LOOK OUT 2011!!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Buddies!!

Thank you for visiting with me this year. I hope you'll stay for 2011, as well. :)

As I sit here on New Year's Eve, knowing I won't make it anywhere near midnight before I fall soundly asleep, I find myself thinking of things over the past year and since I have returned to Louisiana. I'll share some of them with you now.

I will confess that I still miss my local Starbucks on Escarpment in Austin where I felt like "Norm" from "Cheers" when I walked in. Multiple "Hi, Mary!"s chorused from behind the bar. "Give me your cup" was a common theme even when the line was long for me to pay (I always took in my personal travel cup). My preference was known and the folks were friendly. But... in place of my beloved Starbucks, I have found "Get Healthy", a local establishment where the regular folks behind the counter now know my preferred drink and the food is really excellent (I confess to a love for the "muffalini", a muffaletta in panini form that is FABulous!). They also carry a number of health supplements and good advice. It's small and cozy and I enjoy meeting a friend there for the occasional afternoon coffee break in addition to the lunches enjoyed there.

I will confess that I very much miss my best friend of over 30 years with whom I would spend great times. We would make every small theatre group play that our friends were involved in (with one frequently directing while the other frequently acted). Before those plays, we would stop in at a local Austin eatery for a wonderful dinner and bottle of wine before walking to the theatre. We would take a day when spring began peeking out to hit a winery tour run to the west of Austin, stopping wherever we saw a winery sign and catching some shopping and a fun lunch somewhere in Fredericksburg or maybe Marble Falls before returning home with our treasures. But... while I still miss my best friend, I have been incredibly fortunate in renewing previous friendships here as well as making a new friend or two. There is a small group (4 of us) who try to catch a lunch at least once a month or better. It's called "Herding Cats" since the 2 who are gainfully employed have pretty hefty work schedules and matching up calendars is sometimes difficult. There is another friend who has had some very difficult challenges in 2010 who I don't see as often as I would like but who remains in my heart. I am hopeful that 2011 will allow her to spend a little more time with me when possible.

I will confess that I really miss my walking buddy in my old 'hood. Even on the mornings I just really wanted to lie in bed, I knew I had to get up and get ready. Ginny would be waiting out front at 7:00 a.m. SHARP! She lived across the cul-de-sac from me and became such a great pal. We shared a love of landscaping and spent some great times at one of the local nurseries together. We would admire each other's newest addition as if it were a baby in a blanket!! :) (Maybe that's why they call the plant places "nurseries", too?) We talked and talked during our approximately 50 minutes together each weekday morning. We solved MANY of the world's problems during these times... even though the world didn't know it. But... I found it was easy to not walk since there was no one waiting for me. That was to my detriment. So, I am now paying for the lack of exercise but am happy to report that I returned to my walking regimen about 2 months ago and have found that, even without her walking next to me, I can still chat with Ginny in my head!! I know her well enough to know what our conversations would be about (usually current events) and that we would likely agree on the solution. While I miss seeing her, I can still enjoy her!

I will confess that I truly miss the anonymity that a big city affords one! While I knew the first names of the folks in my cul-de-sac in Austin, I only knew Ginny's last name. When I went to my local H.E.B. (large grocery store), I could do every bit of my shopping without running into anyone I knew. I knew to not have a private conversation in a public place (and still do!) but it was not likely anyone I knew would overhear it even if I did. But... even while it is disconcerting that folks I don't really know well tell me "Oh, I know where you live." here, it is also comforting to get phone calls checking on how I'm doing from folks who know when the spousal-unit is in Texas on his monthly run. It is also nice to see folks in the grocery store who I might not otherwise run into here. It is somewhat of a giving up of my privacy... but in a relatively reassuring environment.

I will confess that I do miss the ability to hop in the car and make a quick run to grab things from Home Depot, PetSmart, Whole Foods, Chico's, Central Market, Bed,Bath, & Beyond, Costco, or Sam's, or to make a quick run to the mall to catch the shoe sale at Nordstrom's. The ease with which I could make those runs allowed me to not plan too far ahead!! But... while I don't have easy access to all of them, there is a Home Depot, PetSmart, BB&B, and Sam's within an hour's drive. Those trips give me a chance to chat with the spousal-unit for about an hour down and about an hour back. Since we can both hang out in the same house without chatting for quite some time, it is nice to have that "forced" interaction which I enjoy. (I won't speak for him but he hasn't jumped out of the moving vehicle on one of those trips yet.)

So... there are lots of other things I could cover here but I think you should have the point by now. I miss a lot of things that I became used to during my 37 years in Austin. What I have found, though, is there are other things that can help make up for the things I miss. Understand they don't "replace" the things I miss... but they help make the loss a little easier to bear.

As I look toward a new year, I know I will continue to discover things I miss... but am also confident I will discover something that helps make it not so bad. :)

I wish you all a safe and prosperous New Year!!!

Until next post...

GRIDLOCK? DEADLOCK? HECK... LOCK 'EM ALL UP!!!

Greetings, my Blogging Pals.

As I sit and check emails, I made the mistake of turning on the Cable News. Sigh. My fault. Is it just me... or are you all tired of this silliness that is supposed to be our government? What the heck is going on?!? Honestly. (Sorry. I know I'm preaching to the choir.)

First and foremost... I guarantee you that if I spend more money than I have in my checkbook, I don't get to print a bunch more!! Can any of you explain to me why it is that a body of (generally) highly-educated individuals (some attorneys, some doctors...) don't seem to understand that their spending should be limited to their "income" (which you and I are generously providing, I might add)? When I accept a job, I accept the income that will be received for that job. Period. I don't get to "borrow" income from someone else's paycheck. I don't get to use my fabulous HP All-In-One to generate more income. Nope. I simply learn to live within my means... or I deal with the ramifications of not doing so.

Secondly... when did a bill become a "Mexican combo platter" with not only the enchiladas but the tamale, the taco, the rice, the beans, the queso, and the pico de gallo? Does anyone else remember Schoolhouse Rock? Do you remember the ONE-PAGE Bill who sang about what it took to become a Law?

Okay. So it is a cartoon and it is likely that many Bills need more than one-page to cover everything... but I truly believe that 2,000+ pages is completely out-of-control. As has been pointed out, our Founding Fathers did not need anywhere near that many words to completely establish our government and its parameters (the Constitution). Do the current politicians have THAT much more to say? Hardly. I daresay the less they talk, the better I like them. Sigh. And quit tacking crap onto these things that are totally unrelated!!! Does any one of them have the kahunas to submit a bill stating that NOTHING can be attached to a bill? One bill - One cause. Period.

Okay. I'm done. I realize my whining doesn't really accomplish anything. However... I will tell you that I am going to follow up this post to my blog with a few emails to my elected representatives. Yep. They are going to hear from me. It will be short. It will be straight-to-the-point. It will be loud and clear. It may not do anything... but I will feel a lot better.

I hope you enjoyed the Schoolhouse Rock video. At least that makes sense!!! :)

Until next whine...

ABSOLUTELY RAMBLING... AND TWINS!!!

Heidy-Ho, Blogging Pals!

Things here in the swampland have cooled off and have certainly been getting dark early!! :) I wish they would not mess with our time. I believe the original reason for the DST we now deal with might have been logical... but it doesn't make sense any longer. Could we just stay on Standard time from now on? Please?? Geez!!

Alright. With the cooling, a few things have been happening here. One of them is the coloring of some of the trees. While I admit Austin, TX has a limited amount of color in the fall, I will say there is more here than I expected. Neighbors on both sides have trees that have turned lovely shades... one red... one yellow.

Very nice.

I also have heard from one of those "we were in kindergarten together!" pals recently. She was the bearer of very excellent news. Her daughter gave birth to twin boys on September 11th and, while they did have to spend some time in the hospital since they were a bit early, they were both home before Thanksgiving. Now if that isn't something to be thankful for, I don't really know what is!! For those of you who attended kindergarten with me (and 12 grades past that!), the grandmother is Gail B. The photo is of her daughter, Andi, with the two bambinos... Andrew Bennett Christopher and Devan Taylor Christopher. Congratulations, Grandma Gail!!

Not too much to report on today. Thanksgiving has come and gone (although the extra poundage does not seem to have followed Thanksgiving out!) and I guess Christmas is coming up much faster than expected. Oh... speaking of Christmas... the Beauregard Community Action Association has an "Angel Tree" outside of its front door at 104 West Port Street (where North Washington seems to dead-end). Take a moment... go pull an angel or two off of that tree... and provide a child (or two) with some Christmas gifts they may not otherwise receive. It will help take the "Bah Humbug!" out of Christmas for you... really. :)

So... with all that said... until next post...