What a great attitude! :-)

In a previous post, I said that I would share this note from my Dad with you.
Here it is...


Note from Dad - June 16, 2011:

I'm back from Dr. Worden's, and the news is not too good. The cancer has spread to a number of areas including both of my lungs and to my liver -- but I am feeling no pain except what I had already been experiencing in my right arm and in my two legs. I am coping with those pains by using Morphine and Norco, and I am enjoying life on a daily basis.

The blood work shows that my liver and other organs are working as normal, and the cancer that shows up in my lungs and in my liver is quite small. There is a lot more good liver than bad, and the portion of lungs that is affected is still small.

This news just makes me want to do more fun things faster -- like go to the casino more frequently, take an ocean cruise, get the book selling faster, and finish writing my sentence-diagramming book. I want to have everything set right for Lorraine so that she won't be left with a lot of unfinished projects. I am still very positive about everything, and I want to enjoy life with even more zest.

Instead of 115 years, I might have to back down to 113.

I'm tired and am going to take a nap right now.

Love Ya,

DAD

Blogger's Block?

Hello again everyone,

If there IS such a thing as Blogger's Block, I must say that I think I've had it for a very long time...since Texas anyway. When I get down in the dumps, I have a very bad habit of just clamming up and shutting out the rest of the world, except for those closest to me (and sometimes even them). Not healthy, I know, but that's what I do.

I had these ideas about what I was going to write about and when I was going to write it....but...well, all that fell apart when some things didn't go as planned, and I just didn't pull it together again, so I hope that you will please forgive me for my neglect and bad manners. I have been reading your blogs sometimes, but just haven't commented. Sorry.

I'm going to try to get back to it....a little at a time. Things will probably be somewhat jumbled for a while, at least chronologically.

Just off the top of my head, some of the things I want to write about:

My parent's health is not good. Dad's health seems to be the worst. I'll post a note here that he wrote recently, and I'll update on both of them soon.

I have a fantastic new camera that William bought for me just before we left Texas, but I have not used it yet. In fact, it's sadly still in the box. Don't worry, I'll get to it one of these days when the inspiration hits me. It's a Nikon D3100. (new tripod too!) :-)

I took up beading just before we left Texas, and I've been on a slow roll with it ever since then. It's relaxing and I really enjoy the creative process.

I really do care about what happens to all of you in my blogger "circle". Thanks for hanging in there with me (us).

- Mary Ann

Texas Chili Contest

(WARNING! Foul language)

If you can read this whole story without laughing
then there's no hope for you.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly.
If you pay attention to the first two judges,
the reaction of the third judge is even better.

For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They
actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It
takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio City Park.

Judge #3 was an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank,
who was visiting from Springfield, IL.

Frank: "Recently, I was honoured to be selected as a judge at a chili
cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I
happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to
the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two
judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and,
besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I
accepted".


Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

CHILI # 1 - MIKE'S MANIAC MONSTER CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavour. Very mild.

Judge # 3 (Frank) -- Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could
remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames
out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.


CHILI # 2 - AUSTIN'S AFTERBURNER CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang.

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavour, needs more peppers to be taken
seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm
supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to
give me the Heimlich manoeuvre. They had to rush in more beer when they saw
the look on my face.


CHILI # 3 - FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick.

Judge # 2 -- A bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like
I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more
beer before I ignite. The barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is
in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all of the beer.


CHILI # 4 - BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC...

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or
other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to
taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was
standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-LB woman is starting to look
HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?


CHILI # 5 - LISA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER...

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly
ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato.
Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I
can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed
paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili
had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring
beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off.
It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming.
Screw those rednecks.


CHILI # 6 - VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY...

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices
and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic.
Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous,
sulphuric flames. I shit on myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat
through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that
Sally. I can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone.



CHILI # 7 - SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of
chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried
about Judge # 3.He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing
uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I
wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like
it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid
unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt.
At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop
breathing it's too painful. Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If
I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.


CHILI # 8 - BIG TOM'S TOENAIL CURLING CHILI...

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold
but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor
hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out,
fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's
going to make it. poor feller, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot
chili?

Judge # 3 - No Report

Only a man would attempt this....‏

Just try reading this without laughing till you cry!!!

Pocket Tazer Stun Gun, a great gift for the wife.

A guy who purchased his lovely wife a pocket Tazer for their anniversary submitted this:

Last weekend I saw something at Larry's Pistol & Pawn Shop that sparked my interest. The occasion was our 15th anniversary and I was looking for a little something extra for my wife Julie. What I came across was a 100,000-volt, pocket/purse- sized tazer. The effects of the tazer were supposed to be short lived, with no long-term adverse effect on your assailant, allowing her adequate time to retreat to safety....??

WAY TOO COOL! Long story short, I bought the device and brought it home. I loaded two AAA batteries in the darn thing and pushed the button. Nothing! I was disappointed. I learned, however, that if I pushed the button and pressed it against a metal surface at the same time; I'd get the blue arc of electricity darting back and forth between the prongs. AWESOME!!!

Unfortunately, I have yet to explain to Julie what that burn spot is on the face of her microwave.

Okay, so I was home alone with this new toy, thinking to myself that it couldn't be all that bad with only two triple-A batteries, right? There I sat in my recliner, my cat Gracie looking on intently (trusting little soul) while I was reading the directions and thinking that I really needed to try this thing out on a flesh & blood moving target. I must admit I thought about zapping Gracie (for a fraction of a second) and thought better of it. She is such a sweet cat. But, if I was going to give this thing to my wife to protect herself against a mugger, I did want some assurance that it would work as advertised. Am I wrong?

So, there I sat in a pair of shorts and a tank top with my reading glasses perched delicately on the bridge of my nose, directions in one hand, and tazer in another. The directions said that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant; a two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a major loss of bodily control; a three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water. Any burst longer than three seconds would be wasting the batteries.

All the while I'm looking at this little device measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4 inch in circumference; pretty cute really and (loaded with two itsy, bitsy triple-A batteries) thinking to myself, 'no possible way!' What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best.. .?

I'm sitting there alone, Gracie looking on with her head cocked to one side as to say, 'don't do it dipshit,' reasoning that a one second burst from such a tiny little ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad. I decided to give myself a one second burst just for heck of it. I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and . .

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD . . . WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION . . . WHAT THE HELL!!!

I'm pretty sure Jessie Ventura ran in through the side door, picked me up in the recliner, then body slammed us both on the carpet, over and over and over again. I vaguely recall waking up on my side in the fetal position, with tears in my eyes, body soaking wet, both nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position, and tingling in my legs? The cat was making meowing sounds I had never heard before, clinging to a picture frame hanging above the fireplace, obviously in an attempt to avoid getting slammed by my body flopping all over the living room.

Note: If you ever feel compelled to 'mug' yourself with a tazer, one note of caution: there is no such thing as a one second burst when you zap yourself! You will not let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor. A three second burst would be considered conservative?

IT HURT LIKE HELL!!!

A minute or so later (I can't be sure, as time was a relative thing at that point), I collected my wits (what little I had left), sat up and surveyed the landscape. My bent reading glasses were on the mantel of the fireplace. The recliner was upside down and about 8 feet or so from where it originally was. My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. I had no control over the drooling.

Apparently I pooped on myself, but was too numb to know for sure and my sense of smell was gone. I saw a faint smoke cloud above my head which I believe came from my hair. I'm still looking for my nuts and I'm offering a significant reward for their safe return!

P.S. - My wife, can't stop laughing about my experience, loved the gift, and now regularly threatens me with it!

If you think education is difficult, try being stupid !!!

Some Doctors' Embarrassing Medical Exams

1. A man comes into the ER and yells . . .' My wife's going to have her
baby in the cab !' I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, Lifted the
lady's dress and began to take off her underwear.
Suddenly I noticed that there were several cabs - - - and I was in the
wrong one.
- Submitted by Dr. Mark Mac Donald, San Francisco

2. At the beginning of my shift I placed a stethoscope on an elderly
and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. ' Big
breaths,'. I instructed. ' Yes, they used to be,'.. .... replied the
patient.
- Submitted by Dr. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a Wife that
her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five
minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest
of the family that he had died of a ' massive internal fart.'
- Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his
cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble
with one of his medications. ' Which one ?'. ..... . I asked.
'The patch . . .. the Nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours
and now I'm running out of places to put it! 'I had him quickly undress
and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see.
Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body! Now, the instructions
include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.
- Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked. ' How
long have you been bedridden ?' After a look of complete confusion she
answered . . .' Why, not for about
twenty years - when my husband was alive.'
- Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis , OR

6. I was performing rounds at the hospital one morning and while
checking up on a man I asked . . .' So how's your breakfast this
morning?' ' It's very good except for the Kentucky Jelly.
I can't seem to get used to the taste.'. . ... Bob replied. I then asked
to see the jelly and Bob produced a foil packet labeled 'KY Jelly.'
- Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI

7. A nurse was on duty in the Emergency Room when a young woman with
purple hair styled into a punk rocker Mohawk, sporting a variety of
tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered ..
It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so
she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely
disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that
her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo
that read . . .'Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed,
the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing,
which said ' Sorry . . .had to mow the lawn.'
- Submitted by RN no name

AND FINALLY ! ! ! . . . . . . .

8. As a new, young MD doing my residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed
when performing female pelvic exams.. To cover my embarrassment I had
unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly. The middle-aged lady upon
whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further
embarrassing me.
I looked up from my work and sheepishly said 'I'm sorry. Was I tickling you ?'
She replied with tears running down her cheeks from laughing so hard.
'No doctor, but the song you were whistling was . . .'I wish I was
an Oscar Meyer Wiener.'
- Dr. wouldn't submit his name

SERIOUS COMPUTER PROBLEMS (your 2 cents please?)

My laptop computer is dying. I've had a lot of trouble with it over the past year, but it's really, really bad now. I'm surprised that I can even write and post this right now.

We're getting ready to head north in a few days, so I'll be busy cleaning and packing things up, but I'll keep trying to use this thing whenever it lets me.

I'll be shopping for a new laptop as soon as we get back home. Not sure which brand yet, but it MUST have tons of memory for my photos, be fast, have great sound, great picture, a fairly large screen (this old (2006) DELL has a 17.4" screen...and NO, I will NOT buy another DELL...nothing but problems, and horrible, horrible customer service)...and not cost an arm and a leg. Was considering a MAC, but they're expensive (between 1900.00 and 2400.00 for what I want) and technology is moving along SO fast......so, I'm thinking HP or maybe Toshiba? Most people suggest that I'll be happy with HP (Hewlitt-Packard). I would love to hear YOUR opinions and advice!

Thank you ahead of time for your input!
- Mary Ann

NIGHT MARINA (Aransas Pass, Texas)

DARK INDUSTRY (Ingleside and Portland, Texas)

Driving through the Ingleside/Portland area one evening...

MEANDERING CAMERA

(within 1/4 mile of our current location)

RATTLESNAKE?! Remnants of old oil company docks, cactus and jellyfish at Lighthouse Trail Park (Aransas Pass, Texas)

Click on a photo if you want to view a larger version of it,
then hit the "back" button to return to this page.

Cactus skeleton



































It was just around the corner there from the dock remnants, (see where the green grass and brush is?), that I think I encountered a rattlesnake. YIKES! Luckily, (or maybe not...because I would have enjoyed taking it's picture...I think) I did not see it, but I certainly did hear it. I was walking on the sand, but the grassy area was about chest height to me (kind of a cliff area...the terrain, not my chest...LOL).

I was holding my camera to take another shot of something when I heard what sounded like a cross between a rattle and a buzz. At first I thought it was broken bits of shells beneath my feet, but when I looked down there were hardly any where I was standing, so I stood perfectly still then I heard it again!

I was only about a foot and a half in front of the "cliff" facing it, trying to see if I could see something (bees or wasps maybe?) when I heard a sharp "HISS" and then another sharp "hisssss" quickly followed! Not to worry though, I had already been very slowly and quietly backing away from that area to resume my picture taking farther on down.

A couple of days later when mentioning this little episode to a guy who lives full-time in our RV Park (he's a native Texan and works and lives in this area for many years)...he told us that the whole Lighthouse Trail Park area used to be a shipping area full of docks for an oil company years ago and that the area was then and still is infested with rattlesnakes and that he wouldn't set foot over there, not even to go fishing (which many people do).

So, will I go back sometime? Sure I will!
I'll just be more cautious next time. ;-)

Click here to view the whole Picasa album.
(Best viewed as a slide show imho) :

Lighthouse Trail Park - Jan.19,2011