Put a Quarter in right here_____________

What's that? You need more music from me??? Well, thanks, I'll do that for you, and this may be one you've never heard- I found it very accidentally, but now will look for more .....

Please dance , alone or with others, while acting semi appropriate.

Or not.

http://www.donnakat.com/songs/HowdYouLearnToShakeItLikeThat

and since I am always up for a free handbag, check out http://www.handbagplanet.com/- I'll loan it to you if I win

Not Techno Enough to be Scary.....but I'm workin on it

First, about this photo. I chose it because it is titled Einstein in Womens Sandals. And how bout that hair. I can't love this picture anymore than I do.

moving on-Ok, I had too much time on my hands this weekend and messed around with this blogpage, and as you can tell, I've added some of my VBFF's to my page. So then I get a note from Le, 3rd on the right, about putting on music too (I know, I know, quit shaking your head) so I go to a very cool website called playlist.com and create a playlist to bring ovah....Found some GREAT music, you all would love it. If I could do it. The gadget button apparently doesn't like playlist.com, says its broken, its not good enough, come back next year, bring money, we don't just download anybody on this site. Then I go to the Help page. Holy Mother of God, I process with a creative brain, not the least bit technical (is that left or right?) and I almost had to lay down and sleep after glancing at all you have to do. So you know what? No music, yet, until some computer whiz steals my laptop and loads it and then gives it back. Le's website looks great, I told her it was fabulous like a new pair of FM pumps- AND IT HAS MUSIC!!!! The day you see the little jukebox on the right on mine, I will be a happy girl.

The Smartini girls are going to do the list of 'getting to know you' and I love those because I get so sarcastic by the end, I think I'm secretly trying to never get another one sent to me. Their's should be good. The ones I get aren't too original sometimes,...do you seriously want to know the last thing I ate? I don't even want to know. Are you asking about my favorite adult beverage because you are about to bring me one? And what would I be doing right now if I could be anywhere? I'm going to puke if I see 'be with my family and friends' because thats all nice and kum-baya, but I'll be in First Class on a plane to Paris, thats what. I'll send you a pic from the Eiffel Tower, baby. See? Its happening. The sarcasm. And I'm not even doing one. I can't help it. Told ya.

Speaking of Paris, this is one song that is on that elusive playlist of mine: http://music.aol.com/artist/keb-mo/144168/songs . When you get there and have to choose one of the songs, its called France. And it makes me want to dance. In France. With someone named Lance. In my underpants.

Boomer Sooner Baby we are 4-0

LYG

Bj

Cheap Housekeeper Please Apply.....

written earlier, as you can tell.....

Well, having one of many to come Sat nights w/o M2, and she just called, like she always does, and says her stomach hurts and wants to come home. Then the ranch hand gets on the phone and says something male and I told them both, NO, your stomach can hurt over there as easy as it can here. Mean Mom, Mean Mom, somebody dial CPS for me so I can turn myself in. WHATEVER!!!! And boy they are missing out on a par-tay of me having a glass of wine and watching college football. The sled team is passed out in assorted positions around the LVRoom, and I'm sure there is papparazzi outside just waiting for a glimpse inside the blinds to capture the excitement.

Did I say WHATEVER!!! -?

Of course I really enjoy a little time to myself, to read everyones blogs, read my books that I can't seem to finish, and look around and decide once again, I really need to hire a housekeeper. I actually fantasize about this one, her name is Consuela and she comes to my home everyday. When she is finished ironing all of the laundry, including pillowcases without starch, she will then clean out my closets because before she came to work for me, she was, after all, a professional organizer in her home country. And a professional chef. And a winemaker of fine chardonnays. And she is teaching M2 fluent Spanish in the afternoons, while she preps for our gourmet Monday night dinner. Take a break C, I can light the candles...

Outside, her husband, Jesus, (I love that name-imagine naming your baby Jesus- no pressure on that kid) is a landscaping guru, trimming the sidewalks with a pair of scissors. He doesn't actually work for me, he just loves gardening SO MUCH that he sees a true opportunity at my house to fine tune his skills while he waits to pick up his lady.....

Then the phone rings again, the stomach still hurts, I say eat some Tums and go to bed, and back to reality in Texas with me and the sled team hanging out on a Saturday night.....

living the dream, I tell ya.

and I wouldn't change a thing-

lyg

Bj

The Basset Hound Shuffle starring Owen Biafranca

Last weekend, we as in M2 and myself and Owen, the Basset on the sled team, packed up and drove to the other side of BFE (DFW) to attend a fundraiser for the North Texas Basset Hound Rescue Group. These are the people that I first contacted when I found him, and then two days later said, sorry, don't need to find him a home, he found one here on my loveseat. They say people do that all the time so they call it a 'non-rescue' .

Anyway, not knowing what to expect, we get there and if you can imagine approx 300 Basset Hounds in a park, all shapes and sizes and colors, wandering around with their owners, it was a complete riot. We had told Owen all week that we were taking him to see his people, and I don't think he was as impressed with the fact that they all looked like him, but he WAS impressed that they were all located at a convenient height for sniffing each other, if you know what I mean. They had a howling contest, a weenie toss contest, a raffle, and then ALL 300 marched around the path in the park. (The only downside to the day was that some people DID resemble their pet, and its not a good thing to look like a Basset Hound. )

heres a link to a video- www.dallasmorningnews.com/video

go there, and then you will see a video from the howling contest.

We didn't enter, Owen was in overload at that point and we will have to start practicing for next year. He was, however, the most handsome, cute, adorable guy at the whole place, if I do say so myself. Thats him in the photo, see for yourself........

WINNER WINNER, chicken dinner....

To all entrants, send me your address(es) at bjries@verizon.net and you will be receiving fabulous trips and prizes in the mail very soon. If you played, you won........even Soul Moxie to lift her spirits more than AquaNet.

I love my own contest.

and my new BFF's out there wherever you all are.....

Doesn't rhyme with Nantucket

I told a friend of mine that I was going to write a limerick titled:

"There once was a guy from Ohio............

and then let my commenters write the rest. I have a good one to throw in there too, but I'll see the entries before I post mine. There will be a prize, which is also TBA.

Kind of like shouting " I won! I won! What did I win?"

come on gurls, I saw the pirate story, this should be easy!

Seriously....

Now I feel bad about the post saying people should have gotten out of the Gulf area, and I'm changing my thought process (MY FIRST RETRACTION!) I don't know if people reading this, thousands I'm sure, are out of the state of Texas (I DO have a friend in Austrailia, thank you very much) but hey, there is so much devistation that we are seeing on our local news about Galveston and Houston, and even my company's Houston office is damaged and won't reopen this week. I now have seen a story about two kids, 10 and 12, that got a marker and wrote their names and SSN's on their arms, and I felt like shit. Not funny, this is people's lives, and I was with someone today that has evacuated to Dallas and she was in a closet for 4 hours with her mentally handicapped child. Lets all keep these people in our thoughts and prayers, and send the Red Cross some $$ is you can.

LYG-

Bj

I can see clearly now.......

Ok, we need some new 'survivor' stories on CNN. I have heard the same people say 'we should have gotten out of here' and HELLO! You had three days notice that Ike could be a Cat 4 by the time it rang your doorbell!!! I'm not taking it lightly and there are alot of people stranded and needing help, but come on, you live on a barrier island and the storm is headed straight for you? Umm, let me think. I KNOW! Pack the car, the kids, the dogs, the wine, the ATM card and get out. 3 Million people don't have power and it may take two weeks to get restored. Bad Juju.... And I don't mean to piss anybody off by saying this, but if you've ever been to Galveston, it could use a good cleaning (that beach is dark brown from oil in the Gulf) Kind of like Bourbon Street needs a thunderstorm of Clorox to fall on it after Mardi Gras... One weird thing is that the people that were calling 911 during the storm were being told to write their name and SSN on their arms- now that is a warm and fuzzy feeling, don't cha know.....Lorrie, if we come to NY and stay at your house, is that also a requirement?? Just putting my ducks in a row...And oh yes, one day, Sheila, Racie and I are going to be at your door with wine and rainbow wigs for everyone!!! We'll let you know we're coming when we call you from downstairs...

On a college football note, My Sooners are rolling on down the road, 3-0 and the season looks bright if we can keep the QB uninjured (no TX Tech nightmare like last year) Megan, your Bulldogs pulled it out right before they got their you know whats kicked- I think the coach told them they were all going back to prison if they didn't win, so it must have worked!!! Kidding! I know they are all on parole..... And I don't think my Ohio State Buckeye friend reads this but boo hoo about your 35-3 loss to USC. I predict the Sooners and USC or Georgia in the BCS game...The Chicks and the Smartini Girls could gather !!! Woo hoo!

That one we would need to at least write our phone numbers on our arms!!!

Now back to reality and a science project and groceries and drying out from 4 inches of rain yesterday. But all week we have sun and 80 degree days, so come on down.....

(adding this note after first post: Houston and the entire coastal area is in bad shape, and my heart really goes out to everyone down there. I have had messages and texts from several friends down there and they said it was horrific to go through- 4 hours of 90 to 100 mph wind, rain and much damage. Keep them in your thoughts....)

LYG-

Bj

Hurricane Ike Cocktails

I thought we should all have a recipe for a good drink this weekend, and what would be more appropriate than a "Hurricane Ike"-

Here you go, don't spare the rum..........and add tequilla for the Texas flavor, besides if you are riding out this monster, you need tequilla

1 oz vodka

1/4 oz grenadine syrup

1 oz tequilla

1 oz light rum1

/2 oz Bacardi® 151 rum ( or Captain Morgans yum yum)

1 oz amaretto almond liqueur

1 oz triple sec, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice

Pour all but the juices, in order listed, into a hurricane glass three-quarters filled with ice. Fill with equal parts of grapefruit and pineapple juice, board up the windows, and serve.

I said to my reflection lets get out of this place....

Ladies, yesterday was a day meant only for superheros. I should have known to get the clown suit out and to wear it all day, after the initial start to the day, all the way through to my afternoon appointment with the gyno. Not the annual victory salute as Patty says, but went in for some bloodwork to confirm what I already know, that these ugly moodswings not yet accompanied by night sweats are real and coming from within. And I don't mean like Linda Blair's visitor, but if anything else would have happened yesterday, pea soup would have surely come out of my mouth. After some drama at home, my work day started out with a call from one of my largest customers, that an internal email with a 'comment' from me had been accidentally forwarded to their entire purchasing department (please insert the phrase OH SHIT right here because I said it all afternoon). Ok, so I had to suck that one up and apologize profusely, and then call my boss and give him the heads up. Go ahead and be jealous that since I have the best boss in the world if I HAVE to work, he said, well, we all learn lessons in different ways, and now its in the history books. Thank you Mr Bill!!! (he doesn't read this thing, I'm just throwing that thank you out to him in the universe) Then, one of my other large customers that I call Boys Behaving Badly, not in a good way, called and our corporate office had cut off their credit and to this group thats like taking away their pickups and guns and 12 packs of beer. I had to hear that ranting and raving before I could get them to stop yelling at me and call my office and fix it. At this point, I'm looking forward to the blood donation at the doctors office. When the nurse asked me the 'why are you here' question, I channeled Roseanne Rosanna Danna and said I'm depressed, I've gained weight, my face broke out, I'm nauseous, I'm constipated, my feet swelled, my gums are bleedin', my sinuses are clogged, I got heartburn, I'm cranky and I have gas."

Not really- I just smiled and said 'thanks for asking, I think I may be headed down the mental pause highway, possibly wearing a rainbow wig.

So into the ladies room I go to pee in a cup, and I read the sign in the stall on a cabinet over the toilet that said "Do not put specimen cups in this cabinet. This is a supply cabinet only" meaning one day Mrs Jones must have peed and then put her cup next to the cleaning supplies. Wonder when they found that one..... Anyway, they leave me in the hall while I watch the nurses call in other patients and I noticed a slight grin on the nurses faces as they wait for the next victim/patient. Then I realized the acronym for OB-GYN is really, 'Oh Boy, girl, you're next'....

Then home again home again jiggity jig, to the sled team, homework, and some sort of normalcy (yeah right) in my inner sanctum.

Now we get to wait for this hurricane headed our way, which looks like a great distraction and some possible neighborhood comradory for the weekend. My hurricane emergency kit includes extra chardonnay, charcoal for the grill, and a new CD, oh and a few bottles of water. We are four to five hours from the coast, but they say Saturday we may be having 60 to 70 mph winds and 4 to 6 inches of rain very quickly. The instructions are to tie down your trash cans and lawn furniture, which is pure quality entertainment on a Friday night if you ask me. Bring it on, Ike, hope my coastal friends fare well and don't knock out my power because I've got a bet on four football games.....

beyond glad today is Friday, hurricane or not

LYG ladies, have a great weekend

Bj

No Overthinking Today...

As our lives go forward after 7 years of memorials & tributes to the horrible day called 9/11, it still feels too real to me not to write about it. I was working with a friend that is a producer behind the scenes of a large meeting , and ironically most of the staff I was working with were from NYC. As they called home to try and find people, it was like I sat there watching a movie. One conversation was 'go to my apartment, put the cat in a box, take my bike and ride up (some bridge) to so and so's and tell them you know me and need to stay there.....apparently, her apartment was very close to the Trade Center and she was helping her mom get out of there. So many others, crying because they couldn't get ahold of someone, crying when they did, still ring in my ears. I can't even imagine what it was like to be in New York, DC, or the small town in Pennsylvania.

Also hard to imagine the hatred for the US that went into the planning of this strike against us. I would love to see into the future to know whether or not it will continue to grow or at some point there will be a peaceful earth coexisting and respecting other peoples differences. Sadly, I think it is the first, so all I can do is try and be more tolerant of someone's differences and respect them as I would also like the same respect. Growing up in my Methodist church, we would say Peace be with you, so I'll leave you with that.

Bj

Meet Ed Zachary

Sometimes when the Original Chicks get together, it is more fun than the State Fair, a Perfect Martini, and a Shoe Sale at Nordstroms rolled into one. Last night was one of those nights, as we sent Jennifer down the road towards matrimony with yet another, into the history books, Chick Bachelorette Par-Tay. My girls SO get into this right of passage, and although we archived Flat John (Sunny's then boyfriend, now husband, who someone took a photo and blew it up and put it on cardboard and he partied with us all weekend at her gathering), Jen had the pleasure of a huge, 3' tall, inflatable appendage that had a spring on the base so it was always standing up. Jennifer had to 'earn' her presents by playing ring toss with this thing, and that was pure entertainment and many raunchy comments. The funny thing is that Sheila had it in the back seat of her car with a pillow over it to keep it down, transporting it to the party, and her car started acting up. So she drove to the dealership, and then had to move it discretely to Anna's car who had come to her rescue and Sheila had to keep pushing it down while they were driving out of the parking lot laughing their asses off. That was just the beginning...

Jennifers Maid of Honor, Amy, ran her family off for the evening and hosted the event. Poolside, good music, lots of food, wine, and then we started opening gifts. I guess I don't get out enough, but there were 'items' that would make most people blush, and we passed them around like we were passing around a piece of china from her registry. Needless to say, the comments were flying and we were all laughing way too hard. And to my girls that are reading, keep an eye on Belle, because she is the sleeper in our cell, a true instigator in her own innoccent way. I'm just saying , when we started the Q & A segment of the evening, as in , where was the oddest place you've ever done it, Belle made sure to keep the question going round the group, and then tried to change the subject when we got to her. Don't pull than innocent blonde british coyness on us anymore, I'm keepin an eye on you-. And Racie was walking around with her styrofoam cup that says The Betty Ford Clinic, which pretty much was full of something everytime I peeked in. Then suddenly I heard someone say, what happens at Amy's stays at Amy's which is true.....Except for my blog.....and Sunny's photos.......and probably Racie's blog when she wakes up today ...and possibly The Dallas Morning News. Or a police blotter somewhere....

Then Sheila told us a joke about Ed Zachary, where the patient told the chinese doctor that she had no love life at home, so he made her strip and crawl across his office and back, and then he said "I know your problem, your ass look Ed Zachary like your face."

Somewhere deep down inside, I'm pretty sure Ed Zachary has just joined our troup for eternity. And to anyone else who is getting married in the near future, call the Original Chicks to organize your Bachelorette party- you won't be disappointed-

Boomer Sooner Baby, 2-0

LYG,

Bj

I was drunk the day my Mom got out of prison....

Just kidding Super D, I wasn't drunk!!! Actually, if Friday afternoon in Dallas on the George Bush Turnpike you saw a chick in a white SUV singing and speeding down the road, it was me. That song is an old college drinking song, and I hadn't heard it in years, and I turned it up and opened the sunroof. Made me think of people I haven't seen in a long time, made me think of Ladies Night at Pistol Patties standing in the chairs singing it, and it made me want a beer! Out of a pitcher!!! Now, if you girls are thinking 'thats pretty redneck' well you are right, and I'll bet there were probably babies concieved to that song in Texas and Oklahoma in the 80's!!! We also stood on the chairs and sang Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother on Thursday nights right before they let the boys in to see the ladies of ladies night!!! I think for the three or four minutes I was singing, I also had that not a care in the world feeling and thats always good. One other song I thought of is by Rusty Weir, called "I heard you been laying my old lady" and then the next line is "man, times must be gettin tough'-

Ok, enough down country road and memory lane, sorry to digress. I was 20 for a few minutes this afternoon and it was fun and by the way, I looked HOT! :)

cheers

Bj

When Things Aren't Always As They Appear.....

I went to a gathering last night at a very good friends art gallery (Alan Barnes Fine Art, Dallas) and found myself eavesdropping on some of the guests because I was really surprised at the conversation. First of all, since I often think all people my parents age are Republican, that is how I saw this group. So I'm walking and looking at the art and I hear them totally disecting Sarah Palin. She went to 5 colleges, why doesn't she stay home and raise those babies, why didn't she teach abstinence to her own daughter, that plane was going back anyway, and btw, it was a loss of a million dollars to the state, blah blah blah. And I started thinking how many layers deep (and totally varied) peoples ideas and convictions can be about this election. I really don't discuss politics or open a forum to others, like I don't talk about religion or Elvis either.........sorry Alex....

BUT, it was so eye opening to hear these tidbits from this group and made me start thinking about this whole election. I wish Tim Russert were still with us so I could hear his opinion. But, I actually liked Sarah Palin, I like women that are ball busters when they need to be; I don't really care if she can shoot and clean and cook a Moose, good for her. Her husband looks totally competent to be first vp Dad and raise the kids, and they do look like a close family. My thing with her which has been said in the same sentence is that she is a member of the NRA AND Pro-Life; that is what bothers ME, ( yes to guns of any kind, no to my choice as a woman what I do with my body) and I didn't hear any of that from this group. But overall, I don't think it would be scary to have her in the White House if something happened to McCain. Ok, I said it, and its on this blog. I'm still voting as a Democrat, and if this post seems random, my point is to realize there are so many people that for so many different reasons are voting one way or the other, and I guess thats what makes the world go round.

Happy Friday to everyone-

Boomer Sooner, Baby...week 2 of college football and I LOVE IT.....

LYG

Bj

and here's to you, Tiny Victories.....

Well, lots can happen in a day, let alone a month, which is the time that has elapsed since I wrote the blog titled 'Weird'. I still feel some days I am floating above, watching a movie play out, and then the drugs wear off and I fall back to earth and keep on keepin on. I had a poor me moment yesterday, but then when I listed the chaos in my head, I realized, IT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWAY! It would have happened if the POPE lived at my house, as in , the dog fight, the icemaker flooding my kitchen, my car breaking (twice), the washing machine going crazy, blah blah blah. Life. So what do you do when you feel like this time of your life is going awry, and did I cause it (no) can I fix it (yes) and where to start (clean out the refrigerator).

What I do know is that I am teaching M2 some valuable day to day stuff, and although, I have let a tear slip here and there, I take charge and show her how to fix things. You turn the water off on the refrigerator, call the cute appliance fixer guy, and buy a bag of ice. You keep an eye on the dogs and notice they are trying hard to behave and that may be the last of it, only Cesar Milan knows. You call your dealership and find that there are warranties to fix all problems for free (they actually work!) and you mop up the washing machine and when cute appliance fixer guy gets here, you say, oh can you look at this too? (he's about 17 yrs old, so don't say anything or call me Mrs. Robinson) So the roller coaster ride is still happening and I will be on it for a while, I'm sure. But I think I will make a small list to carry with me with things crossed out that are done, fixed, whatever, as a reminder that this will all be funny one day. Or at least make me smile to myself. And as I dropped Super D off at the airport on Monday, she hugged and whispered to me "keep your antenna up" which has always been a family saying when you need to stay sharp. I told her I hear her voice in my head saying these things when I need them....She is so cool.

Better go clean out the refrigerator before Kevin gets here.

Ku Ku Ca Choo

Mrs. R

now get back to work.....

Ok, the party weekend was awesome, and Super D had a great time. If you are in Dallas and want a great hotel to stay in, the Westin Stonebriar is so nice.....although, there were some obnoxious LSU fans there that had evacuated from Gustav, everything else was wonderful. Great rooms (the beds were like BUTTER) and the pool was gorgeous with a DJ and lots of people and just a great day. A large part of the group went shopping, and came back to the hotel with tons of bags and great finds and birthday stuff and all that. Then out to dinner to and Italian place called Isabellas, and had a really nice time. If Billies office is reading this randomness that I write, thanks for stopping by. That was a nice surprise to hear that I have strangers at Smith Barney who check this out. I promise she was working the whole time she was with us......(Billie, is that what I was suppose to say??)

The only downside to the weekend was that my nephew and his wife were at his inlaws lake house at Lake Texhoma and had a terrible golf cart accident going down a steep hill, and his sweet wife Lauren is still in the hospital as I write this. Apparently, they were going a little too fast and the road was rough and very suddenly went left right and then flipped and Lauren took the brunt of the wreck. My darling nephew Tim, has stayed by her side and had to be forced home to sleep, and he's not in great shape either, but I certainly see a young man in love with his wife, which is refreshing. They are all going to be ok, with lots of family here to be with them. It could have been a lot worse, and I believe if anyone is interested, there is a golf cart for sale.....

Hope everyones weekend was more fun and less Labor-,

Sooners 1-0, gotta love that

LYG-Bj

And the winner is.....

I just had the most elaborate drawing, sans video, for the Mommie Beerest Glass....

M2 and I are laying in bed and I said oh you need to help me choose the winner, and very scientifically, enie meenie minee mo, we have a winner.........

MEGAN!!!

so you are the proud winner of a Mommie Beerest Glass, which is sure by now, a collectors item and would fetch alot of $$$ on Ebay....

these contest wear me out- ................the pressure......!

M- send me your address at bjries@verizon.net

see you all soon LYG-BJ