Kermit the Frog, here

As a kiddo, I loved the Muppets. I remember even having a favorite glass to drink out of that had The Muppets. I rarely was allowed to order Happy Meals at McDonald's (tragic, I know) but one time I was allowed to AND got to get the collectible glass featuring The Great Muppet Caper. I can still picture the glass, even though I'm sure it's laying shattered in a landfill somewhere.

Update: I think it is intact and someone is selling it on eBay...


Remember the cartoon, Muppet Babies? Watched that one too. But the cartoon couldn't hold a candle to the great variety of Muppets in the movies. I loved the old men in the balcony, the French chef with the lobster, Beeker, and of course, Ker-meee. I had a little record player growing up that played the small records, the ones with that you had to put a little yellow plastic star in the middle in order for it to play. I loved to listen to Kermit singing "It's Not Easy, Being Green". I don't think I have the record any more. I do still have two of my 8-tracks though. Sesame Street and Snoopy's Christmas, yep, they're in my cedar chest. Why I'm saving them, I don't know.

So what brought on this trip to Memory Lane? I finally finished painting our bathroom last night. What a beast of burden it has been. Since we have such cheapy, chalky builder's paint, it shows even the slightest mark on it. It's also so cheap that you can't rub off any marks, otherwise the paint will come off. I hope to have the whole house painted someday, but for now, it's one room at a time. I thought the bathroom would be a cinch, even thinking that it would be done in an afternoon with a quart of paint. Three days and one full gallon later, it is complete, except for the touch-ups. Thankfully, the spare bath should be a cinch compared to it. I'm just ready for both of them to be done. I must have been exceptionally careless last night, because I had green paint all over me. All over my shorts, shirt, arms, and hands. I have been scrubbing all day, to no avail. I'm still pretty green. And it's not easy.

Interview Update

Brian just called, he said the interview went surprisingly well. He was able to answer all their questions, and in typical Brian fashion, even made them laugh a few times. He forgot to ask them how long it will be until they make a decision, but hopefully it will be soon. Either way, it is in the Lord's hands, and we will be content in that.

Thank you SO much for all your prayers. Y'all really blessed both of us today.

Prayers for "Brian"

If the Lord leads you, "Brian" has a job interview today and I'm sure he would appreciate your prayers. It's at 11:00 and is a position that would be more convenient, would be a promotion, and is one that he would really love to have. He also knows alot of other qualified people that also put in for it. Please pray that he will be able to communicate effectively, not be stressed out during the interview, and that he will trust in the Lord for whatever the decision will be.

May God bless you today!

Amstaff Mom

Speaking of....

I had just posted this morning how I couldn't see without my contacts.

I was swimming my laps on lunch, minding my own business when I realized that I couldn't see as well out of my left eye. At first I thought my goggles were just getting foggy, and then I realized my contact was not in my eye. So, I got out of the pool, gingerly took my goggles off and sat with my back to the breeze. Lo and behold, there was my little hard contact, sitting in my goggles.

As soon as I placed my left contact in, the right contact suddenly gathered dust, or spider legs, or some other unknown substance. I was already back in the pool by this point, so I once again got out of the pool, proceeded to take my right contact out, and then, the breeze caught it and it blew a foot away and landed on the concrete.

Phew! Two close calls.

7 Thangs....

Lucky Sevens

I stole this from Amanda. I can't ever resist doing these things...

7 things I plan to do before I die

1. Go on a cruise with my hubby
2. Go back to Europe with my sis
3. Learn Spanish
4. Own a Boxer or a Great Dane
5. Go skydiving
6. Memorize more of the Bible
7. Share my faith with at least 5 people

7 things I can do

1. Read a book a day
2. Be willing to travel at any given moment
3. Do a headstand and other weird yoga moves
4. Fall asleep within 5 minutes of touching my pillow
5. Give great hugs
6. Eat Mexican food everyday of the week and twice on Sunday
7. Blog all day

7 things I cannot do

1. See without my contacts
2. Go a few days without a hug
3. Go a week without the internet (unless I'm traveling)
4. Jump a curb on my bike or ride without hands
5. Drive the speed limit
6. Touch a roach
7. Play sports

7 things that attract me to Jeff

1. Sense of humor
2. Blue eyes
3. Work ethic
4. His laugh
5. He's manly (shoots guns, rides four-wheelers, does carpentry)
6. His generosity
7. He's handsome

7 things that I say most often

1. Blast!
2. Rats and Mice!
3. I love you
4. Hewwo!
5. I'm hungry
6. Momma's home! (to Abby the Amstaff as she wags her tail profusely)
7. Let's play a game

7 celebrity crushes

1. Colby Donaldson (Survivor has never been the same w/o him)
2. Josh Lucas in Sweet Home Alabama
3. Matt Damon
4. Jonathan Crombie - played Gilbert Blythe on the Anne of Green Gables series (he will be 40 next year!?!?! WHAT?! Say it isn't so, imdb.com.)
5. Chris Martin's voice
6. Michael W. Smith
7. Brad Pitt

7 songs I love right now

1. Yellow by Coldplay
2. Name by Goo Goo Dolls
3. Cry by Faith Hill
4. The Scientist by Coldplay
5. Blessed Be the Name by Matt Redman/Tree 63/Jubal
6. Valley Song by Jars of Clay
7. Hungry (Falling on My Knees) Sang this last night at church.

My Sis is Coming Home!!!

My sister, the Amstaff Aunt, is on her way back to Texas as we speak/type/read. Yea!!!! She's been living in the beauty of Colorado for the last year and has decided to go ahead and move back home. I haven't seen her since March, and she hasn't yet seen my new house. I can't wait to get to see her and catch up on what's really been going on since she headed out west.

I'm pretty excited! Here's a picture when we were in Wales two years ago...

Eternal Perspective

Psalm 90:12
"So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom."

Our days on this earth our numbered. So many times I tend to forget that. I go through the motions, wishing my week away, and longing for the weekends. But I don't know that I will be here on this earth this weekend, or this evening, or even 5 minutes from now. The Lord created me, but not just for this earthly life. He created me to be eternal. He also gave me the gift of salvation, the gift of spending eternal life with Him, in glory, in perfect peace.

I normally get an early start on reading your blogs. This morning I read two blogs that spoke to life and its brevity. Both Steve and Chad referenced the need to enjoy the days we have, and to tell those around us that we love them. Steve wrote a song for a little friend of his, and played it for him 20 minutes before he left this earth for glory. Listening to the song created alot of emotions inside of me. It brought sadness, that this little boy did not get a chance to grow up. It also brought peace, that he has no more pain, and no more tears. That he is in the arms of his Heavenly Father. It also brought back memories. I was with my grandfather when he took his last breath. A few days before he passed away, he had come home from the hospital, to die. His body was riddled with colon and prostate cancer and he was in a lot of pain. The last few hours of his life, I sat in the room with him and sang to him. His eyes were closed and he lay there very still. I sang some of the songs over and over again, but it seemed to relax him. I remember singing "Oh How He Loves You and Me". It was the middle of the afternoon, at the time, it was just the two of us in the room. I was holding his hand and singing softly. He began to smile, and then peacefully let out a sigh. It was his last breath. I remember a peace that surpasses all understanding.

My grandfather had served the Lord for many, many years. He was the only one in his family that was a Christian, and he became a missionary to his country of Guatemala as a young man. He was almost killed while sharing his faith because of his many travels in a third-world country. He even translated a Bible into a language of one of the Mayan tribes that had never seen a Bible in their native tongue. He brought his family to America so that he could be trained to be a pastor. I imagine that when he entered heaven, he heard "Well done, good and faithful servant."

One day, I will have my last breath on this earth. Because I have accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour, I will spend eternity with Him. I will get to see my grandfather again. Maybe I'll even get to see the little boy that Steve wrote the song for. Because Jesus loved me so much, He paid the penalty of my sin, and died on a cross. He being sinless, took away my sin and the punishment that it would have incurred. He rose from the dead, and by believing in Him, on my last day I will be able to say,

1 Corinthians 15:55 - "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

Throw Momma from the ATV

This past weekend, continued...

So, I've already shared the excitement of my Friday night. Saturday, we slept in, did some work around the house, then went to hubby's parent's house for dinner/conversation/games. We played BuzzWord, and had great fun.

Sunday, we accompanied my parents to East Texas. The land of pine trees, and heat. They are volunteers at their church, and all volunteers and their families were invited to enjoy hamburgers and fun at a friend of the pastor's home. Hubby and I had been there once before, when we were leaders in the youth group, so we knew what fun was to be had.

The gentleman that lives at the home (when he's not off doing mission trips, etc.) is one of the most financially blessed, and generous people I know. Unfortunately, wealth and generosity don't normally go hand in hand, but in this case they certainly do. The home is set on 300 acres, and is a beautiful home complete with indoor pool. The deck leading out to the private lake is massive, with hammocks hung from the many trees. The lake includes a giant slide and zip line. It also has a ski boat and jet skis. Then for fun on land, there's a golf range, shelter for skeet shooting, and a shed full of four-wheelers and dirt bikes. He has at least 15 four-wheelers, complete with miles of trails in the woods and then a motorcross course.














He invites people all the time to come out and enjoy his place. Generosity to the max. So, fun we had, and while my dad was content to sit in the shade and fellowship, my mom was ready for her first jetski and four-wheeler ride.



Here's my view on one of the trails on a four-wheeler.











This is on the other side of the lake, where the trails wrap around.













"Brian" and I head out on the jetski. It was a BLAST!













My mom's first Jetski ride. She's hanging on to her friend, and her straw hat.












My mom is 4 foot, 10 inches tall, so seeing her rider on the back of a four wheeler made her look like a 7 year old girl!












She probably gave this poor guy the Heimlich maneuver.














Momma and Pops.

The slide is the yellow and blue thing in the background.















East Texas Pines.















Crossing the Christmas Bridge to leave his place.

Sure hope we get to go back soon!

Best Weekend, EVAAAHHHHH

This past weekend was one of those where you sit back, reflect, and just say. MAN!, that was a GREAT weekend. I knew on Friday that it was going to be great, and it even exceeded my expectations. We had plans for each night. Friday was the much-anticipated blogger game night. Saturday was dinner at hubby's folks house, and Sunday was a trip to East Texas for some fun on land and sea. I have so many pictures from this weekend, that I will have to be selective, and show you the cream of the crop.

So, here we go....


The winners of the "Posted Note Contest". Jes won 1st place in the contest, followed by K-T, and then I won 3rd place. Eddo was gracious enough to grant us gift cards and much-coveted tiaras. Here we are after we were crowned. They are asking me to dance and I'm thinking, "HUH?"









Getting our groove on!






Charlie's Angels ain't got nothing on us.









Look at the jealousy on K-T's face!!!







We were only drinking root beer, I swear!








"Brian??" "Did you just sing 'Happy Birthday BRIAN???"









"OH MY GOSH! I thought your name was Brian! I'm so embarrassed!"








"Do they have any idea how funny they look doing Dance Dance Revolution?"

"No"

"Are you going to tell them?"

"No"



Friends for life....








The rest of the weekend is to be continued....

Puh-lease.

Thank you SOOOOO much MSN Search, for providing me with these results...

We can't find www.yahoo.com


WHATEVER!!!

Happy Birthday Guys!!!

OK, so neither hubby nor his twin normally read my blog, but I'm sending birthday wishes to the two of them today anyways. And since I only had this one picture with me today, (yes it's the only one I have of the two of them together still on my camera), and they will have to suffer the consequences of it. I think I already posted it once before anyways.

So, one more time,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUYS!!!!!

Anybody Thirsty?

Interesting Facts...

WATER

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back
and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzz short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.


COKE

1. In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of coke in the truck to
remove blood from the highway! after a car accident.

2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days

3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit
for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China.

4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to
bubble away the corrosion.

6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several
minutes.

7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

8. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
9. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

For Your Info:

1. The act ive ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its pH is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising
increase in osteoporosis.

2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous
material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20
years!

Now the question is, would you like a coke or a glass of water?

Update on Uncle Sammy

Thanks so much guys, for your prayers and your kind thoughts. I just got an update from my mom. Sam was in surgery for 6 hours, the doctor said that his weight had an effect on both the surgery and the anesthesia, which slowed the process. Unfortunately, there was a huge mass, the cancer was both on and around his colon, so they had to remove his entire colon. He will also have to undergo radiation. He's definitely not out of the woods yet. Please keep him and the family in your prayers. I sure do appreciate y'all.

Love,
Amstaff Mom

Prayers for Sam

Sam is a very common name in my family. My grandfather's name was Sam, I have two uncles named Sam, (not including the tax one) and my nephew's name is Sam. I had a voicemail from my mom when I got back from my meeting asking her to call right away. My dad's brother Sam just found out he has colon cancer and is scheduled for surgery in an hour. He literally just found out and they have to operate immediately. He is in a tremendous amount of pain. Please keep him and his family in your prayers. I'm not sure that any of them are saved.

Thank you blogger family.

Trip Down Memory Lane....

You Know You Grew Up In The 80's or Early 90's If:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word "SIKE"
2. You watched the Pound Puppies.
3. You can sing the rap to the "Fresh Prince of Belair" ..and can do the "Carlton".
4. Girls wore biker shorts under their skirts and felt stylishly sexy.
5. You yearned to be a member of the Baby-sitters club and tried to start a club of your own.
6. You owned those lil' Strawberry Shortcake pals scented dolls.
7. You know that "WOAH " comes from Joey on Blossom
8. Two words: Hammer Pants
9. If you ever watched "Fraggle Rock"
10. You had plastic streamers on your handle bars... and "spokey-dokes" or playing cards on your spokes for that incredible sound effect
11. You can sing the entire theme song to "DuckTales " (Woo-ooh!)
12. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
13. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
14. You saw the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles " on the big screen...and still know the turtles names.
15. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
16. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
17. You played the game "MASH " (Mansion, Apartment, Shelter,House)
18. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
19. L.A. Gear....need I say more?
20. You wanted to change your name to "JEM " in Kindergarten.(She's truly outrageous.)
21. You remember reading "Tales of a fourth grade nothing" and all the Ramona books.
22. You know the profound meaning of "WAX ON, WAX OFF"
23. You wanted to be a Goonie.
24. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
25. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
26. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
27. You took lunch boxes to school... and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
28. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
29. You still get the urge to say "NOT " after every sentence.
30. You remember Hypercolor t-shirts.
31. Barbie and the Rockers was your favorite band.
32. You thought She-ra (Princess of Power!) and He-Man should hook up.
33. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
34. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes. (and like #24, probably in neon colors, too)
35. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying "I know you are, but what am I?"
36. You remember "I've fallen and I can't get up"
37. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
38. You ever got seriously ! injured on a Slip and Slide
39. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
40. You had or attended a birthday party at McDonalds.
41. You've gone through this nodding your head in agreement.
42. You remember Popples.
43. "Don't worry, be happy"
44. You wore like, EIGHT pairs of socks over tights with high top Reeboks.
45. You wore socks scrunched down (and sometimes still do...getting yelled at by "younger hip" members of the family)
46. You remember boom boxes. . and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
47. You remember watching both "Gremlins " movies.
48. You know what it meant to say "Care Bear Stare!!"
49. You remember watching "Rainbow Bright" and "My Little Pony Tales"
50. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
51. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
52. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as "NKOTB".
53. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on "Saved By The Bell," The ORIGINAL class.
54. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
55. You just sang those words to yourself.
56. You remember watching Magic vs. Bird.
57. Homemade Levi shorts.. (the shorter the better)
58. You remember when mullets were cool!
59. You had a mullet!
60. You still sing "We are the World"
61. You tight rolled your jeans.
62. You owned a banana clip.
63. You remember "Where's the Beef?"
64. You used to (and probably still do) say "What you talkin' about Willis?"
65. You had big hair and you knew how to use it.
66. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!!!

C'mon September 15th!!!

I can.not.wait. until September 15th!!! CBS just announced that both Survivor AND The Amazing Race start that night. Break out the streamers and balloons! I am such a CBS junkie. My typical Thursday night during the non-summer seasons consist of planting myself on the couch for 3 hours straight. I'm not sure what night the Amazing Race will be on following the Thursday debut, but I will be loyal to that night as well. I am such an Amazing Race fan that my sis and I even auditioned to it, to no avail. sniff. I even have the DVD to prove it. Oh well, I will live vicariously through the other contestant's travels, and longingly wish that I too was filling my passport with stamps. This season is the families of four. How fun this will be!

Quiz for the Day

I shamelessly stole this from Jef. Feel free to steal this from me...

1. When you look at yourself in the mirror, what's the first thing you look at? My shoes, to see if they match my outfit. Speaking of shoes, we built a shoe shelf in our closet this weekend. Yes, folks, I can operate a circular saw now WITHOUT supervision. And yes, I have 46 pairs of shoes. Backoff.

2. How much cash do you have on you right now? 75 cents. Sad, really. I guess I've spent it all on my shoes.

3. What's a word that rhymes with "TEST"? Rest. Something I need.

4. Favourite plant? (note the British spelling of Favourite, smile) Tulip.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? Hubby has ithe phone right now so I can't check, but I'm going to guess it was his brother anyway.

6. What is your main ring tone on your phone? Fantasy. I used to play it on the piano.

7. What shirt are you wearing? White Banana Republic tank top with a Gap Fuschia wrap top.

8. Do you "label" yourself? no.

9. Name brand of your shoes currently wearing? Clarks. Love my comfy shoes.

10. Do you prefer a bright or dark room? Bright. I can't read when it's dark.

11. What did you have for breakfast? Soy Protein shake, vanilla. A handful of supplements. same thing for the last 7 or 8 years. everyday. boring, I know.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? Sleeping. This was approx. one hour after smelling the stench of a skunk in the back half of my house. One evidently sprayed in the field behind our house. The dog was even sniffing and then barking at the window. It was RANK people, RANK.

12. Last thought you had before you had a wreck? Can I get over to the HOV lane? Answer - not with that Tyson chicken truck in the way.

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell phone say? Verizon Wireless free updates.

15. Do you ever click on "Pop Ups" or Banners? No.

16. What's an expression that you say a lot? "Blast!" or "Rats and Mice!"

17. Who told you they loved you last? My hubby.

18. Last furry thing you touched? My Amstaff

19. How many hours a week do you work? I sit at my desk 45 hours a week. But obviously I'm not working that whole time.

20. How many rolls of film do you need to get developed? None. LOVE my digitial camera.

21. Favourite age you have been so far? 26, I think. I went backpacking in Britain with my sis that year.

22. Your worst enemy? Time.

23. What is your current desk top picture? A picture of me and my sis at the Arboretum.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone? "Your daughter's school called for you" (message to a co-worker)

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to go back in time and fix all your mistakes which would you choose? I've learned from my mistakes. (most of them, at least) I'll take the cash.

When friends meet...

So I'm walking around the foyer of the church last night, a few minutes before the service is going to start. I'm trying to find the church library, as our church recently built a new sanctuary and I can't remember where the library is located. I spot one of my friends walking in the door and I speed up to go say "hi" to him.

Then I see her. Or is it her? My walk begins to slow. I finally come to a stop. I'm almost staring now. She was in a conversation, but now she is starting to stare back. Man, I hope it's her, or this is going to be REALLY awkward. She's about 5 feet away. Tall - check. Looks friendly - check. Ridiculously shiny golden locks - check. I hear my own voice let out a hesitant, "Katie???" "Amstaff Mom?" (ok, she knows my real name, so she used that instead of "AM").

Shrieks of glee ensue. Big hugs. It's her!! K-T and the Amstaff Mom have finally met. After our initial greeting, she says "I'm so going to have to blog about this tomorrow!". Obviously I couldn't resist either.

What a wonderful thing, to meet a true friend for the first time. It was great to meet you, K-T!

Oh, and after the service, I did see my friend that I was originally going to say "hi" to!

How big a geek are ya?

Do you consider yourself to be a uber geek? If so, you might want to plunk down $80 buckaroos on this....

Can you hear me now?

Yesterday I began feeling the effects of a head cold. I took extra Vitamin C and Garlic tablets, drank 3 cups of hot tea (Organic Green), had chicken noodle soup for lunch, and finished it off with a Mexican food dinner. If a chili relleno, hot sauce and sopapillas (not mixed together!) doesn't make me feel better, I don't know what would. I even had a nice long soak in a bathtub filled with hot water and bubbles. I think I caught it before I got really sick, but meanwhile I feel like somebody stuffed 100 cotton balls into my nasal passages and in my ears. No amount of swallowing seems to be clearing my ears. And to think, my hubby lives like this all the time. Craziness.
I realize how much I take my health for granted. I do invest in my health, believing wholeheartedly that I can pay for supplements now or pay for it later in doctor's bills. Sometimes though, we can't prevent sickness or disease. We just have to trust the Great Physician for our healing. Sometimes He uses those very sickness to heal our hearts and souls, from the inside out. I am thankful that He has blessed me with good health, and the means to take care of myself. For medicines, doctors, and hospitals that I can easily access when I need to. So much of the world has no access to health care. When my mom was a little girl in Guatemala, she had asthma and one inhaler that had to last her for a very long time. She would be gasping for air but could only take a small puff because it had to last. I have so much to be thankful for. Head colds and all. Meanwhile, pass the DayQuil.

Have a great day my friends.

I'm ticked

A few months ago, I posted about my experience as a juror. I was one of twelve that found this man guilty of capital murder, sentencing him to a life in prison. Periodically, I check the status of the court date for his accomplice. I believe that the man to your right killed one person and attempted to kill the witness. The reason that he did so was that his accomplice simply asked him to. The accomplice killed a man with a handgun. The man to the right killed a man with a shotgun, shooting him twice in the head. I know, I saw the autopsy and crime scene photos. Photos I will never forget. I remember the witness hugging me after we unanimously found the defendant guilty. Their relief was palpable. But it's not over. The accomplice has yet to go to trial. The mastermind behind the killings. The court date has been delayed three months. I'm not even a victim and I'm becoming impatient that he has not received justice yet. He is sitting in a jail cell, but where is the sense of relief for the victims' families? They still have to see him in court, see him try to finagle his way out of a life sentence. It's really sickening. Here's his photo, a photo of a life wasted, and one that caused three different families tremendous pain. May justice not be postponed any longer.

I'm laughing

One of my co-workers stopped by my desk this morning and asked me what I thought of her wig. I told her the truth, that it looked very nice on her. She went on to explain that one time, when she was perming (straightening) her hair, she went ahead and mixed the color in with the perming solution. This causing her hair to turn a bright orange color -not the desired effect, to say the least. She bought a wig that evening and it saved her from further embarrassment. I've seen her in extensions and many different hairstyles, of which I'm jealous because my coiffure is always the same. She said that last night, she washed her hair but didn't style it before going to bed. At this point, I'm picturing what my hair does when I do this same routine. It's usually kinda flat on top and then much curlier than normal. The description she game me made me bust out laughing. Thankfully, she was laughing too, I just wasn't expecting her to say it. What she said was, "Giiiirl, if I wasn't wearing this wig, I'd look like a black q-tip! My hair all curly and stuck to my head!" Her hair is normally straight and to her shoulders, so the mental image I got from her desciption was downright hilarious. Oh well, I guess you had to have been there.

I'm hooked

When I was reading Tracey's post this morning, she had this link on her blog. I have been reading this guy's blog all morning. I used to work in a restaurant "back in the day" so I'm identifying with some of what he's saying. Some interesting stories to be found here. Evidently he's pretty popular, because his comments are in the 900+ range. (WOW.) There is some profanity, so don't say I didn't warn you. I'll be back later.

Just Because...

This is getting serious. This is what happens when a digital camera and a blog meet. I was looking for my cell phone in my purse last night and realized my camera was still in there too. I was on an errand, had the windows down, my hair blowing in the breeze, and my stereo was blasting, "I want to know, have you ever seen...the rain?" by CCR. (Creedence Clearwater Revival but surely everyone knows that). I get the hairbrained idea (what does that mean, actually?) to take a picture of myself to capture the moment. This really was a first for me. But notice, at least my eyes are still on the road.

So without further adieu, here I am....

Oklahoma is OK

The rest of the weekend was spent in the state to our north, Oklahoma. All together now,"O-klahoma, where the wind goes blowing through the treees". Anyways, where was I? Last weekend I was inspired by the great Jes, the creative mind behind the new look of my blog. She took pictures of her Saturday, and we all felt like we had been right there with her. I'm going to take a stab and it and post pictures of my weekend. Several hours of it was spent on the back of my sister-in-law's dad's bike. Yes, sister-in-law's dad. We're very close to her family. They're great people. So, here we go...

And we're off! We took this picture outside a diner where we'd had breakfast. That visor/shield sure comes in handy against the sun/insects!

I can see for miles and miles and miles.

I couldn't get a good picture of the sign (I'm on a motorcycle people!), but this sign says "Clear Boggy Creek". Makes sense to me...

Caution, Horse Drawn Vehicles. There is a small Amish group that lives in "these them parts".

Where you burn while your clothes turn...

My Amstaff was so excited to be in the country! It was her first time out of Texas.

Sights of Oklahoma. And me trying out the zoom lens on the camera.

The turtle population has gotten out of hand in the ponds. Too many turtles equals too few fish. The boys headed out to take care of the "problem"
This is my hubby and his twin. "That's a long way down!"

He was so excited to have his picture taken. Can't you tell? He'd been riding the four-wheeler, that's why his hair looks like Val Kilmer's in Top Gun.

What you don't hear right now is me yelling to the turtles, "SAVE YOURSELVES!!! Swim little turtles, SWIM!" To no avail, as the lion stalks its prey, so the hunter stalks the turtle. (doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?)

I'll wrap this up now. Here's me and my sweetie on our anniversary. This four-wheeler used to be ours until we sold it to the s-i-l's dad. Now we get to ride it anytime we want for free! What a deal. Thanks for going to Oklahoma with me!

Do-Ray-Me-Fah-So-La-Ti-Do

Well, it was my annivesary weekend, and what a great weekend it was. Originally, we had planned to go to Oklahoma on Friday night, coming home on Saturday evening. My niece had a fever Friday, so we postponed the trip until Saturday morning. We decided to go out for our Anniversary dinner, and headed off to Texas Roadhouse for some eats. We stuffed our guts and then headed off to our first "Singing". Our friends/mentors invited us over to their friend's house. They all used to attend a Church of Christ church, which does not incorporate instruments in their worship. All the people there, (maybe 15?) were very talented singers. What they were thinking inviting us, I'm not sure. Anyways, we each had a hymnal, no ordinary hymnal mind you, but a 1100+ song hymnal. Anybody could call out a hymn number and then one guy would start us all art. Everybody sang according to their range, Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass. It was so beautiful hearing the harmonies blend together. There were also a few different rounds, each range sang different parts to the same song. We sang for over two hours, until some of us were little going hoarse. That's the most my vocal cords have ever had to work. It really was fun. And guess who was there? The elementary principal from Katie's school! Small world, eh?

August 7, 1999 - August 7, 2005

This weekend, we will celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. Six years. How time flies. How things change. How love deepens. Through trials and tears we have grown stronger. Through kindness and thoughtfulness, our affection has grown. We have grown older, but hopefully gained wisdom throughout these years. As he's grown older, he's grown more and more handsome to me every year. I have wonderful memories of the last 6 years.
Because on that date, I married my best friend. I love you sweetheart. Happy Anniversary.


(This was sung at our wedding by our music minister, who played acoustic guitar and sang it while we lit the unity candle. It is still true today.)

Tomorrow morning if you wake up
and the sun does not appear
I, I will be here
If in the dark we lose sight of love
Hold my hand and have no fear
'Cause I , I will be here

I will be here when you feel like being quiet
When you need to speak your mind, I will listen
And I will be here when the laughter turns to crying
Through the winning, losing and trying, we'll be together
'Cause I will be here

Tomorrow morning if you wake up
And the furture is unclear
I, I will be here
As sure as seasons are made for change
Our lifetimes are made for years
So I, I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made
To you and to the One who gave you to me


(This was our other song. We were just a singin' it in the car the other day with Keith Whitley.)

It's amazing how you, can speak right to my heart.
Without sayin' a word, you can light up the dark.
Try as I may I could never explain,
What I hear when you don't, say a thing.

The smile on your face, lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes, saying you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand, says you'll catch me, if ever I fall.
You say it best, when you say nothin' at all.

All day long I can hear, people talking out loud.
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd.
Ol' Mr. Webster could never define,
What's being said, between your heart and mine.

The smile on your face, lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes, saying you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand, says you'll catch me, if ever I fall.
You say it best, when you say nothing at all.

I am coffee, hear me pour...

You Are a Soy Latte

At your best, you are: free spirited, down to earth, and relaxed At your worst, you are: dogmatic and picky You drink coffee when: you need a pick me up, and green tea isn' it Your caffeine addiction level: medium

What
Kind of Coffee Are You?

And now for a little humor

Update: Hiccups are gone. (for now)

Here's a little humor. Hope I don't offend anyone, it's all in good fun.

In the year 2005, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in the United States, and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flesh before me.

Build another Ark and save 2 of every living thing along with a few good humans."

He gave Noah the blueprints, saying, "You have 6 months to build the Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard - but no Ark.

"Noah!" He roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"

"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed. I needed a building permit. I've been arguing with the inspector about the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbors claim that I've violated the neighborhood zoning laws by building the Ark in my yard and exceeding the height limitations. We had to go to the Development Appeal Board for a decision.

Then the Department of Transportation demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions, to clear the passage for the Ark's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.

Getting the wood was another problem. There's a ban on cutting local trees in order to save the spotted owl. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the owls - but no go!

When I started gathering the animals, an animal rights group sued me.
They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Then the EPA ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood.

I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many minorities I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.

Immigration and Naturalization is checking the green-card status of most of the people who want to work.

The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only Union workers with Ark-building experience.

To make matters worse, the IRS seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species.

So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark."

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky. Noah looked up in wonder and asked, "You mean you're not going to destroy the world?"

"No," said the Lord. "The government beat me to it."

So very annoying...

It is 2 minutes until 9:00. I have had the hiccups THREE different times this morning. I can't believe I've been up for 4 hours already. Did my body decide it was going to be "Hiccup Day"? What did I do to deserve this? Oh well, I guess my stomach muscles are getting the workout of their lives.

Blast.

You know you've been blogging too much when...

You hate to leave your computer for a potty break because you're afraid you'll miss your opportunity to comment.

This is worse than being at the movies!

You know you've been blogging too much when...

You start to know what time it is, not by looking at the clock on your computer, but by the time that the last comment was posted.

pitiful.

Incident Report - 08/03/2005

This is what I get for exercising....

1. My hands hurt!!! I didn't even know that there WERE muscles in my hands, but they're there today. Especially the one that connects my left hand to my wrist. My body doth protest much against all this movin'. I rode my bike the furthest distance EVER on Monday night. On grass even. Sho' nuff. I had a horrible experience/accident on a bike when I was but a young pup, and have had an aversion (I seem to be using this word alot lately) to bikes ever since. I bought my bike from my neighbor at my old house, and it was practically brand new. I got such a great deal on it. It's a Specialized Hardrock and looks like this, only older and green in color.

I got my sweetie our anniversary/birthday gift(s) of a new bike on Friday, and so this is our new toy:

We've really enjoyed our rides so far and have been riding almost every night since I brought it home from REI this past Friday. The only problem is, that since I've been so nervous, I grip the handlebars with such tenacity, you'd think my very life depended on it (and it does, to some extent). My sweetie was giving me pointers, and I even stood straight up on the pedals (after much coercing). We were able to ride over to the our "mentors" house. The sweet couple that mentors us are within bike riding distance from our new house - hurray!.

I say all this to say, death grip, plus swimming the next day, plus 2 hours of pool volleyball last night equals 2 very sore hands for the Amstaff Mom.

2. I was cooking my organic angel hair pasta last night and under-estimated the level of the rapidly boiling water when I was putting the noodles in the pot. I managed to dunk my right ring finger straight into the scalding hot water. Needless to say, the nerves in that finger gave me the "what for". It was all worth it though, because the al dente noodles were served with my mom's spaghetti sauce that she had fixed me for my birthday. DELISH.

I think I need to begin staying away from exercise and the kitchen. Especially since the former is a direct result of the latter. Sounds like a plan to me.

Well, why not...

Everyone else filled out one of these a month of Sundays ago, but I'm just now getting around to it. Better late than never, I hope.

My life the last 10 years, by the Amstaff Mom...

What I was doing ten years ago: This day, 10 years ago, I had just turned 19 the day before. I was living in Dallas, with my parents and sister. I was about to start my third year of college, and hated every minute of it. I was a nanny on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and worked a split shift at a restaurant. I had just quit working at the Gap, losing my discount, which I missed immensely. I was not getting along with my parents at all, a trend that had begun 4 years before and would continue for several more. I was dating my boyfriend/best friend of 4 years, with plans to marry him when we graduated from college. He was home from college over the summer, and I was spending all my non-work time with him. I had not yet met my(now) husband, but would the following February. I was driving a '91 Oldmobile Cutlass Calais, otherwise known as a money pit. I wasn't very close to the Lord during this time.

5 years ago: This day,5 years ago, I had turned 24 the day before. My hubby and I were about to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. We had been living in our new (first) house in Denton for a little over a year. I had been employed with my current employer for two years, and my Amstaff was still a pup. The hubby and I were heading off to Red River, NM the following weekend, where we had an awesome vacation. I was starting to get along with my mom again.

1 year ago today: I had just had my 28th birthday, we were still living in our last house, with no thoughts of ever moving, ever having children, or knowing what a blog was. I had yet to go on a mission trip, was still driving my Honda Accord instead of my more gas-friendly Civic, and was about to say goodbye to my Sis who was moving to Denver. Man, alot has changed in a year!

Yesterday: Yesterday was my 29th birthday. How time flies. We went to church, then went to a friend's house were we celebrated her birthday. (and mine). We had a good time with friends, and swam in the pool. We then ran errands to Kroger and Home Depot and ate dinner at Chili's where I had a Triple Treat appetizer and a chocolate shake (hey, it's my b-day). We then rode our bikes to our his brother's house and played Phase 10 for 2 hours.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and Dip
2. Snickerdoodle cookies
3. Candy corn and peanuts (taste like a Payday)
4. Ice Cream
5. Pudding or Jello

5 songs I know all the words to: (I have to limit this to 5?!?!?!)
1. When You Say Nothing At All - Keith Whittley
2. It Is Well With My Soul
3. Amazing Grace
4. Worlds Apart - Jars of Clay
5. I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman

5 Things I would do with $100 million:
1. Pay of our debt and the debt of everyone in our immediate family
2. Give to our church, World Vision, and the Bible League
3. Take my family on a trip
4. Travel the world, visiting at least 2 countries every year for the rest of my life
5. Give more to other churches and organizations


5 locations I would like to run away to:
1. Wales
2. New Zealand
3. Australia
4. Bora Bora
5. Hawaii

5 bad habits I have:
1. Being late
2. Procrastinating
3. Being Lazy
4. Being too quiet
5. Being addicted to the internet

5 things I like doing:
1. Being on the internet
2. Reading (preferably in my hammock)
3. Traveling
4. Playing games
5. Being with my hubby and Amstaff

5 things I would never wear:
1. A wig
2. A thong bikini
3. A leather mini-skirt
4. A bustier
5. A tuxedo


5 TV shows I like:
1. The Amazing Race
2. Survivor
3. CSI
4. Without a Trace
5. Law & Order: SVU

5 Biggest joys of the moment:
1. Friends and Family that I spent the weekend with
2. My new house
3. My hubby's new bike, so now we can go riding together
4. My blogger family
5. The cruise I booked last week

5 Favorite Toys:
1. My digital camera
2. My computer
3. My bike
4. My car
5. My passport

I guess that’s it!