It's Another New Year!

I almost feel compelled to write something in my blog at least several times a year if not once a month just for the pure joy of sharing my opinion to somebody or nobody.
Yes, it is true that I have not been as faithful to this as I have in the past. What's changed? Well, lots of things, but perhaps I just haven't felt the compulsion to vent about anything. Today, I decided that perhaps a few words here and there to sum up the year would be a good way to reviving my blog.


Amazingly, one month is already gone for 2014. It is the most important month in the whole year actually because it is my birthday month. Those who know me know that my birthday is hugely important to me and should be a national holiday. Ok....I am not that important or egotistical, but I do love my birthday! I turned 48 this year. I have come to realize that I am edging closer to the 3rd quarter of my life. Fifty is right around the bend and I have come to appreciate how important being alive means to me. Death is so permanent and I am not ready to go anywhere and I can't hardly imagine the day when I would be ready to leave this world. However, until a magic serum appears that allows me to maintain my looks of today forever, I will plod ahead with everyone else, keep my nose to the grindstone and enjoy each and every day.


Love, Love, Love - not just a catchy Beatles tune, but something that is so wildly important to me these last seven months. I have found the love of my life and I can't imagine one day without her. With that though comes the fact that I have to wait and endure many days without her for the time being. You see everyone has some housecleaning in their life and my love has her own to contend with these days. In any case, our hearts beat in unison and that steady beat allows me to look forward to a future full of love, fun and prosperity in many, many ways.


My Dad has settled in to the nursing home. Perhaps "settled" is not the word because he is a man of restless spirit. He likes to roam. Sunday drives on the weekend were something he adored while the rest of us bristled at the thought. He does realize that he is somewhere that is not his home and has difficulty understanding why this was necessary. Sharing this experience with my Dad has only called to mind my own mortality. Again....making this birthday and all future birthdays very important to me. Carpe Diem!


Football season is over. Now I know there are some that will say...."Yawn, what?"....or "I didn't notice", but it is one of my favorite sport seasons and I shall miss it. Onward and upward however to the next favorite - March Madness. What is not to like about this time of year? It ushers in Springtime - flowers, gardens, grass cutting - and renews our spirit! The "renewal of spirit" is much appreciated these days since we have had an abundance of snow in the Cincinnati area this season. I digress....March brings NCAA BB tourney time and it is a fun time indeed! No more sub-zero temperatures for me!


Have frequent flyer miles - will travel - I am hell bent in taking a vacation away from here this year. I picture a week or multiple 5 day weekends. I think it is so healthy to see the city fading behind you as you travel to your destination. It just releases the stress of everyday living. We all need to take the time to "smell the roses". I've been dreaming of beach places lately, but I gather that is because of this year's Winter.  Bah humbug.


I have a friend who will be married this year to her long time partner of 12 years. They live in New Hampshire - one of the 17 states (to date) that allow gay marriages. Last year, they made it official at the local courthouse and this year they intend to celebrate their union with a grand party near their home in the coastal town of Portsmouth. I couldn't be happier for them. We have moved into an era of tolerance to some extent, but have lots of work yet to do in regards to recognizing that all people have the legal right to marry the person that they love despite their sexual orientation. Hooray! It just boggles my mind that there are so many people in the U.S. who care about the humanity of people in other nations and just as soon trip me as I walk down the street for being gay. We should be ashamed of ourselves that it took this long for the rights of all individuals to be recognized. I had the joyous opportunity to attend my first lesbian marriage last year for a dear friend of mine and it was a powerful experience filled with love and sincerity. No different from any other wedding and that is the point now isn't it?


So what will the next 11 months hold? It is filled with promise, new beginnings, new adventures and reuniting with friends old and new and surrounded by loving family members. It will be a good year indeed!

Ramblings of a woman ready for a vacation

Yes......I start my vacation on Friday. Heading to my favorite spot in the U.S......Boston MA. So these are my ramblings as I moan and groan my way through 3 more days of work.

• Sarah Palin - still an idiot. It's funny. Every time she embarrasses herself in front of the entire world, those who support her attack President Obama for all of his shortcomings. When she is quiet....they are quiet. All political leaders have had gaffes, mistakes and blunders. Why can't they just call her out on it just once?
• Great news! While I am on vacation, Kip will be spending a week at the trainer's getting a refresher course on manners. He is all of 16 months and he is feeling his "oats". It is so nice to know that I can fully relax and not worry about him. Phew!
• I had to skip two days of my c25k program in the last week due to a sore Achilles heel. I decided to play co-ed softball this summer and of course.....I am doing a lot of sprints which have left me feeling all of my 45 years in three weeks. Ugh. My grandmother was right when she told me "don't ever get old".
• I am bringing a book along with me on vacation. I'm not a huge reader but when I do pick one I like non-fiction stuff. I chose the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton book "Furious Love" to read while I lounge around and eat chowdah and lobster!
• Speaking of chowdah.....I will be sitting at my favorite chowdah spot in downtown Boston around Noon on Friday - The Union Oyster House. I have not found a bowl that I like any better. I have heard that there is a place in P-Town that has pretty good chowdah. Hmmmm we shall see!

So what are your plans for the weekend? Relaxing? Yardwork? Chowdah?!

Somebody get me to the airport!

Is it Spring already?

Amazing how long one can sleep when she puts her mind to it!

It has been a long time I know and I am not really sure if anyone is left to listen to my ramblings, but I will ramble just the same.

I have grown disappointed listening to the news over the last few months. In fact, I almost thought that it would be more peaceful to live in Canada without a TV so I wouldn't have to listen to people scream at each other about how the U.S. is going to Hell. I think some have grown afraid of what they don't know and there are those in the political world who know exactly how to prey on the feelings of those folks - creating the feeding frenzy that we now see nightly on any network.

Yes....our officials.....ok...the government....doesn't always do things that we all agree with. Those who don't like it.....please get over it. A lot of us who didn't support George Bush had to endure a lot over the last eight years and so we can appreciate the feeling of not getting things our way. It's ok. Like us......you will get used to it.

To distract you from all of the governmental madness that has you in a frenzy.....tune in to Dancing with the Stars! Oh yes.....we in Cincinnati have something to cheer about. Our very own Chad Ochocinco has just finished his dance routine with two-time winner, Cheryl Burke, and they lit up the dance floor! Please.....he is going to give the ice skater - Evan - a run for his money. Hopefully, this season will be much more acrobatic because they just can't throw Kate Gosselin around enough in my opinion. Yeah....as you may know....I'm just not a fan of her media circus. So have at it! Toss her around! Wait.....she might lose her hairpiece. Pfffft.....toss her around!

I hope everyone who manages to read my post has a wonderful week. Did I say that I was getting a puppy? YES! In fact, he makes his arrival at the end of this week.

More on that later...........

TA TA

I have been away too long!

The last year has been one that has taken a bit of my breath away so I know that my blogging habits have been far less than I expect from myself. I am trying to get back to my usual form so bear with me!

My Dad is at my house this morning installing a new wash tub and fixing my toilet. At 79, the one thing he does well is his craft of plumbing. Of course....at his age.....his patience level is thin and he complains a lot. He can be a tad bit grumpy when his daughter buys "inferior" products at the local Lowe's store instead of going to a plumbing supply store. (and paying triple) Yes....its another father-daughter bonding moment this morning. :)

Anyway so much has happened in the world the last few months I don't know really where to start so I will begin with my favorite target......the nitwit Sarah Palin. You heard about her new book? Yep....."Going Rogue". No doubt she wants to educate us on her "wisdom" and "insight" in a forum that she solely controls. No "trick" questions from anyone in the evil media (that would be you - Katie and Charlie) or bad publicity photos. I imagine she will take pot shots at McCain's campaign staff because again.....this is her uninterrupted forum. She has undoubtedly educated herself more - reading books, studying political history and policy - so she looks less dimwitted than she did in the past. Again.....just as in the campaign.....everything is perfectly scripted.

Some say that she will run for office in 2012. Most folks in the RNC think she should do what's best for the party and watch it on television. She doesn't stand a chance against the educated men and women in the Republican party for whom she will compete. Too bad Tina Fey has no interest in reviving her role on SNL - although.....for the right amount of money anyone would do anything.

Ok....moving on to more interesting stuff......NFL! Who would have thought that we would see Brett Farve waffle again and come back to the game? And they think women change their minds a lot! He put on a fabulous performance against the Packers last week and it only proves when you count this guy out.......you pay for it! I don't think Brett has the stamina to carry him the whole season but he is doing exactly what the Vikings want him to do right now. Win. As for my Cincinnati Bengals......I don't think they should be 3-1 at this point. They are really not that strong of a team. It's smoke and mirrors. They will get their heads handed to them in Baltimore tomorrow. It is a rude awakening but it has to happen.

Does anyone else realize that we are already 75% done with 2009? The years really do fly by and I am already planning for Christmas.

Lyn and I are looking at houses. We are trying to decide what type of house (and features) we can both agree on when the time comes for us to look for one in earnest. We both like big kitchens. After that, we both have our own nit pick points. I think a good family room is important. I also think an older house has more character than some of the new homes that are being built today. There is just something structurally sound about a nice brick home built about 80 years ago. Of course.....unless it has been renovated to some extent it may require some additional dollars to get it close to what we want. And...if we renovate....wouldn't make more sense to build something from scratch? You can understand the quandary. I will move on.

I have to talk about the Nobel Peace Prize at this point. I think everyone - including myself - was surprised or shocked to hear that the committee chose President Obama for this award. Personally, I would by lying if I said it wasn't too early for him to receive such a prestigious honor. It is early. However, it would appear that the prize is being given to him because his administration is changing the tone of how America is perceived to nations across the world. It is a much different tone than the last administration. So he is being given the award because of the peaceful platform he represents as the President of the U. S. for the next 3 years. It is not an award based on what he is doing in America for Americans. The jury is still out on that for some of our countryman. I have to ask myself - does he stand in the same line as Mother Teresa? No and I don't know many who do - including past NPP recipients.

It's time for a vacation and we have been tossing around some ideas for 2010. The main trip of the year will likely be to the Oregon Coast - Home of fabulous Pinot Noir and endless hours watching whales frolic in the Pacific from our hotel room. I think we will try to squeeze in other trip to Vegas but we have not decided on a date yet. I have several friends who are going to Vegas next year at different times but it may not work out for those dates. It is nice to plan though.

The war in Afghanistan is still going. After eight years we cannot quit it now so hopefully more troops will be sent in to finish what was started after 9/11. We have no choice. We were sidelined by the circus show in Iraq and never finished the work at hand with Al Qaeda. It won't be pretty but it has to be done.

Last but not least.....Lyn and I celebrate four years together this month. We are having a low key dinner this evening and will call it a night. It has been lovely.....just lovely. :)

Til next time.....
TA TA!

Monday evening ramblings

It occurred to me this evening that we are almost 3/4 done with 2009. Is it possible? The year has gone by so fast that I am thinking that I must be late doing something.....Christmas shopping.....etc etc.

A few more thoughts for the evening:

• Lockerbie - Can someone tell me what has gotten into the Scots? Yes yes.....let's free the terrorist! I understand it was for non-political reasons......a compassionate release. Righto. It was very compassionate on his part in 1988 when he participated in blowing Pan Am flight 103 right out of the sky. I can also understand the Scots non-political reasoning in releasing this gentleman. Other than the Lockerbie disaster.....what terrorist is targeting Scotland? Men in kilts people!!
• YAY! FOOTBALL SEASON! No more needs to be said.......
• Health plan - Still more confusion being spewed in every direction on the contents of the bills. Yes....it will take money to make this work. It can't be any more expensive than the Iraq War. How quickly we forget......
• Rosie on Sirius - That's right. Rosie has her own show on Sirius Channel 102 - Monday thru Friday from 10am to Noon ET beginning this Fall. How long before she talks about her old cohorts on The View? Its good to have her back. Satellite radio is a good outlet for her.
• LifeLock - I signed up for this a few weeks ago after someone tried to buy $600 worth of jewelery on my credit card. Technology is great but it is also a curse these days!
• Scarefest - For those of you who need the bejeezus scared out of you. Not a horror fan myself, but I do believe in ghosts. Boo!
• Twitter - Who's using it? Is it a fad that is fading or just ramping up?
• Blogger - I want an iPhone app for my blog. Dammit.

Ok....that just about wraps it up for me this evening. Time to sit back and fall asleep to the television. Maybe that's where the last eight months have gone?

TA TA

Friday morning ramblings

There are so many things to chat about today I decided to just ramble on endlessly about each one just to get them off my chest. (Deep breath) Ok.....here we go!

• Jon and Kate - minus 1? Apparently the media machine is still being stoked again because it is being reported this morning that Jon and Kate have an announcement coming sometime soon. Rumored to be one that will have a big impact on their family...it is my guess that Jon has said......"Enough is enough...if you like being on TV so much.....have at it!" Yep.....a separation of some sort probably linked to a money deal with TLC.
• North Korea - Yeah......launch a missile in the direction of Hawaii. Sounds like a really wise decision doesn't it? If you really want to test President Obama.....trust me....he has been waiting for this opportunity.
• Smoke and Flames - no.....not a afternoon grillside with some choice steaks. This was how I spent part of my afternoon yesterday on my way home from work. After having the truck in the shop last week because I was hearing noises - noises that could no longer be heard once it was at the shop of course - my truck broke down on my way home yesterday. Luckily I was able (able is a keyword here) to pull my smoking auto off the highway and into a gas station. After using a bucket or two of water to put out the flames near my front driver's side tire.......the tow truck driver's initial diagnosis was a broken axle. Ah ha.....a broken axle. Smoke and flames folks!!! This was followed by a 28 mile tow back to the same garage who worked on my car last month and did not hear the noises last weekend. They were sad to see me.....hmmmm.....wonder why? Now it is just me and "the muttlet" aka Bailey.....sitting around waiting all day.
• Louisville Pride - I hear the Indigo Girls are performing this weekend. Much to the chagrin of Lyn I am a fan of Emily. Ahhhhhhhh.........
• Football season - YAY!!! What some of us live and die for!! IT is coming my friends! Do not despair! All of this talk of Jon and Kate, North Korea....blah blah blah will all go by the wayside at the the very first pre-season game!! Ochocinco (aka Chad Johnson) has predicted the Bungles will be in the playoffs this year. (cough) What???
• Spinning - I could leave this up to the imagination but nah.....I have purchased a Spinning bike from my friend Robin. She tried it twice and decided it was not for her. Fortunately, I have been looking for more exercise so I gladly took it off her hands. Pretty nice bike and it comes with lots of "motivational" dvds so the ride can be just more agonizing.

Ok.....that's all I got. I know just as soon as I "send this to press" I will think of two more items that are just dying for discussion. Since I have all day to just wait around.....I will likely be back to see if anyone out there wants to discuss one of the items listed above!

TA TA!!

Post Birthday Musings

Ahhh yessss....another birthday has bit the dust and we are off and running with the new year! I had a very nice weekend of margaritas, Italian food and bling........life is good.

It has been quite a challenge for me to blog lately. I am trying to get back in the saddle but it has been a slow go of it for me. Lots of interesting topics have been floating through my head lately so I may be able to make a better effort soon.

A quick note on the vacation decision.......as you recall Lyn and I have been looking for a place to take a little break. After several good ideas....we have decided to take a nice long weekend and spend it in Las Vegas! Lyn has never been to LV and as everyone knows......you have to go there at least one time in your life. We have a fabulous room at the Bellagio and there is no doubt in my mind that we will be lucky enough to have a warm day in March to sit lazily by the pool. May not be a tropical beach resort......but LV has enough resort style comforts that we should feel quite relaxed while we are there.

Can someone tell me why we have to endure endless television appearances by the idiot governor of Illinois? Impeach him already!

Ahhhhh.....our new President and the First Lady........they just ooze love and respect for one another. The other past Presidents looked almost afraid to touch their wives. What a refreshing change! Someone who can lead by example in the "family man" department! Good stuff!

So when is the next federal holiday? Oh yeah......Memorial Day. (sigh)

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that the 23rd Annual Oyster Festival on March 27th in Cincinnati at the Washington Platform. Yep......Shuck 'em, Suck 'em, & Eat 'em Raw! Are there any other oyster lovers out there?

Thanks for the birthday greetings one and all. It was a good one!

TA TA!

Saturday morning ramblings

Ahhhh.....Fall is here my friends! The much cooler nights here in the Ohio Valley have been a welcomed sight for my AC unit. We seem to have much shorter periods of Fall these days. Thanks to the recent hurricanes and the windstorms that it brought to the Midwest and the NE much of the pretty trees and their leaves didn't stand much of a chance. Today I am going to begin a little yard cleanup in preparation for winter. I have been told by two sources who follow the Farmers Almanac religiously that we are in for a bad winter. I don't know whether to believe it or not but it does lead me to think about getting a snow blower.

• How about OJ Simpson? Thirteen years to the day of when he was "pardoned" for killing his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman, he receives a guilty verdict in Vegas for Armed Robbery and Kidnapping. Apparently the sentence - even if it is light - could keep him in jail for much of his remaining days. I don't know if it brings much solace to the Goldman/Brown families since they wanted him to pay for the murder of their family members many years ago but the fact that his verdict arrives exactly on the day 13 years later is freaky to say the least. It might be the "ghost of Christmas past" coming back to haunt him in a very real way.
• Ok....has everyone finished reading their copy of the Bailout Plan? Anyone? Apparently the only way they could get some of the H of R folks to vote for it was if they added some "fat projects" of theirs to the bill. So now we are paying for other stuff that isn't relevant to the bailing out of Wall Street. I did check the bill to see who didn't vote for it in my area - Congressman "Comb-over" Chabot voted No. The thing about this bill is no one reeeeaallly knows if it is going to work out or not. They are taking their best stab at it. Kinda like adding Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket.......
• Speaking of the good Governor from Alaska.........I thought she had a good night at the debate as well as Senator Biden. Let's face it - either of these candidates were capable of turning this debate into a real nightmare! Thank God for 5 days of debate prep and 35 years of Congressional experience to keep everything in line. I compare Sarah Palin's efforts to her Republican Convention speech. She had a binder of information at her podium and since she can read well.....she had no problem following along. "Joe" as Sarah Palin likes to call Senator Biden did a lot of smiling during the debate and I am still trying to figure out if this was his way of belittling her comments or if he was simply thinking...."Wow...she is an attractive woman when she taunts me like that."
• Hooray! to Tina Fey's impressions of the great moosehunter! It should be another lively SNL session tonight!

This has truly been a lively week all around and I know I could ramble on a few more topics but then I would miss my chance to cleanup the yard. Ugh! Everyone have a great week!

TA TA!

It's Friday!!!

This has been quite the week! So many things going on in my life and in Lyn's life that it has got me running around like the proverbial chicken with its head cut off. I am so ready just to grab a cocktail and sit back and relax.

The week started off by a big family weekend with visiting relatives. They only come home once a year and when they do everybody drops everything and starts making plans centered around them. So all week I have had random invitations to come to dinner, eat out, etc etc. You know how it is........someone close to you is on vacation for a week and the subtle (or not so subtle) expectation is that you will be as free-wheeling as they are for seven days. Nice in theory but the rest of us who have other responsibilities just can't keep up.

In the last month or so I have been entertaining new job opportunities and dealing with those negotiations have kept me distracted a bit. So it is natural that my family wants to know all about it every single day I see them. I just got to the point where I told my Mom - gently - don't call me I will call you. Ok.....that was paraphrased a bit but I just couldn't take one more morning call asking me if I had heard anything yet. Eeeeeek! I compare it to the child sitting in the backseat of the car saying "Are we there yet?" repeatedly. Who needs more anxiety on top of the command appearances at family dinners for the relatives that come home once a year?

One highlight of the week was that I had my brand spankin' new iPhone! Ahhh yes.....it arrived last Friday afternoon. Do I think it is all that and a bag of chips? OH YESSSS! I have downloaded some fabulous new applications from iTunes that keep me even more connected to the world that I ever have been before. Lyn has gotten her hands on the device as well and agrees that this really is one amazing little gadget. The best part about this is........this type of phone technology will only get better because of the iPhone's capabilities. Everyone wants to be bigger and better. Competition breeds better stuff my friends!

Lyn's little dog Bailey had a little overnight stay at the vet this week. All I can say is thank God there are emergency vet clinics where your beloved pet can get quick attention to their medical emergencies! They can happen to all of us and the upside to these emergency clinics is that you don't have to wait in line like you do at the human hospitals! Lyn was already concerned enough but if she had to sit in a waiting room for 5 hours it would have been reeeeaaally ugly. It looks like Bailey will be just fine and simply needs to have her diet adjusted. I have been warned that all treats - other than the crude, bland, lifeless dog biscuits - will be off limits to Bailey. This will take a bit of self-control on my part now because the dog has a certain level of expectation of me. Kinda like the relatives who come to visit once a year..........

Lastly...I received an email from a friend yesterday that outlined the Book of Revelations and how Obama may be the anti-Christ. Needlesstosay, she is a McPain supporter and would rather vote for McPain than cast a vote for Obama. Enough said on that one.

So this weekend it is about regaining life as we know it. Hopefully we will be able to get caught up on some movies. I hear The Dark Knight is great! I am hearing mixed reviews on Mamma Mia. I would be interested in hearing from someone who saw either one of these movies to get your reviews!

June ramblings

Ahhh here we are in the first real month of Summer! Time for Friday night volleyball games, Pride Festivals, outdoor dining, yard work and more yard work, walking around the park two extra times just because and spending hours at the pool even though you know the sun is gonna getcha.

We are just in time for some of the madness to end and just in time for some to begin. Hillary Clinton will give a fond farewell to her Presidential campaign pursuit - maybe even tonight - and allow Obama to duke it out with Pops McCain. I hope that she has a shot at VP and it sounds like she would be interested in the position but I have my doubts that Obama wants a strong woman riding shotgun. Wait.....holding the shotgun might be a better way of putting it. She likes to take charge and that may just scare him too much. She was my candidate and now I play the waiting game like everyone else who will vote the Democratic ticket.

More madness just starting......did you hear the story about Lindsey Lohan and her new gal pal? Uh yeah!? Apparently she is a little gag-gag over her 20 something DJ BFF. I even heard a story where she wants to marry her pal now that it is legal in San Francisco. Wow.....that's just what we need for the cause isn't it folks? She's gay today but somewhere else tomorrow! No thanks Lindsey!

Pride festivals are heating up all over the nation and it will once again be our turn here in Cincinnati. I was looking at the events and it appears that we will be disappointed again. Poor funding or the lack of creativity in gathering more funds makes this Pride event rather sad. Still it is the only one we have and my friends and I will make the best of it and watch the 15 minute parade and then walk around and count the drag queens. Such is life in the big conservative city......

So what kind of madness do you have to look forward to this Summer?

Sunday morning ramblings

I have begun my day early today thanks to a little fluffy dog named Bailey. That's ok....I had lots of things to accomplish this morning. I am including a few of the highlights or low-lights of the week.

• Now I like oysters but even this story had me feeling a bit overwhelmed and gagging. Just don't know how people do it. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2008/04/12/1427070-oy-eating-champ-downs-35-dozen-oysters
• Those of you who have been reading this blog may know that a group of friends and myself have allowed ghost hunting to become an interesting hobby. I am not quiting my day job as of yet because it is not a job that will immediately pay you millions (don't think TAPS is making millions yet either). However, it is a very interesting hobby indeed. I have renamed my second blog to incorporate our new team name - Paranormal Investigators of Cincinnati. Check it out!
• Here we are so close to the Pennsylvania Primary and I am still not happy with the way things are going for our Democrats. The campaign fight is getting more bitter and it usually does as the nominees battle it out. However, why is it that the media hypes the bitter fighting as unfair by each candidate? It's not unfair and quite frankly I would think that to clear the air of all issues you would need to hear more of this type of direct critiques otherwise you may appear weak. I still have doubts that Obama can beat McCain and I am not afraid to admit that openly and IN PRINT!
• Has any other state in the nation - other than Ohio - banned smoking in all public places? If so....how is that working out for you? I must admit that going into a bar to listen to a local lesbian band is quite nice without being choked with smoke. Last night we went into a bar which had the No Smoking (with the listed fines attached to it) all over the place but the local rural lesbians were just puffing away. Just love it when the public votes something into law that can't be enforced completely by state officials. Cough cough!

Ok.....enough jabbering.....time for coffee!

Snow related ramblings

Blizzard. This is one word that you don't hear very often in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana but we have been hearing it for the last 15 hours on the news. To my friends in the Northeast.......it is well on its way to your door. If they are calling it a blizzard here I can't imagine what this system will be like when it is full blown in Massachusetts and Maine.

I think I have at least 6 inches in my driveway that must be shoveled at some point. We are supposed to get another 3 or 4 inches by 4pm this afternoon. I am not so sure of this based on the current radar picture. Its really not the snow that is the big issue - its the winds. Brrrrrrrr They cut right through ya.

It ain't all bad though. I am in the process of making a big pot of chili and that will cook for few hours while I shovel and continue some "marthafication" updates around the house. Speaking of chili, I bought into a quarter of a steer with my family and now I have enough meat to make 30 pots of chili this year alone. So not having enough food through this is not an issue. Mooooooo!

At some point I will go over to Lyn's house today and shovel her drive and walk because she is holding out for the HOA to do this chore for her. "This is what I am paying them for", she says. It doesn't happen. One day I am going to end up flat on my back in her drive, unconscious and she won't realize it until the time she takes the dog out for a walk - which could be hours after I whacked my cranium against the concrete.

I had thought that this wasn't all bad..........now I am thinking that there is indeed a serious health risk if I leave my house. I think I will just stay home and eat chili..........