Let's Try This One More Time

(Photo courtesy of Harold Hinson Photography and Budweiser Racing)

Due to rain, Sunday's race at Talladega Speedway was postponed until today at noon.

I am so glad I will be able to see the entire race, and I remind everyone of yesterday's scripture since it was twofold: for all to read, and to ride with Dale Jr. in today's race.

Above is another shot of the Budweiser #8 Black and Silver Chevy. Let's hope it finds its way to Victory Lane just like the #8 Black and Silver Bass Pro Shops Chevy driven by Martin Truex Jr. did on Saturday in the Busch race.

Ain't She A Beauty?

(Photo courtesy of Harold Hinson Photography and Budweiser Racing)

In honor of his late father's birthday on Saturday, and the fact that Dale Earnhardt Sr. was recently inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be driving this car on Sunday at Talladega Speedway.

The sight of this car should even bring the "Earnhardt bashers" to their knees. Look at it long enough, and it not only brings tears to your eyes, but gives you goosebumps too. Those were my first reactions anyway. Needless to say, I am most excited for the upcoming festivities and the race.

A (Foreign) Quilting We Will Go

I love quilts...that's no secret. We live a few hours away from quilting country where the Amish are well known for their quilting expertise.

There is an annual German folk festival held near where I used to work wherein there are lots of crafts, good ethnic good, and just a great feeling that one gets just for being there amongst it all.

We don't go every year; however, when we do I always like to go to the quilt barn where there are over 2500 quilts of all sizes on display in the building. As we look at each one, the next one is always more beautiful than the previous, and more expensive I might add. A lot of work goes into the making of a quilt and the more intricate the design, the higher the cost. No, they aren't cheap by any stretch of the imagination. And that, folks, is why I never purchased an Amish or Mennonite quilt.

Up until this past weekend, I had been in awe of these people for what they accomplish. What changed my mind? Well, there has been a four-part series in the local newspaper on the Amish and their quilting here in Pennsylvania. And like everything else these days, it has left me quite jaded. You see, the Amish have been doing things in a capitalistic way! Shocked? So was I. Here is what happens:

The fabric, colors and patterns are chosen by the Amish (or Mennonite) who then stencil the pattern onto the fabric. It's then given to a local Asian seamstress who sometimes ships the fabric and pattern to relatives in California or Minnesota. They cut out the applique patterns, sew them and then ship them back to the Asian who in turn gives it back to the original owner. (The original owner usually owns a shop.) From there it is mailed, along with batting and backing, to an Amish family in Catteraugus NY. They sew all three pieces together (fabric/batting/backing) and ship it back to the original owner. She then gives it to another Asian woman who will add the binding to the edges. When she is finished, she gives the entire quilt back to the original owner who then puts it out for sale.

And we wonder why they fetch such a high price, some in the vicinity of $1,000.00 plus. So now you know why I have never bought one. No, I didn't know about this Asian business ~ it was because of the high prices. And now that I know the real story, I will never buy one ~ not from that area anyway.

Quoting a woman that wrote a letter to the editor after the first installment appeared in the paper, "If I want a quilt made by Asian people, I'll go to a department store."

DISCLAIMER: I have nothing whatsoever against Asians. It's the fact that these quilts are not made solely by the Amish or Mennonites anymore. Not in Lancaster anyway. And, to me, that is treading on sacred ground.

A Fun Day

Friday was our 16th wedding anniversary. (Thank you) My husband took the day off and told me the night before that I should get up early, that he was taking me somewhere. I was up at 7, fed the animals, and was ready to go by 8:30. I thought I had figured out where we were going, but when we passed that area I knew I was wrong. I found out later we were going "there" on the way back. What I didn't know was that we were on our way to the Vanity Fair Outlet in Reading, over an hour away from the house. I haven't been there in over ten years, so it was a nice treat. There's quite a bit of walking and after we felt we'd seen everything we wanted to see, we left and headed back home.





I did, however, snap this photo from one story up in one of the buildings.


The final stop of the day was at Vynecrest Winery.

I love wine, but due to many reasons I haven't had a drop for years. Mostly due to being on one kind of diet or another. My husband was told months ago that if we visited this month, they would give us a complimentary bottle of wine because he had delivered some heavy racks to them and was such a tremendous help that day. But before I could select which wine I wanted, I had to taste test a few. Oh boy, it doesn't take much alcohol to make me silly. My husband doesn't drink at all, not wine, beer or anything containing alcohol. So it was my cross to bear for the taste test. Like I cared...hah! I was in heaven. I'm really not much of a drinker myself, but I do love my wine. I spent most of my summers with my aunt and uncle who lived in New York at the time (both Long Island and Manhattan). We always had wine with our meals. It didn't turn me into a wino, but it did give me an appreciation for a good wine now and then.

We left with our wine (tucked safely under my arm) and decided it was time to eat dinner, capping off another wonderful day in the country.

What You've Been Waiting For

Last Sunday, as we went in and out of several developments, we came across one that blew me away. The houses were so huge and beautiful (there was one really ugly one though) that my jaw literally dropped when I looked at some of them. Like this one for instance. This photo was taken from the truck and apparently the house isn't finished yet as you can see a dump trailer in the photo. This is the back view of the "house."



I think this is the front view. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why anyone would want to live in such a huge house. Well, maybe I can. I guess this development is mostly CEOs and such living here because us regular folk would never be able to afford them. And we only saw two children in the entire development.



And when we drove into another development with nice houses (but not as big) my husband commented on one being really nice. I told him I was spoiled now, I could never be the same after seeing the rich people's development, and that I was ruined for life.

No, I think I will stick with my 3 bedroom brick rancher that was paid off some years ago. Yeah, we're gonna get along just fine.

Short & Sweet

Like the title says, this is going to be short and sweet. I watched the results show of American Idol Wednesday evening. There were 7 contestants left at the beginning of the show. Obviously one was going by the end of the show. I wasn't surprised that it was Ace. I like him, but hey, at this point of the game they are all vulnerable.

What really surprised me (and totally pissed me off) was the fact that Chris Daughtry, who is clearly the best of those that are left and should win the title, was next in line with the lowest number of votes. What the hell is up with that? Are people not voting for him because they think he will be okay and that he is a "shoo-in?"

And I thought that perhaps Katherine McPhee would be the only one to give him a run for his money. Now I am not so sure...gosh, why can't the voting public get this crap right?

Things ALong The Way

As we were riding around the countryside on Easter, we found a bridge that had been blocked off. We couldn't decipher whether it would ever be opened again but we did stop to look. My husband got out to stretch his legs and I took this photo from inside the truck. There is a black cat in the meadow that was just sitting and watching ever so silently. I guess he was waiting for a meal to come along. (If you click on the photo and enlarge it you can see the black cat sitting between the opening of the bushes in the meadow.)



Later we came upon these guys. I used to pass them to and from work but I never took the time to stop and actually watch them. We accomplished that on Sunday.
There were seven kids and five parents.






After we left these guys, we continued on toward home. But before we did, we took a ride around some of the developments in our "neighborhood." That is in quotes because, as you know, around these parts a neighborhood can be mighty huge. What we found is a post for another day, so I will leave you with that teaser...

Easter...And What Did You Do?

I hope y'all had a nice Easter.

I pretty much escaped it this year just like I said I would. Holidays for me just aren't the same any more.

Around 3:00 we left the house and just started driving with no destination in mind. When my husband saw someone was selling flowers he stopped and told me to pick out what I wanted. I chose a pale yellow hyacinth and also some purple pansies. I hope to plant the pansies outside somewhere. I have never had a yellow hyacinth or pansies. The hyacinths I received in the past were either white, pink or purple. I just loooooove the smell of hyacinths. Don't you?

We stopped at a place called The Terrace and had our Easter dinner with a whole lot of strangers. But it was okay; they didn't expect anything from us and vice versa. My husband and I talked about the Easters we had when we were children. We laughed and we had a good time. I needed that.

Finally we just drove around, all on back roads. I took a few pictures and I'll post them later along with their stories.

I was really amazed that there were hardly any people outside, and those we did see were doing chores. Also, there were only a few houses with multiple cars that were having family get-togethers. Don't families do that any more? And if not, why not?

I ended up with some good memories yesterday, and that's what it's really all about. Making memories. Good memories. I hope everyone out there did the same.

God Bless You All

What A Difference 2 Months Makes

Remember when I posted this photo above? It was taken on February 12th.



This photo above was taken April 12th. I wasn't sure if it would bloom this year, as it was just planted last Fall.



And the photo above is what I see out of the window where I am sitting right now. (That's a Yoshino Cherry) It was taken just awhile ago. What a wonderful sight! Spring has finally sprung in our little part of the world. It sure took long enough.

Good News Bad News

Kiefer Sutherland signed on for three more seasons of "24." This pleases me more than anything. Love the show and have been loving Kiefer since he started acting.

Frankie Muniz is taking a two year leave from acting to be a professional race car driver. (No, not in NASCAR.)

Child welfare and a sheriffs deputy visited Brittney Spears...again ~ it seems the nanny dropped the baby and a bruise resulted. Honestly, I have no idea what the hell she was thinking by driving with her baby on her lap months ago. I guess rich people think they can get away with anything.

Glad to see former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood doing so well. She was the only double winner at the CMT Awards Monday evening. Sorry, but I've never been a big fan of Kelly Clarkson. I didn't discover American Idol back then until there were three contestants left, and I liked Justin even though he has gone nowhere. I like Clay Aiken and Fantasia but even she seems to have dropped out of the limelight. Although I did spy her in the audience on the show last night. And this year my money's on Chris Daughtry.

Anybody see any recent photos of Eddie VanHalen? No wonder Valerie Bertinelli divorced him. This photo is from the Oscars earlier this year. Ewwwwwww.....

Where Did Everybody Go?

I am going to go out on a limb here and just say that I am truly disappointed in that I have very few readers any more. When the reader number drops, it makes me feel like I am not holding anyone's attention, so they just drop me or drift off to somewhere else. And when something like this happens, I lose all creativity and just don't feel like "producing."

I used to average anywhere from 15-25 readers a day, and recently that has dropped to 8-10 or less. How sad and depressing is that. Am I not prolific enough? Not funny enough? Maybe I should just stop writing every day and only write every other day.

If I don't have an audience what's the purpose of trying to come up with a post every day? Why should I waste my time if no one is out there to read them? This is almost like when I first started. Where did I go wrong? And do I continue doing this?

Oh, and please pardon my language in the photo...

Quotes From Texas Motor Speedway

"I saw Casey Mears get sideways, but I am pretty sure Sterling Marlin's hairpiece just got in his eyes and he couldn't see what was going on," -Ryan Newman

"I had like the mystery car that you could never find anything wrong with it," said McMurray, who finished 37th. "I've never been this bad before." -Jamie McMurray

"It's not really a fun day when the car is tight all afternoon like we were. I just couldn't drive it. But, if that's a bad day for us - 500 miles of struggling - and we still finished 12th, that ain't too bad I guess." -Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"You’ve got to have a little bit of respect for the other drivers you’re racing with, and Kurt hasn’t shown respect, or that surely wasn’t showing respect." -Greg Biffle

The NASCAR marketing gurus certainly must be thinking about a "Girls Gone Wild" DVD after Busch's fiancée and Biffle's girlfriend exchanged pleasantries. -Racingone Staff

I'm Too Tired To Make Sense

Blogger wouldn't let me post pictures tonight; I tried twice and then my patience ran out so I quit trying.

Well, it's the start of a new week...again. A fresh start as it were. The only thing I have to look forward to this coming weekend is the Busch race on Saturday. Yeah, I know Easter is on Sunday. But we have decided to skip Easter this year. Don't ask.

The Texas race Sunday was so-so. I wear a head set and listen to the race on that while watching on TV. That allows me to be very mobile and I can do a lot of things I otherwise would not be able to if I had to stay glued to the TV. I also don't care too much for the commentators on TV, or the rash of commercials every few minutes. I miss very little action listening to it on the radio. I've been doing that (radio and TV) for many years now and it works perfectly for me.

I managed to do four loads of laundry and also made dinner while the race was on. Oh, and I can feed the cats outside while listening to the radio and not miss a thing. They always look at me strange though. More so than usual.

Getting back to the race ~ I was happy for the first third of it. JJ was doing poorly and Junior was doing rather well, up to around 11th. It gave me hope for the remainder of the race. Well, that didn't last long. JJ kept dogging Junior all day. They started the race alongside one another and finished that way, JJ one spot ahead of Junior.

After the dust settled, Junior finished 12th, stayed 6th in the points, and actually only lost 3 points from last week. I wasn't all that happy about his performance today (he had a nasty handling car that they couldn't "dial in") but it could have been a helluva lot worse.

Good Luck @ T.M.S.

May the eyes of Texas shine upon you Dale Jr.

Death & Taxes

When my mother passed away she had an annuity that did not expire until six months later. As a result, the money was divided amongst my siblings and myself. When the annuity was cashed in (six months later), the entire amount was taxed as income when my mother's taxes were prepared and her estate paid tax on it. You'd think that was the end of the taxing, no? Guess again. The payout portion had 10% taxes deducted before it was paid to us; the remainder that was not taxed was then considered income when our income taxes were filed and we paid taxes on it again.

So let's review: The entire amount was taxed before it was ever paid to us as beneficiaries. Now, each of us has to, in turn, pay another tax on top of that. Double taxation? It is totally ridiculous how this country is so tax crazy.
To take that even further, if both my husband and I kicked the bucket today, and that same money is passed onto our heirs, it would be taxed again...and again...and again...

Get the picture?

Needless to say, I am finished with our taxes for another year. And what a nightmare. We had to have someone do the federal taxes because with the estate stuff, it was just too complicated for me. I didn't need the headache. I filed the state taxes this morning on the internet (for free ~ wow!). We had a piddling amount of interest from our bank accounts that we had to consider as income. So ok that went on the federal return, possibly throwing us into a higher bracket. But what I don't understand is why we have to declare that same interest on our state taxes too. Is it any wonder I don't like interest-bearing accounts?

I could go on and on about taxes, double taxation, triple taxation etc., but it just makes me dizzy. And I'm not qualified to get too detailed. And maybe most of my opinions are just that...opinions.

But there is one thing for sure ~ the only two things you cannot avoid are death and taxes. One gets you every year and one gets you in the end.

Hey! April Fools Day Is Over

The above three photos captured what I woke up to on Wednesday morning. And it was around 20 degrees. Brrrrrr!

I begged for snow all winter, but by mid-March I quit doing that. By then I gave up all hope and began to look forward to Spring.

My Weeping Cherry blossoms are starting to open ~ I waited all year in anticipation to see them, so I am hoping this nasty cold windy weather goes away.

My bones need sunshine and warmth NOW!

Never A Dull Moment

This is going to be short and sweet. But well worth it. First of all let me preface this with the fact that I love my husband. I really do, but...

Does anybody know what a "biblical cord" is?

Yeah, I thought not.

That's what my husband said the other day instead of umbilical cord. Yes, that's how he pronounced it. And always has, he said.

I laughed so hard I cried. And truth be told, I'm giggling right now.

Here's Another Stupid Thing I Did

I am well known for doing dumb things more often than not. I have no idea why, I just do them. A lot of it is due to my acting on things without thinking. Or instead of reading everything, I'll just skim through and pick up on what I want to. I call it selective reading. It goes so perfectly with my selective hearing etc.

Such is the case when my husband and I decided our Saturday evening meal would be eaten at a restaurant we only visit occasionally. In our area, prices at restaurants have been rising steadily. But, then again, what isn't these days? If I have a coupon for a restaurant, I will use it if I can, especially if it's a place we are familiar with or have visited in the past.

The tiny coupon I had from the local newspaper that we decided to use stated "Complimentary entree free when another entree of equal or lesser value is purchased." I double checked the expiration date and found it was April 30th. OK, we're good to go.

We each chose a $10.95 entree and with coffee and tax our final bill came to $25.32. So I figured we'd be paying somewhere around $14.00 and change, which is fairly decent since we usually pay an average of $18-20, and sometimes a lot less depending on what we eat.

Can you imagine my shock when the cashier dropped this bombshell on me:

"This coupon is only good Monday through Thursday."

Well, slap me with stupidity! All I could say was "What?" And then she showed me. There in teeny tiny print at the bottom was what she'd just said.

Now, I thought I went over that coupon with a fine toothed comb because I am known to do this very same thing with coupons at the supermarket. Well, apparently I didn't look close enough. Sometimes, the more careful I am, the more I mess up.

Really, I swear those words were not there when I looked the other times. I have had that coupon in my purse for a few weeks and have taken it out and looked at it many times. Somehow, somewhere, the word fairy snuck into my purse and must have put those words on that coupon. It's the only explanation. And that is called selective thinking. *wink*

Things Do Get Better

Every once in awhile I get a little twinge of whatever it is that borders on the edge of depression. Not depressed, per se. And because it doesn't last more than a minute or so, I don't let it bother me.

So, after having one of those episodes Sunday evening, I quickly assessed a list of things I was thankful for yesterday. After all the normal things, like our health, our animals, blah blah blah, I was mostly thankful for the way Dale Jr. drove his car (after being involved in a very messy wreck on lap 2 that had put him around 42nd) to a 4th place finish.

But best of all I was glad Tony Stewart won AND THAT JIMMIE JOHNSON DIDN'T!!!!!!!!

Good Luck @ Martinsville

Practice Makes Perfect

Did I say that? Well shame on me.

APRIL FOOLS YA'LL!

What?

The latest catch word appearing everywhere is exponential or exponentially. After seeing it numerous times in numerous places, I decided to look it up in the dictionary. That is my nature. I have loved words from the time I was exposed to them.

Anyway, exponentially led me to exponential which led me to exponent which finally led me to expound.

And guess what...I still don't know what the word means or how to use it. And I HATE when a word gets the better of me. This one is driving me up the wall.

What really got me upset, was when I read the damn word in some materials my husband brought home from work about his employer's company.

Wunderbar

This is the name of a restaurant in our Lehigh Valley Mall. It is referred to as a restaurant, but once you step inside you feel like you've been transported to Germany, or a Bavarian beer fest at the very least. It is called Dunderbak's Market Cafe. We just call it Dunderbak's.

Whenever I go there I feel like I have truly escaped whatever it was that was weighing heavily on my mind prior to my visit.

I'm part German (my maiden name oozes kraut) and I would love to visit Germany. But at this stage of my life I feel that will never happen. By going to Dunderbak's every once in awhile, it makes me feel closer to my roots.

There is a bar (beer only, thank you) with every kind of beer imaginable. They mostly offer sandwiches (and believe me they are delicious); some other items on the menu include:

Weinerschnitzel, grilled wursts (all kinds), German chocolate cake, beer battered shrimp, German potato salad ~ are you hungry yet?

Yeah, me too. I so look forward to my next visit.

Potted Kitten Or Kitten On 'Pot'

I was going to post about something entirely different, but I've been wanting to show this picture for awhile. It was taken a month ago.

That's "Junior" in the pot. He/she got the name because he/she has its mother's colorings. I have no idea what sex these strays are until one shows up pregnant. We've been lucky so far. Only one female has had two litters. (That would be Junior's mom.) I think another is carrying but I'm not sure. Time will tell.

I shot this through the kitchen window. Every day usually brings a new adventure with these kittens. There are four of them. The other one in this picture is Junior's aunt, Linus.

They wait for me in the morning when it's time to feed them. They will come within 5 feet of me, lie down, and be very watchful. I have no idea what they think I would do to them. One false move out of me and they back off.

They're there again in the evening when it's feeding time. One of the kittens likes to take up residence in the mulch at the foot of the tree with the bird feeder in it. He will curl up, in the sun, and snooze. Or just sit there and peer into the tree watching the birds.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much we have spent on these stray cats as far as food is concerned. Enough to make me want to get them a social security number so I can claim them on my income taxes. But as long as they stick around, I will feed them. They give me great pleasure just watching them. That's worth the price of their food.

Speaking of American Idol...

For some reason this week's show was really weird. I wonder if there was something in the water.

They had to pick a song from the 21st century. That's a little over six years' worth of material. And the majority of it is still fresh in peoples' minds, so naturally they will want to compare to the original. That sucks.

What was worse, is that the judges were really nasty, especially Simon. Sure, these kids need criticism but not to the tune of being belittled on national TV.

Needless to say, not one contestant sang anything outstanding. Not for me anyway. But, come on, they didn't have much to choose from either. I for one would like to think this week never happened.

There were a few highlights, however: Taylor, Elliott, Bucky and Chris. My money is on Chris winning the whole enchilada.

Tag I'm It!

Okay...I was tagged by Clance over at The Church of The Great Oval. I've never done this before. I was asked to do an anagram of my blog title "Muse & Amuse." There were quite a few, but here are some of the sillier ones:

AMUSE ME US
EMMA SUE US
A ME SUES MU
A ME USES MU
A MUSES EMU
USA MEME US
MA EMU SUES
SEA SUE MUM
SEA MUSEUM

OK, that's enough for now. I hope I never get tagged again. It's alien country for me.

Newest Family Member

This is my niece's first child. Her name is Sasha and she was born March 5th.

I am one of three children. My older brother has two sons and those sons each have two sons. My younger sister has two daughters. Her oldest has two daughters and her youngest just had a daughter. And I have one daughter.

I'm just wondering if this genetic thing will ever be broken.

The Winner (Whiner) & The 'Losers'

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

What?

Oh...sorry. I just can't stop laughing about what happened to JJ in Sunday's race.

Yes, I know it's not nice to make fun of other people's misfortunes.

Let's see, both Hendrick drivers got their comuppance in the race. Like I always say, What goes around comes around.

Now...please let me get back to continuing what I do best: laugh at Hendrick drivers that screw up and finish badly.

Dang It!

Qualifying for Bristol was cancelled due to bad weather. Currently it is cold and raining and they are expecting snow over the weekend. It is, however, supposed to be okay to race on Sunday weather-wise.

Anyway, because only five races have been run thus far, NASCAR goes back to the owners' points from the last race run in '05. That means Junior will be starting 19th. Ack! Smack dab in the middle of the pack ~ a bad spot to start at this tiny bullring. Definitely a bad starting spot. He has said he likes to start at the back of a race so he can have fun working his way past everyone to get to the front. But not at this track. (Had they used this year's points, he would have started 7th.)

Since they didn't have qualifications we'll never know just how far to the front he would have started. He is either "better off" with 19th or screwed if he could've qualified higher.

Ya Gotta Love This Guy

BRISTOL, Tenn. - Kevin Harvick apparently has some pent-up frustration remaining from an on-track incident with Kurt Busch and David Stremme on Monday at Atlanta.
When asked at the end of a news conference Friday if there was any perception about him that he would like to correct, Harvick said: "I think I would have whooped Kurt Busch before now. Obviously, he forgot about getting punched in his nose last time from Jimmy Spencer.
"I probably shouldn't have said that," Harvick added to a room full of laughter. "I'll still tell you what I think. I'd still like to whip his ass. Before the year's over, he'll make a fool out of Roger Penske. It's hard not to pick on a guy when his ears are pinned back."
Early in Monday's race at Atlanta, Harvick was caught in the middle, with Busch on the outside and David Stremme on the inside. When Stremme moved up the track, bringing Busch and Stremme both into Harvick, the No. 29 Chevrolet was damaged.
Busch was not immediately available Friday for comment.

Well...This Is Freakin' Depressing!

My local newspaper, which covers the Lehigh Valley and beyond, apparently ran a poll last week asking "Who's your least favorite NASCAR driver?"

Here are the results:

Tony Stewart ~ 25.9%
Jeff Gordon ~ 25.5%
Dale Earnhardt Jr ~ 19.3%
Kurt Busch ~ 19.1%
Kyle Busch ~ 10.2%

There were 512 total votes, so that means that approximately 27 people that voted don't like Junior. I am so biased that I can't see why anyone dislikes him.

Kurt and Kyle Busch at the bottom of the list makes me cringe. Those two should be at the top.

Tony Stewart? He is what he is and I for one like him just the way he is. No holds barred. He adds much needed spice to racing.

Jeff Gordon ~ I only dislike him when he's on a winning streak. Otherwise, he's just one of the guys (I think).

So I ask, where the hell was Jimmie Johnson's name on this list? After all, he IS first in points. I do believe that whoever made up the poll must be a JJ fan and they were afraid that he'd be the number one least favorite by a huge margin.
Really huge.

This week's question is "What is your favorite NASCAR track?" That's a no-brainer. It's Bristol, baby!

Wednesday Sucked

This photo shows how I felt all day Wednesday. For the first time in a long time I was speechless and had nothing to write. So I guess I owe a long post. Here goes...

Weighing heavily on my mind is the fact that I could possibly hold the key to our problem of health insurance. I realize that if I were able to secure a job with benefits, that after 90 days I would qualify for coverage. At that time, should my husband want to retire, he could.

That, my friends, is easier said than done. It sure looks good in print, doesn't it?
But the downside is:

Depending on the position, I probably don't have the proper attire and I would have to buy an entirely new wardrobe. Not very cost effective there.
Since '74 I had been working in the trucking field and jeans were the norm.

Also, a third vehicle would have to be purchased for the winter months. (Remember, my Mustang isn't taken out unless the conditions are dry.) And another vehicle would mean another registration fee not to mention more insurance coverage. Again, not very cost effective.

When I was "left go" from my last job, we had absolutely no debt whatsoever and we still don't. Our house and vehicles were all paid off. Any charge cards I use are always paid in full. So there's no worriment there.

However, I do have income. It's half of what I cleared while working. So it's not like I'm not contributing. And then there is my inheritance money. Sweet.

The pros of my not working far outweigh the cons. It all comes down to those damn benefits. They're like gold these days. Well, I did not ask to be put in this situation. The new tyrannical manager that arrived a few months before my 'demise' saw fit to f*ck with my life. His rep preceded him, I formed opinions about him, and certain co-workers ran with that and the rest is history. You can't win 'em all. In all my years of working (and I have been since 18 years of age), I have never had a problem on the job. Ever.

I certainly don't miss working there anymore. However, another manager probably would not have treated me the same way. I would probably still be there had it been a different manager brought in. I guess because I was the longest working employee at that terminal, it may have bothered him. There are plenty bosses out there whose people don't like them, and they know it, but they don't connive to get rid of their employee.

Whatever.

So, while I am enjoying being home and not having to work, I still would have liked to work until retirement age at least. Being put out to pasture before that is a real kick in the ass. But the view in the pasture is really nice.

Hump Day

Sorry, I am just too tired to post anything on my own, so I copied this for your enjoyment.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Yeah, it was a great run. This was a great effort by the Budweiser team. We got behind a couple times with a flat tire and got the lucky dog and had to come from back again. Had a loose set of tires that took us all the way back to 25th. We kept getting back to the front. They gave me a great car. Just an awesome pit crew. Great bunch of guys back at the shop that put these things together. They're a pleasure to drive this year. I couldn't be more happy.

Steve Byrnes: You're smiling. Are you going in the right direction?

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Well, my cars are just fun to drive, and they have been every week. And I haven't been able to say that in the past so I've just got to thank the guys that are building them back in the shop and the road crew that works on them when we're here trying to practice and stuff. All the fabricators and engine guys at DEI. We're just having a great time right now. I'm really, really proud of them

(As I am proud of Dale Earnhardt Jr!)

Canis Lupis

Like anything else man did not "understand," the Gray Wolf was almost wiped out to extinction. To me, there is no other animal as beautiful or as powerful as the Gray Wolf.

At one point in our married life, we entertained the thought of raising a hybrid wolf pup. Breeders were abundant back then. For some reason, those breeders (or sellers) have dried up.

The more we read up on this beautiful creature, the more we knew we could not possibly raise one where we live. A wolf needs a lot of room to run. But they cannot be allowed to "run free," or one would lose their initial investment.

So we gave up on the idea of raising one and adopted one instead. Lakota was living in Denali National Park in Alaska under the guidance of a caretaker. For a small fee, we received a document stating he was our "adopted" wolf. We are still listed as a protector of the Gray Wolf. But that was the end of our ever raising our own wolf pup. It saddened me when I came to terms with that. I so wanted to have my very own wolf. But it was not to be. So, I decided I would eventually get an Alaskan Malamute as they are about as close to a wolf one can get in a domestic dog.

It all comes down to the fact that we can't always have what we want. Sigh.

Hey Everybody...Junior Finished 3rd!

And believe me, I ran the gamut of emotions today during that race. I literally held my breath for the last 20 laps once Junior moved into 3rd place.

On lap 210 he thought he had a tire problem and finally pitted under green on lap 212. (The right front tire was cut.) He was in 7th place at the time. While in the pits he went a lap down. My heart dropped TO THE FLOOR! When he returned to the racetrack he was in 32nd place, according to the what I'd heard on the radio. The TV had him in 29th. (I may have that backward.) Anyway, he fought his way to being the first in line for the Lucky Dog spot in case of another caution. That happened when Clint Bowyer brought out the caution on lap 221. Little by little he worked his way to the front. By lap 307 he was in 4th. A lap later Robby Gordon, who was in 3rd, had to pit and that put Junior in 3rd where he finished. Not bad for starting 26th, moving up to 7th, back to 32nd, and then to 3rd.

Before the race he was 11th in points. He moved up four spots into 7th. I am hoping he stays in the top ten in points now. All I have to do is Keep The Faith and believe in Him (and Junior too).

Look out Bristol, here we come!!!! (My absolute all time favorite track)

Race Postponed Due To Rain

So, what does one do while waiting during a rain delay? We did absolutely nothing. Nothing at all. Oh I lied...I read my book. But other than that, it was a boring day. Too cold and windy to go outside and do anything. Too comfy and lazy to do anything inside.

I hate rain delays. And I used to hate postponements caused by rain. Sunday's race has been postponed to today. 11:00 am to be exact. But it doesn't look good weather-wise. More rain is in the forecast. Flooding even. Maybe they could give the drivers oars and they could have a boat race. No? Just a thought.

If the race doesn't happen today, then I have no idea what they will do. Racing on Tuesday is pushing it a bit. Either day, if it does happen, I am ready, willing and able to watch it. That's what's nice about not working...I don't miss much race-related programming.

Better Late Than Never

I couldn't post last night. Blogger had me down for maintenance. That is so frustrating. At first I thought I lost everything, till I nosed around and finally much later got a message from them. Then when I tried to find that same message again, I couldn't. I wasn't looking for it the first time. Oh well, so much for that.

Anyway, I hope I didn't offend anyone with my two posts on the basketball tournament going on till God knows when. I know there are people out there that like that sport, but I don't have to like it. And I told you why.

So here it is, Friday already. The older you get, the faster the weeks fly by. Funny, when you're a kid you think a certain day or weekend will never, ever arrive. As we all know, it eventually does. Now, once the weekend is here, for those of you that work you probably wish the weekend would never be over. Or that you could have a three-day weekend every week. But it does leave only to tease you that another one will be forthcoming. I'm rambling here, I know. Forgive me.

So, today is qualifying day (or night, since it won't happen until 7:10 pm.) For some reason, I am not that excited about it. I read so many columns on Junior and they leave me saddened and wondering just who it is they are writing about. One columnist said he needs a new owner. That he should stay where he is (DEI) but that they need a new owner. I disagree. My momma always taught me (or someone did), that if you can't say anything nice about someone, then don't say anything at all. I can't tell you how many times I have gone against that advice. But I am not some big shot columnist. They get paid big bucks to shoot someone down. I don't know about you, but if I read nasty things about me day after day, week after week, sooner or later it is bound to get to me.

I try not to read the bad reviews. Or the bad previews. Hey, I don't talk trash about the drivers I don't like (except one ~ JJ), so I don't like when others are talking trash about my driver. Just because of who he is. If they'd let him alone to do his own thing, let him climb out of the shadow of who his father was, let him make his mistakes, eventually he'll learn from them and go on to be his own self. I believe in him. Given the right circumstances, he can win races; he can win a Championship. And he will...just believe in him and give him time. After all, good things take time.

Atlanta Motor Speedway...what can I say about that track. I like it, I like the racing that goes on there. I especially like the "racing" that goes one there. Because, finally, we get to see some real racing. Actual, honest-to-God real racing. And no basketball.

Basketball: Same Day. Same Station

One of my readers said "they put it on because some people love basketball like you like NASCAR." (I watch one race per week for approximately four hours, and half of them are on cable channels. There are very few on any major channel.)

Another said "to be able to say that for a few weeks in March, they shined (sic) above all other college teams in the nation." (Sorry, I don't buy it, and I could care less.)

I certainly don't want to "chase" both those commentors away. Every blog needs its readers. I read their blogs as well. And I enjoy reading them, too.

So, back to basketball:
I can understand maybe one or two nights but it has already started earlier today and just ended a few minutes ago. And it will be back on at 7:00 tonight again. Tomorrow the same thing, as well as Saturday. And then again next week.

I could also understand if they only televised the Final Four. That's when it might (I said might) get exciting. I ask: would you all sit through that much golf? I thought not. I'd rather watch an ant carry a crumb 5 times its size. Now THAT'S exciting.

This is my blog, these are my opinions, and I think I can trace this back to my high school days when I played in the band. I had to also play at basketball games. And I hated it from start to finish. But it was something I had to do and it was forced on me. I don't like when something is forced on me. So please, understand where I am coming from, and for those of you who like basketball: watch all the games and enjoy them. Every blessed one of them. I have a couple ants I need to see after...

I Don't Need No Stinkin' Basketball!

Would you like to know something that really, really disgusts me? It happens every year around this time. It's the NCAA Basketball Tournament aka March Madness. And it wipes out all CBS programming for an eternity it seems. And every year I bitch and whine about it just as I am now. Oh, I can do without CBS for a couple weeks, that's not the point. The point is, not everyone likes basketball for that long. So why the hell is it being jammed down our throats year after year after year on a major network?

(You can tell I am really pissed about something when my words turn salty.)

I would really like to know why such drivel is broadcast on a major network rather than a sports channel like, say ESPN. Or another cable channel.

Am I the only one that feels this way? I would hope I am not alone in my thinking here.

Are We In Kansas Yet?

It was 9 pm and we had just turned on the second hour of American Idol when the power went out. It was a total blackout. I went to the front door and stuck my head out to look the situation over. No one else had power either and all the street lights were out. It was very weird...eerie almost.

So I tried to make the best of it. I grabbed a flashlight and started with the book I am currently reading. But I couldn't concentrate, so I started writing a draft of what I am now typing instead.

The fact that it was very windy may have had something to do with the power outage. We have had two days of very high wind alerts.

My thoughts were darting every which way. We have three freezers...one in the basement, another in the garage, and the one that's part of the refrigerator. Of course, one always worries about frozen food going bad, and then there was the alarm clock...how would my husband be able to get up in time to go to work. Luckily I have two alarm clocks with back up.

And as I sat there in the dark with my flashlight, I thought about all the things we take for granted. We depend so much on power that when it does go out, we don't know what to do or where to turn first. Nothing works. Nothing...and that makes one feel so utterly helpless.

Well, I was helpless for half an hour. Thank God it wasn't an all night affair. Once the power did come back on I had to go around and reset all the clocks. Joy. And when that was done everything was back to normal.

Let me tell you, it's a scary thing to lose power...

...and then it dawned on me: It's full moon! Any damn wonder.

Intruder

This is a groundhog aka woodchuck. He is kin to Punxsutawney Phil. He is how Pennsylvanians determine whether we will have 6 more weeks of winter or not; I never put much thought into it.

This guy was probably eating the corn that the birds threw out of the feeder. This is the first time I've seen one up this close to the house since I put the bird feeder up. I also had suet up but had to take it down because one day there were so many blackbirds in the tree I couldn't find the tree. I don't like blackbirds.

Anyway, these critters use the deck as a refuge. They're quite destructive and we have given up on any kind of vegetable garden. They eat everything in sight it seems. They have just come out of hibernation too. And they dig holes everywhere they please. There's no way to get rid of them either, so we have just learned to live with them.

The Best Is Yet To Come

"I was a rookie...and I was in Rockingham," Earnhardt Jr. said.
"We took a provisional to start the race. I was really down in the
dumps. My daddy and I sat down in his bus and he looked at me
and he said, 'You'll have days like this and tomorrow you might
win the race. Don't ever let it get you down because the next
day can be the greatest day you'll ever have."
--Dale Earnhardt Jr. March 2004

For those of you who watched the race Sunday, you'll understand why I posted this quote.

Something To Look Forward To

With the warm weather we experienced Friday we will soon be able to see a lot of these. I don't particularly like tulips even though there are still a few that pop up in front of the house. (Leftovers from the former owners.) We have lived here 20 years and I still haven't gotten them all out of the ground. And I have no idea why.
The temperature was in the low 70s today. Very unusual for this time of the year. So I guess I can kiss any thought of snow goodbye until later this year.