Oh my

I didn't expect this to happen, Padres are up for sale.
San Diego has never been much of a sport city, too much else to do there rather than sit at home and watch a game I suppose. You find the biggest sports fans in the lazy cities or those that are home/snow bound for long stretches. San Diego, not so much. Naw, the people would rather be out surfing, snowboarding, biking, hiking, you name it and it's better than watching sports on your fat ass.

The Pads for sale? It's ironic that it happens right after they finally built them a new kick ass stadium but I can't say that it surprises me in the least. I did hope that the Chargers would have gone first, they are a thorn in the city's side. Plus there's a boat load of other cities that would love to have that team (the city I'm in now for instance). Oh well, I hope the Pads go to another city that appreciates them more.

Wild Christmas presents on a budget

Yeah so this year, like most people, we're not flowing in cash. Hahahaha, ok sorry I'm back now. Consequently I had to get even more creative than normal. I'm pretty damn creative anyway since I can't stand the holiday and buying presents for people I'd rather not admit to existing (yeah that'd be mom....). Budgeting money for people I hate, yay! So yeah this year, it was still more than I wanted to pay but I did it for less than $10 for her, and less than $20 for everyone else. And even then I'm still a bit bitter. For mommy dearest I got her dogs a set of dog chew toys. Yeah that's right, I got her dogs a present. She and her husband are useless anyway so I figured this will show that I actually bought them something but not say I love you. Because I don't. Did I mention how much I LOVE this season? Yeah. So moving on, dh's mom is always difficult to buy for, the woman already owns everything she wants. Her problem is that she spends money like a lunatic (it's a coping mechanism for her) and proceeds to lose said purchases, sometimes before she even gets home (she's a bit on the flighty side) and then must go out and rebuy them. I don't know how her husband doesn't explode, I love that man, he's a saint. Every year she holds at least 10 100+ guest parties, she's well known for them. So while I was at TJ Maxx I found a set of 2 teak wood serving boards and a set of 4 spread knives. They look pretty together and serve a purpose rather than just being a thing to set out and collect dust. All for just about $20. My dad (who yes, I adore although he drives me nuts) insisted that we just send him a card and not spend money on him (now you know why I adore this man). Of course I had already scoped out what I was going to get him and bought it before he told me this, and I wouldn't have not bought him a gift anyway. He is the guy version of the crazy cat lady and while he only has 1 indoor cat he takes care of all the strays in his hood (there are a lot and he's had them all fixed, thank God). So he too got a pet present this year. I got him a really cute ceramic cat treat jar (from Ross, it was cheap, like $5) and then I was going to fill it with cat treats but then decided instead to fill it with cat toys. Total cost? I dunno, maybe $20, probably less, it's not a huge jar. Our nephew is coming out for a surprise visit (with my mother in law) and we got him probably the most expensive thing we got anyone not including our dd, we got him a hard cover book and a cd. Heck, Where the bad kids go (I love this story idea and the cover is just adorable) and Offspring. I am an Offspring fan too so the strange blood that runs through mine and the dh's veins is obviously genetic. Our dd is still fascinated by goth, go figure. I'm thinking it's just a matter of time before she goes there...
For her though, yeah that's where we got the microscope, a few home science kits, the Star Wars Clone Wars dvd, and lordy knows what else. She asked for Tinkerbell dolls and while I think they are all too young for her I found a thing or 2 on clearance so I was ok with that.

Stocking stuffers this year will be composed of candy. Exotic chocolate bars and bulk candy from the bulk candy bin at Target. Redressed in pretty cellophane bags with bows. I always forget about stocking stuffers until the last minute so this year that I remembered at all is a miracle. Can't very well leave the things empty, the kid would have a fit.

I don't know what all the dh and I are getting for each other yet, we're not all that into getting stuff for ourselves but we must put on a show, gads I hate this holiday...

Got any other good ideas for practical but cool presents out there in recession-land? Leave a comment and let us all know! Lord knows we all need the help this year!

People are freezing their asses off

Like literally I'm sure. Apparently the New Englanders are feeling the brunt of living in the northern reaches of the snow belt. Some aren't expected to have power until the end of this week and even then it'll be sketchy. Some places have hit a low of 2 degrees. Of course there are shelters set up but DAMN. Get in the car and drive south people. Get the hell outta Dodge!

They think that as the ice melts more branches will fall and take down more power lines too. So far I haven't seen anyone report any fatalities due to the cold. I suppose it's just a matter of time though. Do you know how warm it was here today? About 77. Yeah that's right 77 degres. And it's supposed to be 80 mid week. Not thinking we're going to have a white Christmas, whatcha think?

The upside is that we will have the nephew out, the dd's favorite person in the entire world and with the weather being nice so we can take them out and do lots of stuff. So while New Enlanders will be huddled in shelters and we'll be taking the kids to Sea World. How wild is that?

Dude, Christmas

It's coming soon isn't it? I am still in denial and yet it will not go away. We have not put up a single light or ornament. Today I broke down and insisted we all go out and get the tree. I had been avoiding it because they cost so freaking much. We're going to throw it away in a month anyway, it kills me that we pay in excess of $70 every year for one. I'd go artificial but the dh wants the smell of real so I have yet to break his will of steel. Next year, we'll do it next year you watch.

So today I figured out why I put off tree shopping for so long, we went to Lowes and got an 8 foot Douglas fir for a whopping $36. Whoa dude are you serious? I guess being the last freaking family to go tree shopping has it's bennies. We got it home and realized that our tree stand was broken. I went back out and got a new one. It didn't work. Don't ask me why, the 4 screw in pegs that hold it centered and still in the base bowed when we got it in the tree stump securely and let the tree go. Yeah great. We had to use a part of the old broken base to stabilize the stump and screwed the new base pegs to hold the plastic of the old base. Sound retarded? Yeah we thought so too. We're leaving it up overnight and not putting any ornaments on it until we know it won't fall over by itself.

Maybe tomorrow we'll decorate the rest of the outside of the house too, we're seriously lagging behind the rest of the neighborhood. Actually I'm really proud of our hood this year, there are a ton of lights out! Wish us luck, I think we're going to need it. Gads I have to mail out all the mailable presents on Monday too. Hey the good news is I already bought them. Oh and I have finished most of my cards too. The only fun part of Christmas to me, making the cards.

Why do they call me?

I was raised by my father (Thank God) and probably because of this I have always been somewhat of a not so emotional female. Not that my dad was a hard ass, he was a total marshmallow, I could walk all over him. He really was lucky that I didn't too, or at least not as much as I could have. Regardless I have always taken the role of the bottom liner, the one who told it like it was, Devil's advocate as it were. If you had skeletons in your closet and I find out about them they are liable to be taken out for a dust off and a shake down. Publicly if I think it'll do you best that way. Ultimately if you have a problem facing the music do not, under any circumstances, come to me and ask my opinion. All the therapy in the world won't bring you back from the edge I will take you to and show you what's over the edge. If I think you need to go over that edge I have no qualms shoving your tentative ass off.

I suppose its a combination of things that make me do it this way. #1 I have very little patience, it's a virtue I have trouble with. Good thing I'm not catholic. Speaking of, you know those 7 deadly sins? They are a load of crap, there is only 1 deadly sin which brings me to #2. #2 is denial, the one and only sin. People so often are in denial of reality. I consider it my responsibility to show people reality when they ask me my opinion. You'd be surprised how most people can figure out their own problems if they just faced the music and stopped denying that reality exists. Hate to tell you it's not going anywhere and a lot of times it's not pretty either. Eventually it will bite you in the ass. And don't take it personal, it's like that for everybody. The longer you put it off though, yeah it doesn't get any prettier with time.

Which gets me to the reason behind this post. Why do they call me? These women friends that are having relationship problems. Big ones, you know, the D word kind. It's not that I mind at all, I don't, I love every one of my oh, 5 female friends. I have always hung out with the guys so my chick friend count is pretty low. Really, it's limited to the ones who are, like me, much more like men than most men we know. It's bad but it's true. The girlfriend that called this evening well the last conversation I had with her we discussed how damn it we should have slept with more men when we were really young and really hot (we went to high school together). Ah well such is life.

Regardless, I think I can count 3 women off hand that, when the shit hit the relationship fan, called/emailed/IM'd me first and I stood with them through the trials and tribulations of the fun ride a divorce takes you through. One actually ended up calling and getting the dh at some point. Lucky her since, if you are going to call and completely have a melt down he is the one you want to talk to. No lie, if you are going to go there he's the one you want holding your hand. Also, if you're going to get exquisitely blithering drunk he is the one you want holding your hair when you start praying to the porcelain god. No, I've never had to experience this first hand (I've never been drunk, seriously) but trust me on this one, he's the emotional one in the family. We keep him around for good reason you know.

So these girlfriends call me and I'm not quite sure what they expect. I would like to give them something helpful, advice, something good? I dunno, most of the time I just end up trying to steer them in the right direction but you know what I try to do primarily? Make sure they know that what ever decision they make that if it's what they feel is right then it's what they should go with. Really, a woman's biggest problem is her lack of self confidence. 99% of the problems women face can be alieviated if they just believed in themselves. Who is with me on this one? Can you see the issues with living in a patriarchal society? I don't think a single one of these women went/are going through this without their respective spouses not telling them what a piece of crap they are and that all the problems in the marriage were all their fault. All their fault? How in the world can it be all her fault? Like the men just passively sat back and let these women tear apart the man's life? Oh woe is me says the husband, she ruined my life and scarred me forever. What a load of crap.

Maybe they come to me because I've been through a divorce? Because I heard all that crap before and I still sent the ass packing? If you wonder why I never talk about my first husband it's because of that, he's not worth the effort talking about. When he left me I was left with nothing, no money, no home, no car, on the opposite side of the country than the rest of my friends and family. It took me almost 10 years to make my way back home and I had to have Jason come get me. I came back with 2 college degrees and not in underwater basket weaving either.

Spent a year paying Jas back for the cost of moving me but I did it. I did it without the help of that first useless waste of oxygen I divorced. Maybe that's why they come to me. I left him and survived. It could have been worse, others had husbands that were abusive, mine was just a waste of oxygen who was sleeping with his best friend's fiance and forging my signature to open multitudes of credit cards. My recommendation to those who fear bankruptcy, it's totally worth it if it means you can divorce a useless human being. Don't think twice about it, just do it. You can get you credit score back into the 800's in less than 7 years. Can't get your self respect back ever if you don't lose the asshole.

Sorry about the long ass post peeps, I got one of those calls tonight. She'll be the 3rd friend I'll be helping through this time in her life. They get harder each time, I think it's because the older we get the more kids we have to drag through it. No fun, no fun at all.

This video will make you smile

Really, very serious, it will. Because seeing this kind of happy should make anyone smile...

Happy snow dog

"If you don't like the weather in San Antonio, just hang around a spell."

Just hours after San Antonio basked in a record high of 85 degrees Tuesday, snow and sleet began falling from the sky north of San Antonio.

and the more technical official sounding jargon...

Moisture in the form of an upper-level low-pressure system came through behind a cold front that dropped temperatures from the upper 80s Tuesday afternoon to the low 30s Wednesday morning.

So yeah around these here parts we can go from a/c to heat within a few hours. It amazes me that plants survive this kind of abuse. We didn't get any snow of real proportions, only a dusting really. When the hubby got up at 2:45 am he got ready and right before he left he got me up to show me that it had started, exactly as predicted by the weather people. Nothing like the So Cal forecasters who can't predict 70 and sunny every day to save their lives. And no, I did not let him wake the kid to watch snow fall, she'd have stayed up all night.

By morning the snow had stopped and most had melted. Only those who had cars parked outside had snow still on them. And the roofs of houses still had dustings. Really if I were to live in a place that snowed this is all I'd need. No adverse affects for traffic issues. The hubby and I are a rarity in our neighborhood, we keep both our cars in the garage. For whatever reason all new homes in San Antonio have 2 car garages that weren't really made to fit 2 cars into. We can do it but not all doors can open and it's a damn good thing we're skinny because the doors that can open can only open like 8" and you have to squeeze in. The garages can comfortably fit 1 car in them and a bunch of junk but most people just fill them to the brim with junk and park both cars in the driveway. For whatever reason the dh and I are really into parking our cars int he garage, it's a luxury we've never had before and we intend to use it and not gather any more junk than we absolutely have to.

I do have pics, they are just at home on the camera, I was running late this morning! As per usual, the kid's teacher probably doesn't like me anymore. She's been on the brink of late all week and today was just straight up LATE.

Snow showers? I'm sorry what?

So the hubby asked this evening how low the temp was going to get this evening because the weather has been...odd today. Warm, then cold, then cold and windy. Texas weather, if you don't like it wait a few minutes. It'll change. Freaking Texas I swear. So I looked it up, we're supposed to get snow showers between the hours of 3 and 7 am. I'm sorry we're supposed to have WHAT? Did you say SNOW? Oh I don't think so not in my book of cool. No not at all. I'm a sunbelter, this is south central Texas. No snow here people, no snow.

We'll see if there's anything when the hubby leaves in the morning (at his usual 3 am) or when I get up (not likely to be there at 7:30am). If driving is going to be an issue I'm going to be very displeased. Very very displeased. I have plans people PLANS.

Where to draw the line, and other Christmas musings

I'm not so sure I like the whole Santa fantasy anymore. I wasn't grooving to hard on it from the get go. Mind you my parents never kept the fantasy alive for long, stellar parents that they were, gotta love those hippie parents, not. Because of this I have put out the effort for my child, even though it takes a lot of verbal dancing, I figured I wouldn't ruin it for her. But now, at the ripe old age of 7, she's sure that without one little doubt, Santa will get her exactly what she wants from him for Christmas. She, like every upper middle class child in our neighborhood (ok, some are waaaay upper more like wealthy not even middle class) has never had a lean year. No they have no idea what it's like to be poor or without. I think a year or two living off the land at some farm out in the middle of nowhere might do these children some good. She wouldn't roll over and die but I know for a foregone fact that many of her classmates would. Oh man if I had some of those spoiled overindulged brats for kids they'd be suffering in my home. Sometimes I wonder if my own child will survive my iron fisted rule but she troopers on.

The Christmas present thing though, my God she is lucky that Lakeshore Learning Store had what she wanted from Santa for a reasonable price because I tell you what, microscopes don't come cheap. We tried showing her one in Target, one of the kid ones in the toy section. She gave it a glance and said "No, I want a grown up real microscope" in her holier than thou tone that denotes that she is no longer a child and will not accept anything less than what mommy has access to at her job. In a lab. For real scientists. She will accept nothing less. WTF? All right people, where do we get off teaching our children these things? Going and shooting ourselves in the foot I swear. So there you have it, the beginning of our end. Now she wants what from us? A lab bench, no friggin lie, to go in her bedroom. Ye GODS what am I going to do for that you ask? Hell if I know, they don't make lab benches for 7 yr olds. Did I tell you the microscope set came with a scalpel? Yeah totally what I want to have floating around her room right?

I think what I'm going to try and do is go to Home Depot or Lowes and see what they have for short cabinets, like for closets or bathrooms, and then a pre-made counter top/butcher block. It's the height that's going to be an issue. Fortunately lab benches are meant to be stood at, not to have a chair in front of and sit at. But lets face it, that's not going to be some inexpensive Barbie doll purchase. She's lucky that she's got my mother in law buying her boatloads of fluff because let me tell you, after setting her up with a friking laboratory in her bedroom there's not going to be a hella lot of other stuff coming from mom, dad, and Santa this year. Hello recession babe, Santa's expenses have gone up this year, do you know what a bale of hay is going for? Yeah it's bad and the dogs, I mean reindeer are going on half feed for the season. Lordy the kid dragged me to the pet store for the dogs' Christmas presents too last weekend. OK I was not budgeting for the fuzzy brats this year so we did not get them all that she wanted to get them. Fortunately she was busy looking at fish so she really didn't notice but geez girl, more presents? Your mother is a Scrooge and doesn't like the season in the first place, the poverty that's flowing freely has not made her warm to the season any at all. We haven't even bought the Christmas tree yet and that is probably the only part of the season I do like.

Would you rather be a novel or a poem?

Now that is the question! Or at least it is of you're applying to Oxford. If you're applying to Cambridge it's What would you do if you were a magpie?. That one is kind of stupid but I get where they're going with it. They want to find out if students can think outside the box. Sadly I'm not so sure all these brilliant applicants can pass this test question. I know that I was the ultimate nerd back in the day. Of course you all knew this, I am, after all, a chemist. Give me a pocket protector and wrap tape across the bridge of my glasses I became a card carrying member of the nerds r us gang when I voluntarily chose my degree right? So when the teacher gave me an assignment in high school I carried it out to a "T" and got it done and in on time. Out of the box? No I don't think so. And it's not like I was the dumb kid, no no, I was just all about following the rules. In school, don't ask about the social scene, remember I was the goth. My hair changed color sometimes 3 times a week and the outfits? Not real So Cal and the only box it could be in was a coffin.

But these poor students, I mean they work their asses off to be inside the box where the teachers and the system wants them. Then they get all the way up to these prestigious schools and it's "Wait no, do a 180 and give us exactly what we never wanted from you, think for yourself and do it now." WTF? I know, there's probably no 'wrong' answer to these questions but how jacked is this new trendy thing?
Here, and I quote from the article:
"Many students will have a body of knowledge, and they may be expected to be trusted on that in the interview. What we want to do is take them beyond that point and get them to start thinking for themselves."
Yeah that's GREAT but that is exactly opposite of what you've trained, beaten, ingrained into centuries of students. CENTURIES of students. And you want to change the rules during their interview to Oxford or Cambridge (or Oxbridge as they call it there, damn Brits)? Man is that cruel and unusual punishment or what? Now they listed 2 questions that I just loved and think should be asked before graduating said schools personally:
"Instead of politicians, why don't we let the managers of Ikea run the country?"
and my fav
"How would you poison someone without the police finding out?"

Lookin for love and a little bit of warmth

This is Shay, I think I've mentioned her before a few posts ago. She's one of FBRN's foster dogs, we are accepting applications for her but they are not exactly flowing in by the boat load. We've gotten 2 and they both suck. Right so that's not the biggest problem in poor Shayna's life, it snowed at her house last week, I think I showed you pics? Yeah, those. 8 1/2 inches overnight. Yay snow! Not so much for Shayna. She didn't have any problems walking before but when it snowed? She stopped being able to walk. She hasn't been able to since. We've got her on steroids and are having acupuncture done on her but ultimately the vet says she needs to move to warmer climates. She must get out of the snow zone and into the sun belt.
I volunteered to take her but she needs someone home most of the day and we both work. Granted with the hubby's on for 4 days off for 4 days shift work there are some weeks where the dogs are only alone for 1 day and even then my mom comes in to let the dogs out. Still we are on the hunt for a home someplace more temperate, like San Diego or Arizona or something. We are going to be down to 28 degrees on Wednesday and even though this is friggin hot Texas, during the winter it gets cold. I know for a fact that So Cal doesn't. I wish I had some friends in San Diego that could foster but all my friends work all day.

So I am putting the call out to those who read here, if you have a grandmother in Florida or grandpa in So Cal that would be willing to temporarily open their home to a sweet little dog in need please let me know. We want to get Shay some place where she can use her legs again and not have to resort to putting her in a wheel chair. The longer she goes with out the ability to walk the worse it's going to get. My email is on the right sidebar, or just comment. I'm an internet addict, I'm always on....

It's cold here

Not a winter wonderland mind you but the dogs are not liking this 50 degree region. This morning it was in the 30's and they had to have a foot planted up their butts to go outside. So this afternoon the dh found Roxy's pj's (Eilene made them for her last year) so I can cozy her up again. She doesn't like them but she's got to wear something, she's got bad creaky hips and the rest of her is just not liking the cold either. I am debating whether or not to get Corbie some pj's too, we put him out the other morning and his entire body was shuddering, it was pathetic. The thing is he would just as well potty in the house and that is so not going to happen. So he's going to have to suck it up until I get him pj's or a jacket. And what's the problem there? Well I haven't decided yet which one I'd like more and the pj's are custom made (damn thick frenchie necks mean standard ones don't fit them, at all) and the jackets are special order too. Hell I may not get the thing in until next winter at this rate.

So in the meantime I have pics of the bad bunnies trying to share couch time with momma. Notice the panic, white of the eyes look Corbie has on his face? We call that the "Help, psycho with a knife is going to eat me!" look. Or, "Psycho with a knife" for short. It's the look he gets when Jaynie comes up and tries to sit next to him. It doesn't happen often, very rare in fact. Jayne just doesn't share well so he usually opts not to include himself in the snuggle fests that happen on the couch. Again, why Corbie looks so panicked, he figures Jayne is just slyly trying to eat him without anyone noticing. Riiight, that red blanket they are laying on? That's me, no one is going to get et while on my lap.



And just look at this look on Jayne's face, he's trying really hard not to get in anyone's way. He's tucked all tiny like so as not to offend everyone's personal space issues. He's the only dog that we have who takes personal space seriously and we love him for it. Roxy has serious boundary issues and Corbin is like fuzzy birth control when we let him sleep in bed with us, will not detach from the side of the human next to him. Will. Not. Detach. Roxy is still trying to figure out a way of crawling up into the body cavity of whatever person she's standing next to. I swear someday we're going to have to extract her from someone's nostral.




She was a smart girl, she nabbed the chair next to us and got it all to herself. Corbie doesn't like this option as it does not come with human contact, he's our little french whore, people lover that he is. So it's usually Roxy or Jayne doing the mad rush for the chocolate chair. See the knick in her ear? Jayne tried to eat her last week, she fights back though and unlike Corbin I don't worry about these two going at it. All sound and fury no real action. It's some scary sound and fury though, the neighbors probably thing we're mental white trash with brawling pits in our back yard. Whatever, not like they're going to stick their heads over the fence to find out huh?

It's a winter wonderland!

Well not here, San Antonio was 77 degrees yesterday and even though it was in the 40's overnight it'll still be like 72 degrees today. Yeah I'm a sunbelter but I've lived in snow before. 6 years in Maryland, yeah they don't do snow well out there They don't believe it snows there so they aren't set up for it. Driving with insufficient snow plow-age and/or salt just bites.

But anyway! I got an IM this morning form Eilene, my foster application reviewer in charge lady. She's in Colorado and they were supposed to get a 'skif' of snow. Of course I had to ask what a skif was, sunbelter that I am. A skif is more than a dusting and less than an inch. She had 8 inches by morning and it's still snowing. So, of course, I asked for pictures! She wouldn't go out in it, she had already had to go out this morning and feed the horses and cows. So I told her to take a few shots from her window, I wanted to see the snow! And the wonderful woman that she is, she obliged. God I love the look of snow. If I didn't have to drive in it I'd love to live in a snow belt place. My dream, a B&B with horses (or large lawn ornaments as those of us that are non-riders call them) and a candy store/chocolate making place attached. I have a gf that wants to so I'm voting for it. As soon as we make a spare million so we can buy it we're all over it. Don't tell the hubby, he doesn't know the master plan yet. He and the kid are dying to live in the snow though so I doubt he'd balk.

So now I have winter wonderland pictures to share with you! Alright they aren't mine but they're pretty! Plus those of you in the sunbelt can do the same and live in the snow vicariously through Eilene's pictures. Right now I think that's all the cold I can handle anyway!





This is Shay, she's one of Eilene's fosters (she has a total of 7 dogs right now, including her own). Shay does what I do when it snows, she's my kinda dog! She's on the available page at FBRN, we are looking for her forever home but it's going to be a long time coming because she's a medical case. She doesn't need any real special care but her bio reads like a mess so people usually are shy about adopting dogs like her. Which is a tragedy, she's an AWESOME dog, sweetest thing ever. She's had a very rough life, her first foster mom is a person I don't like and she ended up being shucked off by her onto Eilene. Which, in retrospect, was a blessing. Eilene has fixed her up a gotten her ready to go, now all she needs is that one magic application to come in!

Scary blast from the past....

So my old friend Murdoch (from high school) commented on my last post. He put up a link of some oooollllddd photos from ASB ball circa...1989 or 90? Maybe. He and all my other friends were seniors, class of 90, I was class of 91. Yeah, I'm just that old. He's the guy with the glasses. Can you see me? The blond guy in the second picture is the only blond guy I've ever had a crush on, his name eludes me at the moment. No wait, it was Brett Hathaway. I don't do blonds. Don't tell Jas. Brett threw a HUGE party his senior year when his mom went away one weekend. There were so many people there he had to call the police on himself to get them to go away. He had a full on skating half pipe in his backyard and there were so many people on it it collapsed. Yeah, we knew how to throw a party back in the day. We actually spent the night there that night. We slept in the same bed and he never made a pass at me. How insulting is that? Ah teen years, you couldn't pay me enough to relive them. It's a miracle we even survive them.
The link to his page is here, these are the 2 photos with me in them. We went with dates to that dance I think. The next ASB ball, when I was a senior I went stag with like 6 other girls. I also wore a beehive to that one. Yup, full on beehive baby. I don't have the pictures, I think my dad still has them. Somewhere. I don't have many pics of myself at all much really. I'm a loser like that.

Thanks Mike! If anyone on Facebook is asking just pass on my blog link, my email addy is up here! BTW, I don't have yours...

Since December 2007

See I told ya so! People were so in denial, I've been telling everyone for almost a year now that we're in a recession. That I don't give a hoot about the bull crap that Bush spews forth, we're in a recession. Hello, denial, the one and only deadly sin. You can blame all the others on the one and only, DENIAL. You can deny all you want but we are there, have been for a year now. Yes that's right, I've just scooped CNN, I called the R word for 12 months solid and no one wanted to listen.

Not that it makes any difference if you listen to me or not, I don't know any financial people. Hell I had brain surgery a year ago, not like I was going to be making any investments. No, just accruing astronomical hospital bills. Oh and have any of you bought medication lately? WTF? Every single one of the meds they put me on had a $50 deductible. When the neurologist gets pissed off at me for stopping my meds without telling her I'm going to A) tell her she should RETURN HER PHONE CALLS and B) tell her I couldn't afford the damn things. Need to feed my family damn it. And this is with insurance for god's sake. Just insane the cost of medicine now a days. Man the system is jacked.

Oh here's a quote from that CNN article linked above (I love quoting, hey at least I give credit!):

The current recession is one of the longest downturns since the Great Depression of the 1930's.

Ya think? Geez we so needed the newspaper to tell us that. Not. Dude where have these people been? Haven't the people of the US already known this? Didn't Greenspan tell us this would happen years ago when the housing boom went stupid insane and totally unrealistic? Yes darlings, yes he did. I am not in a great financial situation but I'm used to being poor. But we did make smart moves with the money we did have. At the end of the boom, when we were thoroughly disgusted with So Cal and the prices, we moved to Texas. And we took out our measely 401k (all of it) and the dh's inheritance from his grandmother and bought a practically priced house in a suburb of a city here in Texas. Yeah it was far away from the family but I don't like family anyway and the hubby could suck it up. He got a ccw so all was good in the world of hubbys. Texas may be a red state but we can legally own guns and shoot people here. Sweet.

So now, at the height of the recession (I hope?) we still have no money but that's the norm. Yet we have a house that (no lie) is going up in value, no money in the stock market (remember, I pulled my 401k to buy the house) and we both have jobs. We're poor but doing better than most. Hell better than some out of work white collar workers in better neighborhoods than ours. The dh has a suck ass job and is constantly trying to find a new one (impossible but we're still trying with all we can) but it's a job. We're surviving which is more than I can say of many.

So what do I have to say of this 'news'? Well I can't say I haven't been telling you so but I told ya so. And we are once again THANKFUL that we are where we are at. It could be worse, much worse. Here's to the US dragging it's fat ass out of this one, Obama has a shit load of work ahead of him. Bush just served him up a ton of crap on a platter, poor guy.