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January 31, 2007
Morning Snow
Normally I would be excited about the prospect of snow, but not this time. It’s supposed to start snowing tomorrow morning. I'm guessing by this time, the kids will already be in school.
If the roads start getting bad, they will have to leave school early, which is always a mess. This also means, by Friday morning, the road crews will have cleared the roads and there will be school that day.
If the Lord wants it to happen that way, it will. But, wouldn’t it be nice if the snow held off until Thursday night and we woke up to a snow day Friday morning? A three-day weekend would suit me just fine.
Posted by tami at 8:48 PM Comments (0)
January 30, 2007
No More Crack!
This isn’t the best picture. It’s blurry because I was trying to be as quick and sneaky as possible:
We were checking out at Wal-Mart this afternoon and I looked over and saw “crack”.
What is it with these men? You know they have to feel the air hitting their backsides, especially today with it being in the 20’s.
I think their wives have a responsibility to tell them to pull their pants up. No one wants to see that.
Posted by tami at 7:34 PM Comments (4)
January 29, 2007
The Frogs
I received this story in email. I think it has a positive message.
The Frogs
Once upon a time, there was a bunch of tiny frogs who arranged a running competition. The goal was to reach the top of a very high tower.
A big crowd had gathered around the tower to see the race and cheer on the contestants.
The race began.
Honestly, no one in crowd really believed that the tiny frogs would reach the top of the tower.
You heard statements such as:
"Oh, WAY too difficult!!"
"They will NEVER make it to the top."
"Not a chance that they will succeed. The tower is too high!"
The tiny frogs began collapsing. One by one....
Except for those, who in a fresh tempo were climbing higher and higher....
The crowd continued to yell, "It is too difficult!!! No one will make it!"
More tiny frogs got tired and gave up....
However, ONE continued higher and higher and higher....
This one wouldn't give up!
At the end, everyone else had given up climbing the tower. Except for the one tiny frog, that, after a big effort, was the only one who reached the top!
All of the other tiny frogs naturally wanted to know how this one frog managed to do it.
A contestant asked the tiny frog how he had found the strength to succeed and reach the goal.
It turned out....
That the winner was DEAF!!!!
The wisdom of this story is:
Never listen to other people's tendencies to be negative or pessimistic because they take your most wonderful dreams and wishes away from you -- the ones you have in your heart!
Always think of the power words have.
Posted by tami at 9:02 PM Comments (1)
January 28, 2007
Not Missing Out
I walked into Andrew’s room looking for dirty clothes and found this instead:
To be frank, it freaked me out at first. I thought, what IS that? I turned it over and then discovered that it had boobs!
I knew Selina, his girlfriend, had to have made this for him, but I wondered why. Is it for him to hold while he’s sleeping and think of her?
I don’t have the answer.
I don’t believe he actually sleeps with it, but I can’t be sure. I really don’t like thinking about it. It’s weird. Have you ever made or received anything of this sort?
*****
Last night Andrew asked me for a shoebox. I found a small one before I knew why he wanted it.
He had hoped to transfer his vast collection of letters to a larger space:
As you can see, his box is overflowing. I have explained to you how I keep cards, but notes are something I didn’t keep.
I kept them for years probably beginning with some as far back as elementary school. Once I turned seventeen, I threw them all away, including pictures of old boyfriends. My mom told me at the time that I would later regret throwing them away, but I really haven’t so far.
The letters were probably silly anyway. Some of the pictures could be interesting, but I don’t remember them enough to miss them. Does that makes sense?
Posted by tami at 8:26 PM Comments (3)
January 27, 2007
Gas Gouging?
I bought five books today and couldn’t be happier. I’m sure it’s hard for some people to see why books bring me such joy; they just do.
Here is the list of my treasures:
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
The Best American Short Stories 2001 edited by Katrina Kenison & Barbara Kingsolver
The Fourth Hand by John Irving
My pile of books keeps growing …
*****
We visited a Most Valuable Pets store for the first time today. Each pet store we have seen seems to have it’s own unique gimmick to keep people coming. This store in particular has a sort of bird sanctuary. I assume these birds are parrots, but I don’t claim any education on birds. They are completely free, but their wings have been clipped.
No, I don’t like that, but I don’t know the background of these birds, so I try not to judge.
A boy actually let one of the birds sit on his fingers. I’m sure anyone can do this, but I would be too nervous.
It’s hard to believe they stay in one place.
On our way to the register, we spotted this cat lying on one of the shelves. If I had not actually seen it move, I would have thought it was stuffed:
I love the relaxed atmosphere of this place. The only bad thing I could say is they were a little more expensive than other pet stores.
*****
While we were on that side of town (Harrodsburg Road), we noticed that gas prices were between $2.01 and $2.09 a gallon. Kevin remembered that gas at Speedway near the interstate on Winchester Road was $1.83 a gallon, so we headed that way.
We had to wait in line, but it was worth it. When we got back to Winchester, we noted that gas here is $2.14 a gallon. Robbery!
Posted by tami at 5:37 PM Comments (3)
January 26, 2007
Reminiscing
Last night, I held Ashley in my arms as if she were a baby, with a soft, snuggly blanket wrapped around her body. She was warm as toast and it felt so good holding her in my arms.
I teased her and asked if she would like to stay home from school and watch Barney and Friends, Baby Faces, and Pongo & Perdita. I told her I would make her a hotdog for lunch, cut it into tiny pieces, and put ketchup on the side. I could read 101 DALMATIANS. Later, I told her she could have some chocolate pudding. We could play on the floor of her room with her toys and then maybe take a nap.
Her reply was simple, “Everything except Barney.”
I know she has outgrown Barney. I also know that I haven’t had to cut up her hotdogs for many years now, but it’s fun to reminisce. I loved spending every single day with her, talking and singing to her, watching her learn new things.
Things that I found ordinary, like a ball of yarn or my pots and pans, she would find extraordinary and fun.
This is when she discovered the oil:
Finding hidden treasures in the kitchen cabinets:
She wore these coke boxes for shoes:
Do you see, what I mean? It was so much fun seeing things through her eyes. It’s this way with all kids if you stay around them long enough and listen to what they say. They can be hilarious.
I still enjoy spending as much time as possible with Ashley. She has to go to school; that’s not a choice, but when she sleeps overnight at someone’s house – I hate it. It kills me not having her at home in her own bed. What will I ever do when she starts dating?
Posted by tami at 10:25 AM Comments (2)
January 25, 2007
Hamster Not Included
I ate something tonight that I promised myself long ago I would never eat:
It was nothing against the restaurant itself; it was their commercials. I no longer see them on TV, so maybe other people found them unappetizing also.
They used to show these characters called Spongmonkeys in their commercials. I thought they looked like dead, bug-eyed hamsters. They sang, danced, and in general, looked gross. So, when I thought of the subs, I thought about eating dead hamsters. I couldn’t help it.
These days, they have delicious looking sub sandwiches on their commercials, so Kevin suggested we try them. Since I hadn’t seen a dead hamster for a while, it was safe for me to eat there.
It was actually a very good Italian sub and the restaurant was bright and clean. If I’m in the mood for a sub again in the future, I’ll go there.
Posted by tami at 8:51 PM Comments (1)
January 24, 2007
Card Collecting
Tonight, on an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry received a card in the mail, read it, and then promptly threw it in the garbage. When the person who gave Jerry the card came for a visit, she saw the card in the garbage. She was understandably wounded because she had spent time sending the card.
Jerry didn’t understand her hurt feelings claiming that she had just “signed her name to it.” When she accused him of not being sentimental, Jerry pulled out old birthday cards from his grandma that he had kept for many years to try and prove her wrong.
While talking with his friends, he asked them: how long am I supposed to keep a card? He claimed if he had a mantle it would be different.
This was a very small part of the storyline, but it hit a chord of familiarity with me. I keep cards – birthday, Christmas, Thank You, Valentine’s Day, or any other day. If you have sent me a card or postcard, I’m sure I still have it. I have pages upon pages of cards.
As you can see, I am not one of these scrap bookers who spends a lot of time on her scrap books. I don’t use cute cutouts or specially printed paper. I simply take whatever it is I want to keep, in this case cards, and I tape it into my latest scrapbook.
I guess most people aren’t like me and don’t save their cards. Some people say they simply don’t have the space. I understand, but for me, it is something very special to look back through the years. Many people have died or moved on, so that makes them even more meaningful to me. It’s as if I have a small piece of them through their signatures.
Posted by tami at 8:37 PM Comments (4)
January 23, 2007
Cool Cat
We have a cat who likes to be inside things or under things. His life has been in jeopardy many times when he has been under Ashley’s comforter, no one knew and tried to sit down. That’s not a pleasant thing for him or us.
Here, he is curled up inside a K-Mart bag:
And here he is partially under our comforter:
Maybe he just gets cold.
Posted by tami at 8:17 PM Comments (3)
January 22, 2007
Window Decorations
Saturday, before we found the Christmas ornaments on sale at Garden Ridge, we were in Target. They have lots of cute Valentine’s Day stuff in the dollar bins.
I found this garland:
I bought a package of cupids, big hearts, and small hearts at Garden Ridge. I don’t think I have decorated for Valentine’s Day in a long time, but it seems this year, I need another holiday to look forward to.
Some may think I have decorated too early, but I don’t at all. Valentine’s Day is on February 14th, so I’ll only have a few weeks to enjoy these decorations. Think about how long you leave your Christmas decorations out.
You wouldn’t believe how much Easter stuff Garden Ridge has. They do have Saint Patrick’s Day decorations also, but the amount of Easter decorations is phenomenal. If a person was in the mood, they could decorate their house as much for Easter as they do for Christmas. I can tell you right now that I will not be one of these people. I may buy some things to put in the windows or on the mantle, but that will be the extent of it.
We don’t have room to store big things, so I tend to gravitate toward the flat pieces I can hang in my windows. They look cute and make me happy, so that’s all that matters.
Posted by tami at 7:54 AM Comments (1)
January 21, 2007
The Cell
From the sheriff’s reports in Thursday’s Winchester Sun:
The father of a juvenile reported at 7:15 p.m. Wednesday that someone took his daughter’s cell phone. The total value of the theft was $349.99.
Did you catch that? Someone with wayyy too much money for their own good, paid 350 bucks for a cell phone and then gave it to little junior or princess to carry around. Dumb move.
Although I do not condone the theft, I think the parents of this juvenile need a serious reality check.
In other news:
Garden Ridge has discounted what is left of their Christmas decorations by 90%. When we were in there yesterday afternoon, they still had lots of boxes like the ones below:
As you can see, I bought silver, red, purple, and gold balls. Each box was only 49 cents. That’s an amazing value if you ask me. They had tons of the green artificial tree-like garlands along with other decorations like big, red bows. If you’re interested, I would get there soon!
Posted by tami at 11:20 AM Comments (1)
January 20, 2007
Chinese Cat
I grew up with my dad cracking jokes about Chinese restaurants cooking cats.
When we would drive past a Chinese restaurant, he never failed to say something about cats being in the food. It grossed my sister and me out. It made me shudder to think of the restaurant’s patrons eating cat. I also could imagine someone putting a cat into a pot of boiling water to cook – not a very nice thought for a youngster to have! We never had Chinese for dinner though, so I was safe.
He was joking of course and he and mom would laugh while my sister and I sat in the backseat grossing out and gagging. My sister, Jennifer gags easily.
I can remember being next to her in a bathroom stall in McAlpins or some place like that. Someone down the line would be moaning and groaning and Jennifer would start gagging – LOUD gagging. Mom and I would laugh so hard tears would spring to our eyes. We were trying to be quiet while laughing, but we thought it was hilarious that the smell was making her sick! I’m laughing as I type this. It was THAT funny.
Anyway back to the cats …
So when Stacey sent me the Chinese Food Song I about died! Click on the link and listen to it for yourself. It’s a riot, but very interesting that other people say the same thing.
By the way, I don’t ever eat Chinese out. If I want chicken and rice, I make my own at home! I am scarred for life!
Posted by tami at 2:35 PM Comments (1)
January 19, 2007
Inspections
We rarely eat fast food. I know I have mentioned eating Charlies, but I really don’t consider them fast food. They cook the food fresh while you wait and then you take it away in a Styrofoam container. It’s always hot and delicious.
We rarely eat McDonald’s. Andrew and Ashley eat it sometimes and when they do, Kevin and I eat something else (like Charlies). I have learned what my body likes and doesn’t like and I try to listen. It doesn’t like Mickey D’s. In fact, it rejects it completely by going straight through without stopping. Capeesh?
When we eat out, we eat at what I consider to be, nice restaurants. There are no plastic seats, toys given with your kid’s meal, and we are waited on hand and foot. We enjoy Outback, Ruby Tuesday’s, Tony Roma’s, Johnny Carino’s, Texas Roadhouse, and so on. There is a clear difference between these places and places like Wendy’s and Burger King.
I like a more relaxing atmosphere when I eat. Fast food joints make me feel anything but relaxed. There is one Mickey D's in particular in Lexington that I consider the worst as far as stress levels are concerned. I won’t give an exact location, but it has an indoor play area and it’s located on the corner of a very busy intersection.
I have some advice to anyone who has never been to this location and would one day like to have children; don’t ever go in there. If you do, you will make up your mind right then and there that you are never going to have children. I’ve been there once on a Saturday afternoon. There were about a million people in the place and to beat all, a birthday party was in full swing. I said to myself, “Never again.” With the play area, this restaurant attracts people with small children. This is great for those people; however, I like to eat in peace and without small children running around screaming with no real adult supervision.
Why am I telling you this?
Because the restaurant inspections came out in The Winchester Sun and I just finished reading them. I have a few I would like to direct your attention to, but the entire list can be viewed HERE.
* The first one that really popped out at me was Cassell Creek Golf Course. They scored an 83% because they were storing their Styrofoam containers in the mop sink. Among the spices, they apparently also kept some sort of cleaner. Can you imagine the damage a mix-up could cause? On the follow-up visit they scored a 99%, but who really cares.
Someone once told me that the health department informs these places in advance when they are going to be inspected. So, if they scored this bad on inspection day knowing the health department was coming, imagine what the condition is normally. I say who cares about the follow-up visit because they know what they need to do to impress the health department by then. If you think things stay that way when they leave, you’re delusional. I personally don’t think they deserve ANY advance notice. Why shouldn’t the health department see it on a normal day instead of a “cleaned-up” version? I don’t think it’s very fair to the public.
* The Corner Drug Lunch scored a 79%. Geez, it must have been bad in there! Their hand wash sink wasn’t working correctly, they had open drinks in the food preparation area, and insects were there on the premises. Lovely. I can tell you that I ate there in the summer of 2005 and there were flies flying around my head. I shouldn’t have to swat at a fly while I’m in a restaurant. When was the last time you dealt with annoying flies at a nice restaurant? The follow-up visit was 98%. They must have bought a fly swatter.
* What a surprise this is! Dairy Queen scored an 81%. They had the same problems as some others like, open drink containers in the food preparation area. There was no soap in the three-compartment sink …..and they washed their hands with what? Oh yea, there was also a RODENT in the FOOD PREPARATION AREA. Now, it doesn’t say if the rodent was alive or dead, but does it really matter at this point? I don’t think so. Their follow-up was 99%. As Ralphie said in A Christmas Story,
“Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of "Taps" being played. Gently.”
* The paper doesn’t list each infraction. I am guessing they only list those they deem are the most important. For some reason Papa John’s Pizza scored an 84%. All the paper says is that the garlic sauce was at room temperature, and once again, an open drink was in the food preparation area. To me, this is interesting because the garlic sauce I get is ALWAYS at room temperature. What temperature is it supposed to be and I don’t know about it? Their follow-up was 100%. You remember what Sipsey said in Fried Green Tomatoes,
“Secret’s in the sauce.”
Is this the reason I sprint for the bathroom after this meal?
Many more places had less than stellar inspections including another pizza place and several small grocery stores. We frequent one of these grocery stores during the summer months to buy fresh tomatoes. They have better tomatoes than you can find at any supermarket because they come straight from a local farmer. But, they also have a deli counter. I have always wondered how they pass inspection when they allow smoking behind the counter. Heavy smoking. I didn’t know you were allowed to have a Marlboro smoldering in an ashtray while you made someone a ham sandwich. Interesting, huh.
I’m sure the Herald-Leader has inspections in their paper of some of the nice restaurants I spoke of earlier. Feel free to let me know what they are saying. I do want to know!
Posted by tami at 8:32 AM Comments (2)
January 18, 2007
TMJ
Ashley has had tubes in her ears for almost three years now. The purpose of the tube is to drain the virus, what I fondly call goop, out of her ear when she gets an ear infection. This has happened a few times, but more often than not, there is no drainage.
When she complains of an ear infection, I take her to the doctor. They diagnose an ear infection and put her on medicine for ten days. The last two times I have taken her though, they still said she had an infection and they still put her on medicine, but they also suggested I take her back to the ear doctor who put the tubes in to begin with. So, that is exactly what I did yesterday.
He said her tubes look fine and they are right in place where they should be. He asked me how much gum she chews, to which I answered, “A lot.”
Ashley requested gum for Christmas from everyone, so she got a lot. I know we put a ton in her stocking and my parents bought her a huge tub of the stuff. Naturally, she has been chewing one-piece right after the other in total bliss.
He said he thinks she has a problem with her TMJ - Temporo-Mandibular Joint. He said when she chews a piece of gum, her joint is moving about 500 times. This joint becomes swollen and since it is so close to the ear, it makes the ear look red, therefore looking like an ear infection.
The TMJ website says,
“A very common focus of pain is in the ear. Many patients come to the ear specialist quite convinced their pain is from an ear infection. When the earache is not associated with a hearing loss and the eardrum looks normal, the doctor will consider the possibility that the pain comes from a TMJ dysfunction.”
His advice was to stop chewing gum. He said the next time she thinks she has an ear infection, he wants to see her. He wants to make sure it’s really not an infection, but TMJ. If her ear is not infected, he said he would probably take the tubes out because they had been in three years.
It’s odd because Ashley has been taking Zyrtec for a year now because she has frequent headaches. Another symptom of TMJ is headaches! So, maybe her doctor is on to something and we can kill two birds with no gum. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Posted by tami at 7:46 AM Comments (2)
January 17, 2007
Fayette Place
There are two new restaurants I want to try in Lexington. They are both located in Fayette Place (over by Fayette Mall). I spotted them when we were at the mall a few weeks ago.
One is called Smashing Tomato. This, of course, is a pizza place, but it offers real Neapolitan pizza.
Certified Neapolitan pizza is made in a special brick oven with temperatures around 800 degrees. The mozzarella cheese is not runny and the pizza is not oily. It sounds very good!
The other is called The Pub and has a British theme.
This morning, channel 18 news was on site and they panned up to show the ceiling. It was a painted like a gigantic Union Jack which immediately thrilled me (I actually clapped)! You had better believe when I go, I am taking my camera.
This restaurant offers traditional English pub food, such as fish and chips, but they also offer much more – something for everyone. I definitely want to try this restaurant first. It looks somewhat pricy, but I can’t help but feel it will be worth it.
It may be a few months before we go, but I will make sure I post with pictures and give a review.
Posted by tami at 8:25 AM Comments (0)
January 16, 2007
Not In My Driveway
In my opinion the El Camino is the ugliest car ever made. If you own an El Camino, there’s not much I can say. That is my personal feeling and always has been.
While searching for the picture above (linked in blue) I discovered that there is actually a El Camino Central Owners Association. It makes me shudder to think of it.
I took the picture below in Eastland Shopping Center a few weekends ago. We were leaving Big Lots after looking for the shampoo I previously mentioned when I saw this monstrosity:
I wish you could see it better. There are flower stickers stuck all over the place while bungee straps are holding down a blue tarp. This tarp covers the bed of the El Camino. Yellow tape can be seen across the back window to again, keep the tarp from flying off. To top it all off, there are small party lights in the shape of the American flag, draped along down the rear fender.
The El Camino is ugly to begin with, but this was fugly. (If you don’t know what that term means, I’m not going to tell you as you are apparently too innocent to know.)
I would have gotten a closer shot; however, Kevin was displeased that I had pulled my camera from my purse at all. His actual words were, “Someone’s going to see you doing that and they’re going to come out here and smack you.”
Okay, so he scared me a little, but the car was parked in a public parking lot, so I think I should be able to take pictures of whatever I please without having to worry.
Posted by tami at 4:38 PM Comments (3)
January 15, 2007
Faith
When I ask my doctor a question, I believe in the answer he/she gives. If I did not believe him or her and have complete faith in their medical degree, I would go elsewhere.
I am not a doctor and I don’t have the answers. This is why I ask questions.
So, today when I returned to the podiatrist for another ingrown toenail (this one was on my left toe), I asked if there was any particular cause for me to get these.
The answer was the same as it was the last three times I asked, “No.”
There is no cause. I am doing nothing wrong.
I repeat: they have the degree and I don’t, so I believe in what they say. I don’t make assumptions and I don’t think anyone else should either about why something happens.
They are an excellent husband and wife team. I have seen the wife three times before and today I met the husband. They know their stuff concerning feet.
While the husband worked on my toe, we talked. It came out that he does surgeries and amputations. I expressed my surprise at the amputation part and he replied, “Every day in Lexington, someone is getting half of their foot amputated.”
I think that is amazing, horrible, but amazing also. Here I am in the office for a little ingrown toenail, while others are having half their foot amputated. I should consider myself blessed.
Enough about feet and toes …
Here is what we had for dinner:
Chicken Chow Mein and egg rolls. YUM!
Posted by tami at 7:39 PM Comments (1)
January 14, 2007
Trains
This was my view Saturday afternoon:
It was wet then and it is still wet now.
*****
In other news:
My dad is collecting trains and making them his own with different designs:
It seems to be an expensive investment; one we could never have for lack of space. I think he aspires to build shelves and tunnels high up on the walls and around the room.
I definitely think he could make it work.
Posted by tami at 9:01 PM Comments (2)
January 13, 2007
It's Pugalicious
Today I bought:
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz
And
I am ecstatic with these finds! I have no idea what I want to read next, but part of the fun is picking something out! For now though, these books will have to wait until I finish my mystery with the great Hercule Poirot.
In other news:
I also found this awesome bumper sticker to place on my car as soon as it stops raining:
I’m normally not the bumper sticker type, but this one takes the cake.
Posted by tami at 4:05 PM Comments (2)
January 12, 2007
The Funeral
This story is too funny not to pass along:
The Funeral
As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a graveside service for a homeless man, with no family or friends. He had died while traveling through the area. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.
As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost and being a typical man did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.
I saw the backhoe and the crew, who were eating lunch, but the hearse was nowhere in sight.
I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them long, but this was the proper thing to do.
The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch! I poured out my heart and soul. As I preached the workers began to say, "Amen,"
"Praise the Lord," and "Glory." I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before -- from Genesis all the way to Revelation.
I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car. I felt I had done my duty for the homeless man and that the crew would leave with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication, in spite of my tardiness.
As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, "I ain't never seen anything like this before, and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years."
Posted by tami at 3:04 PM Comments (0)
January 11, 2007
You Know ...
I use this make-up every day:
I don’t think it has varied much since I started wearing make-up back in the mid 80’s. The only difference is, I used to wear eye shadow and now I don’t.
The truth is, I don’t feel I need a lot of make-up. I think I look fine the way I am and am comfortable with myself. Of course, there are always those well-meaning people who want to “help” others by giving little tips. These tips always begin with “you know”.
You know, you would look good with a little lipstick.
Or
You know, you should color in your eyebrows. You can’t see them.
I have even had someone say,
“You know, you have a bump right there” as her finger slowly approached my face to point out the spot.
No, I had no idea that that zit was there, but thanks for pointing it out.
This same well-meaning person once said,
“You know, you have a hair growing out of that.”
Hmmm. That’s interesting, isn’t it. Now you’re wondering where that hair was. Oh well! I am getting WAYYYYY off topic!
My point in showing you my make-up was so I could now show you Ashley’s make-up:
Yes, all of that is hers. I cannot imagine what enjoyment she gets out of having and using that much stuff, but she does. She is more girlie than I have ever been.
I do have to admit, she looks good in make-up. She applied this herself:
I took that picture back in the summer when she was brown as a biscuit.
I'll admit, I become one of those well-meaning people toward Ashley during the winter months when I tell her, “You know, you always look better with a tan; not that you look bad now, but you know what I mean.”
Yes, I am guilty too.
Posted by tami at 2:32 PM Comments (2)
January 10, 2007
Good Dog
Have any of you seen these cute little dogs at Wal-Mart?
I had been wanting one for a while, but never bought one. I have this one due to Selina, Andrew’s girlfriend. She’s really smart you know, buttering me up with sweets. She knows what makes me tick.
Anyway, these are adorable! I think they have several varieties of dog (I’ve not seen a pug) and they are normally around the bakery section.
If you slice the dog right through the middle, you’ll discover that it’s made of two cupcakes.
Let me just say, this was the most divine, delicious icing I’ve had in a while. That could be due to the fact that I was craving sugar, but who cares.
Posted by tami at 7:54 AM Comments (1)
January 9, 2007
Pillow?
This morning, Bob Lacey said,
“A pug is like a throw pillow with legs.”
I can’t imagine why he thinks that.
Posted by tami at 3:18 PM Comments (1)
January 8, 2007
The Praying Mantis
This morning on the Bob & Sheri show, they mentioned role models. They said how it must be hard to be a teenager these days because everyone on the covers of teen magazines is so skinny.
Then, Bob mentioned how Mary Kate Olsen weighs like 85 pounds or something and then Sheri said the funniest thing ever. She said:
“Mary Kate looks like what would happen if you took a praying mantis and put a fur coat and some lipstick on it.”
I love hearing it and saying it again and again. You want know why? Because it’s the truth! She DOES look like a praying mantis!
**********
Here’s something neat someone sent me in email:
FOR LEXOPHILES (LOVERS OF WORDS):
1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
14. Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.
15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
16. A calendar's days are numbered.
17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
18. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.
21. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.
22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
29. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
Posted by tami at 9:16 AM Comments (1)
January 7, 2007
An A+ Gift
Dad and mom were nice enough to give us a gift card for Christmas from Logan's Roadhouse.
So, today after church, we had lunch practically free. I hope you can read this sign even though it’s a little blurry. I thought it was cute:
I love gift cards. I love giving and receiving them. When Ashley has a birthday party to attend, we have found a Wal-Mart gift card is the best option. It’s easy for us, and the child can buy what they need and enjoy.
Surprisingly, I believe I only gave four gift cards this Christmas: one for Dillards, one for Bath & Body Works, and two for Kohl’s. With that said, the only gift card I received was the one from Logan’s. It’s great though. Here it is two weeks after Christmas, and I am enjoying a nice, free lunch.
Yep. Gift cards are the way to go.
Posted by tami at 6:13 PM Comments (1)
January 6, 2007
Charlies
We bought our lunch here today:
They have THE BEST fish sandwiches, crinkle French fries, and jalapeño hush puppies in town.
I bought two books:
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
I don’t even remember who gave me the idea to read this book. It’s been on my list for over a year though, so I was thrilled to finally get it.
The other book was Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver.
I actually read on someone’s blog how much they enjoyed Prodigal Summer and The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver, so I was looking for those. However, my only choice by this author was Pigs in Heaven – a book not mentioned by the blogger. I’m sure it will be interesting though.
Posted by tami at 10:10 PM Comments (3)
January 5, 2007
How Wonderful Life Is While You're In The World
For those of you reading this who live in my vicinity:
I am looking for three different shampoos and need help finding them. They are:
And
* Aussie Land Shampoo (this is for kids)
For some reason, the minute I want something, it’s no longer on the shelves; although I’ve been searching for the Aussie Land for a few years now. Maybe they quit making it.
drugstore.com is very good at carrying hard-to-find products, but even they don’t have Salon Selectives or Aussie Land. They do carry Flex, however I hate to start buying shampoo online. I guess many people do that, but it would seem odd to me to get shampoo through the mail. If I can buy locally, I would rather.
I take moods when it comes to shampoo. For instance, once I’ve used a bottle of V05, the next time I may want to buy a bottle of Finesse. In everything else in my life, I need sameness except in this one area. Don’t ask me why. I have no idea.
So, if you see any of these, please drop me a line.
Oh, one more thing. I know this isn’t shampoo related, but it is something I can no longer find:
I have looked here in town in Kroger and Wal-Mart for months and neither sells these muffins any longer. I guess I’ll have to try Meijer or Target.
Posted by tami at 8:12 AM Comments (3)
January 4, 2007
Instant Failure
It was one year ago and a day that I SHOWED you a picture of a Kroger ad I thought was downright silly. Take a look at that photo and then take a look at the ad below:
Do you see any similarities?
It’s not that the price has changed – it’s basically the same.
What gets me is them being asinine enough to pair diet food with ice cream! Boy, that’s support there!
I find it funny too, that this ad falls on the heels of the New Year. They KNOW people make resolutions and they KNOW people fail. If you look at it that way, I guess they’re trying to be helpful ;)
Posted by tami at 5:30 PM Comments (0)
January 3, 2007
Break!
This was the scene this afternoon at Advance Auto Parts:
Yes, indeed that IS a car inside the store’s front doors. Not even the Wheelstop could save this vehicle from entering the store.
Do you think they were stopping in to buy new breaks?
Posted by tami at 8:10 PM Comments (1)
January 2, 2007
In December
December was not only a month full of movies, it was also a month filled with Christmas specials. Since they are “special”, I added them to the list for the month.
12-3-06 A Charlie Brown Christmas - This is a 1965 cartoon starring Charlie Brown. While there is so much commercialism going on in the world at Christmastime, Charlie Brown sets out to set the record straight and tell the true meaning of Christmas.
12-4-06 Scrooged - Bill Murray plays an egotistical TV manager who is visited by three ghosts. This is another spin on A Christmas Carol.
12-4-06 Hitch - I loved this comedy, which stars Will Smith. Smith’s job is a professional “date doctor”. He helps men get dates, who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance. He finds out, however that his own advice doesn’t always work on everyone. This movie was hilarious. I only wish they hadn’t given so many funny parts away when they did previews for it on TV.
12-5-06 Christmas with the Kranks – This is one of those movies where you either hate it or you love it. Some people actually thought it was horrible. It’s about a couple (Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen) who want to skip Christmas since their only child is all grown up and will be away for holiday. Honestly, if both of my kids were going to be away for Christmas, a cruise wouldn’t sound too shabby.
12-9-06 James Bond: Casino Royale – Yes! We actually went to the theatre to watch a movie. It was a wonderful time complete with the biggest coke and bucket of buttery popcorn I had ever seen. It was fabulous. Oh, the movie was fabulous too. The new James Bond is HOT and there is a particular part of the movie, which takes place with James in a chair. Bad things were going on while Bond was in this chair, however I couldn’t get over his tanned, sweating body complete with massive muscular legs … I better stop myself now.
12-15-06 How the Grinch Stole Christmas – I love this classic Christmas cartoon and all that it stands for. I don’t think explanations are in order. Unless you’ve been in a cave, you know what this one is about ;)
12-15-06 'Twas the Night Before Christmas – This is a cute cartoon and I don’t even know if you can find it anymore. I have it taped from the early 90’s. The tape is beginning to show its age, so if I see it, I’m going to buy it. Anyway, it’s about a mouse who writes a letter to Santa Claus telling him that his town doesn’t believe in the jolly old man. Santa received the letter and was furious. He made up his mind not to go through that town. The townspeople find out what the mouse did and they ban together to fix things. It’s more involved than that, but you get the point.
12-15-06 Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol – This is exactly like the other Christmas Carol movies, only this is a cartoon and this one stars Mr. Magoo.
12-15-06 The Waltons: Best Christmas episode – This is my very favorite episode of The Walton’s. Mamma has it in her head that this might be the last Christmas the whole family is together, so she wants it to be The Best Christmas. As it happens, there is one catastrophe after another, but the whole family is together in the end. It is truly a wonderful Christmas episode.
12-21-06 White Christmas – I don’t believe this is the greatest Christmas movie ever, but it’s a good musical and you can’t go wrong with Bing Crosby.
12-22-06 The Bells of St. Mary's - This is my favorite serious (not a comedy) Christmas movie. It was made in 1945 and is in black and white. Bing Crosby plays Father O’Malley and Ingrid Bergman plays Sister Mary Benedict. Father O’Malley is new to the catholic school, Saint Mary’s and he has a lot to learn – mainly that the nuns know what they are talking about.
12-23-06 Miracle on 34th Street - I watched the 1994 version of this movie. You can grumble if you want, but this is the version we own, so this is the one I watched. I like it. No, it’s not exactly the same as the old black and white, but it’s still a good movie with the same message. Plus, I like Mara Wilson, the little girl who also played in Mrs. Doubtfire and Matilda. Oh, and just a plug for Matilda – this is a TERRIFIC family movie. Really. You need to see it.
12-23-06 Pee Wee’s Christmas Special - Yes, I love Pee Wee. This show especially is a hoot and one you don’t want to miss. Since it was filmed in 1988, you are able to see many movie stars when they were younger and some, when they were still among the living.
12-23-06 Christmas Vacation - This has to be the funniest Christmas movie that exists. Clark Griswold is a family man and does everything he can to make his family happy. When he gets his Christmas bonus, he has decided to put in a pool. However, the bonus never comes and chaos ensues. Actually, the entire movie is chaos, pure chaos.
12-25-06 A Christmas Story - This is another one of those “must watch” funny Christmas classics. It is a story set in the 1940s, about a little boy named Ralphie. All Ralphie wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder BB Gun, but everyone seems set against it telling him, “You’ll shoot your eye out.”
12-25-06 A Garfield Christmas Special - Besides How The Grinch Stole Christmas, this is my second favorite Christmas cartoon. It’s about Garfield, Odie, and John going to the farm for Christmas.
12-27-06 The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - This was a good movie, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s a very sci-fi/fantasy type of movie. Certain people have extraordinary abilities for example, one is the Invisible Man, another a vampire, one person is immortal, etc. and they all get together for a mission.
12-28-06 Superman Returns - I didn’t expect to like this movie. I love Christopher Reeve and I thought he made the one and only perfect Superman. I was wrong. This movie was wonderful and action-packed. If you have doubts as I did, I suggest putting them aside and watching this movie. You will enjoy it.
12-29-06 Ocean's Twelve - I saw Ocean's Eleven years ago and loved it, so I don’t know why it took me so long to sit down and watch the sequel. I do believe I enjoyed the first one more, but this one was very good and full of twists.
12-30-06 Intolerable Cruelty - George Clooney plays a lawyer and Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a gold-digger. This movie was different, full of twists, and very good. I think it’s worth seeing again.
Posted by tami at 9:44 AM Comments (1)
