ANGER AND LOATHING IN THE 2011 POST SEASON

  I feel a real need to curse at someone or break something, stomp on some flowers or just hurt someones feelings. I'll start with C J Wilson. No wait, I'll start with Ron Washington. " Ron, why did you let that bum C J Wilson be the starting pitcher? He has had an awful year and yet you say he is your ace! What the.......?"
 I can't believe this great Rangers team, who have in recent days rolled over the Angels, who have remained in first place all year, could be beaten like stepchildren by a 22 year old rookie pitcher from freakin' New Mexico. Really? New Mexico, the land of enchanted, rusty appliances? They grow one decent pitcher, who most likely wears socks with his sandals, as do all New Mexicans, and he starts against the greatest ball club in Texas history and humiliates them 9 to 0. Really? Who else can I blame but Washington and Wilson? What were you thinking? it's only Friday evening, but you have already ruined my weekend.
 Jon says I'm too competitive and I'm no fun because I take baseball too seriously. Well he' on my list also. Beware! Hell hath no furry like a menopausal woman, during baseball playoffs, scorned.

A Fear Of Cooking

  Jon and I have agreed to learn to cook. I mean really cook. No Hamburger Helper or Ragu, but real cooking with real ingredients.
 Our agreement is, we will each learn a new recipe and serve it one night a week. Then we will cook something together one night a week and if we are successful, we will have a dinner party once a month. It's not a competition, but I am going to win. Jon will cook weird stuff, like his Russian goulash that had cinnamon as a main ingredient. I still think his cookbook had a page missing between goulash and cinnamon toast.
 But, I will have to actually read the many cookbooks I own and try to learn something from them.. Until now, my favorite has been the White Trash  cookbook, where all the recipes begin with canned soup and Velveeta or a cake mix. Although, I would never make the fried squirrel dish it recomends, as squirrels are way too cute to eat. My mother taught me a little about frying. When I was in Girl Scouts, my brother in-law, Si, came for dinner, expecting my mothers wonderful fried chicken and chocolate cake, only to find an eleven year old working on her cooking badge. Hopefully he has forgotten this by now.

 I will have to learn what some of those strange ingredients are and where to buy them. I'll learn about goat and other cheeses, and what they pair well with.
 I know I can do do this. Way back in the 80's, my favorite wine was, well, not wine. I hated wine in fact. One of our good friends was working on his PHD, and wanted to learn about wine so he would not feel so backwoods around the other professors. He started showing up at all hours with different wines for us to taste. At first I refered to all reds as esraser wines, as they reminded me of chewing on the eraser end of a pencil. After time or age, or whatever you want to call it, I developed a taste for red wine. In fact I prefer it to all other adult libations. The only good advice my doctor ever gave me, in the midst of all that fresh air and sunshine crap she harped on was, to have a glass of red wine every night. It's good for my heart in more ways than one.

Baseball and Philosophy

  Last night, in an attempt to get me out of my funk, Jon took me to a Houston Astros game.Nothing snaps one back to reality like a foul ball aimed at ones head.
  I am not superstitious, as I've said before, except in baseball, and it is a fact that The Rangers have lost the last five games I have attended. Therefore, I know I am bad luck to them. But Houston has had such a bad year and they were playing the Phillies, who are having one of their best seasons ever. So I figure I can't hurt the Astros as they were doomed to loose either way. Well, they won! Two of their best players were traded to Philadelphia and still, they beat their socks off. When one of the trades, the former Astro hero, Hunter Pence walked up to bat, the crowd stood and cheered him on. I thought, "how nice they still support him." I soon realized we were sitting in a room full of Phillies fans. Some people are obstinate, others just love a winner. I will never understand it.
Anyway, Jon said this disproved my bad luck theory, since Houston won. I said maybe I have the opposite effect on the Astros. Maybe their loosing season is my fault since I haven't been to a game in so long and have not really kept up with them. Or maybe, just maybe it has nothing to do with me and I have no power over the events of this world. No, that couldnt' be it.
 I haven't been to an Astros game since they left the Astro Dome in the 90's and, I was very impressed with Minute Maid park. I love the Ball Park at Arlington but, Minute Maid is so easy to get around, it's a beautiful stadium and it's air conditioned. Yes, I said Air Conditioned. It was quite cool and, I was wishing I had brought a sweater to HOUSTON! The only real drawback is, it's located right smack in the middle of down town Houston. (Texas is a big ole' state. Why do so many people insist on living in Houston?) For 20.00 you could park practically in the front door but, we didn't. We parked in the 5.00 parking lot with the nice homeless man who insisted he had been watching our pickup for free and could we just give him a little crack money. At first I was afraid, then I remembered my husbands concealed carry and I was very afraid..
 Houston has a terrible homeless situation. I saw a woman with three kids and thought she really shouldn't have her kids around those people, before I realized what I was seeing.
 I've had an easy life. I have never had to struggle or see my children do without much more than daily sodas and basic cable. I've always loved my kids but didn't know how I cherished my time with them until I lost one. God has blessed me. I know I'll be with Lauren again, someday, I have a great family, and it is growing. God gave us Jonathan, with his kind spirit and calming ways. We love him like a son. I know he and Sarah will have a sweet family of there own. I'm also certain God will give Eric the love of his life if he will be patient.
  Thank you, Lord, for baseball and family. My funk is lifted and my heart is full.

A Tropical Depression is Moving This Way

   The kids just left and I'm feeling pretty blue. I guess after planning and so looking forward to our time together, it just went by way to quickly. I watched them drive away and couldn't help crying. I remember how my grandmother always cried when we left her and how awful it always made us feel, so I try to hold it all in until they are gone.
  I think everyone had a good time. Jon and Jonathon got up early and went fishing every morning. Eric usually met them on the beach, as he had been up for his morning run long before. Sarah and I would wonder around the house aimlessly and usually made it down to the beach about the time they were all ready for breakfast. She sunburned pretty badly the first day, so we didn't need to be out too long.
 Maybe I will feel more like writing in a day or so, but right now I'm just to low. I miss my Daddy and I miss my dogs. I want my kids, all of them, to be here. Why can't everyone I love be in one place?

 But, I'll post a few pictures anyway. There will be more on all this later on.

I have sand between my toes and Cheetos dust on my fingers. Now this is a vacation. I'm a little red from being on the beach all day, but it was worth it.
  The only disappointment, so far, is the TV. We only get six channels and five are in Spanish and I have missed three Rangers games. We were down on the Strand on Monday and caught the game in Murphy's Irish Pub, which was not that comfortable and I'm sure Murphy's Irish Mother dosent know about that sticky floor.
  The Kids will be here tomorrow and I cant wait.