Gadzooks - I think I have the Answer!!

I have finally solved the problem that has plagued us for years - Why is it that we tend to gain weight in the cooler months and lose weight in the warmer months? I know those scientist people will try to tell you its a hold over from Mother Nature and the desire to hibernate, but they are full of it. I have finally figured the answer out. I have always been puzzled over why it tend to have trouble with my clothes fitting in the fall and winter (too tight) and a little trouble in the spring and summer (too lose) - and for me - someone who tries to stay in shape and eat right this was a real problem! Not any more - its TV!!! Yes- I said it TV. I am putting the blame squarely on the shoulders where it belongs - on TV.

Think about it - here we are and it's fall again, and what has happened? It's new season time. Grey's Anatomy is back - better than ever. Heroes is back where everything is getting turned all around - evil villains are becoming good and good characters are going bad. Then you have Private Practice where some steam is rising. You even have Chuck - who comes in and wins one or two for the geeks squads!! Then you have these new ones that you have to test out - Mentalist? Is it going to work? Don't know yet... Night Rider...not again, please! Life....maybe another season. Then you have the reality shows....America's Got Talent...the opera guy? Come on - a million dollars? Dancing with Stars...I revolt until the old lady goes! And then what about old favorites on off channels like House - the personality master? Then you have HBO coming with the True Blood Series who would have thought vampires in a small town would have been interesting? Then..as if if that's not enough - you have things like Political Debates to watch.

So as you can clearly see it is the fault of TV that I can't get to the gym as often as I should. It is the fault of TV that I am sitting down having a snack in front of it with my kids watching instead of out running a few miles. I've thought about this long and hard. You see - in the spring what happens...RE-RUNS!!! Nothing is on TV to watch so the gym and outside is a great place to be because nothing is on TV anyway.

So I have come to the conclusion that the few extra pounds I carry in the winter months can clearly be blamed on TV - I think I have a good case here - don't you?

What Will I Do...

Have you ever thought what you will do when you turn 96? It's really kind of an interesting question. And in my family - evidently one that needs to be asked quite often. We have an odd mix of family traits - half our family side (my mom's) has a history of senility & Alzheimers while the other side (my dad's) has a history of living a long life. Add those two together - what do you get?? ME - living long but being CRAZY!!!

Anyway - this is where this started - I have a great aunt - Aunt Ruby - She is my late grandfather's sister. She lives alone in Clovis, New Mexico and she is 96 years old - yes I said alone! Over the last couple of years it has gotten a little worse for her (not that anyone is surprised) - her hearing is pretty bad and she has trouble getting around. She and her husband (who died ten years ago) never had children so my Mom and my brothers and I have been like her kids - my poor Mom has inherited taking care of her. Mom and I and my boys have always visited each summer and we keep in touch - well we couldn't go this summer because Mitch broke his leg and my Mom was in Alaska. Boy did it all hit the fan!!!

While my Mom was gone her Minister called saying she had fallen and wouldn't go to the doctor. Then her part-time house-keeper called and said she was hearing voices and was saying she was convinced that the neighbors were planning a plot to come and kidnap her. Her lawyer called and wanted to know why we didn't have a power of attorney for her. Now this was all good and well, but if I say MULE can you get a picture in your mind? Aunt Ruby is 5 feet tall 96 years old and more stubborn than me and my son Peyton put together (now that's really saying something). According to her she's fine, she's not deaf, she's not hearing things, she did not fall, and no one is going to have any power over her!!!

Well, we thought we would let it slide, but the housekeeper called again and so did the minister - Mom is worried. Evidently she has fallen again - this time she did go to the doctor but she won't take the medicine because it makes her tired and she doesn't want to sleep that much - she has more important things to do - She's 96 years old - what else does she have to do?????

I swear - she's a mess. However - she wins! Mitch and Mom and I will be heading to Clovis for Fall Break - Yippee! My job as the youngster is to try and convince her I need to meet her doctor so we can get her back in to the doctor while my Mom gets to mention a "power of attorney". Mitch will get to just try and keep the peace when it all goes to heck in a handbasket!!

What will I do when I'm 96? I hope to heck I've moved somewhere so my kids aren't trying to take care of me. I want to learn shuffleboard and bridge while I'm still young enough to remember that I've learned the skills. And if my Mom's side of the family is any indication - maybe I should start making plans for my 50th!!!!!

Happy or Sad?

I'm a little twisted tonight on what to write. Part of me is really happy about things and part of me is sad.... Maybe a cathartic writing of both will cure what ails me so here goes.

First of all - sad. I'm turning 39 tomorrow. That's not a bad birthday I know, but when I look at my life I'm not quite where I wanted to be at this point. Financially we are still struggling way too much for me to feel good. I mean I have a degree and this is my 16th year teaching - my husband is working on his doctorate and he's an administrator so you'd think we'd be at least better off, but it's still tough to make it some months. So that makes me not happy.

Second, raising two teenage boys is tougher than I ever thought it would be. With a work-aholic husband I feel like I'm on my own too often and not doing a very good job at it. I know I have great kids, but the question is will I survive their raising?

Third - I often wonder when I look at my life - Is this what I had planned? When I was little I used to think I could conquer everything - but have I even made a dent? I don't know? When you get almost 1/2 through your life you have to start thinking these questions.

Okay - now why am I happy? Well - first of all - tomorrow is my birthday, that should always bring a smile. Second, my husband didn't forget! First time in 5 years!! Third - I won a bet with Pete this morning - even though he says it didn't count, Todd agreed that it did so I won! In case you can't guess, I like to win!!

I'm also happy because my oldest is happier - the cripple has been pretty depressed lately with the cast and all. He's been going to the youth program at McFarlin and the extra attetion from the youth director has made a HUGE difference. He's even walked (thigh-high cast and all) to Classic's and McDonald's. He's happy to go to school. That's probably the best thing - to see him getting social again. It was really hard to see him sit in his room and talk about how nobody wanted to be around him and how he didn't want to go to school. Now he's off to Six Flags this Saturday and loving life. He get's a below the knee cast tomorow - he says its my birthday present. That will be another good thing.

So you see - with each year comes the good the bad - the good and the ugly. I guess it's all just in how you take it. I hope I take it okay!

When it just keeps going.....

I have been "whining" about my husband working too much - too many hours for awhile. I mean really, a middle school principal that has to drive bus routes, drive the volleyball girls to their games - he even had to go up on Labor Day weekend to put a desk together for a secretary. So yea, I've been complaining. But then it keeps coming.

Its easy to say my life is so hard until your husband comes home and says "I have an appointment with three lawyers tomorrow in the city - one from Chicago, one from California, and one from OK". I'm thinking - WOW - what's going on....then he says "It's about my brother - he has another appeal going".

Now - the story is not new, but I thought it was finished. My husband's brother is in prison with a death sentence for shooting and killing a highway patrolman - I guess it's been 9-10 years ago. Anyway - We've been to the trial - we went to the sentencing - each time my well-employed, well-educated husband was called to testify. However - we haven't heard anything for awhile, so... I thought it was done. How do you talk to lawyers about your own brother when you think what he did was wrong?

Anyway - too heavy for a blog probably, but since he doesn't talk about it I needed to. Anyway, tomorrow I don't think I will be complaing!

Totally Impressed!

I have to say it - I was sucked in and mesmerized by the special on Friday night - Stand Up 2 Cancer. First of all - 3 major networks all working together - that's impressive. Then - the talent - musical and otherwise - Talk about impressive. Then there was the science - of course I'm a science nerd so that really got to me. They have technology that can identify and track individual cancer cells. I didn't know that! But it was the stories that really got to me. The children, the loved ones, the survivors and those still fighting. I was reaching for tissues within the first 10 minutes.

The statistics were amazing - 1500 people dies every day from cancer - wow. Both of my grandfather died of cancer - one of lung cancer before I was born - the other from cancer of the spine two weeks after my oldest some was born. Its true, cancer touches everyone's life.

Anyway - the special - was amazing. It felt like a real beginning. I was online making my donation. And - being the nerd I am went all the way the Stand Up 2 Cancer website - I read the "where does the money go" and the "mission statement" I even read all about the board of directors and I am still really impressed. I even ordered my SU2C t-shirt.

Isn't it funny - I'm usually not a bandwagon kind of person - but somehow this just seemed like the right bandwagon to jump on!! The video I've put in(if I did it right) is of all the big female artists singing a song called "stand up" - they were amazing!

See the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrPqNW87ol4


Enjoy!

A Little Insulted

Okay - Its probably not a smart idea to get totally political in a "blog" especially one that my boss follows, but oh well.  I'm known for doing things less than smart.

Here's my beef - I'm a female - I liked Hilary Clinton (obviously I'm a Democrat).  I was proud of her status and achievements as a female.  However as the campaign went on I felt more in line with Oboma's views.  I listened to Hilary's speech at the convention and was proud of Obama's - yes I'm the dorky type who actually watched some of the convention.  Although I'm not as bad as my sister-in-law who DVrd every night so she wouldn't miss a thing - and she lives in Houston - Its a wonder they haven't burned her alive yet!!!

Okay - so getting back to the point - as I listened to McCain's VP choice I had to get a little peeved.  Let's see - 1.  a first term governor 2. claims she has military experience because her son is in the army 3. governor of yes the largest, but fewest populated state and let's not forget the most important 4. she's a female.

Is McCain really thinking that women who were in support of Hilary would just automatically switch to the next candidate in a skirt without being concerned about things like - oh I don't know - issues, policies, programs, things like that?  I'm really glad Sarah Palin can hunt moose and handle a gun - I'm thrilled she is dealing well with a new teen-age pregnancy issue in the family (Lord knows I would have trouble) and I think she's probably a really nice person.  However - I really resent the Republicans thinking that as a woman if I was thinking about voting for one woman on the Democrat side and I'm a little frustrated since that didn't work out well then I'll just switch to whatever side will put a woman on the ticket.

McCain- I'm a woman, but I'm also capable of reasonable thought - I don't just switch my vote around as though I was playing with Legos.  There's a little more on the line here than just a female in the Oval Office - we're talking about the future of our children - I'd like to think such a wise and experienced man could see that!!

Whirlwind Weekend

What a weekend!!! Here it is Sunday evening and I'm just now catching my breath for the first time!!

This weekend was the "wedding celebration" for my older brother. I have 2 older brothers. Both of whom tourtured me throughout my youth. My oldest brother is married with two children living in Houston. Growing up he and I were mortal enimies. However - shortly after I got married we began to see eye to eye - probably because we are pretty much alike - stubborn, sarcastic, hard-headed, anal...well - you can imagine the rest! My second brother - the "middle child" has always been somewhat of a mystery. He never thought school was a big deal - he was always more concerned with partying, easy-going - a real people-pleaser, sort-of a hippie type personality.

Anyway - he was married for 5 years and last summer divorced. He had up untill July lived in Santa Fe, NM. He's an architect/landscape designer (artsy-fartsy dude). Anyway - last January on a plane he meets a woman and they have a great conversation - the next month he flies to Georgia to see her for a week. The next month she flies to New Mexico to see him for a week and this goes back and forth until in June they decide to get married and move to Orlando, Florida. He quits his job, finds a new one, rents his house in New Mexico and they find a house in Florida and they get married and move with her 15 year old daughter from her 1st marriage (her 12 year old from marriage # 2 still lives with his dad in Georgia)to Florida. Let's just say we were shocked!

So - this was the "meet the family weekend". Tammy - my new sister-in-law has two sisters that live in Edmond so they had decided to throw a wedding reception since only a few people had gotten to go to the wedding on the beach in Florida. Being the supportive family we are Ward and Gina my family from Houston drive up Sat. morning (yes on OU's first football game) and we all head to Edmond to meet the family. Now just imagine this - 2 families having never met before coming together. Tammy has 5 siblings - she's the baby - 3 of which were there (2 live in Florida and couldn't make it) Her parents came in from Florida and the spouses of her siblings that came were there - and then there's my brother and his wife and kids, my husband and kids, and my mom.

Can you say a little tension??? Good news is - we all hit it off pretty good - there was quite a bit of alcohol flowing and we laughed a lot. But lets' face it. After the first full week of teaching that was a little more stress than I was hoping for.

But no - that's not all. Mothers can't be outdone. My mom decided since Tammy was having her family welcome us, than my mom's family should welcome her as well. So - what does my mom plan? Why a Sunday brunch of course. That way my Mom's cousins and their children and her friencds can come down and meet Tammy and her kids. So, I get to spend Sunday morning making pinwheels, coffee cakes and few egg caseroles while I'm trying to convince my children to at least pretend they have manners! And now I'm done!!!

Mitchell just asked me if I would take him, Peyton, Hannah and Sam to Andy Aligators and I thought to myself...."are you suicidal?" Wasn't Labor Day originally a holiday set aside to be free from work? The emotional overatures of these family meetings is more work than my real job.....that's not fair!!

So, I've met Tammy the new wife and her kids, it's good - they head back to Florida first thing in the morning. I've comiserated with Ward and his gang from Houston and they also head back first thing in the morning. I've played nice helper and hostess for my mother. Tomorrow - nobody better ask anything of me - I'm planning on sitting in my pajamas all day long!!!!!