a countdown but think of all the stuff you have to do to prepare for a cruise . First of all, you have to lose at least 20 pounds (you could possibly gain that all back during cruise week), then you have to try to get somewhat of a tan - you know, brown fat looks better than white fat any day. Then you have to save up lots of money for the purchase of trinkets that allure you from every port. Some of our family members have to save up money to throw away in the casino each night.

Then there is the shopping for the cute cruise clothes and ordering updated passports and deciding which shore excursions to take and deciding which shoes to take and deciding how to pack everything you own in a small bag that will fit under the bed in your stateroom and on and on . . . .

Three months and counting ----- I can't wait !

What Could You Do With $1,000,000.00 ?

1. You could go to www.buybritneyshair.com and be the lucky owner of Britney Spears recently- shorn locks of hair; or
2. You could provide innoculations against disease for thousands of people who cannot afford them; or
3. You could provide school textbooks for hundreds of disadvantaged children; or
4. You could provide warm blankets for 50,000 homeless people; or
5. You could rebuild 20 homes for Katrina victims; or
6. You could help find a cure for AIDS, breast cancer, cystic fibrosis or muscular dystrophy.

But if have a million bucks and you are hell bent on having something that belonged to Britney, it would make more sense to purchase her house which is also for sale.

Come to think of it - anyone considering buying her hair probably wouldn't know or care what made sense and what didn't.

Did You Hear About . . .

. . . . .the paranoid dyslexic who thought he was following somebody ?

The TAMS

Last night we went with some friends to J.T.'s Fish House to see The TAMS. The have to be getting up in years because they have been performing for almost 40 years. They looked like they were about 25 years old. The energy they had was electric !

They were so entertaining and we certainly enjoyed the performance. The only bad thing was for those of you who know how small J.T.'s is, there was standing room only by the time we got there so we either had to sit in an adjoining room or stand in the room where they were performing so we obviously decided not to stand for the entire 4 hours. If you ever get a chance to see The TAMS, it is well worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, Amy

Today my youngest child turns 32. Here she is a few years ago helping me unload the dishwasher (which was one of her favorite things to do.) She mostly liked hearing the silverware clang on the floor as she slung it across the room.

Her brother and sister were 16 and 11 when she was born so I had a lot of help in spoiling her. She has always been a wonderful daughter and sister and has brought so much joy and happiness to our family.

Happy Birthday, Amy. We are very proud of you and love you so much !

Special Occassion Weekend

Sunday, our family is getting together to celebrate three special occassions.

1. My granddaughter, Kristen, is celebrating her 15th birthday, February 11th. She is extremely smart and talented. She makes all A's in school, is in many activities, is an accomplished pianist and of course loves hanging out with her friends and talking on her cell phone. She is looking forward to getting her driver's permit. She drives her grandmother crazy by not wearing a jacket or coat when it is cold. Happy Birthday, Kristen. We love you very much !

2. Sunday, February 11th , is also the 13th wedding anniversary of my daughter and son-in-law. They were high school sweethearts and after going their separate ways for a few years, they got back together and have a great little family. They are both loving parents to Will and they bring much joy and happiness to all our family. Happy Anniversary, Susan and Terry.

3. Tuesday, February 13th, is my daughter Amy's birthday. (Sorry, Amy, I couldn't find a picture of you by yourself on my computer.) Amy is pictured above on the left with her brother and sister. Amy is a loving wife and family member. She wins the prize for being thoughtful about sending cards and remembering every one on their special occasions. She is smart, talented and has a very successful career in social work and lives in Atlanta. We love you Amy and hope you have a wonderful birthday.

I Was Tagged

My young friend, Heidi, tagged me and that means I have to tell some weird things about myself that people may not know. Since my life is such an open book (I blab everything I know about myself to friends and family) I don't know how much of my weirdness goes unknown but here goes:

I have recurring dreams of cats crawling all over me and I can't get them off. (I understand there are gurus out there who interpret dreams but I'll bet that stumps the hell out of them.)

I am pretty much a neat-freak when it comes to my house but one of my children found a stash of useless tags which I had taken off new clothes for years and just left in a pile on the closet shelf - go figure that one.

I am a worry wart ! If I don't have anything to worry about, I concoct something !

I like to control everything. Doesn't work too well with spouses - maybe that accounts for why I have had three - oops, didn't mean to tell that !

My nickname is "Chay" but only my dad and brother ever called me that so I guess that wasn't much of one - how many peoople have to call you by a name for it to be a "nickname" anyway?

I don't mind getting old but I don't want to act, look and feel old.

My lifelong dream has been to do something spectacular with music - like appearing on Broadway or singing with a huge choral group, etc. Too old now but I still like thinking about it.

I could live the rest of my life on hors d'ouvres.

I tag Susan.

SNOW !

We had snow on the ground this morning and I have not seen snow in a long time. It hasn't snowed in Alabama since we moved back from south Florida and of course, I didn't see it there so it was exciting to see !

I got up at 5:30 and there was a pretty good blanket of it on the ground but shortly thereafter, the temperature rose, the snow changed to rain and by the time I came to work, it was just wet and slushy and almost gone. Oh well, it was pretty for the short time it lasted.

What Will They Think of Next ?

Even though I do not understand most of the technology we have today, I am still fascinated by it. I saw yesterday where they now have three refrigerators which have computers in them. They can tell what you are out of and make a list of items you need to restock. If you want to subscribe to online grocery shopping, you could have the computer send your list to the online grocery and the food would be delivered to you.

Now if they can just figure out how to cook it, put it on the table, and clean up the kitchen, I'm in.

Weekend Movie Reviews

Rarely do I see three movies in one weekend but this was one of those exceptions and I have to say I loved them all. Now that's a feat for me to watch three movies and like all of them. Coincidentally, they were all based on a true story which makes them even more interesting. Here is Quinn's Review:

"Dreamgirls" - Loosely based on the lives and careers of the Supremes - it was awesome ! I loved the music and the acting was superb. Jennifer Hudson blew me away with her singing and Danny Glover, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, and Eddie Murphy also did a phenomenal job. I would highly recommend seeing it - especially if you like music.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" - Based on a true story and you will leave the theatre with renewed hope for the human spirit. A homeless guy with a 5-year-old boy to raise alone, out of sheer will and determination, makes it as a stock broker on Wall Street and becomes an extremely successful and wealthy business man. The title role was played by Will Smith and the little 5-year-old boy is amazing. This is a feel-good movie and I highly recommend it.

"Coach Carter" - This has been out for some time and we saw it on a movie chanel on T.V. but once again, a true story of a coach in an inner-city school who risked his job to turn lives of students around at a school known for academic failures into
a place where kids were motivated to learn and succeed in life as well as in sports. Samuel L. Jackson played Coach Carter. Of course, it won't win any Oscars and the outcome was pretty predictible but any movie that makes me feel good and that makes me see all the good that is happening under very adverse circumstances is well worth spending a couple of hours of my time watching.

Neglecting the Blog

I think blogging must run in cycles. I have six blogs that I check every day and most of my blogging friends have been pretty sporadic about their posts lately. For one thing, our family has had a lot going on since Christmas but hopefully with Amy's new car, Susan's trip to Las Vegas and February birthdays coming up, we will have lots of things to write about.

I'll try to do better about coming up with interesting things to post also.

Good Luck, Eleanor

This weekend my niece will be a contestant in the Alabama Junior Miss Pageant. Many of her family members, including myself and my daughters, daughter-in-law and granddaughter will be there to cheer her on. She is a very smart and talented young lady and I'm sure she will do well in the competition.

The Junior Miss Pageant is based on talent, poise, academic achievements, interview questions, and physical fitness. It carries rewards of many college scholarships. Eleanor will be singing a song from "Phantom of the Opera" for her talent and she has a beautiful voice. We are all very proud of her.

It's Great to Be an Auburn Tiger

Once again the Auburn Tigers have scored a major win! They won the Pontiac Game Play of the Year and $100,000 worth of scholarships to go with the honor. Of course, the play was one against Florida ! Need I say that Auburn was the ONLY team that beat Florida this year and as of last night, Florida became the National Champions by giving Ohio State a bad whipping !!! Congrats to the SEC and to the Tigers !

Thank God for Saban

I don't really care who is the coach at Alabama but I am surely glad they hired somebody because I am soooooo tired of hearing about it! And I hope he is worth that $30,000,000 they are paying him because they could hire about 300 academic teachers at the same school for that amount.

Sometimes it's Good to Be a Goat

A recent article on Zodiac signs claimed that Capricorns are more concerned with the impressions they leave on the world than any other sign. Some words associated with Capricorns are: success, hard work, integrity and commitment. Good qualities, I believe.

The article went on to say that, " The Goat sets an example of personal and professional success worthy of us all." Of course, we must first put into practice those qualities which are supposedly innate in us Capricorns. Practicing what we preach is always the biggest challenge.

In addition to myself, other much more renowned Capricorns are Martin Luther King, Mary J. Blige, Lloyd Bridges, Aristotle Onassis, Edward Teller and Ronnie Van Zant. Happy birthday to goats everywhere.