Things I am tired of..

A dear gal pal has a thread on her board that started me thinking about things that I am so weary of , that I can't see straight.

1. In the Movies..I am tired of the lead character getting the crap beat out of them and never saying " God Damn, that hurt. " It doesn't matter if you are Bruce Willis in a " Die Hard " movie or Pierce Brosnan in " Die Another Day ." When you get smacked/shot/ pummeled /hit with a brick..whatever..it's going to HURT . You are not going to bounce back, fix it by munching on a bayer or gulping a 'tini . Stop sucking up and own it. You just got your ass whipped...in the real world it takes a while to heal...and so just stop being brave/stoic/MANLY..just stop it .

2. In the Movies/On TV...Relationships always work out. Calling Bullshit on that one. The expectation excedes the reality here folks . Boy meets girl..or boy meets boy ...or girl meets girl . Problems arise ..well double damn'd DUH ! They aren't always resolved in the real world. Hell..half the time problems aren't even identified in real life relationships. And if they are, it does not always work itself out to everyones satisfaction. Often people fail to work out a resolution and either call it quits or agree that the problem needs to be shelved for another days agenda . One hundred and twenty minutes on the average is not time enough to fix a problem when they occur.

3. In the Movies/On TV...Lead characters always have a trusty sidekick who is more than willing to drop everything in their life at a moments notice and ride shotgun into whatever insane, lame-ass plan the main character has . Just once I'd like the sidekick to say.." Um..no..taking a pass on this one , have fun and do not call me for bail money." Just once. In real life sometimes ou just need to let a person perform what ever stupid act they have dreamed up..just to be given the opportunity to rub their faces in it when it falls apart. What ..you wouldn't do that ?...LIAR....



4. In the Movies /On TV...Children are always cute , clever, talented...what ever. Um..no, actually they are not . In real life, sometimes they behave so badly you just want to pre-dial CPS because there's a beating a-coming. In real life until people are willing to admit that the precious child should not be allowed to run amok without some form of consequences...oh don't get me started. Wally World/Sam's/ Big Box Store deserves every lawsuit filed against them when their employees fail to step up to the plate and tell child and more importantly the parent's of said child " Stop doing that." Period. The managers of these stores more often than not are afraid that by actually being responsible that they will lose customers. HAH ! They lose far more in attorneys fees and settlements, not to mention customers like ol Pol here who refuse to shop in them on a regular basis.

Oh I am so ready for vacation..sigh.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

P.S. Amazon ROCKS ! I just got a dvd that I have waited years to get my mits on...." Go Flash Go."...Heeee ! Time to Happy Dance.

Woot

Once again CE saves the day...WOOT !!!!!

Oh sistah, I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I thought I was the only one who hated RR with a passion that I usually reserve for my ex . But noooooo....RR is up there. Now, we do watch the food channel, yes...we KNOW how lame that is...what evs...I can no longer stomach RR and her flying fists of Fury. And they had this twit on as guest judge for the food network star competition thingy ?

Why...?

Why...?

I mean come on...anyone with more than one brain cell knew Jag was a liar . And that Amy was going to win...But I digress.

I do not need this twit telling me how to visit a city with a food budget of $40.00 per day. And news flash Brainiac....it's NO big deal to ask the front desk of your hotel for coupons . Yes, Paula Deen works my last nerve, and I was actually happy to see her lose the seafood competition that was recently filmed in NOLA...but she's authentic. Bobby Flay is a smug prat...but again , authentic.

But you RR...Grrrrr.

Grow up.

Would it kill you to wash your hands after handling raw chicken ? Sure, 30 minute meals would be a nice concept, if you'd own up to the fact that someone, ( guessing not you ) did all of the prep work.

I'm gonna take up that bet CE.

Here is 5 lidas of spice.

Find the pink bullets yet ?

Have a good week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Monday, Monday

Well gang, I am for one glad that last week is OVER !

I had a flirtation with the krep that is floating around the office. General Malaise , nothing graphic, just what my father used to call " Feeling Puny". Bad enough that after the 9 weeks of rain that we are now hotter than Satan's Underoos . I know, I know, carp , carp , blah blah , but Damn Skippy, when the weather wonk says that it's gonna hit 100 degrees with a heat index of 107..OMG. Feel cruddy with sinus on top of that...not my best and shiney el momento . And it's gonna be that way till it ain't as we say down here . The weather, not the puny.


Hisself and I are soooo looking forward to vacay. His office is super busy, their management theory being that of " Herding kittens ". I kid you not. Hisself is blessed with the ability to just roll with it so it doesn't make him as nuts as it might a normal human.....yeah dear , I know you read this and I meant that...so deal..M'kay ? My office does the same thing but after 25 + years , I just go WTF , over ? We manage to survive the insanity and it does help in the rough draft of the future best seller that I am theatening to pen one day .


LOL .

Mwahahahahahah

Run.


Run Some more.



I do try to count my blessings tho .

My family for the most part is healthy . Those that aren't have dealt with it long enough to inspire awe . It is what it is. Our friends are all good, raising an incredible passle of children, which continues to amaze the sh*t out of me. They are the people I admire to the point of being teary eyed . They balance work, kids and maintaining healthy marriages with a grace that is both instructive and graceful . I hope they all know how very much we love them . Through all the dark days, the crazy Cajun's , the white water yakers, Nee Nee and Wavey Davey have been there . Well...WD is the quiet one..but he is there. And I can't tell you how sad I would be without the NG's . They especially have given support this year when changes had to be considered then made manifest. They prop me up, bust my ass when needed and love me / us warts and all.

Then there is the Clan O ' WOA . They are such a huge part of my life, I doubt they have any clue. After 5 years....we are still all here......and I am still gonna kick Rael's ass..sorry Chris. And CT....your turn is coming my dear. Poison me....Polgara does not forget. Love to you and Rae by the way. You and Rae need to let us know when you get moved to Cornwall ....seriously .And to the GM....Dude........You know what I mean.....Jonesing here....! ...Oh and lest I forget, Love to S and A . You ladies Rock ! Oh and props to COR...Dude..how much fun is this ...Can you tell I miss the gameage ?


I am so lucky at times it scares me, not getting the lottery numbers correct..nothing that mundane. I have people who love and respect me and I feel the same towards them.

Hisself is happy and healthy as are the furr babies.

It truely doesn't get much better than that.


Blessed Be.

Ciao,


Aunty Pol

Happy Friday Froods

Well....it's been a veritable borgassmord of a week here. There have been confirmed sightings of brief periods of sunshine. We no longer know when we leave the casa at oh dark thirty wether to let the damn cat out ot leave him in. Sorry Andy , I know you are frustrated too. Why do you think that both Mommy and Daddy are filling your lard butt with....TREATS..............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ? He knows where the treat locker is and will make a bee line for it when he is let in . The entire tribe has discovered or re-discovered the wonderful world of stinky goodness , yeah ......I know.....but Nee Nee Puddins is 12, and she will soon be entering the era where due to teeth and or digestive issues , stinky goodness will be the ticket. Diddums, Goober and the BABY all throw it back too , and you can't give to one and not the others..so we have different seating areas in the main dining salon ( kitchen) . When Sgt Panda pants out on patrol , his basic slop shute is the patio floor. When it is about to rain or the food could get wet, he gets the Fiesta Deck on the Love Boat ( the pvc wicker coffee table ~ what..?? ~ you don't have a coffee table for your patio /deck ????? ~ I'm stunned..simply stunned ) . And of course when Goober hoovers the stinky goodness...occasionally he will yodel it back up..GAWD I love hairball season..in our house it's 365 days a year.

And we are getting ready for vacation . Jeebus H , I am so ready..other than a few days the first week of April, this is the vacation for this year. And it is the only one for SU. My internal clock is set for the " Only X more days..hang in there ..". It no longer bothers me that SU would be packed already.....3 weeks early if he had his way. That used to drive me bats and now it's " Whatever..deal dude..I'm TRYING to watch Alton Brown..M'KAY ???????? Shutty Uppy.

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Words Fail

It is ironic for ol Pol here to be at a loss for words. Anyone who knows me or who has stumbled across my dithering path will attest to this . This is neither good nor bad, it simply is.

Words fail me right now.


What do you say to someone that you have worked with for many years when their child drops dead from a heart attack at the age of thirty , due in part to an enlarged heart.

Really.


What do you say ?

I know his mother , in the sort of casual way that co-workers do. We'd discuss books and such . We have a love for all things Jane Austen, and I introduced her to Diana Galbadon, as I had been introduced. Like me, she was hooked. She is Lutheran . I am in a loose sort of way with apologies to my late Grandfaather..sorry Grandpa, that is just the way this agnostic rolls.

When I got to the office this morning , it was already all over the office. Having not spoken to her, and not knowing solid facts, I refrained from speculation.

As noted in my previous post, if the widow and her three children lived in the area, I would have taken over a ham or something.

We do that in the South.

I am just at a loss here.


Blessed Be.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Enough Already

Sigh.

No this is not another rant about the weather. There is no point at this stage. Nine weeks....9.

Whatever.

There is a good chance I may lose all of my roses. This is not earth shattering until you realize that I have had this garden for 17 years . Valentines Day, birthday....whatever the gift giving occasion......" Umm...honey..rose bush please. Thank you . Now , could you go dig the hole ? Super...thanks."

This rant is about people who seriously do not know what the F they are talking about.


TEXAS.



I am so weary of those " experts" who have lived here for oh say....maybe 2 years who pride themselves on being the F all expert on all things in Texas, Granted they lived here X number of years ago....but by GAWD they have it down pat.

Hate it.....check.

Talk trash about it.....check.

Ignorant.....check.

You can say your shit when you live here , period. For Longer than a blink. If you are such an expert..go get a job with Travelocity,.....or whatever.


I chose to move here.

I was in a very abusive marriage and a friend who is the sister of my heart gave me an option to survive. I packed my grip, quit my job, and boogied. I arrived on my birthday . The next morning the radio alarm clock went off in Lestrade's guest room. It was the Who's " Two Ton Magic Bus".

It was a sign.

We being best friends since age 13 in Mrs. Brown's 8'th grade biology class in Virginia, visited.for two weeks. Within a month I had the job I still have, This was 1982 .

Back then in my stupidity , I gave marriage one last try.

Wrong.

I got divorced.

I got remarried.

I have friends at work and in my personal life that I value beyond my shoes.

When I was younger, I lived in Virginia . I am southern. I am not the "Hee Haw" type or the " Dallas " type. Not Paula Deen. Not Gomer Pyle. I feel no need to revisit history even though I love southern architecture .

We have the arts here in Texas .

We have manners.



I am southern.

I still say " Yes Ma'm or Sir ."

I am polite to my elders even though I am middle aged.

I open doors for women with babies in buggies.

I thank gentlemen when they open doors for me.

I do the same for my elders or those who are infirm.

When you are in trouble, you get a call.

When the shit hits the fan, you get hot food.

When you need sanctuary, the husband and I are here. Without questions or judgements.

When you need a shoulder, have one of mine...I have 2.

When you need to tell me the truth, I will listen.

When I need to make major changes in my life I will , and I WILL have the balls to tell you why.


I don't feel the need to blather on to those who are of no importance in the reality of my life.

I believe on loyalty .

We are kind to animals and children.

We are kind to each other, and if we talk trash about you, we will do it to your face. We don't go in for the kill for the rush of it.

And even if we hate your guts..if you are in a state..or trouble...we put the bullshit aside and are there for you ..because we know the difference between gold and dross.


We'll fuss at you another day if needed, we just need to make sure you are okay.

So to all those yankee asshats who pontificate about that which they are sublimely ignorant about.....stay where you are.

Please.

You are the ignorant folks we feel sorry for.

The arrogant.

We don't need your sorry ass .

Carpetbagers.



Rant over.

Peace Out.

I just had to vent.


Blessed Be.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol



P.S. If you think this is about you....think again. I deal with this sort of ignorance every damn'd day so get over yourself....m'kay .

I have better things to do.

Shameless Plug

Haooy Friday Froods. A friend of mine has one of the best blogs evah..go check out :

http://www.countessentwistle.blogspot.com/


She's been a gal pal for quite a while, another hopeless Duniac , and one of the best writers out there .

Check it out.

Ciao,

Your Soggy Aunty Pol



UPDATE: the spelling is now correct so the link should work...thanks CE.

Enough with the rain already..SHEESH

People, people ...if I wanted this krep I would have stayed in the Pacific Northwest. It has rained here for a month or more and there is no let up in sight. Normally, we watch the Gulf this time of year since it is in fact mid season, but now the concern is more about the levels of the Brazos and Trinity Rivers. They are both above flood stage and if the PTB's release more water as I suspect they must....we are screwed here people. All of the water from the hill country and so forth has to go somewhere...and it's gonna head for the gulf. Look it up people..it's not hard to understand this simple fact of science.

I am sorry if I appear cranky here...and yes , I am , but dagnabbit..enough. Andy no longer meows, he does a credible imitation of the AFLAC duck. My yard is a bog, it's drowning the garden, and the only winners here are the hydrangeas. At this rate, it will be November before the Moron can build the deck, assuming that all goes well for him medically. Dunno know yet on that one, and still kepping fingers crossed for the father in law and his carcinoma .

Sigh.

At least the crazy cajun and his spouse and the yakers ( my white water thrill monkeys ) are able to come over for a small dinner party this Saturday. They are all the crew that we hang with and really are the best sort of friends.......seen you amid the best and worst, love ya in spite of it , the friends you hang on to for dear life . My late parents had friends like that ..the Smitters, the Lowrys, Carl and Elaine Liddel ( before the divorce that is) . John and Betsy Ostereicher...these are the friends we rely on, the honest ones, and I am grateful to them . My gal pal in Washington state and her hubby also fall into this catagory, and I bless them every day. I have learned the diifference between true friends and those who are just there because their sense of superiority needs a re-charge. When people get judgemental, my usual response is " Pick a finger". Rude ..you bet..do I care ...f dat and them . I really don't give a rat's a** anymore....deal with it. I am happy with the people I hang with and those who are basically just good folk..no better, no worse, just as they are. And believe it or not, other than this bit - o - rant, I am generally a pretty happy person, all things considered. Must be middle age. LMAO.

So kids..be warned,....Aunty Pol has a bur you know where...and it's because of the rain. SU is climbing the walls...making me nuts . The kitteh's are cranky and the only thing that makes me smile is : http://www.icanhascheezburger.com/

check it out.



Ciao

A soggy Aunty Pol



PS..sorry about the rant..but it's raining again. And I am tired of the wet.I'm likely to be cranky till the weather clears up, or the Ark arrives....so I will make you a deal..." Don't like it ? Don't read it ."

Nuff said.

Why....?????????????

1. Why Does Sam's Club only have 2 , maybe 3 checkers open after 6:30 p.m. ? Monday through Friday it's the same damn thing . If you are lucky and you make a list and stick to it, you will spend more time in an overheated insane asylum, complete with yard apes running AMOK in FRIGGAN line than the time you spent to fill up the buggy...( basket or cart to the Yankee's) .

Why ?

Why ?

I am at the point of not going there, except that we save enough for cleaning supplies alone that I really have no other option. Usually I make SU go..but there are times like last night where I needed to look at the price of a couple of things....like pork chops. My mother had a pork chop recipe that SU and my late father loved. I make it a lot but if you've seen the price of pre-cut chops you will understand that I buy a pork loin and we cut it up . The angst is the line. Jeebus..even SU recognizes when I am so overheated that the back of my neck is dripping as I stand and politely wait. I hate you Sam Walton, I really do. DEAL.

I am too tired to write more.



Blessed Be.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Funny Memories That We Share

Some of the gals pals and I have been talking about this new " Nancy Drew " movie that has just opened. You can pretty much determine the median age of the group by having everyone relate not if they read the series, but which one was their first , and which one is the most memorable. Every one of the gals had ready answers, the memory of the yellow covers still bright and shiney , opinions on George and Bess, what Nancy's hair color should have been....the list goes on and on. For many of us, there wasn't another series when we were 11, 12 or 13. We were not a target market in the mid 1960's. Too young for Gloria Steinem or Helen Gurley Brown. Way the hell too young for Erica Jung or Xavieria Hollander, ( yes,.SU..I read " The Happy Hooker ") . " Nancy Drew " was the first moment that we realized that a girl ( us) could be independent. If she didn't need her father or the " Hardy Boys " to bail her ass out, neither did we. We hadn't quite graduated to the Georgette Heyers or other Regency Romances , and for me this was rather a straight line into an obsession with books. Nancy Drew to Georgette Heyer to " The Saint" by Leslie Charteris to " Charlie Chan " by Earl Derr Biggers to Perry Mason to Doc Savage to Agatha Christie to Edgar Rice Burroughs to Marion Zimmer Bradley to Frank Herbert to Anne McCaffrey and on and on and on. Throw in Tolstoy, Churchill, Bronte, Wilde, Shelley and it grows upward. There are authors that SU and I automatically buy, Clive Cusslers " Dirk Pitt " and the NUMA series, Robert Parkers " Spenser Series" , you get the idea.

Books have always meant an escape for me when I was younger , to a place where all things were possible. You always fit in, no one judges you, and if there was a crisis, more often than not, the plucky teenage girl would solve the mystery and save the day.

In many ways our children are growing up too fast, they have so much thrown at them from the earliest age , that there is no time or interest in the joy of a simple book. Their attention span is about thirty seconds at best, and the very idea of reading a book , and loving it so much that they want to re-read it is almost a foreign concept. Many have asked me why I was such a huge fan of " Harry Potter " . The answer was easy....it gave kids the idea that books were cool, and that the story engaged them. It made them talk about a book, an idea, and the fact that they were enthralled enough to re read the copies that they had in preparation for the next release or because they just liked the damn'd thing gave me hope that all is not lost in the world of reading.

I bet J.K. Rowling read " Nancy Drew ".

I know I did.

Have a great week.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol .


UPDATE :

I just spoke to SU. Our pal the Moron has just gotten word that the mass on the back of his neck near the spinal column is non cancerous.

WOOO F'G HOOOOOO

We have both been worried sick since we found out about it. This on top of some other dreadful news made for less than the stellar weekend aat Casa de Swamp. Th original MRI that the Moron had came back as " inconclusive " , which is neither good nor bad, but no definitive diagnosis scared the willies out of me and the SU . I will keep you posted on the Morons further medical adventures or " Moron's Got Something New To Bitch And Moan About. "

Blessed Be.

Aunty Pol.

Another Angel

Once again , I am strengthened by the group of people that I work with . We have often referred to ourselves as a " family" and while that might seem trite, there are times such as now that I know the truth of that simple declaration .

One of the dearest, nicest, kindest of gentleman lost his 22 month old grandson last night to Leukemia . Malachi was a sweet little guy and the apple of his Grandpa's eye, but between the last treatment and the infections he developed with a compromised immune system, it just wore him down . One of the hardest hit outside of the immediate family is another co-worker who's son has just gone through I believe 3 1/2 years of treatment. Missy will forgive me if the math is off . We had all followed Nicky's journey and were about to celebrate this victory tomorrow. Missy knowing this was the first to suggest that we postpone the do-dah out of respect and the managing partner suggested that we send all of the food to Malachi's family that we were going to have brought in.

There are days I simply detest my job, I debate the merits of it all...but for the most part it is because of the caliber of people I work with at this law firm that I come in every day with a smile..faked or not. Don't start..we all have those days.

In thinking of Malachi, I think of the Bug and her parents and grandparents and how much they adore her . She is younger than Malachi was and she is their world, and to a degree mine and the SU's. And I'm only her Granty. And I adore her.

If you have a grandbaby or a child..hug them extra tight. Hug your loved ones at home and away in any way you can. life is just too damn'd short to let even one day slip by.


Blessed Be,

Aunty Pol

Dibs and Dabs ~ LOL

Well kids, it was an interesting weekend. Friday morning I trot out to the kitchen , headed to the car when I see that SU has taken the coffee pot completely apart. Completely apart. My fancy ass brew monkey cannot handle the minerals we have here..thank you Houston. In all fairness , neither one of us has been good on the cycle vinegar through it....so it gets all cranky and pissy and slow. Great.....he says he can fix it which means I will no longer be able to sneak an extra 20 minutes ZZZZ in the A of M. .....Sh*t....that sucks.


Onward.

Friday continues...............


The day from hell..long story , new group of attorney..no..I did not make a typo . The guy is a super nice dude..so is his staff....I can say no more..kill me now. Clients every 15 minutes...I am NOT making this up.

Time to go home....sweet jeebus...at last.


SU got a gift card to Chrome Depot from his boss for his birthday and Moi being Moi sez " I can always use some more hydrangeas ....and new leather gloves...lol. Note to self..Hey Idjit..green might not be the optimum color choice for prunning gloves...like the rose cane colors...ya think ??

Saturday Morning.

As usual he worked which is fine, we have come to expect that and the overtime helps a lot. I woke up at 7 a.m...I don't know why ..sheesh..maybe it was the swim meet at the subdivision pool kitty corner from us.,....maybe the bull horn...maybe the kids going berserker mode kitteh when they are woken up from what ever passes for a cats deep REM state. Insert " Losing My Religion " melody here..mwahahahah...it's stuck in your head too , isn't it ??

I haul the arse out to the kitchen...Mr. Krups you are my hero . I didn't know my brew buddy was high dollah as we say here till I saw it in a show on HGTV..no..not the one with Roger...the one where the cost of the renovation is more than I make in a year..yeah..that one. Off to the garden...it by the way is already in the 90's here ..in friggan June people. Water, prune, fertilize..um...NG ( neighbor gal # 1 ) -can I I borrow your miracle grow feeder..mine' s kersplat. Kewl..Thanks. Prune..water..feed...Krap. Oscillating sprinkler kaput. Oh NG on the other side ..yup..can I borrow dat ? Kewl...Work, sweat..more of each..go in. Aw hell..too hot now..start house work inside....lalalal.."

He had gone off with the Crazy Cajun and the Mrs to see a local community theater production, which I pass on. I honestly had a couple of things planned and some phone calls to make, getting caught up with the gal pals on the other coast. Plus, I'd begun cleaning the front part of the house..really cleaning....door lintels, hanging art...hoovering the crumbs from where Andy has to eat his special treaties...he likes those hard whisker lickings fish shaped things so we break them up and make a mound on the carpet..with his 1/4 tab pill buried . I don't think he knows he just snarfed up a pill ..bright boy that . Record a cpl hrs from the history channel...off to bed..dead stone worn out . Then up the next day to finish Bedrooms..I get clinically insane a this point..lets clean all of the Mardi Gras masks we've collected that are hanging up on the bedroom walls. No..they are not the cheap shit..we carefully chose them , each and every one..many are very unique and not cheap from NOLA . Then...lets clean the rest of the hanging art..especially the large pictures we bought from Huanna Glass , a local artist. By the time I am done..my house is all but staged...clean enough to satisfy my parents...and I am beat. I l ike doing it but get carried way too far off the deep end...clean all inside windows...check...wash all the drapes except the new chenille ones...check...hoover furniture...check....find tylenol...check....


Next weekend promises more of the same..get the PTU out for the boys 9 a.m. vet visit /follow up. SU is playing golf..I will be cleaning carpets and or back in the garden.

On the up side..Dr. appt tomorrow for new glasses..I am soooo stoked..plus hopefully hair before the wing ding...oh you know you will hear about that...be patient.


Take care .



Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday and that we all remember what this weekend is all about. As the wife and daughter of a veteran, I do try to remember and take a moment to throw up a small prayer for all those who are serving or who have served.It is because of them that we all have the freedom to enjoy a weekend holiday and they cannot be overlooked or forgotten. My husband and I may not support this war, but we completely support the troops and their families .

Onward:

Sgt. Andy Pandapants has a bit of a medical issue right now. Last week, we noticed that he was limping a bit on his back right leg. Being an outdoor boy, he is prone to popping over the back fence and generally zooming about the yard on his patrol. In the year that we've had him ( can you BELIEVE it's been a year ?)...he's amazed us with his level of energy. While he was favoring the leg in question, SU and I determined that it wasn't broken, no open wound and only a modicum of swelling. He let his Daddy completely examine the leg and only pitched a teensy fit when his Daddy looked at the claw and pad area ..but no big hissy. So we watched it. He was able to get to his nightly Mr. Milkey and gimp around. But as the week progressed, he never got any better, so we both began to wonder if it was more than a sprain. My private fear was that there might be a sliver or something we couldn't see which could become infected. I told SU that bright and early yesterday morning that he was in fact going to throw the boy in the PTU ( prisoner transport unit ) and haul him to the VET. Did I want a vet bill..oh hell no..but better that than a worse problem later because we dropped the ball. A hundred dollars later..( yipe) the verdict was that there was some sort of inflamation of an unknown origin, an auto immune response and that this could be in response to his underlying medical issue. OR the beginning of a flare up. Oh great . Just friggan great. Jakey J had the same issue, common to Marmy's and yet Jake lived 12 years before the tumor, so I am concerned. Andy is only about a year and a half old. The vet gave us 2 oral meds and a pill..great..pillin dah kat time..oh shite. To get him to take his orals , we have to employ the baby burrito method and it's a 2 person job. I hope the Vet is wrong..say a prayer.

He's better today, and outside,. it's raining in fact and we've been calling..hrrmmp.....he'll saunter back, bedraggled and soaked.

Oh well.

SU went to the crawfish gig thrown by the Crazy Cajun and fambly yesterday. I'd intended to go but had another gum flareup that needed tending. On the mend with that..suffuce to say..it's a whole other issue when dentures are involved. SU had a ball , and brought home 3 1/2 lbs of mudbugs so it's Etoiffe ( sp...whatevs) tonight for us and the neighbor gals.


Have a safe holiday and a great week....

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

I am officially OLD

This may or may not be a big thing to many, but this past Friday I hit a milestone of sorts here at the Firm .

TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT.

Yup.


Crap, I am old. In the good old days, people didn't job hop like frogs on hot pavement in August in Texas. You stayed where you were. My father retired out of the Navy in 1976 after 25 years simply due to the erosion of his benefits as he saw it. His idea of retirement was to enter into another job and go on from there. He was also about 6 years younger than I am now, so this only adds to the deep sigh of impending senility.

In the legal field, a term of service for an non attorney person this long is rather unusual , but here most of us have been here at least 15 years of more. Dedicated or lazy , I don't know but we are still here pluggin away . For the most part we have all really grown up together, been married , divorced, re-married, had kids gotten them hopefully out of high school in one piece and into some college..married....grandkids....sigh.

If I am old , I am not the only one.

And......


I still know where the bodies are buried.

Have a great week...


Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

Presidential Bumper Stickers

With a tip of the hat, and a wave of the paw to Daisey Mae Maus, I present the newest presidential bumper stickers coming to a car near you :

1. 1/20/09 : End of an Error .

2. Bush : Like A Rock . Only Dumber.

3. If You Can Read This , You've Not Our President.

4. Hey , Bush Supporters, Embarrassed Yet ?!!

5. America: One Nation Under Surveillance .

6. They Call Him "W" So He Can Spell It.

7. Jail To The Chief .

8. Bad President ! No Banana.

9. We Need A President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language.

10 . Where Are We Going ? And Why Are We In This Handbasket ?

11. When Bush Took Office , Gas Was $1.46 .

12. Bush Makes Quayle Look Like A Freakin' ROCKET SCIENTIST !

13. 2004 : Embarrassed ; 2005 : Horrified ; 2006 Terrified.


Buy Early, Buy Often.

Have a great Weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

WOW

I really hadn't realized that it's been about 6 weeks since I last posted anything save the lil post on Superman ~ " Baroo ??????" . Baroo by the way is the small sound a puppy makes when they tilt their itty bitty heads sideways as if asking " WTF ? " , at least according the the folks over at " Cute Overload ." Since CO has won a Webby award or 2 , I take them at their expert word .

Anyhoo....

Earlier this year SU and I began yet another re-do of the house . This time it started with new furniture which we sorely needed . Long ago and far away , young Jedi...oops..wrong movie..LOL
SU spotted an ad for a sale at the local favorite big box corner anchor of the mall store and off we went. I came, I saw, they delivered. It always surprises him that when I am focused that I can zero in on what is right and more often the right price. I am a Commando Shopper and I have my standards, dammit.

And thus it began . New furniture, new drapes, new rugs, new lamps, new art .....and then the sudden crashing realization that OMG..we really need to re-paint. Shudder. Bear in mind that we'd been through this before and swore that we'd never do it ourselves again. We're middle aged here people...it ain't pretty . I always take the first week of April off from the Servitude so this gave me a few weeks to sort it all out. Even though I had an idea of the paint colors I wanted ( yes..more than one was involved here folks) , I still had to go to Chrome Depot and grab all the paint cards I could lay my mitts on. Ditto Lowes.

Sort, shuffle, view, choose, tape to wall, discard , lather , rinse, repeat . Choices made. Now comes the really fun part. Harvest empty boxes from Servitude to drag home . Pack all of the silver and the crystal from the china hutch. Pack and load out the floor to ceiling bookcase full of cd's, dvd's books and various krep. We must have 400 cd's. I do not lie. scads of dvds, the tapes lone gone, books..oh hell yeah. Then my collection of dragons . About 100 of them...do not ask. Each one lovingly wrapped in white tissue paper and stored in the guest room now designated the " Place where all the crap is being stored. " Down comes all the art, all the photos and portraits of the late parental units. New drapes removed, rugs rolled...4 runner size, 1 good size area and a small one for the kitteh's . Umph. Ceiling AC/Heat registers down to be repainted since they don't make those anymore. Nail holes patched, baseboards hoovered, ditto cobwebs.
Furniture draped and moved. Note....those furniture slider things are pricey but damn..grab them if you even think you need them. This was the first time I've been able to more furniture without a back spasm. I'd already asked the Moron ( not SU..the other one) about how much paint to buy. Hint..even professionals will overestimate and there are no refunds on custom tint.
If you need Ralph Lauren " Goldfinch..." call me..LOL.

Painting Day.

Good to go.

All ya'll should know that we chose latex. LMAO . Now thats a headache . There I am , coffee in hand, sort of awake, ( Z..snerk..ZZZ) and the Moron arrives. First of all , let me say that he does excellent work. He quoted me half the price he usually charged and as noted above , I bought the paint. We'd already determined that the indoor 4 would be fine, hiding in the master with food, water, and their boxes. They are bright that way..why move when we can sleep ? Andy and I camped on the patio. Read books, puttered in the yard, potted plants..good times folks, good times. The problem is that the Moron talks to himself. ALL DAMN DAY LONG. I kept thinking he was asking questions...nope... Sigh. Then his assistant arrives . First day, all the ceilings and walls are to be done...2 different colors for 2 areas . The second day, all the trim, woodwork and such.Again , 2 more colors for 2 different areas. Trust me...it all works . I didn't know that all of the prep work is something that a LOT of people don't bother with .

Duhr ??????

Finally done.

And paid for...except for the new furniture and that's gonna be soon.

Well hells bells. Since the furniture is all moved.." Lets Clean Carpet." I am biologically unable to sit at home on vacation without multiple projects of some sort. Clean cupboards, drawers, closets, carpet..you name it..I am so there on it. Of course it took 2 more days to re-load the room ( yes, I know, too much HGTV) but it was done. I finally found new material for the dining room chair seats and that is done....thank you Lord.

Next up...the kitchen.

It's all great and grand and yes, I am making the effort to not smoke in the house...

I was glad..almost...glad to come back to work.

Some folks travel for vacation.....we remodel/re-do.

Sigh.

Correspondence will be caught up..I promise.

Be safe and happy.

Ciao

Aunty Pol

BAROOOO ????????????????????????

This was in todays local paper .

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Associated Press

London

" A mineral discovered in Serbia has the same composition as kryptonite - the fictional substance that robs Superman of his powers - the British Museum said today . While the material is not a perfect match , its chemical breakdown is strikingly similar.

A drill core of the unusual mineral was unearthed in Serbia by a mining group which turned it over to mineral expert Chris Stanley at the Natural History Museum for analysis .

Stanley searched the Internet using the minerals chemical formula , sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide and discovered that the same scientific name used in the film " Superman Returns " .

The white powdery material - not green crystals - will be named Jadarite."



WTF Over ?

Unless I missed something..Superman was and is fiction. Now , Lord knows that I love " Smallville," just friggan love it. Love the camp, the cute and especially the Magnificent Bastard , aka Papa Luthor . But folks...it's still fiction .

Personally, I am waiting for the discovery of a decent spice blow and melange harvest...heh .

I got yer family atomics right here bucko.

Shai Halud.

Have a great and safe week.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol .

WOW

As is the norm in Casa de Swamp things the more things change, the more they stay the same. SU 's weekly card game has moved from Thursday night to Monday .

What evs.

Personally , I could give a rip , but after a lack of this social outlet due to holidays, rodeo and Mardi Gras ( hey..we take our social gigs serious down here) , him being underfoot at home was pushing ol Pol here to just about the friggan limit .

Anyhoo....

As always I ask how the Crazy Cajun, spouse and tax deduction are. These folks are SU's best cohorts, chums and pals, and I care very much about them . Reply..the usual . Mama CC is going to have a friend staying with them......again....... for a while as her job at a school in the Valley has ended....trust me...do not ask the CC about it. Both Crazy Cajun and his ever lovin come from a large family so this is sorta normal . As in SU's family , when ever there is a hootenanny ( whole lotta hoot and a lil bit nanny) I swear these guys need name tags. When ever they see us the Crazy Cajun's family will ALWAYS ask if SU and I are still married.

They know him.

Then SU happens to mention that today is Crazy and Mama CC's wedding anniversary.

Me: " Kewl".

Him : " Yep" .

Me : " How long ?"

Him " Ummm..verbal scratching of the noggin here ....ummmm 23 or 25 years."

Me : " Hon...how old is tax deduction ?"

Him : " Umm...errr...ummmmm."

Me : " Isn't he about 22 0r 23 now ? "

Him : " Yup."

Me : " Then , I guess they have been married 25 years."

Him : " Sounds about right ."


Ah yes, the scintillating commuter conversations we engage in.

Then later on the oddest thought occurred to me....oh shut it.....it does happen. But this is the funny part. SU and I have both been married before so when we were first married, it seemed all of our cohorts, chums and pals had been married much longer. Bearing in mind that thus was not SU's and my first time at the rodeo, they refrained from that idiotic yet well meant phase of " Giving Advice."

But now, I realized that most of our friends and dear ones have been married at least 25 years or better. SU and I have been together 20 and married as of December 2007 for 19 years. This rather belies the statistic that most marriages krep out after 7 to 10 years.

WOW.

Most of what used to bug us old married farts is no longer the drama we once thought. After a while , you tend to dismiss stuff with the idea that if it ain't dead or at least bleeding...move the F on. I refuse to give advice to the young ones that I know. They will find their own way as we all do . They are entitled to make as many errors and F ups as the rest of us....they will work it out. I have found that as a general rule, when some one asks for advice, what they are really doing is asking you to take their side, or back their point of view....and that is always a 5'th point of contact....trust Pol here.

Have a GREAT week..........we all deserve it .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

RIP Wilberforce Clayton Humphries

Sadly, today one of the most overlooked and underrated of British actors died at the age of 71. Best known as Wilberforce Clayton Humphries, John Inman in many ways was the heart and soul of " Are You Being Served." His portrayal often acted as the perfect counterpoint to such characters as Captain Peacock and Molly Suggins classic Mrs. Slocombe . Those of us who are lucky enough to see this show on PBS were often entranced by the sheer joy that these characters gave us. In the purest sense , the comedy was both slapstick and a very pointed view of the classic British class system and economy. Each character had a sense of their own backstory and yet they clearly conveyed the sense that they honestly cared for each other, in character or in real life.

You are finally free Mr . Humphries...FREE.........

Have a splendid weekend, we all deserve it.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Spring is here ~ sorta.

LOL.

I love this city for more reasons that I have time to list and all y'all to read. We've had a few glorious days of early spring, aka mid 70's . This is precious to us since for the most part we tend to greet visitors with " Welcome to Singapore ." Hey...Dad thought it was funny .

Anyhoo..along with Mardi Gras, we have all of the trail riders that mount up for the rodeo. These guys and gals are amazing, it's a real trail ride y'all, not some whiny ass Yankee going , " What do you mean Ralph Lauren doesn't make the proper riding boots ?" Ahem...wrong gear, saddle, seat and party there bucko . And today , as usual, it's clouding up .

Bear in mind , in some ways this is a blessing in disguise for ol Pol here . When the weather first gets nice, the NG's and I get that look that SU fears. Eye's glazed over, we browse the garden center ads. Plotting out planting and calculating the actual precise amount of mulch we will all need. The answer to that by the way is more than we bought. Usually by this time of the year all of the crepes ( crepe myrtles to la touristas ) are pruned. The Biskits ( Hibiscus ) are leggy so they get immediate surgery and we wait on the roses since it is not unknown to get one last cold blast here . I have to be careful as I personally will go nuts and try to trim all of the roses in one weekend . Then Mr. Back Spasm pays a call. At the last count we are down to about 25 rose bushes , so I hope to get it done soon . Some have been replaced, some not .

Then there are the weeds.

Dear Lord, the weeds.

I can bear anything but the thrice damned Bermuda grass. It is the bane of my existence and I will prevail..wait and see. Maintaining the beds is not the issue. I can do that . I am good about deadheading and keeping all of the pots on the patio in good shape. It's just getting to that stage.

SU says that I am right on schedule..all of the catalogs are coming in the mail . and people wonder about my birthday gift choice , for example :

Him: " Honey , given any thought to your birthday gift?"

Me: " Um..nope."

Him : " Any ideas ?"

Me : " Yeah ."

Him: " Care to share ?"

Me : " Mulch."

Ah, the glamerous life of a homeowner.


We're half way through the week kids, have a safe and happy weekend.


You deserve it.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Enough is enough.

Sigh.

I never thought I'd hear the SU and I say this but.......

There is no freaking way that we are going to pay what they want for tickets to JB .

True or False :

1. We are die hard Parrotheads.

2. He hasn't been here in three or 4 years.

3. We never , ever , miss his show.

4. We have ALL the cd's.

5. SU remembers when he opened for Jerry Jeff Walker.

6. SU remembers when he played Liberty Hall.

7. Even Dad knew who he is.

All true.

That being said, he is coming here to perform April 21 at Minute Maid Park, aka the Ball Park. Yeah. The Ball Park. Now , in previous years he played at Little House with a Pavillion . We always bought hill side seats..have old quilt..will travel. If you have ever seen video of his concerts, yes, SU and I are among those on the hill sides dancing and singing our little brains out.

WE KNOW ALL THE WORDS Y'ALL .


According to the paper, tickets are either $86.00 or $126.00 PER TICKET.

You heard me.

And there is a limit of 8 tickets per sale. Lets do the math here . Eight of the cheap ones comes to ....$688.00 . Eight of the finest kind comes to ....$1,024.00.

Plus sales tax.

Plus service charges.

I know , I know, SU and I are only two people. So the cheap seats would set us back $172.00 .

Plus sales tax.

Plus service charges.

Better seats would be $252.00 .

Plus sales tax.

Plus service charges.

Minute Maid park is built for baseball.

Lather, rinse , repeat.

Baseball.

I can only imagine what the acoustics or lack thereof will sound like. Not to mention the visuals.
Bear in mind that SU and I are two middle aged old farts , so it is a given that we don't see really well. Blind as a bat comes to mind. If I am going to pay that sort of loot, I want to see the thrice damn'd stage. With our fabulous luck, we get the nose bleed seats where the free gift with purchase is oxygen and a mask .

Let's not even discuss the price of a beverage or munchies.

Believe it or not, when we would go to see Da man, I'd be the one not drinking, ....AT ALL. Anyone who knows me knows that I am the last person you want to see trying to make her way to the porta john............IN THE DARK . All of our friends know this and are used to it.



I don't have clue one what promoters are thinking . It's not that we cannot afford the tickets ....WE CAN.


I just simply refuse to pander to this form of being completely ripped off.

Even by you Jimmy....even by you.


Have a great week.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol.



Update:

According to this mornings paper, the ballpark is going to allow "tailgating " for the first time. Big Woop . Parrotheads will tailgate, allowed or not. The PT's have decided that they will sell parking spots for said gating. Each car spot is $50.00 or $75.00 a throw. If you have an RV , you gas hog you, a spot will set you back $75.00 per spot.

Yeesh.

Just another reason the SU and I are not only " No" but "HELL NO".

TGIF Y'all

Happy freaking Friday .

It's been an interesting day here . I always get such a chuckle out of " Go Texan Day" here in the city. It is time for the 75'th Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , so of course all sorts of OMG..he/she is actually wearing THAT >????????? goes without saying .

In all fairness, the HLSR does a hell of a lot in the way of providing monies for scholarships to deserving kids in FFA and such groups . These kids pour blood , sweat and tears into raising and showing their animals for this one event. These kids are all good kids, dedicated to the responsibility of caring for their animals and bust their lil butts in the process. Besides, the baby animals in the pens and the petting areas are just soooo damn...." Awwwwww", that you can't help it.

On the other hand, wild herds of Buckle Bunnies are in their annual migration and so without further ado, I give you Aunty Pol's PSA .

" Be on the alert for the wild Buckle Bunny. This migratory nocturnal creature moves in small numbers in seemingly random patterns . Do not let their hap hazzard movement create a sense of false security. Once they have spotted and marked their prey they will risk life and solar/acrylic nail to bring down their chosen target . They choose their protective coloring with great care and may be identified by their distinctive bedazzled patterns. These patterns may serve as a method of blinding their victims. This tactic is commonly known as either being " Beer Goggled " or more commonly , " Bambi In The Headlights ".

Consider Yourselves Warned.



Have a great weekend...you deserve it.

Ciao and Adios

Aunty Pol.

New Grandma

Woo Hoo .

I just got in touch with my oldest and dearest gal pal and found out they are grandparents.

OMG.

Girl, it's official .

We are middle-aged.

LOL .

She and I go way the hell back, to 8'th grade biology class actually . Hard to believe it's almost 40 years .

Sigh.


More to follow.


Have a great week , we all deserve it.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Viewer Alert..Stoopid Bowl Sunday

If any of you are like Aunty Pol and couldn't give a rats ass about the Stoopid Bowl except for the commercials....Reminder:

Check your local listings for the Animal Planet Schedule. That's right...It's time for Puppy Bowl and the Kitten Half Time Show !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wheeeee


Now that's what I call entertainment !

Boo Yah !

Have a great weekend..I know you can do it if you try.


Aunty Pol

Adios Chica

One of the nicest gals I have ever known is flying the coop. She is a paragon and a paradox among her profession . An attorney with a heart, a soul and a sense of humor. I've been in this racket , oops " professional atmosphere " , for 25 years now which is more or less half of this old gal's life . Miss Wendy is that contradiction that is the rarest of rare, a nice gal . Too often in this elitist mens club they call the Law, you are doomed to toil away for those who must retain their power at the expense of others. The petty , the vain, the arrogant and completely abusive . It is the nature of the beast and the sooner you accept that the better off you are. Wishing for a brighter day or justice or a voice of reason is a complete and utter waste of time. The powers that be are just that and you ain't them , not by a long shot.

And yet....


There are those who value the quality of their life as opposed to the quanity of their posessions . They see that a kind word has value on it's own, that most folks are decent sorts given half a chance and that helping others is an obligation ...not a punishment . She is one of those . She has chosen to go to where the Bluebonnets are going to bloom, where the pace is less manic and where the quiet of a spring day is as glorious as any music ever recorded.

You will be missed more than you know my sister .

Be as happy as you can be, you will always be one of the good guys ..or gals as it were.

Adios Mi Amiga

Aunty Pol

Requiem For A Rabblerouser

A personal heroine of mine passed away yesterday. I personally think she would have cared less about my use of the feminine in referring to her , as opposed to the more plebeian hero . I , on the other hand think it is underused and more than appropriate . I have always used the phrase ," I am easily seduced by a clever phrase," and she was one of my major flirts. She never used a five dollar word when simplicity accomplished the same result, and yet her wit was razor sharp to the end . Her public courage in the face of her illness was both heartbreaking and inspiring . She had little if any use for vanity and was fearless in showing the world the effects that her treatment bestowed upon her . Her theory was that of Cancer was going to try to kick her ass , she'd by Gawd kick back and take names . She claimed to have been born in " East Texas", and technically she would be stretching the truth . She was born in California but raised in River Oaks . River Oaks is to East Texas as Beverly Hills is to California. She couldn't have cared less about where a person was from, it was who they were and where they were headed that interested her more. She went to Smith as did her mother and yet never succumbed to the elite ideals that form the perfect Tri Delt or Alpha Phi . She understood that it was okay to be a liberal, to think out side the mainstream and was an advocate for pointing out the Emperor's lack of clothes when most would have demurred. Given the political climate and the gender bias of her early career, she is all the more remarkable for having stuck to her guns. Some politicians have permanent nicknames due to her and yet she had the grace and decency to always distinguish between the politician and the political office he or she held.

On a daily basis, somewhere where there are women gathered, someone is always designated the group's " Smart Ass", armed with a sharp tongue and a pithy reply. She is considered a Parton Saint of the " Smart Ass " , and shall be forever missed by this Smart Ass.

Rest In Peace Molly Ivins.

You may be assured that those who continue to call a dipstick a dipstick will always be there ready with a remark, a reply or a retort. We will call a spade a spade and a shrub a shrub . If those fail, we still have the cadre of cuss words in our verbal stockpile you were not above using when needed....even for the hell of it.

You have always been a heroine to me and shall continue to be one of my many " Gal's who made me laugh my ass off."

Say " Howdy" to Miss Ann when you see her.

Happy Trails


Aunty Pol

TGIF

For as long as I can remember, I have this weird thing that happens when I wake up. I hear a song in my head. Sometimes it's a portent of the way the day is going to go. Sometimes , it's a left over part of a dream, you know the kind. You remember the fact that you dreamed but not a lot of the dream itself . Sometimes it's an emotional response to something going on in my world . Sometimes it's just there.

It can be almost anything . I have to be careful who I tell, like Nee Nee for example . I can mention it to her and then she's got it stuck in her head all day. The gift that keeps on giving.

Todays song is.......

Wait for it......

Wait.....


" Hellraiser " by Ozzy Osbourne.

Yup.

Old Pol is a die hard Ozzy fan, one of the original Black Sabbath fans. I first heard them on their first U.S. tour in Virginia with an old and first crush, Jim Minerd.

OMG..I haven't thought about Jim Minerd in eons.

And that was 1970 0r 1971.


EEK.




On the homefront:


I FREAKING LOVE THE NEW FURNITURE...LOL..Obsess Much ??

The Kitteh's have decided that they also luv the new furniture. Even Boshi, the shy one came out last night while SU was over at the crazy Cajun's to play cards. Moi...happy as a clam watching " Smallville ( Yeah..cameo from the Martian Manhunter...that F'g rocks people !!!) , and then CSI. Gawd Liv Schreiber ( sp) is yummy....sigh.

Focus Pol....focus.

Anyhoo, there is the Baby Girl sitting in the middle of the sofa like it's a throne. Not on the side..not scrunched down like " You don't see me...I'm not here." More like ..."I am ready to be adored, notice my perfection. " I guess they all like the texture of the fabric and it's been almost a week so they have put their paw of approval on it.

Yes.

They run the house .

And they know it.


The Other Obsession.....My RPG..

I can't believe that we have been playing together for either four or five years now.

Once again it seems that the web host that we are using is being a total butt hole and so we are gonna pack it up and move to yet another host.

I guess for all the noobs/virgins, I had better explain. An RPG is a " Role Playing Game. Right now WOW or World Of Warcraft is an uber popular multi - player game on the 'net. Just as " EverQuest" had dominated the genre a few years ago WOW is the cat's ass right now.

And then there is my lil tribe . " Dune , War Of Assassins " or as we call it " WOA 3.0 " ...hee hee. We started off on the old SciFi channel board, but that blew up..long story..don't ask. Our fearless leader IM'd a few of us die hards about joining a new game..."Oh Hell to the Yeah". The game itself has had various titles over the years, and the same core group of 20 or so people from all over. Two are in Australia. One is in Warsaw. Three of us are in Texas. There are a couple of Canadians, a couple of Brits, a Dane or two.

But, we aren't World of Warcraft. We play a game based on "Dune " by Frank Herbert.

Yeah...we are those people.

I have played as a Major House of the Landsraad. I have run the Bene Gesserit faction. I have been Governor of Arrakis. I am know by one and all as one mean mofo who you do not cross , unless you want to be assassinated or have all your Melange stolen or blown up.

And yet, I know all of these people. Their real life names and phone numbers and where they live. I suspect one chum will be coming over from the UK again this year and will crash at Casa de Swamp . I look forward to the political discussion that Roger and SU have. These are the people who kept me sane when my father died. I was there in turn when Lone' s father passed away. We've shared births, deaths and new pet additions or losses. When we have to move the site we patiently wait or Im each other with barbs, puns and an occasional dirty limmerick . I trust them with my life, have welcomed them into our home and value what they have given me.


But I swear if CT tries to poison me again...mwahahahah.

Fear Me.


Ciao

Have a Great Weekend.


ISST


Aunty Pol

What the..??????

My left eye was a tad itchy the day before yesterday , great I thought.." A Stye." My father was very prone to these to the point that he'd had the vast majority of his eye lashes removed . Yes. Removed. " A guy thing", concluded all of the females I have shared this with . True that. I got used to the fact that my father looked like a Komodo Dragon at times when he blinked which was funnier than hell...especially after I'd told him this fact.

But I digress.

I threw out my eyemakeup, having learned to keep a new set of sterile intact replacements handy. I always use a clean washcloth to clean my face. Every night. I buy the cheapest ones I can get that are white and bleach them, and no..not even bleach will get some of the makeup residue off the cloth...which begs the question..ewww...my skin ? I have been using a mineral makeup for about a year and a half and am quite pleased , so there are choices out there. I use cetaphil to cleanse and a good toner. I use a good eyecream and cetaphil as a moisture cream. I don't spend money on fancy shit. So why the hell was my left eye..only the left mind you swollen yesterday ? Not quite shut, but Jeebus....! SU could see the swelling without his glasses and he is truely blind as a bat. I look like I've been sucker punched. I'd use this as a joke at the office , except for :

1. Not Funny
2. Been there in real life aka marriage # 1.
3. See #'s 1 and 2.

People have been doing a double take at the office..hee hee...but they don't know what to say and for this bunch, that it odd in itself. I know many gals that go sans Max Factor and good for them. I am not one of them ...trust me here.

I feel Nekkid.

Please let the eye clear up. Failing that...any one know where I can get a good Parrothead Eye Patch ?

ISST

Have a good week, we all deserve it

One Eyed Aunty Pol....Arrrrr Matey

I need another weekend to recover from the weekend.

We had a great weekend at Casa de Swamp....but I need a weekend to recover . The old furniture got recycled to some young dude via freecycle so he is a happy camper . From what I gather the young dude is in his first place , ( Lordy Jeebus , I remember those days ) and is happy to get whatever he can. We are happy to have it gone, finding a new use and not filling up the area landfill with stuff that is still of some use. So there we were, eyeballing vast expanses of bare room and carpet....well hells bells..." Lets clean the carpeted areas that never see the light of day, ....aka the under the sofa parts. Wheeeeeee ! The NG's have a spotbot ( Gawd, I want one of my own...hint to thee El Hubbo) and so I used it and the Mega Monster and got all of that done. Then...we needed to unload the china hutch to make room for furniture inny's and outies. After the third cuppa..well hells bells, " Lets clean off the crystal stemware and polish the silver that is now covering the dining room table......lalalalalal . Done. There we sat on the outdoor chairs that were repositioned indoors , confusion reigned amongst the fur folk and hisself went back to watch goof. This was really a clever ploy to snag a nap. I am on to him. LOL. Doorbell. Huzzah..furniture ????????? Nopers..It's the lamps ! Wheeeeee ! " What do you mean
we are gonna wait to open them until the furniture arrives ??????????" I want to open the pretties NAOW ! Come on, I've been a really good girl waiting for the furniture....and ask anyone who knows me....I hate the hurry up and wait game..! After 30 minutes, I want to find a gun and play " Opps..there WAS one chambered. My bad." Finally furniture arrives. My beautiful chocolate brown microsuede sofa and paprika colored microsuede chair are here! And they are perfect ! And they work with the new area rug, drapes and lamps. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY JOY . We bask in the glory that is our new space, clean fresh carpet, shiney silver and crystal and warm, cozy new stuff . The kittehs are still trying to figure out where their old stuff is, and all twiterpated that we moved their stuff a bit. By 8:30 hisself was ZZZZZ 'g on the sofa and Moi decided...bed....warm water bed with kittehs..oh hell yeah. Me....8:30 on a Saturday night. Who'd athunk it ? Sunday was laundry and errands and such so I really do need another weekend.


In a side note..it's weird to wake up so early on the weekends. Nice, but weird. Still on the wagon, so it is what it is. Tried to get in touch with some friends but they were busy according to their blogs so I will try again later. Just because we don't yak a lot on a regular basis doesn't mean that we don't love and care about each other.

I will post news about Momma in law when I have some.

Have a GREAT week...we all deserve it.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Wonder Of Wonders

Anyone who knows me knows that Ol Aunty Pol here rarely pays full price for anything. Nope..nosirreebob..not me. For example, my favorite store/catalog is ColdwaterCreek . I love all of their clothes and their pants fit other than the length, which I have dealt with all my life. I usually wait until the desired goody goes from their main page to their Outlet Linky. Yes, this means at times that I have to check on a daily basis, but if they are slashing the price on a jacket that I HAVE to have, say from $99.00 to $29.00....OH HELL YEAH ! I absolutely refuse to pay full price. Shopping to me and for me is a competitive sport....and I have to win.


Recently SU and I finally bought a new sofa and chair for the living room. HUH F'g ZAH !!!!!!!!
Seriously peeps. The old one was one that was a custom order..you know the kind of place that lets you pick the frame and the material like you're Candy Freaking Spelling you are soooo special....right. I can't grouse too much, the old sofa lasted 17 years and was slip cover friendly. The new stuff is to be delivered this coming Saturday...yipppeeeeee.....Can't hardly wait. The miracle part is that for years I have wanted new lamps also..catch the pattern here gang ? There is a catalog company named " Home Decorators Collection " that we have ordered from before...hint..if you go to their website you will quickly see that they are owned by Chrome Depot..so the illusions that you are dealing with some chi chi elite decor service are pretty much in the crapper , but they do have nice stuff. Low and behold...I find two tiffany style lamps that I like at the outlet....table lamp market down from $139 . 00 to $39.00 AND a matching floor lamp marked down to $ 59.00 from 159.99. Grabbed those bad boys up let me tell ya. The miracle here is that while SU is pretty easy going about a lot of stuff with the occasional " Oh Hell No", he actually LIKES the new lamps.

Now, if I can find a rug.......I want a Sarouk in the worst way. Holler if you hear of a good sale.

Be Safe. Be Warm.

Still 16 days y'all.

Aunty Pol

Glad it's not our house.

We received a card and note from the Aunt and Uncle up in the frozen North with one of those prose laden family memo's that we all know and abhor. It seems that they are moving after 40 years in one house to a smaller abode with less yard and or maintenance.


Forty Years.

Jeebus H. As I recall my aunt is an avid antique maven and is always on the prowl for some gee gaw that she can't pass up. Can you imagine forty years of collecting only to have to pack it all up ? Not to mention the sorting and the " where the hell did this come from ?" Or in their case , " heck." I am glad that they are moving into a more reasonable place and not the assisted living aka hell on Earth situation. It will be odd to have to use another address for them too, after all these years of their having one of the addresses that I have in fact commited to memory. I hope all goes well for them, but I can also imagine their kids, my cousins thinking..." Oh no, please don't let them foist that krep off on us."




It's freezing down here in Tejas, and of course the weather wonks hae made it out to be much worse than it was. Hisself is miserable, and I ama reminding myself that later on this year as I die from the humidity that I loathe ( "It's not the heat, it's the humidity...BITE ME.") . I fail to see why it is so awful to actually put on another layer of clothing, jeezey pete..that's what sweats and socks are for peeps. This will all pass and we will havew our regulated 3 days of sprong before the heat descends. Hopefully this 'cane season will be less than last years..oh please let it be so.


16 days y'all.


Be safe.



Ciao


Aunty Pol.

Sheesh

I just read a report that it is sleeting up where we live, oh joy. We are a part of that southern area that is getting the winter blast, and we aren't in an area that has a lot of bad winters. This is Houston people...we live in shorts 10-11 months of the year. SU will be a very unhappy camper as he hates the cold weather and he will kvetch and carry on. I will ignore him as is my norm, and focus on happy thoughts....like the new sofa and chair that is going to be delivered God willing this coming Saturday. He was the one that saw the ad and so off we went..the new sofa is a more modern design in a warm reddish brown microsuede and my chair is in paprika.....think Campbells Tomato soup. The new drapes are up, though we need one more panel and hisself has determined that we do in fact need the valances..LMAO...yup. Hisself decided. I found 2 new lamps that are ordered from the Home decorators outlet linky and I think they are going to be great...I am a happy camper.

Other that, not much is new, Momma in law starts radiation this week so we are hopeful.

Take care..be warm.


Day 15..( cept for a slip or 2 early on ..but it's progress ~ I am happier sober..that's right kids..I haven't had a drink in 15 days. I have even gone so far as to tell the neighbors and some trusted co-workers...not all of the reasons....way too personal but enough to get the love and support they are famous for. I look forward to the dayb that I don't know the number of that day..that it is simply what it is. For those who don't get it..oh well....I no longer care what you may or may not think .)

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

The Things We Notice

SU and I were talking the other night with regards to how much his father has aged through the ordeal of cancer. Pop is the same age as my late father would have been and has always looked 20 years younger.

Till now.

I have privately thought that their devout faith is the base of their coping skills . You don't manage cancer, it manages you . The treatment if any calls the shots on how you feel, what you think and how you react . It takes no prisoners, offers no negotiations and has the final word in the clearest manner of things . There comes a time when the doctors have to talk to the victim regarding threatment options. My mother in law has had both chemo and radiation therapy and now faces the prospect of determining her options . I didn't know until she told me that the human body has certain tolerence levels with regard to chemo or radiation therapy and that the doctors aren't certain if she can have any more treatments. Through all of this, she's remained positive and calm . Very little seems to ruffle her feathers and I admire that beyond words. I am not sure how many more holiday seasons we will have with her and I am also unsure how Pop will cope later on. They are one unit so to speak. You do not think of one without the other. But he will soldier on as we all must, supporting his wife in this as he has done before. I can only sit by the sidelines and be there for SU as he deals with this as he was for me.

Growing up sucks.

If your parents are still alive , count your blessings. If not, remember them in your prayers . It happens to all of us, to lose a loved one . Our parents went through it, as did theirs . Its the way life is and can't be delayed or denied.

It just is.

Have a good week...you can do it if you try hard enough.

Ciao.


Aunty Pol

Happy Holidays All Y'all

As usual we went over to SIL 's for the holiday. And as usual I was pissed off about being told when and where to be. Not so much them, I just don't like being told what to do.

It was a lovely day.

Who knew.


I had been given the gift I'd most hoped for.

My brother got to come stateside and finally met his grand daughter. They arrived safe and whole from Minneapolis to Denver. All good.


I spent the day with the in laws and their friends, ate till bursting and spent time with the Mom in Law. We now see how his parents have aged through all this .

Mother has cancer .

Again.

It's not good .

I cannot tell you how much I admire her state of grace.

Her condition is not good. Treatment is iffy.

SU and I now realize his parent's ages.

And I had the best time, just hanging with family.

I spoke to other friends tonight who know the issues and who love us.

I called the other Niece, Bug was asleep in her Nana's arms.

All is right in my world.


Feliz Navidad.

Peace out .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY JOY FRIGGAN JOY

The beloved brudder is at home with SIL. Only for leave tho.

Now that's what I mean by a Christmas present peeps.

Feliz Navidad.

Peace Out.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Well..It's a Monday

Had a rather pleasent weekend this past one which is odd for this time of year. Usually the SU and I are in full panic mode over the holidays, but he would in fact tell you that this more on my part than his...ROTF on that one. So far the tree is in tact, even though Sgt. Andy Panda Pants has become one of the " Kitteh's who sleep under the Christmas tree. " Must be some sort of Feline Union Rule of Behavior. They have all developed an un-easy truce and now are going through the motions of the hissing and chasing routine . Andy has the front part of the house and the others stay in the back. I just have to be careful that when I am running around that he doesn't have to come and find me. I hope to get the Christmas cards done at lunch today. The important gifts have already gone out or were ordered on line..Gawd, I love that bit. The theory that holiday shopping is a warm and fuzzy Currier and Ives bit is pure bunk. Maybe if you don't work outside the home and I mean no disrespect to stay home guys and gals . You guys work your fannies off for no recognition or respect. Anyhoo , as we plod along, I have some last minute things to pick up and a slug of those gifty bags and tissue paper to grab. SU is the designated wrapper in the Casa, he of the squared corners and perfect angles . I am of the throw paper on that beastie , plotz a bow and call it a day.

As usual the weather is warm, even for us. A lot of the tribe at the office is doing the sinus, chest cold thing that I was down with after the trip last month to see the cutest child in the known universe . It never fails, the Holidays are the time when you can bet the the bugs are flying and people are of the mind that they aren't going to give in to it. Brilliant ! Thanks ever so for spreading it around to the yet to be infected. Instant gift giving, no trim required....germs. remind me to breathe on you if you do that to me. HAH ! But more on the weather in a minute .

Oddly enough SU actually got a holiday bonus this year. I don't think that he's gotten one since I have known his save the occasional canned ( yum..? ) ham. He's a pretty happy camper and I heard from the grapevine on my end that his boss has mentioned to his attorney here ( cosy) that they may want to see about getting SU certified as a tech. SU's not quite sure what that means. To me it means that they like the quality of his work and are willing to recognize that. And the potential for extra Solaris is nice..sorry ...required Dune ref.

All in all, other than waiting to hear on Momma in Laws test results...waiting....waiting...we are all blessed to be reasonably safe, occasionally sane and in one piece . Can't ask for more.

And lastly, back to the weather ..sheesh. Talk about weird. All weekend it was in the lower 70's and damn'd near tied a record. Now is is drizzly and still in the 70's, but it's like early spring and not a week before Christmas. Now contrary to what SU believes, I do not want the cold and ice and all that crap. COld weather is nice and all as ling as I can have a fire in the fireplace but then you know the drill. Nice fire, beverage of choice, hopefully a good old Bette Davis or Bogart or Barbara Stanwick on the tv. Bliss. Then you crash and as a sensible homeowner you have to leave the flu open just in case. Presto chango..you wake up freezing your ass off in a now frigid house . And let me let tell you ..the one thing that will piss me off faster than almost anything else, SU included , is waking up cold. I can't get warm the whold damn day and for one who is more prone to power surges ( hot flashes for you younger gals or the male types) ..I hate it. SU knows when I am sick like the week before last as I am buried in the heavy duty sweats from Academy ( none of that cheap shit from Hanes thankyouverymuch) and even tho I have 3 extra bankies on the water bed..I am still ice cold. Autumn fine....fall fine....sweater weather or my yummy leather coat or jacket...fine...freezing my ass off... fergit it. The problem with the weather when it is like this is that for down here in Houston, we rarely have cold weather for the holidays. We are more apt to get a late freeze just about rose prunning or rodeo time. So while it is like this , the people that are trying to hold on to any Christmas spirit with both hands are just bummed completely out. Fine. Go stick your head in the freezer and be grateful that you are not looking for your loved ones on Mt. Hood...and that's not looking promising at the moment. Folks there are a lot of other more important things to get all fired up about than a little drizzle.

Feliz Navidad Y'all.

Peace Out..and pass the Nog.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol.


p.s....Just got back from a break and there are all these loverly baskets from Richard's Wine for some of the attorneys. I was a good gurl and called all the lucky ones. They'd better get ta steppin..I have a church key in the old Coach bag...wheeeeeeeeee !

Staggeringly Stupid ....Pt. 2

As in most high rises, we have those little captivate screens in the elevators.

Yup.

T.V. for that brief peried that you are tapped with in the cool clutches of Mr. Otis with no escape pod at hand. I have to admit that it is a rather clever marketing ploy and every once and a while they have some news oddity that makes me go " Barooooo ??????????"

News Blurb:


" A member of the Nevada Legislature has proposed an amendment that would allow teachers to carry guns into the classroom in an effort to curb student violence"


WTF ?????????????

I mean seriously..........WTF ?

This is so staggeringly stupid that ...sorry SIL...it makes the visual aid bit for hunters down here in Texas sound positively enlightened.

First of all....Jeebus H. Guns do not solve anything with regard to student violence. Kids are going to beat the crap of each other with whatever is at hand or their grimy little fists if need be.
Bring in and brandishing a gun simply tells the little darlings that the teacher...aka the friggan adult has no control over the situation ,much less their class. It also instills the idea that a gun by Gawd is the answer to any and all conflict...

For example:

1. Kid # 1 cuts in front of kid # 2 on line for the slide
Answer : Put a cap in # 1's ass

2. Kid # 1 copies off of # 2's test.
Answer: Put a cap in #1's ass.

3. Teacher needs to get the class to settle down .
Answer: Put a couple of rounds in the classroom's ceiling

Now before all y'all accuse Aunty Pol of blowing this out of proportion , just think about one word.

Columbine.

Yeah, guns at school worked really , really well there didn't they ?

Not to mention insurance for the school and their district will shoot through the roof. Oh sorry..bad pun. Unintended that. And school district taxes......ditto.


Bottom line.

We need to teach kids that fighting solves nothing. Yeah, they are gonna fight but then at a certain age, they begin to realize that beating the crap out of each other only results in their getting suspended and hopefully an irate parent to deal with.

Lil Johnny or Jane can learn alternate methods to solve a conflict....or go to the school where all the special kids are. They already have too many influences in their lives every day that say being " badass" is cool.

Guns ?

I only wish I lived in the voting district that Mr. Smith and Wessen lived in and was elected from. I promise you, I'd be organizing a recall drive that remove him into the 9'th generation of his genetic legacy.

Have a great weekend.

Peace Out..

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Sigh

SU and I had to go to Slammin Sammy's tonight after work, we figured that mid week would be less nuts than normal for this time of year and for the most part we were correct . In and out with a minimum of hassle..la la la.

When we got home SU noticed that he'd gotten a voice mail on the hell phone when we were cruising the aisles. It was from his mother and the message she left just set off the big ass alarm buzzer that operates as my gut radar.

Momma in law recently went through a surgery involving her bladder..a suspension or some such. As many of my fam and friends know, Momma in law had been remission with Non Hodgekins Lymphoma for Lord..I think 10 years now.

The operative word here kids is HAD.

While the doctor was in playing roto rooter, he or she as the case may be found new cancer in what I term her Lady Bits .

Yup.

CRAP MONKEYS.

Since Momma in law is in the M.D. Anderson data base already , they zapped the biopsy over for the usual scans.

Momma in law has no idea what the prognosis is. I know SU..he is concerned , and not a little scared but it's early days. We don't know if this is the original cancer spreading or a sharecropper.


Chant kids Chant...

Peace Out

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Almost done

Wheee .

The spouse and I finally figured what to get for presents for his mother and sister . Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition. We struggle every year with the gift thing, as does everyone else, so I guess it's the same all over. Thus far the tree has managed to stay in tact, and even Sgt. Andy Panda Pants has discovered the delight of sleeping under the tree . All of the decorations are up and a couple of gal pals ( shout out to LAW and Susan) were right . It did help. Now all I have to do is figure out something for my step mother . When Dad was alive, it was easy, music. But now....anyhoo....tomorrow is get off the duff and get the Christmas cards out. Happy Happy Joy Joy.

Hope all y'all have a great weekend coming up and don't get too crazed at the Mall of your choice.

Peace Out

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Staggering Stupidity

Every once and a while I come across something that is so staggeringly stupid that it just flat out amazes me. This one is for you LAW ........since I know how you feel about Texas .

There is a proposed change in the state hunting/permit laws that would allow the use of either laser sightings or guide dogs by the legally ..BLIND.

Yup.

Not middle aged nearsighted need bifocals...BLIND.

LEGALLY BLIND.

Now , I don't know about the rest of all y'all out there...but the last place I want to be is around a person who has vision challenges and a firearm. Nor am I opposed in principal to the concept of hunting. Rat Bastard first husband and his family went hunting every year and venison was a staple in our diets. They took great pains to make sure that any kill was a clean kill and that is wasn't for S & G as we used to say . And while they bow hunted, the principal was the same.

But they weren't visually challenged. And unlike some hunters I know, they were sober when they hunted.


I just can't get over the stupidity of this dumb ass concept...


I am all for helping those in need , within reason. I give to United Way , support co-workers endless parade of " Buy my kids crap to support their school....whatever." , and so forth . I try to slip some coins in the Salvation Army Bucket .

But giving this sort of assistance to someone who is probably prohibited from even driving ??????


That 's so many kinds of flat out bat shit crazy that even I'm impressed. Where is Molly Ivans when we need her the most ? Hell, I even voted for the Kinkster ....but this is just beyond words.

Kill the Wabbit......kill the Wabbit......

Sheesh.

Peace Out


Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

Dude..I hate being sick this time of year

Contrary to popular thought.....


I thought Su would be the one to come home with dah cold.

WRONG.

For the past three days I have fought the ahhh choo's.

I cannot get warm. It's cold down here. I have been hit by a bus. I have turned on the heat. Bundled up. Living in sweats and bankies. Brrr. My hair hurts. Bones ache.

My back hurts from being in bed.

I don't care that I am gonna miss the firms party.

Yeah..all y'all want my germs.


Kill me now.

Going back to bed.

Aunty Pol

I may have figured it out..LMAO

As noted in the previous post...I am in sorta a blues mood..and no not Eric Clapton, thankyouverymuch.

Last night it occurred to me that part of the problemo may be that if I see one more commercial for the holidays where there is a party and the commercial shows ANY of the following:

1. Perfect clean home .

2. Perfectly decorated clean home .

3. Perfectly decorated clean home with oodles of lit candles perfectly placed for the most attractive ambiance .

4. Perfectly decorated clean home with oodles of lit candles perfectly placed for attractive ambiance and everyone dressed to the teeth in shiney holiday clothes .

5. Perfectly decorated clean home with oodles of lit candles perfectly placed for attractive ambiance, everyone dressed to the teeth in shiney holiday clothes and perfectly behaved children and pets also merrily attired in clean, fun , shiney clothes .

6. Perfectly decorated clean home with oodles of lit candles perfectly placed for attractive ambiance, everyone ( furr folk included) in shiney party clothes and a table full of perfectly cooked and presented food.

Just STOP IT.

I am going to go feral.

Where is it written that we have to have all of that shit ? We overstress, over plan, over compensate and over spend every year. We swear that next year we will start earlier ( Hah) and plan better ( Again,,Hah). We create this artificial Martha Stewart / TLC / Food Channel concept that says if you don't have the proper linens...plate chargers...whatevs that you are a social pariah and will be fodder for gossip amongst your social peers for years to come.

Ahem.....

F DAT.


** IT should be noted that the above mentioned we is not specifically SU and I or our friends...it is a generalization of the commercialism of the concept and the Sheeple they pander to.**

Resume rant here:

Anyhoo....Every year SU and I have our dinner party. Years ago our gang of cohorts decided that rather than one more lousy chain restaurant dinner gift exchange thingy that everyone would come to our House . SU is a great cook and we have a small kitchen ...so I clean the casa and he does all the prep and cooking. It works out. Everyone brings wine they either like , want to try or want to recommend . It's usually the crazy cajun and his wife and another couple that we've run with for 18 years. Attire..jeans...footwear optional in the Casa. I like to throw parties, and will clean the joint..but know also that these guests are more family than " guests" and don't give a rats ass if I didn't lay out the good china. The white dishes from Tar Jay work work quite nicely. Those only got bought because one year I realized I didn't have enough pfaltzgraff sans chips to use...and I personally draw the line at serving anyone except me and the SU on a chipped plate. I was raised better than that. I'd like to however get new slipcovers but whatever...and if we can't have the party till January because of commitments or schedule conflicts..fine too.

They know that I am not Martha Stewart..will never be Martha Stewart and still love me as I love them. I didn't notice the usual places in the paintwork that need swipe because SOMEONE WILL NOT KEEP HIS MITTS OFF THE WALLS..HINT , until I saw those commercials and almost thought..jeeze..I live in a dump. Almost thought.

It may or may be a dump according to ones viewpoint..but by GAWD it's mine..and fully paid for.

I may or may not get Christmas cards done. I have a pretty good idea what to get for the gifty things on line for those I love...and as for the rest.........WHATEVER. If I can get the tree etc up..fine..if not....fine too.


Peace Out

Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol