My official review of the Ft Worth Museum of Science and History

I forgot I can't paste. I wrote it in facebook, then copied it and remembered I can't paste here. So, instead of re-writing the whole thing for all my many thousands of readers, I'll just tell you that it was great, but don't go during the stock show. No parking. If you want to know more, post a comment here...

But can I embed???

I couldn't paste, but I wonder if I can embed a video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYMHeou0B5I

No, apparently not, but I can insert a link. Anyway, back before Christmas, we had a talent show at work. The pharmacy staff played Ike and Tina Turner. I was Tina. Yes, that is a wig I was wearing. It is totally hillarious.

Can't paste!!!

I was going to copy and paste the hurricane warning for Miami on February 7th, but this blog site won't let me paste! UGH! It was cute, you'll just have to take my word for it.

Sunday I hurt my lower back. I don't know how, I was just riding in the truck on the way home from Mass. (Yes, I finally started going again. My mother is so happpy.) It sucks. I've been bathing in IcyHot, sleeping with a heeting pad, and eating aleve like they were M&Ms! It will get better for a while, then worse. I even went to the DOCTOR!!! Now I have an appt for physical therapy. Most people don't like PT, but I've had very good luck with it. We'll see how it works! Wish me luck. I can't drive to Louisiana like this!

Gardening and goofing off

Almost every day when I have a little spare time at work, I swing on over to my favorite gardening web sites. I am really dying to get back in the yard and grow something - ANYTHING! But alas, there isn't much one can do in January in Texas. I'm trying for the third time this winter to grow tomatoes from seeds, but without much luck, so far. I would even be happy to weed something if there was anything to weed! Every day I also go out in my back yard and look at my new bulb bed and hope to see signs of something - ANYTHING, but alas, there isn't anything yet. I moved the pine straw over and saw a couple of baby stalks, but none have pushed through the pine straw yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Practical and useful ways to save money

Everyone is trying to save money these days. And if you watch TV or listen to the radio, the only way to do it is to switch car insurance companies! I have some other ideas and even useful tips on how to make them work in your family. However, this is a do as I say, not as I do lesson. I waste a lot of money and have a very difficult time stopping!

1. Don't eat out. This sounds easy, but it is probably the most difficult for me. Neither my husband or I can cook as good as your basic family restaurant. Well, Chris can, but it is a LOT of work. And if you've seen either of us, you'd know how much we like to eat. So if you can't do #1, go to number 2! One way to help this one work is to have plenty of easy to cook food on hand at all times. We can't seem to keep up with the shopping either.

2. Only order water when you eat out. I hate water! Yuck! But I do like lemonaide, so order water with lemons and add sweetener and lemon juice! Lemonaide for FREE! Most restaurants charge about $1.79 or more for a drink, even tea, so you do the math. The best way I've found to get the kids on board with this without a lot of whining is to tell them ahead of time, "We want to go out to eat, but in order to afford it, we all have to drink water. Do you want to go out and eat and drink water or go home and eat my cooking and drink milk?" Works like a charm!

3. Generics. Most generics are just as good as the brand name, some are better, some are good enough and some are terrible. Try ALL of them you can before you decide against it. In the same category, I'll put milk and canned veggies. In the better category, I like the powdered drink mixes. I say Sam's choice colas are "good enough" because they aren't as good a real Coke, but they only cost 78 cents for a two liter! Paper towels are in the terrible category.

4. Do the math before shopping at Sams or Costco. If it costs $40 a year, will you really save that much in a year? Consider that you usually can't buy generics there either, so you lose that savings.

5. Don't get ANYTHING to eat or drink at the movies. Tell the kids in advance that this is the only way we can afford it then stick to. You may get a few whines the first couple of times, but they'll get used to it. On the same note as movies, only go to dollar movies if they have them in your town. You still can't get snacks though. To get your kids to go is by inviting them to see the movie you've already picked out, don't let them pick one out. Also, most towns have an older theater that is cheaper than the newer one. For heaven sakes, don't go to the newer one just cuz everyone else does!

That is all I can think of for now. I'm going to look into low cost entertainment options. Cuz it sucks to be broke and bored.

Naps without football

I'd like to welcome all (both) my new followers! Dawn and Suzanne. Thanks for reading!

I love football. I especially like the way football players look in those spandex pants. I love taking naps with a football game on in the background. Today, I'm ready for a nap, and there is NO foootball! Chris hates naps. It makes him feel lazy. I think a nap is a more productive way to spend time than watching TV. In fact, I understand that sleeping burns more calories than watching TV. So napping is kind of like working out! Now I've gone and talked myself into a bowl of ice cream before my nap! There isn't even a car race on TV. Those are great for naps too.

Should I invite people over to watch football tomorrow? I love watching football with lots of people. Problem is... Problems are... If the Saints don't win, I won't be much of a hostess... Not many of my friends care about the Saints... The gameroom is a disaster and I don't want to clean it! Guess I answered my own question! Thanks for the help!!!

garden stuff

I forgot to tell everyone about my bulb garden. The week after Christmas, Chris and I built a bulb bed in a corner of the back yard in front of an (occaisionally) evergreen wisteria. Well, with all the warm weather and rain, I have TWO sprouts!!! If you are a gardener, you will understand my excitement! Once they all (hopefully) come up I'll post a picture. I have one now, but it is just dirt. Not very exciting.

I'm also trying my hand at growing tomatoes and peppers from seed. I'll let you all know how that turns out!

Nobody and bears

It still looks like no one has discovered my awesome blog yet, so I'm still blogging to myself. That's OK, mostly no one listens to me anyway!



Today I spent an inordinate amount of time watching for Lily the black bear laboring to give birth. Too see it, google Lily black bear den cam or something like that. Anyway, I missed the actual birth, but you can hear the baby crying. It sounds just like a human baby!



I did stumble across an AWESOME picture of Jeremy Shockey with short hair and NO shirt! Who knew he was that FINE! I made it my wallpaper! My company's computer people will eventually change my wallpaper back to the plain old boring blue that everyone else has, but for now, I just sit at my desk, stare at the computer, and drool a little!

Speaking of the Saints, my DEUUUUUCE jersey came in today. Chris texted me a picture of it. I can't wait to get home and put it on! He bought it on ebay for around $30 and it is a real game jersey with sewn on letters and numbers. Not the cheap iron on ones! COME ON SUNDAY!!!

As you can tell, I haven't accomplished much at work today. We were very busy this morning, but usually the afternoons are light.

See all my fans again on Monday!

How to entertain yourself during a boring meeting...

I have to attend a lot of meetings and I'm expected to actually pay attention. This is difficult since I have no control over the cost of outside services and other such nonsense. Here are some of the ways I've entertained myself.

Practice your penmanship with your left hand.
Draw a person sitting across from you.
Draw cartoon characters.
Sign in as Heywood Jablome or Ben Dover.

Texting and playing with your iphone is not as easy to do now that everyone recognizes the look. You know, your hands in your lap under the table and your eyes down? So, reading a book is out.

Once a quarter we have a dinner meeting called Medical Executive Committee. Alcohol is served there!!! That opens up whole new possibilities to entertain yourself! I get three or four other people there and we play drinking games! For example, whenever anyone says a buzzword, like "mindful" everyone has to take a drink. Next time I'm thinking about buzzword bingo.

Genealogy

If you don't know, I consider myself an armchair genealogist. I want everyone to try to get information from the most important person in genealogy, your grandparents! Think about it... Almost everyone remembers his or her grandparents. And if you ask your grandparents about their grandparents, well you have important information from 4 generations ago! That can be a LONG time in some families. I missed my opportunity, so if you still have them, GO TALK TO THEM AND WRITE DOWN WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THEIR GRANDPARENTS!!! I need to do that with my parents anyway.

DEUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE

The Saints have re-signed Deuce McAllister!!! WOO HOO!!! Can you tell how happy I am about this?!? Now I just HAVE to have a Deuce jersey. Thinking about getting one off NFLshop.com where you can customize anything. A while back Chris got me one that says "Bowers" on the back and is #1, but it is tiny!!! I had to give it to Payton. Skinny Lynn had several others that had to go to Payton too! So now fat Lynn needs one!

Guess what I'll be doing at 3:30 tomorrow??? That's right, yelling at the TV!

GEAUX SAINTS!!! GEAUX DEUCE!!!

Tired of hearing about the Cowboys

This has been bothering me for a few weeks now that we are in the playoffs. I live in a suburb of Dallas, but I'm a Saints fan. (WHO DAT!) I'm so sick of everyone talking about the Cowboys and bashing the Saints. We don't even play the Cowboys yet! I know ya'll beat us once, but come on, you don't have to be such haters! Plus there just aren't that many of us Saints fans around here. I guess the Saints fans would be the second largest group behind the cowboys' fans, but far behind. Anyway, all this football talk makes me even more desparate for the Saints to win. I don't know how I will manage to come to work if the Saints lose on Saturday. I wish there was something, anything I could do to help them win!

My First Blog

OK, my peeps! This is my very first blog. I've wanted to share my opinions with everyone, but I was afraid that I'd lose friends. Hopefully this way, only people who won't get pissed off by my opinions will be reading this!!!

Plan to hear a lot about gardening, my kids, the Saints, my husband, and what ever else happens to pop into the crazy head of mine.