Fainting Goats

Have you ever seen the fainting goats?

What's With Manicures?

What is it with getting your nails done? Five to six years ago none of my friends had manicures on a regular basis. Nail salons have popped up everywhere, even inside of Walmarts. My friend, R, is the one who started me on acrylics (mine are my real nails). She said that I needed to something special for myself once in awhile. I have pedicures very rarely, maybe twice a year. They really help the calluses and help me walk better, I think. Wish I could have those done instead of the fingernails. Now, even young girls are accustomed to routinely having their nails "done." I paid for my girls to have it done one time around Christmas a few years ago. Now if they want to have it done, they will have to pay for it. I think it's a frivolous expense, but I keep hearing my friend in my head saying, "Do something special for yourself once in awhile."

Been busy this week

The store has been pretty busy this week!! Woohoo! Am hoping this is a sign of things to come! K17 and K14 performed at the Relay for Life for cancer survivors Friday night. They had the most God-awful singer performing the national anthem. The kids were standing behind her backstage and their faces were hilarious. I never knew there was a second verse. She said it was written after 9-11. Afterwards, we went to eat at Hartz's Chicken Buffet. The food can only be described in one word - GROSS. Everyone did admit to liking the mashed potatoes, though. Yesterday, the girls performed again at an adult day care center. As always, they did an excellent job! Mom and Dad came to the store today (so did my friend R) to discuss getting K17 some transportation within the next few months! Another great blessing! Although, once she gets the wheels, we may never see her again!

Right-Handed Customers

It has always been said that the majority of us are right-handed. When we went to Disney World, I was advised to walk to the right when entering the gates, because most right-handers will automatically walk to the left. This is true in our store, as well. The majority of the customers who enter walk towards the left of the store, thereby missing our fabulous literature section and clearance table. Too bad that I can't herd them through a maze like HEB does.

Karate Baby

This baby is hysterical!

Back to "Reverse Skate"

I go to L's store at least three times a week, and usually Burt is there, and they are working on their book. It makes me remember why I started this blog in the first place - to introduce you to the novel I was writing entitled "Reverse Skate." I was told by an author not to put it on this blog, however, because it would then be considered "published."

I haven't worked on the book for over a year and a half. After being at L's, I think the writing bug may have hit me again. I just don't know how to get started. There is so much that needs to be expounded upon; it's overwhelming. This is embarrassing, but I don't even remember all of the characters' names. So I guess I need to reread it for the nth time; it will all be new to me! LOL

The girls have gone to a Where's Waldo event at the mall, so R and I are going out to dinner. I can't decide between Italian or Mexican. Italian is a drive into Houston but so worth it. Mexican is just around the corner and offers jumbo margaritas.

A few days ago, my daughter told me that there was a bug on my head. Now I scratch my head and check my hair for lice every 30 minutes or so. SHEESH!

Have I made you itch yet?

Eavesdropping

There is a customer who is waiting for her child to get out of class. She plopped herself in the classroom attached to my office and is making personal, very personal phone calls. Wonder if she knows I'm listening. Don't think so because she keeps saying, "Please don't tell... please don't tell.." Hmmmm. Well, it is entertaining while I am waiting for the fax to redial for the fifth time. So far I know the date of her next appointment to the nail salon, her problems with AT&T, all about getting ready for prom, the inside gossip in her Girl Scout troop (she does not like one of the moms). I can't help but overhear because I am at my desk "working."

Was hanging out at L's store today with her and Burt. Burt is an ex-FBI investigator. He and L are writing a book, which I cannot wait to read! Anyway, this young man came in and said that his friend (a female) was divorced with children and was in a new relationship, and he wanted to get her a book to help her spiritually because she was having some issues with dating/remarrying again. When he left, Burt said, "That young man is the other man, the one she's having a new relationship with." I said, "How do you know that?" He said, "I just know." And I believe him. From all of his time on the force, he probably senses those things.

R and I are going out to dinner tonight with some friends. The girls are going to hang out at church while we're gone and eat dollar dinners.

Dancing Again

Goodbye, Adam! I am SO glad to see you go! Sorry, but your dancing was the pits and I didn't find you funny at all!

Blah Tuesday

I am at the library waiting for K17 to get out of her first Compass class. I have felt really rotten the past few days, no energy at all, dizziness, just plain blah. I was supposed to go out with friends last night to Olive Garden but cancelled. There's nothing there I can eat anyway. Wednesday night we are going out with friends to a mexican restaurant. I am going to HAVE to slip off of my diet for that one! There is no way I'm going to be able to sit and watch others eat chips and salsa!

Well, last night on Dancing, I think Adam did the worst. What was with the unicycle? Marissa needs to be the next to go.

k.d. lang - Hallelujah

OMG! Is that k.d. lang below in a dress? Yes, it is. I've seen her perform barefoot before but NEVER in a dress! Listen to her rendition of Leonard Cohen's song "Hallelujah." Pure magic. No one can sing like k.d. lang. She got a standing ovation. She could not look at the audience; she was so humbled. I am going to have to go pull out my old Tony Bennett and k.d. lang CD. I am asking for her new CD Watershed for Mother's Day. People are really getting on to her about her weight, comparing her to the later years bloated Elvis. She is a vegetarian. Does kind of make you wonderhow she could be overweight in this video.

Edited to say: Saw a recent interview with k.d. today and she has slimmed down to her normal size!

National Anthem

It was the opening weekend of football season, 1979. We were visiting team. The home team's band did not show up. It was their job as home team to play the National Anthem. Since we weren't home team for another two weeks, our band director hadn't taught us the Star Spangled Banner yet. Those of us who had it memorized from previous seasons were few and far between. Without any warning, the announcer came over the loud speaker and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, please rise while the Scarborough High School marching band plays the national anthem. The band director was in shock. Guess what we played? Disco Inferno from Saturday Night Fever.

I am soooo peeved at our new CPA!

he was no help at all when we went in to "protest" our tax return. turns out, he didn't do our taxes at all; he had an asst do them. we thought we were hiring him; we didn't even know he had an asst. it's his name on the sign. and if we wouldn't have said anything, he wouldn't have said anything, and we would have paid the $2,000, which we would have had to borrow. He said he will file an extension and that we need to hire someone with an accounting degree to figure out what's wrong with our Profit and Loss statement. Duh - doesn't he have an accounting degree? it says on his sign that he also provides accounting services. in the past, our cpa (who retired) would just get our information off of our QuickBooks CD. We gave this guy the CD this year, but he kept requesting us to print things out for him that were on the CD. Also, dh wasn't impressed because the CPA never offered a handshake when we entered or left. Dh finally extended his hand. on the plus side, he said we don't have to pay his fee until he actually files.

Color-Coded Chopping Boards for OCD Chefs

This is a very smart concept for cutting boards. The plastic base resembles a folder file that contains four cutting boards of different colors each one representing a specific food group. The green board is to be used for vegetables, the blue one for fish, the red for meat and the white for cooked food. In a manner of speaking, four boards into one. Pretty clever.

Thought This Was Cute From Crib Chick

Connubial Conversations: Tormenting the OCD Sufferer

Crib Chick (after considering the possibility for a long time, while looking at her toothbrush, and finally deciding to just ask the question): "You don't ever...accidentally use my toothbrush...do you?"

Mr. Crib Chick (rinsing and spitting): "Nope!" (Crib Chick sighs a little with relief) "Every time I use it...it's on purpose."

Mouse

You know it's 2008 when you Google search the image of a mouse (animal) and the only results are computer mouses.

We had a mouse in the classroom this week, living in the piano and pooping on the tables. I wanted to do a humane trap, but I was outvoted by everyone else. R set two traps, one on each side of the piano, and was caught during the night.

Tonight is our out to eat night. Probably going to Panera for chicken caesar salads or to Paul's Pizza. I love Paul's Pizza's spinach and mushroom salad. Their whole wheat pepperoni pizza and spinach crust pizza are my favorite.

Mr. Klein is out of ground turkey this week, so I guess I'm going to either have to use ground beef or go to Walmart for just that. Last night we had ground beef in the chili - the first time I can ever remember eating ground beef at home since we've been married.

Dancing

Hasta la vista, Gutt! I like your movies, but you are no dancer!

In Like a Lion

Yesterday for an April Fool's Day joke, I texted my friend, L, and told her I was pregnant! Boy, I really had her going there for about 15 minutes, her commenting how happy she was for us, that she hoped she would be chosen as a special aunt for the baby! Then I sprang it on her. It was hysterical. When I saw her sister yesterday, she said, "Congratulations!" I think she was just kidding.

What were some of the April Fool's Day jokes that you endured? My favorites were that Target is purchasing the "What White People Like" webpage and that J.K. Rowling has been given the okay by the estate of C.S. Lewis to write two new Narnia books. OHKim, you really got me with that one, and the employees of the store and my kids, too! They were all standing around the computer as I read it to them with their jaws dropped open. It was SO funny!

Well, last Wednesday, we went to see Mr. Klein to respectfully ask to be released from our five-year lease. Instead, he said that he wants us to stay, so -- get this -- he dropped the rent $3,000 for four months!!!!! I don't know if it will help matters any, but at least it will give us some time to catch up on bills and save us the hassle of moving again.

Have to go get dd17 a passport this week because she is going on a mission trip to Honduras in June. She will be out of the country on her 18th birthday!!!!

We should be getting our tax refund soon. Yippee!!! First things first -- we need to get the carpet shampooed!!! I would like to sock most of it back into the business, but R has some home improvement projects that need to be funded, especially the cut down of a tree in our back yard that is in a very bad spot (near the pool and a fence).

I would like to welcome Ice Mama to my blog. I hope she stops by often! I lost all my favorites in the computer crash, so I don't read many blogs right now.

Well, I have to go finish sending out 700 e-mails. Yahoo is acting up, so it is taking me twice as long.

~c'ya~