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

Brrrr...Dagnabit

Dagnabit...it's colder than a welldigger's hoo hah out there kids. We've had a blue Norther blow through here and it's dropped from 72 degrees or so at 7 a.m. to 42 degrees currently . It's official.....my blood has thinned out . SU has decided that Sgt. Andy Panda Pants will be in the house today which is fine....any " presents " that the lad leaves will be cleaned by his father...NOT MOI . 'Dems dah rules kids.

Maybe this cold snap will get me in the mood for the holidays.....yeah right. All the stores had their Christmas crap out last month..and the songs and all of that. Some of the people in our neighborhood already have their out door decor up..yessireebob . Lovely that. Our office management always puts up their foo foo the day after Thanksgiving..always so that is normal.

I just can't get into it . maybe it's too early. Maybe it's the fact that it's that post vacation let down...maybe it's the fact that I really miss my family and my father.....maybe I'm just in a mood.

We may not get a chance to put up the tree this year as SU has to work most of the Saturdays in December for a half day and I am fine with that. In his line of work, patients come in to get their prosthetics/orthotics tweaked before the end or the month, thus avoiding a new deductible for 2007 so soon after Santa Paws. This is business as usual in this line of work and for a lot of others in various medical fields. This also helps with the OT to offset his own medical insurance deductions from his payroll. Then there is still his golf league every other Sunday..also fine by me..I get some time for me and I can usually get a lot done at Casa de'Swamp.


It's just a time crunch. We don't get a real tree every year..yeah we are Heathens..cope with it. When we first moved into the Casa, there was a company named " Silk GreenHouse" that was closing down and they had all their crap marked way the F down. So off I trot. We have a really nice 6 ft. fake tree and all the goodies....in the attic . Then we bought a smaller ( LOL) table top thing.....also in the attic. Along with all the ornaments...and crap. And do you really think I am going to try to wrestle that crap down ???????? Have you met me ?

The first year after Dad died....I just couldn't cope with it. Last year I put up the tree and felt somewhat better..so I told myself....LIAR. This year which is the third year..I dunno.

It will have been three years in January.

Maybe I just need a good boo hoo.

Maybe I just need to lighten up on myself.

Maybe I need to stop overthinking all of this.

I definitely need chocolate.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Maybe I'm Amazed...Or Not

I fell in love with a tiny human being. Her name is Dakota . I had been told she doesn't take to strangers, so I had some reservations. I am grateful this was not the case. She knows her Granty. SU and I went on a road trip to see her and the Kids. The weather was perfect, to the point that we had to go to TarJay to get teeshirts....why the hell they keep all the buildings so overheated is beyond Moi. I love my nephew beyond words and his wife is a great gal. But


But......


The tiny person..........



OMG I love her.

SU who is not a kid person....lets just say he had his moment .


With his putting his baseball cap on her .


" Little One....Little One....."


BN and I slid down the wall we laughed so hard.

I am an amazingly lucky gal to have these folks in my life.


Ciao,


Aunty Pol

Update

Sigh.

SIL was right , bless her fuzzy lil heart. Sgt. Andy ate something that disagreed with him. He was a lot perkier last night when he came in and ate his usual kibs and drank his water. He was a bit miffed that we were out of bovine wine tho. I 'splained that it was his daddys fault. SU grabed the last of the milk for his cookies and refused to buy anymore pre vacation. Yes I am married to a 12 year old.

We always have some form of a crisis pre holiday. It just varies in the degree of oh shit...how much is THAT gonna cost. SU had gotten 2 new tires last week, and as always road hazard coverage. Smart man. This morning in the HOV lane we had a flat....yup. One of the new tires .
Within about 3 minutes we had a county sherrif pulled up behind us to check out the situation. SU got the donut mounted and we were on the way. He's at Discount tire right now getting a new tire and seeing if we have to replace the donut .Better here in town rather than on the road ...out in BFE Texas.

SIGH.

But...it's haircut and color day...........................wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Have a great day and a safe holiday.

Oh and before I fergit.................

GO NAVY............BEAT ARMY.......again.

Ciao

Aunty Pol

Man, I'm hoping SIL is right.

It never fails.

SU and I think that Sgt. Andy is sick. He was fine the night before last, just a little quiet . Last night when we got home , as usual we opened the back door and instead of him running in....SU had to call him. He moseys into the kitchen where we'd dipped up food..not really all that " Gimme Gimme", even the milk.

Not interested....

An 8 month old kitteh.

Yipes.

Unsually when he comes in he goes straight to the icey box. He will sit and stare until I get his milk set up.

SU had him up on the sofa, and he stayed a while. We'd decided that he would stay in last night as the weather is getting weird. SU had to get up and at one point placed him on the rug under the coffee table. He didn't move.

ALL NIGHT.

He didn't budge.

Not Once.







SU let him out and he took off.

Tomorrow when he gets off work, SU will race home , put Andy in thePTB ( Prisoner Transport Box) and take him to Petsmart. Hopefully we can bail him out on Friday.

We are leaving for Denver this Saturday to see the cutest baby in the known Universe and her parents. I have been planning this trip since April. This is THE vacation for both of us.


Andy does have a medical issue and I hope that is not kicking up .

I offered to cancel the trip but SU said not this close.

You see, to us...the brofurs and sisfurs are our kids. Yup..We are those people . The people who hang stockings every year for the kittehs . The people who refer to each other as Mommy and Daddy. The people who do this in front of and in conversations with the kittehs. The people who refer to the kittehs as the Grand Katz when talking to their parents.

We are those people.

I really didn't realize how fond of Andy Panda Pants I'd really become.

And I am not making the following up.

I swear this on my fathers watery grave.

I dreamed this happened to Andy Sunday night. It was one of those terribly vivid dreams.

I never told it to Gordon until he said that the lad looked like he felt puny.

Please say a prayer or think a good thought for Sgt. Andy while he is at the 4077 Mash Unit.

I emailed SIL and she said upset tummy mebbe ?

I hope so.

Ciao

Aunty Pol

Tick Tock The Vacation Clock is On BABY

Well, almost every thing is done for the trip . Got SU some gloves last night after realizing that the only ones he has are golf gloves.

Gloves.

Funny things. SU being the picky shit that he is ( yes you are dear...everyone knows it and loves you in spite of this) hates the bulky fabric ones, the two tone leather ones were just fugly..bleech . I splurged and got him a nice pair of leather ones. I realized at some point today that this once again is me being a product of my parents and they way they did things. My father for example was the sort of man that thought every one should have certain things in life.


For Example:

1. Well polished shoes.

2. A decent overcoat

3. A decent pair of gloves.

I am certain that he got this from his parents . Even tho my paternal grandparents divorced when I was about the Bugs age, they were very much a product of their generation. You did things a certain way. Appearence and proper decorum were required...not as a special thing, but as an everyday way of living one's life. SU says that I sometimes am a tad intolerant of things and he is right. LOL...he doesn't realize that I have in fact mellowed out quite a bit since my callow youth . And picking out gloves last night reminded me of my connection to my father and the lessons I absorbed rather than learned. SU and my late father had many common traits. Among them was a fondness for hats. Daddy favored a Homberg or his Beret if he was feeling dashing and sassy. And yes, he could be that at times..you just had to really know him to know when he was gearing up for a full Bogart. SU on the other hand usually has a baseball cap on..habit and precaution since the lad is damn near bald on top. The other hats he favors are fedoras and straw Panamas's ala Leon Redbone . Other than my father , SU is the only man I have ever known who bought a hat in an old fashioned haberdashery. The definition is a tad more broad according to Websters...but you get the idea. The store was called Dobbs and it was a downtown land mark of a sorts. You could get a hat fitted, re-furbished or cleaned. Those days and those stores are gone . Yes..you can get a cowboy hat still..this is Texas after all, but you'd be suprised at how many men don't wear them down here. SU does not wear one . Back when that silly ass movie came out and every one wanted to by Gawd go to Gillys, every one wanted one of those fuggly ass straw cowboy hats. And they all thought you had to keep them pristine. I knew a rancher years ago ..actually my ex-father in law , and yes he and my late mother in law had a ranch in Pendleton , Oregon......anyhoo...said that a real cowboys hat was dirty and dusty and the sweatband on the inside was stained for a reason. It was called work. So SU got his gloves and yes..a black fedora. His old one was too small. And he knows the value of a good hat .

Dad would be proud.

Have a great evening.

Ciao ,

Aunty Pol

Irony ~ Not Just For Breakfast Any More

Sigh.

Every year the firm puts on it's annual dog and pony show at the GRB Convention Center , ( George R. Brown for the Touristas) .

Every Year.

This is the 40'th annual , which...say it with me...we've done 40 of those bastards.

40.

It is a blessing in untold ways that ol Pol didn't have access to any form of fire arm yesterday because I would have ended up in the pokey. All damn day long people ran amok looking for power point and a place to rehearse . People..this ain't the Old Vic here. You have know about this for 6 to 8 months. You have your speeches ready, your bullit points, your altoids and you laser pointer thingy's.

And still you persist in coming so unglued that forget Gorilla Glue...I'm considering an a welding torch....and no pain supressors.

Jeebus H Roosevelt Tap Dancing Christ .

Did all y'all have a collective blow to the head and forget the date ?

Does this years speech really diviate all that much from the snore fests of previous years ?

The irony is that the ones thatdon'y become the most unhinged are usually the biggest egomaniacs that we can't get to zip it any other time.

" Blah Blah Blah di Blah Blah Blah"

A**Hats

The Hatted ones

The poor co-ordinator has to endure the hatted here and then in Atlanta. Then if she's lucky she can have a nervous breakdown..or a few days off....or both.

Thankfully , I have enough to do to keep busy before vacation on my desk that I can Ignore the hatted ones.

Hang on a second..bliss alert.....wheeeeeeee.

There is before me one of my favorite lunches and it was free...gratis...jack friggan pot.

From Palazzos.

Out Friggan Standing !

Bow tie pasta and chiggin...real chiggin with artichoke hearts, sun dried maters , spinach and capers. I love capers.

Capers in the Morning

Capers in the Evening

Capers at Suppertime.



HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY


:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

Bliss a rama....and the really good bread too..... now if I only had a nice dry red wine. Oh well.

Damn.

Life is good.



Ciao

Aunty Pol face down in the pasta, heading for a carb coma.

Houston ..We Have A Problem

Years ago , my late father introduced me to the Wall Street Journal and what is commonly referred to as " Third Column Over". It's always interesting but hard to classify as to what genre it would fall under. I think of it as human interest stories.

Todays is a real hoot.

" Buzz in West Texas Is About Jeff Bezos And His Launch Site ."

Jeff Bezos has purchased aproximately 290,000 acres over the last three years . The latest is a land purchase in Culberson and Hudspeth counties, 25 miles east of El Paso. Bezos purpose : to build a launch pad for his fledgling commercial space venture, Blue Origin LLC, which will offer suborbital trips to space.


What the Hell ??

Hello ?

WTF ?

The articles mentions that as many of the squillionaires do, Jeffey boy lawyered up and did all of the deals thru attorneys and so forth. Standard Bidness. Keeps ol Pol here in scooby snax and Jack Daniels. But I digress.

Seems that some of the locals are off put at the lack of information and disclosure about the new feller down the road. Um..All Y'all...this is the way Big Bidness is done. This is the way J.R. did things...remember ? Settle down. Yes, it's true, Van Horn is an itty bitty town where every one knows far too much about every one else. Yeah, bite me....Mayberry RFD sounds quaint and charming and blah di blah blah blah. Till you actually live in a town that size or GAWD help me ..smaller.. I have and it SUCKED.

That being said, the other side of the coin is that during the purchase negotiations and due diligence and the closings..( told ya..I really do work for lawyers) , the potential sellers had to go thru lawyers in Seattle. Straight answers to questions ..? Have you had a blow to the head ? You think that Jeffy Boy the Squillionaire is going to allow his lawyers any where near 10 feet of an honest and direct answer ? The article indicates it got pretty fugly a, as these things will..but in the end...after three years of drought in the area..the deal was done. Jeffy Boy got his Ponderosa and the sellers got iron f'g clad confidentiality agreements all but branded on their asses.



But here's the thing.

Have you been to Amazon lately? I shop there and check the status of certain authors new releases. If I can I pre-order with my buddy " 1 Click". The description also includes the future release date.

I am not making this part up.


I noticed that on a lot of the " New and Future Releases " the release dates were along the lines of :

1/1/2010

2/2/2020

3/3/2030



You get the idea. I thought weird..they have a glitch of epic nature....heee.

I waited a few days and repeated the process. Same results.

1/1/2010

2/2/2020

3/3/2030

Yipes.

Even if Pol here had the solaris, do you really think I'd pay it out and strap my ass into a chair of some home grown Enterprise built and run by some one who thinks I want to preorder books in advance..say..4 years, 14, years or 24 years.

Are you clinically insane ?

And..no one noticed these weird ass dates ? Who's running their website , Alfred E. Newman ?

Hee Hee Hee

On a sad note , RIP Jack Palance. I have had a crush on you all my life. A gifted actor and artist, you were one of the rare breed.




Have a great weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Dibs and Dabs

Aging is a funny thing . Middle age creeps up on you without warning . If you are like Moi and at times cursed with the heart and inner mind of an 18 year old....the realization that you are a part of the demographic that made shows like "NCIS" a hit slaps you up side the head. I believe the quote was along the lines of referring to the 50 plus year old viewing audience..blah blah blah that carried a tone to it that made me think I had by Gawd one foot in the grave and the other on a greased ball bearing. And any one in real life who knows ol Pol knows that gracefull ....she ain't.

Take the news. I grew up in a house that watched Huntley and Brinkley , a personal favorite of Dads. We watched Uncle Walter also. We trusted these guys and they in turn trusted their audiences to have the brains and common sense to understand what the hell was going on. These gentlemen didn't pander to the camera, worry about the lines on their faces or perform stunts to increase the ratings. They covered the war in Vietnam, the assassination of many gifted people taken far to soon and did it with respect. They were journalists, not personalities and for many of them , when they spoke about the war , you could sense that maybe they had been in country during a conflict....and knew what the F they were talking about. They didn't let their personal opinions color their delivery, except with the noted exception of the historic emotion on Walter Chronkite's face as he announced the death of JFK. It was an historic moment because it just didn't happen on a regular basis..

I consider most of todays news reporters here in the US to be little more than floating heads. There are a few exceptions...Christine Amapoor ( sp) comes to mind. We lost the other one today.

Rest in peace Mr. Bradley.

SU and I have a habit of watching " 60 Minutes " every Sunday. It's the law in the Casa. Even the reruns. SU has a fondness for Andy Rooney and I note the similarities of the two as SU ages. I call the SU a Curmudgeon in training. Ed Bradley had the gift of being respectful in his delivery, humorous when appropriate and keenly interested in being in the moment . But more than anything else, he listened. He gave his full and undivided attention to the topic at hand. When he covered war torn areas, you remembered that he himself had been injured in Cambodia without being hit over the head with it. There was no chummy " Hey Buddy, I can relate " crap that is so patronizing that it makes me want to gak. He had the ability to take his work and not himself seriously which is an art. I shall miss seeing him on Sunday nights and had hoped that his passing was swift and gentle. Sadly it seems that was not the case. He's two or three year battle with leukemia resulted in the need to remove his spleen. That resulted in his body shutting down and thus causing his untimely demise. The fact that the man had the grace to keep a clear divide between his personal and professional life speaks to his character. In a world of idiotic celebutants and stalkerazzi whores where you aren't famous until you've had your very own " Nip Slip", been thrown out of the latest " in " club or busted like a Baldwin...there are those with style, grace and a sense of propriety . That rarified and select group gained a new member today. And the world lost a member of a dying breed, a gentleman.

RIP Mr Bradley.

Huzzah For Sgt. Andy

LOL..I guess my being so excited about this confirms once and for all that ol Pol here is just flat out nucking futts. In our ever present effort to get the lad to be an in door kitteh, we bought him his own litter box and out it outside on the patio. He hopped in and began to play , which to me was .." Hey...close enough." His daddy reported this morning that the boy had infact piddled in said box so progress is being made. SU is determined that the lad will be an indoor kitteh so it's more or less a contest of wills. Personally I just want the boy to be happy...and for his daddy to can it Yes dear, as I know that you are going to read this...Andy will do what he wants no matter what you or I say , think or do. Just be glad he's not po'd about being neutered...twice.

On the upside, everything is pretty much set for the trip. SU went to the tire joint to get one replaced and the rotation thingy. Good thing he did since one of the other tires had a nail and was thus un-fixable. I highly recommend spending the 10 dollars to get the road hazzard coverage. Down here with the endless construction and krep on the roads..heh. Then he ditty bopped over to Jacque Penney to pick up some sweats on sale....it doesn 't get very cold down here , but when it does with the humidity...BRRRR. We live in the damn things in the winter. I still have no idea what the weather is going to be like, our paper says 50's to 60's swith overnights in the mid 40's. El perfecto to me, and the SU will grumble a bit. And of course I got the " practical " boots in , and by practical I mean FUGLY . Just flat out FUGLY . Moi was NOT put on this planet to suffer fugly footwear, but on the other hand an emergency room visit is a complete bummer. I will have something besides the fugley's so it will work out. Not that I am overthinking all of this.....LOL. That's SU's domain.

For example:


SU: " Have you picked out the music for the trip?"

Moi: " Nope"

SU : " Don't you think you should start on that ?"

Moi : " Probably"

SU : " You know we leave in a week or so . "

Moi : " Yup"

SU " So......."

Moi : " Asked and answered, move on."


Two things become clear , first of all I have worked for lawyers far too long and second, I can in fact channel my late father. Not as well as Brudder , but still. Must be the gene pool.


Thank goodness the Mid term elections will he a memory after tomorrow. One of my favorite bloggers in Atlanta said in his latest tome that if a candidate runs a mud slinging negative campain that said candidate will lose Elisson's vote. Great in theory, tough to put into practice as this seems to be the overall norm. All I can say is :

1. I voted.

2. There may be a sale price tomorrow on my candidates tee shirts.

Like the Kinkster says " How hard can it be ? "



Have a great week....and if you haven't yet and need to...get off yer arse and VOTE !


Ciao


Aunty Pol

Happy Birthday to the Beloved Nephew

Happy birthday sweetie. I was thinking about it the other night and realized it has been 13 years since I saw you last in Hopkins. It's hard to realize that Grandpa E has been gone that long. Seems so long ago and yet I think about him every Halloween. Hard to believe you are 28, Gawd , I remember the call from your father announcing your birth . I don't think I have ever heard such joy in a mans voice . And now you have a little one of your own. I see the look on your face in photo's when you are holding her and it's you and your dad all over again. I never grasped till then how much you really look like your father. Hee Hee.


We are getting stuff prep'd for the trip, your Uncle is making me crazy as usual. We are such opposites. He tends to over think things , and me..even tho it doesn't appear that I am working on stuff I am. It's all in my head and I don't need to play robot chicken to get it done. It's always been this was so after all these years I tune him out when he cranks it up.

Anyhoo..Happy Birthday to you and an early one to your Baby's Momma.


See you soon

Ciao

You know who

BRRRRRR

Well kids , it's that time of year when it can turn colder faster than you know what. For us down here in Tejas, that means a high in the mid 60's and lows in the 40's. OF course the coldest part will be between midnight and 4 a.m. but still........wheeeeeee. Poor SU was in shorts so I imagine I'll have to check to see that he has big boy pants for tomorrow.

Hee Hee

We went krogering last night which I truely hate. I hate the way people behave in the stores and worse yet allow their children to act. GRRRRRRRRR...Anyhoo, I had a coupon for the fake logs and so I know that while SU is over at the crazy cajuns playing poker, I will be at home inside with a nice bit of fire and an fresh ep of both Smallville and CSI - Lost wages. It doesn't get much better that gang. I suspect that Sgt. Andy may want to be an inside kitteh tonight , but we will see. After watching him for a while I realized a couple of things.

1. When he launches himself at the curtains in the dining room, this clearly indicates that he has had enough indoor kitteh time and has reached the 3 1/2 hour capacity.

2. Huge clue..when he sits on the dining room chair closest to the actual gateway to freedom and stares at the back of your head...yup. Time to go .

Andy has developed a fondness for hiding in the overgrown plumbago on one side of the arbor. We know this because he always has the petals in his tail fur. He is of the medium hair kinda Marmalade kitteh so it will be a challenge to keep the boy brushed. He doesn't mind it per say but everything becomes a toy after a certain period so its bitey time . I know that he is going to be mega po'd when we are gone to see the cutest child in the known universe so I will have to tell his sitter to be sure that he has his bovine wine in a plastic dish. Last night after he left , Munchkin came in and discovered the left over milk in a bowl on the floor...gonna have to watch that so they don't all get the idea. Yeah..I know ...good luck with that.

Thankfully tomorrow is Friday and H shirtnight. Wheeeeeee. I have more snacks..yes , gang the good pretzels so it will be fun. We won't be staying all that late as I have just a real ton of stuff to do and it's going to be a busy 2 weeks.


Have a great evening and a better weekend.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Too Weird To Be Made Up

Sometimes there are things in the local paper that catch my eye . You know the sort , the "wtf ?" variety . The following was in todays local rag:


" Web sites take how -to advice to emtremes."

By John Jurgensen
Wall Street Journal

" Do you know how to take a shower ? VideoJug.com is betting you don't - at least not as well as you think you do. "

The article goes on to discuss the newest and IMHO the dumbest iteration of the burgeoning self help industry: teaching people the obvious. Below are some of the examples the article mentioned, and no..I am not making this up.....

1. How to boil an egg.

2. How to peel and eat an apple.

3. How to freeze ice.

4. How to do nothing.

Step 1. Plan ahead so you can cancel your appointments

Number 4 for those who wonder is....wait for it.....yes....my favorite.

Jeebus H people . I mean really. This boggles the mind as my father used to say. Now Aunty Pol is the first to freely admit that there is a lot that she does not know how to do . It varies from the mundane.....sewing a garment that can actually be worn in public to the more complicated...splitting the atom. My parents , bless them , had the common sense of not the common decency to require their offspring to be able to do simple tasks...make a bed....a sammich....boil an egg...do a load of laundry . Their generation like the ones before them thought it might be wise to raise a self sufficient child. Good plan that. Even if the tools were available to them , I can guarentee that my parents would have taken the direct approach rather than doing a full press web search.

Things like this are what my father classified under the " Theater of the absurd."

Smart man , my Dad.

Have a great rest of the week...really.

The above article has made my head hurt so I guess I'd better do a web search on how to take an aspirin........NOT !

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Happy Joy Joy Pt Two

Update..

1. Voting..Done and Done. It's a fairly simple process, yet sadly I find that in a lot of cases I am not voting for someone but against another. Somewhere in electric voter land, another vote will have cancelled mine out and that is okay. It's the participation that counts. SU and I refuse to vote a straight party ticket ever, we do try to read and keep up on things so there you go. One more off the list of this weeks " Being a grownup."

2. La Quinta....Reservations made and Paid. The kids recommended one near them, and yes, Lordy knows it is cheap , but all we need is a fairly clean room and a bed. We realized that we haven't had a proper vacation in ages, except for a long weekend in Nola a few years ago. To be honest, the last time we'd have any form of a trip was three years ago this coming January when my father passed away and I don't recall a whole lot of that. This was also about the time that SU began his work for " Those Who Must Not Be Named " and he is as in need of this trip as I am. Any one who knows SU knows how he feels about cold weather, but he said that he is really looking forward to Denver for Thanksgiving...and that says a lot . He knows how long I have planned this.. I haven't seen beloved Nephew in 13 years, nor have I met his Bride or child...so it is all worth it. I have ordered a pair of boots with tread on them....on sale from JC Penny's no less so the likely hood of Aunty Pol busting her arse are greatly reduced. I had't thought about the boot thing until I was talking to SIL and realized..here I am in open toed 4 inch sandals....good for the trip ..not so much.


3. If Sgt Andy does not stop climbing the curtains..I am going to throttle him. It's like a new trick you kid learns...." Andy...meet the water bottle. He's pretty po'd at me..TOO FRIGGAN BAD FOR YOU CAT.


Have a safe Halloween...

Ciao

Aunty Pol

Reminder

I meant to add this to the previous posts..but with tomorrow being Halloween...people please be careful with not only yourselves but the kitteh's . Sgt. Andy will most likely be in for the night, I don't know how he's gonna react. Xena and Boshi are both black so we are very careful with them, and they are completely indoor kitteh's . So along with all my other kitteh blogging buddies..Jasper McKitten Cat, The Zeus Excuse, Empress Kukka-Maria, Rico Loco , Fat Eric and the Lone Star Purrs.....keep the nip dry, paws clean and no chocolate.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Happy Happy Joy Joy

After listening to the SU obsess ( yes you dear..!) about my lack of gumption over the upcoming trip..I finally got off the old duff and booked the rooms. Pre paid no less . Wheeeee.

The babysitter is all set , yes the old Bat next door with back up from the neighbor gals. I think it is time for me to get over being so cross with her, she really was trying to do a good thing. She's familiar with the cats, Andy loves her to pieces and she is a good sitter. This weeks plans are:

1 . Voting

Yeah...the early voting place is open till 7 p.m. adn tho reports say Gov. hair gel has a good lead..well , we do what we can . And yes...I am voting for Kinkly Friedman .

2. Dragging out the DOP kits to see what has to be re-stocked. I always swear that I am going to keep up with that , but for us to be able to travel is a rare thing and usually by the time I get back I am so dragging ass that all I want to do is unpack and find clean skivvies.

3. Looking at what sweaters and such I have. I doubt I will be in something other than jeans, but I will take one pair of nice twill just in case and a pair of dockers for hisself. Beloved Sister in Law..aka LAW just reminded me I'd better get a set of boots with tread so Aunty Pol don't bust her ass. Haven't missed that bit since I moved here . At least the lambskin coat is heavy . Better check on the sweat clothes too...yeah..not glam but effective..and I am middle aged...LMAO


Sounds like the plan is coming together..

Have a great week...really ...you can do it.

Ciao


Aunty Pol

Happy Friday Peeps

The rain has stopped which is good because a couple of the creeks are dangerously close to flood stage according to the news wonks on the t slant v this morning. Over all Andy did fairly well in the house all day. If he had an accident somewhere..we couldn't find it..and yeah howdy...SU and I looked. I have this little cheer running in my head for the lad....

Andy Andy
It's Okay
Use The Box
Just Once Today

Andy Andy
Be The Man
Use The Box
Oh Yes, He Can

There's No Danger
There's No Doubt
One Hop In
And One Hop Out

Okay...I am officially insane..it's fairly clear that when you begin to compose verse over the litterbox and a kitteh's aversion to it that I've Lost It.



Other than the usual list of suspects making me nuts at the office, it's been a routine week. Andy terrorized Loki to the point that Loki was under the sofa . Now Loki is a goober...think Jethro Beaudine here folks..........and I am sure that he just wants to play....but Andy is under the impression that he is alpha male and not Loki. They would both be wrong. If there is any alpha in the house it's the Momma . Period. No debate. They think they can win....

Heh Heh

Have they met me ?

Have a great weekend .

I hope Susan gets news soon.

Ciao,


Aunty Pol

Thank You Jeebus...Tomorrow Is Friday

Once again , it's raining . Thankfully the yard got done yesterday so that is taken care off. SU decided this morning that Sgt. Andy had to come in. What evs. And being Thursday, tonight SU will swim over to the Crazy Cajun's house to play poker. I can guarentee 2 things here. First, Andy will have a raging case of cabin fever by the time we get home. The other 4 Katz will be frantic. Someone will have pee'd on the throw rugs in the guest bath, so I will get wash and dry those tonight during CSI. Oops...before I forget, most likely the runner in the dining room will need to be washed. Second....Andy will want back in and therefore I will get nada PC time since some one has to ride herd on the tribe. Andy is getting bolder in his exploration of the casa, and the others are getting a tad verklempt at being chased. None of the 5 have figured out that Andy is the only one with claws , so I an trying to avoid WKWF...World Kitteh Wrestling Federation.


Other than that, yes the couple of days off helped, but it doesn't take a very long time for the stress to slip back in. It is what it is. I constantly remind myself that compared to my SIL and another blogger that I read ( Shout Out To Susan and Glen)...that what I consider to be stressful is crap compared to theirs. Susan's blog is very honest and insightful . It has also given me some insight as to my ignorance over certain things and more understanding as to what it must have been like for my late mother.


Part of the beauty here in bloggyland ( new word..feel free to use ) is that you find others with common interests. And no....I am not referring to the squazillions of peeps that blog as or about their Katz...LOL..moderately guilty here...see above.

When you grow up in the Military, you have a certain viewpoint. As you get older, the view changes. Both my SIL and Susan have been honest about the pain, anxiety and abandonment of the other one who also serves...." The Wives". These gals have been ingored, lied to and overall just f'd over by among other things the FRG and the Brass. Do they get any support....oh pleeze . Other than each other, their friends and family.....they are pretty much isolated .


And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I suddenly had a very real idea just how much my own mother must have felt. No one to talk to, no emotional support , three kids to pretty much raise alone. I never heard my mother complain, or express any fear for my father . True, he didn't go in country per say...but gone is still gone. Empty bed, empty arms, empty life other than three kids. To make matters worse, she couldn't say anything. Any remark that was less than the steller party line would have had a direct effect on Daddy's career. I am sure that there were some friends in the same boat that she could talk to , but that rarely happened . You had to keep up the appearences . I don't know that Mom would have used a tool like blogging to vent, but I know it would have helped. While I agree that is is an artificial sort of relationship unless it's your real life family or a friend, it's better than nothing . The fact that it is better than nothing is a real clue about the shameful way those that serve and those who wait are treated .

The American Dream...yeah right.

Peace Out people.


Ciao,

Aunty Pol.

I'm gonna VENT..............Deal

I work for lawyers and I have been there for going into 25 years.

I am am part of a department of three people.


I co-ordinate a lot of stuff..courthouse filings....courier services .


Plus dealing with clients.

I LIKE my job .


It's show time .

I also work with two women who take off at the drop of a hat as we say down here.

Senority at my firm means nothing.

I have taken two days out of the office............huzzah.........before the other heifers put in for them.

One gal spent eight weeks taking off a half day on Thursday and al day on the next day.

A Friday.

How long does it take to move your gear ?



The other one..well lets just say..if there is a sports game she is attending..do not look for her the next day.



I have had to fight for every partial or full day I get off.

I promised the Hubbo I wold just veg today.

I see laundry....I see stuff to be done.

But he is right.

The Moving in with boyfriend was a tad verklepmt that I put in and got approved to take the week of Thanksgoving off.

I told them both when G got his job, we were going to see the baby.

Do Not Mess With Me here .

I am fighting to stop myself from being Shadout Mapes ( Dune Ref) .

And I am angry that I am in this position.


I am soul weary of having to fight to get a day off after 25 years at the firm.

I am soul weary of no one noticing.


I AM TIRED .

I'm having a bit of a problem here peeps

I'm having a bit of a problem here peeps.

Growing up in the military, we knew that usually Daddy was off doing something. We never knew quite what when he was on the boats. You learned not to ask. And you learned that you did not discuss it. Usually we lived in neighborhoods where there were other familys in the same situation so it was kinda normal.

My SIL told me the other day that my beloved younder brother needed a new bike tire .

WTF ?

Evidently my brother who is you know where rides a bike around the base.


WTF ?

The paperwork to get a Hummer is that harsh ?


WTF ?

I have been having nightmares about a Schwinn and an IED .


I know my brother is an extremely smart man. I consider him my best friend. This is so wrong in so many ways , I can't see straight.

I try not to think about where he is. I don't really discuss it with his wife and son for fear we will fall apart. They don't need that ....I can't handle it.



My brain now has this picture of my brother blown to bits on a bike.

I do not believe that I have ever been this angry.

We support the troops but not this war.



And my bubby is on a frakkin bike.




I cannot express the admiration I have for my SIL.




She has had the good grace to keep it honest and real and to reach out to others like Susan and friends to help them.

And my brother has to ride a bike because of paperwork.


Calling Shennagins on this one.


Peace out


A very angry Aunty Pol.

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

This article appeared in our local news rag , the Houston Chronicle.

October 18 , 2006


" Bush signs space policy stressing security issues."

By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post

Quote:

Washington-President Bush signed a new National Space Policy that rejects future arms control agreements that might limit U.S. flexibility in space and asserts a right to deny access to anyone " hostile to U.S. interests."


What the Hell ??????


The U.S . bought space ?

How cool is that ?

We friggan own space !!!

Beam my ass up Scotty ! !!!!!!!!


Seriously people...think about this . It is bad enough that this country has a proven history of acting like the know it all bastion of " Our way or highway", especially with regard to foreign policy. Remember the Marshall Plan ? Yup.

I can easily imagine every other leader of every other country on the planet , sitting there just laughing until they have to pee at the idea that Dubya thinks we "own" space. The sheer audacity of it all is mind boggling .

Was Space on sale ?

Did we put it in layaway ?

Is there a payment plan ?

Is gift wrap an option ?


I just can't believe that we own space . Screw the Coldwater Creek catalog, I'm waiting for SpaceRUs .

And it begs the question. If this is in fact what Dubya is thinking, how exactly does he and the rest of the U.S. Guvmint plan on enforcing this ?

Hall-Space Passes ?

Permission Slips ?

Enrollment Logs ?

This has to set a record for the biggest, ginormus " Mom..he/she is touching my stuff !!!!!! "

I want to see the parent threaten to and then actually pull over to sort it all out.

In Space.


Jeebus H.

When in danger ~ when in doubt ~ run in circles ~ scream and shout.

ROTF

Well kids....the proverial fit hit the shan today at the office .

This past Monday , the dark Lords of the Underworld decided that since we actually have a calender feature in the software ~ ~ why not be bold and use it ?

Simple enough sez Ol Pol.

Oh No...let the lamentations begin !

It's simple enough. You open the folder, check on the actual availibility of a room and e mail me. I book it and reply with the confirmation . I can load the pre-existing bookings and you get to see the over view.

PEOPLE...HOW BLOODY HARD IS THAT ??????????


Oh dear.

That violates the firms 12 'th and 13'th commandment .

12 . Thou shall not be required to go further than 20 feet out of your comfort zone or standard flight plan.

13. Any and all changes are created and implimented with the sole purpose of personally making your life harder, and thus pissing you off.


I have never met such a group of people more resistant to change. The crowd that stormed the Bastille was a more civil group. You would have thought that they were going to be required to have a retinal scan to get in the inner offices. Now , that would be fun.

I have never ever met a lazier bunch of cows in my life. They get all bent out of shape when I won't do their jobs for them and tell them so. The laziness is bad enough but when you couple that with the attitude of put outidness that they are not being indulged.....BAH !


Tough Darts Sistah .


They will take the simplest thing and turn it into WW3...all for the sake of arguement.


And they wonder why I don't care to have anything to do with them after hours or outside of the office.

If I have to hang with a bunch of Bizotches , they will at least have a sense of humor and an active brain stem.


And Ladies...they ain't you .


Smile...it makes people nervous.


Ciao,

AUnty Pol

Peel Me Offa Dah Ceiling

Okay..as of right now I cannot and will not identify the person who gave me the most wonderful news of all time, it's not my place and I made a promise. Don't even ask or try to worm it out of me.


I have a friend who is one of the dearest, sweetest gals I have ever known. She's bright, funny warm hearted..the whole pkg. Being around her makes you a better person. She has been dealing with an issue for a couple of years that is very near and dear to my heart and she got the hoped for resolution . Being the kind of person that she is, she was concerned about my reaction....silly Boo Bear Girl. What can I say...she cried......I cried.....we cried.....we laughed. Some people would have been so caught up in their own joy that it would not occur to them that there are those of us who have been down the same path...with much less joy. But Boo Bear Girl has the kindness of spirit to be worried about ol Aunty Pol. Just writing this makes me tear up again.


For once the good guys and gals have won. And this is not a small victory . Every day we read or see things in the media that make us all go WTF ? Things where there is no justice, morality , or decency . We think we live in a disposible society and therefore tend to have less regard for those things in our care. Nothing has any real value if it can be replaced at a moments notice. What's the point of caring about something if it is interchangeable ? The nature of the item itself is almost a side issue. It is the nature of the reaction that I find troublesome . Tired, bored, out of current fashion...? Throw it out. Inconvenient ? Buy a new one . Bigger , Badder, Faster......SPEND NOW !

Some things are worth more than that. A prime example is Sgt. Andy . Someone threw him out.
Some cold , heartless SOB just threw out a poor kitten like kitchen garbage. Yes, I admit I was resistant at first, but he's melted my mean old heart, and truth be told , I AM very fond of the little man.

Some things are worth every thing. EVERYTHING !!!!!!!

When I am depressed or disheartened , I will think about the pure unadulterated joy that fills my heart for the here and now that was my special gift from my Boo Bear Girl . And for that moment I will heal, and feel pure joy that was a gift to me .

I am blessed by the people around me, and I hope they know it.

Have a great week.....we can all do it.

And...

Count your blessings.


Aunty Pol

Sgt. Andy and the Intruder

Ahem, this is Sgt . Andy of the Patio Police with a special report . The weekend started out un eventful , the human attendant known as " Daddy " played with a big bag of sticks and some white round things that look suspiciously like bird eggs . He went with another human who is awfully loud but in his case we can put up with him since he honors our Queen with his impressive whiskers. The female attendant known as " Mommy" must have commited some serious offense because the Queen sentenced her to completely cleaning the castle, even the dungeon . Her Majesty must have been tired after a full schedule with her subjects since she did not react to the monster lurking in the coridors. I believe it is called Dyson and it is a frightful beastie . I have never personally encountered the Beastie but the folk lore and myths have convinced me that it is to be avoided at all costs.

Later on that night , the humans must have some very strange religious festivals . They tend to hold them out side, at night and they serve beverages and treaties . I shall have to remind the human " Mommy" that as a civil servent , under the Queen's Law, I am entitled to a portion of all treats served at these festivals. It was a long festival , and there was much talk of some one named Edmund and another human named Fitzgerald. I haven't met either of them , and I personally suspect that they are spies from another rulers fiefdom. I shall suggest to the senior of the Queens aides, a chap named Loki that we circulate all information about these villans.

As the human known as " Daddy" left again with the sticks and egg thingy's , the other Human carried out her sentence and was given probation by our gracious Liege . Hopefully she will not be a repeat offender. The Queen's Penal code is quite severe though completely just .

I hope to be promoted in rank soon , especially with my detection and complete domination of an enemy trying to cross our borders . I am uncertain if this is an isloated incident or the prelude to a full scale invasion , but I shall continue on patrol with the canine commando's to assist me.


Remember ...Be Alert....The Tree Rats Are Everywhere.

Sgt. Andy
Patio Patrol Unit # 1

PR's Rant-o-Rama

Dayum..as Heidi would say.


The highly anticipated reunion ep did NOT disappoint. All the whack jobs were there.

The format was a lot looser than the previous eps, and gave a real sense of being sorta " Live" as opposed to heavily edited the shit out of as is Bravo Channel's norm.

Laura ( Bad Mama) is seriously out to there with the latest one for the pile. I will admit kids that she did look stunning in the red dress , accented with some serious boobage. RIP Skeletor. Her sense of humor, which I suspected was always there came through in a Q & A about wether she has a pair of actual jeans. " No, squeals she, I wear riding pants and boots ." Now I immediately formed a sort of morph in my mind between her and George C. Scott as Patton when I immediately added the riding crop. EWWWWWW ! That concepts gonna leave a mark. Anyhoo......it got better .


Malan sat there with that grin on his face that is a cross between rictus and a CSI scene. This goober ( said with love...so shut it) has what has to be the goofiest laugh I've ever heard. And he knows it so of course the obligatory montage of the laugh was shown and being the sweetie that he is he took it with good grace. He did mention that he did show at fashion week and his blog is a hoot . Being new to the series ....yes..I was a PR Virgin ..( do not go there) , I was under the impression that the victims....oops..my bad ..designer wanna be's were not professional's in the fields. That they were not unlike that old cliche of the Hollyweird Ingenue that knows her big break is just around the corner. Yeah..I was a tad delusional myself there gang. Obvi you have to have a certain degree of exposure to the field to be able to compete at this level. Okay , got it.
But then that begs the question of why in the world Malan would have had so much of a gap between the fabric he needed and what he had for the pagent gown ????? Yeah, it was serious ugly ( thanks Skeletor, another catch phrase I will beat the hell out of...but on the other hand..a handy replacement for blah blah fishcakes.) . Thankfully , Malan was less in the walking wounded mode and seems to have found his niche in the Bryant Park food chain.

Then there is my new hero ( ine) Kayne. Dayum, that boy can talk. They clocked him at 904 or 906 words in the interview with Miss USA. She said all of 3 words, and I personally got the impression she had in fact stopped listening and was simply freaking at his breathe control. As my friend Chippers would say , " Honey, he's gay....think about it.... m'kay ? " Ironically while Kayne had toned down his persona 900 % , Boring Bobby , the boy-queen Barbie designer ( I am not making this up so shut it ) just reveled in his flammage . In all fairness, he was sweet and still could stand by his opinion when asked without being shrill..well not that shrill .

And then out comes Keith. You could tell that the others just had an " Oh shit no !" moment. Kayne did a credible Bambi in the headlights, which was not suprising since he was the one who actually went to the others about the pattern books and was somewhat defacto elected to be the one to go to The Gunn. You could immediately tell that everyone on the set , especially the 2 Momma's to be immediately checked for all exit doors and staff security. If there was a live audience, it was one of those pin drop moments where you put down the soda because if you have any more, you are certain that you will have to pee and will miss the best parts of the gig. Been there...done that. Keith should have known that he was gonna be busted when he tried the " There was nothing in the contact that we signed addressing the issue of books", and every one just almost on cue replied.." Wrong Asshat...it was there. Hint....actually read what you are signing next time." Even sweet Michael's expression went " Oh hell no.... he did NOT say that ."
Blindly going where no idgit would tread, Keith then tries the old..." The books were taken from me the first week and SHAZAM ...made it back to my room. " This is the point where Heidi goes all Frau Blucher ( tip of the had to my side kick...good call on that one.) and starts to bristle.
Hint to Keith: Danger ...Danger...Achtung Baby......Heidi's the producer of the show.....Red Alert.
But noooooo....onward . The Gunn actually point blank asks Keith if he thinks the producers set him up . It gets to the point that they have to go to commercial before Heidi cakes goes off on Keiths ass . I should have taped that scene, she's got the glare down . Keith will eventually figure out that if he had not fubared any hopes of being something other than a designer for Wally world and pissed off Heidi cakes and The Gunn on National T slant V.....he might have had a chance to let it blow over. Schmuck.

Vincent the CC is almost giggling through all of the above in manic glee. I'm sure the internal dialogue with all of his voices was along the lines of " Oh goody.......someone they think is dumber/weirder/more high strung than us ." But wait...Vinnie you are next. Evidently he had called someone an amateur, and it got around. Boring Bobby and Sweet Michael called immediate bullshit on that and we finally got to see a glimpse of Machael actually geing po'd.

But wait...there's more. V the CC tried to justify it in some freak ass stream of consciousness that had everyone staring at the loon with the obligatory WTF expression on their mugs. Finally, V the CC realized it was going no where and was saved by the clip of his uber rant that the show could not air. He claimed to have left explicit instructions to the PA's about his laundry. As in " No touchey." And they did his laundry . He went off to the point of almost quiting the show, walking out of the apt. building and continuing to scream on the street level . Of course, Kayne and Michael were on the roof and giggling like teen queens at the show. V the CC had the good grace to laugh at this clip and that may be in fact his saving grace, the ability to laugh with others when presented with the evidence of just how much he really needs the mother ship to come get his goofy ass.


Smarty pants that the Bravo Gods are , they saved the best for last. Mamagate. All through the show, Our Sister of the Ass Roses , Angela , gave the laser death stare to the back of Jeffrey ( Tat's R Us ) pointy lil head. She is still verklempt that he was not nice to her Mama . At first I was on her side through all of it, but then they showed some some other bits, and it seems that Angie's Momma really was all passive agressive with Tat boy and didn't express her dis like of the fugly Aunt Beru mumu . Tat boy tried to get a direct answer and Angie's Mama kept on and then got all weepy when he was his usual frustrated self. Of course Tat boy being Tat boy is now thinking that he is being set up by the Sisters Ass Rose. Mebbe. Mebbe not so much. Granted, he should not have talked to anyone that way, but the ladies are not without some guilt here either. Sure fire way to get smacked...talk back to some ones mama..and the Sisters Ass Rose know that ....and IMHO set his scrawny ass up . Well played that.


Free Gift with purchase time.....<>


Scandal Numero Dos.

After Mamagate , for some insanely Bizarro world reason, Laura's mom and Jeffreys mom became best gal pals. Who knew ?

Seems that for the last show , the fab final four have to each put together a 12 piece collection for fashion Week at Bryant Park. Jeffrey's Mama let slip an inuendo that Jeffrey had infact outsourced some of the finishing work if not actual sewing. Huge NO NO .......frakkin HUGE . If you thought The Gun was mad at Keith about the books.....this should be a epic reaction if aired. Well of course , Bad Mama Laura gets wind of this and goes to The Gunnmeister . Dah Dah Dah Dahhhhhhhhh...........!

Part one of season 3 finale is next week.

Can't hardly stand the wait. Bravo will of course re reun the jeebus H out of it this weekend .

Have a good weekend .

Really.......give it a shot .


Ciao,

Aunty Pol..Your Favorite Fashionista Diva of the Moment

The Further Adventures of Sgt. Andy

Todays guest poster is Sgt. Andy of the Patio Police . Take it away Andy.

" Ahem, cough..This is Sgt. Andy just in from patio patrol. All appears quiet after last nights shift. I did gain admission to the Palace for a brief stay and was again offered what the Queen's staff refer to as Bovine Wine . It was delicious . I did not gain an audience with the queen and only spotted some of the retainers on her staff. Apparently they have some security issues that they are reviewing and therefore do not have the time to schedule a proper audience . It is much the same for me on patio patrol , especially with the recent sightings of the terrorist group known as the Tree Rats. Recent intelligence reports indicate that the Tree Rats have had a successful recruiting drive and my own shifts may double in order to maintain the palace security . Negotiations with the Canine Commandos continue for their added support against further incursions from the Tree Rats . I happen to know that the Queens human retainers are not above offering bribes so that may induce the canines to cooperate .

Hopefully my application for a promotion to internal palace guard is still under consideration.
I understand that the review process is quite involved and there is some question as to my qualifications . I feel that I have gained one of the human attendents support. The one referred to as " Daddy " seems more pliable than the other human attendent. The female attendent known as " Mommy " may prove problematic and she has quite the reputation as far as having the human trait of what they refer to as stubbornness . I am a rather patient fellow , so I shall continue on and hope for the best.

Well, my shift on patrol is just about over, so I guess it's time to head to the Barracks.

Remember...be alert . Tree Rats are everywhere .

Sgt. Andy
Patio Patrol Unit # 1.

Damn You Bravo Channel

Aunty Pol has yet another obsession . " Project Runway" on the Bravo Channel.

It began innocently enough on a quiet Sunday when Hisself was out playing goof. Having channel surfed my poor lil digits to the bone, I stumbled on a PR marathon . Shazam...backround noise as it were for the Shadout Mapes routine at la Casa. Friends and co-workers had raved about the show , using their secret language and references . " Santino ? " " Pure Crazy " . I usually ignored them as they ignored my raving about Battle Star Galactica , or worse still muttering and swearing as I'd sit and re-edit my resource sheets for the RPG and cursing the GM . I am sure they were as clueless about this , as I was about their shows. What evs.

Bravo is known for running a slew of eps on a Sunday before the new eps air.

On the second round of the same marathon, I started watching.

And thus did I create my own Doom.

I became a member of Team Angela - NOT !!!!!!!!!

I do know however what the hell a fleurchon is now . It's called the fabric flower that Angela ( Crazy Bizotch) put on anything and everything....including her own ass !


The premise of the show is quite simple . Take 15 wanna be fashionista's , give them an absurdly low amount of dead presidents, a challenge or a task to create a garment , and then critique it after a runway show.

Fine.

Fair Enough.

First off, the carrot is a spread in " Elle " magazine, $100,000.00 to launch their own line and a cutesy sports car.

A few of the first people to be voted off were so completely forgettable that I cannot recall their names, faces or creations.

Poor Malan . His challenge assisted by Bonnie the Bozo was to create a pageant gown for Tara Conner to wear in the Miss Universe pagent. Now maybe it's just old Pols view point, but seriously kids....if I were going to compete , I'd want to win....and nothing spells loser like hiring some Armani wanna be to design my gown. Malan was terribly sweet, and enough of a stand up guy to take the hit for his design as team captain. Buh Bye Malan. Saw that one coming. Get rid of the guy who actually had talent . And the ratings do what again ?????


One of my fav's ...Kayne ( The Queen of Oklahoma ) won that challenge and his gown was like buttah . I could have phoned that one it for jeebus sakes. How many times did he proclaim that the he had worked ( snerk) pageants for years honey and had two..not one , but two dress shops . But his personality came through as very sweet ( be nice) and genuine. I was truely sorry to see him get " Auf'd". Note to Kayne....Honey if you ever do make it..it's a Salon..not a shop ..m'kay ?


As with every show , you have people who every one just hates or is the Class Crazy ( Med's not kickin it ") who is one step away from referring to themselves in the third person. I think that those characters are the most fun to watch because the rest of the group that the CC is envolved with alternates between sheer panic ( OMG..what the F is he/she doing ) and complete entertainment doing impressions ( some dead on ) of the CC.

And then there is Angela ( Jubilee Jumbles) , queen of the ass roses. In one challenge, the afore mentioned pageant, she was teamed with Vincent Libretti . Yup. You guessed it, the Class Crazy.
Every one could see that Vinnie the CC was to be kind, nucking futts. Seriously . And this bizotch did just about everything in her power to undermine Vinnie. She acted like your kid bugging the shit out of you on a car trip. The more you ask you kid to knock it off....the more they do what is making you crazy . It should be noted however that in some families this is considered good training for marriage . Heh . I think she was genuinely suprised at the amount of sheer animosity the others felt for her . Yeah Angela, ass roses will pretty much unify a group. Just sayin .

Anyhoo, as the episodes continued, some people got " Auf'd" early and for reasons that were justified more often than not. Some of the eps were suprising . One of the guys got das boot from the shows itself for having pattern books in his room. Fair 'nuf. But hold on a second.

In the very first challenge, the victims...oops...designers had to grab what ever they could from the apartments they were staying in and stuff that gear in laundry bags in 15 minutes time. The gals were less messy than the boys were. The boys trashed their apartment like they were a Rock Band. Seriously trashed the crib . Now..bear with me. Jeffrey ( Is there a rehab for tatoo's ? ) stated that he was mollified to see that none of the stuff that had been trashed had been replaced. MORON . If you trash your bed, and leave it stripped to the bed slats, don't whine about it. There is a reason animals don't shit in their own nests....think about this between tatoo sessions, ok ? That being said, if one of the guys had those books, ....umm....how come no one spotted them till 2 or 3 episodes later ? Dude....there was no place to hide them. The apartment was TRASHED . Just wondering .


Angela ( Jubilee Jumbles ) and Vincent the CC got " Auf'd " and then invited back one more time. The rest of the designers were so completely " Oh shit....Noooooo" that they didn't make the attempt to hide it. LMAO .

And lets not forget Laura ( Skeletor) the " I am an architect from New York. I have a lot of things to say about her. First..woman...cover yourself. NO one and I mean NO ONE wants to see your boney ass sternum. Period. And just the thought of you being knocked up again with child number 6 makes me want to hoark. EWWWW. She was and is a bored Society Matron wanna be who thinks nothing of making the following remark about the newest hatchling she ' s gestating. " Just another one to throw on the pile. " Wire hangers anyone ? She did have her human moments until you realize that you can't make the above mentioned remark and them plead your belly when you get in over your head . I'm just sorry the damn dog didn't bite you in the earlier episode . Maybe there is however a lil giftie in your tote bag that you put the adorable dog in so you " Wouldn't Have to TOUCH IT."

Then there are the Judges.

Nina Garcia , the Editor from Elle is just plain mean. Pfffftttt.

Michael Kors is a hoot . Not so much I'm going to actually buy his fuggly ass shoes from Dillards , but a hoot none the less. He could however step away from such frequent mystic tan sessions. I assume that he gets a discount if he goes with his mommy , Joan but seriously . He's beginning to look like a sweet potatoe.

Neither guest judge Vera Wang or Diane Von Furstenberg have aged well . Damn..ladies get a friggan facial at least. You guys are making Yoko look good by comparison. Zak Posen is adorable. He reminds me of the Elf character Bernard in Tim Allen's " Santa Clause " movies, and I mean that in a good way.

Heidi Klum comes across as very sweet until you piss her " Auf" . Her glare could strip paint.

And then there is Den Mother , Tim Gunn. He's interesting and his critiques are well thought out in the developement process at Parsons. Some like Michael were smart enough to listen . Others like Vincent the CC ( a basket is not a hat Vincent , it's a basket) did not.

It's down to the final four I believe, Michael , Uli and Laura and Jeffrey .

The season finale is in a couple of weeks , and then there is the free gift with purchase. The reunion show. Heh. I'm taping that bad boy.

And best of all ?

HOT DAMN !

The sixth season of Smallville starts tonight, the second season of Dr. Who starts tomorow and Battle Star Galactica is starting the third season a week from tomorrow .

Life is good at the Casa.


Have a great weekend...really.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol

Frolicing with the Full Moon....

Within thirty minutes of getting into the office , trusty side kick " Kick " ( How original , I know ....STFU ) and I began to notice that we were in the midst of what we call " Flying Monkeys ." Aka ...the chimp squad from the WOZ . It's a certain emotional level that is akin to Peter Finch's brilliant speech in " Network " . People who are normally civil ( or what passes for here at the office ) were surley, short tempered.....no.....wait...that's my normal crew . The peeps I refer to are those who are usually somewhat under the proverbial radar . I know it's a short week with the holiday and all, but this is a problem again...why ????? I was agog that some of the placid posse were exhibiting what could almost be classified as personalities . I kid you not. Spines were grown , cats danced with dogs, SU re-grew hair...you get the idea . Then I began to notice that the placids now with spines began to just flat out act stupid. They began to panic . " If so and such comes in will you let me know ? " DUH ! Some got the look, some got the benefit of the doubt , ( hey...I CAN be nice, I got a great new hair cut..razor cut even) and the rest got ingnored . Ignored/Ignorant...works for me . And on it went. " I need to get this to the IRS !" Reply " Snookims , it's 4: 19 , and they close at 4 : 30 . Unless you can sprout wings or a scud missle out of your ass fergitit . Hint....try getting it to me in a reasonable manner next time. " Then of course Snookims is all...buh buh buh.....my attorney....." . Me : " You may feel free to quote my answer to you back to them , verbatim ." Nothing like working here with a full moon.
Snookims and Friends forget that I have been doing this since the Punnic Wars and By Gawd, I do know WTF I am doing. Nothing chaps my ass faster ( and if the ass gets any bigger , it gets it's own zip code ) that for Snookims and Friends to act as if I don't know my job or are unable to do it . Unlike others, I show the hell up. YOU know who you are .


SU is playing cards tonight, thank you Jeebus and I have a date with Andy and a highball.

Can't wait for the bitching that will ensue when Snookims and Friends realize it's a full work week . I shall take great personal delight in reminding them that there are a lot of others out there who would love to have a job. Don't think I won' t do it either .


Rant Over .

Take Care,

Ciao


Aunty Pol .

Not a total waste.....

It was one of those Fridays approaching a holiday weekend that I'd been predicting all week. GRRRR....some people are so set in their ways that you could phone it in.

I will point out also that in comparison, yesterday was worse . By 9 : 30 a.m. , I felt the need to go down the street to the local Randalls and get a buggy full of raw meat to fling about. Somebody pee'd in the collective karmic pool up here at the office . Almost every one was " Wah...wah...wah....but I don't want to work tomorrow " . Fine...schedule it off. Call in sick.....STFU for crissake . GET OVER IT . I would have liked it off to, but it wasn't gonna happen, and no ...I don't get to leave early . I am the last Mohican , working a full day. That is my job . Period .


Today the usual. People who come back from lunch bail at 2 . Standard behavior. " Buh Bye now...have a great weekend.

But the bright spot .


Wheeee


For the last two weeks, we have been doing a fund raiser thingy for the Houston SPCA . There are two huge ass boxes in the kitchen chock full of stuff. There was also a bake sale today ( Food People...Food in the Kitchen.....run for it ) . Our Intranet daily memo has been running photos of pets and their parents for the last two weeks . " Match the pet to the parent ." If you pick and want to change..costs a buck to do so. All in all I have heard we raised in cash alone either $500.00 or $700.00 . Not too shabby people..not to shabby at all .



I am going to focus on the good and forget the 'tude . That is until the next holiday, which is Turkey Day and Moi will be visiting the cutest baby girl in the known universe.

" Buh Bye Now.."

Irony.

Gotta dig it.

Have a safe holiday...really...all y'all can do it .


Ciao

Aunty Pol .

A Suprise Guest

Ahem....Aunty Pol has invited yours truely as her first guest blogger . Let's get the introductions under way. My name is Munchkin and I am the Queen of the Palace , though others might disagree. Recently, with my superior kitteh brain power I deduced that " Aunty Pol" is in fact the secret identity of my human staff member known as Mommy . Now, I have taken great pains and time to train my staff in all things serving Moi . I will not allow disloyalty, unless it it produces enough income to buy me more toys and treaties . It should be enough that I allow Mommy to share " my " bed. I certainly am generous enough to allow Mommy to clean the Palace and tend to my creature comforts . Why , Moi even allowed Mommy and that big fellah who answers to Daddy too bring in entertainment for me . After all , as the Queen, I should be allowed to torture..oops...educate my subjects as I see fit. The younger girls have made acceptible handmaidens and that male twerp ..Loki I think it is. Well, the poor dude obviously has had a blow to the head, what's wrong with him filling the position of Court Jester ? Problem solved. And don't get Moi started on the Palace Guard . Sargent Andy does a good job with the anti squirrel troops but I don't believe he is ready for promotion to inside the Palace just yet.


Now, consider yourselves blessed with the presence and beauty that is simply known as Moi , I have an appointment at the spa.

Poor Andy..LOL

Poor lil Dude . Man..is he gonna be po'd. His Daddy, SU stepped up to the plate and called Petsmart - Not yesterday to get the lil dude re-fixed. Now , SU in his infinite wisdom ( calm down dear, I'm not indulging you beyond a certain point here ) used his usual wacky sense of humor in dealing with the highly skilled crew at Petsmart-Not . Andy goes in on Sunday and home the next day. SU 'splained the situation, blah blah blah . Amazingly enough a short time later the Chief Vet called back and said that given the situation....Andy's surgery was on the house . HUZZAH ! This poor boy is the most operated on cat on the planet. We did not anticipate a rebate or reduction of any kind because that's just not the kind of luck SU and Aunty Pol have.....trust me here . Remember the warrenty on Pearl...exactly .


It finally rained at the Seitch last night . Jeebus, did we ever need it. Of course the Prince of the Patio still hates to get his uddies ( ok..trans : paws) wet so we do the usual and move the kibble and water to the coffee table on the patio . Yes, Pol has a coffee table at the Ice House . Man, if you have never checked out the stuff made out of woven PVC that looks like wicker ...check that stuff out Maynard. It is fab as far as the cleaning, comfies to sit / sprawl in ....and looks great . Hey...Andy likes it and it has thus far survived his claws. And that says a lot. Anyhoo....yes..I have decorated thed patio as a room, and once I get the deck up, SU says he won't barf if I get one of those really kewl outdoor rugs.....wheeeeeeee . I don't know if Andy has experienced wind just before the rain like we had last night, I sorta doubt it. He flipped out. He ran and ran and ran all over the yard, chasing floating stuff.....then stops and sits....then zooms again . For 45 minutes he played Speed Racer . I laughed my ass off. I did put some nip in his condo so he would be okay if he hunkered down there . SU said that he was there at the door as usual this a.m. looking for his brecky . Smart boy. Has a trained staff of 2 .




Other than that , it's that time of year when stuff just slows to a crawl. Kids are back in school , we are all watching the Gulf , and it's hard to believe that it's been a year since Katrina .

A year.

Of course people who fled the storm for here are up in arms because the local Energy Robber Barons say that they are going to cut power to accounts/customers that have not transfered the accounts to their own names. Sounds clear enough . Simple to do, all it really requires is a JOB .
Nothing fancy , they still pay for flipping burgers . Not a lot, but hey...There are a lot of people that fled NOLA for here that have found jobs, homes, schools for their kids and which Kroger they like the best. This is what grown people do . And I do understand that for some of our " Guests" that are older, infirm or have medical issues that it takes longer. Fine...this is why I contribute to United Way . When SU was unemployed in April , he hustled his ass 90 to nuthin getting apps out there . The TEC only requires one app a day . He averaged three to four . And it didn't take a DAMN YEAR people . It's time to suck it up folks, get a job, a grip and carry on .
Just Sayin....


Rant over.

Have a good week....really..all y'all can do it .

Ciao,

Aunty Pol .

Monday Monday.....La La La

Well lets see....It's a Monday you bettcha . School is back on so all of the parents at the office are just slightly losing their minds over getting schedules back on, SU has to pay attention to the speed zones, which he is suprisingly good at and I need to haul the keester out 10 minutes earlier to avoid the usual traffic bullshit....good luck there Pol....LOL .


As far as the weekend went..it was a whole lotta nada . IT's still hotter than hell down here but we did get a speck of rain. The Prince of the Patio was very po'd and we moved his food and water. Not a lot of rain mind you, just enuf for the skeeters . Of course SU watched golf but did do a bunch of laundry which always helps. We'd stayed up late the night before watching movies so I was ZZZZZZZZZZ . I thought about cleaning the casa.....and thought some more. Every once and a while you simply have to give yourself permission to be lazy. Permission granted Pol...veg away . None of my peeps were on line as the game is on a break of sorts. The Mighty GM is making some changes so we are all...Neh...what evs. Of course you know who played golf on Sunday....again what evs. AMC was playing all fo the Jaws Movies in order so Pol was a happy gurl. It's hard to imagine that when that movie came out, I had been already married three years to He Who Also Shall Not Be Named. I found myself laughing out loud at the clothes worn in the original Jaws Movie..Jeebus H Tap Dancing Christ...we thought that was attractive ???????????? I'd like to think it was that we were young and dumb...but hell...we were just flat out dumb. And do not get me started on the fact that " Skinny Jeans" are back in. In my orgy of channel surfing, I ran across HSN...admit it..all y'all have seen it too. Anyhoo...it struck me as freakin hillarious that they were selling " Skinny Jeans" in sizes 4 to 22. Now Gals..lets be honest..if you wear a size 22, you have no business in " Skinny Jeans ".... EVER !
I guess it's time for the 80's to roll around again......and trust me here. If you didn't look like Heather Locklear then....hang it up now. We all know people who have no concept of age appropriate , and I say live and let live. More for Pol to ridicule...you know I am gonna do it.



Got a couple of new photo's of the cutest child on the planet..what a cutie. From what I hear she can say Mamamamamamama and Dadadada..what a gifted child. Okay..I will stop now.


Pol has been very bad on family e mails so that is todays project. Mea Culpa , Mea Culpa.


Have a great week....really...try it.

Ciao,

Aunty Pol .