I think they just make this stuff up as they go along.

The choppers are at it again. Whoop, whoop, whoop.

It is not ice today that is causing the problem, but frozen fog. Never heard of frozen fog? Don't be dismayed, I think the weathermen recently made that term up. I do not ever recall hearing the term 'frozen fog' as a child. There was fog and there was ice.



So here's the situation, we have a thin layer of ice on the roads, thinner than yesterday, but when you're talking about driving your car over it does it really matter how thin it is? But instead of the sun shining in the sky and beginning to melt off the ice, we have fog.

What that basically means is that everything outside is slicker than snot, to borrow a phrase from the ever-so-eloquent Sir D, and you can't see more than a few feet in front of your face.

Happy Driving my fellow North Texans.

The Few, The Proud, The News Media

I woke up today to the sound of choppers whoop, whoop, whooping over my house. At first I thought we were being invaded. I got out of bed and made my way over to the window, and looked outside.

I saw several news helicopters hovering in the distance, and then I remembered. We live on a hilltop, and when I look out my window I can see the neighboring hilltop, but in the valley between the hills is a major interstate. Not just one actually, but two. There is another one, albeit smaller, that branches off and heads away from my house and up the other hill.

Usually this is not a problem. It is far enough away that we can’t see or hear it. Occasionally I can hear the hum of the traffic when it’s winter and the leaves are off the trees. A day like today however, I am reminded of how close I live to the highway.

You see, every time we have an ice storm down here in TX, this happens. Those necessary, but obnoxious semi’s try to exit the main highway onto the lesser highway and get stuck going over the overpass that is uphill. Every.Time.

Then the choppers start. I don’t think the news media knows there is a recession because each one of them has their own chopper and in this major city that I live? Many, many news outlets.



I really need to keep this foremost in my mind when I go to sleep when the weather men have predicted and ice storm. That way when I wake up I won’t think the news outlets have banded together and are trying to take my hill.

I could get used to this.

I thought you all should see what I got to eat for breakfast today.

This.



Ann made them for us.



We had a bunch of blueberries that were about to go bad. They were too soft to eat alone, but they were still good (and sweet!). So Ann whipped up some muffins.

Yum.

Tomorrow I think I'll request Banana bread...

Now I've (not) Seen It All!

You have to watch this. You will not believe it. It is the most jaw dropping, amazing thing I have ever seen.

WOW!

Must...Have...This...

How adorable is THIS? Do you see the Word of the Year necklace? That's MY WORD!



How cool!

I have to have this! Sir D? Are you reading? Valentines Day is coming, in case you were in need of some inspiration...It is lovely with the 24" ball chain in case you were wondering.

If Only I had Chocolate...

I think this might be the coolest thing ever.

I am always on the lookout for fun kiddie snacky things that Ann can eat with out, you know, dying. Since this has no dairy it fits the bill.

How fun would this be on a cold day? Or, really any day, because it has chocolate and chocolate as we all know is good any day.

Consequently, I have no chocolate in my house. I just ran across that recipe. I have bananas, I have marshmallows. Know what I don't have?

Yes. Chocolate would be correct.

I think I'm going to have to go to the store tomorrow.

I like the night life...I love to boogie...

Sir D and I had been planning a night on the town tonight. We were going to go out to eat with a gift certificate (excuse me, gift card, sorry I stumbled back to the early 90's for a minute) we got for Christmas, then really just go all wild and do some Wal Mart shopping.

But then, well, Bob reminded us of a Youth Group event that takes place tonight, and Will reminded me that he was asked to help out at said Jr High Youth event, and we'd have to leave the girls here alone. Then Sir D called to tell me he'd be home late, but we'd still go out he promised.

I could tell his heart wasn't in it. He's tired. I'm tired. I don't like leaving the girls alone for long, even though g-ma is right across the road.

So we're staying home. Sir D's going to pick up some Take Out. I'm going to open a nice bottle of wine (and by nice I mean cheap) and we're going to watch whatever movie the kids requested from Netflix. I think Ironman.

Hi. My name is Tricia and I'm an Old Married Person. (and I love it!)

Sometimes I Even Frighten Myself

I've been blogging for a while now, close to two years in fact. I have learned a few things along the way about the technical side of blogging. Like how to change the look of my blog and how to strike through the things I sorta meant didn't mean for you to read, how to italicize and bold and direct you elsewhere, etc. I have even figured how to create my own header!

But I learned something today that made me feel dumb. It's been there, staring me in the face during the whole blogging adventure and I just figured it out.

See, I like to comment on others blogs. I like to ask questions or just see what others have to say. Once I leave a comment, I often check the blog several times to see what others have said. I feel a little weird, like a bloggy stalker. But how else are you supposed to know what everyone else said? I have often thought they should have some sort of notification system like the do when the blog has a new post. They could even send it to my email.

Kinda like this.



How long has that been there? No, don't tell me. I don't really want to know.

Some things I take very seriously.

Last night Sir D and I had to make a run. We had an addiction to feed. For some this might mean making a trip to the corner store for cigarettes and for others it might mean heading on down to the beer store for a 6 pack.

Not for Sir D and I. We occasionally give in to our cravings and head on down to the Tom Thumb for Häagen-Dazs.

For me the choice is easy. I get this…



Every. Time.

I used to only get Chocolate Chocolate Chip. But no longer. My former love has been replaced by Chocolate Peanut Butter. I thought I would always be faithful to Chocolate Chocolate Chip, but the grass was so much greener on the Chocolate Peanut Butter side. I have strayed and I’ve never gone back. And I am unrepentant in my new ice cream allegiance.

You see I take my Häagen-Dazs allegiances very seriously. Not so with Sir D. He has no allegiance. He simply walks into the store, looks around, and then chooses whatever flavor or brand strikes his fancy at the time. Shockingly cavalier attitude, I know.

While Sir D was reading the contents of every container of ice cream in the freezer section I noticed something new, something odd in the freezer section. Something that was not there before.

Doggie Ice cream.

I do not jest.



I took a photo because I was afraid you would not believe me.



Doggie Ice cream. Really.

Thank You For Your Service Mr. and Mrs. Bush, and Welcome Home.

Today my children and I sat around the TV watching history in the making. I was awed. I was proud of my country.

I did not vote for Obama. Obama’s ideologies and mine differ greatly. In fact there is little we agree on. He is, however, my president and I respect the office greatly.

The thing that made me proud today oddly enough, was not the fact that we elected a black man, but the fact that a change of power occurred at all. I personally can’t wait for the day that we elect a man or a woman and little or nothing is said about their heritage other than for the sake of general interest, because it matters so little what color or gender they are. The only thing that matters is if they are the person for the job.

Ann asked me as we were watching Bush and Obama walk out of the doors to the White House together and get into the limo, “If Bush wanted to, could he stop the inauguration? He is still president.” she added.

Will said, “No he can’t stop it. While he is President, he is not King.”

I think that is the beauty of the democratic process. The drafters of the Constitution were somehow able to see into the future and lay the foundations for a Government that was bigger than its leader. Two powers, diametrically opposed and yet the transfer of power is so seamless.

While this is my normal, this is the only type of leadership I have ever known, it is not the norm around the world. There is instance after instance showing us men who get into power and the power corrupts them, goes to their heads, causes them to lose all perspective. They become dictators.

The countries of Congo and Zimbabwe and Haiti come to mind.

But not my country. In my country the people really do get to choose, for better or for worse, who is their leader.

When I sat there with my children and watched Former President George Bush hug the now First Lady Michelle Obama, the camera panned in close to his face and I could read his lips as he said to her his parting words.

“You’ll have the time of your life. I promise.” And he and his wife smiled at the Obama's, hugged them and boarded the helicopter to head home to Texas.

I watched as the Obama’s and the Biden’s stood on the steps of the White House and waved as the chopper headed out over Washington D.C. and I felt really, really proud of my country.



Not one shot was fired, not one person was killed. No one was sent off to some unknown jail or exiled from their country. The leader of one of the most powerful nations on earth simply got into his helicopter and flew away, his job completed, leaving the next President ready and waiting to step into the job. These two men, so very different in every way from color to generation to ideologies to governmental parties, and yet when the time came to hand over the reins of government, it was done honorably with a handshake, and a wave.




God Bless America.