Thursday, September 28, 2006
People In The News
I have nothing to say about T.O.'s situation until all the reports are in. But I do like one of the headlines in the newspaper: The Blame For This Media Circus Lies With The Media, Not Owens. Amen!
I absolutely love the latest TV ad that the Swann campaign is running. Very humorous. It's the one about the current governor's ad stating there will be property tax cuts for all Pennsylvanians. They don't say when. Actually it might occur sometime late next year, if not then in 2008, according to the guideline dates I found yesterday. The current governor made the campaign promise in 2002 saying he would give all home owners significant property tax relief. However, should he not be voted to stay as governor this fall, his campaign promise will not be worth much. Property tax cuts? I'll believe them when I see them in my tax bills. Right now it's just a big joke.
Tokyo Rose is dead. Boo hoo. I don't know much about her other than hearing her name now and then in my early years. After reading the article about her in the newspaper, I now know more than I really wanted to: namely that she never existed as just one person. There were several women that demoralized American servicemen via the radio. This one particular woman, Iva Toguri D'aquino aka Orphan Ann, just happened to be the one that was prosecuted. Poor baby...Not!
Juan Pablo Montoya ~ is this just the tip of the iceberg as far as other drivers in different racing venues wanting to get into the lucrative sport of stockcar racing? It uneases me a bit. Irregardless, Mr. Montoya, or is that Senor Montoya from Colombia, will make his debut October 6th in the ARCA race at Talladega Superspeedway. I for one will be watching very closely. If all goes well, Juan Pablo will be in the No. 42 Dodge next season driving for Chip Ganassi in the Nextel Cup Series.
And finally I would like to talk about Matt Kenseth. How can one person be so dang funny and not crack a smile at the same time? He cracks me up almost every week. I just can't help myself. I never used to appreciate his humor, but I do now. I'm not a big Kenseth fan, but he's ok in my book ~ till he does something dumb on the track. But that doesn't happen very often as he is a careful driver. I guess it's not what he says so much as how he says it. Kind of like an "aside." Funny guy ~ who'da thunk it?
Of course, I just had to post a photo of Matt with Junior. For my sake.
posted by Cheyenne at 4:42 PM comment(s) made:
12
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I Make No Excuses
For those few readers that I have, I sincerely appreciate when you visit. For those of you who come here looking for NASCAR writings, you won't find much. This is not a NASCAR site per se. For the most part, my NASCAR posts are, and probably always will be, devoted to my driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. I make no excuses for that because I don't see much beyond Dale Jr. and I have always admitted that.
There are other drivers who I can count on one hand that I like and I do celebrate their good fortune(s). The only other time I write about NASCAR or its drivers is if I am severely pissed off at them. And that happens nearly every time there's a race but even then I try to refrain from bashing them merely because most of them are not worth the waste of my time and energy.
So, with that in mind, I would like to make one tiny comment about the current Chase for the Nextel Cup:
I am glad that Childress Racing is doing so well right now. After all, that's where Junior's father was employed at the time of his passing. With two races done and eight to go, I am not writing off Junior's chances in the Chase as most of the media has and will be doing for the remainder of this week.
There's a strong possibility he may not win the championship but I do think he will climb higher in the points. Why do I say that? Because the first two races were not a team effort. I think his team is letting him down by not providing first, a good handling car and second, better adjustments to make an ill-handling car better. I also think DEI better get their act together and find more horsepower for their engines. Junior is driving his butt off, but it doesn't mean anything if the car will not cooperate. Remember that...
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
5
Monday, September 25, 2006
The Good The Bad The Ugly
A neighboring water authority has been fighting to get public water in our little village for more years than I care to remember. We, as a community, kept fighting against it. But, as the "little man" knows, the "bigger man" won. And so we are supposedly moving up in the world. Bah!The Good ~ I currently have unlimited usage of fresh water thanks to our well. That means I can shower as long as I want, wash my hair every day, do lots of laundry, and not have to worry how much I used or what it will cost.
The Bad ~ If we hook up (and it's not mandatory that we do, nor will it cost us anything if we don't), we will have to monitor our water usage. I absolutely hate when I have to do something like that. Anyway, they claim it would cost around $60 per quarter. Yeah, I know how that goes. Next year it would jump sky-high. And then it's too late.
The Ugly ~ If we do decide to hook up, we will pay a tapping fee of over $1100. That's just the fee. That doesn't get us any public water. Then it would be another $1000 or so to bring the water to the lateral in front of our property. However, that $1000 will be waived if we hook up within 90 days of availability. And then the fun begins...money-wise. It's our responsibility to find a plumber to bring the water from the lateral to the house. I can just hear the money clinking already.
I enjoy my well water. It's free and it tastes good. Public water just plain downright sucks. I have yet to taste any decent public water.Currently, we are wavering as to what to do and our mind is not definitely made up yet as to what we are going to do. If we do decide to go with public water, we are still going to keep the well and use that for the outside spigots. However, I wish we could also keep the well water for the laundry room and bathroom, and just have public water for drinking purposes only. I think that can probably be done but it would cost a lot of extra money to do so. It is illegal to have water commingle.
We have to make up our minds soon because we are one of the last houses for the initial pipes being put into the ground, and they are currently working just below our house.
So once again, our household has a major decision to make. Don't these decisions ever go away? I am thinking that I would just love to move to the boondocks of Alaska, get my food and mail flown to my property, and just kick back and say to hell with everything else. How about it?
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
11
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Another Hang 'Em High Story
I had a post a few weeks ago about someone who opened a farm enclosure and let 20 steers run all over creation. Only 13 survived if I remember correctly. It happened locally, as did the following story.
Well, before that happened, another group of young males did something so horrific that I couldn't even set my pen to paper for a rough draft, let alone a final post. But because an animal rights group was so incensed by how the boys got away with murder, it surfaced in today's newspaper again. I, for one, am so glad that the whole issue isn't being shoved into the background only to be forever forgotten. Things of this nature should never be overlooked.
The five teenaged boys (15-18 years old) got off easy. They were charged with criminal trespass and only had to pay $425.00 in fines and court costs. A mere slap on the wrist.
What did they do?
First they broke onto private property. Then they attacked four baby goats that were in a pasture. Using a baseball bat, they beat those baby goats. All of them either died that same day or a few days later as a result of those attacks.
The owners of the farm have moved to another state. They are also pursuing a civil lawsuit against each of the boys' parents. And I say good for them, take it to the Supreme Court if they have to.
If it was baby goats five months ago, what will it be next? Someone's child? Any young person who commits such heinous acts on any animal will eventually grow up to be a wife beater, a child beater or will commit murder. They are nothing but bullies and it makes me wonder what their home life was like.
Just give me a few hours with them and we'd see justice done. An eye for an eye...
posted by Cheyenne at 2:37 PM comment(s) made:
8
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah!
As most of you know, I've been a Mets fan for as long as they've been around, and I have been nervously watching them ever since they literally "took off" at the beginning of the season, all the while holding my breath and hoping they'd get as far as they have. And they did. On April 6th they took over the lead in their division and never relinquished it. As of this past Monday, they are the first team to clinch a division title, that of NL East. And...it's their first title since 1988.They tried clinching the title three games ago, but the Pittsburgh Pirates were just too tenacious and denied them of any wins. And so it was the Florida Marlins that gave them the win for the title. By doing that, the Mets ended the Atlanta Braves' reign as king of the NL East. The Braves had won 14 straight division titles, including 11 in a row after they were moved over to the NL East Division.
I wish Mike Piazza were still on the team. And I miss Bobby Valentine, too. He was their colorful manager a few seasons back. But this is a new team, it's a new day, so let's hope they indeed do go..all..the..way!Pardon me now while I go do another happy dance...
I just had to work that Bud in somehow:
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
9
Monday, September 18, 2006
Gone But Not Forgotten
A fellow blogger recently lost one of his rabbits (10-year-old Greyton), and so I would like to share with you my past experiences with our rabbits. I dedicate this post to Greyton...may he rest in peace.
We have been the "parents" of four rabbits since 1992. They were all females. Thank goodness, because they are more docile than males.
Our little rabbit venture all started when my daughter brought one home from her end-of-the-year agricultural class at vo-tech. Students were asked if they wanted to take it home and she volunteered. Didn't ask Mom first, but it was OK.
I called her Peter J Rabbit despite the fact that she was a she. I have no idea where that came from, but eventually it got shortened to "Pee Jay." I don't remember how old she was when she got sick. She was an "outside" rabbit and since I considered her my daughter's responsibility, she and her then boyfriend took Pee Jay to the vet. He injected meds and sent her home. During the night she passed away. She had pneumonia. I found her the next morning and cried like a baby. I had become quite attached to her because it was me that fed her and me that kept her hutch clean. So much for my daughter's responsibility.
I needed a replacement and my husband came to the rescue when he brought a tiny black bunny home that he had gotten from a co-worker. She was a mixed Dutch rabbit. We named her Shelby (after the Mustang model.) Being new to raising rabbits, we were not aware that females should be spayed. It prolongs their life, as they are "cycling" constantly. And because of that they are prone to cancer.
Shelby looked a lot like Pee Jay except that she had three white splashes on the back of her neck, like a collar.
Shortly after we acquired Shelby, my father decided that my husband needed a rabbit of his own. He said he felt sorry for him. My Dad worked the small animal/poultry building at the Allentown Fair and he found a bunny for sale. It was a white Netherland Dwarf and looked like this one:
Both Shelby and Cobra (aha...there's that Mustang model again) lived outside. However, before Cobra could be put outside, another pen had to be built to accommodate her. Unbeknownst to us, outside rabbits are prone to get sick. And they both did. We lost Cobra after about a year of caring for her, but Shelby was saved by the vet. It was then we decided she would live in the house with us. We got her a dog crate/pen and put her in the living room. She developed cancer at the age of 6-1/2 years because she was not spayed. This time the vet could not save her.
It was then that I decided no more rabbits. However, my brother-in-law had other ideas. He met someone who asked if he knew of anyone who would be interested in a baby bunny. And he immediately thought of me. He brought her to the house while we were both at work and then he called me at work to tell me what he had done. My husband got home before me. Behind the house, under the plum tree, our wheelbarrow had been turned upside down and put over a cardboard soda box that contained the bunny.
This is a photo of a Mini Lop and it is very close to what Jasper looked like.
She had other names too: Sweetie Pea, Munchkin, Jazzy
A lot of people don't understand rabbits. They make wonderful pets if they are cared for correctly. They don't like to be dirty so they constantly groom themselves, much like a cat. They crave affection and it's very rare when they don't want to be bothered. They give much affection in return.
My little Jasper was a real warrior up to the end. She gave so much love that I will never forget her. I promised her I would see her in heaven. And I asked that she be taken care of there by my parents. I know she's in good hands, because they have all crossed The Rainbow Bridge.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
12
Thursday, September 14, 2006
My Husband's Opinions
My husband and I were having a discussion the other night about who the Chase contenders are for the NASCAR Nextel Cup. When I mentioned each name, he made the following comments:MATT KENSETH ~ He's a good driver but he's just too consistent, although that's how he won his first championship. And that's one of the reasons I'm not in his corner this year.
JIMMIE JOHNSON ~ He's too much of a whiner and a blamer and he would be absolutely nowhere were it not for his crew chief, Chad Knaus. Besides, he's a Hendrick driver.
KEVIN HARVICK ~ I always liked Kevin and I love the way he drives. If he wins the Busch and the Cup championships it would be OK with me.
KYLE BUSCH ~ He drives for Hendrick so I'll say no more, except that I hate the way he 'talks' with his eyes.
DENNY HAMLIN ~ I'm not so sure a rookie should be in the Chase. He hasn't been around long enough to merit it. Have you ever noticed how he pronounces his Js? Just sounds like chust. Are you sure he's from Virginia and not around here?
DALE EARNHARDT JR ~ Well, I can't say enough about him. I always was and still am a fan of his father. He may not drive aggressively like his father did, but he gets the job done when it needs to be done. Do I think he deserves to win this year? Of course, I do.
MARK MARTIN ~ Sh*t or get off the pot already with the retirement stuff. I don't think he has a chance to win it.
JEFF BURTON ~ I like to listen to him and I like the way he handles himself in the spotlight, but I think he, too, will fade toward the end.
JEFF GORDON ~ Can we just move on to the next name? Well, he's a Hendrick driver, isn't he? Need I say anymore?
KASEY KAHNE ~ He's a good kid and he has five wins but even that almost wasn't good enough to get him into the Chase. I like the fact that he earned his way in though.
Well there you have it. I know everyone has their own ideas and opinions as to whom they'd like to see win the championship.
Remember, these are my husband's opinions, so don't shoot the messenger.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:08 AM comment(s) made:
11
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
It's A Mystery To Me
When it was raining on a daily basis a few weeks ago, I threw together some make-shift shelters on the deck for the cats so they at least had someplace to go to stay dry. Just two heavy duty cardboard boxes and some old towels for bedding.
After a few days I decided to encase the boxes in garbage bags as they were getting very damp. I also put an old plastic tote out and laid it on its side, again with old bedding inside.
One day last week, after the bags were a bit weather beaten, I found one of the boxes partially covered and the other box had its bag completely gone, nowhere to be found. We're talking the 33-gallon size.
The following day I redid them but I took more care, making them tighter to the box plus I used a whole lot more duct tape.
Imagine my surprise when I looked out one morning and saw only one box with the garbage bag gone and, again, it was nowhere in sight. That made a total of almost four full bags gone.
So by now I'm really scratching my a...er, head. Totally bamboozled. Where the heck did those bags go and who or what did it? It looked like something only a human was capable of doing. I know for a fact that it wasn't the cats. I walked to the side of the house and looked over the side of the deck and at least I found the one box that was missing. It was near the groundhog hole that's in the one window well. A hole I thought had been abandoned.
About an hour later I went out the front door, walked alongside the house, and as I turned the corner there by the box was a groundhog. He dived into the hole.
Let's back up to a few weeks ago when I came out on the deck one morning and found that very same groundhog ripping into a garbage bag full of trash. Well, it wasn't full of trash anymore as it had most of the trash strewn all over the deck. At first I hadn't seen it and once it spied me (while I was standing almost on top of it), away it ran. I have no idea what it was after because we don't throw any food whatsoever into the trash. And if I hadn't seen the groundhog in action, I would have blamed it on the cats. Well...maybe. In the back of my mind I would have held another critter responsible for it.
So, I put two and two together and came up with the fact that this groundhog is garbage bag crazy. Addicted? Who knows.
To make matters worse I would've sworn as I rounded that corner that morning, the groundhog was on its hind feet doing a happy dance thinking he'd pulled one over on me and he was probably trying to figure out just how to get the box down the hole where the garbage bags already were.
What else am I supposed to believe?
posted by Cheyenne at 12:03 AM comment(s) made:
12
Monday, September 11, 2006
Hail To The Heroes
After five years there are still no words to express the sorrow of what happened that day...
posted by Cheyenne at 12:00 AM comment(s) made:
8
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Relief
Boy, am I glad that is over with...what a night of white knuckles, a small headache, an upset stomach ~ you name it, I had it. Why? Maybe you can say I was just a tad worried about my boy making the Chase. But he did it. And he did it the hard way. A huge brake problem. And when it was all over he said he was glad and that he was exhausted. God bless him; he drove his little heart out and now he is in the Chase.
So whatever happens in the next ten races doesn't matter for me. All I wanted was for him to make the Chase. I get so tired of the media ragging about how he missed it last year. That gets a little old after awhile. Now maybe they will lay off of him and let him do his job and race to his heart's content.
I was a little sorry about Tony "Smoke" Stewart not making it, but like they said someone had to be sacrificed. But, hey, Kasey Kahne drove himself into the Chase. So he earned that spot.
Congratulations, Dale Jr., for your sixth place in the points and for making the Chase. On to bigger and better things. Good luck for the remainder of the season.
posted by Cheyenne at 12:28 AM comment(s) made:
2
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Anyone Care To Caption This?
I wouldn't try and caption this with a 10 foot pole (no pun intended there), but y'all go ahead and be my guest and caption it if you're brave enough. Don't be afraid now. I can take anything you have to say. Within reason. You can get as down and dirty as you want, but no bad words please. Thankyouverymuch...
posted by Cheyenne at 4:46 PM comment(s) made:
5
Pretty Darn Close...
 You are unique, creative, and expressive.You don't mind waving your freak flag every once and a while.And lucky for you, most people find your weird ways charming! |
posted by Cheyenne at 3:42 PM comment(s) made:
0
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
The Not So Fair, Fair
This past Sunday we were finally able to take advantage of a rain-free day to go to the Great Allentown Fair. We always go on a Saturday but it poured all day, so our traditional day was changed. Another tradition (a Yocco's hot dog) was taken away because Yocco's couldn't make the fair due to finding out too late that their tent for the stand wasn't usable. It's the only one they had (custom made). I may not have had my Yocco's hot dog, but I made sure to have a Vince's steak sandwich. They are better than any Philly steak in my book. But the fair is the only place you can get them.
Here are the acts that appeared this year:
I'm not a Civil War buff but I do like to read up on it and have quite a few books covering the subject. This display is in the Agricultural Building. It was there last year too so I am thinking it is an all-year display. And since I didn't have a digital camera last year, I took a picture this year.
I also am not a Jack Roush fan. This is Greg Biffle's show car. Sometimes I get angry at Greg, other times I am Ok with him. In other words, I can take him or leave him; it all depends on what he is up to on the track and who he is bothering.
When I came to this little fella I felt right at home. That #8 Bud car is always on my mind...
While we were in the Agricultural Building looking at all the crafts and hand-made quilts, we were quite surprised to find out that Lynn Swann, former Pittsburgh Steeler who is running for governor of our state, was touring the fair. I posted about him awhile back stating that I was glad to see him running for the position. I don't like the current governor. He used to be the mayor of Philadelphia and his allegiances still lie there. Sad thing is, he will probably be elected again. Shoot.
Of course, you know fairs tend to lose a lot of their uniqueness as one gets older, so after about three hours of walking we were ready to leave. After all...a night of racing was waiting for me on TV.
posted by Cheyenne at 5:42 PM comment(s) made:
11
Monday, September 04, 2006
Another Track Conquered
Congratulation, Junior, on your second place finish at Fontana and moving from ninth to sixth in the points.
Good luck Saturday night at Richmond, the final race before the Chase for the Championship starts.
posted by Cheyenne at 1:18 AM comment(s) made:
3
Friday, September 01, 2006
Questions, Questions, Questions
1. What color are your bedroom walls? OFF WHITE
2. What book are you reading now? THE JOURNEY OF CRAZY HORSE
3. What's on your mouse pad? DALE EARNHARDT JR
4. Favorite board game? DO NOT PLAY BOARD GAMES
5. Favorite perfume? TOVA
6. Favorite smell? COCONUT
7. Favorite color? ANY SHADE OF PURPLE
8. Least favorite color? BROWN
9. Favorite magazine? NASCAR ILLUSTRATED
10. Most important material thing in my life? MY 1997 MIDNIGHT VIOLET MUSTANG GT
11. Favorite flavor of ice cream? PISTACHIO
12. Do you break the speed limit daily? ONLY WHEN I DRIVE
13. Do you have a stuffed animal in your room somewhere? YES, I HAVE SEVERAL
14. Storms ~ cool or scary? SCARY ONLY IF I AM ALONE
15. Favorite drink? ANY DIET PEPSI
16. When is your birthday? SEPTEMBER 23RD
17. Favorite vegetable? BROCCOLI
18. If you could have any job, what would it be? I HAD A NICE JOB BUT IT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME
19. If you could have any hair color, what would it be? I CAN HAVE ANY COLOR RIGHT NOW IF I WANTED TO CHANGE
20. Have you ever been in love? YES, RIGHT NOW WITH MY HUSBAND
21. Top 3 movies (in order)? DANCES WITH WOLVES, A KNIGHTS TALE, THE ROSE
22. Do you type with your fingers on the right keys? YES, THAT IS HOW I LEARNED
23. What's under your bed? PORCELAIN DOLLS (MINT IN BOX) & BOOKS
24. What is your favorite number? 8 ~ GEE, I WONDER WHY?
25. Favorite sport to watch on TV or in person? NASCAR RACING
26. What is your single biggest fear? NOT BREATHING
27. Favorite CD of all time and right now? ANYTHING BY TOBY KEITH
28. Favorite TV show of all time and right now? THE PRICE IS RIGHT, 24
29. Hamburgers or hotdogs? HAMBURGERS
30. The coolest places you've ever been? BAHAMAS, FLORIDA, CHARLOTTE NC, ON THE MISSISSIPPI
31. What wallpaper/screensaver is on your computer right now? DALE EARNHARDT JR WHEN HE WON HIS LAST RACE AT RICHMOND
32. Does McDonalds skimp on their fries and do you care? PREFER BURGER KING FRIES
33. Favorite chain restaurant? CRACKER BARREL
34. How many rings before your answering machine picks up? I THINK IT'S FIVE
35. If you could learn to play an instrument overnight, what would it be? GUITAR
posted by Cheyenne at 11:54 PM comment(s) made:
4
