Raz-A-Ma-Taz

2006-09-15T12:21:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm just impatient... I ordered some way cool stuff from oldnavy.com on Tuesday and I haven't received my shipping notification email yet. I checked on my order yesterday and shipment was pending...dammit. WTF? I'm supposed to be their only customer. Their #1 priority. They're supposed to drop whatever they're doing and process MY order right now! At least that's what my customers think. ;o) Today I've tried checking and I can't get thru...double dog dammit. WTF? Are ALL God's chitlin's trying to check on their orders? Get the fuck off oldnavy.com and let ME check my stuff.
I want the golden goose and I want it NOW!

2006-07-28T12:15:00.000-04:00

A "Tease" ShirtI found this on tshirthell and immediately thought of the guys on rs.com. You guys are so easily excited.

Lot's of the shirts are downright vulgar, some are disgusting to the point of piss off but..
some are funny like this one

I totally ened tihs one :o)

2006-07-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

I.Feel.Prickly.
and this is why...
I don't do whiney kids.
If the kid doesn't feel well and is whiney, I understand.
If the kid is just spoiled and is whining and 'uhhhnnntt uhhhnnntt-ing' or 'aaaaatttttt ahhhhhh attttttttttttt-ing' at the top of their lungs
I.can't.stand.it.
I'm at work, it is not a daycare, and that is what I'm dealing with at the moment.
That.is.all.

2006-07-24T13:22:00.000-04:00

Blech!!!!
No wonder a lot of people who take Topamax lose weight...it makes food taste gross!!!! Well not ALL food ALL of the time but most food most of the time and you never know which foods and when. Fun, fun. There are 2 things I can count on to be OK all of the time and they are coffee and iced tea...2 points for the Topa peeps. Everything else is like buying a scratch off lotto ticket. It might be winner, it might go to whoever is with me or it might be a complete loss and go into the trash. What tastes good today, might not taste so good tomorrow...it's a real dining adventure.

2006-07-24T09:57:00.000-04:00

The Death-Ray 2000
That's what we call this look that Puppy Taz gives me during her bath.
and as promised...her new dining swag from Old Navy. I really like the metal bowls because they keep her water very cool. Her old plastic ones, even though we added ice, wouldn't keep her water cool for very long. I had filled out an online survey so I received a 10% discount on my total puchase (a couple of new shirts, a new pair of capris for Lil Taz, a pair of new shorts and a pair of way cool camo capris for moi) so if you squint your eyes, tilt your head just right and use shoppers math I got both bowls and the cute puppy placement for free :o)

2006-07-21T15:35:00.000-04:00

Friday Afternoon Stuff To Do Besides Working...
I think I'll do some of Budgyrl's quizzes

2006-07-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

So My MeMe Post Was Totally FUBAR'd..
I decided to do it in list form with a new twist, if it's an X and no comment I've left it out to save time/space. I was originally tagged by my friend Danimal.

✓ I miss somebody right now. (My Pappy.)
✓ I own lots of books.

✓ I've tried marijuana. (young, dumb days of high school)

✓ I've watched porn movies.
× I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship. (and I've never had a psycho-ex)
✓ I believe honesty is usually the best policy. (That's why I answered truthfully about the pot question.)

✓ I curse sometimes. (like a sailor but never in front of Lil Taz. I get my hand slapped by her just for saying "Crap")
✓ I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal.

✓ I need/want money right now. (It sure would be nice to be debt-free)

× I love sushi. (I don't eat fish bait)
× I talk really fast. (I don't think I do.)
✓ I have fresh breath in the morning.

✓ I have long hair.
✓ I have at least one sibling.

✓ I have a hidden talent.(and one that's not hidden anymore...the cherry stem thing)
✓ I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have. (I'm never still, ever)
× I have a lot of friends. (I have my circle and they are dear to me)

✓ I have pecked someone of the same sex.
× I enjoy talking on the phone. (Hate it with a passion but in person, I will talk your ears off.)

✓ I have a mobile phone.
✓ I've rejected someone before.

✓ I currently like/love someone.

✓ I have changed a diaper before.

✓ I have a lot to learn.

✓ I have at least 5 away messages saved.
✓ I have tried alcohol or drugs before

✓ I own the "South Park" movie
✓ I enjoy some country music

✓ I think Halloween is awesome because you get free candy.
✓ I am happy at this moment.

✓ Republican.

✓ I go for older guys/girls, not younger

✓ I love my job(s).
✓ I am comfortable with who I am right now.

✓ I walk barefoot wherever I can. (love shoes, hate to wear them)
✓ I have jumped off a bridge. (and a waterfall)
✓ I love sea turtles

× I spend ridiculous amounts of money on makeup. (I don't wear makeup unless it's a special occasion)
✓ I am proficient on a musical instrument. (I played horn, oboe and piano in school)

✓ I have thrown up from crying too much.
✓ I have been intentionally hurt by people that I loved.

✓ I fall for the worst people. (I always had a thing for bad boys)
✓ I adore bright colours.

✓ I can pick up things with my toes. (Mr. Taz says I have monkey toes)

✓ I have ridden/owned a horse. (I used to have 3, Rowdy, Woodtick and Tequila)
✓ I talk in my sleep. (and walk)

✓ I try to forget things by drowning them out with loads of distractions.
✓ I wear a toe ring.

✓ I have a tattoo. (2 of them)
✓ I am a caffeine junkie.

✓ I'm an artist.
✓ I am ambidextrous.

✓ I have more friends on the internet than in real life.

✓ I love hugs more than kisses.

✓ I smoke.

✓ Nobody has ever said I'm normal.
✓ Sad movies, games, and the like can cause a trickle of tears ever now and then.
✓ I am proficient in the use of many types of firearms and combat weapons.

✓ I have played strip poker with someone else before
✓ I believe in ghosts and the paranormal.

✓ I have at least one obsession at any given time.

✓ I can fall asleep even if the whole room is as noisy as it can be.

✓ I would rather read than watch TV
✓ I have pulled an all-nighter on an assignment I was given a month to do.

✓ I like most animals better than most people.

✓ The thought of physical exercise makes me shiver.
✓ I have hit someone with a dead fish.

✓ I am compulsively honest.

✓ I sometimes won't sleep a whole night or eat a whole day because I forget to. (It's the meds)

✓ I dislike milk

✓ I always carry something significant around with me. (sharktooth that I wear on my necklace)
✓ I've pushed myself to become more self-aware and thereby more aware of others.

✓ I've liked something which a majority of people claimed was either bad or weird.

✓ I don't like to chew gum. (I swallow it and don't realize it until it's too late)

✓ I wish people would be more empathic and honest with each other.

✓ I've gone skinny-dipping.

✓ I enjoy burritos

✓ I wish there were a way to erase past mistakes.

✓ I download songs from the internet.
✓ I say random things to freak people out.

✓ Music helps me remember that I am not alone.
✓ I think this survey is particularly long ::snore::

2006-07-20T16:35:00.000-04:00

Tonight's the Night...
Mr. Taz and I are going for 4th grade orientation. Yee-haw! Whoopie! Hoo-rah! I'm not being bocephus (Mr. Taz post-imbibing slang for facetious) I'm being serious. We look forward to meeting Lil Taz's new teacher, seeing her new classroom, finding out about what cool fieldtrips are planned and what's to be expected of her for the year. I just hope and pray there's a math cheat sheet for parents. ::crossing fingers:: If not, I may have to check into getting Lil Taz a tutor. Last year, math was a HUGE problem and as we all know it only gets tougher.
A week before school started we received our list of school supplies to buy. Back to school shopping is so much fun. We loved it. Woohoo a Wally World Safari

2 dozen #2 Pencils
2 packs of wide ruled notebook paper
2-erasers 2? are you kidding me? (we got 6...I know my child)
3-spiral bound notebooks
1-3 ring binder
1 pack of washable markers (The thin big kid kind. Not the fat little kid kind..there IS a difference yanno)
1 box of crayons....love the smell of crayons
1 backpack (recycle the LLBean from last year)
Gym shoes (Duh...no brainer! Do they honestly have to remind parents of this?)

Cool bean-os we are fini' with back to school shopping!

Uhhh no we aren't...she brought home another list.

Nix the 3 ring binder
She now needs 8 pocket folders with brads
pencil box
5 book socks...wtf? a book sock? (we used brown paper bags and decorated them ourselves)

Anyhoo...Mr. Taz is really looking forward to tonight, he's heard that Mrs. S is one hot Teach that favors mini skirts and high heels. I can so seeing him volunteering to be the Room Dad this year. Since Lil Taz has martial arts class tonight and Mama Taz is taking her I think Mr. Taz & I might just go out for a little Mexican buffet after class. Who knows...he might get a little spicy on me later on tonight. Ole' :o)

2006-07-20T13:40:00.000-04:00

Puppy Taz Ain't Happy...
and when Puppy Taz ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
Last Saturday, Lil Taz and I took Puppy Taz to the vet. For those of you that don't know, Puppy Taz is a Pug. Pugs are cool little dogs, fun, fiesty, smart and can hold a grudge for days. Back to the vet visit. As you can see in the pic Puppy Taz is quite plump, matter o'fact she is 29#s plump. The vet says that for her build she should weight approx. 23#s so guess who has been put on a major diet...Ms. Plump Puppy Taz. and she ain't one bit happy about it. She fusses because she's not been getting any table scraps (I know we shouldn't have started it but we did) She is quite vocal about it. She 'talks'. It's like a whine/bark/cry thing that we call talking. She's been on Iam's Weight Control for a year but we've been giving her doggie treats like Scooby Snacks for good behavior and for doing her doggie biz outside but no more! From now on she gets healthy treats like baby carrots, raw green beans and rice cake bits (which she likes). She also scratches her dog bowl now because her rations have been cut down, per vet's orders. The problem with that, other than the sound of the constant scratching drives us crazy, is that her food bowl and water bowl set down in a wooden box type thing and her water ends up sloshing all over the tile floor in the kitchen. Water + tile floor = busted ass for whoever walks into the kitchen. I'm getting that problem taken care of Saturday. I'm heading to Old Navy to buy a couple of pairs of shorts for me (YAY!) and while I'm there I'm going to pick up a cute doggie placemat for her and 2 doggie bowls. I'll have to get a pic of her new dining spread once it's all set up fo'sho :o)

#1 problem was weight...we go back in a month to see how she's doing with that
#2 problem was that she has extremely small nostrils
#3 problem she may have an elongated soft palate. This one happens a lot in short muzzled dogs and she has the symptoms. I don't know how many times I've called the emergency vet in a panic because she's gone into one of her 'wharfing' fits.

Elongated soft palates are the most common airway obstruction in Pugs. The soft palate is an extention of the hard palate wich forms the roof of the mouth. The soft palate is supposed to act as a mobile flap to prevent food and water entering the nasal passages during swallowing. An elongated soft palate hangs in front of the airway or falls into the larynx during inhalation.

Affected Pugs will breathe rather noisely when exited. Pugs with elongated soft palates often sound like someone slurping the last of their soda throug a straw. They frequently gag in an attempt to clear their airway, bringing up foamy saliva while eating, drinking, or excited. Dogs with elongated soft palates may have "reverse sneeze" attacks where they appear to be in a great deal of distress caught in a spasm of breathing very rapidly and noisily during inhalation. A Pug can often be broken out of a "reverse sneeze" attack by rubbing its throat or blowing sharply on the nose to cause it to swallow and displace the soft palate. The harder the affected Pug breathes, the more turbulence causes the palate to swell and elongate even more over time.

Problems #2 & #3 can be corrected by surgery and UT Vet Hospital isn't too far from us, if we have to go that route. We're hoping that getting some of her tonnage off will help some of her problems if not...it's off to the bank we go for a loan because we're not going to stand by and watch her fight to breathe when we can do something about it. We can literally hear her breathing in the next room, she is that loud...and snoring...maaaaaan she can rock the house.

Speaking of surgery, you know what our vet told us? I just want to throttle people sometimes. Dr. S told us that some pug owners refuse to have their pugs nostrils opened up because it leaves a "small, pink scar". OMGosh! People are so freakin' vain even when it comes to their pets. I swear someone should staple those pug owners' noses shut....or maybe I should just send Ethel over and have her do the pillow thing.

2006-07-20T12:47:00.000-04:00

So, I just got a "Chick Trip" Countdown Email from C...

Whoooooooohooooooooooooo!!

69 DAYS TILL
WE ARE LAYING ON A BEACH TOWEL
SLICK WITH OIL THAT SMELLS OF COCONUTS
SOAKIN' IN THE FLORIDA SUNSHINE
SIPPING ALCOHOL
GETTING A TAN
LISTENING TO THE WIND BLOW THROUGH THE PALM FRONDS
WATCHING THE GULLS DIVE INTO THE WATER AND
SMELLING THE SALT IN THE AIR AND
FEELING THE BREEZE ON OUR FACES
READING BOOKS ONE AFTER ANOTHER
BECAUSE WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BETTER TO DO
THAN TO BE A TOTAL SLUG AND
WATCHING THE SUNSET OVER THE OCEAN OF THE GULF OF MEXICO
WATCHING FOR THE SMALL FLASH OF LIGHT
WHEN THE SUN FINALLY DIPS INTO THE WATER,
UNLESS IT'S A FLASH FROM THE CAMERA,
THEN YOU ARE STILL A DUMBASS.....

Ha, ha reaaaaaal freakin' funny. Let me explain this last part. We have some friends that live where we go in Florida and they were telling me about this freak of nature thing that happens during the sunset. (I can be so gullible it ain't even funny) I was told that if you really pay attention during the sunset you can see a flash of light right at the precise moment the sun touches the water. So C and I were watching the sunset with a bunch of other peeps and I was all jazzed up (besides being about level 2 gooed) about catching a glimpse of this flash of light. Matter o' fact, I had been talking about it all day. Give Taz a crazy subject add alcohol...you get lots of wacky conversation and some pretty far out theories. So the moment arrived when the sun hit the water and I saw 'the flash'! OMG! For real! I saw it!...C didn't. Why? you ask...because she had the camera up to her face taking pics of the beautiful sunset. The sunset flash phenomenon is caused by the flash of tourists' cameras...duh Taz.

2006-07-13T14:08:00.000-04:00

Today is my Best Friend's Birthday!
Happy Birthday Candy :o) You caught up with me...for 1 month and 29 days.
Candy is not only my best friend...she's my blood sister. Yep, we did the cutting fingers, smooshing them together thing when we were in grade school. I don't remember her not being in my life...ever. I met her when I was 5 and she was 4 (almost 5) and we have been partners in crime ever since.
Mama Taz used to babysit her so she was at my house 9 hours a day - 5 days a week and we'd often have too.much.fun. Common sense will tell you that any time you put 2 kids together for any amount of time that there will be conflicts and believe me...there were conflicts but we always worked them out one way or another. Sometimes there were some major ass whuppings (and they didn't involve adults, if you catch my drift) C and I were both about the same size so we were on even ground :o) We had our "I hate your guts", "I'm not your friend anymore" days but as soon as her mom pulled into the driveway we were already coming up with a plan on how to convince our parents to let her spend the night/weekend. She almost always went on vacation with us to see my oldest brother in DE every summer...those were such fun trips.
We used to have marathon games of Monopoly and when we'd run out of play money we'd make more...yes, we were kiddy Monopoly money-feiters. We could sing the entire Grease soundtrack by heart...and still can. We could go rollerskating every time the doors were open at the rink and were hell on wheels. It's amazing that we didn't end up with any broken bones...I guess we owe that to the jackass skating cops that kept us in the Hot Wheels Jail for speed skating. We were skating jail regs and had to post bail $ a few times at a buck a pop. That wasn't chump change to 2 kids back in the 70's either. You could do a lot of damage at the snack bar with a buck.
Once we got into Jr. High we were divided....I went to one Jr. High and she went to 'the other' school. ::gasp:: Our schools were rivals! She started staying at home, which sucked but hey we were almost grown up and way too old for babysitters. We didn't get to see much of each other but we still hung out together when we could. Then highschool came. I had my friends (which were mostly bums) and she had hers but we still had each other :o) Then....she up and got married! ::thud::
Then...I met Mr. Taz
Then she had a kid
Then she had another kid
Then she got divorced
Then we both started college
Then we started carpooling...Then everything was A-OK and we were together every day!!!!!
Now she's an RN, a single mom of a fine young man who is a Marine and a wonderful young woman who kicks ass (even though she's a Jimmie Johnson fan) and is doing quite well for herself. She is The.Best.Friend.Ever.
We spend time together whenever we can, mostly it's just talking...we go to movies (whatever Lil Taz wants to go see), we swim and every year we go on our Annual Chick Trip which is a T-Total Blast-O-La!
I think everyone should have a "Candy" in their life...I sure am glad I do :o)

2006-07-06T23:04:00.000-04:00

100 Things About Taz
Some of the other Cool Kids have their list so I figured what the hell..I might as well do it too.

I don't ever remember spelling Angi with an e.
I read very slow...like reading out loud slow except not out loud.
I'm dyslexic.
For some reason I don't have too bad of a problem with typing because of it, except with numbers.
I am ambidextrious.
My senior year in high school I took a full schedule of art courses except for Sr. English just to get my gpa high enough to graduate.
Because of the full schedule I graduated with extra credits.
I was 17 when I met Mr. Taz
I met my best friend when I was 5 years old and she was 4 years old.
I splashed water in her face and made her cry in the first 5 minutes. :o)
I wear a medic alert i.d. bracelet
I went to Lexington, KY to see Metallica in c0ncert
I've been in an ambulance twice
My wedding ring is custom made and looks "Elvish" (think Lord of the Rings)
I'm a "Lord of the Rings" nerd
I wear a tooth from an extinct Mako shark on my necklace. It was a gift from my other best friend and I never take it off.
The first rock concert I ever went to was to see Ted Nugent.
I have stopped breathing before...see #13
I believe in God
I was raised Southern Baptist but also attended Mass with my friends.
I rub my feet together when I get sleepy, when I'm going to sleep, and in my sleep.
I'm never, ever still.
I have read the entire Courtneys of Africa series by Wilbur Smith
I was asked to leave a message board because of driver bashing
The bashee...Kevin Harvick
I have started listening to some country music again
I live in the same house I grew up in
I played piano, horn and oboe
I have seen the band Nazareth perform in a small bar
I was only 19 at the time...I was soooooooooo sneaky
My middle toe and the one to the right of it on my left foot are the same length. (that almost sounds like something TL would post)
I have 2 tattoos
I drink unsweet tea
I like my coffee black with sugar
My favorite food is Mexican
My nickname is "Peanut"
One of my best friends calls me "Pookie"
I don't bite my nails....I bite my lip
I HATE wearing shoes
I plan my weekends around watching the races
I get mad at Mr. Taz because he doesn't watch the races with me
I feel guilty if I'm not at work and I'm not with Lil Taz
Being a mom is the toughest but the most rewarding thing I've ever done
I love Lil Taz more than I ever thought I'd love anyone
I collect Kevin Harvick & Tony Stewart diecasts
I also collect alligators & moose
My best friend & I go on a Chick Trip to FL every year in September
I :heart: tequila but I hate beer
I have to take Topamax (see #s 11, 13 & 18) to control Complex Partial Seizures
Up until now I have been too embarrassed to talk about it
My first car was a 79 red Mustang hatch back with white interior and black louvers :thumb:
I tan very easily and have only been really bad sunburned 2 times
When asked about my heritage I answer...White/Native American/Mutt because I'm not exactly sure but I know there's some of the first two.
I detest spiders
I sleepwalk, sleeptalk and have nightmares
I often just bust out laughing because sometimes I think funny things :o)
I have been on a cruise once and didn't like it because I didn't cotton to the 'trapped' feeling
I like to smoke cigars
I also like to sip good bourbon
I'm really grouchy when I first wake up
I turn back into sweet Taz in between 9 and 10 a.m.
My favorite TV show is "House"
My favorite movies are "Beetlejuice" and "The Godfather"
I have worked at the same place for 17 years (-6 months..temporary loss of sanity when I took a job at a Gastro's office)
I worked at two other print shops at the same time for two years before this one
I dated a guy I worked with at one of the shops (Mr. Taz & I broke up for a while)
I met one of my best friends on teh internets
I enjoy talking to older people, you can learn so much from them
I met an older couple at the beach last year that I call Mamaw and Papaw...they're staying next door to us this year and I can't wait to see them again :o)
I love to deer hunt, turkey hunt and treerat hunt.
I killed my first deer when I was pregnant with Lil Taz...how redneck is that?
I don't like steak, shrimp, lobster or oysters
I've been in two fist fights and they were both with guys...I won :o)
I can't drive a straight shift worth a shit
Coffee flavored icecream is my new favorite
I have finally become a really good cook
I have 2 older brothers, one is 18 years older and the other is 20 years older
I think I enjoy watching cartoons just as much as Lil Taz
I have an extremely hard time staying on task
I wish Pappy could have seen Lil Taz
I wore braces for almost 2 years...I didn't wear my retainer 1 day but my teeth still look gorgeous
I brush my teeth at least twice a day
I floss twice a day..sometimes more
I once went 10 years between dentist visits and it still just took 30 mins to clean my teeth and Look Mom..NO cavaties!!!!
I'm allergic to bees
I love flowers but I don't have a green thumb
I have probably seen the movie "Jaws" one hundred and eleventy-one times
I craved onions and Sweet Tarts when I was pregnant with Lil Taz
I text message with my best friend off and on all day
I used to have an Appaloosa (Woodtick), a Quarter Horse (Rowdy) and a part App part Arabian (Tequila)
I miss riding more than I let on
We used to have a small farm full of pigs, horses, rabbits, pigeons, pygmy goats and bantam chickens
I have helped put up hay and tobacco...that's some hardass work too.
I can drive a tractor
I cast left handed which drives all the other people in the boat crazy
I love the smell of fresh cut hay and bondo
I have been to Paris and Athens, TN
I once played Rock, Paper, Scissors on the radio for Bristol tix...I lost to a dipwad that beat my Nuclear Warhead with his Act of God. Cheater
I tend to get pissy when Harvick and/or Stewart has a bad day at the track
I kept on task :o)

2006-06-29T13:19:00.000-04:00

So What's Your Holiday Plans?
It's looking like it's going to be a 4 day weekend for me...Yeehaw! Yes, I do actually say "Yeehaw!" I'm from TN therefore, I can say it and not look or sound like a poser :o)
At first we had toyed with the idea of going to the hunting cabin for a long weekend but Mr. Taz has some things he needs to do in the shop, he'd like to set up at the flea mkt to get rid of some junk and he also needs to go out to the cabin and stain the new porch handrail. I have been wanting to do a Casa de Taz Clean Sweep so that's what I'm planning on doing Sat-Mon. Of course I'll take out time for Lil Taz and Mom time :o) Plus there's a couple of night races to watch which kicks ass. Tuesday we're going over to Aunt Candy's for BBQ Ribs and some fun in the sun. We'll have Ribs, potato salad, mac salad, deviled eggs, watermelon and some of Aunt Candy's mucho-adored fruit pizza. I will probably end up gaining back about eleventy-one pounds but it's a holiday so that's OK.
Mr. Taz hasn't witnessed Lil Taz's swimming skills this year so he's sure to be amazed. The kid is like a tad-pole, she loves the water. She also does a killer cannonball :thumb:

2006-06-27T12:56:00.000-04:00

Pissed
Clod
Upset
Hurt
But most of all I'm f'n pissed!
When I first started posting on a message board I 'met' someone (let's call this person FT (thank you real pal for the 'nickname') FT seemed nice, knowledgeable about the racing world and funny. It was never a real budship more like an acquaintance but this whole thing is irritating the ever loving shit out of me. I guess because FT seemed so nice and harmless. Boy was I ever freakin' fooled huh? A few PMs, maybe 1 or 2 IMs. Anyhoo..The longer I hung out at the board the more people I met and I started to make some friends. (Y'all know who you are and I :heart: y'all) Come to find out FT has been giving one of my real pals (RP) a hard time...all the while KNOWING how close I am to RP. All of this has been going on and silly me just NOW (as in yesterday) figured out that it was FT who was the culprit. Duhhhhh Taz! See...RP is too classy to just spit out names, clues were given and it was like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle that was cut out with a teeny tiny x-acto knife. Whew!! but I finally put in the last piece and it all made sense.
Not only am I pissed about what is going on with RP but now FT is trying for the pitty-party...I'm sorry but you don't treat people the way that FT has been and expect them to act like everything is hunkie-freakin-dorie. FT knows that wrongs have been done and that they 're beyond being righted...give.it.up.
Yes...color Taz f'in pissed!

2006-06-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

What? A Game of Tag and No One Told Me Where Home Base Was...
Well, my buddette Ethel tagged me. I guess she decided the only way to get me off my lazy ass and get me blogging again was to tag me...it felt really good by the way, Ethel ;o)

Five Things in the Fridge
1. 12oz bag Starbucks Espresso Roast
2. Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla Yogurt
3. Dasani
4. Last night's leftover homemade Stromboli
5. Bath & Body Work's Aromatherapy Headache Relief

Five Things in the Closet
1. 1 pair of way too small jeans that I keep for inspiration
2. My old horse, Rowdy's, nice leather personalized bridle :o(
3. Camo
4. A kajillion pairs of flip-flops
5. Lil Taz's Christining Dress

Five Things in the Handbag
1. Cellphone case
2. Vanilla lipbalm
3. Band-aids (of course...I'm a mom)
4. Checkbook
5. Marlboro Lights

Five Things in the Car
1. String of beads Lil Taz made me when she was around 3
2. Beanie Baby Moose (Chocolate is his name)
3. CD's
4. Removable Hard Drive
5. Booster seat surrounded by petrified french fries

Five People to Tag
It's too early to think up 5 people

2006-05-30T14:31:00.000-04:00

Taz - Wolverine
Whodathunkit?
Tasmanian Devil
Wolverine
So if I were one of the X-men I'd be Wolverine...that kicks ass! Except I'd be a guy :o\

You Are Wolverine

Small but fierce, you're a great fighter.
Watch out! You are often you're own greatest enemy.

Powers: Adamantium claws, keen senses, the ability to heal quickly

Which of the X-Men Are You?

2006-05-30T11:49:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the best stuff
is the simple stuff...
This weekend was awesome, simply awesome.
On Saturday morning Lil Taz, her Aunt Candy and I went to see Xmen: United - The Last Stand (X3 as we call it) It was good, popcorn was awesome and, as usual, we had a great time together. I can't say much about the Coke though. Excuse me but I need to rewind back to Thursday for just a second...
On Thursday, I went to my neuro who suggested I change my meds which is OK by me...she's the pro right? The side effects aren't as bad as my previous med except for this one "The most common side effects include a change in taste (carbonated beverages, especially diet sodas and beer, taste particularly bad)" which can be translated as (I found this description on another website) "Sodas and other carbonated beverages will utterly taste like ass". I do NOT want to know how the author of that website knows what ass tastes like.
ok back to Saturday...
About half-way through my Diet Coke it hit...Y.U.C.K.!!!! It was SO nasty I was looking for a place to spit it out. No luck there so I ended up swallowing it. EwwwEwwW! Anyhoo...at one point in the movie I teared up and when I looked over to my left (yanno how you can 'feel' someone looking at you?) both Lil Taz AND AC were looking to see if I was crying. Geeze.
After the movie and drinking a huge glass of iced tea, Lil Taz and I packed up and headed to the hunting cabin for a cookout and an evening of ATV riding with Mr. Taz. We had a total blast! The food was great, the company was great and the weather was perfect. Afterwards we headed out on the ATVs. We rode around the loop to see the newborn filly, she's gorgeous and if my pics turned out I'll post them soon. We were all worn out by bedtime so it was an early turn in for us.
Sometime during the night Lil Taz slipped into bed with me and Mr. Taz got into the bed across the hall. Lil Taz is like sleeping with a young mule, by the way. On Sunday morning about 5:30 I rolled out of bed and hit the floor. ::eyeroll:: Come ON now! I'm a grown woman and I fell out of the freakin' bed! Good grief! Lil Taz laughed her ass off and I'm sure she's told everyone in her class that her mom fell out of bed. So I stayed up, fixed me a mega mug of coffee and sat out on the porch.
Later on we headed out for another ride on the ATVs. This time we headed to the lower farm. I have never smelled honeysuckle quite as strong as they are this year and I couldn't resist stopping to the enjoy them. After Lil Taz and I had our fill of them we picked a couple of daisies and did "He loves me, he loves me not". Mine ended up on "He loves me" :o) she stopped about half-way through hers and tossed it into a ditch exclaiming "I really don't want to know". A while later we packed up and headed home.
We got home in time for me to get a little bit of housework finished so I could settle in and watch the JJ 600 ::eyeroll:: I wanted Harvick to win but anyone but JJ was actually fine by me, except for either of the Busch bobsey boys. Taz's 600 Cliff Notes® - Stewart hit the wall, Harvick had trouble then his tranny bit the big one and Kahne won. That's it
Monday was spent cleaning on the house, grocery shopping and doing all of my normal Sunday stuff.
Hope y'all had a good one :o)
*simple stuff in blue

2006-05-26T11:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it...
someone actually likes my blog. :thud: I was up against Full Metal Photographer in BOTB and won by 1 point. Thanks to those that voted for me. Y'all rock! Y'all go out check their work. It's amazing and absolutely gorgeous. I'll be checking for updates for sure!

2006-05-26T11:03:00.000-04:00

I did it...
I accepted a Battle of the Blogs Challenge. This is my first so I'm anxiously awaiting the results. The other guy has an awesome photo blog too. Will I win? Will I lose? I dunno. Only time will tell. ::jeopardy music::

2006-05-24T15:04:00.000-04:00

Oh come on!
I loves me some Play-Doh® and I love the way it smells but I don't think I want a throng of pre-schoolers following me around all day.
Eau de Play-Doh
When I was younger and an active Play-Doh® player we didn't have all those Play-Doh toy sets that kids have today. We were creative and used it as it was meant to be used like matting up the carpet, destroying the heating unit in the dryer, stopping up the toilet, insuring that the washing machine would never drain the same again...yanno that kind of creative stuff.

2006-05-24T14:53:00.000-04:00

Oxymorons
1. Is it good if a vaccuum really sucks?
2. Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?
3. If a word is misspelled in the dictionary, how would we ever know?
4. If Webster wrote the first dictionary, where did he find the words?
5. Why do we say something is out of whack? What is a whack?
6. Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?
7. Why do "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?
8. Why do "tug" boats push their barges?
9. Why do we sing "Take me out to the ball game" when we are already there?
10. Why are they called "stands" when they are made for sitting?
11. Why is it called "after dark" when it really is "after light"?
12. Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?
13. Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?
14. Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?
15. Why is "phonics" not spelled the way it sounds?
16. If work is so terrific, why do they have to pay you to do it?
17. If all the world is a stage, where is the audience sitting?
18. If love is blind, why is lingerie so popular?
19. If you are cross-eyed and have dyslexia, can you read all right?
20. Why is bra singular and panties plural?
21. Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?
22. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase?
23. How come abbreviated is such a long word?
24. Why do we wash bath towels? Aren't we clean when we use them?
25. Why doesn't glue stick to the inside of the bottle?
26. Why do they call it a TV set when you only have one?

2006-05-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

It's the Lyrics Game
Here's how it works...
I've posted some lyrics and it's your job to figure out the song title and artist. NO CHEATING by using Google or any other helpful sites.
1. "Ok, here we go, we got a real pressure cooker going here, two down, nobody on, no score, bottom of the ninth, there's the wind-up and there it is, a line shot up the middle, look at him go. This boy can really fly!"
2. "Red hot mama. Velvet charmer. Times come to pay your dues"
3. " I'm goin' way down south where the big blue agave grow,
Takin' a weekend trip down to Baja, Mexico! "
4. "Everytime I think of you, I always catch my breath. And I'm standing here, and you're miles away, and I'm wondering why you left."
5. "I wish I was in Tijuana. Eating barbequed iguana"
6. "Girl ya gotta love your man. Take him by the hand. Make him understand"
7. "She took all my money, wrecked my new car. Now she's with one of my goodtime buddies, They're drinkin in some crosstown bar."
8. "Just remember this, my girl, when you look up in the sky. You can see the stars and still not see the light (that's right)"
9. " You go out at night, eatin' cars. You eat Cadillacs, Lincolns too, Mercurys and Subarus"
10. "You know she moves like sin. And when she lets me in. It's like liquid love. No doubt about it can't live without it"

2006-05-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

Messy Desk Cleanup
After I took the pics of the shoes I realized just how messy my desk is. I guess I had gotten used to working around the mess and didn't may it any attention. I've always heard that a messy printshop is a busy printshop and I believe it. We've been super busy here with all the political printing we've been getting in on top of our regular work...that's my excuse for the messiness. Take it or leave it. :oP

Before

After

Anyhooo...during the cleanup I found these two Lil Taz drawings. Lil Taz drew this one last year. Staci, please notice that the #29 is ahead of the #24 :o)
This is a moose that she drew for me this past winter.

2006-05-19T09:15:00.000-04:00

Blame it on Ethel
While perusing her blog this morning I saw that she had a blog quiz there. I just HAD to take it too.

You Are an Iced Coffee

At your best, you are: hyper, modern, and athletic

At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty

You drink coffee when: you're out with friends

Your caffeine addiction level: medium

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

Then I clicked on this one...

You Are 50% Evil

You are evil, but you haven't yet mastered the dark side.
Fear not though - you are on your way to world domination.

How Evil Are You?

Then this one...

Your Linguistic Profile::

60% Dixie

30% General American English

0% Yankee

5% Midwestern

5% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

and this one...

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 70% Conservative, 30% Liberal

Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 70% Conservative, 30% Liberal

Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

I think I have an addiction to these quizzes. Once I start I'm Energizer® Bunny-ish. :o\

2006-05-19T09:14:00.000-04:00

I hate new tennis shoes!!!
I bought these over a year ago (you can tell I never wear them) and decided to wear them today.
After about 2 hours I ended up with this blister.
Sorry about the fuzziness but it's hard to take a decent pic of your own heel.
So I took off the shoes, bitched and whined for a little while and then my friend/boss left for the post office. In about half an hour she returned with these.
Are these cute or what? $5.95 from Walgreens®. They have small diamondoids all around the upper part of the flip flop. Very cool ::thumb:: Color me happy :o)

2006-05-15T12:53:00.000-04:00

My Mom's Day Weekend
I had the.best.weekend.ever!
Saturday was a beautiful day and it started out by taking Lil Taz to her red belt test. The kids' expertise fascinates me. They went through their forms, kicks, punches, falls then they sparred. Since this was a test they had to spar against their instructors. It was fun watching them hold their own against adults...it was a good feeling. She receives her new belt tonight after class.
After testing Lil Taz and I went to the nail place and got Mama Taz a gift certificate for a pedicure. She has never had a real pedicure so it will be a nice treat for her. She was thrilled with her gift. Then we bought Mr. Taz's mom a wreath to put on her grave and we went to the Chinese restaurant for Mr. Taz a quart of hot and sour soup. Once we got home, the three of us went to the cemetary to put the wreath out. It's a rural cemetary where families still dig their own graves and it is kept up very nice...altho some people let their dogs run wild and there was evidence of that in the parking area. :o\ Lo and behold who stepped in a pile but yours truly :o\ So that pair of flip flops are sitting on the porch until I can stomach cleaning them off.
We gathered up Mama Taz and all headed out to look at a huge house that Mr. Taz and a friend of his is building. It's hu-freakin'-mongous!!! The roof is so high that I'm glad I didn't see it BEFORE Mr. Taz was on it or I would have freaked out and pitched a Taz sized fit about him even getting on the roof. The hi-lite of the trip was stopping by Bruster's for a special treat. We had never had Bruster's Icecream and it was totally kick ass! I had turtle which was chocolate icecream with pecans and caramel. Lil Taz had double chocolate, Mr. Taz had a strawberry shake and Mama Taz had strawberry icecream. The line was very long but it was well worth the wait. As soon as the girl working the counter opened the window the smell of fresh waffle cones hit me in the face...yummy!
Saturday night was a quiet night at home, Lil Taz and Mr. Taz worked on the jigsaw puzzle from hell while I watched some of the Darlington race. I didn't watch for too long...Harvick ended up with a chunk of the Lady in Black in his radiator which pretty much shot his night. Ya see...I tend to get way pissy when something happens to Harvick and end up getting too aggravated to enjoy the race so I headed out into the sunroom to try my hand at jigsawing.
Sunday morning I was greeted by "Good morning, Mama and Happy Mother's Day...we're going to BassPro, get UP!" After a quick shower and getting dressed we were out the door leaving Puppy Taz to pout behind us. Since it was Mom's Day we all (Mama Taz included) ate breakfast then headed to BassPro. Lil Taz had spotted something she wanted to get me while we were there with my brother on Easter. After shopping for a little while, I was told "Mama, get lost for a few" so I 'got lost' at Starbucks :o) Out of the kindness of my heart I even bought Lil Taz a decaf vanilla latte'. I registered to win a bassboat but evidently I missed the call telling me that I had won. I need to check the caller id again.
Once we got home, I was presented with my gift...a birdfeeder :o) I am SO thrilled!! I love it!! Lil Taz actually remembered that I had said something about how cute it was and that I had mentioned it was something I would like to have. That means so much to me that she had thought about that. Sundays are always busy at our house so I used the rest of the day to get all my regular Sunday stuff done. For supper last night I fixed hot wings (very mild for them...cajun for me). It was awesome. After everything was finished up we all worked on the jigsaw puzzle until bedtime. Puzzles are a great way to spend family time.
I hope every mom out there had as wonderful a day as I did.
Today it's Monday and back to reality, which sucks...I miss my family very much today and can't wait to get back home to them tonight.

2006-05-12T13:26:00.000-04:00

Lil Taz vs The Bully Update
So far so good. I haven't heard any horror stories in a few days so maybe things have calmed down in Ms. M's 3rd grade class :o) ::crossing fingers::

2006-05-12T12:36:00.000-04:00

YAY!!!! IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!
Happy Friday to you :o) Not a whole lot going on here at work today...actually we have a book to get out and I'm doing my best to look busy so I don't have to staple it. We collated (put together and in order) 1,000 books yesterday so my shoulders and back are pretty much shot and I'm really feeling it today.

I really don't have alot to talk about so I figured I'd share some pics with you.
My peonies are in full bloom and are gorgeous...
They were started off of 3 bushes at my grandmother's farm house, years ago and they smell wonderful. I keep a few in a vase on my table the whole time they're blooming and they make the kitchen smell delish.

I got a new bracelet...I figured if I had to wear one, I'd wear a cool one and here it is...Puppy Taz has been on a diet for a month now. She was getting way too heavy and was having too many 'wharfing' fits. A 'wharfing' fit sounds just like she's saying the word wharrrfff. It can get really scary because what is really happening is her soft palate has fallen and is covering her esphogagus. (I'm not looking up the correct spelling of these words today) It's almost like a backwards sounding sneeze. Pugs (and other short muzzled dogs) have a tendency to have these fits because of breathing problems and elongated palates. We've been thinking about having surgery done to correct it but since she's been put on a diet she seems to be getting better about it. Before, just one run across the yard could start up a fit, now she is playing like a puppy. :o) One drawback is that she's severely tee'd off at us as you can see...Her 'daddy' bought her that new bed last weekend :o) Not that she actually STAYS in it at night (she likes to sleep on top of me and burn me up all night...little furnace) but it's a good place to pout.

Lil Taz tests tomorrow for her red belt in Tae Kwon Do. She's been working extremely hard on her forms, punches and kicks for this one. It's supposed to be a real doozie...that reminds me I have to put a Gatorade in the freezer for her so it'll be good, icy and cold tomorrow after testing. The test will be so long if I just put it in the fridge it won't stay cold.

I really, really, REALLY want to go see An American Haunting. It was based on a true story about the Bell Witch in middle TN. It looks way creepy but I'm afraid I won't be able to talk my movie loving friend, C, into going with me so it looks like I'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD.

This weekend the boys are racing at Dahhhlington, short track night races kick beaucoup ass! :thumb: And...from what I hear it will be a full moon. I just hope Harvick keeps his cool both on and off the track. Good luck #29!
Last week at Richmond, Harvick won the Busch race, dominated the Cup race and due to a bad call by Berrier (his crewchief) ended up finishing 3rd. Harvick wasn't at his car for the after race interview and some saw that as him being a sore loser bratty ass driver. What really happened, and I read this on his website (he and his wife post their race diaries on there) he had to go to the restroom and he had to go right THEN. Not a Tony Stewart restroom call but nature was screaming at him. Funny how the media turns things around to make an interesting story huh?

Hmmm for something that didn't have alot to talk about I sure did some jabbering...anyhoo, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and Happy Mom's Day. :o)

2006-05-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

::Sigh:: I've lost it...dammit
The other day I left a comment on someone's blog, maybe my own...could of been, I dunno... and as soon as I started typing the comment an idea for new bloggage popped into my (infected by CRS) brain. Well...now I've lost it. I can't remember a thing about it so if someone could kindly point me the way to that comment it would be greatly appreciated. This doesn't mean that I'm committed to writing about the subject it just means that it's driving me even crazy(ier) than I already am trying to figure out what the hell it was and where the hell it was.

2006-05-09T16:17:00.000-04:00

Happy Mother's Day
to all the moms out there.
As a special tribute to Mama Taz I've posted this pic just to show what kind of stuff my mom had to put up with. This was my first encounter with a beauty product...evidently Merle Norman's Cold Cream doesn't taste so good.
My mom is a very special woman with the patience of Job. She's known as "Grandmama" to so many kids I've lost count. When my oldest brother was born she decided that she was going to stay home and be a full time mom and from that day on she never worked outside the house again.
She ferried us all back and forth to school, school functions, band practice, piano lessons, dances, etc. She has always put herself and her needs on the back burner and made sure that we had what we needed and all of the love and support that was required to grown into the people that we now are.
When my father was diagnosed with cancer she was determined to take care of him and let me tell you...he had the best care possible. He wasn't put into a nursing home or anything like that, he stayed at home in his own bed and that's where he passed away.
When I was pregnant with Lil Taz she was so excited. Mr. Taz and I both wanted her to share in the experience so when we went to the ultrasound that shows the sex of the baby, she came too. It was the first time that she had seen her newest grandbaby moving. She cried right along with us. Lil Taz didn't cooperate with that ultrasound, wouldn't you know it, so she was there to share in our disappointment too. We all went again and found out, it was awesome.
Later in my pregnancy I ended up with full blown toxemia and was put on bedrest in May (Lil Taz was due in September). Mr. Taz was working two jobs so my mom was the one that took care of me during the day. She would see that I took and recorded my blood pressure every waking hour, she made many trips to Hollywood Video to pick up movies for me, she brought me my favorite chinese carry-out, she took care of me as only a mom can.
Lil Taz had to be delivered 5 weeks early by c-section and my doctor let both Mr. Taz and my mom be in the OR during the surgery. That was really cool! A few hours later Lil Taz had to be rushed to a hospital across town and put in neo-natal ICU. My best friend, Candy, drove Mr. Taz over and my mom stayed with me. It was so nice to have her with me for reassurance and a shoulder to cry on.
She takes Lil Taz to school and back every day and takes her to karate for us. She's always willing to lend a hand. She keeps her when we go on weekend hunting trips, which isn't often. It's nice to be able to go and not worry.
I'll never be able to repay her for all of her sacrifices and all that she's done for me. The only thing I can do is be the best mom possible...maybe that will show her that she rubbed off on me. :o)

2006-05-05T13:29:00.000-04:00

Oh, there's something else too...
My 2nd neo-pet has hatched and it's an egg with legs? LAME I tell ya, so I've adopted another egg. It's due to hatch the first of June.

2006-05-05T13:08:00.000-04:00

Lil Taz has a problem...
There's this mean-ass'd bully named April in her class and she's been in her class for a few consecutive years. This kid has tormented her ruthlessly and is the only child that she has ever had any problems with. Practically every day I hear a new April story. Just last week Lil Taz came home with a bruise on her arm where April had punched her. So far it's gone from pulling hair to pushing to punching and I'm sick of it! At the beginning of these problems I wrote her teacher, 1st grade teacher I think, a note which requested that she take care of the April deal. Every year it's the same thing. Problems start up, I write a note, make a phonecall, and am assured that the teacher has the whole thing under control. Evidently NOT!
Monday, Lil Taz came home very upset...April had changed all of her math answers and she had received an F for that homework assignment. BULLSHIT! I had helped her with it, had checked it with a calculator and everything was correct. I called the teacher the next day and told her what had happened...come to find out the little shit had even wrote "ceeted by April" on the paper. (That's how she spelled it) How dumb is that?? To put in writing that you "ceeted" Now that problem has been taken care of by the teacher. The girls are now separated and aren't allowed to grade each other's papers.
Yesterday, after karate class, Lil Taz told me that April SPIT in her face. Yes, SPIT in my daughter's face!! That's the last straw!!! I have also wrote a letter of request to the Guidance Counselor asking for a certain teacher for Lil Taz next year AND that she not be placed in April's class. I am SO freakin' over this! April picks on ALL the kids, she's a freakin' behemoth sasquatch who is at least a head taller than the other kids. She's about the size of a middle school kid.
One more incident and I swear that I'm contacting the School Board...I've had enough!
Oh and...Right or wrong I have given Lil Taz my ok to beat her ass when she bothers her again.

2006-05-05T12:31:00.000-04:00

T G I F!!!!!!
Happy Friday y'all.
First off I'd like to wish my friend, Ethel, a VERY Happy Birthday!!

I made it through the week and have a date tonight with Mr. Taz. I'm soooo excited!! We're going to my favorite wings place tonight. It's a grown up dinner because the wings place is also a biker bar. I have nothing at all against bikers, some of my favorite people are bikers. Lil Taz can't go because I don't want her to be exposed to drinking and the guys/gals like to rev their bikes in front of the door which Lil Taz couldn't handle because her ears are too sensitive. Anyhoo it'll be good for us to get out, just us.
I've even talked him into watching the Busch race with me tonight :o) We'll see if THAT pans through...right now I'm skeptical. Ya see...it's very trying to be married to a guy that's not a racing fan. I rush and plan my weekends around racing and he always seems to have other things to do. I can guarantee if I was watching a hunting show he'd plant his ass on the cushy couch and watch it with me. I don't understand how he can watch hour after hour of a hunting show and not get bored. C'mon, really! They all end the same. However...if it were Jose' Wejebe he was watching, my ass would be planted on the cushy couch :o)~
I can't believe it!! I actually forgot to put him on my list of do-able guys. Consider him added. I like Cuban sandwiches, Cuban cigars...Jose is Cuban, coincidence?
Soooo, the boys are racing at Richmond this weekend. Which is kickass! I love the track AND it's night racing. Very cool! Harvick has been on fire lately so I'm hoping for a great finish for him. He had trouble at Dega but I think if he hadn't been caught up in the lap 9 mess he would have been a force to reckon with.
I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend :o)

2006-05-01T08:20:00.000-04:00

Another Me Me
More stuff about me, whether you wanted to know it or not...
1. FIRST NAME? Angela
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? No
3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Last week when I was feeling sorry for myself
4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? NO, since it slants \ <~that way it's hard to read...even I can't read it sometimes.
5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Deli ham
6. KIDS? 1 daughter
7. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes, I'm a loyal and trustworthy friend.
8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Duh
9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? :o)
10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes, they've given me tons of problems but no doctor has wanted to jerk them out.
11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Before I had Lil Taz, yes I wanted to. Now I'm afraid something would happen and she would lose her mom.
12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Malt-O-Meal Star Marshmellow stuff.
13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No...when I wear shoes.
14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Yes
15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? 'nilla
16. SHOE SIZE? 9
17. RED OR PINK? Pink, it looks great with my tan
18. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? My temper and
stubbornness
19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dad
20. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? N/A
21. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? My Sunday jeans (holey) and a Harvick jersey. I have to wear my Harvick swag when there's a race.
22. LAST THING YOU ATE? Toast
23. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Ultimate 80's on iTunes
24. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Blue
25. FAVORITE SMELL? Fresh cut hay
26. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Mr. Taz
27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes
28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes
30. FAVORITE SPORT? NASCAR racing
31. EYE COLOR? Blue
32. HAT SIZE? I wear adjustable caps when I wear a hat.
33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope, I don't wear glasses either.
34. FAVORITE FOOD? Mexican
35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Scary
36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED AT THE MOVIES? Ice Age 2
37. WHAT COLOR UNDIES ARE YOU WEARING? Yellow
38. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
39. HUGS OR KISSES? I'm greedy...I want both
40. FAVORITE DESSERT? Peach cobbler
41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? n/a
43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? None at the moment
44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? It's black with Kensington on it
45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Dr. Doolittle 3 with Lil Taz
46. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Lil Taz laughing
47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Stones, but I really don't care for either.
48. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Bahamas or Cancun..I suck at geography
49. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? Besides tying a cherry steam in a knot with my tongue I guess playing piano and horn.
50. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Podunkville, TN

2006-04-27T08:21:00.000-04:00

Lunch and a Movie
A while back I started doing what I call "Lunch and a Movie". I bring in a movie and watch 45 mins of it during lunch. Sometimes it takes more than 2 days to finish it but it's a great break from work that I look forward to. I really enjoy horror flicks but I normally don't get to watch them at home because Lil Taz could walk in the room and she really doesn't need to see all the gory/scary images plus Mr. Taz doesn't care for them (I think he's scared). Sooooo I bring them into work and enjoy them here.
Today's movie is George A. Romero's Land of the Dead It was OK as far as zombie movies go..actually the dvd extras are better. :o\ I think seeing how they do the special effects and make up is cool and very interesting.

Last week I watched Hostel and Wolf Creek. Wolf Creek is supposedly an Australian Texas Chainsaw Massacre ripoff but how dare they think TCM was THAT awful. Even TCM 2003 was better than WC. Sheesh! No comparison whatsoever. Don't waste your movie rental $$. It SUCKED! The jest of the movie is...1 guy 2 girls have car trouble and they meet a Crocodile Dundee type crazy dude in the barren part of Australia. He offers to fix their car and goes completely psycho once he has them at a secluded mining spot. End.of.story. Hostel started out slow but once it go cranked up I thought that it may be an OK movie. Lots of T&A so that's a plus for the men. 2 dorky looking lead guys and 1 OK to look at guy for the chicks...no real eyecandy girls, sorry. Here's the cliffnotes...3 guys are backpacking they go to a Hostel where the chicks are wild and into casual sex. 1 by 1 the guys, who think with the wrong head, start disappearing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that their chicks are in on it. The girls are 'selling' the guys to Elite Hunting Club, where they get extra $$ for Americans. The 'hunters' in this movie come up with some sick and disgusting ways to kill their victims. This is one movie that completely grossed me out and it was very sick. I had to stop watching it so I have no idea how it ended and I don't really want to know.
Maybe next week I'll pick a GOOD movie. :o\

2006-04-26T15:53:00.000-04:00

OK...now on to some happy stuff.

In 5 months my best friend and I are heading back down to FL for our Annual Chick Trip. We always have a blast on vacation. One good thing about working overtime is extra $$ for our trip. Mr. Taz always makes sure I have enough $ but it's kinda nice to have a little extra. :o)
Last night Lil Taz cracked me up. I was getting her hair brushed out when she said "Mom, we have a problem" I immediately thought oh crap. She informed me that Dakota, an adorable but ornery kid she's known since Kindergarten, told her "I ::draw heart in the air:: you" on the playground. How cute is THAT? So what's the problem? She told him..."Ohhh GREAT! That makes 3 boys that are after me" ::giggle::
I had a Sonic Reeses Blast for lunch by granny!!! And it was sooooooooooooo good. :o) I'm still on my diet but with the way I feel I figured icecream might help :o)
Sonic's ice always makes me smile. Their ice is like little ice pebbles (I had a tea too) :o)
Mr. Taz called me just to check on me :o)
Mr. Taz called back to see if I wanted him to lay out some spaghetti. I cook tons so I can freeze some then eat it later. Same goes with lasagna :o)
Moderate comments kicks ass...I got the pow-a (imagine a breakdancer)
My boss/friend bought me new candle and it smells exactly like fresh honeydew :o)
It looks like it's going to rain later...hopefully I'll get some good sleep in :o)

2006-04-26T15:03:00.000-04:00

I just need a moment...
to catch my breath. It's been a busy week or two. I like busy but I don't like so busy that I can't do things that I want to do and to top it off I haven't been feeling well. I have no idea what's going on but I do know that I don't flippin' like it.
Here's what my weekdays have been like...
5:00 Rise and stumble. I never shine...I'm a full fledged grouchy-assed Tazmanian Devil until 9:30ish
5:30 Shower which doesn't help wake me up unless I shower in freezing water
6:00 Pack lunches for myself and Lil Taz. This has gotten easier because I pack her snacks and chips for the whole week on Sundays
7:00 I'm out the door
7:30 Start working
5:00 Head home
6:00 Fix supper then clean up the kitchen
7:00 Help Lil Taz with her homework
7:30-8:00 Get Lil Taz ready for bed
8:30 Bedtime for the Lil one
9:00-9:30 Bedtime for me IF I'm lucky.
As you can see I have no 'me' time except for the 30 mins of coffee time each morning. I'm not used to no 'me' time. This has just happened recently because we're so slammed at work.
Mr. Taz has had to work for the past couple of weekends too which means 5:00 waking time for me, pack his lunch then try to get some much needed rest before Lil Taz pounces on the bed. Unlike TMLS I have a pouncer not a ninja.
I feel kinda down...not only do I have to take my med for the rest of my life, I've had to increase it. Which sucks majorly. I had a bad time on Monday while cooking supper which resulted in me having to lay down on the couch and asking Mr. Taz to finish up. I hate being like that. I feel like I'm taking time away from Lil Taz and that's hurting me worse than anything. I asked her "Are you ready to trade your mom off because I'm sick all the time?" she looked up at me with that sweet, understanding beyond her years face and said "No mom, I love you and I want to keep you no matter what." After that, I sat there holding her in my lap (which is a good trick because she's getting so tall) and cried. I get so angry at myself I could just spit...but my neurologist has reassured me that I did nothing in my wild younger years to bring this on. I'm sure she's sick of having to tell me that because I ask her everytime I talk to her.

2006-04-19T13:39:00.000-04:00

Hmmm...
Why is it that whenever you itch just about 99.999% of the time it's somewhere that you can't reach unless you're a contortionist? All the way home (I commute 35 miles 1 way) I had an itch right below my shoulderblade and it killed me until I got home and took a hairbrush to it. DIE!!!! ITCH!!!!! DIE!!!!!
Why do some of the littlest things irk me to death some days but don't tend to bother me on others?
What is it that whether I wake up at 4:30 or 6:00 I'm never out the door until at least 7:10?
Why are there SO many infomercials? I was watching the TV guide channel this morning and practically every other channel listed was a 'paid advertisement'. UGH!
Speaking of infomercials...
Do people honestly buy that stuff? (Damn you Lori Davis for starting this infomercial shit)
Why is it that no matter what sized sheets I buy I can't get them to stay on the bed and end up sleeping on the bare mattress?
Why does a wet dog ALWAYS want to sit on your lap?
Why do people buy lotto tickets then don't bother to keep up with them? Note to person in CO...you're a dumbass
Why are some of the most beautiful sunsets after a storm?
Why do bad things happen to nice people? I actually wrote some bloggage pertaining to that back in Nov or Dec.
Why do people have different colors of eyes?
Why am I soooo attracted to Hugh Laurie from "House?" Geeze he's a sarcastic mean ol' bastid and yet I adore him.
Am I really morbid because I like to watch horror movies, Forensic Files and all that other jazz?
Why do I chance it and treat myself to icecream when I know I'm lactose intolerant? Note to self.....dumbass
Why is it that I come up with all kinds of neato things I'd like to write about but when I actually sit down to type I go blank?

....and why did my type change colors all of a sudden?

2006-04-14T10:08:00.000-04:00

This is pretty neato but it'll drive you crazy Full Sized Image

Rumor has it that there are 74 band name hidden in the pic. How many can you find?

2006-04-13T14:59:00.000-04:00

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING (Written by a former child)
A message every adult should read, because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking , I saw you make my favorite cake for me and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared and I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.
When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

I wanted to share this with you that do so much for others and think no one ever sees...Little eyes see a lot.
Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher or friend) influence the life of a child.

2006-04-13T12:38:00.000-04:00

Demotivators
I found this site today. Here's some that I liked.

2006-04-13T10:26:00.000-04:00

Yesterday on my way home...
I was thinking about some of the things that I have done through the years that I should have apologized for but never did. Or in 1 case I don't remember if I did. Most of these were from when I was in HS (20 years ago), I've always been able to remember some of the silliest stuff. So here's my apologies for all they're worth.
To Scott: I'm sorry that I went out on you when we were dating in HS but you should have known better than to accuse me of something I wasn't doing...because it might come back and bite you in the ass, which it did. My thinking was if I'm going to be dammed for something I might as well do it...and I did.
To Candy: (This is the 1 I don't remember if I apoligized for or not) I'm sorry I threw my toothbrush at you when we were at the beach. I was sick drunk, puking my guts out and you were kind enough to hold my hair back, dab my forehead with a cool wet washrag, take good care of me and hand me a toothbrush while I was sitting on my knees in front of the toilet. I never should have thrown it back at you because you put it in my wrong hand. That was really ugly and I'm very sorry. I love ya Sis.
To Mrs. (Big Bird) Muckenthaler: I'm sorry I came up with the idea to put a dead possum under your desk on my last day of school. It was June and really hot...I should have known how bad it would stink by the end of the day. I guess I should apologize to all the people that were in my class too...sorry y'all.
To Jeff: I'm sorry I let you take all the blame for the possum. You knew my mom and dad would kill me and you were looking out for me. I should have had the balls to admit it.
To Billy: I'm sorry I threw your class ring across the dark parking lot when we had our last fight...naaa I'm not really sorry, you deserved worse :oP
To Joel: Remember the time you ate a whole bar of chocolate Exlax®? Well, I'm the one that rubbed out all the Exlax® logos on top of it so it'd look like a Hershey® bar...I'm sorry.
To Wendy: I'm sorry I never belted you like you deserved for keying my Mustang.
To Sherry: I'm sorry I never kept in touch with you after college. You were such a good friend to me.
To Michelle: I'm sorry for drinking too much Barcardi 151 (I was a rookie) and puking in your new car.
To all the customers I've said "Bitch" to when I hung up the phone: I'm sorry...but if you hadn't acted like one I might not have said it. Your fault actually.
There's tons more, I'm sure, but these are the ones that stick in my mind.

2006-04-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

Taz's List of Do-able Guys
I have a list of celebs that I think are hot-t-t-t-t-taaa and very do-able. Mr. Taz knows this and is OK with it because what does HE have to worry about? It's not like I'm ever going to have the opportunity....right? Truth be known he probably has a list too. ;o) What's funny is while "Madding" <~my word for surfing through blogs via blogmad (thank you Ethel) I saw that I'm not the only one with a list of Do-Ables...however none that I saw actually called them 'do-able'. Two of mine are racers...go figure.
5. Elliott Sadler aka "The Candy Man"...yummmmmy.
I added him to my list just recently. He's let his hair grow out so he's got this "Sampson" thing goin' on and his accent is enough to make even the strongest of us gals swoon. He's an OK driver, he's made the Race for the Cup 2 years in a row, which kicks ass because I get to see him all dressed up for the awards show...and really...who else could look this de-lish in brown and yellow? Plus he seems so damned nice too.

4. Tony Stewart
Clean shaven or scruffy the man is hot! I even had a dream about he and I uhhh 'bump drafting' a while back and Mr. Taz reap...let's just say he was happy about it :o) Tony is a bad boy and I have a soft spot for them. He's had his share of antics off and on the track but deep down I believe he's a good guy. He does his share for charities which gives him even more hottage points.
I like the clean shaven Tony and the scruffy Tony...scruffy Tony is the hottest. He also seems to have a wicked sense of humor, which I find very attractive in a guy.

3. Gerard Butler
OMGosh this guy is smokin'! He was in Dracula 2000 (oh shut UP! I liked it) and made the tagline, "The Most Seductive Evil Of All Time Has Now Been Unleashed In Ours" oh so true...Drac you can nibble on my neck anytime!

2. Bo Bice
American Idol runner-up. Awesome looking and awesome voice. He made AI 'Must-See TV' for me all last season. I think the brown leather pants he wore while singing the Allman Bro's Whipping Post pretty much did me in.

1. Sam (Talk to me bayybee) Elliott
No matter what role he's playing, from cowboy to motorcyle dude, this man makes my heart go pitty-pat. He has the most smooth and sensual voice I've ever heard....and those EYES!!!! Please excuse me while I go turn on the AC ::wink::

2006-04-12T12:25:00.000-04:00

I have a question...

2006-04-11T16:41:00.000-04:00

Ten Things
I'm in the mood to blog but I don't have a darn thing to write so I guess it's time for another me-me

10 Favorites
Favorite Season: Summer
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite Time: When Lil Taz first wakes up or when she's winding down...cuddle time
Favorite Food: Mexican - chimis
Favorite Drink: Unsweet Iced Tea - Baitbuckets (alcohol)
Favorite Ice Cream: Vanilla
Favorite Place: In the woods by myself
Favorite Sport: NASCAR
Favorite Actor: Samuel L. Jackson
Favorite Actress: Gena Rowlands

9 Currents
Current Feeling: Happy because it's almost going home time
Current Drink: Diet Coke
Current Time: 4:51
Current Show on tv: I'm at work
Current Mobile used: Motorola Razr
Current Windows Open: Freehand MX and this one
Current Underwear: ::checking:: Lime green
Current Clothes: Orange shirt and jeans
Current Thought: I can't believe I just checked to see what underwear I have on

8 Firsts
First Nickname: Peanut
First Kiss: Thad in Kindergarten behind the cardboard blocks
First Crush: Bryan in 2nd grade...he gave me his bluejean jacket which is still hanging in the closet
First Best Friend: Candy and she's still my best friend :o)
First Vehicle I Drove: Billy Eubank's Trans-Am when I was 15
First Job: Scooping Icecream
First Date: Jaycee's Haunted House with Chris Drown
First Pet: A hamster named Lu-Lu that was an escape artist.

7 Lasts
Last Drink: Baitbucket while I was in FL
Last Kiss: Mr. Taz when I left home this morning
Last Meal: Ham sandwich
Last Web Site Visited: Movie Mistakes
Last Movie Watched: Chronicles of Narnia
Last Phone Call: Mr. Taz
Last TV show Watched: Morning News

6 Have You Evers
Have You Ever Broken the Law: Yes but didn't get caught
Have You Ever Been Drunk: Yep
Have You Ever Kissed Someone You Didn't Know: Yep
Have You Ever Been in the Middle/Close to Gunfire: Yep
Have You Ever Skinny Dipped: Uh huh
Have You Ever Broken Anyones Heart: Probably, at least I hope I did...damn you Billy

5 Things
Things You Can Hear Right Now: The printing press
Things On Your Bed: Duffell bag and quilt
Things You Ate Today: Ham sandwich, vanilla yogurt, toast
Things You Can't Live Without: My family and friends
Things You Do When You Are Bored: Chew my lip, surf the internet

4 Places You Have Been Today
Home
In my car
Work
Outside

3 Things On Your Desk Right Now
purse, smokes, Barefoots biz card holder

2 Choices
Black or White: White
Hot or Cold: Hot

1 Place You Want To Visit
Hawaii

2006-04-11T15:18:00.000-04:00

I decided to take a pic today...
to compare with my pre-eating right pic.

Before

Now (-22#s)

Personally, I can't tell much difference between the 2 pics but I can tell a difference in my clothes. This is one of my fave shirts which now fits (and looks) like a "baby on board" shirt. I guess after this spring I'll have to retire it. I also have a full length pic but I definitely look preggers so I'm not going to post that one. My blog, my pic, my prerogative. I'm down 2 jeans sizes and 1 shirt size. So eating right seems to be working for me :o)

2006-04-10T14:33:00.000-04:00

Whew...
what a weekend. This is how my weekend started out. From around 7 p.m. til 11 p.m. we were under a tornado watch. When I left work Friday afternoon the sky was "God's Blue" (as Lil Taz calls it) and the sun was out in full force but it didn't stay gorgeous for long. The storm had already hit Gallatin, TN, was hitting Nashville and was on it's way to the East. In between Nashville and home there are the Cumberland Mountains which most of the time act as a buffer. Storms normally break up when they come across but not this bad boy Supercell.

*Supercell - A thunderstorm with a persistent rotating updraft. Supercells are rare, but are responsible for a remarkably high percentage of severe weather events - especially tornadoes, extremely large hail and damaging straight-line winds. They frequently travel to the right of the main environmental winds (i.e., they are right movers). Radar characteristics often (but not always) include a hook or pendant, bounded weak echo region (BWER), V-notch, mesocyclone, and sometimes a TVS. Visual characteristics often include a rain-free base (with or without a wall cloud), tail cloud, flanking line, overshooting top, and back-sheared anvil, all of which normally are observed in or near the right rear or southwest part of the storm (Fig. 7). Storms exhibiting these characteristics often are called classic supercells; however HP storms (Fig. 3) and LP storms (Fig. 5) also are supercell varieties.

We were in the basement for hours, which was very trying on the old nerves...now I know where that new grey hair (that I jerked out this morning) came from. For Goodness Sake! I'm only 38 and having grey hairs pop up like weeds..this is ridiculous. OK back to the storm...Puppy Taz was going nuts, Lil Taz was upset, I was upset but Mr. Taz kept us all calm. I even calmed down enough to go outside (like a dumbass) and see what was going on. Mind you, it was quiet out and no roaring train so I figured I was pretty much safe. When I looked up I saw the strangest cloud formation. I've tried to explain it to several but I can't describe it exactly like I saw it. There was a flatish shaped black cloud swirling one way and a kinda poofy grey cloud swirling the opposite way into it. It was like seeing a hurricane on radar but from underneath it. Get it?? Probably not, but that's ok...no one else has either. It was past scary but so cool I was mesmerized by it.
After a few hours the tornado warning was lifted, we went upstairs and headed to bed. Mr. Taz sat up as watch until midnight.

2006-04-10T10:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks Y'all :o)
Interesting weekend for the Taz family but first I'd like to let y'all know what kind of friends I've met on the internet.
As you may or may not know, I live in East TN...which means we were hit with some pretty rough weather on Friday. I received some emails & pms from some of my friends that were concerned with my family's safety. These emails & pms are very much appreciated. I'd like to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. My friend Ethel even wrote about it on her blog. I can't put into words how touched we all were. On Saturday I read all of them to my family and Mr. Taz, who doesn't know that much about the internet except what he's heard about all the 'bad people', was amazed and very happy. Lil Taz said "Mama, you have some really nice friends" and she smiled. You guys all mean so very much to me. Thank you for being my friends.

2006-04-06T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'm a blog subject thief...
I saw this on TMLSB's blog and thought I'd give it a whirl.
I am: looking like I'm working even tho my boss is at the next desk
I miss: my dad, my friends in Florida and my brother in Delaware
I have: a wonderful family and great friends
I loathe: having to take Trileptal every day for the rest of my life
I fear: something bad happening to Lil Taz
I play: the same CD over and over sometimes, then I'll go to another one and do the same thing
I hear: Metallica playing and the numbering machine
I care: about alot of trivial things that don't really matter
I smile: alot and sometimes because I just think funny things
I wonder: what life has in store for Lil Taz
I poke: Mr. Taz in the back with my elbow during the night
I love: my family more than anything in the world
I mess: up cooking all the time...'cajun' baby
I ache: for hugs from my dad
I think: that I'm an OK person
I always: move my feet, even in my sleep
I am not: as outgoing in person as I am online
I sing: horribly
I cry: easily at sad movies and when someone I care about is hurting
I talk: way way too much
I spill: Puppy Taz's water everytime I open the fridge door
I wish: I could spend more playing time with my family
I keep: having to backspace while doing this
I am not always: wearing makeup
I can: use either hand
I can’t: chew gum because I always swallow it
I write: slanting \ <~ that way
I win: at games hardly ever
I lose: my lighter all the time
I smell: like "OP Juice"
I confuse: people by jumping from subject to subject during a conversation
I need: to learn 4 new programs for this puter
I should: take better care of myself

2006-04-05T13:38:00.000-04:00

I'm a new 'mama' :o)
My neo-pet egg hatched into an adorable blue/lavender baby dragon that I have named Draco. How cool is that? I'm now off to adopt another egg. :o)

2006-04-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

The Subject of Art
was brought up in an online conversation and I thought I'd share one of my fave artists with you. His name is Thomas Krause and he lives in Nokomis, FL. I have a few of his prints hanging on a wall at home. I have "Snook", "American Alligator" and "Fighting the Odds" print 2. His work is amazing and so realistic. Check him out...you might find something you just can't live without. :o)

2006-04-04T10:01:00.000-04:00

In the Past Few Days I've noticed...
My Neo-pet egg is due to hatch tomorrow. I wonder if it will.
That I absolutely love Malt-O-Meal® Marshmellow Mateys which I eat dry.
Marshmallow is spelled with an a and not an e ::blush::
I can fit into 2 pairs of my 'old' jeans
I've met some really cool people online and I consider some friends and not just 'people I've met online'.
My accent is a dead giveaway that I live in East 10-A-C
That I love hyacinth and the way they smell.
That although nothing beats an "I love you" from Lil Taz it sure feels good when she says "Mama, your lap is bigger now" :o)
I still can't watch the new "King Kong" without boo-hooing through the last 30 minutes.
How hard Mr. Taz works so we can have the things we need and quite a few of things that we just want.

2006-04-03T15:01:00.000-04:00

Ever have one of those days...
Where you don't know what you want but whatever it is it ain't what you have or what you're doing?
I'm not talking anything deep here, just stuff.
Like...I'm hungry but when I took a bite of my ham sandwich I almost gagged. In the trash the sandwich went. So I popped a bag of popcorn, took a few bites then threw it out for the birds. A few minutes after that I got a cup of Yoplait® Vanilla yogurt out, blech. That wasn't 'it' either. So now I'm even hungrier than before and don't know what I want.
I don't want to work. Sure, I have a few things in my basket to do but I don't wanna. So I figure as long as I look busy I'm OK. I don't want to do any puzzles, I don't want to browse blogs, I don't want to clean up my puter files, I don't want to go to my reg message board, I can't think of anything good to write about... I don't want to do anything. I think I could be perfectly happy just sitting here, resting my head on my hand and staring at the screen with it's blinking cursor....until 5:00.

2006-03-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

Well lookie there...
It's a new look for me, I think I like it. BUT by changing my template I lost the flags...dammit. I might put them back on and I might leave them off, I dunno.

Sleep sweet y'all...I'm outta here!

2006-03-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

I did some blogging today...where in the hell did it go?
Honest, I actually took the time to write a few thoughts down, do a few quizzes and brag on how I, with the help of a friend, put flags on my blog representing the countries that have visited. Now WHERE are they? ::patting foot::

2006-03-31T15:03:00.000-05:00

It's Quiz Time

You Are 27 Years Old

Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe.

13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world.

20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more!

40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

What Age Do You Act?

What Your Sleeping Position Says

You are secretly sensitive, but you often put up a front.
Shy and private, you yearn for security.
You take relationships slowly.
You need lots of reassurances before you can trust.

What Does Your Sleeping Position Say About You?

You're an Expert Kisser

You're a kissing pro, but it's all about quality and not quantity
You've perfected your kissing technique and can knock anyone's socks off
And you're adaptable, giving each partner what they crave
When it comes down to it, your kisses are truly unforgettable

What Kind of Kisser Are You?

You Are 55% Addicted to Blogthings

You're a Blogthings fiend - addicted but not totally dependent.
So what if you know your personality type by heart?
And while you may feel like Blogthings is crack...
There are people much worse off than you!

How Addicted To Blogthings Are You?

2006-03-31T12:38:00.000-05:00

My Week in a Nutshell
Monday - busy
Tuesday - busier
Wednesday - busier than busy combined with puter problems :oO
Thursday - O M Gosh! Let me breathe!
Friday - Still busy but at least I have a few 'me' minutes

It's been a really odd week besides all the busy stuff. It was one of those weeks where nothing seemed to go my way, no matter how hard I tried. (NO, I'm NOT whining...I'm stating a fact)

Work has been wild, the phone has been ringing off the hook and I've come to the conclusion that beyond a doubt we have the craziest customers out there. We've had tons of work to do...I even had to make a list! People believe me when I tell you...I'm NOT a list person. I think they're silly and I like to wing it. In the midst of all the work my puter decided to start giving me fits. So I called my budro, Gregg, to come fix the danged thing. We had to add more RAM and install a 2nd hard drive. Now he's taken a copy of my bazillion fonts and is running some type of diagnostic thingie on them. I'm a font collector and it's really caused alot of trouble. He said I win the award for Most Fonts Ever. :o) Maybe that's not such a good thing...I dunno. Anyhoo, Gregg is coming back in on Monday morning to give this thing it's final tweaking.

Get this...
As soon as he left, I tried to print a job out in PageMaker 7.0...did it print? Hell NO! See I told ya it's been one of those weeks. When I tried to print out a job in Freehand MX it flippin' printed. WTF? So I tinkered around (GASP) with it and finally figured out what I had done...now it's fixed, don't ask me how but it is and that's all that matters.

The other night I decided to cook Mr. Taz a good ol' fashioned suthan supper complete with warp biscuits. I can't make homemade biscuits worth a dime so I made Taz-style homemade biscuits. While I was cooking the other stuff I forgot all about the biscuits. (Of course...I do that crap all the time) The smell of them charlcoaling reminded me. When I brought them out they were as black as the iron skillet I baked them in. Lil Taz calls it Cajun when I do that. See? Told ya.

Sooo...I was sitting at the table one night this week, trying to help Lil Taz with her math and I was having a very hard time figuring out how to do it myself so that I could explain it to her. I worked for quite a while and when I thought I had it I starting 'teaching' her...how to do it WRONG! I thought HEY! cool I did it!!! But when I checked it with the calculator every single flippin' problem was wrong :o\ She looked up at me with that sweet face, baby blue eyes sparkling and said..."Mom, you'd never pass 3rd grade". Anyhoo, WE figured out how to do the problems correctly. See? Told ya.

This morning I was sitting on the couch watching the news (at FIVE A.M.!) when Puppy Taz jumped up in my lap. Awww how sweet...yea right! She sat there for just a few minutes then jumped down and went back to her bed. All of a sudden this putrid smell hit me....yea buddy, she was guilty of a 'hit and run'. UGH!!!!! See? Told ya

I'm really looking forward to the weekend for some well deserved, much needed R & R. The fact that the boys will be running at Martinsville kicks mega-ass. ::thumbs up:: My boy, Harvick, came in 2nd at Bristol...here's hoping for a win this weekend. :o) Lil Taz and I are going to go see "Ice Age 2" tomorrow. A movie with her is always a blast. She's my bud and I realize that one day I won't be her bestest one but for now I am and I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend...check ya later...gator :o)

2006-03-31T12:23:00.000-05:00

I Have Something New :o)
Thanks to a good friend named Warren I now have flags from the different countries of people that have visited my small space here on the net. It took me forever to grasp exactly how to make them show up but thanks to his never ending patience he got it through to me. Thank you Warren :o)

2006-03-24T14:48:00.000-05:00

T.G.I.F.!!!
Wow, it's been one heckova week and boy am I ever glad it's almost over with. Things have been extrememly busy at work, with it being political printing season and all. We have quite a few repeat politicans and a few newbies this year. Life is good at the printshop.
Last night Mr. Taz took me out to my very favorite restaurant for Mexican food. A Mexican restaurant that has a buffet kicks mega ass. ::thumbs up:: I couldn't eat as much as I used to but I really enjoyed what I ate. They have the best Mama's white cheese sauce in the world and their guac is un-flippin-believeable!
Soooo...
This morning when I got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in (I got on really slowly) I couldn't believe what I saw when I peeked through my fingers....I have lost a total of ::drumroll:: 21 pounds!!!!! GO ME!!! I immediately thought to myself that it was only because I got on the scales so slow so I got back on them and it was STILL - 21#s. Amazing...and just from eating the right type of food and no junk. Well...every once in a while I eat a Snackwell® cookie but a girl has to have a treat now and then.
Mr. Taz is working at the cabin this weekend so Lil Taz and I are both bachelorettes which means we'll get the remote (and probably watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for the millionth time), no cooking for me, we'll have a Cuban sandwich for supper, chat with my buds and buddettes online and I'll get to pooch up on the couch and watch the racing action at Bristol without someone walking back and forth through the room complaining that I watch too much NASCAR. Ohhhh yea I'm jazzed. BUT...
Now it's raining and could possibly be snowing there. Hmpft

Oh before I forget, here's how to make Cubans
French bread
Thinly sliced ham
Swiss cheese
Dijon mustard
Mayo
Dill pickles
Slice your bread long ways, put the dijon on one side, mayo on the other, ham (not alot but enough), swiss and pickle slices. Put the sandwich together.
Put some butter in your skillet, or if you're eating right like me...spray with Parkay 0-everything Butter
Put the Cuban in the skillet then use another heavy skillet (I use an iron one with a couple of cans of veggies sitting inside it) to press the Cuban flat
Keep the Cuban there long enough to semi-melt the cheese and toast the underside then flip it over. Some people, like my best friend, say a REAL Cuban is eaten cold. Yea riiiiiiite, they're much better pressed.

Oh now don't get me wrong, I'm not going to be a total slothish slug this weekend. I'll clean the house some, vaccuum, change the bed linens, give the dog a bath (she's starting to get that funky Pug smell thing goin' on), cook something totally de-lish for supper on Sunday, and get Lil Taz ready to start back to school on Monday. That reminds me...I have to check her math homework packet. Her teacher gave her HOMEWORK to do during Spring Break! It didn't hurt, I don't guess, and she really has problems with math so it was a good thing but dang...HOMEWORK during Spring Break!
I think I'm starting to get one of those danged Springtime colds :o( My throat is itchy, my nose is rapidly going from stuffy to running like a sugar tree, and my eyes are 'I just peeled an onion' watery. So right now I'm fantasizing about my flannel jammies, chenelle (yes my spelling sucks) socks and comfy wubbie quilt.
Today I'm feeling exceptionally ornery, even for me, so I think if my favorite victim is in the chatroom I frequent I may just have to pop in long enough to get her to say "F you!" Even the smallest things can make my night :o) It normally doesn't take me 3-4 minutes to tick her off bad enough to drop the F-bomb. Since it doesn't take very long and wasn't a challenge anymore I've made a game out of it. Kinda like the kids on "Nanny McPhee", I try to cut down on the time it takes. My ultimate goal is that as soon as I come in the room she drops the bomb. THEN I will feel like I've accomplished my task and I'll be free to go on safari for a new playmate.
Well...the boss lady just said that as soon as the pressman finishes this job we can leave :o) I guess I should get things wrapped up here. I hope y'all have a most wonderful weekend and to my Stalker friends...I might just see y'all at Weezie's.

2006-03-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

It's Play Time...
An "I'm tired of working" time...
A look for things for my blog time...

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

You Were a Wolf

You have an instinctual intelligence that guides your life.
Your family and "pack" is of primary importance, and you protect them.

What Animal Were You In a Past Life?

2006-03-22T15:04:00.000-05:00

Check it out...
I just found something cool for my blog...I adopted an egg.
Yes, my friends...an egg. What will it be when it hatches? I dunno, guess I'll just have to wait and see. If you want to adopt an egg get yours where I got mine or by clicking on my egg.
You can adopt as many eggs (once your egg hatches) as you want.
I just hope I don't have to feed the thing once it gets here.

2006-03-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

Alphabetical Meme Accent: I'm an East TN hillbilly, what da ya thayank?
Booze of Choice: Tequila, preferably in the form of a baitbucket (check out what it does to your tongue..and eyes)
Chore I Hate: Making the bed
Dog or Cat: Dog
Essential electronics: Computer, DVD player
Favorite perfume/cologne: "OP Juice" by OP
Gold or silver: White gold
Hometown: Podunk, TN
Insomnia: Not really but when I have trouble sleeping I take Melatonin
Job title: Graphic Designer and Mom :o)
Kids: One and she's the love of my life
Living arrangement: Married to Mr. Taz
Most admired trait: Intelligence, creativity, wit, sense of humor...well that's 4 might as well add that I'm very humble
Number of sexual partners: None-ya-biz
Overnight hospital stays: 3. Once when I was a baby, having Lil Taz, hyster.
Phobia: Spiders and clowns
Quote: "All you have to do is decide what to do with the time given to you" - F. Baggins
Siblings: 2
Time I wake up: Between 4:30 and 5:30
Unusual talent or skill: I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue
Vegetable I refuse to eat: Greens (blech)
Worst Habit: Biting my lip
X-rays: My neck, lungs and knees
Yummy foods I make: I've recently really started cooking, like homemade stuff and so far everything I've fixed has been scrumptious
Zodiac Sign: Virgo

2006-03-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

Ho Hum
It's another Monday. The Taz family went to the cabin for the weekend and had a great time until Saturday around 4ish.
I had to work most of the day on Friday but Mr. Taz and Lil Taz started their weekend before lunchtime. By the time I got out there it was around 5ish. I was expecting a huge welcome from Lil Taz but she had such a great time with her Dad that she wasn't all that excited to see me...which is OK, I'm glad they had enjoyed their time together. They had rode the atv around the woods looking for turkey sign and had seen a few deer, mowed part of the lawn, went grocery shopping to stock up for our family time and had basically just had a fun time. By the time I had gotten there the temp had dropped down to the mid 30's and the wind was really howling. That blew our roasting hotdogs and marshmellows on the campfire plans so I fixed burgers inside. After supper we went riding 'around the loop' looking for deer and saw quite a few. Lil Taz also likes to go so she can see all the horses. When we got back it was time to put on pjs and settle in to watch "Ice Age" for the million'th time...well not actually million'th but we have most of the dialogue memorized. By 8:30 we were all nodding off. We're real party animals huh?
I was elected to sleep with Lil Taz, aka "The Mule". She's old enough to sleep alone but since she wasn't in her own bed...I gave in. At some point in the night I woke up to "Moooooooooooom, you're hoggin' all the covers" and a knee to my back. By 5:00 a.m. she was fully awake and ready to go, thank goodness Mr. Taz was already up making coffee. Sleeping late is not an option around those 2. I went back to sleep and at some point between 5:30 and 6:30 I decided to give it up and get out of bed.
We bundled up and watched the sunrise together then I went inside to start breakfast, which I don't eat but I cook it anyway, while they went on another deer run around the loop. Before they got back in I had enough spare time to go back outside, drink the rest of my coffee, bust my ass coming back up the stairs, throw my stupid pink fluffy slippers across the lawn (it was THEIR fault I busted my ass), run lotion on my face where I hit the porch, and finish up breakfast. They ate, I cleaned then it was time for them to go look for a pheasant.
They hadn't been gone lone when I heard 4 shots, then the atv heading back. Poor Lil Taz had spotted a nice long-tailed rooster but had missed him. She was heartbroken so I told her how every hunter misses sometimes, it's part of it. Then...it was time to go fishing. We fished for a little while, didn't catch anything but we still had fun. Around 3:30 we made it back to the cabin and Lil Taz and Mr. Taz decided to go back out on the atv. I was sitting outside on the porch when my cellphone rang...it was Mama Taz. Mr. Taz's nephew had an accident and we needed to get back home. My heart dropped, I felt sick, I was alone...where were they? As if he knew I needed him to get back asap...I heard the atv coming around the corner. When he came up to me, he knew something was bad. All I could do was hand him my cell and let my mom tell him what had happened. Lil Taz and I went inside and started packing our stuff up so we could get the truck and Jeep loaded up and get headed home. She was disappointed but she understood that we needed to get home.
No race yesterday...damn rain.
I'm very tired today, I feel like recycled shit, my nerves are shot, it's raining, work sucks, Harvick is doing shitty...it is NOT a good day. Mr. Taz's nephew goes back into surgery in a few minutes...the not knowing is so hard. Why do people do such stupid stuff???

2006-03-16T16:13:00.000-05:00

A Huge Thank You
to my friend, Ethel for helping out with something way cool for my blog. It works!!!!! woooohooooo

2006-03-16T10:31:00.000-05:00

Me? A Slacker?
Uhhh yea... I have been but only because I've been extremely busy here at work (koff) and I haven't had a thing to write about besides losing 17#'s. :o) I don't know why in the world I'm explaining my slackerism to y'all because I started this blog for ME and I already know why I haven't posted in a while...so nix that explanation. I might get back with some pics in a bit.

2006-02-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

Sudoku (SU-do-KU)
These are a blast to do...however if you don't have alot of free time or don't feel like you need another addiction do NOT click this link.

2006-02-28T15:38:00.000-05:00

WoW
I stepped on the scales today and found out that I'm 13 pounds lighter. WOOOOHOOOO!!!
This eating right stuff has really been easy and quite tasty. I've been cooking more and not relying on easy but fattening frozen stuff. I feel alot better already and have more energy than I did before.
One of my new favorites (it happens to be a quickie frozen thingie) is Mrs. T's Pierogies. Trust me, these things are beyond awesome. I usually fry/brown mine in Pam® which makes the edges get good and crispy. Yummm-mmmy! I also make mini-chimmis about once a week and they're really good too.

Ang's Mini-Chimis
1# browned and drained lean burger (I use elk)
1 small onion
shredded cheese
small soft taco shells
1 pack of taco seasoning
Picante sauce

Add the seasoning to your browned burger and let simmer until all water is gone. You might want to put a piece of wax paper down because building these things can get messy. Lay out your tortilla then pile on the burger, onions and cheese. With your tortilla flat..bring in one side, then the other, top then bottom so it makes an eggroll looking concoction. Put a bit of oil in a skillet and heat it up. Carefully (things tend to get "poppy" when working with hot oil) lay your chimi in the oil. All you're doing here is browning the tortilla and making it crispy. Keep checking progress and flip the chimi over when it's browned to your liking. Take out of the skillet and place on a papertowel covered plate. You'll probably get 5-6 minis out of 1# of burger.
When you're ready to eat top it with sourcream (if you like it...which I don't. I think it's icky) and picante sauce.

First time I made these for an extended family dinner I had tons of them cooked. I asked my nephew what he thought and he said "They taste like...another one" I'm telling ya..these things are wonderful. They're also easy and quick to make.

A good thing about deciding to eat right this time of year is that you can buy fruit that is ripe. We've been going through the fruit at our house. Lil Taz is catching on pretty quick too. She passed up a Zinger® in her lunch and opted for a piece of homemade (Me and Pilsbury®) Angelfood cake. We're all trying to make better choices in what we eat....and from what I saw this morning, it's working!! :o)

2006-02-10T11:53:00.000-05:00

This is the Weekend NASCAR Racing Starts!!!

WOOOHOOOO I can't freakin' wait! Today is Bud Shootout practice, tomorrow the cars will practice for the Daytona 500 and the Shootout is tomorrow night. Racing is baaaaaaccccck. I'm so excited I can barely stand it. It's been a long off-season for me. I'm tired of watching reality tv (gag) and cartoons. Some cartoons are cool like Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (Lil Taz says Bloo reminds her of me) but bring on the racing.

I love race season and everything about it. Racing Stalkers will start really jumping again too. I'm in 2 different Fantasy Leagues this year. 1 is the league I run with some friends...it's cool. We all get together and have a draft, pick 5 drivers (1 rookie included) then bullshit and talk smack for the rest of the year. The 2nd one is headed by a guy on Stalkers. It's my 1st year for that 1 and it looks like it's going to be alot of work but alot of fun. Hell...I'm addicted, count me in.

2006-02-02T10:55:00.000-05:00

In case you can't tell...
It's not been a very busy day at work. So I've been finding all sorts of stuff online to do.

If you were born on the 2nd, 11th, 20th, 29th of any month then you are number 2.
Number 2
No matter what, every one will love you because you are ruled by the Moon. You day dream a lot, you have a very low-self esteem, you need to have a back up for every move in your life, you are very unpredictable. You tend to change according to time and circumstances, selfish, have a very strongsense of musical and artistic talent and powerful verbal communication. You can be sweet as an angel and can be ruthless when double-crossed. Some might say you have a sixth sense. You will become a poet, writer, an artist or a businessperson. You are not strong in love, so your relationship will be in disarray until you settle down. If you are a girl, you will be responsible for your family. You will sacrifice your life for your family. You are gentle, intuitive with a broad vision. You make a well-balanced person.

What's your porn star name?

Your Porn Star Name Is...

Jenny Jiggles

What's Your Porn Star Name?

You Are a Mai Tai

You aren't a big drinker, but you'll drink if the atmosphere is festive.
And when you're drunk, watch out! You're easily carried away.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

You're A Passed Out Drunk

Drinking gives you that warm fuzzy feeling, until you're thrown in the back of a police car...

What Kind of Drunk Are You?

Your Stripper Song Is

Master and Servant by Depeche Mode

"There�s a new game
We like to play you see
A game with added reality
You treat me like a dog
Get me down on my knees"

Yawn, dancing is so boring without a little spice.

What Song Should You Strip To?

I drummed up an old email that I never had the time to fool with. It's slow here, what the hell?

1. Where were you when the ball dropped for 2006? - Sleeping next to Mr. Taz
2. How did you get the idea for your profile name? - Mr. Taz says I remind him of Taz because I'm cute but fiery and the 29 is my fave NASCAR driver's #
3. What time were you born? Dunno
4. What song are you playing now, or wish you were playing? - "Blue on Black" KWS
5. Has the death of a celebrity ever made you cry? - yes
6. What color underwear are you wearing? - Dark blue with glow in the dark rubber duckies on them
7. What did you do this morning? - got up, drank coffee, fixed lunches for myself and Lil Taz, drank coffee, makeup/dressed/brushed (teeth and hair) drank coffee.
8. What does your dad do for a living? - my dad's deceased
9. Where do you work? - printshop
10. What ended your last relationship? - Best I can remember...apathy.
11. What are the last 2 digits of your phone number? - 01
12. What was the last concert you attended? - Metallica
13. Who was with you? Mr. Taz and a friend's son.
14. What was the last movie you watched? - Shrek
15. Who do you dislike at the moment? - It would be easier for me to say who I DO like
16. What food do you crave right now? - popcorn and I just so happen to have an unpopped bag on my desk
17. Did you dream last night? - not that I know of...Melatonin is my friend.
18. What was the last TV show you watched? news
19. What is your favorite piece of jewelry? My sharktooth necklace and my custom made wedding ring. I never take them off.
20. What is to the left of you? CDs that are burned but have no identification on them. It's a Taz thing. :shrug:
21. What was the last thing you ate? - Ham and Cheese sandwich, no crust
22. Who is your best friend of the opposite sex? I'd have to say Mike
23. Write some song lyrics that are in your head:
" We were parked out by the tracks
We're sitting in the back
And we just started getting busy
When she whispered "what was that?"
The wind, I think 'cause no one else knows where we are
And that was when she started screamin'
"That's my dad outside the car!"
24. Who last IMd you? - Gosh I dunno probably Mike
26. Are you on any medication? - yea for a physical problem
27. What side of the bed do you sleep on? - middle HAHAHAHAHA
28. What shirt are you wearing? - fuzzy Tigger sweatshirt
29. What color is your razor? - pale green
30. What is your favorite frozen treat? - Reeces Cup Blast from Sonic
31. How many tattoos/piercings do you have? - 2 tatts/6 piercings (all in my ears)
32. What's your favorite store? - Walgreens
33. Are you thirsty right now? - nope ::siiiiiiiiiiiip::
34. Can you imagine yourself ever getting married? - yep ::flashing wedding band::
35. Who's someone you haven't seen in a while and miss? - My brother
36. What did you do last night? - cooked, cleaned, checked Lil Taz's homework, bathtime, collapsed around 9
37. Do you care what people think about you? - HA if I did would I have this blog?
38. Have you ever done something to instigate trouble? - HAAAAAAAAA of course I have. I'm hell in chatrooms
39. What song(s) do you think your ex listens to and thinks of you? - one in particular I HOPE he thinks of me when he hears "What it Takes"
40. What song(s) do you listen to and think of your ex? - "Here's a Quarter"
48. What is one thing you wish you were better at? - focusing on one thing at a time and not being so flitty
49. What is across the room from you? - my wildlife calendar, pics of my family and drawings Lil Taz drew for me.

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Taz!

Finding Taz on Christmas morning is believed to bring good luck.
Ostriches stick their heads in Taz not to hide but to look for water.
In Vermont, the ratio of cows to Taz is 10:1.
The porpoise is second to Taz as the most intelligent animal on the planet.
Taz can eat up to four kilograms of insects in a single night.
It takes forty minutes to hard-boil Taz.
Taz can be very poisonous if injected intravenously!
Baby swans are called Taz.
Only fifty-five percent of men wash their hands after using Taz!
Lightning strikes Taz over seven times every hour.

2006-02-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

This is Way Cool...

I put a hit counter on my blog All.By.Myself!!! I've been reading different blogs and noticed that alot of them have hit counters so I figured what the heck, I want one too. I don't figure it's a vanity thing, I'm just curious as to how many people actually read this stuff.

First thing out of the chute I googled "free hit counters blog" and found this site. It was very easy to use, has some pretty neato counters and it's FREE!. I copied my code and figured out how to put the code in my template. Dang I'm good!

Now I'm faced with a question...am I a natural puter guru or a dork?

2006-02-01T16:36:00.000-05:00

Body, Mind, and Soul

"The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made."
Groucho Marx

"Twenty years from now you will be disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the one you did do."
Mark Twain

"Don't you wish there were a knob on the TV to turn up the intelligence? There's one marked 'Brightness,' but it doesn't work."
Gallagher

"You can't have everything. Where would you put it?"
Steven Wright

"Some people are like tugboats - the more they're in the fog, the louder they toot."
unknown

"There are two kinds of people in the world. Those who know they don't know, and those who don't know they don't know."
John Connors

"The trouble with being punctual is that there's nobody there to appreciate it."
Franklin P. Jones

2006-02-01T15:58:00.000-05:00

Soooooo....
I've made it a week and a half. A week ago this past Monday I starting eating 'right'. No I'm not dieting (even tho I'm doing this the Weight Watchers® counting points way), I'm trying to eat 'right'. I decided, after seeing pictures of me, that I needed to get some of this tonnage off.
I don't want to look like this....I just want to look good, not college good or even pre Lil Taz good (I'm being realistic) but I'd like to look and feel GOOD. Y'see...God played a a few tricks on me when I got pregnant, He gave me hips...lucky me ::eyeroll:: and my once perky cute breasts are now not so perky, but they're not 38L (longs) either.

So far I've lost 6 pounds, I feel better and my jeans are fitting a bit better. I've cut myself down to 1 Starbucks® Vanilla Latte' a week. Ohhhhh last Friday I discovered that they can make my latte' with non-fat milk. Which saves ALOT of precious WW points. So now I not only look forward to Fridays because it's payday and the start of the weekend but I also get to treat myself to a latte'. :o)

This WW points stuff ain't so bad. I can eat practically anything...even pizza. I just have to plan around it and be sure to save enough points for it. This is GOOD and works perfectly with the Taz household because we actually COOK our meals and don't eat out alot. I'm not a salad chick either so blech on that.

For instance...
Last night we had grilled porkchops a'la Mr. Taz aka the Grill Master, grilled sourdough bread, greenbeans (they're tolerable with ketchup) and potatoes au gratin. Not too bad huh? I just had to plan my day to accommodate this wonderful supper.

Wish me luck on my new way of eating...so far so good y'all :o)

2006-01-31T08:50:00.000-05:00

Today is the day!!!
"Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride" is being released on DVD and I'm SO jazzed. Lil Taz and I saw it at the theater and I loved it. She didn't care much for it because 'it was mostly black and white'. WTH? I thought it was incredible. I hope the dvd shows how they made it. I've always loved Burton's stuff.
Here's the Cliff Notes® for the movie. A guy is supposed to get married to some chick he's never met and he gets cold feet, runs outside and has a mild breakdown. He slips the ring on what he thinks is a tree branch but the tree branch is actually a corpse's finger. She comes to life (kinda) and thinks that they're married. She falls in love with him, he ends up falling in love with the chick he was supposed to marry...blah blah blah. Very cool movie.
Another of Burton's must-see movies is "A Nightmare Before Christmas".

2006-01-30T16:09:00.000-05:00

Right Now I'm Listening to...Animals
I, I'm driving black on black
Just got my license back
I got this feeling in my veins this train is coming off the track
I'll ask polite if the devil needs a ride
Because the angel on my right ain't hanging out with me tonight
I'm driving past your house while you were sneaking out
I got the car door opened up so you can jump in on the run
Your mom don't know that you were missing
She'd be pissed if she could see the parts of you that I've been kissing
Screamin'

[CHORUS]
No, we're never gonna quit
Ain't nothing wrong with it
Just acting like we're animals
No, no matter where we go
'Cause everybody knows
We're just a couple of animals

So come on baby, get in
Get in, just get in
Check out the trouble we're in

You're beside me on the seat
Got your hand between my knees
And you control how fast we go by just how hard you wanna squeeze
It's hard to steer when you're breathing in my ear
But I got both hands on the wheel while you got both hands on my gears
By now, no doubt that we were heading south
I guess nobody ever taught her not to speak with a full mouth
'Cause this was it, like flicking on a switch
It felt so good I almost drove into the ditch
I'm screamin'

[CHORUS]

So come on baby, get in
Get in, just get in
Look at the trouble we're in

We were parked out by the tracks
We're sitting in the back
And we just started getting busy
When she whispered "what was that?"
The wind, I think 'cause no one else knows where we are
And that was when she started screamin'
"That's my dad outside the car!"
Oh please, the keys, they're not in the ignition
Must have wound up on the floor while
we were switching our positions
I guess they knew that she was missing
As I tried to tell her dad it was her mouth that I was kissing
Screamin'

[CHORUS]

So come on baby, get in
We're just a couple of animals
Get in, just get in
Ain't nothing wrong with it
Check out the trouble we're in
Get in, just get in

2006-01-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

Do you ever think up weird stuff?
During lunch I've been reading the 2nd Harry Potter book. I know I'm behind times but hey that's just me. Anyhoo..today during lunch I looked up from my book and thought to myself..."Wouldn't it be weird to live in one timezone and work in another?" WTF did THAT come from?

2006-01-25T14:13:00.000-05:00

Our Hunting Trip Kicked Ass I made the first kill of the weekend...Go me go me!

2006-01-25T12:19:00.000-05:00

50 things i'm not allowed to do at hogwarts...

1. I will not poke Hufflepuffs with spoons, nor will I insist that their House colors indicate that they are "covered in bees".
2. No matter how good a fake Australian accent I can do, I will not imitate Steve Irwin during Care of Magical Creatures class.
3. Growing marijuana or hallucinogenic mushrooms is not "an extra credit project for Herbology".
4. "I've heard every possible joke about Oliver Wood's name" is not a challenge.
5. I am not allowed to attempt to breed a liger.
6. I will not go to class skyclad.
7. The Giant Squid is not an appropriate date to the Yule Ball.
8. I will not use Umbridge's quill to write "I told you I was hardcore".
9. I will stop referring to showering as "giving Moaning Myrtle an eyeful".
10. Polishing my wand in the common room is acceptable. "Polishing my wand" in the common room is not.
11. If a classmate falls asleep, I will not take advantage of that fact and draw a Dark Mark on their arm.
12. House elves are not acceptable replacements for Bludgers.
13. Starting a betting pool on the fate of this year's Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is tasteless and tacky, not a clever money-making concept.
14. I will not start every Potions class by asking Professor Snape if today's project is suitable for use as a sexual lubricant.
15. Adding the name "Bueller" to Professor Binns' roster is not funny.
16. "Springtime for Voldemort" is not an acceptable suggestion for the class play.
17. Seamus Finnegan is not "after me Lucky Charms".
18. I will not refer to the Weasley twins as "bookends".
19. I will not refer to the Patil twins as "bookends".
20. The Slytherin prefect is named Draco Malfoy, not "Rocky Horror."
21. It is exceptionally tasteless to tell Professor Lupin that "Once you go Black, you never go back."
22. I will not call Lucius Malfoy "Jareth".
23. I will not bring a Magic Eight Ball to Divination class.
24. I am not to refer to the Potions classroom as "Kitchen Stadium".
25. I will not tell Ron and Hermione to "Get a room" whenever they start to fight.
26. The Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason.
27. I am not a tribble Animagus.
28. I am allowed to have a toad, rat, cat, or owl. I am not allowed to have a reticulated python, snow leopard, Tasmanian devil, or piranha.
29. I do not weigh the same as a duck.
30. Remus Lupin does not want a flea collar.
31. Sirius Black is not #24601.
32. I will not lick Trevor.
33. I will stop asking the Arithmancy teacher what the square root of -1 is.
34. I am not being repressed.
35. Calling Lucius Malfoy "Luscious Mouthful" is just plain gross.
36. I will not change the password to the prefects' bath to "Makes getting clean almost as much fun as getting dirty".
37. There is no such thing as an Invisibility Thong.
38. I am not a Pinball Wizard.
39. Asking "How do you keep a Gryffindor in suspense?" and walking away is only funny the first time.
40. I will not offer to pose nude for Colin Creevey.
41. I will not offer to pose nude for Dean Thomas.
42. It is a bad idea to tell Professor Snape he takes himself too seriously.
43. It is a bad idea to tell Professor McGonagall she takes herself too seriously.
44. Sir Cadogan is not one of the knights who say "NI".
45. I will not offer to prepare tandoori owl.
46. I will stop asking when we will learn to make "Love Potion Number Nine".
47. I will not ask Dumbledore to show me the pointy hat trick.
48. I will not greet Professor McGonagall with "What's new, pussycat?"
49. There is not now, nor has there ever been, a fifth House at Hogwarts, and I am not a member of that house, nor am I its founder.
50. I will not take out a life insurance policy on Harry Potter.

I found this on ramblings from a freakish & dangerous mind check it out. He's great

2006-01-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

Our weekend with friends..
went awesome. I liked her, she liked me...life was good. On Thursday we went to Cades Cove and Bass Pro®.

Cantilever Barn

Mr. Taz and I

I don't know exactly why I love this picture but I had an enlarged print made of it for our hunting cabin.

Since we went on a Thursday, there wasn't much traffic and we could enjoy the ride. If you're ever in East TN you gotta take the time and go.

2006-01-11T10:54:00.000-05:00

Woooohoooo I love short work weeks!
Today is my Friday. I'm taking off the rest of the week to spend some time with a couple of friends that are coming to visit us from Texas.

My mom is going to keep Lil Taz so it's going to be a 'big kid's weekend'. Don't get me wrong...I love spending time with my lil one but she has school and I'm not going to take her out of school for something like this. So far she's had perfect attendance every year. Quite an accomplishment I'd say.

We're going to BassPro® and a huge knife store tomorrow then heading up to the cabin for some R&R. We've planned a pheasant hunt for Friday and after that we're playing it by ear. Pheasant hunting is huge fun, especially when you use dogs. They're very cool to watch work. We're also taking atvs so I'm sure we'll end up covered in mud, from dirt-daubbin', at some point.

I've met the man (Mr. B) that's coming but I haven't met his wife. I really hope we hit it off. I tend to get along better with men than women. Truthfully....there's not alot of people that I DO like so needless to say my circle of friends isn't very large. Mr. Taz says that Mrs. B is really nice and that we should hit it off just fine. I guess she'd have to be pretty cool to put up with Mr. B. They're arriving today and will be at the house before I get home. When I make it in from work we're going out for Mexican food (my fave).

I'll have some pictures to share when we get back.

2006-01-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

I HATE Spiders
As you know Mr. Taz and I went deer hunting last weekend....well there was a HUGE freakin' spider in one of the blinds I hunted in on Saturday. I was sitting there (almost asleep) when Mr. Taz came over on the radio asking me if I was awake...of course I said yea :o) I sat back and happened to look down and THERE it was...hanging upside down, up and under the piece of wood that I had my head laid down on :oO I swear it was THE.HUGEST.SPIDER.EVER! The thing was hanging bunched up from it's legs, body hanging and swinging in the breeze that was coming thru the cracks in the blind. I almost died. It was dead but that didn't matter it was STILL a spider and moving From the tips of it's legs to it's body it was at least 2.5" long. I was freaking out. I sat back on the stool and tapped it with the toe of my boot until it fell to the ground and I squished it. UGH!!! It CRUNCHED!!!!! ACK!!!!!!! About 30 mins after that I saw the does and spikes. So I guess I didn't make too much noise.

2006-01-03T16:29:00.000-05:00

How in the heck have YOU been?
I've been great, thanks. Long weekends have gotten me off kilter and I've been neglecting my blog a little so here's the Cliff Notes® for what's been going on in MY life....
Christmas was awesome at the Taz home. I pulled off the Santa stuff another year without a hitch. Well...except for my emotional breakdown. Lil T was thrilled with all of her presents. Mr. T was also happy with everything, which is a really good trick. Mom loved her electric blanket...life is GOOD! Christmas dinner was UN-BEE-LEEV-ABLE! I made some kickass cornbread dressing that turned out perfect and the ham was delish. Matter of fact, everything that I cooked was pretty downright remarkable. Almost like someone else cooked it. That's quite an accomplishment for moi, I usually cook 'cajun' (blackened).
Oh by the way....long weekends ROCK!
New Year's weekend Mr. T and I went deer hunting. Actually for me it was more like treestand sitting. :o\ NO, I don't kill poor little "Bambi"....I kill his dad. However, Bambi's dad didn't show so I came home empty handed. We didn't get drunk or wild or anything like that. We spent a quiet night alone at the cabin. (wide evil grin)
So you know what I've been up to now...how in the heck have YOU been?

2005-12-27T11:16:00.000-05:00

Lil Taz and Santa
I'm not sure if you remember but a while back some wadhead at school told Lil Taz that there was no Santa. So for the past few weeks we have been dealing with this. She wants terribly to believe in him but the question was still nagging at her. I asked a friend of mine how he dealt with it and he told me to try to keep her thinking positive without going overboard. How in the heck was I going to do that?
After some searching I found a pretty cool website where the child can write Santa a letter and receive a special letter from him without giving out your email address. (You can never be too safe) You can also check the Naughty or Nice list to see which list you made. One night Lil Taz and I sat down at the computer and sent Santa her letter. We only had to wait a few seconds after she hit "send" until Santa's letter to her magically appeared. We had put in her age and not far in the letter there was "I know your friends have probably been saying some things about me" (Thank you Santa) She was amazed that Santa knew what had been going on. In her letter she asked for a jingle-bell from the reindeer's harness. :o\ This was the first I had heard about THAT! She didn't ask for toys like most children, only the bell. The next day I went on safari trying to find the precious jingle-bell. Evidently you can't just buy one bell in our small town you have to buy a whole pack but that's ok, she got her bell. When we checked the Naughty or Nice list she was SO relieved to find out that she had made the Nice list. :o) She was actually holding her breath until the Nice certificate appeared. She's a really great kid but like most kids...she has her moments.
On Christmas Eve we opened a few presents but saved the majority for Christmas day. After using NORAD to check to see where Santa was she decided she had plenty of time to watch the penguin movie. After the movie we checked again and found out that Santa was making his way towards Florida...she decided she better get into bed because he was only a few states away.
She left cookies and chocolate milk for Santa, and 9 baby carrots for the reindeer. She brushed her teeth, got the pjs on and hit the bed. It had been an exciting day and she was beat so it didn't take long for her to get to sleep. After making sure she was asleep Mr. Taz and I brought out the Santa stuff. We got a surprise when we sat down at the table to take care of the cookies. There sitting propped up against the glass of milk was an envelope with "To Santa" written on the front. With a shaky voice Mr. Taz told me to open it. She had fixed Santa a Christmas card and had drawn him a picture of himself in his sleigh. She signed the card "Love, Madison". All of a sudden I was wrapped up in Mr. Taz's arms and when I finally pulled back...his eyes were filled with tears too. Right then it hit us that this was probably the last Christmas that she would believe in the big guy. It meant that our darling child was growing up...now please excuse me while I go fall apart.

2005-12-12T15:01:00.000-05:00

Dear DVD Release Peeps
I hope you are satisfied...I broke down and bought the DVDs that Lil Taz wanted. I'm now broke but Fantastic Four, Sky High and A Penguins Life or whatever the hell it's called are all wrapped and tucked safely under the tree. One thing I DO appreciate is that FF and Penguins are both 2 DVDs so the packages are long..she'll never guess what they are. Please don't do this to me again next Christmas.

Sincerely,
Me

p.s. I'm not sure if you're in cahoots with video game manufacturers but if you are could you please ask them to stop making PS2 games for EVERY freakin' movie that comes out, it would be greatly appreciated.

2005-12-10T22:42:00.000-05:00

I learned somethin' from Lil Taz today...
If you don't believe in Santa...you get clothes.

2005-12-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

WOOOHOO
As of right now I have all of my Christmas shopping finished except for 3 presents and I know what I'm buying. I also have everything wrapped so far and under the tree (or in the Santa box). For people that know me, this is amazing. I'm a world-class procrastinator (and bad speller). Normally I'm out on Christmas Eve trying to get ALL of my shopping done and then I'm up until 4 a.m. wrapping. Not this year, by granny, I'm ahead of the game. At the beginning of the school year the teacher sent home a note asking for volunteers for various fieldtrips and parties during the year, I signed up for two things. I'm hoping I volunteered to bake cookies for Lil Taz's class party. What's up with that?

2005-12-08T09:51:00.000-05:00

This morning Lil Taz said a funny thing...
We were watching the news and the weather came on. The weather guy said "We're expecting some light snow during the night" . Lil Taz immediately said "I wish we'd get some dark snow so they'll call off school." What she meant was heavy snow.
This made me start thinking...I wish I had written down all the funny stuff she has said since she started talking. Anyone who has kids knows that they DO say the darnedest things. Sometimes the darnedest things aren't funny at the time, they're downright embarrassing but when you look back on them you can't help but laugh. So this morning I jotted down the funnies that I remember and I decided to share them with you. Who says I don't know how to share? :o)

Rubbertree Plant
We used to (keywords) have a rubbertree plant that was sent to my father's funeral. When Lil Taz was really young I was working in the kitchen when she walked in and said "I didn't do nuffin'" Ut oh...that isn't something a parent wants to hear. She looked so cute and innocent and then...she raised her dirty left hand and said "I tware". I asked her to show me the nuffin' she didn't do then followed her into the den. There laying on the floor was a leafless sprig of what was previously a rubbertree plant. She had pulled off every leaf, de-potted it and rubbed the dirt into the floor. There was dirt everywhere...even in the windowsill. Evidently she didn't like the plant that I was so fond of.

Jurrasic Park 3
When JP3 came out Lil Taz, Aunt Candy and I went to 'the big movies' to see it. Some would think she was too young at the time but hey...she's MY kid. Those people wouldn't have had to stay up with her at night because some vicious dino was chasing her in her dream...I would have. We always sit on the end of the row so if we need a potty-break we don't disturb everyone in the row. I wish other parents with small children would do that, however, I won't go into that because this is a happy blog :o) Since we were on the end of the row we right next to the stairs, duh, and this guy came walking down carrying his kid who was crying to beat the band. I'm talking sobbing. Right when he got next to us she said..."Frybaby". I know the dad heard it.

Bread
Once Lil Taz got old enough to help with chores we've encouraged (nice word for made) her do so. She was helping me get groceries out of the car and since she was small I handed her a 2# loaf of bread. She should be able to handle that right? WRONG! She ran into the house with her prize and went into her playroom. Since I was busy putting the groceries up I had forgotten all about the bread for a while. Then I heard a funny 'swishing' noise coming from her room so I went to investigate. There she was...holding the bread by the end with a twisty tie, swinging it back and forth. The 2# loaf of fresh bread had became about the thickness of 6 slices of bread. When I asked her what she was doing she said "Killing the bread".

Pencil
This isn't actually something she said but something she did. I don't know about your kids' school but at her school they introduce politics to kids when they're in the 2nd grade. They get to 'vote' in a real voting machine and everything. Pretty cool if you ask me. Well one day volunteers from both sides of the fence visited her classroom and were giving out pencils, pads and whatnot to the children. My child refused a pencil because it was a "Democrat" pencil. ::wiping tear::

Sunflower Seeds and Australian Accents
When Candy's son, Dale, was on a city league baseball team a few years ago Lil Taz and I went to a few games. One of the dads happened to be sitting next to us eating sunflower seeds at one of the games. Either he was trying to give up tobacco or he enjoyed eating stuff that's good for you more than eating the great junkfood that was sold at the concession stand. Anyhoo after a while, she got tired of watching him spit the hulls out onto the ground and said "Don't you know spitting's RUDE? Here's a cup". Color me embarrassed.
Another day, another ballgame...
She has always loved to watch "The Crocodile Hunter" or "Steeeeeebe" as we put it, and after watching so much of it she developed a weird accent. It was kinda like a Duke's mixture of Southern drawl/Aussie/and little kid. I don't know how it goes at ballgames in your parts but here we all holler and support our guys. Lil Taz was hollering and carrying on just as much as the rest of us. She was having a big time. All of a sudden a woman behind us tapped me on the shoulder and asked "Where is she from, not here I assume" On the inside I said "Look lady she's from here just as much as you're from here." but on the outside I explained the drawl/Aussie/kid thing.

Big Lots® Brat
If you've made it this far, kudos to you, I probably think these things are alot funnier than you do. This is the Lil Taz All-Star moment...
One night my mom, Lil Taz (who was 3 at the time) and I were out Christmas shopping and had just finished up her 'stocking stuff'. By the way, Big Lots® is a great place to find stuffers. Ok, on with the story. As we were walking out into the breezeway there was a girl, she looked to be maybe 7, pitching a bitch-fit on her grandmother and mother. First let me explain the breezeway...I'm not sure that's what you call it but that's what I call it when you walk thru doors into the candy room (which echos) and then you have to walk thru another set of doors to go into the store. The bitch-fit kid was raising all kinds of E-mortal hell because she wanted some candy or a cheap ring out of one of the machines. All her grandmother and mother would do was quietly tell her No and try to reason with her. That kid needed her ass whupped for sure. I made the mistake alot of parents make and underestimated the power of my sweet child's hearing. MY bad! Under my breath, so I thought, I said "Damn brat" In the echo room that would make a mouse's poot sound like an elephant's Lil Taz said..."You're RIGHT Mama, she IS a damn BRAT!" I could have crawled under the floor tiles but I just looked at the bitch-fit kid's family and smiled.

2005-12-01T15:56:00.000-05:00

Whew...
Life is back to normal, whatever that is, in Tazland. I looked over my latest posts and noticed that they were so negative and that's so not me. I'm normally optimistic, I haven't been looking at the good side of things lately.
The Harry Potter crisis is now over. Lil Taz figures now that if she can read Harry Potter she can do anything she sets her mind to. Which is a GOOD thing.
The Christmas tree, my Santas and all other holiday decorations are up and the house looks awesome. I'll take some pics sometime this weekend. When I get home, get supper over with and the kitchen cleaned up I light vanilla candles, turn the Christmas lights on and enjoy.
I love this time of year. I've already bought some Christmas presents and I'm planning on finishing up the shopping this weekend. Lil Taz will be a great help in the wrapping department. We'll put in a dvd, make a couple of latte's and get to wrapping. Having her help out will be great fun and very cool.
Speaking of very cool...
The other day I received one of the best compliments I could ever get. Staci, a friend on a racing board I go to said " Taz, I gotta say, you must be the most popular mom ever. You just seem to be so attentive and way fun! (Most importantly!)" Now how cool is that? :o)

2005-11-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Today is NOT a good day...dammit!

Lil Taz finished "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" this weekend and was SO proud of herself for doing it. Let me tell ya, for an 8 year old that is quite an accomplishment. We are all proud of her too and have told her so. Her school has a program called AR (Accelerated Reading) which means they read certain books, take a test on them and get points. The more advanced the books the more points they receive. This book is on the 5.7 grade level (she's in 3rd grade). Anyhoo...She called me a few minutes ago VERY upset. She took the test today and made a 60 on it. Which isn't too bad, I don't think, especially for a book that's so hard. Well...she received 0 points. ZERO! The book was worth 12 points IF you get a 100 on the test. Common sense would tell you that if you got a 50 you should get at LEAST 6 points but NO...she got a 60 and ZER-FUCKING-O points! Man am I livid! My child read for hours and hours and received NO reward in reading class for doing so and now she feels like a failure. This is totally absurd! She tries SO damned hard to excell and this shit happens.
First off, she's the one that wanted to read the book and I supported her. Now I feel like I've fucked up and pushed her too hard because I made her read a few pages every night. How in the hell can an 8 year old kid remember everything that happened in a 300+ page book? I should have known better and told her to wait and try to read it when she was older. Now I'm afraid that this episode has damaged her self-esteem and I feel like I've failed her in some way. She was so pitiful on the phone...I wanted to hold her and cry. I understand that everything isn't going to be hunky-dory all the time but dammit! Why did it have to happen to her when she was so jazzed about reading?
I asked her if she'd like me to write a note to her reading teacher and tell them what I think about their computerized AR scoring but she said "No Mom, you might get in trouble" What the fuck are they going to do? Put me in AR jail? ZERO points...what a crock of shit!
Oh after she calmed down some she said..."Mom, Santa is real isn't he? My friends say he's fake like the Tooth Fairy and were laughing because I still believe in him." What a fuckin' day! I calmly told her that St. Nick was a real person who gave toys to children because they loved him. What in the hell was I supposed to say? I've always said that I will be honest with her but dammit this is a HUGE part of the innocence of childhood and pffft on those kids that told her he wasn't real. How DARE they steal that part from her. I still remember the kid's name that told me when I was in 1st grade and how broken-hearted I was on that day.
I've tried to call Mr. Taz and both lines are busy. WTF? I have no idea how I'm going to handle this when I get home....wish me luck

ETA: I got hold of Mr. Taz...he says I should contact the teacher about the AR deal. Zero points is very unfair.
Here's what he told her about Santa.
"You are smart, considerate and beautiful...follow your heart and believe in him if that's what you feel."
Sometimes he can be a really great guy.

2005-11-21T16:45:00.000-05:00

Rainy Mondays...
SUCK!
It's raining outside and cold. I was planning on going deer hunting this weekend since I have 4 days off but now I don't know if I'll be able to go. Ya See...I'm pretty sure I'm getting a cold. I've 'worked' on this cold for a week now and I think it's finally here. Fever, watery eyes, alternating chills and burning up, my head feels like it weighs 100#'s and my throat feels like someone is rubbing it with 40 grit sandpaper everytime I swallow. Not that I know exactly what that feels like but you catch my drift. Coffee doesn't help, Diet Dr. Pepper doesn't help and I'm eating Halls® honey-lemon cough drops like M&M's. I can't wait to go home, take some Nyquil, put on my flannel jammies, crawl into my bed and cover up my head.

2005-11-19T23:56:00.000-05:00

My kid is so damn cool...
Today Lil Taz, her Aunt Candy and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. I had already looked at mom/dad review pages to see why the PG-13 rating so I knew that a character bit the dust. I'm trying to be cool here because I could end up crying AGAIN. I haven't read the books but Candy has so I tried to get info out of her on the way to the theater. She's like a freakin' vault I tell ya but with as much shit as she knows on me I ain't gonna bitch about it...too much. :o) I was afraid that one of my fave characters died but there was no way I would find out before it happened so I finally gave up. C dropped me off at the garage to pick up my SUV and she and Lil Taz headed to the theater. When I got there I couldn't believe it....the ticket line was way and I'm talking WAYYYYY out in the parking lot. No worries for us...we bought our tickets LAST NIGHT! HA!!!!! Once inside I got in line with Lil Taz and C for popcorn and cokes. The lines weren't moving very fast so I was sent in ahead to find 'good seats'. With as many peeps as there was there, I figured any 3 seats I could find together would be 'good seats'. When I walked in I was surprised, most of the HP fans were standing in line for popcorn. :o) I found 3 'REALLY good seats' and staked my claim on them. (No I didn't pee on the chairlegs...I did the coat in the seat trick)
While I was waiting on my sweetness, love of my life, ornery child and her beloved Aunt Candy I had to suffered thru the chick in front of me yakking on her cellphone, the weird-ass teens beside me talking some strange Harry Potter shit that I knew nothing about (since I haven't read the books, I'm evidently out of the loop) I didn't think C and Lil Taz would ever walk around the corner with my caffiene but they did. As soon as they got settled the lights dimmed and the endless previews started. I don't wear a watch so I had no idea how long the attempted brainwashing lasted.
Finally the movie started...
It was beyond awesome. The storyline was fascinating, the characters older but familiar and the special effects were un-freakin'-believable. As much as I enjoyed this movie it's hard to believe that I was tricked, conned and pretty much dragged into my first HP movie years ago.
OK...back to why my kid is so damn cool...when the character died, the theater got really dusty and I shed some tears. Lil Taz was sitting beside me, her head on my shoulder and my head resting on hers. (By this time, the popcorn was history) I lifted my head to wipe a tear but she beat me to it...how cool is that?

ETA: When I got home the phone rang...it was C.
"Ang, (insert my fave character's name here) doesn't die."

2005-11-17T13:40:00.000-05:00

Things that are Awesome and Things that Suck
Awesome Things... (in no particular order)
Lil Taz
Family
Friends
Having a job you love
Hunting
Lil Taz saying "I love you" first
Movie nights with Lil Taz
The Annual Chick Trip
Unsweet Tea
Drinking coffee on the front porch
"Me" time
Listening to what I want on the radio
AC/DC "Girls Got Rhythm"
The Nuge
NASCAR, especially when Harvick is kicking ass...which hasn't been often this year
Summer nights
Reading a good book
Puppy Taz
The smell of leather, fresh cut hay and horses
Cuban sandwiches
Laying out in the sun
Baitbuckets
Text Messages and IM's
Racing Stalkers
Cigars
"The Godfather"
Seeing a good friend that I only see once a year (the once a year part sucks)
"My Name is Earl"
Pizza with the works
Being secure with being me and putting on no fake airs about it

Things that Suck...
Cold weather
Mean people
Puter crashes
Missing a deer/turkey
Saying "see you later" to Lil Taz when I leave the house. (After 8 years it's still a hard thing to do)
Being sick
Spiders
Traffic
Not being busy
Harvick having a bad day at the track

There's more but I won't bore you with them

2005-11-08T06:15:00.000-05:00

I just don't get it...
Why do bad things happen to nice people? There's plenty of bad people in this world why not lay all the bad stuff on them?
There's a racing board that I go to...alot and one of the 'family' has found out that he has to have bypass surgery this week. He's a super guy who knows quite a bit about racing. He's witty, funny and an all around nice person. Evidently he was just crusing around in life and whammo...this came up. He's only 37 (wake up call to myself...TML is a year YOUNGER than I am) and is expecting his second child in a matter of weeks. I have read his blog for quite some time so I feel like I'm closer to him and his family than I really am. I'll tell my family about things that has happened to his family just like I know them. Lil Taz refers to his daughter as "the girl that talks to her lil sister thru her mom's belly-button".
He found out that his by-pass can be done with a robot which is pretty cool and his down-time will be cut down tremendously from what I understand.
I guess I'm typing this because, even tho I'm pretty sure God doesn't read blogs, it will make help my prayer go thru and maybe if someone just happens along and reads this they will add TML to their prayers too. So please, if you're reading this say an extra prayer for my friend. The world really is a better place with him here.

2005-11-08T05:30:00.000-05:00

The Annual Chick Trip
Mr. Taz has gone on hunting trips out of state as long as I can remember. While he was gone my friend Candy and I would go riding around, out to eat or to the movies. In 1999 that all changed. I figured if he could leave state for a few days so could I. While he was making his plans to go to CO that September I called Candy and asked her if she'd like to go to FL for a few days. She was more than thrilled. We only had a few months to plan but we got everything taken care of easily.
The flight down was the first time that she had been on an airplane. I had only flown twice before and that was with Mr. Taz to Cancun and back on our honeymoon. When we landed in FL it was like I was actually free for the first time in my life. No parents, no Mr. Taz...just Candy and I. We drove to our hotel, if you want to call it that, and checked in. When we walked in the room the first thing I noticed is that there was no phone....there were fireants but no phone. The windows didn't close all the way either...that was OK we were on VACATION! We went put on our swimsuits and headed out to the pool....what pool? OK, there was NO phone and NO pool??? They've got to be kidding. So being the 2 adaptable people that we are, we headed to the beach. Once we got on the beach we quickly discovered what red tide was and what it looked like. Too bad puter screens don't allow for 'scratch n sniff', I think everyone should know what red tide smells like. Let's see... no phone, fireants, no pool AND red tide. Hell we were on vacation everything was going to be OK.
That night we went to a tiki-bar and found out that it IS possible to have too much fun. We got there around 8ish and I discovered a drink called a Baitbucket, basically it's a smurf blue high-power margarita. The limit is supposed to be 2 but thru some eyebatting I conned the bartender into serving me 1 more. What I didn't realize is that by drinking Baitbuckets you end up with a smurf blue tongue and Bill the Cat eyes. I had to go all the way around the building to go to the restroom, which I did OK, the problems started (or so Candy says) when I tried to make it back to our table. She described it as watching a pinball bounce between bumpers. It wasn't long until Candy decided WE were ready to go back to the hotel. I don't remember any of this so I have to go by what she says happened. (I think she made it alot worse than it really was) Walking thru the parking lot I bitched about so many red cars being in the lot. I even tried to get into a car that wasn't ours, it belonged to the people that were standing next to it. Once in the car she started laughing...why? Well some of it was left over laughing from the wrong car incident but mostly she was laughing because it was only 9 o'clock. How did I get THAT bad off in ONE hour? She finally got my drunkass back into the hotel room and ready for bed. She tucked me in, I laid there dozing for a few minutes then I jumped up and ran/stumbled/fell into the bathroom. I've never been so sick in all my life. But I do have to say she took great care of me (even had my toothbrush ready) and I felt much better once it was over.
The next day we went jetski riding in the gulf. That was a blast...even with a wicked hangover. All in all we had the best vacation ever.
Every year we go to the same place and have an awesome time together. We even hit the Tiki-bar but we now limit ourselves to two drinks. We've 'suffered' thru 7 trips now and every year there seems to be something new to overcome. In 2001 we flew just a week after 9/11 and the flight down was pretty scary but we made it. I fell UP the escalator before we even left Tennessee one year and I drove the wrong way up the main drag another. There's been red tide almost every year but we now stay at a REAL hotel that even has a pool. We were there during a hurricane one year but it wasn't a bad one. Candy flashed a guy last year and I think he liked it because he sure was nice to her the next few days and he was there this year 2 days before we left coming back home. It must be love :o)
We have met so many great people there and stay in touch with quite a few of them. The manager at our hotel adores us, no kidding, and looks forward to seeing us each year. I think that's because we're so entertaining.

2005-11-07T16:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween at the Taz's
This Halloween Lil Taz decided that she was too big to go trick or treating instead she wanted to dress up and give out candy. She wanted the wig because it was cool, atho she told me that I "didn't need one because your hair is already dark with silver streaks" Truth hurts I tell ya.

By the way, in case you can't tell, Lil Taz is a "Redneck Zombie Vampire" (notice the Hank Jr. concert Tee) This no trick or treating idea lasted maybe 10 minutes or until she found out that our neighbor across the street was handing out 'the good stuff' by the handful because his wife is on a diet and he HAS to get rid of the 4 bags of candy he bought. So we visited a few neighbors and then settled into the candy giving out mode. We don't have many trick or treaters in our neighborhood so we were finished by 8:00.
I remember when I was growing up how much fun Halloween was. We would dress up in homemade thrown together costumes, grab our trusty pillowcase (treat bag) and head out on safari. There was a curve in the road with a steep bank covered in kudzu on one side of it. The streetlight there was always out and we'd hide just below the sidewalk and wait. When unsuspecting kids would walk by we'd scare the devil out of the them and grab the dropped candy. We'd all go home pretty early with our pirate's stash of stolen candy. I don't think our parents ever figured out how we got that much candy in that little of time. Man that'd piss me off if someone were to do that to Lil Taz.

2005-11-04T00:50:00.000-05:00

Field Trip Day
Today I went on a field trip with Lil Taz's 3rd grade class. She goes to the same elementary school that I went to so everytime I walk in it's like deja voo-doo (I can't help myself I always change it to voo-doo) A few things I noticed is that the ceilings look to be alot lower now and that the toilets are way too close to the ground. I'm talking knees to the chest low. The water fountains are also very low. Forget trying to sit at the desks your knees will bang against the bottom of the writing surface.
OK back to the field trip....
We went to a "Living Museum" which means there's lots of cool stuff that is spread out over 18 acres and you can't touch a damn thing. The kids are studying how pioneers lived so the museum had that kind of stuff. All the parents were handed a brochure (that didn't tell squat) with a map on it so we could cross off each building as we saw it. After us parents received our 'kids' (4 of 'em) we all split up. "My" kids weren't really interested until we made it to the outhouses. Let me tell ya, if you want to get 3rd graders attention mention anything that has to do with a bathroom. The kids then proceeded to amuse themselves telling bathroom jokes and making disgusting bodily function sounds. Lil Taz knew better than to do that shit (no pun intended) with mom there but you could tell she wanted to sooooooo bad.
Once I got "My" kids pried away from the outhouses we made it around the rest of the museum. The problem was the kids wanted to rush thru it and I was there to teach them all I knew...which wasn't alot. You'd be surprised tho at how the kids started picking up on stuff and figuring out uses for the tools that were displayed. We actually had a really good time together. After lunch the kids were all wired, the parents were all tired so the teachers took over. One thing I didn't like at all about lunch was that the kids had to bring a bag lunch while the teachers and parents could buy a nice hot lunch complete with a kickass dessert. That wasn't very cool I didn't think so I eat a cold pb & j sandwich along with the kids.
All in all we learned alot of stuff. The kids learned a few things about how the pioneers lived and I learned that I will Never.Ever. EVER ride on a bus that's full of 3rd graders again.

2005-11-01T19:00:00.000-05:00

Dear DVD Release Date Peeps,
Why do you have to schedule release dates for dvds so damned close together? Are you trying to kill us parents? Star Wars Episode III was released today, next tuesday is Willy Wonka and the next tuesday Madagascar is being released or vice versa. I'm not exactly sure what order the last two are but I know for a fact Lil Taz does. The movie release date peeps scheduled too many cool kid movies within 1 week of each other this summer (SW III, Fantastic 4, Wonka, Sky High and Madagascar) and now you're doing it to us. Have you ever tried to explain to an 8 year old WHY they can't have a certain movie because it's getting close to Christmas? Evidently not or you would have planned this out better. I understand that these dvds are good Christmas presents but dang could you not have made the release dates in December???
I don't want to tell Lil Taz that Santa might bring them because I'd have to come up with some story about how he has a Walmart full of dvds close to the North Pole. Does Lil Taz still believe in Santa? I have no idea. If not I'm sure she'll do like I did and bleed this Santa stuff for as long as she can. Kids aren't stupid, they know a good thing when they see it.
Another thing...
Is it really necessary to put THREE of those white stickers that announce there is a theft proof device inside the dvd case? Those things are a real bitch to remove. Try explaining to a kid why the North Pole Walmart has to guard against theft. Are you feeling my pain here? Probably not.

Signed,
A thanks to YOU...broke parent

2005-10-31T15:46:00.000-05:00

A Saturday Date with Lil Taz
On Saturday Lil Taz and I went to see The Corpse Bride. We arrived early enough to get our huge popcorn and bladder buster coke without having to rush. We walked into the theater and there was only 5 other people and that's the way it stayed.
The movie was great and full of dark humor...the animation was in-freakin'-credible. I just love Burton's work. Bride is on my DVD "Must Buy" list for sure.

2005-10-29T03:06:00.000-04:00

It's Friday Night
and here I am watching a chatroom us regs call "G.O.". It used to be a fun chatroom. Actually, mornings used to be a blast. I would get to work 30 mins to an hour early every day just for "The Breakfast Club". Nights were alot of fun too IF you could get in. Alot of the time the room would be full and you'd have to keep trying and trying. Now if there's 15+ that's a pretty decent crowd.
After years of being a reg, chatting and watching the room I've decided that there are basically 5 different 'G.O. cliques'. This is probably true in every chat room...I dunno.

The biddies/hens: Mostly chicks that thrive on bad things happening to someone else just so they can 'pet' them. They also gang up on other peeps that don't exactly meet up to their standards. This group is very huggy.
The border collies: These were, again, mostly chicks who fawned over all the guys in the room. They would tell the guy how handsome he was even if he was THE ugliest, grossest, blechiest guy alive. (They wanted attention and didn't care how they had to get it or who they got it from) This group not only hugs but also smooches Cyber-sluts
The ass-grabbers...need I say more?
The quiet ones: Lurkers who just don't have alot to say.
The Cool crowd: The other cliques don't particularly LIKE this crowd but the room would be painfully boring with us. We can clear a room of asses pretty fast especially if there's more than one of us. We hang together and tend to pick at each other ruthlessly. Which is OK if WE'RE doing it but not ok if someone else does. We say what we think and we have intelligent conversations amongst the mindless bs happening around us. Most of us actually do outdoorsy stuff too.

I'm still sitting here watching...and not one worthwhile statement has been typed except for mine here.

2005-10-27T19:05:00.000-04:00

So I'm sitting here at work...
eating icecream and bored out of my mind. I've read all my fave blogs, "Stalkers" is slow and a person can only do so many jigsaw puzzles. By the way "Saw 2" comes out this week and I'm excited about it. The first one was kickass in case you haven't seen it...it would make a great movie to watch on Halloween. You'll love the ending. People in the audience actually gasped...awesome!
It's 52 degrees here but I'm freezing to death. (Could it be because of the icecream? Naaa) My friend text messaged me earlier to tell me that it was 73 in Florida. What they say is true...paybacks ARE a bitch. All summer I would inform them of our temps while they were melting. So now I'm getting paid back :Star Wars Episode III Revenge of the Sith will be released on DVD next Tuesday. WOOOHOOO I'm way excited. Lil Taz is excited too. My friend, Candy, and I took her to see the movie at "The Big Movies" when it was first released. I was almost afraid it would be too much for a 7 year old. I knew the movie was going to be dark because "Anni" became Darth Vader. I hadn't read the books so I had no idea WHY he went to the Dark Side. We all liked the movie, the popcorn was scrumptious and the "Bladder Buster" coke did it's job and had all 3 of us making a mad dash to the restroom as soon as the credits were rolling.

If you haven't seen the movie stop reading...

While we were in the Jeep on the way home Lil Taz said something that made me realize how 'grown up' she's becoming. It's been a while so these aren't exact words.
LT: Mom, Anni became bad after his dream so he could save Padame right?
Me: Yea darlin'
LT: Mom, Anni is the one that killed Padame
Me: No sweetie, she died after she had the twins
LT: Mom, Anni choked her
Me: I know but she didn't die right then
LT: Mom....I know that, Padame died from a broken heart. She loved him so much she just gave up.
Me: Speechless...
It's amazing how much a 7 year old can understand.

2005-10-26T19:33:00.000-04:00

I love it when...
it's not ME that's wrong. Like I said before I'm a Graphic Designer and all of the stuff I design is for printed material.
Recently (I'm talkin' like maybe 2 weeks ago) we printed some high $ business cards for a company that is local. Today I was quietly sitting at my puter working and minding my own business when a customer walked in the door. As soon as I turned around I could tell he was extremely pissed off and loaded for bear. Evidently I look like "Boo-Boo" because as soon as I got to the counter he immediately started in on me. He tossed the box of business cards on the counter and said "These are wrong and unusable. They aren't any good to me." I wanted to say "HA! they aren't any good to me either" but I refrained. I asked him what the error was and he proceeded to tell me that his title was wrong. I can't repeat his exact words because after the first few words spewed out of his mouth I was seeing red. First off...if I mess up...I fess up, that's just how I am.
After a few minutes he demanded that I either show him where the proof was OK'd or that we print the cards again, with corrections, at no charge. This office isn't the most organized of offices but after a few minutes I found the signed proof with an OK to print. AHA!!! He then cursed some more and wanted to know WHO gave the OK. When I looked at the paper I immediately grinned like the Cheshire Cat. HE had signed the OK to print. HAHAHAHA I showed him the paper and he got very quiet. I couldn't help but show him that the original information that was given to me was in HIS handwriting. :) He tossed a card down with his corrections on it and told me to call him when they were ready to pick up. Just like that...no "I'm sorry I was an ass" or nothin'.
Just because he was such a jerk I'm going to add TWO extra charges to his bill...
1 - Type charge
2 - Pain in the Ass Jerk charge