A Look Back at 2008

These are some of my highlights of 2008:

1. I lost 30 pounds and have kept it off for 7 months by eating better and exercising regularly at the gym. (I guess that stuff really does work)
2. One of my daughters and son-in-law sold their house and are now building a beautiful new one.
3. Another daughter and son-in-law bought a beautiful house in the neat neighborhood of Oakhurst in Decatur, GA.
4. My grandson, Will, earned a golf scholarship to Auburn University and started his freshman year at college.
5. My granddaughter, Kristen, was one out of only 400 in the U.S. , accepted at Brevard Music School for the summer.
6. My stepson Andy, sold the store where he had worked for 26 years and started a new career as a driver with Maverick Truck Lines.
7. My son, Kirk, was involved in a car accident, broke his back and spent three months in the hospital in Birmingham this summer but pulled through and continues to amaze us with his courage and spirit.
8. My husband, John had quintuple bypass surgery in Birmingham and had to spend several weeks at home recuperating and has recovered in spectacular fashion.
9. My hometown basically lost its entire hosiery industry to South America - an industry which has employed several thousand people in Fort Payne since I was a young girl.
10. Barack Obama was elected President of the United States. (Four years ago when I heard him speak to the Democratic Convention, I turned to John and said, "One day that man will be President of the United States." )

This has been an eventful year - not without some trials and stressful times - but I have been blessed with the most awesome family one can have and they are always my source of strength.

I look forward to 2009 when I turn 69 years old and plan for the celebration of my 25th wedding anniversary with a fabulous trip to Italy! Ciao!

Brick Layers in Bangladesh

No Title Required. . . . .

A Visit to Chick-Fil-A

This weekend, I, along with some other family members, attended a Christmas Open House at Chick-Fil-A headquarters in Atlanta. The corporate headquarters building was beautiful and we were entertained by the Atlanta Boy's Choir and several other musical groups. We toured the product kitchens, the antique car display, the museum and also walked through the office of Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-Fil-A.

As is the case of many successful people, Truett Cathy started very small - but with big ideas and a strong work ethic. He started as a short-order cook at a small grill in Hapeville, GA, and he now has Chick-Fil-A restaurants in 1000 locations throughout the United States.

I am always inspired by people who are successful but who never lose sight of the things that are really important - love of God, family and fellow man. It is obvious from touring his headquarters that Mr. Cathy has always embodied these principles.

Thank you , Mr. Cathy and Chick-Fil-A.

A Wedding and Baptism All in One

Living With Your Mother-in-Law

Since the Presidential election, news stories have circulated that Michelle Obama's mother will probably be moving into the White House with the Obamas.
Late-night talk show hosts have had a heyday with the news.

Jay Leno said, "Obama's mother-in-law may be moving to the White House. Joe Biden was right: Hostile forces will test the President within the first few months of this administration."
David Letterman's comment: "His mother-in-law in the White House? I thought this administration was against torture!"

Since the White House has 55,000 square feet of floor space, it's possible they could make it work but generally speaking, I think co-habitating with in-laws is a bad idea!
I am a mother-in-law and have a great relationship with all my "in-law children" - but I certainly haven't had any offers to move in with them - and I don't plan to ask any of them to move in with me either!

Now, in the event any of my "in-law children" make it to the Presidency and end up living in the White House where I would have access to full-time chefs, housekeepers, valets, gardeners, spa treatments, personal trainers, media rooms and huge libraries, I could see myself reconsidering my stand on this matter.

Giving Thanks . . .for my Grandmother

Good Morning America has had a segment for a week urging viewers to give thanks to someone this Thanksgiving that you failed to thank properly in the past. Of course, I am thankful for my incredible grandchildren and my awesome children and my loving husband and my wonderful extended family but the rules say we must narrow it down to one person - one you may not have thanked properly before so I chose my grandmother.

My grandmother was born in 1877 and was of an era when women were basically homemakers for their husbands and the straight-laced disciplinarians of their children. My grandmother was those things but she was a visionary and was much ahead of her generation in many ways. She always thought just a little outside the box. She was very prim and proper and chastised me severely one time for having on just a "string between my legs." That description was of a pair of shorts I had on that were probably mid-thigh length but much too revealing for her tastes.

She was resourceful - having left with my grandfather and $25 in her pocket to move to Washington, D.C. , so my grandfather could attend Georgetown University Law School. She scrimped and saved and made that $25 last for an entire year.

Even though she was not highly educated, she designed and drew the plans for the home they built in Fort Payne which still stands today as a magnificent reminder of her many talents. The large brick home consisted of 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a library, a living room, dining room, breakfast room and kitchen - but the most fascinating room was the glassed-in porch which had a real fish pond in the floor!

My grandmother taught me how to cook many things, she taught me how to knit and had me knitting scarves to send to servicemen by the time I was 8 years old. Her house was between my house and school so every single day I stopped by her house on the way home from school knowing that a honey sandwich would be waiting for me when I got there.

Grandmother spent hundreds of hours with me - much of that time playing games. Her two favorites being gin rummy and Chinese checkers. She was not one of those grandmothers who let me win - she was much too competitive for that! She beat me almost every single time but we had so much fun that I always wanted to go back for more! She made me be the look-out for grandfather because before he came home from work, we had to put the games up because his philsophy was that if anyone had spare time on their hands, it should be used in reading the classics or the Bible and that card and game playing was a waste of the mind and a waste of time!

Grandmother worked very hard as most women did in those days because everything they did was a chore and very time-consuming but she never let me think that she did not have time for me! She made me feel special every day of her life.

She had a couple of vices but didn't try to hide them from me - just from the general public! She had a large closet (designed by her) - big enough for a chair and table. She hid in that closet for a while every day to play solitaire and dip snuff! Maybe we would all be better off today if we had a retreat such as that in which to hide and enjoy snuff!

Grandmother died when I was only 24 but 45 years later I still remember vividly her twinkling eyes, her laugh, her hugs and her unconditional love.

Thank you, Grandmother. I'll see you when I get to heaven.

I'm Not Saying I'm Smarter . . . I'm Just Saying.. . .

Are left-handed people smarter? Yes. According to researcher Alan Searleman, southpaws have higher IQ's, solve problems better and enjoy more extensive vocabularies than righties. Among the noted lefties are: Isaac Newton, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, for starters.

Also, every U.S. President (except one) since 1981 has been left-handed including President-Elect Barack Obama. The President since 1981 who is NOT left-handed is the present one, George W. Bush! . . . .'Nuff said.

Men and Women are Different. . .

Of course, there are the basic anatomical differences in men and women but there is another significant difference - the "woman common cold" vs. the "man common cold.'

The "woman cold" goes like this:

She drags to work with 102 fever while swallowing what seems like razor blades on her sore throat. She carries a jumbo pack of toilet paper to catch the constant nose drip and gets home from work in time to down a couple of Tylenol before her head explodes with her killer headache. She cooks dinner and gets the kids to soccor practice sitting on the sidelines in her camp chair, hoping she can stay vertical long enough to get home and finish that load of laundry before falling into bed.

After a week of this routine, the woman feels better and can stop carrying the toilet paper, cough syrup and Tylenol to work.

The "man cold" goes like this:

He wakes up feeling a little puny and calls for his wife. He says, "I'm terribly sick and need you to do a couple of things for me. First, I need you to call my boss and tell him I won't be at work for several days. Then call the doctor and get me an appointment for today because I need to be seen immediately. You need to cancel any plans you have so you can take me to the doctor. Then go to the store and get me a few things. I need tissues but I need the kind that have lotion in them so they won't chafe my nose. Get something to make me some soup because I don't really like the canned variety. Get ice cream, popsicles and apple juice in case any medications the doctor prescribes makes me nauseated. Turn on the T.V., get me a blanket and pillow and take my temperature - and bring me a cool cloth and a glass of juice - and you need to stay in this room in case I need something else." (All said in man-whine) This routine continues every day for a week

After a week, the man feels better, has spent $440 on doctor visits, shots, and prescription medication and is looking forward to getting back to work so he can tell his office colleagues about his "near-death" experience.

Something Not Quite Right About It . . .

We have already put our office tree up - 45 days before Christmas! When did we have Thanksgiving? Oh yeah, we haven't had it yet! There was a reason we put it up - something about saving time and money this year by making our own greeting card photos but it was still hard to drag that thing out of storage while we still had the AC running full blast!

Miss August- - - and her Proud Parents !

My granddaughter was named Miss August in the Fort Payne High School Calendar Girl contest. Kristen was really beautiful and displayed such poise on the stage. Congratulations, Kristen! We are really proud of you!

She is shown here with her beaming parents!

Good News for Some People I Know

Healthy and Frosty Cancer-Fighting Beer Study

Beer assists in fighting cancer? A key ingredient of brew may contain a cancer-fighting substance, a German beer study indicated. Cancer fighting beer. Who would have thunk it?
Studies indicated xanthohumol, found in hops, inhibits a family of enzymes that can trigger the cancer process, as well as help the body detoxify carcinogens, science newswire Ivanhoe reported Monday. Preliminary studies at Oregon State University
show that xanthohumol can kill breast, colon, ovarian and prostate cancers.
"It's very healthy. I think the ingredients in the beer are very good," Werner Back of Brewing Technology
at the Technical University of Munich.

So much for the Home Field Advantage....

ALASKA'S top newspaper has endorsed Democrat Barack Obama for the White House, saying it would be too risky to put the state's Republican Governor, Sarah Palin, just "one 72-year-old heartbeat from the leadership of the free world".

The Anchorage Daily News, the leading newspaper in the overwhelmingly Republican state, called Mrs Palin's vice-presidential nomination "an improbable and highly memorable event" and added that "many Alaskans are proud to see their Governor, and their state, so prominent on the national stage".

But the newspaper editorial said home-town boosterism "does not overwhelm all other judgement".

Civics 101 by Sarah Palin

Asked by a news reporter what a vice president does, Gov. Palin said, "They're in charge of the U.S. Senate, so if they want to they can really get in there with the senators and make a lot of good policy changes."

I think the only time the vice president has a vote in the Senate is in the event of a tie vote. Since the U.S. Senate was established, there have been very few times this has happened. Eleven vice presidents have never cast a tie-breaking vote and four vice presidents have cast 1 tie-breaker each.

I hope Gov. Palin would not be disappointed if she had to work crossword puzzles from the chair.

Great Times on the Plains

Another fun day at Auburn. Game score was not so good but we had a blast at the AU/ARK game. Eric, Amy and Susan looked great decked out in their Auburn attire and Will posed with Coach Pat Dye at the ceremony honoring the SEC Championship Team of 1983.

FYI

Samuel A. Maverick was an American pioneer who did not brand his calves and the term "maverick" evolved. Merriam Webster dictionary gives the first definition of maverick as, "an unbranded range animal."

Just to Clear Things Up. . . . .

The McCain-Palin Campaign finally allowed Sarah Palin to answer 15 minutes of questions from the press without being coached and this was her answer to one of the questions:

"It is pertinent. It's important because when you consider Barack Obama's reaction to and explanation to the association there, and without him being clear at all on what he knew and when he knew it, I think kinda peaks into his ability to tell the truth on and not only association but other things also. I think it just make us ask the question that, if there's not forthrightness there, with that association and what was known and when it was known, does it lead us to ask is there forthrightness with the plans Barack Obama has on say tax cuts or spending increases? It makes you wonder about the forthrightness, the truthfulness of the plan that he is telling America in regards to the economic recovery because that is first and foremost on America's minds right now."

Thank you, Governor, for clearing that up for us!

Now This is Funny!

For those of you who are familiar with the format of Facebook, you know that in your profile you state your political views, your religious beliefs, list your friends, and people can write on your wall, etc. A fake Sarah Palin Facebook page has emerged.

In it, Palin's political views were listed as "None-I'm not very political"
Her religious beliefs said, "Jesusologist"
She listed Katie Couric as a friend - then dropped her three hours later.
On her wall, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote: "I seen how you been starin at me from across the water."
And McCain wrote: "You're a woman right? Are you busy for the next four years?"

Now I don't care who you are, that's funny!

Congratulations to Atlanta !

For the first time ever, Atlanta tops Forbes' list of the best cities to live for singles. But for the same reasons it is best for singles it would also appeal to those who are not single. For example, Atlanta was rated in seven different categories: number of single people living there, culture, cost of living, job growth, night life, dating activity, and coolness. Doesn't everyone want to live in a city which has culture, good job growth, has reasonable cost-of-living and is "cool?"

Last year, San Francisco won but came in second this year. It takes a lot of doing to top San Francisco. I imagine San Francisco rated very high in "coolness" but fell short when it comes to cost-of-living and job growth in California.

In the eight years Forbes has been ranking America's largest urban areas, Atlanta has come in the top ten but this year Atlanta's sizzling job growth pushed it to the top! Congratulations, Atlanta!

A Visit to the Cape

This past weekend, we returned to south Florida to visit friends in the coastal town of Cape Coral, where we lived for a couple of years.
This photo was taken at the Cape Harbor Marina as we were eating dinner on the porch of a neat restaurant called "The Joint".
The picture does not begin to do justice to the beautiful view of the harbor from this neat place!
We had a great time!

Remembering my Dad

As I turned my desk calendar over this morning and saw "September 10th" , I remembered that it was my dad's birthday. Not that it requires seeing a certain date to remind me of him. I am reminded of him every time I take a walk and remember the thousands of walks we took holding hands and tapping the sidewalk with my hand-carved little walking stick Dad made for me.

Every time I sing a tune, I remember the hundreds of times we sat in the front porch swing on warm summer nights singing "My Blue Heaven". Every time I play a card game, I remember the countless times Dad played "Old Maids" or "Rook" with me - often losing on purpose so I could win. Every time I read the comic section of the paper, I remember sitting with Dad and reading the funny papers from cover to cover every single night. We read them all but we always had a few favorites.

The blogsphere is not large enough to hold all the ways I remember Dad but I just wanted to say a special thanks to him today on his birthday. 105 years ago today the world was made a better place!

Uncle Sam $407 Billion in Debt

Last year the federal government had a deficit of $161 billion. This year we will have a deficit of $407 billion which by most calculations is $246 billion more in one year!

The federal agency cites a substantial increase in spending and substantial decrease in revenue growth as the reason for this - Really?? I would have never figured that out!

By the way, that figure does not take into account the takeover this week of the two mega-mortgage folks - Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac. That should add a few bucks to the debt. Sheesh!!!

I don't think the feds use the same bank I do. My bank has a tendency to get nasty if I'm $3.00 overdrawn.

Good Health is a Blessing

As my readers know, I have spent the better part of three months visiting family members in hospitals! It is pretty awful! I personally have enjoyed a lifetime of good health - having retired from one company an entire year early because of accumulated sick leave! I have come to realize that having good health and not having to deal with doctors, medications, hopitals, and all the stuff that goes with it is a true blessing!

I have lost several friends to cancer and now have another dear friend who had surgery for a brain tumor and is now facing a battle with liver cancer. Depressing as all that seems, it should give us all a wake-up call to be more appreciative of our blessings - in my case, one of my many blessings is the blessing of good health! Thank you, God.

Let the Conventions Begin!

Back to back television programing such as two weeks of the Olympics and another two weeks of political conventions would cause most folk to want to jump off a bridge! I on the other hand - sick and twisted as it may sound - am in hog heaven!

I watched the Olympics every minute I could. (I even know the Chinese water polo players by their first names. ) And I am equally looking forward to tonight when our political candidates pull out all the stops to convince us they are the brightest, most capable, most experienced, most knowledgeable and most qualified people on the planet!

I love it!

Best of Show

At the Pebble Beach Concours, this 1938 Alfa Romeo 8c 2900 B Touring Berlinetta won the Best of Show!

It is very rare - being one of only 6 like it in the United States!

No - I'm not really a car nut - I just saw this picture and was highly impressed! Just goes to show - some things never lose their class!

Life in a Hospital

Due to family illnesses, I have spent the better part of the last month in and out of hospitals in Birmingham. My son was in UAB and Spain Rehab Hospital for more than 3 weeks and two days after he was released, my husband had major surgery and was in Trinity Hospital in Birmingham. I have had to reach far into the recesses of my being to find the patience and stamina to deal with hospital living. Here are a few observations about those experiences:

1. Chairs do not make good beds.
2. All hospital food looks and smells alike.
3. Hospital gowns do not cover basic body parts.
4. Private parts are no longer private in a hospital.
5. Blood is a common sighting in a hospital.
6. There is a unique smell in hospital hallways.
7. Hospital personnel always come in the rooms frequently in the middle of the night.
8. After a month, reading and working crossword puzzles even gets to be a drag.
9. There is a lot of sickness going on in a hospital.
10.They use a lot of rubber gloves in a hospital.
11. "Small Stick" means "This is going to hurt like hell"
12. All doctors use words you don't understand.
13. White uniforms and starched nurses caps have been replaced with pajama-type attire with
cartoon characters on them.
14. An intensive care unit is depressing.
15. You can meet nice people in waiting rooms.
16. And finally, having a good family is a real blessing! They are always there for you.

I have lots of family members who work in hospitals - helping people through some of the most difficult times of their lives. My hat is off to you! You have to be a very special person !

Key Lime Pie at Amsterdam's in Auburn

There is nothing I do not like about Auburn! I like Auburn University, Auburn football, Auburn band, Auburn campus, the Auburn eagles, and now Auburn golf!

Some of my favorite memories of Auburn involve eating! Eating breakfast at Country's, eating at Niffers, eating at Toomers Drug Store, eating at tail gate parties - well, you get the idea! I had never eaten at Amsterdam's until this week and we made a trip there for dinner. It was AUsome! I had crab encrusted tilapia, vegetables and a fabulous caesar salad. Then one person in our party ordered this key lime pie and we all shared a bite of it. It was so pretty, we really hated to mess it up by eating it.

So, once again, Auburn has come through with another thing I like about it!

4th of July

I spent my 4th of July at a Rehabilitation Hospital in Birmingham and it was spectacular! We arrived there early in the afternoon as patients were in therapy. We were allowed in the therapy rooms and were amazed once again by the human spirit! There were people with burns, people with strokes, people with head injuries and people with spinal cord injuries working hard to regain some of the functions they once had. Their bodies were damaged and broken but their spirit was standing tall!

The social workers had put together a patriotic program with flags, songs, ice cream and watermelon and we all got "misty eyed" when we pledged allegiance and only the visitors were able to stand and salute the flag but the patients were singing the loudest and holding their heads the highest!

The night was complete with an almost front-row seat from the terrace of the hospital of the Vulcan Park fireworks display on top of the mountain. It was truly spectacular!

This 4th of July will definitely go down as one of my most memorable!

ALABAMA IN BRONZE

Our small little hometown is known for several things but probably best known for its contribution to country music because we are the hometown of the group Alabama.


Recently our town honored the "boys in the band" with beautiful larger-than-life bronze statues placed in the middle of town at the city park. They are truly beautiful!

Our Next President Will Be A Leftie!

Both the Democratic and Republican nominees for President are left-handed so no matter who wins we will have another leftie in the White House.

Since Gerald Ford, 70% of the Presidents have been left-handed and only 10% of the population is left-handed so I think there is a story there. Not necessarily that lefties are smarter but maybe we process information in a different way. I know the researchers have studied it ad nauseum and they have some story about left-handed people thinking in an arc and right-handed people thinking in small pieces (whatever the heck that means). It makes sense when you know that our present President is right-handed - I'm pretty sure he thinks in small pieces!

Houston --- We Have A Problem !

A back page news story today stated that the Space Station's ONLY toilet is out of order ! I don't know about you, but I think that is front page news! Especially if you are one of the astronauts who spends weeks at a time in that small space.

So, what do you do? I think Bud's Plumbing and Heating would charge a fortune for an in-orbit service call. And then, what if they got out there and had to order a part? That would likely entail another expensive in-orbit service call. And I don't know about Bud's but I would think most local plumbing contractors wouldn't know exactly how to repair a space station toilet.

I don't have a good visual of the whole situation. I have seen how things just float around in those space ships and there are some things you just don't want floating around you on a regular basis.

My advice to the crew - don't eat anything and don't drink beer!

10 Things You Won't Hear in my Home Town

1. Duct tape won't fix that.
2. I don't have a favorite college football team.
3. Little Debbies have too many fat grams.
4. We are vegetarians.
5. Would you like your salmon poached or broiled?
6. I couldn't find anything at Wal-Mart today.
7. Who's Dale Earnhardt?
8. We don't need another big dog.
9. The tires on that truck are entirely too big.
10. I think you cooked those green beans too long.

Where Do I Begin. . . . .?

The lyrics to a famous song start with, "Where do I begin to tell the story of how great a love can be . . . ?"

This week my grandson Will turns 18 and he graduates from high school. He begins a new chapter and in a few weeks will be leaving home to begin his life as a college student. There are so many things I could say about Will - I don't think there is enough space in the blogsphere to hold all the thoughts I have about him so I just want to acknowledge him in a very small way.

From the time he was born, he has brought happiness to all who know him. It is a common occurrence for people to stop me at the grocery store or at church or at the post office - just to tell me what a great kid Will is! He excels in everything he has ever done. He is an honor student, has compassion for others, has always set his goals high, and has treated everyone in his path with utmost respect.

In a selfish way, I will be sad to see him leave home because I love having him one block down the street where I can see him anytime I want but I am also excited about seeing him continue his journey as an adult and watching as he begins to accomplish those things he aspires to do with his life.

Congratulations, Will. I could not be more proud!

I love you so much !

Idol Update

Benji and Kristen earned 200 points this week because they had Syesha in the 3rd or 4th spot. Five people have the remaining two contestants as 1st or 2nd.

As the administrator of the pool, I predict that DAVID will be the next American Idol!

Idol Pool Update

Amy, Terry H., and Claire all earned 200 points last night because they had Jason in the 3rd or 4th slot. Everyone else stayed the same.

Since I picked Jason #1 , that did me in, but he was a disappointment to me later in the show. I thought he was better at the beginning and went downhill. Since many people picked David Cook to win, the scoring will be interesting if he does. Still very much up in the air.

Idol Pool Update

These are the score so far:

Sara - 200 points
John - 200 points
Kirk - 200 points
April - 300 points
Kristen - 300 points
Terry H. - 200 points
Susan T. - 50 points
Benji - 200 points
Terry W. - 200 points
Amy - 100 points
Claire - 50 points
Chuck - 200 points
Susan C. - 100 points

The last four candidates carry a much higher point value so it is still anyone's game to win.
Good luck on the final four!

Fasting - - - For World Hunger

I saw an unusual thing today. Painted all over a mini-van were the words,"I am fasting for 30 days for World Hunger". This statement was printed on every window and all the way across the back of the van. This in itself wasn't so strange - it was the fact that I saw this vehicle in Bruce's Foodland Parking lot with the owner unloading an entire buggy of groceries into it!

Mega-Mergers

I just can't let it happen! First, it was the BellSouth/A.T.&T. Merger, then it was the Delta/Northwest Merger - okay, really and truly, I don't give a flying flip about those but NOW I have to take a stand! Arby's is merging with Wendy's!

Wendy's is the ONLY place on earth that does NOT make their burgers up a week in advance and let them sit under the heat lamp for days. It is the ONLY place where the meat and cheese is hot and the lettuce, tomato and pickles are cold and crisp! Now that is a real hamburger!

Arby's doesn't even know how to make a hamburger - much less a square one! And don't even get me started on how Arby's could screw up a Frosty by putting Horsey sauce on it!

At various times during our country's history, there have been uprisings against injustice - I think it's time for another one! We can't sit idly by and watch the demise of the only decent fast-food hamburger joint on the planet!!!

Gotta go, now. I'm making signs and headed for a protest march!

Idol Pool Update

Five Idol pool participants have added points to their score:

April now has 200 points
Kristen now has 200 points
Terry H. now has 200 points
Terry W. now has 200 points
Chuck now has 200 points

Everyone else remains the same as the last post.

I am bummed about Carly being voted off last night. I have been ready for Brooke to go for some time - really don't understand her appeal but obviously somebody does. I think Carly is a much better singer than Brooke. I'm pulling for Jason to stay because I have a chance of winning the pool if he is # 1 but truthfully, I don't think he has been very good lately. I think he just about murdered "Memory" the other night. (And he didn't even know it was sung by a Cat!- Sheesh!) Where have all these kids been! Oh yeah, I guess they weren't born when lots of these songs were written.

Stay tuned for future updates on scores.

Forwarding E-Mails

I know you have all gotten them - you know the e-mails that end with," Send this e-mail to at least 144 friends in the next 60 minutes and you will receive a huge monetary reward. If you do not do this, a large bird with intestinal flu will land on your head and you will be very sorry you broke the chain. I know this to be true because it actually happened to a friend of my sister-in-law's next door neighbor's mother."

If any of my readers ever contemplate sending me one of those, I can assure you the chain will be broken. First of all, I don't have 144 friends; secondly, I will not have read far enough in the long e-mail to know I am supposed to forward it; and finally, if a large bird lands on my head, I will freak out and die long before I know whether or not I have been crapped upon!

In other words, you can save yourself the trouble of sending me e-mails which must be forwarded in order to avoid some sort of disaster - just send them to people who have lots more time on their hands than I do. After all, in my spare time, I have to post profound topics on my blog!

German Parking Garage

This is an actual parking garage in Munich. They save lots of space by just sliding the cars into a slot on the little motorized lift.

I think you would be SOL if you forgot something in your car and had to go back after it.

My Yard in the Spring

And By Remote Satellite - Idol Results so Far !

Our FOX Network has been off the air for the past two nights so in order to post an updated Idol poll result, I had to rely on text-messaged results from Columbus, Ga., so assuming my source is correct about Michael Johns being voted off tonight, these are the current standings:

Sara - 100 points
John - 100 points
Kirk- 100 points
April - 100 points
Kristen - 100 points
Terry H. - 100 points
Susan T. - 50 points
Benji - 100 points
Terry W. - 100 points
Amy - 100 points
Claire - 50 points
Chuck - 100 points
Susan C. - 100 points

Bad news for Kirk and John. Kirk had Michael Johns # 1 and John had him # 2. They took quite a hit tonight.

Stay tuned for additional updates.

FINALLY - A Left-Handed Burger !!!

For those of you who know me and read my blog, you know I am left-handed. I even blogged about celebrating Left-Handers Day on August 13, 2007. I have a Left-Handers daily calendar on my desk which reminds of the famous people who have lived in a right-handed world and have accomplished great things! Well ----- left-handers around the world ---- we are finally being recognized by the one of the world's largest burger chains!!!! McDonalds is introducing a left-handed burger !!! YIPPEE !!!!!!!

First, it is wrapped differently. It is wrapped by folding the left side of the paper first then folding the remaining paper over it. That way, when you hold it in your left hand, it makes it easier to unwrap. Then the condiments are placed on it with lefties in mind. That way, the mayonaise is on the cheese side and the ketchup is on the meat side. And finally, the lettuce, tomato, and pickles are rotated 180 degrees so they will be more conducive to being held in the left hand without falling out.

Thank you, McDonalds, for recognizing the 32 million of us lefties who struggle in a right-handed world. We will definitely buy your burgers !!!

The Official Entries

The Official Entries for the American Idol Pool are listed below: The pot totals $260.00

Sara Quinn:

1. Jason
2. Carly
3. David Cook
4. Michael
5. David Archuleta
6. Brooke
7. Syesha
8. Kristy Lee
9. Chikezie
10. Ramiele

John Quinn:

1. David Cook
2. Michael
3. Carly
4. David Archuleta
5. Brooke
6. Jason
7. Syesha
8. Kristy Lee
9. Chikezie
10. Ramiele

Kirk Tcherneshoff:

1. Michael
2. David Cook
3. David Archuleta
4. Carly
5. Syesha
6. Brooke
7. Jason
8. Chikezie
9. Kristy Lee
10. Ramiele

April Tcherneshoff:

1. David Cook
2. Carly
3. David Archuleta
4. Michael
5. Brooke
6. Syesha
7. Kristy Lee
8. Jason
9. Chikezie
10. Ramiele

Kristen Tcherneshoff:

1. David Archuleta
2. David Cook
3. Carly
4. Syesha
5. Brooke
6. Michael
7. Kristy Lee
8. Jason
9. Chikezie
10. Ramiele

Terry Hawkins:

1. David Cook
2. David Archuleta
3. Brooke
4. Jason
5. Carly
6. Syesha
7. Michael
8. Chikezie
9. Kristy Lee
10. Ramiele

Susan T. Hawkins:

1. Syesha
2. Jason
3. David Archuleta
4. Kristy Lee
5. David Cook
6. Michael
7. Chikezie
8. Brooke
9. Carly
10. Ramiele

Benji Willmon:

1. David Cook
2. David Archuleta
2. Syesha
4. Carly
5. Brooke
6. Michael
7. Jason
8. Kristy Lee
9. Ramiele
10. Chikezie

Terry Willmon:

1. David Cook
2. Brooke
3. David Archuleta
4. Michael
5. Carly
6. Syesha
7. Jason
8. Kristy Lee
9. Ramiele
10. Chikezie

Amy Shipp:

1. David Cook
2. Carly
3. Jason
4. Brooke
5. David Archuleta
6. Syesha
7. Michael
8. Kristy Lee
9. Chikezie
10. Ramiele

Claire Davidson:

1. David Cook
2. David Archuleta
3. Brooke
4. Jason
5. Michael
6. Chikezie
7. Syesha
8. Carly
9. Kristy Lee
10. Ramiele

Chuck Hawkins:

1. David Cook
2. Brooke White
3. Michael
4. David Archuleta
5. Syesha
6. Chikezie
7. Carly
8. Jason
9. Ramiele
10. Kristy Lee

Susan C. Hawkins:

1. David Archuleta
2. David Cook
3. Brooke
4. Carly
5. Michael
6. Syesha
7. Jason
8. Chikezie
9. Kristy Lee
10. Ramiele

American Idol Pool Rules

The business systems administrator, Terry Hawkins, has provided me with the official rules for the American Idol Pool. Entries are due by 5:00 p.m. today and will be posted tomorrow, March 27, 2008. No entries will be accepted after 5:00 p.m. March 26, 2008.

Entry Fee: $20.00 - to be paid to Sara Quinn, General Manager of the Pool

Point System:

1. Winner of American Idol 400 points
2. Second Place Winner 300 points

3. Finishing 3rd or 4th
4. in any order 200 points each

5. Finishing 5th, 6th, or 100 points each
6. 7th in any order
7.

8. Finishing 8th, 9th, 50 points each
9. or 10th in any order
10.

There's a Criminal on the Loose - and it's Me!

Today, I was minding my own business while driving down the main street of my small hometown. A quick peek in my rear view mirror revealed the flashing blue lights of a police car. Assuming he was on his way to thwart a major crime, I pulled over to give him plenty of room to pass and he pulled up right behind me.

I ran through my possible list of traffic infractions quickly - did I run a stop sign ? run a red light? fail to yield? was I speeding?

The office got out of the car carrying a large contraption which he placed on my car. Was it a breathalizer? did he think I was drunk at 10:00 a.m.?

He asked for my license and proof of insurance and called in to headquarters to verify my identity --- still no clue what I had done wrong -- but then came the moment of revelation!

"The reason I pulled you over, ma'am, is that I think your windows exceed the tint limit."

WHAT ?????

I explained that I had not had my windows tinted but that they were that way from the Volvo factory - same windows that were in the car when I purchased it new three years ago.

Another line of questioning ensued --- where did I purchase the car? how long ago? blah de blah de blah ???

The aforementioned contraption was then placed on my windows - "Ah ha" the culprit is caught!!!! The allowable amount of blackage in Alabama is 32 and I have 28!

So, my choices are: (1) trade cars, (2) have all the windows replaced, (3) spend a go-zillion dollars having the tinting removed or (4) drive only at night and hope another cop doesn't notice me! This cop said he would let me go but the next cop probably wouldn't be as lenient!

Let's see --- this month in my hometown there was an armed bank robbery, a murder, two rapes, a kidnapping, three meth labs busted, and a cock-fighting ring broken up --- oh yes, and a woman stopped for having her windows tinted!!!

Boy, our cops are on their toes!

Man's Best Friend

They say a dog is man's best friend! If you don't believe it, try this experiment.

Lock your dog and your wife in the trunk of your car for an hour and see which one is glad to see you when you let them out!

Ugly Shoes

Here are my entries in the "Ugly Shoe Contest".

John's New Car

This is John's car just obtained today! It is a GMC Acadia - black, of course and big enough to carry family AND golf clubs!

Ads From the 30's

Times have changed! Here are a couple of ads from the 30's:

#1 Ad claims that you can eat all you want and remain thin by just purchasing a can of tape worms and taking a couple a day.

# 2 Ad claims that most doctors smoke Camel cigarettes.

And my personal favorite ----

# 3 Ad claims that you can stay happy by eating LARD! My kind of diet!

All Except One . . .

9 of my top 10 made it through the first round of eliminations. Joanne was voted off. I think she was better than people realized but they are all nervous in the first few rounds and none of them do their best until they get a little more experience.

When they get down to 12, we will have our family pool which in the past has resulted in my two daughters winning the pot - Amy won in 2006 and Susan won in 2007! Maybe I will win this year!

American Idol

After hearing some more renditions from our Idol contestants, my top 10 at this point (in no particular order) are as follows:

Syesha
David A.
Ramiele
Carly
Michael
Asia'H
Jason (with the long hair)
Joanne
Aliana
Alexandrea

I reserve the right to change my mind on this but I was not too impressed with most of them for the past two nights. I thought the song choices were awful!

American Idol Musings

Yes, I admit it - I'm an American Idol junky! It is much too soon for predictions but I have a few observations.

I can't place many names with faces yet but the little Josiah guy had a pretty good voice but I got tired of his blubbering! He cried all the time - I didn't like it.

The little guy named Kyle who said he is running for Governor one day sounded terrible until he sang "You Raise Me Up" made famous by Josh Groban. That song stands on its own and makes anyone sound good so I don't think that was any indication of his ability.

I liked a girl name Carly, a guy named David, and a girl named Asia'H or something like that! After tonight's elimination and they are narrowed to 24, maybe it will be easier to decide which ones I like .

WHAT ??????

Gov. Mitt Romney withdrew from the Republican race for President today and was quoted as making the following statement to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington:

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

So is he saying that Sens. Clinton and Obama are terrorists ??

P.S.

Well, the pictures in the post about my trip to Orbix were no good and the link to the site didn't work but other than that, it was a good post! :) In case anyone is interested in the Orbix site, you can see it at www.orbixhotglass.com .

A Trip to Orbix

Saturday, I along with some other family members, visited Orbix , the art studio of Cal Breed, which is located at Little River Canyon. Cal is a glass artist who has become well known for his beautiful work. He has been recognized in "O" magazine, Travel & Leisure Magazine, Gourmet magazine and many other publications. His glass is displayed in art studios throughout the United States.

We were impressed with his friendly personality and his work is absolutely gorgeous! They offer opportunities for the public to go to the studio and blow glass ornaments and other simple glass items. I think I will do that sometime.

The pictures are of the two items I purchased plus a small waterfall in the canyon which was right in front of the studio.

Saturday was a good day!

Albino Peacock

I'm told this is a rare occurance in nature. It is really beautiful!

My New Watch

I have one watch which is silver but sometimes I like to wear gold so I asked for a gold watch for my birthday and this is the new watch my husband ordered for me.

It has Rolex on the face of it but it is of the $100-$150 variety of Rolex (fake) instead of the $2500-$10,000 (real) variety but it is pretty. My other gold watch was of the $10 variety purchased on our first family cruise 6 years ago and I could not coax it to run anymore - not with new batteries or anything.

It doesn't take a lot to excite a woman of my age and getting a new watch makes a day special!

The Good News ----And The Bad News

THE GOOD NEWS:

Last week, my son Kirk, finally got rid of his loathsome Treo and got a fabulous new cell phone!

THE BAD NEWS:

This week, he lost it.

THE GOOD NEWS:

He knows where he lost it.

THE BAD NEWS:

He lost it somewhere between Atlanta, Georgia and Tuscan, Arizona.

Hillary Was Number 1 for Me !

Someone sent me a test which I took in order to see which candidate best suited my political views. I already knew which candidate(s) I support but it was nice to see that my views coincided with all the candidates I like. Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama were my top two (well, actually somebody named Dennis Kucinich ranked above them but of the viable candidates, Hillary and Barak were number 1 and 2) and all the Democrats scored higher than any Republicans with my last one being Fred Thompson. There was only one catagory that I agreed with his position on and at the moment I can't think of what that one thing was.

If you want to take this little test, here is the link: http://www.wqad.com/Global/link.asp?L=259460.

Try it - it's fun!

The Golden Globe BUST !

I am usually a pretty big fan of awards shows - you know, the Oscars, the Emmys, the CMA Awards, etc. so when I tuned in to watch the Golden Globes show the other night I was expecting to be entertained ----- WRONG !!! It should never have been aired ! I watched about - hum, let's see, 1 minute and 45 seconds of it and was already bored out of my gourd, so I proceeded to watch some other inane TV show and that lasted about 2 minutes and 45 seconds before I was bored.

I am so ready for the writer's strike to be over. If it is not settled soon, I will probably just toss my TV out the window and spend all my spare time working crossword puzzles!

Movie Review

This past weekend I went to see The Great Debaters starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker. It is based on a true story about a small college in Marshall, Texas, called Wiley College that had an unbelievably talented and knowledgeable teacher who inspired his students to achieve more than anyone ever dreamed they could. The story was riveting, the acting superb and the message was one we should all never forget.

Martin Luther King once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." The movie embodied that truth and I left the theatre thinking that I had just seen one of the best movies of all time. I highly recommend it!!

Key West, Florida

A co-worker of mine spent part of her holidays in Key West, Florida, and in addition to sporting a new tattoo when she came back to work, she also brought some beautiful photographs she made while there.

This is a picture made by my co-worker of a typical Key West sunset. It is claimed that the most beautiful sunsets in the world are there and I can attest to that! I have been to Key West four times, three times by boat and one time by car. When I lived in South Florida, it was just a nice little day trip by boat and a nice long weekend trip by car and every time I went there I had a wonderful time!

Some of the things I enjoyed most were the trip to the Ernest Hemingway house, walking up and down Duval Street, riding motor scooters all around town, the Key Lime Inn where we stayed and one of my personal favorite memories was the day our whole family sat at a little
garden cafe and drank beer out of tiny bottles in little ice buckets! Wow! What memories this little family of mine has amassed over the years!

I think it is about time we all took another trip to beautiful Key West !