Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Hey, remember me?



Hi all.  I have a really great idea for a blog post that has been on my mind for a few months but I lacked time.  Recently I have found that I may have a little time to blog so let me catch you up on my roller coaster.   So remember how I changed jobs in March because my employer for 15 years went bankrupt?   Yeah, well I went to work for a nice little start up carrier but about 6 months in I was contacted by a friend who knew of a job opening at a commercial carrier, which was something I always wanted to do and so I made the jump.   I made the switch because this company is stable and not going anywhere.   I knew I had a good chance of ending my carrier here and I was finally having fun.  But as sometimes happens, companies make decisions that are unexpected and mine decided to move the entire office, sans employees, to another state and combine offices.  So that leaves me here, at home, working on a blog for the first time in months. 

Now to be honest, I have been keeping very busy and I want to say to all the stay at home wives out there, you have my utmost respect.  I can honestly say in the last few weeks I have been 'Unemployed' I have worked harder than I ever did working.   I have painted rooms and trim and run to the super center more times than I want to count.  I have cleaned carpets twice and spent a good 3 days decorating not only my inside of my house but my outside.   Yes, it took 3 days.  I climbed more ladders last week than I thought humanly possible.

So here are some of the Christmas décor photos.  Time for me to do some job searches but I will get right on that new blog after. 

New Shelves the Hubs helped me hang.

Christmas time!

Wreath I made last year. PS the door will be getting a better color as soon as it warms up!
My favorite!

Buck and Doe

Some of the Front Yard Décor

Front

I went a little lights crazy in the front

Then did the back for the chickens. Ignore the foot and a half of missing lights please.

I just had to have it.

I also have a thing for Penguins!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Two years and counting

2 YEARS AGO TODAY!

Happy Anniversary to the man: 

Who makes me laugh even when I don't want to. 

Who supports me when things go wrong and that has happened too often in 2016. 

Who likes to argue with me about NFL being better than MLB, he's cray! 

Who let's me be a mom to his kid. 

Who taught me how to be an awesome chicken chick and duck diva. 

Who opened a whole new world of hunting, fishing, and NASCAR to me. 

Who supports me even when I tell him I want to change jobs for the second time this year. 

Who loves me even when I am crazy, bitchy, or annoying.  

Love you, babe. 


Thursday, June 9, 2016

Being a FAN: Texas Rangers and beyond for the love of a team


Being a fan: 

It is no secret that I love baseball and more specifically the Texas Rangers.  In years past I have spent up to 35 games a regular season at the ballpark.  I was single and it was my entire social scene for a long time.   While I don't have the time or money to make that commitment at this time in my life,  I plan to be at the ballpark at least 10 times this season.   When you consider the investment, 2-3 tickets averaging $35 each (sometimes more, sometimes less depending on my mood and bank account) plus parking at $15-$20 per game, the money invested is substantial and that doesn't even include beer, soda, and nachos or whatever else you choose to consume or not consume at the ballpark, none of it cheap.  A night at the game for a family of 3 can easily exceed $200 and that is before you figure the cost of the shirts you purchased to attend and the refreshments you brought to tailgate.  

But more than that there is time invested. even if you don't go to the games as much as I do, which is nothing compared to some people (who would probably not consider me a good fan, because I am not there enough) there are games on TV.  At minimum, 162 games a season which I devote my viewing life to from the end of March until whenever the season ends, sometime in late October if I am really lucky.   Do I miss a game?  Sometimes it happens.  I mean, life happens for all of us.  Usually, I miss part of a game at most. 

So when you are a fan, you get to know your team, the players and if you are on Twitter, other fans.  There are no rules to being a fan except that you love the team.  For me, I have a personal rule never to boo my team when I am at the ballpark.  That does not mean however, that I can't be critical of a player or players who are hurting the team.  When you watch a player struggle, usually you begin by feeling bad for that player and hoping they snap out of it.   After a while however, they just become a burden to the team and as such, the fans.   When a pitcher just can't find the strike zone he is frustrating to watch.  When a hitter can't hit the ball and kills an offensive drive, he makes fans crazy.  

There is an emotional investment in the team and fans are critical, even of their own players and you know what?  We have that right.  We can get mad when a player is hurting the team.  We get to be upset when a player isn't performing up to his billing or contract.  We spend our hard earned money and our precious time so we have a right to voice our displeasure.  It doesn't mean we are bad fans.  It is actually the opposite, we love the team so much that we are miserable watching a player who continually under performs and we don't follow the player blindly at the expense of the team.  That doesn't mean we won't be thrilled if/when the player snaps out of it.  That doesn't mean if, for example the Texas Rangers Shawn Tolleson finds the strike zone and becomes a machine, we won't all be cheering or if Prince Fielder suddenly manages to connect with the baseball and break out of his season long miserable slump, we won't all be calling him a beast again.  It simply means we want the best players on the field every day and maybe that player is Sam Dyson or Jurickson Profar. 

Some fans have silly rules, nobody over a certain age should wear a jersey.  Nobody should leave the sticker on their cap.  Caps must have the brims bent.  Yada, Yada, Yada.  There is one rule for baseball games: No WAVE!   Okay, so that is my rule and believe me, my husband breaks it just to annoy me.  The wave belongs at football games, end of story.  Wear what you want.  Wear it any way you want.  Although know this, if you wear high heels to a baseball game, I am going to laugh at you.  

Being a fan simply means living and dying with your team.  You don't have to be mean to other fans, although some of us are.  You don't have to be critical of players, although you have that right.  You don't have to spend  10, 40, or 81 games a season at the ballpark, although some of us do.   You don't need a large Twitter following to be a good fan, although some of us have them, it isn't a popularity contest.  You don't need 3 pair of shoes, 35 shirts, 8 pair of earrings, necklaces, handbags, bracelets, and team rings, although I have them.  (Seriously, I am like a walking billboard when I go to a game).  
Some of the best Texas Rangers fans that I know live in other states Iowa, California, North Carolina and Canada.  They love the team just as much as I do, maybe more.  They are fans.  They may not be the most vocal fans.  They may not be the most critical fans.  They may not be in attendance at every game or any game, but they are amazing fans.   

So even if you are a fan of the Astros, Yankees, or the hated Toronto Blue Jays, it is your team. Own it. Shoot, you may not be a baseball fan at all, that's okay.  Some people like football.  Believe it or not, there are some Cowboys fans in Dallas-Ft Worth.  I know. I know. Crazy, right.   We even have a hockey team called the Dallas Stars and a basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks, those teams have fans too.  It's okay to be a fan of those teams too, I am. (Not the way I am the Rangers but I am to a way lesser extent, especially on the Cowboys who I just find frustrating.) 

Fans:  Love their team.  End of story. 




Wednesday, June 8, 2016

What I'm loving Wednesday #1 of 2016 Really?


Hey there party people.  Happy hump day! Is this really the first actual "What I'm Loving" post I have done this year?  I can't believe it!  I should be on my way to work by now but I thought I wold stop in to my blog and say hello and share a few things I am loving this week.  Ready?  

*I am going to start writing for our local backyard chicken coop tour blog.  Yep, me.  I'm super excited.  I get to interview awesome coop owners and find out all about them and their chickens!  Now for those who don't know, I always intended to be a journalist when I graduated high school and went to college but that plan went somewhere out in way left field.  

*
Speaking of chickens how cute does Patches look in her saddle?  Now aside from being a totally fashion forward hen, this saddle is protecting her back feathers from my frisky Roosters.  Patches and her hen friend Ruby are the favorites and they pay with missing feathers.   

*
Baseball is making me very happy right now!  The Rangers above and the Cubs below, are trying to make my dream World Series happen! 

*Yu Darvish the Rangers pitcher who returned from surgery and Juricksen Profar who is a shortstop but has also played second and now first is also returning from surgery and both have been very good.  Yu Darvish is probably my favorite current player and I am so happy with the idea of Profar moving to first that I tweeted this last night: 

*I am loving that the dogs got a bath last night.  They needed it!  


And I am loving that mama hen Lemon takes her babies out and shows them the lay of the land and important stuff like the garden.  Of course being kids, they don't listen! 

So what are you loving? 

Monday, June 6, 2016

Take me out to the ballgame!


I'm a little or lot behind on blogging.  My new job is kicking my butt.  These photos are from the game at the end of May when Yu Darvish returned after almost 2 years.   


He likes going to the games but he hates me taking selfies.   Before the game all my Rangers bling set off the metal detector.   That's never happened before.   I may have had one too many bracelets on.  



Yu has made one home start and one road start now.  Both wins.  I missed him. 

Here is the updated standings: 


Okay so other things I have been doing besides baseball?  

I actually painted my nails twice.  This is a shocking development, believe me!


Tending to the flock, of course.  I volunteered to do some work with the local coop community. More on that later.

Reading:  I am currently reading Riffs of Regret by Micah Chaplin.  I don't know much about the Indy music scene but the characters are so real that it doesn't matter.   

Reminder:  it's Opening Day:  
Available today! 
  I told y'all about Dropped Third Strike during the cover release.  Well today is the day!  The book is available on Kindle.  Mine showed up this morning since I pre-ordered it.   
Here is the info on the book if you missed my other blog. you can find out all the ordering info there but the book is available today.  Did I mention it is on Amazon? : 

Summary:

Kate Marks is hitting it out of the park as general manager of the Portland Pioneers. Her childhood friend Reid Benjamin is struggling to hit anything at all and, as a result, has suddenly found himself out of a job. When Kate hires him as hitting coach for the Pioneers, she's determined to keep everything strictly professional, but she has underestimated Reid's charm. His proximity has forced her to face a past she would rather forget. Reid wants another chance, but Kate isn't convinced he's changed his game.


Information about the Book
Title: Dropped Third Strike (A Portland Pioneers Novel #1)
Author: Micah Chaplin
Release Date: 6th June
Genre: Adult Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Ebook

Especially for the release, here is an excerpt: 


------ EXCERPT ------

As her brisk walk turned into a slow jog, Kate plugged her headphones into the treadmill’s console and looked up at the television in front of her machine. Her feet pounded against the belt as the one-liners and laughter of The Office chased work concerns from Kate’s mind. She didn’t watch much TV, but one of the guys she briefly dated had mentioned this show. While the relationship hadn’t worked out, his sense of humor had been one of his most endearing qualities, so Kate checked it out one night. She loved it immediately, and since the episodes were only 30 minutes long, Kate found it easy to catch up and keep up.
When the credits rolled, Kate began flipping through the channels. Unable to find anything else she could get into, she finally stopped it on the MLB Network, where they were discussing some of the latest transactions. It might have been a little too work-related for what was supposed to be off-time, but Kate couldn’t resist. Even before she’d entered the baseball industry as a professional, she’d had a hunger for constant information on the sport and the business behind it. As a GM now, she was always interested to see what her colleagues were doing. Most of the topics were old news to her, as she’d received calls and e-mails about various transactions and happenings all day. However, there was one announcement that nearly made her trip on the treadmill.
“After designating him for assignment early last week, the Mets have released outfielder Reid Benjamin. A one-time top prospect, Benjamin’s stock has been steadily dropping since his debut. He hit .250 with 30 walks and 120 strikeouts in his second season as the starting centerfielder after signing a five-year contract worth $100 million. Despite tallying 89 RBI, 20 home runs, and 40 doubles last year, he has not been able to put together a full season without injury or incident. His troubles off the field have also undoubtedly influenced New York’s decision. In the last few years, Benjamin has been arrested a handful of times on charges ranging from public intoxication to disorderly conduct. Just two weeks ago, he was kicked out of a popular nightclub after punching a bouncer. That appears to have been the final straw for the Mets. Benjamin now becomes a free agent. Between the size of his contract, his offensive troubles, and the late off-season nature of his release, finding work will be quite the scramble for him.”
Kate’s gait stuttered a bit as the segment started. Fortunately, she was able to stop the treadmill and find the side rails with her feet before looking like a klutz in the near-empty gym. For several long moments after the TV had gone to commercial, Kate’s gaze remained on the screen, letting the name resonate through her brain – Reid Benjamin.
From a professional standpoint, Kate was not all that surprised by the news of Reid’s release. His off-field headlines combined with his declining value and a saturated outfielder market would likely leave Reid without a job this season. She actually felt a bit sorry for him, and that sympathy annoyed her. Why should she feel sorry for Reid? He certainly hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
Kate knew Reid well – far better than any of those scouts, managers, or GMs who had been drooling over him for years. Reid also knew her quite well – in ways she preferred not to think about. Much to her chagrin, they occasionally snuck up on her. Usually on nights when she let her mind wander a little too far into the past.
This is not going to be one of those nights.
She unplugged her headphones and went over to the free weights section of the facility. For the next hour, Kate drove Reid Benjamin from her mind with every lunge, squat, and curl. After she stretched and cooled down, she showered and headed home for a quick late dinner and bed.

Kate’s reprieve from hearing Reid Benjamin’s name didn’t last long. Even though she was at her office by the ungodly hour of six, she already had three voicemails mentioning his name. The last one was from the team’s owner. She shook her head and took a sip of her coffee as she picked up the phone to dial his number and set him straight.
“Please tell me you’ve already set up an interview with Benjamin,” Mr. Scott blurted out, almost before Kate could even say “hello.”
“I haven’t,” Kate managed to answer.
“And why not?” Mr. Scott demanded. “He would be perfect.”
“For what?” Kate asked. “You’re aware of his history, right? On and off the field, he’s a huge liability. I wouldn’t sign him as a player, and I definitely don’t want him coaching and mentoring. Even if he wasn’t such a bad influence, he has no experience.”
“Clearly, you are the one who has not looked at his résumé,” the owner replied. “During the off-seasons, he went to his alma mater and helped fine-tune the mechanics of many players there. Most of them have been or will be drafted.”
“Then why was he so horrible at the plate?” Kate asked.
“You know what they say – those who can’t do teach,” Mr. Scott said. “Interview and sign him. Fan Fest is in two days. I want to make the announcement then.”
“OK, I’ll interview him, but I can’t guarantee I’ll hire him,” Kate said.
In her mind, the possibility was very doubtful. Her personal bias against Reid Benjamin aside, she could not imagine him as a proper fit for the Pioneers – professionally or otherwise. Neither his batting stats nor his rap sheet inspired her. Besides, who was to say he would be interested in a coaching position? Regardless, the owner had given her an order. She had to carry it through. Honestly, it wasn’t as though she had many other options. The other candidates had failed to impress her. Reid was likely to follow suit, but at the owner’s command, she had to at least interview him.
Now she needed to figure out how to get in touch with Reid. His information was still in her phone contact list, but she wasn’t sure the number still worked. Years had passed since she’d even attempted to use it. Trying to shake that memory, she turned on her computer and opened her e-mail. The answer was in her inbox. More than one of the replies to her plea for help had suggested Reid and included his contact information. Some of them were time stamped before the evening announcement, so either they had insider information or they’d seen the writing on the wall. Interestingly enough, his number was still the same as it had been five years earlier. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone, dialing the number slowly.
When he answered sounding sleepy, Kate inhaled quickly. Knowing how his voice had once affected her – particularly when laced with the sexy, barely awake tone it carried now – why hadn’t she rehearsed something to say?
Fortunately, “Professional Kate” mode kicked in.
“Reid Benjamin?” she asked in a cool, even manner.
“Yeah,” he mumbled. “Who is this?”
He didn’t recognize her voice. Given their history and the time that had lapsed since their last conversation, this shouldn’t have shocked her or even bothered her. But it did. She felt a distinct and familiar twinge of pain. Somehow, she found a way to push on without sounding affected.
“Kate Marks, general manager of the Portland Pioneers,” she said. “I’d like to talk to you about the hitting coach position in our organization.”
There was a silent pause on the other end, and she wondered what was going through his head. Then she heard a rustle of fabric, which suggested he was sitting up or getting out of bed. The mental picture rattled her as much as his voice had. She closed her eyes, but that only made the image more vivid. She snapped them open and turned to look out the window, nearly pulling the phone off the desk in the process. She scurried to catch it and reposition it smoothly. She wondered if he had heard any of the clatter in his silence.
“Sorry, you woke me up,” Reid said finally. “Can you repeat that?”
Kate repeated what she had said, though she could hear a slight tremor in her voice that hadn’t previously been there. She hoped he didn’t notice it. The odds were in her favor though as Reid had never been particularly observant where she was concerned.
“Oh,” Reid said. “I guess the good news of my release traveled fast.”
She heard a catch in his voice. She couldn’t tell if it was hurt or annoyance, maybe a combination of both. Kate, in turn, felt a little bad for her negative thoughts about him.
“Yeah, I heard it last night,” Kate admitted. “I know it’s probably too soon for me to be calling you about this opening, but I felt like I needed to jump on you before someone else did.”
Kate immediately regretted her choice of words, especially when she heard him chuckle. Apparently, he heard the unintended innuendo as well.
“Well, you might be a bit late for that,” he said in a low voice, still clearly amused. “Except in terms of employment; I’m still open on that front. I could fly out next week.”
“Actually, I’d like to talk to you sooner than that,” Kate said. “I could make arrangements for you to be here this afternoon. We would cover the costs, of course.”
“This afternoon?” Reid asked. “Wow…you must really be desperate. Well, OK, but I can handle the costs. As you know, I made a pretty good living while I was employed. I’ll call the airline and get back to you with my ETA. What was your name again?”
Kate rolled her eyes and gave him her name again along with her number.

As he hung up the phone, Reid smiled to himself. He hadn’t heard that voice in a long time, but he’d recognized it instantly.  He’d never heard the woman speak in such a business-like tone – but he still knew who was on the other end of the line before she identified herself. Despite the years that had passed and the substances he’d ingested in the interim, Reid had never managed to erase Kate Marks from his memory, even though he preferred to have her believe that was the case. He would have preferred that to be the case too, but it hadn’t happened. Clearly. His reaction to hearing her voice on the phone was unsettling, to say the least. And now he would have to face her in a matter of hours.

Okay y'all, busy week.  My boss is off so I am officially in charge.  Pray for me.  

Friday, May 27, 2016

Dropped Third Strike: a must read!



Okay y'all I have a treat for you, well really it was a treat for me.   My friend Micah Chaplin asked me to take part in her cover reveal and I was lucky enough to help proof read her new novel before it hit the publishing mark.   Micah is a big baseball fan (Texas Rangers, naturally, that's why we are friends!) and this is the first book in her Portland Pioneer series. (I have read them both and LOVE them!) It is a sweet romance and the characters are incredibly lovable and frustrating.    I remember emailing Micah when I was proofing both books  and telling her, hurry up, I need more, and let me be honest, I was very little help on the proof reading  to her except to express my stupid, silly love for these characters.   Here is a summary of the book. 

Summary:

Kate Marks is hitting it out of the park as general manager of the Portland Pioneers. Her childhood friend Reid Benjamin is struggling to hit anything at all and, as a result, has suddenly found himself out of a job. When Kate hires him as hitting coach for the Pioneers, she's determined to keep everything strictly professional, but she has underestimated Reid's charm. His proximity has forced her to face a past she would rather forget. Reid wants another chance, but Kate isn't convinced he's changed his game.


Information about the Book
Title: Dropped Third Strike (A Portland Pioneers Novel #1)
Author: Micah Chaplin
Release Date: 6th June
Genre: Adult Romance
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: Ebook

Here is the Goodreads Link:
And you can pre-order the book here:



And just for the record, I already ordered mine and I will be reading it again, because I love it that much. 

For all you music lovers, Micah has another passion besides baseball and that is music and you can read another of her charming romance novels here:


I have this book in paperback and on my Kindle because I am an incredibly spoiled reader! 

Please let me know what you think of this charming book.



Author Info: 


Follow Micah (yes I follow her everywhere but I am not a stalker...yet!)
Unabashedly Me Blog
Twitter
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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

What I am not loving and what I am.



I know, I know.   I haven't written a blog in 2 weeks and here I am writing about stuff I don't like.  I apologize.  

Here is what I am not loving right now. 

*Major League Baseball: 
They want to change the rules of the game in an effort to speed up game times by changing the rules of an intentional walk and changing the strike zone.  These are not minor changes people.  They change the entire history of the game drastically.  Currently issuing an intentional walk requires the pitcher to throw 4 balls outside the strike zone and the catcher to catch the balls.  This usually happens very quickly and without problems but sometimes a ball gets away and runners advance.  I hate this rule change proposal which simply requires a pitcher to notify the ump that they are walking to batter and the batter takes his base.   The strike zone is going to be raised above the knee...because pitchers are getting too many strikes called.  What?  This is the same strike zone that has been in effect in pro ball since the beginning of time.  Pitchers are suppose to get strikes and hitters should be able to hit them.  So stupid. 


The Texas Rangers:
No, I don't hate my team but last week they announced plans to replace the current ballpark, a 22 year old beauty, with a new, domed amusement park like complex.  There is nothing wrong with the current park except that they can't retrofit it with a dome and it is hot in Texas.  Well no kidding. It's Texas.  I wish they had built a retractable roof on The Ballpark too but I also love the charm of the current park and while the plans for the new couples are impressive, I can't help but think they are trying to  compete  now with Jerry World next door and not sticking with a traditional ballpark. Meh. 

*My current work hours: 
I am literally away from my home for over 12 hours a day.  I hardly see my husband, dogs, chickens and ducks.  It just sucks.   Not to mention I am working my bottom off and getting nowhere fast when I am at work. Sigh. 

*Social Media: 
I don't know what it is about social media that gives people the feeling they have a right to judge your life but I am over it.  I have quit reading NextDoor which at first I thought was an amazing app to keep people informed of things happening in your area. I have personally used it to reunite a lost owner with his dog.   That made me feel good.  Now people are mad about the lost dog posts!  Plus I keep seeing posts on other social media that say "when a friend is making a mistake that will ruin their life and you can't do anything about it". I hate these posts.  Maybe it's because I have personally been on the receiving end of these "tough love" posts and the reason? People didn't approve of my relationship. You know, the one that ended up with me happily married.  Those people were wrong and instead of talking to me about their concerns they posted on social media about them.  It just drives me crazy. Let people make mistakes and learn from them and keep your opinions where they belong.  In a one on one conversation with your "friend" or to yourself.  If you are wrong, you lose a friend.   Trust me, your friend will get over it. I did.  I just feel sorry for the people posting them.  Someday they will look around and realize that THEY lost. REAL friendship.  

*The Cell phone saga: 
We have been fighting our cell carrier to get things straight for over a month now. Their service sucks and the people are simply clueless about communication.  You know the one that starts with "A".  Well this month, after finally thinking we had it straight we got 2 bills totaling over $825 combined.  I don't know what the heck they are thinking but I will be shopping for another carrier in the fall when my contract is up and ending a 16 year relationship.  So if anyone has recommendations of a good carrier please share! 

Okay that's enough of my complaints. Here is what I am loving:



*Watching my momma hen raise her babies.  Nature is amazing! See the little heads poking out?  There are actually 5 baby chicks but some were hiding under mama. 


*Getting to spend some time in East Texas at our land.  This is one of the ponds.  We work our bottoms off out there but it is so rewarding.  This past weekend we went out to fix the old tractor and get some much needed work in.  We got to spend time with my honey's buddies and we talked about moving out there someday.  Hoping someday is about 5 years from now.  Side note:  the dogs love it out there. They run around for hours and come home and sleep for a day.


And this is a wild rose bush I found growing which I am going to try getting a shoot off for my in town yard.  Prettiest roses I have ever seen!  

We also have wild berries growing and I made a pie.  We keep forgetting to actually eat it but it looks pretty!

*Yu Darvish is making his first season start Saturday and my husband and I will be in the Ballpark to cheer him on.  I can't wait.  I love Yu and I have missed him.  He had Tommy John surgery at the end of last season.  Fingers crossed that he comes back healthy and strong!  

*My husband: 
First he works his butt off day in and day out in a physically demanding job.  For those of you who have never been in a relationship with a blue collar worker, trust me, nobody works harder.  Nobody deserves to be cheered more.  What he does, he loves, but it takes its toll on him physically.  But he doesn't stop.  Because I work so late, he is doing more of the housework.  He has really picked up for me and I feel so damn guilty that all I can do is try and make him feel special on the weekends when we do get time together.  I married right.  I can't express in words how grateful I am to have a good man to come home to, who makes me laugh and who works his tail off for his family.  

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Motherhood and Chicken Motherhood




I had a very busy weekend planting new roses, butterfly bushes and aloe in my new deer planter and installing the lights I got for mothers day in my flower beds 

Plus this happened Monday!  My broody hens eggs started hatching.  So far the count is 4 chicks.  

I also voted for the first time this weekend, in a city election.   I know I should have done this before but this year was particularly important since the incumbent mayor had died but was still on the ballot.  He won anyway, which is incredibly insane.  Nothing about small town politics is small. This story even made the local news in Dallas.    

Also we found out the county might want  to turn the road I live on into a 6 lane highway which would destroy my home.  Needless to say there has been a lot of drama and tears from me this weekend.  In order to fight this plan, the community will have to organize and fight the State of Texas.   Sadly, I have found people in the surrounding communities have absolutely zero concern for the loss my little town would endure should this plan become reality.  Their attitude is "you will be paid fairly for your property so shut up and take the money."  That's a lot easier said than done when it is your home on the firing line.

Anyway,  that's about where we stand.  I'm super excited about being a chicken momma or grandma. 

Friday, May 6, 2016

Fear the Walking Dead Friday



A couple things about this show, first is that I DVR it because it is on at the same time as Game of Thrones and I have more time invested in that show.  Second is that I am disappointed that we are already coming up to the halfway point in the 8 show season.  It's hard for me to remember the characters names because we only see them for 8 shows a year. That being said, this show deserves a try. 

The show starts out in LA at the outbreak of the zombie apocalypse.  The first season took some adjustment because the audience knew more than the characters.   They are catching up quickly however.  LA burned after a military strike in a failed attempt to contain the outbreak at the end of last season and our little group set off on a boat toward San Diego, or did they?

The show follows Madison and her boyfriend Travis and their combined kids Nick, a addict, his sister Alicia and Travis' son Chris.   Along the way we picked up Daniel and his daughter Ofelia and the boat owner Victor Strand.   Strand is an elusive character who is hard and worn and refuses to let anyone on his boat except the band of brothers he has chosen.   Last week we leaned he is trying to return to his lover in Mexico and an apparent safe place behind walls and set far away from civilization.  Somehow, I doubt the place is as he remembers but again, we know more than the little group, still. 

So far the group has figured out that you have to cause a head injury to stop the walkers who they don't call walkers, by the way.  Also, Nick figured out that if you cover yourself in the blood of the dead you can move freely among them.    

The group is going back and forth from west coast town to west coast town on the high seas and they are experiencing a level of danger that is new and different from anything Rick and the Scooby gang experienced on the original show.  

What I like about this show:

The zombies are still new and not so slow although they are a lot slower than people and it seems to me like a slow jog would still get you well away from them quickly. 

The characters are experiencing things and learning and we are learning about what happened while Rick was sleeping beauty. 

The characters are all adult aged.  The youngest main character are Chris and Alicia and they are in high school.  Where Carl aged dramatically compared to Judith who remains, much to my annoyance, still a toddler, in the 2-3 years that have passed on The Walking Dead, the age progression of these kids won't be noticed as the show progresses.   

Things I still want to know or that drive me crazy:

Where is Tobias?  He was my favorite character from season one and much like Morgan, he has just disappeared.  He was a high school student in the school Maddie worked in and he was the only character completely aware and prepared for what was about to happen.  

The characters seem completely oblivious to the danger around them.  In week two they were on the beach collecting medicine and clothing from a plane crash. Instead of just taking a small bag that contained various medicine, Nick started shifting through it.  Really?  It was a very small carry on bag.   Just grab it and go.   Also, they sent a small dingy to shore with something like 4 people to collect supplies.   How many supplies can you fit on a small dingy when you have it full of people?  This became especially annoying when Chris spent the entire time on land in a portion of the wrecked plane killing walkers and a live man who begged him to put him out of his misery then dealing with the guilt.  Deal with the guilt later, get a move on.   Of course, walkers show up and they all make a mad dash for the dingy.  

The latest turn of events is that the ship has been taken over by a band of, well, basically pirates.  Alicia made the mistake of befriending one of the pirates on the ship radio and now we are experiencing our first bad guys of the show.   So far I am not totally impressed but remember, these bad guys haven't had 2-3 years to learn how to be psycho yet.  

Overall, I am hoping for a few things from this show, first that they don't follow a comic book script so closely like they do on the original show.  Second, that these characters grow and develop at a natural rate, based on their experience, and finally, that Tobias shows back up soon and we don't have to wait 3-5 seasons to see what happened to him,  because that kid is just awesome.  






Thursday, May 5, 2016

Game of Thrones episode 2


Week Two of Game of Thrones Recap: Warning Spoilers and Sarcasm included.
Bran seems to be mysteriously bigger this season.  Weird how that happens with kids. 
We started with Bran who we hadn't really seen in a year.  He was visiting the past. 


Where he observed his father and uncle playing as kids and saw his long dead aunt.  You know the one that may really be Jon Snow's mom? 

Then we ended up back at the wall where the Wildlinga came to the rescue of the few remaining loyal Jon Snow Nights Watch.  I am pretty sure I cheered at this point in the show.

Until everyone went to visit Jon's still dead self.  Yep...still dead.  They decided to burn his body so the Wildlings were going to collect fire wood.
Still dead 
Poor Jon.  Just an aside here, there were a ton of close ups of Jon and Kit does an amazing job playing dead.  I mean, you don't see him breath. Is this man alive in real life? 
Still dead 
Next we learn Cersi has been banned from attending her daughter's funeral by the king, her son.

Meanwhile Jamie, has a talk with his nephew/son, the king and tells him to visit his oh so loving mother.  Poor Cersi, I mean she is an evil witch but she only has one child left and let's be honest, he is a weak little coward.


Does Ramsay's story remind anyone else of Judas or just me?
Ramsay gives his father a hug of congratulations on the birth of his 2nd son and promptly stabs him to death. Then feeds his newborn baby brother and step mother to the dogs.  Ramsay is the most vial character ever to dominate my TV screen and all I could think when this was going on was, God I hope he dies a truly miserable death.  It is fun to watch him because there is simply nothing off limits but he is so rotten to the core that you hate every breath he takes. 
Still dead 
Meanwhile Jon is still dead and they convince Milasandra to try to bring him back through magic.  This takes a pep talk because she has lost her faith in her visions.   Seems to me, since she was so convinced Jon was suppose to live, she would have figured out that her visions included her bringing Jon back from the dead but nobody had any faith really, except the fans.  We knew, right?
Sleeping peacefully
And the wolf of course who is the only one who never left Jon's side.  One minute he is sleeping peacefully guarding his still dead master.
But who didn't know this was about to happen?
Then suddenly he is awake!
dead
And so is Jon.
NOT DEAD!
And all I could think is "Hurry up Sunday night because I am ready to see what happens next!"

A friend said to me "They should have tried to burn the body and it wouldn't burn."  Given the rumors about Jon really being half Targaryen and half Stark that would have been awesome but maybe it would have been too much of a give away, I don't know.  Still, it would have been awesome.

Mixed in with this was some of "the girl" business but honestly I am not going over it because I am sick to death of the many faces story line and I am starting to not care about what happens to "the girl".  I want Arya to own being a Stark and not forget herself.  The whole thing truly bores me and I sigh when it comes on. 

Sorry it's short.  I have been spending my free time this week fighting with my cell phone company.  Always a joy.  They have managed to suck all
Life out of me!  

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