My Cat's New Years Resolutions

*My human will never let me eat beer bottle caps, and I am at peace with that.

*I must not help myself to Q-tips, and I must certainly not proceed to stuff them down the sink's drain.

*I will not eat large numbers of assorted bugs, then come home and puke them up so the humans can see that I'm getting plenty of roughage.

*I will not lean way over to drink out of the tub, fall in, and then pelt right for the box of clumping cat litter. (It took FOREVER to get the stuff out of my fur.)

*I will not stand on the bathroom counter, stare down the hall, and growl at NOTHING after my human has finished watching The X-Files.

*I will not use the bathtub to store live mice for late-night snacks.

*I will not perch on my human's chest in the middle of the night and stare into her eyes until she wakes up.

*We will not play Herd of Thundering Wildebeests Stampeding Across the Plains of the Serengeti over any humans' bed while they're trying to sleep.

*Screaming at the can of food will not make it open itself.

*I cannot leap through closed windows to catch birds outside. If I forget this and bonk my head on the window and fall behind the couch in my attempt, I will not get up and do the same thing again.

*I will not assume the patio door is open when I race outside to chase leaves.

*I will not intrude on my human's candle-lit bubble bath and singe my bottom.

*I will not stick my paw into any container to see if there is something in it. If I do, I will not hiss and scratch when my human has to shave me to get the rubber cement out of my fur.

*If I bite the cactus, it will bite back.

*When it rains, it will be raining on all sides of the house. It is not necessary to check every door.

*Birds do not come from the bird feeder. I will not knock it down and try to open it up to get the birds out.

*The dog can see me coming when I stalk her. She can see me and will move out of the way when I pounce, letting me smash into floors and walls. That does not mean I should take it as a personal insult when my humans sit there and laugh.

*I will not play "dead cat on the stairs" while people are trying to bring in groceries or laundry, or else one of these days, it will really come true.

*When the humans play darts, I will not leap into the air and attempt to catch them.

*I will not swat my human's head repeatedly when she's on the family room floor trying to do sit ups.

*When my human is typing at the computer, her forearms are *not* a hammock.

*Computer and TV screens do not exist to backlight my lovely tail.

*I am a walking static generator. My human doesn't need my help installing a new board in her computer.

Say That Again?

Ya'll may have seen this Saturday Night Live clip before, but it's funny and worth seeing again :)

Playing in The Sand

Here's another Timewaster,..pretty cool.

Hat-tip to Roximoon.

It's Been Decided For Me

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet frog 2) Eat less brussel sprouts 3) Travel to Russia 4) Study japanese pop culture 5) Get in shape with stripping classes

What Should Your New Year's Resoluton Be?

My Plans

I've noticed everyone is posting their plans for 2006.

I can't think of anything. I guess it's kind of sad that I don't have any huge goals or anything.
I'd like to go back to bed and just lay there like Critter. But, I can't. Ahhh..the life.

*I'd like to get back to Texas soon.
*I'd really like to go to Alaska.
*I really should get back on that treadclimber.
*I'd love to cook/bake more. But, no one to feed it to.
*The online courses are calling my name.
*I have some major dental work to get done, I've put that off.
*I'd really like to get back to reading. I used to love it. This computer sure has taken over. Blogs are just too fun to read sometimes.
*I've GOT to make Jam...I have put that off too. Maybe that should be on my list today actually. Best to make it when it's snowing out :) I still have some of your addresses for shipment!

Eh, that's it. I guess I thought of a few things. Now whether I get them done or not...I'll let you know next New Years Eve :)

My First Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about Leesa


1. I had a photo chosen for a Christmas card.
2. I also had one chosen for a calendar!
3. I've also had one published in a magazine.
4. I signed up for online school.
5. I was told I make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.
6. I used to sell cheesecakes in Texas.
7. I have three digital cameras.
8. I know how to play piano, saxaphone and clarinet.
9. I absolutely love David Letterman.
10.I have siblings I don't know, and probably never will.
11.I have a fascination with electronics, i.e. cameras, phones, ipods..etc.
12.I'm a Texan, but no real southern accent. I do say Ya'll and Winda and fixin' too.
13.I finally this year got a photo of a moose, and a bear standing up.



Links to other Thursday Thirteens I visited today!

1.Susiepie
2.Leanne
3.MommaK
4.Goofy Girl
5.Just A Girl

**I realized too late that this list should have been 13 things I did this year, OR 13 New Years resolutions...oops :)**


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

My Price Has Gone Up!

My blog is worth $62,099.40.
How much is your blog worth?

Cute Beer

I found this beer in Sandpoint, ID. (obviously), this is where we do the majority of our shopping. I just thought it was fun and had to buy it.

Christmas, continued....

New Camera! I set it next to my phone to show you the size.



New fridge!

Email Fun

I want to wish each of you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a wonderful new year to come! You are all special to me and I appreciate and love each and every one of you!!! But especially, my heartfelt thanks goes out to all those who have taken the time and trouble to send me "forwards" over the past 12 months.

Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed, and wealthy.

*Extra thanks to whoever sent me the one about rat crap in the glue on envelopes because I now have to go get a wet towel every time I need to seal an envelope.
*Also, I scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason. Because of your concern I no longer drink Coca-Cola because it can remove toilet stains.
*I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put "Under God" on their cans.
*I no longer use Saran wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.
*I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.
*I no longer use deodorant since it causes cancer, even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.
*I no longer go to shopping malls because someone might drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.
*I no longer receive packages from nor send packages by UPS or FedEx since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.
*I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica, Uganda, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.
*I no longer eat KFC because their "chickens" are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers.
*I no longer have any sneakers--but that will change once I receive my free replacement pair from Nike.
*I no longer have to buy expensive cookies from Neiman-Marcus since I now have their recipe.
*I no longer worry about my soul because at last count I have 363,214 angels looking out for me.
*Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
*I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl who is about to die in the hospital (for the 1,387,258th time).
*I no longer have any money at all--but that will change once I receive the$15,000 that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

Yes, I want to thank you so much for looking out for me that I will now return the favor: if you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 7 minutes, a large pigeon with a wicked case of diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 PM (EST) this afternoon. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor's ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician.

Real Beer

As anyone who reads here regularly knows, I'm a Heineken drinker.
I'm very particular about my beer.

Hubs found this shirt for me,
and it's just perfect!

Shaken, Not Stirred

Christmas gift--cool martini glass, eh?

Little Did You Know.....

How evil are you? <<>

WTFWJD?

Hat-tip to Redhead Editor for this one.

No disrespect, but I think this is funny as hell.
And I really really want one of the t-shirts!!

Check out Bad Nativities.

Be Still...

One of my Christmas gifts.
Deer made out of trees.

Memories.....

This is pretty cool.
Found over at Heather's.

What was the first line from your blog the first day of each month in 2005?
*I found that mine is pretty boring, but I bet some of you have some cool ones*

March: Not sure what to say today, life is good.

April: I've been such a bum so far today.

May: I've been tagged by Danielle and Greekchickie with blog homework!

June: We're headed out for dinner but I wanted to do a quick post on my day
which I will elaborate on later.

July: I'm back, Yay, So glad to be back home!

August: Found out today I might need jaw surgery.

September: Here's an awesome report on Katrina.

October: It's 2am and he's still here.

November: I changed my photoblog!

December: So, Here I am.

Not too exciting, eh? Oh well....I will have my pics soon. It's cold out and my camera won't quit fogging up. Blah.

Holiday Shopping

Yes, I had my holiday shopping, AFTER the holidays. It was not enjoyable.
I was so completely irritated at Home Depot. Good thing I don't do the talking.

First, we went to Home Depot to get a refrigerator. EVERY refrigerator they had was not-in-stock. Has to be ordered and delivered. WTF?? You have a sales room floor full of refrigerators and we can't take one home today??
Plus, we live so far away, the delivery would have been up to two weeks and costly. Grrr.
What's the point of having all of that merchandise if someone can't buy-it-NOW?

Then..just to make things more fun, hubs decides to use the Self-Checkout. Okay, this annoyed me completely too.
You scan your items, one at at time, but it wants you to put the item in the bag. If you don't, it won't let you scan anything else. We had blinds! Wooden blinds like 6 feet long! How do you bag that? So we set it on the sensor so it thinks we put it in the bag.
We move on to scan the next item, but removed the blinds so we could do this. The stupid machine started bitching at us to put the item back in the bag??? What is this?? Geesh, I was annoyed. Anyway, this machine talks to you like you're an idiot. Place the item in the bag. Scan the next item. Take the items with you when you leave. No sh*t. Grrr. Not sure why I was so grumpy, but needless to say I was.

So, we headed to Sears. Damn right Sears! They had many refrigerators....and we could have one RIGHT.NOW. Damn right!! We bought a stainless steel and black lovely refrigerator (pics later), with ice maker and water in the door, and a matching stove (just for the hell of it)..I've always wanted one of those smooth top stoves. The stove we didn't get today, but will pick up next week.
It was so easy. The salesperson was great and we got exactly what we wanted.

Then the next fun was getting it into our door. I did not help, and I'm sure that's how hubs prefers it. Next fun job was connecting the ice maker. The hubs is a great vet and surgeon, but plumber he is not. Or carpenter, or mechanic, or.. or..or.. But, he eventually got it hooked up...I only needed a few towels to clean up the water. :)

We didn't lose as much food as I thought we were going too, and we keep a pretty full freezer. Luckily it's cold enough outside that we could put alot out there.

Oh..and Christmas?? Hubs got me a little camera..cutest thing you ever saw. We agreed not to exchange gifts, but he didn't listen. It's a Canon Elph SD400. It's very small, perfect for your pocket. Love it. Again, I'll provide pics of all this tomorrow.
My neighbors made me these wooden deer for the yard. Completely made out of logs and sticks. Very cool.
Then a few odds and ends. Some very cool stemless wine glasses from Crate & Barrel and some really neat martini glasses. They are the top of a martini glass without the stem, and they sit in this little bowl that you fill with ice. I don't drink martini's, but hubs will enjoy them. Come to think of it, I rarely drink wine..so he will enjoy those too. Hmmm. I didn't see any gift wrapped 12 packs of Heineken!!

That was about it! I got a new webcam, just for Laura :) hee hee.

And, friends, that is my recap of Christmas and after.
I will have some pics tomorrow of some of the cool stuff.
No web-cam pics...so don't even ask :)

Yeah, I'm cool....

You Are Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

You're the coolest cat around, but too laid back to let it get to your head

What Flavor Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Are You?

No Scraps!

Holiday Food can make your pets very ill.
Check out the article.

I'm not really awake enough yet to write a full post. But, as I was reading the news this popped out at me. I've been telling some people, including my own family, that you shouldn't feed table scraps to your pets. Sure, most eat them and are fine, but I've sure seen many that aren't. It takes awhile sometimes for symptoms to start showing up.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and I will be back later to share my Christmas day with you:) I know the anticipation is just building...ha.
I have to go buy a refrigerator today. Yay.

White Christmas

My Christmas Card to you.

Redneck Christmas

Rudolph The Redneck Reindeer

Merry Christmas :)

Fun Days of Christmas

I found a pretty cute story on the 12 Days of Christmas. Found over at Samantha's, who always comes up with great stuff. Check it out....

This Christmas eve has been interesting. First, starting with last night, we had dinner with friends , which as usual was a great time. They bought a ping-pong table and wanted to break it in.

Ping Pong. Who woulda thought? At first I was amused by the whole idea, but once we got down there and started playing it was great! We also played beer pong, which is actually very hard to play. I eventually gave up because I was tired of waiting to drink my beer. Plus it was getting warm, and that's a big no-no where Heineken is concerned.
I suggested adding alot more glasses...but they were wimps.

They guys decided to play wine pong, but found out that chugging expensive wine is not fun.
We had an amazing dinner and drank way too much. Just as it should be. They had a gorgeous tree and many many presents under it, so I took many pics. They also made me a beautiful gift which I will post tomorrow.

Today I baked cookies all day. My yummy cookies. I found a recipe over at My favorite chef and cooking show that has been a huge hit. They are called puffy cookies and they are so good. Made with cake flour to make them soft and chewy.
So, for my neighbors, I baked all day. They came out great!

Also, our refrigerator died tonight. Yep...dead. Smells horrible. Know any stores open tomorrow to buy a fridge??? Nope...that's what I thought. So, we will be buying a fridge on Monday. I think we might buy a stove too since we've needed a new one since we've been here.

I also had a little scare yesterday when the Hubs went out riding horses. About an hour into his ride, a neighbor kid stopped by to tell me that they saw the Hubs horse running down the street alone. Alone?? The horse wound up coming home by himself. Still saddled up but no reins or halter. Hmmm. I wasn't quite sure where to go with that.
I called a few neighbors who all jumped immediately to go find hubs. I stayed home by the phone. I have to say I thought it was pretty cool that 1-the horse came home on his own, and 2-my neighbors all formed this little posse to search for the hubs. Two neighbors on 4-wheelers with radios, one in a car and two driving down the country roads. It was quite impressive and very comforting.

The hubs was fine, by the way. Which I had suspected from the beginning since it didn't sound right that the halter and reins were not on the horse. Come to find out that he got off of Blaze to adjust the bit and Blaze decided he had had enough and took off! Hubs was at least a few miles from home so he started walking. Eventually a neighbor picked him up and brought him home.

Oh the fun of wilderness living.

I'm now enjoying a Heinekin and channel surfing.
Sounds like a great Christmas eve to me!

Christmas Eve

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
a lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light.
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."

"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.

My Gramps died at 'Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of 'Nam',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.

"I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.

I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?"

It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.

To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.

Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.

Christmas Visions

Wishes

Found This at Susie's.

Dog Owners

Check THIS out.

Hat-tip to: Yankee in the South.

Christmas Work

Yes, another circle! Help me, I'm addicted.
Christmas lights....pretty cool, eh?

I finally got all of my Christmas boxes stuffed and wrapped. I guess I should call them New Years Boxes. Critter was a HUGE help. I got a few photos I'll probably upload on Christmas day.
We'll have dinner with the neighbors tonight, and then the next couple of days will be pretty calm.

We have heard some mumblings of bear out and about. Now, what are they doing up??
I'm not ready to deal with bear again!
I'm pretty sure I heard a mountain lion the other night. Talk about a creepy noise when it's dark and so so quiet out.

We've had actually warm temps and rain today. It's 37 out! Put away the coats!!
I now have a cheesecake to make, and some cookies for dinner (well dessert, I guess) so I will be quite entertained for the afternoon. Let's see how much help Critter can be with baking.
Anyone mind kitty fur in their cookies??

Star Light, Star Bright......

Sort of tagged by Skye who was sort of tagged by Diane and so on and so on....

1. Finish the sentence: “I wish I …” - - Basically, pretend you had up to three wishes to change something about you. A restriction is that [you] cannot wish to change someone else. For example, you can say; “I wish I weighed 30 pounds less.” But this wish is not for this meme; “I wish my spouse weighed 30 pounds less.”

2. If you are reading this, you are “tagged” with this meme.

Of course I’m not actually obligated to do this as those that are now reading this are not but as some people say, bloggers who take themselves too seriously to play games are fulla B.S.

So here goes-

I wish: I could let my guard down a bit with people. I tend to be closed up a bit and can't relax. I choose very few to share with, which usually leaves others to think I'm cold or distant. Which really isn't the case. I have learned through the years that I tend to trust the wrong people most of the time, so instead of getting my feelings hurt, I trust very few. What's even sadder, is at 37, I still meet those I think I can trust, and am disappointed all over again. Which in turn, brings that guard wall right back up again.

I wish: I weren't so honest with people sometimes. I believe in being up front and honest, but it doesn't always have the best reactions. I've learned that some just can't handle complete honesty and you have to pick and choose what you say.

I wish: I weren't so sensitive sometimes. I used to never let little things bother me, but I have gotten worse about that. Not sure why, but I don't like it. That tough outer shell I always wore seems to be cracking. Good or bad?

These have seem to come off pretty negative, which I'm not at all. These were just three things I thought of that I would like to change. I'm actually alot better than I was 10 years ago!

Any players??

Funky Meme

I've been tagged by Funkybug!

Four Jobs You've Had:
*ER veterinary tech
*Waitress
*Chocolate Shop
*Accountant Assistant

Four Movies You'd Watch Over and Over Again:
*Jaws
*Rocky Horror Picture Show
*Steel Magnolias
*Men in Black

Four Places You've Lived:
*Texas
*Utah
*Michigan
*Montana

Four Places You've Vacationed
*St. Kitts
*Puerto Rico
*Cancun
*Florida

Four Websites You Visit Daily (*just four?)
*Laura
*Marianna
*Neil
*Binsk

Four Places You'd Rather Be (*maybe visit?)
*Italy
*Australia
*Maine
*Ireland

Happy Dance

I won the Photo Contest! You guys are so cool!

Texan Moves to Montana

Marianna shared this with me. Very funny :)

December 8: 6:00 P.M. It started to snow, the first snowfall of the season.
The wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge snowflakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic. We felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9: We awoke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a lovelier place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I have ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry. We will definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that is possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14: Snow, lovely snow! Eight degrees last night. The temperature dropped to minus twenty. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back in the afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize that I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so much.

December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and two extra snow shovels. Stocked the freezer too. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think she is silly. After all, we aren't in Alaska.

December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my rear on the ice in the driveway while I was trying to put down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour. I think she's very cruel.

December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. I guess I should have bought a wood stove, but I won't admit that to her. God, I hate it when she is right. Can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they are lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I will have to shovel or the city will bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white stuff fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt until August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. I tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think he's lying.

December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And, it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she.....nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago. She said she did, but I think she's lying.

December 24: 6". Snow packed so hard by the snowplow, I broke the shovel. I though I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the SOB who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his family jewels. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and than he comes down the street at a 100 miles and hour and throws snow all over where I have just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas Carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the darn snowplow.

December 25: Merry Christmas! 20 more inches of the darned slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow. Then, the snowplow driver came by and asked for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her.

December 26: Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here? It was all her idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27: Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze.
December 28: Warmed up to above-50. Still snowed in. The wife is driving me crazy!!!!!December 29: 10 more inches of snow. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it will collapse. That's the silliest thing I have ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?????

December 30: Roof caved in. The snowplow driver is suing me for ten thousand dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" more snow predicted.

December 31: Set fire to what was left of the house. No more shoveling, I'm heading back to Texas :)

Merry %#*@$ Christmas!

Got a problem with Christmas??
Go HERE.

Stolen from Binsk. :)

**Some bad language..not for everyone**

Kiss Me

I've been surfing along the blogs tonight and realize alot of bloggers will be taking a break over the holidays. Hmmph.
Are you all leaving me alone? Hmmph.

I really don't have anything else to say.

I think I'll go watch a Christmas Southpark now.
Then, maybe Nightmare before Christmas.
Then, maybe the Grinch.

So there.

Laura's Web

So it finally decided to warm up here a bit. We actually got up to 25 yesterday!
The winds have died down too, so I'm happy. We are expecting freezing rain today,which is not cool, but the Hubs is home so he gets to deal with all outdoor activities :)

Laura and I chatted on webcam last night, which for anyone who knows me, that is pretty huge. I may post pics and play , but I'm quite the chicken on live TV!
A couple of people, including Laura and Marianna told me to keep my clothes on!!

What's up with that?? LOL

I'm remembering clearly that Laura brought up clothing removal & mentioned she was wearing layers of clothing. And I'm the one living in the arctic north!
I think has given me a reputation....is that good or bad??
I do have to agree with Laura though, that it is interesting to see someone actually move and smile on the cam, when all you've ever seen is photos and words.
She's quite pretty too! But we all knew that from her photos :) Of course the turtlenecks up to her chin didn't reveal much....heehee.

ANYWAY.....I wound up not getting a tree, just seemed silly when it's all almost over now.
I did hang up some garland w/lights over the fireplace, and a couple of embroidered stockings we have. I think that's it! I have a few press'z to send, but won't even get to the post office until tomorrow, so I'm a late Santa.

I get to drive my new truck again (second time!!) into the big city today. I hope the freezing rain waits until I get back home.
I will be able to get some ice photos today, that will be cool.

Oh and I got an awesome box from Magpie! She is so so cool!

Okay time to get dressed (behave, Laura!) and start my day.
Should I wear layers???

Meet Me Under The Mistletoe

I thought I'd merge an age-old tradition with 21st century science and give you a few words on the healing power of mistletoe…

..Mistletoe or Viscum album as it's known to botanists was first thought to be part of the pagan holiday of "Hoeul". Used to inspire passion by those who kissed under its berries; today it may very well save your life. There are generally two broad classes of mistletoe:

An American version known as Phoradendron and the European mistletoe from the Viscum album class. Growing about 2-3 feet tall, mistletoe most often lives as a parasite on tree limbs of host trees such as apple trees,poplars, willows, lindens, and hawthorns.
It was popularized for its ability to alter blood pressure and stimulate intestinal movement in the early 20th century. There is growing evidence that an extract from mistletoe known as Iscador is aviable anti-cancer agent.

Both the American and European versions are considered toxic.
However, after over 250 cases of accidental exposure, no one has died or had significant symptoms. I wouldn't recommend eating the stuff, but after it is properly extracted,Iscador, the active ingredient in Mistletoe, may be an agent your doctor wants to use if you're fighting cancer.
While it is traditionally used in Europe, it is available here to your doctor if he/she so chooses though most are not familiar with it. In one study published this year comparing over 300 malignant melanomapatients who received Iscador for 30 months or longer to those who did not receive Iscador, there was a roughly 25% reduction in metastasis of their tumor to the brain and a 50% reduction in spread of their tumors to the lungs.
Both groups received standard therapies for their tumor in addition to Iscador.
(1) In another study published last year (2004), evaluating 1442 patients roughly half of who received Mistletoe Extract and conventional therapy for breast cancer versus the other half who received only conventional therapy alone ( chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) the incidence of treatment related symptoms like nausea, shortness of breath etc was lower in the group receiving mistletoe extract than in the group that did not receive it.
(2) Lastly, another study that was not well controlled from a statistical point of view, but whose results were quite dramatic showed that out of a group of 396 matched pairs, (one group of patients with aspecific cancer type who received standard cancer therapy "matched" to another group that received both standard cancer therapy and mistleto eextract), the average extended length of life was 40% or roughly 4.23 years versus 3.05 years.
This is significant and should not be ignored. The various types of tumors included rectal carcinoma, coloncarcinoma, breast carcinoma with and without metastasis (tumorspread), stomach carcinoma, and lung cancers.
(3) So what's the bottom line? There is increasing evidence that when combined with traditional therapies, mistletoe extract may extend life and lessen side effects associated with cancer and its treatment.That's good news this Christmas for those of you who might be fighting this ugly disease.

I hope you enjoy your holiday and take time to love on your family.
Every day is a gift, no matter how far we come with fighting cancer and other terminal diseases. Don't take those days for granted! Have a safe, blessed, and prosperous New Year. :)

Daisy Ball

Memphis Tag

Memphis Steve tagged me twice in one post, is that fair?
I think I've done both of these before, but just for Steve, I will do them again. He did sing for us today on his post, so I guess this is fair:)

5 random things about me you might not know:

1. I could easily eat a whole bag of Cheetos.
2. I love to eat pickles and cheddar cheese together at the same time.
3. I can watch the movie Jaws over and over and over again.
4. I love the smell of Vanilla. In perfume, lotions, you name it.
5. I love thunderstorms.

What were you 10 years ago?
**Living in Michigan and going through a really sucky divorce. Working during the day at an animal hospital and nights as a cocktail waitress.
What were you doing 1 year ago?
**Hmm..same thing I'm doing now. Living in MT, feeding herds of animals and shoveling snow:) I hadn't started blogging yet, how bored I must have been.

5 Favorite Snacks
*Pickles
*Cheddar Cheese
*Cheetos
*Jalapeno Artichoke Dip
*Guacamole

5 Songs you know all the words to
*Wildflower--Tom Petty
*Hollaback Girl--Gwen Stefani
*Lonestar--Norah Jones
*Harder to Breathe--Maroon 5
*Beautiful--Christina Aguilera


5 Things you would do if you had money
*start a wildlife refuge
*get a third car, something fun and convertible
*buy a disgustingly expensive digital camera
*donate to favorite charities
*buy alpacas

5 Bad Habits
*chew on fingernails
*clutterer
*drink too much diet coke
*bite my lower lip
*hmm..that's all I can think of

5 Things I Love to Do
*photography
*blog
*bake
*shop
*cross-country ski

5 Things I would never get new, buy new, or wear again
*leg warmers
*head bands
*any clothes with fake fur
*any clothes with real fur
*barettes

5 Favorite Toys
*camera
*Ipod
*computer
*photo printer
*camera phone

Bored??

Here's a Time Waster for ya.

My highest score so far: 316

Scumbag Award

THIS just makes me sick. I had read about this awhile back but hadn't kept up with it.

Michelle Malkin describes him well.

Auntie Em?

It is a miserable miserable morning here. Actually the last two days have been. It's 9 degrees, which is actually higher than last week, but the winds are awful. I don't remember winds this bad ever.
I've had two outside shades torn off the windows, and I can't even open the side glass doors without huge gusts of cold winds coming in. You can't imagine how the house sounds when the winds hit...I'm just waiting for one of these tall trees to hit the house.

This sucks.

I had to burn both fireplaces yesterday just to keep the house above 60 degrees!!
Not much sleep to be had since the winds are scaring the dogs. They keep thinking there's someone or something out on the porch. So I was up at 4am with them. Yay for me :)

I'm going to bombard you guys with this circle art, I'm just loving it!
These are just distortions of my original pics. The one here for example is a yellow flower that had a blue sky behind it. Play in photoshop and Voila....circle! If you'd like better directions, just email me:)

I'm seriously considering crawling back into bed now. It's warm in that room.
Can't do much else here until it starts getting light out anyway. Ugggh.

Just Some Thoughts

We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes. --John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Peace is not something you wish for; it's something you make, something you do, something you are, something you give away. -- Robert Fulghum

If you can't be thankful for what you receive, be thankful for what you escape." -- Unknown

Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures. -- John F. Kennedy

Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, 'It might have been.' - John Greenleaf Whittier

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it. - Helen Keller

Every area of trouble gives out a ray of hope; and the one unchangeable certainty is that nothing is certain or unchangeable. --John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Sweet

Check this out! Look what Sugarfused showed me how to do! Check out her circle art, it's awesome.
Okay..back to playing now....

Addicted

A few more tries....
these are all photos ya'll have seen before.

Sunday Mutter

Unconsious Mutterings

I say ... and you think ... ?


1.Replenish:: Fluids
2.People:: Crowds
3.Trend:: Fashion
4.Girlfriends:: Few
5.Spirit:: Cheer
6.Banshee:: Siouxie
7.Oasis:: Midnight
8.Thrills:: Rollercoasters
9.Fountain:: Soda
1o.Boxes:: Cats

Ewwwwww

You are

What Rejected Crayon Are You?

40 Things

40 things a Southerner would never say
(**I'm a southerner, so I can joke about myself too**)

40. Oh I just couldn't. Hell, she's only sixteen
39. I'll take Shakespeare for 1000, Alex.
38. Duct tape won't fix that.
37. Lisa Marie was lucky to catch Michael.
36. Come to think of it, I'll have a Heineken. (What????)
35. We don't keep firearms in this house.
34. Has anybody seen the sideburns trimmer?
33. You can't feed that to a dog.
32. I thought Graceland was tacky.
31. No kids in the back of the pickup, it's just not safe.
30. Wrasslin's fake.
29. Honey, did you mail the donation to Greenpeace?
28. We're Vegetarians.
27. Do you think my gut is too big?
26. I'll have the grapefruit and grapes instead of the biscuits and gravy.
25. Honey we don't need another dog.
24. Who's Richard Petty?
23. Give me the small bag of pork rinds.
22. Too many deer heads detract from the decor.
21. Spittin is such a nasty habit.
20. I just couldn't find a thing at WalMart today.
19. Trim the fat off that steak.
18. Cappuccino tastes better than espresso.
17. The tires on that truck are too big.
16. I'll have the arugala and radicchio salad.
15. I've got it all on C drive.
14. Unsweetened tea tastes better.
13. Would you like your salmon poached or boiled?
12. My fiancé, Bobbie Jo, is registered at Tiffany's.
11. I've got two cases of Zima for the Super Bowl.
10. Little Debbie snack cakes have too much fat.
9. CHECKMATE!!
8. She's too young to be wearing a bikini.
7. Does the salad bar have bean sprouts?
6. Hey, here's an episode of "HEE HAW" that we haven't seen.
5. I don't have a favorite college team.
4. Be sure to bring my salad dressing on the side.
3. I believe you cooked those green beans too long.
2. Those shorts ought to be longer, Darla.
1. Nope, no more for me. I'm drivin tonight.

Adding Insult to Injury

So, besides it being FREAKIN' cold out, it's also windy. I'm sure you know how much worse that makes it.
It's also messing with my internet. Not acceptible.

We've gotten up to 21 degrees so far. I think that's the high for the day.
We will go back to below zero tonight. And yes, that is measured digitally.
I bought one of those fancy-shmancy digital thermometers. High-falootin' ya know.

Neighborhood kids came by asked if they could ice skate on our pond.
Isn't that the cutest thing you ever did hear??
Of course I said no, if no parents were involved. There are parents out there now.

Hmmm....photo opportunity?
Nah...it's 21 degrees out.
I'm stayin' inside.
I may be living up north, but I still have southern blood in me.

Brrrrrrr

Okay I think I've reached my coldest.
It's 0.3 degrees outside. It's 60 degrees inside. Yep, I'm cold.
I turn my woodstove down at night since me and the critters sleep in a heated room, but getting up to 60 degree house is not very fun.
Everything's a blazin' now....let's hope it warms up in here.

My neighbor is insisting I need a tree, so most likely we will look for one today.
Just somewhere around on our properties. Nothing big, since I'm sure Critter will mess
with it.
She wanted to cross-country this morning, but I'm starting to think she's insane.
It's ZERO degrees!
Actually last time we went skiing, it was 13 degrees out...you warm up pretty quickly.
I made the mistake of taking the dogs last time and almost killed Taylor from Hypothermia. You just don't think about how cold it is when you're bundled up and exerting energy like that. She gave up on me many times before I realized that she was just TOO cold.
We finally took turns carrying her to our destination. She's about 20 pounds, so it wasn't easy.
I just wanted to kick myself, considering the profession I was in and the profession the hubs IS in.
She did okay. We warmed her up inside next to the fire and she was back to herself in no time.
Won't make that mistake again.
Brock on the other hand, seems to be impervious to cold. Nothing bothers him. He'll still jump in the water if he can find some that's not frozen.

I did make some cookies yesterday, took a few photos. I do have my village strewn all over the house. Nothing broken yet! Photos to come soon....
I'm definitely going to try my hardest to stay indoors today.
Do you know why?????

If Dogs Were Teachers

You would learn stuff like...

> When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
> Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
> Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
> When it's in your best interest, practice obedience.
> Let others know when they've invaded your territory.
> Take naps and stretch before rising.
> Run, romp, and play daily.
> Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
> Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
> On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
> On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
> When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
> No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout ... run right back and make friends.
> Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
> Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.
> Be loyal.
> Never pretend to be something you're not.
> If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
> And MOST of all...
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.

(Received in an email)

I Bet You're Shocked.....

You Were a Cat

You are an independent person who inspires others with your dreams. A calm protector, you will fight when you need to.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

History

Rebelmoon has some wild photos from the Katrina damage in Biloxi, MS. Everyone talks about New Orleans, but Biloxi was hit pretty bad too.
Check it out.

Helping

Vote For Me!

I entered a photo into a contest for a Christmas magazine...
Go Vote!

Well, umm..err..if you want..you know...no pressure or anything.

Cold, Christmas & Catzilla

It's very cold this morning. Two degrees. Ugggh...trip to horses will.be.cold.
I'm ready for that balmy 30 degrees!
Not a whole lot to report here. I finished my Christmas shopping, all online. I had some little Christmas gifts all wrapped up and ready to mail, and then forgot Hubs took our only vehicle. Sooo, some presents may be late.
I'm going to try to make cookies today, we'll see how productive I can be. No car and cold temps may keep me inside all day.

My newest photo project is the Christmas village, as you can see my first attempt here. Critter is helping way too much, which is kind of cool as it makes him look like Catzilla......I see a project right there! Catzilla attacks villagers in small Christmas town!!
I'm still thinking on the greeting cards, just deciding whether a new blog is in order or an actual website. I'm not good with this kind of stuff so gotta think on it and get advice.
If any of you want some, just let me know I can always make them up and I have paypal so it's pretty easy.

Oh and I'm and SPF loser, I didn't play AGAIN. I keep getting distracted. That's been happening alot lately :)

The Ebay Song

Check THIS out.
Very funny :)

Tonight

Our Frozen Creek

(*click on pics for larger view!)

Unveiling

Here they are! The best mini-cam photos I could come up with. It was the wierdest little camera. But what do you expect from a $15.00 keychain camera? There was of course no focus, or zoom or anything really resembling a camera. It has 70 photos available on it, but I only took about 10. These were the best from it. It would be a cute gift for a kid maybe. I still want to play with it some more so more to come.

I finally drove my new truck! Only weeks after the purchase. It was really great, such a nice truck. Of course it's out of here tomorrow with the hubs. I'm actually going to be carless, as his truck is in the shop. Normally not a big deal, since I don't leave the house much, but since you guys know I live in the world of Murphy's Law, something is bound to happen.

I found out today that we have gone almost 3 weeks without going over 30 degrees. It's a record. I'd actually like 30 degrees right now, I'm getting tired of feeding horses in 7 degree weather.

We didn't find a tree today :( The tree farm was down to nothing so we decided to search our own property. We do have many many trees, but none quite full enough or strong enough right now to hold ornaments. So, I'm thinking there will be no tree this year. I do plan on pulling out the lights and stockings and stuff anyway.
I also have this great Christmas village I might pull out. It's huge, must have at least 40 pieces to it. Hmmm...I see photo opportunities :)

Glass

Frozen

The Last Best Place

Snagged from: Annie:)

From someone visiting from out of state.

"These Montana girls....they'll drink you under the table."

"Is it a requirement to own a 4-wheel drive vehicle up here?"

"Ya'll take this polar fleece thing seriously- don't cha?"

"Why are snowboots acceptable footwear in the workplace?"

"When you go to the doctor to get weighed, how do you know how much you actually weigh under all those layers?"

"Sushi? You really have a sushi place here? Really? REAL Sushi?"

"No tax at all? Except in resort towns? And in hotels and motels? And on gas? But ya'll are against a sales tax?"

And so, as a popular bumper sticker says:

"Welcome to Montana...enjoy your stay and then get the hell out."

It's all in good fun right?

Say Cheese

I spent my entire day in Coeur D'alene, Idaho yesterday. We did our usual grocery shopping along with Costco and Home Depot.
Costco and Walmart were just insane with crowds. I love Costco, but I hate when I have to manuever around 50 people who want to try the newest snack that an elderly person is handing out. It was like some kind of buffett line, just moving from one free snack to the next.

Walmart wasn't much better (shocker). I did find something of interest though. While waiting to pay, I found this digital camera key chain. It was about $15.00 and it's not much bigger than a matchbox.

Yes, I bought it :)
Hubs was glad to buy me a camera that he didn't cringe at the price.

Has it's own software and everything. I can't wait to see what kind of pics this thing produces.
That will be my goal today. Well that and getting a tree. We finally decided to go get our tree.
So you will probably see pics of:

*Cats running off with ornaments.
*Dogs eating ornaments.
*Dog chasing cat with garland wrapped around it.
*Cats in tree.
*Dogs stepping on lights and breaking them.
*Me wondering why I decided to decorate.....

Maybe I should make a collage??

(*oh and to all dog and cat owners out there, be very careful with tinsel. They can eat this stuff and get it all twisted in their intestines. It can make them very sick and sometimes has to be removed surgically. I've seen it more than once*)

Okay...I'll be back with the worlds smallest digital photos.

Christmas Tag

I've been tagged by Concrete Angel!

1. Name three things that you would like to get for Christmas.
**I'd love the new Canon 5D. (*very very very much)
**Unmentionables from Victoria's Secret.
**A Sony Vaio ultra thin laptop.

2. Name three things that you are giving as gifts for Christmas.
**Chocolate covered strawberries from Berries.com
**A deep fryer
**Homemade cookies and sweets.

3. Name three things that you hope no one will get you.
**A fruitcake
**Bath beads
**Strange sausages and cheeses

I'm tagging Marianna, Stacie, and Theresa.

Dog Rules

Dear Dogs,

When I say to move, it means go someplace else, not switch positions with each other so there are still two dogs in the way.
The dishes with the paw print are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Please note, placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by Nascar and is not a racetrack. Beating me to the bottom is not the objective. Tripping me doesn't help, because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king size bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort.Look at videos of dogs sleeping. They can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to the fullest extent possible.

I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing but doggy sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom. If by some miracle I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, try to turn the knob, or get your paw under the edge and try to pull the door open. I must exit through the same door I entered. In addition, I have been using bathrooms for years; canine attendance is not mandatory.

The proper order is kiss me, then go smell the other dogs butt. I cannot stress this enough. It would be such a simple change for you.

Rules for non pet owners who visit and like to complain about our pets:

1. The dog lives here. You don't.
2. If you don't want dog hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture.
3. I like my dog a lot better than I like most people.
4. To you, she's a dog. To me, she's an adopted daughter who is short,hairy, walks on all fours and doesn't speak clearly.
5. Dogs are better than kids. They eat less, don't ask for money all thetime, are easier to train, usually come when called, never drive your car, don't hang out with drug-using friends, don't smoke or drink, don't worry about buying the latest fashions, don't wear your clothes, don't need agazillion dollars for college, and if they get pregnant, you can sell the pups.