I'M SICK OF PARTISAN POLITICS!!!!!!

Help me out here. I realize that I'm only an "uneducated/stay-at-home mom type" (that was a side joke shared with Vee from A Haven for Vee), but I don't understand a few things about this whole economic crisis. Barack Obama has said that he intends to see that no American loses their home. Soooooo....does that mean that the people who bought houses they couldn't afford using financing agreements that couldn't be met will get to keep their homes even though they can't now, nor have ever been able to, afford said homes? How does that work? Should Randey and I rush out and buy a much larger and more expensive home with the full knowledge that we can't afford it, but with the comfort of Obama's reassurance that we won't lose that home? Oh. We left it too late, you say? Should have done that months ago before the shady dealings of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Wall Street banks and the money-grubbin', do-nothing congress banking committees came to light? Figures. Once again, we seem to have missed the boat, I suppose. At any rate, can someone please explain Obama's plan of keeping all Americans in their homes? Will we all have to continue to pay for our own homes or will our tax dollars take care of those mortgage payments for some of us? Or is Obama just doing what he does best; talking smack. I'm sorry, all you Obama supporters, I really am. I don't mean to sound dismissive of your candidate, but I honestly don't see any substance to him. What has he done in his political career that indicates he could or even would be a good president? Okay, so he makes "profound" speeches. Big whup. Ever heard that saying, "Talk is cheap"? It's a cliche' for a reason, you know. Pretty much all politicians can talk. I prefer the ones who will act on their convictions and not just talk about them. McCain comes out and declares that he's going to Washington to work on this bailout proposal for the good of the country. He seems to think he should be focusing on the biggest crisis to hit our shores since 9/11. Obama's response? "Let's issue a joint statement". Wow. Thanks. Really helpful. He further says that the leaders in congress "can call me if they need me". Here's a thought, Barack. Get your butt back to the job you were actually hired to do, roll up your sleeves and help save all us little people from the mess our financial sector and our government leaders have allowed us to get into. You are the man for change, right? So what change were you referring to? A change of scenery? A change of pace? A change of venue? What? He and his camp say things like "we need a leader who can chew gum and walk at the same time". Well, first of all, I'm going to have to say, you're slipping a little on that whole "profound" talk you're so famous for and, second of all, I personally think we need a leader who can identify and focus on an issue when that issue threatens the entire well-being of our country. I heard yesterday and this morning how Democrats are blaming McCain because they were "close to an agreement" until McCain showed up and injected "presidential politics" into the deal. Too bad no one told the Republican leaders they were "close to an agreement". I heard Harry Reid say again this morning that they didn't need "presential politics" brought into this. Well, Harry, what do you need? I only ask because you sure as hell don't seem to be solving the problem with the current group of people you've got working on it. Although, it is my understanding that the Democrats do have enough votes to pass the bill in both the House and the Senate, they won't do it without Republican support. Not because they want to include Republicans in that bill, but rather because they don't want to face the blame alone if the bill doesn't do what it's supposed to. What ever happened to standing up for what you believe in? If these people believe that the bill, as it stands, is the best possible route to take, then stand up for it and get it passed! Personally, for once I'm glad for their cowardice actually, because I don't believe this bill should be passed in its current form. I don't get how us taxpayers paying out money to buy these so-called "toxic mortgage loans" can be in anyway beneficial to us. Something needs to be done, that much is evident. But I don't think Bush's plan is the right thing and I don't believe that our elected leaders in Washington are working towards what's best for us. I think there's still back-biting and trying to put "party" ahead of "country". There is one person who has shown over and over again that he can and will work with sensible members of both political parties and that is Senator John McCain. He's proven it time and time again. So why have certain politicians (Harry Reid anyone?) as well as certain media outlets (damn near every one out there, but MSNBC in particular) labeled John McCain's willingness to suspend his campaign and focus on this crisis "a political ploy". Washington game players are so freakin' warped by their "party is number one" way of life, that they've forgotten what they were sent to Washington to do in the first place. And the fringe element (media, etc.) is just as bad. I'll point out that Democrats aren't the only ones guilty of partisanship either, so don't get too smug my GOP brethren. Case in point: Rush Limbaugh. The man couldn't stand John McCain because John McCain has had the nerve to work with Democrats in the past. Now that McCain is the Republican nominee, however, Rush has managed to jump on board and become a loud and proud McCain supporter. Has he suddenly had an epiphany and decided he and McCain agree on the issues? Nah, not so much. It's because "party" matters more than issues to people like Rush. And people like Chris Matthews. And Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and well...I wanted to add some more Republicans in here just to show my true disgust at the whole Washington community, but after researching a bit, I'm unable to find any that are more partisan than most Democrats. I would think they must be out there, but then again, if they were, I'm pretty sure the media would have publicly tarred and feathered them by now. Regardless of party affiliation, however, as a taxpaying citizen of this country, I want you people to work together, stop whining because a member of the senate has returned to Washington to do his job and FIX. THIS. DAMN. PROBLEM. you know, sort of like you're paid to do.
Our country is facing a crisis of epic proportions and we have one presidential candidate rolling up his sleeves and working towards bringing both parties together and we have another one who says things like "call me if you need me", "let's make a statement" (with words only, of course), and "this first debate must happen and it must happen on schedule because the American public deserves that". Whoa there, little Buckaroo! As a member of that American public, let me put my two cents worth in...I'd much rather see our savings, our homes, our income and our credit ratings protected first. You can debate about your "views" once you've saved us from this crisis. Although - quite frankly, your actions have already spoken much louder to me than any words you could possibly utter.

Oh and one more thing. Speaking of those debates. I keep hearing about how much planning has gone into these debates and how important it is that they go on as planned and how many man-hours have gone into the planning and how many "millions" have been spent on them. I did some research on these debates and, while I'm sure they took quite a bit of planning and and quite a bit of man-hours and quite a bit of money, I gotta say, if these people have actually spent "millions" on getting this done, they are not much better than those bankers who made all those worthless loans that have helped cause the crisis our nation now faces. I think they may be guilty of a bit of bad money management because, honestly, it just shouldn't cost that much to get these things set up. I'd love to see their budget breakdowns and their financial statements. Also, these debates are not the free-wheeling debates of the past. Since 1988, they have become far more orchestrated than they should be (in my opinion). Do a little research on the process. I think you'll see what I mean. If Obama and McCain want to give us American citizens a chance to hear their views as well as their answers to important questions, why not do a series of town hall meetings across the country? Why are these massively preplanned and basically "rehearsed" debates the end all and be all of presidential politics? Hey - it's just another question from me, an "uneducated, stay-at-home mom type"....

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat and Whining

Okay, okay, okay. I know I'm a whiner. To be honest, I'm a whiner from waaaaaaay back. It's sort of a way a life with me. Matter of fact, I guess you could call me a genuine Whine-O. I would say that I'll try to do better in the future, try to not whine about every little thing that happens in my life, but well, then I'd just be a lying whiner instead of just a plain ol' whiner and that would make me even worse, right? I suspect I'll always whine so what's the point of trying to deny it. At any rate, I'm at the point of my latest crisis when even I'm sick of hearing me blubber so I guess that means I need to move on now. Cars and cousins are just a part of life and grousing about either won't change the circumstances surrounding those subjects. At long last, I've arrived at the "suck it up" stage of this particular whine. So YAY me. LOL
Now on to "weightier" issues. I'm happy to report that I've lost another 1.6 pounds for a grand total thus far of 41 pounds. I'm pretty darn pleased with myself about this (ha! Talk about an understatement!). I got a comment on my previously referenced "big whining post" from Vee, asking if I was learning what to do when stressed instead of eat? I have to tell you, I hadn't even thought about it until she asked! But you know, there was a time not so very long ago when I would have buried my face in chocolate cake or maybe a bag of Hershey kisses or even a bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos when faced with as much stress as we've been through the past few weeks. Without trying to sound like a cheerleader for their program, I have to give credit to Weight Watchers for my not doing that anymore. WW has taught me how to eat and, more importantly I think, they've taught me how to have a healthy emotional relationship with food. I no longer look to food for comfort or solace. I eat because my body needs the fuel, not because I'm feeling depressed or anxious or happy or sad. I'm so glad that Vee asked me that question because I feel much more confident in realizing through actual actions that my relationship with food has changed so dramatically. If I could impart one piece of advice to anyone trying to lose weight, it'd be to learn that food is fuel - nothing more, nothing less. That's not to say I don't want my food to taste good, because I do, but I don't plan my days around food anymore. I don't plan my life around food, other than to eat it because I need the fuel for energy. It's incredibly liberating to not be focused on food 24/7 (and here's to this being a life-long attitude and not just a phase, eh?). Heck, I'm even able to happily focus on other things these days...things like my husband, my hobbies, my home, my clothes... speaking of clothes, let me tell you this; the other day, I was telling Randey that I had tried on a pair of size 8 Levi's and actually got them on! SIZE 8s!!Okay, so it wasn't pretty, but that wasn't the point (*smile*). The point was that I was able to put them on my body and zip them up without rupturing anything. And despite my arse looking like a twisted balloon (strange little creases abounded!), it was a thrill to be able to do that. And maybe in a month or so, those size 8s will fit like they're supposed to. Maybe. Hopefully. (Hey! It's a goal! Don't judge.)
Before I leave, I want to share a picture of the Halloween tree. Yeah, it's the same tree I posted about and called my Fall tree, but I decided to dress it up for Halloween now. I had these "witch shoes" from Hobby Lobby last year. Don't know why I bought them, other than they were on sale after Halloween. They have little handles on them so maybe they are to hold candy or flowers or something, who knows. Anyway, as I was staring at them, trying to think of where to put them, it hit me: I needed a pair of Halloween tights to stick into the shoes! I found some at Wal-Mart, stuffed them with fiber-fill and set them up under the tree. Then I found a totally cool witch hat for the topper. And if I had those gorgeous feather-trimmed witch gloves I'd bought Maddy a couple of months ago, this tree would have arms as well as legs! (Yeah, Jake was pretty grateful those gloves are with Maddy now, too. lol) So what do you think? Too much?

Does character matter anymore?

I am so disheartened with recent events in my life. I'm struggling with the notion that, while I know good people exist (in addition to some I know in "real" life, I've also "met" so many good hearted, fine, upstanding people through blogging!), I wonder if the larger population even cares about good character or integrity or personal responsibility. As I mentioned before, my husband was involved in a hit and run accident last month. The young man (22 years old) who made an illegal lane change and hit Randey, fled the scene of that accident. An off duty police officer witnessed the accident and following the offender as he fled, catching up to him after about 15 miles as the young man turned into and parked at a shopping mall. Upon his apprehension, police escorted the young man back to the scene of the accident, where he proceeded to lie about his version of what happened. He claimed he had no idea that he had hit someone. He thought he'd merely "spun out" on the wet road. Because there were witnesses to the actual accident (another witness returned to the scene and also gave his information to the police), the police arrested the young man for hit and run. At that time, the guy claimed he had insurance. Another lie. I don't really get that one. It's not like they were just going to take his word for it. He had to produce evidence of that insurance coverage and, of course, he could not. Yet he lied about it anyway. This young person hit another car with his car, fled the scene of the accident, lied about how the accident happened and what actually happened in the accident and then lied about having insurance coverage. No character. No integrity. No personal responsibility. Then someone rams my car in a parking lot and leaves without thought as to the hardship they have caused. They were more interested in avoiding responsibility than owning up to it. What's that all about? How does that work? How can you cause that much damage to another person's property and be only concerned for yourself? I'm no saint, God knows, but I can't fathom ever doing that to someone. Then again, maybe I would. Maybe I don't have any more character or integrity than the next person. I like to think I do, but maybe I'm just fooling myself.
This last situation that makes me question things like character and integrity and personal responsibility has to do with one of my cousins. Does anyone remember me talking about our "cousin getaway" from earlier in August? Well, Randey had actually reserved the room for us at the resort and used our credit card to pay. When we arrived at the resort, one of my cousins asked if we could transfer the reservation over to her name so that she could use her husband's Marriott points and maybe get an upgrade (maybe free breakfast or something like that, she suggested). Not caring whose name it was in, I said fine. As she and I checked in, I was standing there when the clerk said there would be no problem with doing that. He then asked for her debit card for any incidentals, etc., which she gave him. The next morning, as we were all "paying up", there was a discussion amongst us about whose card the room charges were on. My cousin called the front desk and upon hanging up, told us all that her debit card was the one charged. So we all paid her for our shares of the room, approximately $34.00 each. I actually gave her $40.00 because all I had was twenties and told her not to worry about the change. Imagine my surprise when I got my credit card bill in the mail and saw that my credit card had been charged for the room ($169 and some change!). I immediately called my cousin to tell her about this and to request a copy of her bank statement so that I could contest the charges on my card. At that point, I was hoping it was an error on the part of the resort ( i.e, they double billed us for the room). Days later, my cousin calls me back and tells me that her debit card was not charged and that she would send me a check right away. A week later, I still hadn't received a check, but my cousin called to say it was a bank error - she had requested the payment to me via Quicken, there had been a screw up, but not to worry, a check was on its way. Another week passed with no check. Upon inquiry, my cousin told me that her bank was just "really messing up bad" - even her mortgage payment was screwed up, but no fear...a check was on its way. And now, more than yet another week has passed. Still no check. Still hearing about her bank screwing up, only now the story is joined with tales of a sick kid and admonitions that I should not be "ugly" about it and should be patient. ("Ugly" consisted of me e-mailing her, asking what was up and to please tell me if she was having money problems or even if she never intended to pay me so I would quit looking for the check to arrive.) It's been over 6 weeks since our "cousin getaway". I don't know about you guys, but if I'm expecting a $169 withdrawal from my bank account via my debit card, I'm aware of it and would have questioned why it hadn't been processed within a week of the resort visit. Assuming that didn't occur to my cousin, however, I would hope that I would have rectified the situation within days of learning of it just because it would be the right thing to do. It's now been over 3 weeks since I told her my credit card was charged and I still have not received payment from her, and in fact am being "briefed" over my lack of patience and understanding. It's crushing me that this is happening. Us cousins had sworn to each other that we were going to treat each other right - we wouldn't make the mistakes of the previous generation. We were going to be open and honest and straightforward with one another and be family. But, for whatever reason and for whose ever fault it is, at least two of us don't seem to be doing that. I've agonized over this. Is it me? Am I not patient enough? Have I not given her plenty of time to fix this? Am I wrong to feel like I've been screwed after this much time has passed? I keep telling myself not to judge too hastily, not to be too fast to feel like history is repeating itself in this generation. But I can't seem to help but feel like enough time has passed and even if she should send that payment now, the damage is done. There was no consideration for my point of view - no thought to my credit card payment being due - no feeling of urgency to set things right. This "cousin getaway" room charge cost one cousin $34. It cost my sister and her daughter a combined $68. It cost me $209 (the entire room charge, plus the $40 cash I gave my cousin). My other cousin, however, made $142.00. It just doesn't seem right, it doesn't feel right and I can't help but wonder if I simply was not meant to be a part of a larger family picture. I seem to be involved in way too many bad feelings within the family and this is just one more incident. Maybe I'm taking it too personally, or too hard or whatever. Maybe I am just an impatient witch. Doesn't really matter at this point, now does it? Either way, I'm even further outside my extended family than I've ever been. Sometimes it seems like the harder I try, the more I learn I shouldn't. Yeah. Like I said earlier, I am so disheartened by recent events in my life.
Maybe this new season will bring changes for the good, eh? One can only hope.

I'm so bummed right now.

Randey's out of town for a few days. This morning I was bored silly so I decided to entertain myself with some shopping. I don't much regret the shopping, but I sure wish I'd taken a taxi. I came out of JC Penney to find that my brand new car, the one I've only made two whole payments on, had been smucked. Here's what greeted me: I had pulled all the way through a parking spot so I wouldn't have to back up when I left and it looks like someone tried to park next to me and hit my car instead. I don't know who hit my car because the person left without leaving so much as a note. And since we don't have Uninsured Motorist coverage (and why should we? Insurance is MANDATORY in this state, therefore everyone should have it!) that person's annoying lack of parking skills and severe lack of anything even resembling character and/or integrity will cost us $5oo in deductibles just to have our car fixed. You know the really, really sucky thing about all this? Just 32 days ago, Randey was in a hit and run accident while driving home from work. They caught the guy who hit him (luckily, there was an off duty police officer who witnessed the wreck and chased the guy down when he fled the scene). But, while that young man was caught and arrested for the crime of fleeing an accident, the fact remains that he, too, had no insurance. So that wreck also cost us $500. In fact, Randey's car is in the shop right this minute, being fixed while Randey's out of town. So, thanks to 2 individuals who have chosen to break the law by having no insurance and by leaving the scene of accidents, we're out $1,000 in very short order. Yeah. I am seriously bummed right now.

I've been threatening to write a political post for several days now...

but this isn't exactly it. It's political, I guess, but it's not the "big one". In other words, it's not the post I planned to do regarding the two presidential candidates. I plan on doing that one soon, but this one is more about sexism, feminism, women's rights, etc. Ever since Republican presidential candidate John McCain announced Sarah Palin as his running mate, the so called "feminists" all across America have been up in arms. Why? Because Sarah Palin is totally and completely pro life and does not believe in or advocate for abortion. Therefore, according to these "feminists" in our country, Sarah Palin is not a woman for the masses. She is not a woman that other women should vote for and in fact, she is not a woman worthy of any support from other women. Huh. Interesting.

Anybody know the exact definition of "feminism"? I do. Check it out:

fem·i·nism (fěm'ə-nĭz'əm) n.
1. Belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.
2. The movement organized around this belief.

Where does it say that one must believe in abortion in order to be a feminist? Not only would I say that Sarah Palin is a classic example of a feminist as explained by that very definition of the word, I actually would classify myself as a feminist, as well. (Although I am in no way comparing myself to Sarah Palin. Love her or hate her, that woman possesses one thing in great quantities that I have never had and probably never will have; Courage!) I happen to think I am the equal to a man, I think all women are. I know this flies in the face of many historical, not to mention some religious, beliefs but I know in my heart of hearts that God made me every bit as smart as a man because I am that man's equal, not his lesser, not his better. His equal. That is not to say that I think I can do anything a man can do. I can't. In balance, a man can't do everything I can do either. Being "equal", in my view, does not mean men and women are equal at every effort across the board. Rather, it means that men and women are equal in their abilities to reason and to exist. Now. Having explained that particular philosophy, let me also say this; One of those things that I can do that a man cannot is have babies. I can give birth. And with the exception of that fella (who was formerly a woman) over in Oregon, no man has been able to match that specific capability. Pregnancy and child birth are the exclusive purview of Woman. (Tragically, not all women can do this, for a great variety of reasons. I do not believe that lessens their "womanhood" in the least. Pregnancy and child birth does not define a woman, rather it is something a woman can do that no man can. Just want to establish my feelings about that before someone lashes out at me for disenfranchising the infertile portion of the female population when that is certainly not my intent.)

Okay. Now that I've stated my belief that I, as a woman, am equal to a man (remember guys, equal yet different!!) let me get about half of you in an uproar by stating that I do not believe in abortion. I deplore the ease of abortion, I deplore it's use as a way of keeping a woman from "screwing up her life". I believe that if a woman voluntarily has sexual relations with a man and becomes pregnant, she should understand that that pregnancy is not an "inconvenience" and it's not just a "bother" to be gotten rid of at the earliest opportunity. It's a baby. I swear I don't get the whole "when does a fetus become a child" argument. Hel-lo!!!! Despite what you may have seen in Hollywood horror films, the results of a human woman's pregnancy is that of a human baby in absolutely 100% of the time. It's not like there's a chance you could give birth to a donkey or a goldfish or a stuffed animal. No, no, no. If left to progress normally, a human child will indeed result from that pregnancy. Even in the case of a miscarriage, what comes out is still human. It's human cells, not monkey cells, not turtle cells, not imploding cells from the 3rd sun of Saturn (if there is such a thing). Therefore, in my mind, any termination at any time during a pregnancy is...well, the only way to say it is, you've terminated a human life. Okay, so now I've gotten some people all tense thinking I'm trying to force my views on the rest of the population. Not so. I don't think Roe vs. Wade should be repealed. I don't see the point in doing that. I'd rather see women being taught personal responsibility for their bodies. I think Roe Vs. Wade merely provided women with a fix for those times when they didn't consider the consequences of sex, unprotected or otherwise. However, having said that, I also have to confess my ambiguity over abortion in the case of rape or incest or even in the case of the pregnancy actually endangering the health of the mother. A huge part of me thinks that a pregnancy should be respected at all costs. But another part of me wonders if, faced with the horrors of those scenarios, would I be strong enough to carry that baby to term or would it destroy me as a person to do so? And listen. I know my views are just that: my views. Not yours or yours or even yours. They're just mine. The bottom line of my view on abortion is that I think it's horrific and plain old wrong to use abortion as a "fix". A woman needs to take responsibility for her body if she ever wants to be considered equal to a man in this world. Part of taking responsibility for her body is to know that having sex can result in pregnancy and pregnancy is not like a boil you should have lanced from your ass just because medically it can be done. Pregnancy is a life. Woman have a great and awesome power in that they can carry another life inside their bodies. Only women can do that! Men cannot! That's huge!! So why do the "feminists" in our country think that the ability to negate and terminate that power is the absolute "cornerstone" of what defines a "true" feminist? That makes no sense. Woman should be treasuring the capability of giving birth, not embracing a method of destroying it. What is wrong with us? Who convinced women that the way to be equal was to become non maternal? My God. Women! Wake up! It's not our differences from men that keeps us from being equals. It's our failure to understand that those differences are what gives us our equality. Men and woman balance each other in this and many other ways. Different strengths, different talents, different capabilities...equal minds, equal hearts, equal destinies. So all you so called "feminists" out there, come out of the dark ages. Don't deny your feminine differences from men. They're there. They're real. They always will be. Cheer for those differences! And for pity's sake, stop denigrating other women who embrace the beauty of being women. Let's join hands and work towards the true definition of "feminism". Standing for abortion doesn't make you enlightened. It just takes away from being a woman. And that, my friends, is an awful thing to do to yourself.

One last thing before I go...I've been watching quite a bit of political tv lately. (And man, don't even get me started on the bias of the networks, particularly Fox and MSNBC! Whatever happened to journalists being neutral?????). Anywho...I noticed that a lot of "pro choice" individuals aren't calling it "abortion" these days. Rather, they've taken to calling it "reproductive health issues". What in the hell does that mean? Can anyone explain that to me? Are they implying that being pregnant is somehow a "health" issue for your uterus? I mean I guess you could say that's sort of accurate. Maybe. But what's with the fancy terminology? The discussion between "pro-life" and "pro-choice" isn't about a woman's "reproductive health". After all, pregnancy is actually a function of a woman's body, not a disease or malady, remember? No, this discussion is about abortion. Let's "keep it real", okay people? I mean, you can put lipstick on that pig...but it's still a pig. Right?

Wednesday's "Finding a Weigh Out of Fat"

I have a question for you guys for this week's post. We've talked about favorite snacks, favorite recipes, favorite tips, etc., but I have an issue that's been bugging me a bit. What do you guys do when you find yourself out and about, away from home, during lunch? What do you eat? I mean, where do you go to find a good, low point (for WW) or low calorie/low fat lunch? Do you bring a lunch with you and if so, what's in that lunch? Do you stop at certain restaurants and get something and if so, what do you get? I know it's important to not skip meals, but sometimes, when I'm running around during the day and find myself getting hungry around lunchtime, I'm at a loss as to where to go or what to get. Any tips? What do you guys do?

The Silver Lining of Hurricane Ike (for me anyway!)

I found out last Thursday that one of my blogging buddies, Jayme, from down near Houston was evacuating to get away from Hurricane Ike. And where, oh where, do you think she and her family evacuated to? My little town, that's where! We were able to meet Friday for lunch. Here we are at Applebee's, just finishing up. And if you read my previous post, you'll remember I mentioned a shirt that I will never, ever, ever wear again because I've now seen this picture and come to realize that my honkin' arms are ginormous and probably shouldn't see the light of day again!! I mean, hel-lo! I really must speak to Randey about letting me leave the house dressed like this. He should know better (ha!). Anywho, lunch was great fun - Jayme and I seemed to be able to talk like we'd known each other for ages! Then we did some shopping together. You all know how I hate shopping, right? But...I'm a good friend so I soldiered on along through store after store in order to show an out-of-towner a good time when they're visiting our fair little hamlet. Oh the sacrifices I make for others...(heavy sigh). Here's Jayme at Ross. We found these baskets and, for some reason, we both thought they were quite funny. They're "labeled". Wonder if the basket police will come take you away if they find you've put "books" in the "stuff" basket or vice-versa? And what's with that "laundry" basket? Laundry for who? Little, bitty, tiny smurf-like people? Here's Jayme and I at On the Border the next day. Yes. We enjoyed lunch a couple of times. So sue us. I have to say, I really enjoyed lunch this day. I luvs me some Mexican food, yessir I do. I love it so much, in fact, that I really, really need to just keep clear of it or I'll undo all the good I've done with Weight Watchers these past four months. lol Cheese and onion enchiladas..... ahhhhhhhhh. Here's a picture of Jayme's daughter, Saira, playing Randey's X-Box (and that's a whole other story we'll call The X-Box Debacle. I'll tell you about that at a later time). Jayme brought Saira over to our house when she came over to use the computer. Saira is a perfectly charming little child with the most wonderful accent and speech patterns. If you could hear her in person, you'd know what I mean. I really enjoyed talking with her. She's great. I also met Jayme's husband Chad and her son Ryan (who has perfect teeth, just let me say that. I know, it's a weird thing to mention, but his teeth were that good! lol). I know that Hurricane Ike was not a happy event by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm grateful that it allowed me to meet Jayme and her family in person. That's my little "silver lining" for this particular natural disaster. By the way, her house and property sustained very little damage by all accounts, although they are still without power and water, etc. Their little town did take a huge hit and I know it'll be a long road ahead of them before they are anywhere near normal again. Keep them all in your thoughts and prayers, if you would.
Here's what else I've been up to. Last year, my daughter-in-law Jodie, decided to do a fall themed tree to celebrate Autumn. This year, I decided to do one, too. What do you think of it?
Here's a full shot of the room. As you can see, it's a small tree. Just enough to make the room glow at night. I love it. Just looking at it puts me in a better frame of mind (geez...does that mean I'm easily influenced? Yeah. Probably. That's okay, though...I can deal with that knowledge. lol).
As some of you know (and thank you so much for your kind words about it!) Friday was my birthday. My son Kaleb, got me this:
House, Season Four! Yay! I love that show. My daughter got me a pair of sandals and a kitchen clock, both of which I need to take pictures of. I liked the clock so much, I hung it up right away and then forgot to snap a photo of it when I was preparing for this post! I'll fix that soon.
Then I got this in the mail yesterday from Annie. I was so touched by her kindness. I was sort of pouting about how I didn't hear from either of my parents on my birthday and was feeling kind of down about it when Randey walked in carrying the mail. Thank you, Annie. Talk about great timing. (I should clarify that I didn't really expect to hear from my parents on my birthday. My mom and I have issues and my dad's memory isn't what it used to be so not having either of them call was not a surprise. I was just being moody about it, that's all!) Anyway, I appreciate the gift and will get good use out of the book, I'm sure.
This is what I woke up to Friday morning:
Roses, a card and a gift. I was kind of surprised because the laptop was our birthday present to each other (Randey's birthday is 6 days after mine). But oh man, aren't these flowers pretty? I love them. And the card was just wonderful, too. By the way, the card says "Happy Birthday Sissy" because everyone in my whole entire family calls me Sissy, including my husband. That's because we were introduced to each other by my sister and his brother, who are married to each other. If Randey ever called me "Kari", I wouldn't know who he was talking to. lol Just goes to show you, people...you can get used to being called darn near anything. I've been called "Sissy" for so long, it doesn't even phase me anymore. :)
Want to know what was in the package from Randey? This thing:

A Jim Shore Halloween cat. I adore this cat. It's so perfect for this time of year and just makes me happy to look at it. I discovered Jim Shore stuff last year. I don't like everything out there that's made by him, but certain things just really appeal to me, for some reason. Like some of the cats. The ones with words like "freedom", "patience", "vigilance" and "curiosity". Love them! I also have a little chihuahua (in honor of Sydney the Wonder Dog, of course!) and a Jiminy Cricket with the words "Let your conscience be your guide!", a saying I've long been fond of, across the bottom of it and a Little Red Riding Hood "Granny" figure. I get a lot of pleasure from just looking at those figures. Don't know why, so don't ask. lol Anywho, my beloved daughter-in-law Jodie, knows of my love of some things Jim Shore. So...being the great gift-giver that she is, she found this to send me (and yeah, I just know she was the one responsible...Nick would have bought me a Star Wars thing instead! ha!) by the way, I'd have loved a Star Wars thing, too! Nick does know his mother pretty well. lol :
Isn't this witch and cat adorable? And doesn't it just put you in the mood for autumn and Halloween and cooler weather??? I love it. I don't think I'd actually seen this figure before. It's totally cool and I'm so glad she picked it out. (Check out the face on the broom. Cracks me up!) But the absolute most awesomely wonderful Jim Shore item ever made is this:
I had actually seen this in a Hallmark store here in town and came so close to buying it for myself. But I didn't. I've been spending way too much money on just "me" lately so I talked myself out of it. (See? I can exercise self control occasionally!) Then I received it from Jodie and Nick. Talk about being all smiles!!! I have spent more time just staring at this beautiful cornucopia. All the little details, the colors, the workmanship. I, quite simply, love love love this thing. Click on the picture to enlarge. You'll see what I mean. It's just darn cool to look at. Thank so much Jodie, Nick and Kara. I'm totally pleased with these two things. You spent too much, of course, but well heck...I'm thrilled with them anyway. Thank you guys! And thanks also to Susan, my BFF, for the gift card. I'll let you know what I end up getting with it. Decisions, decisions.

I guess that's about it for today. I have my weigh in tomorrow at my Weight Watchers meeting. I'm tired of agonizing over it, though. I've decided to take a totally radical approach this week. I'm gonna wear jeans and a heavier shirt and I might even leave my shoes on when I hop my butt up on that dreaded, evil weight measuring device those people call "scales". I know it'll make those scales say I've gained at least 3 pounds, but just think of how virtuous I'll feel next week when I wear my normal (and not nearly as heavy!) regular clothes. Yeah, so it's cheating. I don't care. I need to shake things up a bit and this seems like a perfectly harmless way to do that. I hope to get around to some blogs again soon. I've read a few, but need to go back and leave a comment now. But first I have to cook dinner for my dearly beloved. He's headed out of town Thursday so it's looking good for dinner out tomorrow night. But tonight, it's just me, slaving away in the kitchen (another heavy sigh). See you guys tomorrow!

Attitude is everything, technically speaking.

Just a quick note to say I've not fallen off the side of the earth, nor have I forsaken the world of blogging. Let's just say I'm having technical difficulties. My sinuses are "technically" in a world of hurt - I feel like my head is the size of the Goodyear blimp, my computer skills are "technically" deficient, in the worst possible way (I say this because I still have not mastered the fine art of downloading my photographs into the right folders, etc. and it's annoying me to no end) and my house has become so desperately in need of cleaning that I'm "technically" relearning what it means to dust, vacuum, mop and scrub (life skills I thought I was doing quite well without, thankyouverymuch!). Oh, and "technically", my scales have told me that, yet again, I've managed to do great Thursday through Sunday, but starting on each and every Monday, I begin to grow lead weights somewhere inside my body and that growth manifests itself in those rotten digital numbers on that evil Conair Weight Watchers scale that lives in my closet. Not that I'm going off the deep end over the matter of a pound or two. No sir. Not me. I'm much more stable than that. I don't mind jumping on that particular emotional roller coaster. It's fun to know that eating healthier and paying attention to culinary details is paying off in such a meaningful way. In fact, I've enjoyed this feeling so much over the past month that I think I'll buy a season pass for that ride so I can do this over and over and over again. Oh, and did I mention the fact that, once I do get my photos downloaded properly (and I'm sure that will happen - even if I have to get one of the boys to do it for me), I will be able to show you a picture of a shirt that I own that I will never, ever, ever, as long as I live, wear again? Yeah, I loved that shirt. Until I saw a picture of myself in it, of course. I swear, it ought to be a law; Every new item of clothing that a woman contemplates buying should first be photographed on the body of that woman so she might be able to better judge the quality of the "cute effect" she thinks it gives her. Because damn. Nothing like wearing a shirt that shows a set of arms more suited to a Green Bay linebacker than a 45 year old woman. Urrrggghhhh! Anywho, I'll share all that and more in short order. Maybe today. Maybe not. Depending on this thoroughly crummy attitude I'm working on. Speaking of which...the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the flippin' Dallas Cowboys last night. BUM. MER. Donovan McNabb is twice the quarterback that Tony Romo is, but alas...even his fine leadership didn't bring the Eagles to victory. It was a fun game to watch, but it sure would have been funner had Philly won. But that's neither here nor there. I only bring it up as one more example of the negative vibes I'm giving off this morning. I'll work on being nicer...or at least, at seeming to be nicer, and will post something decent soon. :0

Seven years ago today,

our lives were changed forever. Afterwards, our country came together as one and stood united like no one in the world thought we could. Since then, we've managed to tear ourselves apart from the inside out. We don't need terrorists to bring us down. We have hard core Democrats and Republicans who are doing a fine job of that for us. Senator Joe Lieberman got it right...too many political leaders today are indeed guided more by loyalty to party than loyalty to America.
I urge you all to rent, borrow or buy the movie World Trade Center and watch it tonight. Remember what happened to us. Remember the tragedy. Remember the tears, the heartache, the fear of that time. Then remember how we came together as one nation. Remember the solidarity, the support, the camaraderie. Most importantly, remember this phrase because no truer words were ever spoken: United We Stand! Divided, we fall. It's time we all came together again and stood as one.

Finding a Weigh Out of Fat, Volume #...Whatever Number it is We're Up To!

Today I want to talk about WHY it's good to lose weight. I mean, it's really a lot of work, isn't it? and sometimes you can find yourself asking just exactly why is it that you're striving so hard for a smaller butt. Lots of reasons, of course! Your health, for one. Losing weight can help lower your chances of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc., etc., etc. The more weight you lose, the better able you are to get out in the world and MOVE! You know when you climb a flight a stairs and find yourself gasping for air? That's because your poor heart is working double, maybe even triple time just to pump blood throughout your plus sized body. Give your body a break and take some of those pounds off! Your heart will thank you, your lungs will thank you, your legs will thank you. Lose some weight responsibly, though! Talk with your doctor to make sure the plan you pick is right for you. And remember - any "diet" that causes you to lose more than 1 to 2 pounds a week probably isn't one that will teach you how to keep that weight off. Despite popular belief, it doesn't take a ton of will power to all but starve yourself to death. It does, however, take will power to focus on what you eat, when you eat it and why you eat it. Paying attention to those things is what will help you to learn the healthiest way to eat. Let's see now...another reason to lose weight...how about "attitude adjustment". Yeah, I said it. It's nothing more than a stupid, misleading myth that fat people are jolly. Fat people aren't jolly. They just happen to shake when they laugh because it takes a second or two for their gut to catch up with their mouth. Fat people are, whether they want to admit it or not, usually pretty darn unhappy with being large. Every single time I heard a fat person say "I like my size, I'm happy with my size. I may be fat, but I'm healthy", I would think to myself, "Well, it's great that you're so happy being fat, but I'm miserable. But since you've said it's okay, I'll work on convincing myself that maybe it is". I know a lot of people will be ticked at me for saying stuff like this. Don't care. For the most part, we all got fat because we ate the wrong stuff and a lot of it. Nobody in their right mind sets out to get fat. And nobody in their right mind is happy with being fat. Remember that old commercial where the kid says "when I grow up, I want to claw my way to middle management"? Would that have been anymore believable if the kid had said, "when I grow up, I want to be huge so that I can huff and puff my way thru life and watch the rest of the world be active"? Of course not. People don't want to be fat. It's just that so many of us don't know how to change our eating habits and our lifestyles without seeking help. Many of us also think it'd be too hard and would deprive us of too much. That's that "food is my buddy, my friend, my pal" mentality working on you. Get rid of that thinking! I've said it before and I'll keep on saying it; Food is fuel for your body. Period. Stop letting it be fuel for you emotional well being, too. Finally, here's one more reason to lose weight...CLOTHES SHOPPING! As many of you know, I've had a bit of a struggle with the weight loss this past week and a half. It's not a big deal, but since I was doing so well before that, this roadblock has kind of slapped me upside my head and left me reeling. Imagine my thrill when I was at the store and found a cute Halloween shirt and a Christmas shirt and realized that the MEDIUMs fit me! I haven't been in a size medium of anything for years. Many, many, many years. So while the scales have not reflected the effort I've made this past 10 days, the clothes shopping certainly did. A medium. Woo-hoo! (I'll post pictures of those shirts later. They're just novelty shirts, but I love them and can't wait to wear them).
Speaking of clothes shopping, I want to share the names of some clothes manufacturers with you. Why does something like this occur to me, you ask? Because I'm easily amused and some of these names just leave me laughing. Take for instance this one: Sag Harbor. I'm sure most, if not all of you, have heard of this brand. I've probably even bought some of their clothes at one time or another. But can I ask you this? Who in the heck at that company thought that calling a women's line of clothing SAG HARBOR was a good idea? It sounds like a place where your boobies go to retire. Geez. But while Sag Harbor is probably THE worst name for a women's clothing line, their prices are at least fairly reasonable. These pants, for example, cost $18.00.


This next brand is actually the brain child of hip hop rapper, Nelly. Anybody heard of him? He's had several songs out that even an old, dorky woman like myself can enjoy. Well, apparently Nelly likes a shapely woman (a man after my own heart, eh?). In honor of that, he's named his new clothing line Apple Bottom. This just conjures up an image of a giant, double-bubble butt and that's something I'm not looking to have. Love the singer, hate the name of the clothing line. By the way, should you decide to take a bite out of this particular apple, these pants from that line will set you back $81.00. Too rich for my blood. And my butt.

Anybody ever heard of this next brand, Affliction jeans? Now, call me crazy, but unless I'm very much mistaken, an "affliction" isn't a good thing, right? I even looked up the word in the dictionary. The official definition:

af·flic·tion : /əˈflɪkʃən/ Pronunciation Key - [uh-flik-shuhn]; noun
1. a state of pain, distress, or grief; misery: They sympathized with us in our affliction.
2. a cause of mental or bodily pain, as sickness, loss, calamity, or persecution.

And someone thought this was a good name for a clothing company?? Uh-huh. Well, I guess they make up for that confusion with the price tag. A pair of Affliction jeans could set you back $222.00. Sounds like your wallet will be afflicted more than your arse, if you ask me. Here's a picture of what you get for that kind of jack:

Next is another fairly common name, although not one I own personally. Baby Phat. While "Phat" may stand for "Pretty Hot And Tempting" in some circles, I'm not buying it. Yeah, sorry, but I'm not wearing anything with "phat" and/or "fat" in the name. And I darn sure wouldn't wear this brand and have it emblazoned across my thighs, like this pair has. So what do they charge for labeling your body as Phat in ginormous script? $69.00 a pair. This next brand isn't so bad, it just makes me think of some poor old woman who got left out in the rain too long: Rusty Women's Wear. I'd just as soon not be referred to as Phat or Rusty, thank you very much. Besides which, see these ugly britches by Rusty? $46.00. I just don't think these puppies look like $46.00 worth, do you? See these next pants? They're from the "Horny Toad" line of clothing. Yeah, you read that right. Horny Toad. I won't comment further on this name. 'Nuff said, eh? Oh and this particular style is called the "Audry" pant and will cost you $74.00.

I only mention those because of these:
The Horny Toad "Hepburn" pants. Poor Audry Hepburn. What'd she do to offend these guys? Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Hepburns can be had for the low, low price of just $70.00 a pair.

Now for the serious shoppers...I give you the "People's Liberation" brand. You can put your rebellious butt in a pair of these for a mere $171.00. For jeans, yeah, that's what I said...$171.00. Maybe I'm just cheap, but I think the only thing being "liberated" with a purchase of these jeans will be your money from your wallet.
This next company wins the prize for ugliest product and goofiest name. The United Nude Shoe Company, featuring the Porn Toe off white shoe. These horrendous monstrosities will cost you $175.00 if you want to strut your stuff in a butt ugly shoe with a titillating name. In other words, I'm sure Paris Hilton owes 7 or 8 pair but us average, every day folks probably don't own so much as a shoebox with this brand name. Although, if you do, please let me know. I've heard they're very comfortable. (snicker, snicker)
Finally, here's my favorite brand. Although, I'd like the CEO of this company to know that if he changed the name, he might sucker more Average Joanns into shelling out the big bucks for his clothes 'cause just hearing their name was enough to let me know I need waste no more time shopping for their product. This is the Rich and Skinny Clothing Company. Ahhhh. How I aspire to such great heights. Rich and skinny. Oh it's just too much to think on. No point in reaching for the stars when your feet are firmly encased in nothing more than a pair of cheap-o sandals from Cato, eh? Anywho, should any of you want to slap a little "Rich and Skinny" label on your arse, you'll have to shell out about $231.00 a pair. Wonder what's their cut off size for wearing these? I mean, is a size 6 still considered skinny? A size 8? Maybe a 10? Or do they turn their noses up at anyone past a 4?

Oh well, it matters not. Even if my butt gets small enough to wear these, I suspect my wallet will never get fat enough for them. Back to Cato I go....

Everything comes in chocolate...except tomatoes

I'm having a rough time these past two weeks with my weight loss plan. I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing, I'm staying within my points, we've been walking 4 times the past week (which is 4 times more than we went walking the past two weeks!) and I still can't seem to get past this spot on the scales. It's starting to wear on me a bit. As I've been ruminating on this dilemma, I've come to realize that America is not a weight loss friendly place to be! Just about everything in our society is geared towards getting us to over consume, in one way or another. Ad execs aren't stupid. They know that we Americans love our food like no other place on the planet so food is what they use to sell their products. Okay, so they use sex, too, but that's not the point of this post so we'll leave that for another time. Back to the food issue. Have you ever noticed how many products use food names to attract us?
Take paint, for example. Check out some of the names given to various paint colors:

whipped strawberry

sweet melon

hint of cherry

raspberry sorbet

pumpkin custard

buttercup squash

golden butter

top banana

fruit compote

lime burst

sonic plum

grapolicious

rich chocolate

smoked almond

chocolate raspberry

sugarcane pink

My gosh, after having looked at those color choices, I'd have to take a lunch break just so I could focus on my decision! Then there's clothes. Clothes "colors" are just as tantalizing. How about a lovely sweater in a color called:

mocha

oatmeal

chocolate

pale ale

plum

berry crush

Godiva (that's just WRONG!)

or

candy pink

You could even pick up a coat to complement your sweater or shirt. Coats come in colors like:

hazelnut

or

melonade

Yummy, right? You can even dress your bed as deliciously as you dress your bod. Sheet colors come in:

chocolate

cinnamon

butter

mulberry

kiwi

and

tangelo

And bath towels! Just as tasty. You can have flavors...er, I mean colors, like:

cocoa

real pecan

chocolate truffle

toasted almond

lime zest

and

lemon twist

Starting to feel like maybe your furniture isn't good enough for your life's menu? Try buying a couch with one of these color fabrics:

honey

berry

cranberry

salt (yes, I said salt!)

and the ever present

chocolate

You can even have your wooden furniture finished in stains called:

espresso

cherry

walnut

maple

pecan

and

honey

You can have curtains and window shades in colors called:

chocolate (of course)

plum

eggplant

oyster

champagne

latte

pumpkin

and

wine red

Feeling kind of unappetizing yourself after you've lavished all that yummy goodness around the house? Don't fret. You can color your hair is all manner of tasty flavors like:

espresso

chocolate mousse

cherry cordial

caramel kiss

iced mocha

spiced chestnut

caramel glaze

truffle

chocolate macaroon

cinnamon stick

almond rocca

french eclair

praline

biscotti

tiramisu

butterscotch creme

toasted coconut

iced meringue

dulce de leche

and

creme brulee'

'Course, once you've done that, you'll need to find the perfect lipstick to complement your new color scheme. Try one of these:

peach luster

honey

mocha

raspberry ice

juicy apricot

candied apple

or

cherry desirable

Will the madness ever end?? It seems like I can't turn my head a quarter inch without encountering something that's been given a name geared to make me salivate! It's no wonder America is fat. And since I've sat here and typed out all these delicious food names, I now feel the need to go visit my kitchen. Wonder if I can convince myself that the bowl of cherry tomatoes I'm eye-balling is actually a box of Godiva chocolates? Yeah...I didn't think so.

At the behest of Shabby in the City, I am entering this post into Scribbit, Motherhood in Alaska's September's Write Away Contest . I hesitate to do this, as I have read Shabby's entry and mine simply doesn't compare. I'm telling you now, her post is outstanding. Actually, forget my post...head on over to Shabby's and read hers. She's managed to turn the subject of color into a world of envisioned wonder. Go read it - I think you'll see what I mean!

"Finding a Weigh Out of Fat" Recipes

Here's a few more recipes that you guys might want to try:

First, let's go with the Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla
(1 serving, 3 points per serving for WW)

1 burrito size whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup salsa
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp fat-free sour cream

Spread one half of the tortilla with salsa and sprinkle with the mushrooms and cheese. Fold unfilled tortilla half over filling. Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick spray. Gently place tortilla in the center of the skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp. Carefully turn quesadilla over using a spatula. Cook 3 minutes more. Remove from skillet and carefully cut into 4 wedges. Serve with sour cream. (To serve 4, increase quantities to: 4 tortillas, 1 cup salsa, 2 cups chopped mushrooms, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup sour cream.)

Spicy Mexican Rice
(4 servings, 2 points per serving)

2/3 cup Mahatma long grain brown rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup canned tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups fat-free beef broth

Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Place over medium high heat until hot. Add rice, onions, bell peppers, saute until rice is lightly browned and vegetables are crisp tender. Stir in tomatoes and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked.
I've actually cooked this rice and the boys love it. I'm pretty fond of it, too. Remember, though, that not all long grain brown rice is created equal so check your labels before you decide to use a different brand. Also check the cooking times for the rice. For example, Uncle Ben's long grain brown rice cooks for 25 minutes, while Mahatma takes 45 minutes (learned about this the hard way!).

Finally and just for the Halibut, here's a fish recipe (get it? Halibut? Heck of it? Never mind...):

Baked Halibut
(4 servings, 4 points per serving)

4 (1/4 pound) halibut fillets
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain dried breadcrumbs
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley
4 lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the fillets skin side down in the baking dish; sprinkle them with the lemon juice. Brush each fillet with olive oil, then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, capers, salt and pepper. Bake until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, 15-20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Spoon any pan juices over the fish and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve at once, with the lemon wedges.

I don't eat seafood or fish myself, so I can't give a personal recommendation as to how this tastes. If any of you decide to give it a try, let us know how it turns out, okay? By the way, this recipe as well as the Cheese and Mushroom Quesadilla recipe come to you courtesy of Joan over at Joan's Journeys. She's the best, isn't she?

Des Meets Her Favorite Star

My daughter, Desiree', attended Toby Keith's concert last night in Dallas. Just by sheer happenstance, she and her friend were given an opportunity to meet Toby in person and have their picture made with him. Here she is with The Tobe: I'm not real big on fawning all over so-called stars, but I'm thrilled that she was thrilled by this. (And besides, Toby's from Oklahoma, he supports our troops wholeheartedly and he's not a bad singer either so "GO TOBE!". lol)

Tennis Time

We went to Kaleb's first tennis match of the season this afternoon. I took my fancy dancy camera with it's fancy dancy telephoto lens. The good news is, I was able to figure out how to switch the lenses on that darn camera (after 10 minutes of trying before finally getting out the manual, of course). The bad news is...I still have no idea how to take great pictures. Who knew it could be so hard??? But I got a few action shots of Kaleb playing that should be good enough to scrapbook anyway. Here's him looking rather pensively at his opponent: Now the serve...he looks so intense, eh?
Another serve (this is only one of two shots that I actually got the ball in. lol):
Headed down court:
Kaleb said after looking at this shot that he could now see what he was doing wrong. Something about his left arm being too low. I really have no idea what he was talking about, but I was glad that the picture taking was able to help him out with that.

Check out his forward momentum. He was all ready to go for the return:
I love this shot. The look on his face just says it all to me.
And here he is after the match, ready for a break:
Sometimes when I watch Kaleb, I see shades of his older brother, Nick. I guess they have some of the same mannerisms and similar features. What do you think, Jodie? Do you see it, too?

I have to add a picture of Jake to this post since he was there cheering Kaleb on. Here he is, sitting along the fence line talking to Randey as we watched Kaleb's match. I think he was trying to explain the scoring system to Randey...for the umpteenth time. Randey had it down pretty good last year, but lost all his tennis acumen sometime over the summer (I never had any - baseball is my game. Tennis is harder to keep track of!). lol So now Jake and Kaleb have to walk us through it all again. (Love this, love that...I'll never get it right.)
This look Jake's giving Randey is one we both see a lot of. It's almost like the boy can't believe his parents are so totally ignorant. 'Course, at the same time, we can't believe our little darlin' is such a flippin' genius either. (Did that sound like sarcasm 'cause I sure meant for it to. LOL)