Ten Favorite Drinks

This Ten on Tuesday list took me a while, but I finally came up with my Ten Favorite Drinks:

1. Ginger ale - I drink it all the time!
2. Hot tea - I drink it every morning!
3. Sweet iced tea - there's nothing like it!
4. Limeade from Sonic (and they have the BEST ice!)
5. Pina Colada (and getting caught in the rain)
6. Chocolate Malt Frappuchino from Starbucks (sadly, you can't get this anymore)
7. Sweet lemonade - the best I ever had was at the Trade Days in Canton, Texas!
8. Mudslide - hubby makes the best - Frangelico, Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, and vanilla ice cream - YUM!
9. Apple juice
10. Hot chocolate with whipped cream on top

Now I'm really thirsty......

Happy Birthday, Little Son!

My baby boy turned 11 today - the third child born on the third day of the third month. It sounds so cliche to say "Where does the time go?" but that's truly how I feel - wasn't it just last year that this tiny little man was born 5 weeks early, after I spent three weeks in the hospital on total bed-rest? When I cried tears of joy when he let out a wail at birth (because they told me he was so early he might not even cry)? When I got to bring him home 6 days later and introduce him to his big brother and sister? He's growing up so fast, and this one is the hardest for me because he is the baby - the last one.

I'm so proud of you, sweet boy! Happy Birthday - and many, many more!

Bright Lights and Late Nights

The past few days have been a whirlwind for me! Busy, busy, busy - and tonight I am exhausted! But it has been fun....here are the highlights:

Thursday night D and I went the the Matchbox Twenty concert! We got downtown faster than we anticipated, and were there when they opened the doors. We found our great seats, ate some yummy dinner, and at 7:00 the opening act took the stage - a band called Mute Math. We weren't so crazy about them - a large part of their act involved strobe lights flashing into the audience, something D and I found quite annoying. Not because we're old. Just because it's annoying. Next on the stage was Alanis Morissette, who was better but still just OK. More bright flashing lights, and she gets a little whiney, in my opinion. Not because I'm old. Just because. FINALLY at 9:00 or so, Matchbox Twenty came on, and they were AWESOME! D and I had such a great time singing and dancing to the music, and their Bright Lights? Oh-so-much better!

We got home late - after midnight. I think we were both dragging on Friday!

Hubby and I also attended a birthday party for a friend over the weekend - her 40th. The party started at a Mexican restaurant, where the margaritas and Coronas were flowing, then moved to a club on the lake - literally ON the lake, as it is a barge connected to the land by a pier. We had a great time and it was another late night for me.

Yeah, I'm tired. Maybe I AM old.

Friday's Feast #34

Happy Leap Day!

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged?
D...

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

Um....brush your teeth twice a day.

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of?
sunshine

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve

around?
children or puppies - or children with puppies!

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read?

Gone With the Wind or Little Women (whichever is longer)

Cowboy up!

We're in the final countdown to Rodeo Days here in H-Town - the trail riders are all headed into town (which is why it has gotten cold) and the big Rodeo Parade is this Saturday (which is why it will rain). The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officially kicks off Monday, March 3 (Little Son's birthday) and runs thru Saturday, March 22 (Daughter's birthday).

Last night Hubby and I attended another pre-rodeo event - a Trail Riders' Dinner and Dance at NASA/JSC. Dressed in our finest western wear, we mingled with the Texas Independence Trail Riders, had a delicious dinner, bid on auction items (didn't win anything), Hubby accepted an award for his company, and we two-stepped into the night! We even entered a dance contest and made it to the final round before we were eliminated. (I think Hubby was glad to sit down - we're not as young and in-shape as we used to be and we were getting a little winded!) All in all, it was a fun evening.

And now it's time to rodeo! Yee haw!

Wordless Wednesday - Lowlands

Ten Movies That I've Intended To Watch But Haven't

I'm the world's worst at seeing a movie preview, saying I really want to see it, then never getting around to it. Mainly because I'm not fond of going to the movies, so I wait until they are out on DVD. Then we never find time to rent them, so they go forgotten. Thus my Ten on Tuesday list for this week: here are the movies that are (still) on my "To See" list:

1. 27 Dresses
2. Charlie Wilson's War
3. 3:10 to Yuma
4. Atonement
5. Definitely, Maybe
6. Over Her Dead Body
7. Hairspray
8. Michael Clayton
9. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
10. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Another Night to Shine

The budding actresses - Daughter and her BFF - have another production under their belts - their 8th grade class' production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night for UIL One-Act Play Competition. The competition was Saturday, but they did a performance for their adoring public tonight - Daughter had the role of Olivia. (BFF had the part of Feste, but performed with a different cast during the day.) Both girls were fantastic in their performances! D and I couldn't be prouder. One day it will be the two of them walking the red carpet at the Oscars in glamorous dresses with paparazzi flashing pictures. Just you wait and see.

"There's a dog on the bowling lane...."

Wow-Wii!

Daughter and Little Son both have birthdays in March (yeah, I planned it that way!). They both have been wanting a Wii so badly that they agreed that if they got one for their birthdays, they could share it and that would be their only present. Thus began the quest. For weeks Hubby and I searched and searched all the stores for a Wii. They are not to be had. They are so popular that when the stores do get them in, they sell out immediately. Things were not looking good. We began hoping to placate them with a Spring Break trip to get their minds off their disappointment (see my Friday's Feast Salad).

Yesterday Hubby was out and about, running his Saturday errands, and decided to pop into Best Buy. His timing was perfect - they had just put out a brand new shipment of Wii's - there were 12 left! Of course he grabbed one up and bought it. When he called me to gloat tell me about it, I told him to run back in there and get one for D's family! He ran. He went right back to the table where they were. Not only were the Wii's gone, but the table, too! Not even 10 minutes had passed since he bought ours. As he was talking to the worker guy about how fast they sell out, another worker guy came around the corner - with ONE Wii in his hands! "This is the last one," he said. Hubby grabbed it and got it for D's family - SUCCESS!

Of course, Hubby could not wait until birthday time to give the kids the Wii. So we sat them down last night and told them the sad story of how Wii's are so popular that you just can't find them anywhere - their faces dropped - then Hubby pulled out the box, and I just wish I'd had my camera ready to capture those expressions!! Pure elation, I tell you. We played until midnight, and they are up early today playing more (I have to admit - it's REALLY COOL!).

So guess where we're going for Spring Break? Well, we're staying right here - in WiiLand!

Friday's Feast #33

Friday's Feast has a new look this week! Enjoy, and dig in!

Appetizer
Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

I hate any jokes at another person's expense. I just don't think they are funny.

Soup
What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

They match the Blue Danube dishes I inherited from my grandmother.

Salad
Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

Well, that's what we're still trying to decide here at the Bubba's Sis house - we want to go somewhere for Spring Break, but we're not sure where. But we're leaning towards San Antonio.

Main Course
What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

I do not use lotion.

Dessert
Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name.

I used to put Raspberry Schnaaps in hot chocolate, top it with whipped cream, and call it a Raspberry Beret!

Who's going home?

It's an evening of oustings tonight, as American Idol sends two guys and two girls home, and another Survivor will be voted off the island. Who's it going to be? Here's who I'm hoping:

American Idol Guys

There are five guys in my Favorite List right now (D's, too - we call them the Fab Five). So as long as they are safe, I'll be fine. In my opinion, the two who should go home are Danny Noriega and Colton Berry. Ironically, they both performed Elvis songs, and I LOVE Elvis, but I hated them. Not so crazy about Chikezie, either. I won't cry if he leaves.

American Idol Girls

I like a lot of the girls this season, even a couple that got bad reviews from the judges last night. If I had to pick two to go home I'd pick Amy Davis and Joanne Borgella. They just didn't "have it" last night. I hope Houston Girl Kady Malloy gets to stick around - personally, I liked her performance last night, even tho the judges didn't, and I hope she gets another chance to prove herself.

Survivor

Of course we don't know which tribe - Fans or Favorites - will go to Tribal Council tonight, but I can say that I can't. stand. Eliza. PLEASE send her home, people! I haven't gotten to "know" too many of the Fans yet, so I have no real opinion there.

So what do you think? Who do you like? Dislike? Who would you like to see go home? Let's dish!

Wordless Wednesday - Peeking

Ten Things I Love

*** I have been unsuccessful in reaching Diane, so no updates to report on the Cell Phone Soap Opera - I shall keep you posted. ***

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is an easy one! Now, it goes without saying that I love God, my family and friends, my pets.....but these are the other things - Ten Things I Love:

1. my mp3 player
2. the butt warmers in my van (heated seats - great in the winter!)
3. chocolate
4. Disney World
5. apple pie
6. the beach
7. my mom's cooking
8. puppies
9. bubble bath
10. sweet tea

Cell Phone Soap Opera

The following is, verbatum, a voice mail message Daughter received on her cell phone at 5:14 a.m. on February 1:

"Yeah, Jo, this is Diane. Uh, I don't know if you were driving today, but uh, uh, George is in St. Joseph Hospital. Um, Kenny and him got into it and Kenny hit him, hit him in the head and stuff, but that's what started it all. But otherwise he had a irregular heartbeat, he had a light stroke, and he also, uh, has high blood pressure. Uh, he called me yesterday, he'll call me today to let me know about the weekend. But, uh, sorry but he wanted me to tell you and Albert. Uh, tell Tommy too. Ok, uh, uh, thank you. "

Obviously Diane has the wrong number, but now we are left wondering:

• Is George OK?!?!?
• What did Kenny hit him with?
• WHY did Kenny hit him?
• What were they fighting over?
• Shouldn't Kenny be in jail?
• Did Jo ever find out?
• Who's going to tell Tommy??
• Who's Albert??

Yesterday morning, two weeks later, there were two more messages:

At 7:01 a.m.: "Yeah, uh, Jo, please call me - this is Diane - right away. Thank you."

Good heavens! Did George take a turn for the worse?? She sounds pretty upset...

At 7:13 a.m.: "Uh, yes, uh, Jo, this is Diane. Uh, could you have George call me cuz uh, have him use your phone it's really a emergency, but because he don't have minutes on his phone. Please have him call me, Diane, uh, have him use your phone or a pay phone. I need to talk to him right away. Thank you."

OK, it appears George is OK. Or at least still alive. And not in the hospital if he has to use someone else's phone to call Diane. But we are still wondering:

• What about Kenny?
• Are he and George still speaking?
• Did anyone ever tell Tommy?
• WHO'S ALBERT??

Time to call Diane and tell her she has the wrong number. But gosh, I want to ask her all these questions!! How is it all going to end? Stay tuned to find out......

Friday's Feast #32

Friday's Feast is back after technical difficulties in the kitchen last week. Bon Appetite - and Happy Friday!

Appetizer
Name one thing that is unique about you.

I'm a really good tap dancer!

Soup
Fill in the blank: My favorite ___vacation destination___ is __Disney World____ but I like __Hilton Head Island____ too.

Salad
What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings?

light oak

Main Course
Who do you talk to most often on the phone?

Bubba's Mom

Dessert
What level of responsibility do you have in your job?

I'm a wife and mother - the responsibility level doesn't get any higher!

Love Poems

When we studied Shakespeare back in high school, I became enthralled with his sonnets. The OCD in me loved the iambic pentameter, the perfect rhyme pattern, the structure of it all. The creative writer in me longed to try it myself. And so I started cranking them out - sonnet after sonnet - and though that was over 20 years ago, I am still proud of my efforts. And so, dear readers, on this day of celebrating love, I share the following with you (this is officially copyrighted to me, so please don't use it without giving me credit):

I find that even though I claim to be
A poet with a gift for cunning verse,
There's something that I feel inside of me
That can't be said in any type of words.
For love just simply cannot be defined,
As many men have known before today,
But how have poets past writ love in lines
When I am at a loss for what to say?
A poet writes the feelings of his heart,
But hours spent in dictionary hunts
Still yield no words for use in my fine art
On laughing, crying, singing, all at once!
I praise the man explaining love complete,
For in this task I must admit defeat.

Happy Valentine's Day, Blogger Friends. I hope you do find the words to express your love to your Valentine!

American Idol Top 24

The leaked list was 100% accurate - and I'm happy with the Top 24, except I really wanted Josiah Leming to get in. I really liked him. But I have plenty of other favorites! Here are the American Idol Top 24 (my favs starred):

The Guys

1. David Cook *


2. David Archuleta *


3. Danny Noriega


4. Jason Castro


5. Luke Menard


6. Michael Johns *


7. Robbie Carrico *


8. Garrett Haley


9. Chekezie Ezy


10. Jason Yeager


11. David Hernandez


12. Colton Berry

The Girls

1. Carly Smithson *


2. Amanda Overmyer *


3. Kristy Lee Cook *


4. Brooke White *


5. Alexandria Lushington


6. Ramiele Mulubay


7. Syesha Mercado


8. Kady Malloy - Houston girl! *


9. Amy Davis *


10. Asia'h Epperson *


11. Alaina Whitaker *


12. Joanne Borgella *

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset

Hollywood Week

The brutal Hollywood Week on American Idol has finally arrived (altho we are watching it taped from a couple of months ago). This is where the men are separated from the boys, so to speak. Tonight the field of 167 was whittled down to 50. There were lots of tears, lots of drama. A few of the ones from my list are already gone: single dad Perrie Cataldo, young cheerleader Amy Flynn, Angelica Puente, and beauty queen Brooke Helvie (altho I'm wondering why I put Brooke on my list to begin with because she's about annoying!).

**SPOILER ALERT - Do not click on the link below if you don't want to know who makes the Top 24**

Someone has leaked the Top 24 - and if that list is really true (which it may or not be), then only 4 of the guys I picked will make the Top 12 Guys, but 9 of the girls I picked will be in the Top 12 Girls. We shall see tonight!

Ten Favorite Restaurants for Bubba's Sis' and D's Ladies' Night Out

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is Ten Things You Hate About Politics. Since neither D nor I care two hoots about politics (sorry, Stacey!), we did our own Ten on Tuesday list this week. And quite frankly, it's fabulous. We had a wild adventure making this list for ya'll, complete with pictures and silly stories (see D's blog for the pics - you'll find the stories here). So, without further ado, I present to you: Ten Favorite Restaurants for Bubba's Sis' and D's Ladies' Night Out:

1. Applebee's - Stop One of our wild adventure; we ate dinner here last Friday night. We're kinda mad at Applebee's because they used to have a fabulous apple pie skillet for dessert and they TOOK IT OFF THE MENU. How can a restaurant with the name APPLE in it not have APPLE PIE for dessert? But we got over it. We split the new 3-course meal they are offering right now - fried cheesesticks for our appetizer, baby-back ribs with cole slaw and french fries for our entree, and a mini key lime pie in a shot glass for dessert. It wasn't apple pie, but it was tasty. As we were leaving we noticed we were the youngest people in there, except for the wait staff. Maybe it was Seniors' Night. If so, we'll definitely be going there in our Golden Years, right D?
2. Texas Roadhouse - our favorite steak place! Of course, we didn't go in and eat a steak since we had just had the three-course meal at Applebee's, but we did pull into the parking lot to pose for our picture. And I can tell you, all those people waiting outside were sure wondering what we crazy ladies were up to. Now you should take notice that all the pics are self-taken, meaning we held the camera out as far as we could and smiled (my arms are longer, so I did the honors). D's fabulous camera has a flip-out view screen that also flips around backwards for just such self-portraits. So we're posing for our picture, trying to look glamourous and also get the sign in the background, and we notice in the viewfinder.....the sign is BACKWARDS! Like mirror-image backwards! What the?? So what do we both do? TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT IT. Like it might really be backwards up there on the building. D'oh! Turns out that's just what D's camera does to the image when it's flipped out and around. Heh heh. Laughing hysterically, we get back into my van.
3. Denny's - this one's on the list because we love to eat brunch there in the summertime, but we do occasionally have a late-night breakfast there as well. It's right down the freeway from the Roadhouse, and conveniently right next to the mall, so after snapping our pic (in which I look way too excited) we decided we better run into the Bath & Body Works real quick. While D was making a purchase, I perused the various samples sitting on the counter. I picked up a small bottle of lotion labeled "Sensual" - oh, D - you gotta try this! I squeezed some into her hands and she rubbed it all in; then the lady behind us says, "You just stole my lotion!" I was floored - she had set her purchase on the counter and I just picked it up and started using it!!! I must have turned 10 shades of red, and apologized all over the place. Fortunately, she was very nice about it. I found her another bottle, and D and I made our hasty escape, laughing so hard that we were close to peeing in our pants. But dang, D sure did smell sensual for the whole rest of the night.
4. Luby's - great cafeteria food, and you can get as much or as little as you want! Our Luby's is in the mall (also terribly convenient for a dinner/shopping night), so we snapped our pic on the way out. As you can see, we were crossing over into Wild Silliness after the lotion incident.
5. Bennigan's - a great pub restaurant for when we're feeling a wee bit Irish. Or when we want potato soup or potato skins. Or when we just feel like going there. While we took our picture there was a couple lurking behind the dumpster. I don't want to know what they were doing. Maybe they got their hands on someone's Sensual lotion, too.
6. Cracker Barrel - D and I LOVE Cracker Barrel for good home-cookin'-style food, but both our hubbies hate it, so we only get to go there on Ladies' Night Out. We're pretty wild and crazy girls, aren't we? We also like the store. I always have to buy the fruit slice candy. While we were taking the pic, which was getting kinda silly because we couldn't get the sign behind us just right, a little old man drove by veeeeeery sloooooowly in his pickup truck, just looking at us like we were nuts. Either that our he smelled D's sensual self. We really wanted to drag some of those rockers off the porch and sit in them in the parking lot for the pic, but we figured we better not push our luck, lest they think we were stealing them. And since we just stole lotion, we were trying to lay low.
7. Cheddar's - our favorite of favorites. THE place to go for apple pie. So we did! That three-course meal was long gone, so we popped in and sat at the bar for some iced tea (Diet Coke for D) and apple pie. Yum. It was really crowded in there, and for a while D and I had to share a barstool. We each put one butt-cheek on it. We're close like that. The bartender was quite cute - we tried flirting with him a bit, but after I told him that he wasn't making a margarita right, he chose to ignore us. Humph! The pie was scrumptious tho, and just what we needed to re-fuel.
8. Chili's - we love the Southwestern Eggrolls here! In fact, we even have a waiter that remembers us every time we come in. (Hmmm...is that kinda scary?) This is where the night got out of control, tho. We were on the side of the Chili's, on a patch of grass, to take the picture. We decided to try some different faces, since we were looking the same in all of them. So we decided to wink. And this is what we got:
   
   
   One look at that in the viewfinder and we lost it completely. I look like I'm drunk, and D looks like Popeye the Sailor Man! And check out her soul patch - that's my hair curling up in front of her chin. We were literally rolling on the grass laughing. We just knew someone was going to call the police and report drunk and disorderly conduct on us, so we hurridly took a normal pic and got outta there. We laughed so hard we really did pee in our pants just a little. Good grief, we've each birthed two babies. You'd pee in your pants, too. Time to call it a night.
9. Gringo's - the BEST Mexican food place around (and believe me, there are a LOT of 'em!). We ate here Monday night before Ninth Grade Information Night at the high school (Daughter and Lamb will be in high school next year - eek!). This place is always crowded, so we got there early. Dinner was delicious - we stuffed ourselves on burritos, tamales, barracho beans, and guacamole. They have free soft-serve ice cream for dessert, so the kiddos (yes, we had all four of them with us) got cones. Bear made his extra long and tall - and its shape and the way it leaned over made it look.....well.....phallic. D and I had to stifle our giggles. We'll never look at ice cream the same way again.
10. Charleston Tea Room - a local tea room that has the BEST baked potato soup. They also have delicious pumpkin bread. It's definitely a girlie place. No men and no kids allowed. OK, I made that part up, but it should be a rule. No silly stories for this one, but we sure got some looks while taking our picture. Doesn't everybody take their own picture in front of restaurant windows? Geez, people. Move along! You want a show? You should have been at Chili's Friday night.

NO BABY DUCKS!!

Some years ago, in the beautiful Texas spring, the family (Bubba's Mom, Bubba's Dad, Hubby, Daughter, Little Son, and I) took a day-trip out to the Hill Country to see the gorgeous fields of bluebonnets, and to attend the Texas Bluebonnet Festival in Chappell Hill. A great time was had by all. Words cannot express the beauty of a field of bluebonnets - it can take your breath away.

We took lots of pictures.

At the end of the day we were headed back to the van, which we had parked out in someone's pasture that was serving as a parking lot that day. Hubby went on ahead to get the van while the kids and I stopped to look at some baby ducks a farmer had nearby. One can not help but fall in love with baby ducks - they are so cute and fuzzy! Daughter was smitten.


The Farmer Man says to me, "If ya'll want a couple, they're only a dollar." What? Only a DOLLAR for a precious fuzzy handful of yellow sunshine happiness? How could I deny my children that joy? As I'm reaching into my pocket to pull out my money - I'll take TWO baby ducks, please - here comes Hubby around the bend in the van. He was flying! ALL the doors were open and flapping and he's shouting something. Something urgent....

"NO BABY DUCKS!!!!!"


Dang! My plan was twarted by party-pooper Hubby! Turns out the pooper part was one of the big motivations in his crushing of his daughter's heart. Good thing she got over it.

Now she wants a baby goat.

Who needs a groundhog??

It may only be February, but the signs of spring have already begun here - itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing - yep, spring is right around the corner. I guarantee it.

A-CHOOOOO!

On to Hollywood!

Finally - FINALLY! - American Idol auditions are over and next week is Hollywood Week, where the field will be narrowed down to 24 (12 guys, 12 girls). I've watched all the auditions and have been taking notes, and here is MY Top 24 List:

The Guys

1. Jonathan Baines (Philadelphia audition)
2. Kyle Ensley (Dallas audition)
3. Colton Swan (Dallas audition)
4. Drew Poppelreiter (Dallas audition)
5. Perrie Cataldo (San Diego audition)
6. Michael Johns (San Diego audition)
7. David Archuleta (San Diego audition)
8. Jason Rich (Omaha audition)
9. David Cook (Omaha audition)
10. Leo Marlowe (Omaha audition)
11. Robbie Carraco (Miami audition)
12. Josiah Leming (Atlanta audition)

The Girls

1. Kristy Lee Cook (Philadelphia audition)
2. Brooke White (Philadelphia audition)
3. Jessica Brown (Dallas audition)
4. Alaina Whitaker (Dallas audition)
5. Kady Malloy (Dallas audition) *She's from Houston!
6. Samanta Musa (San Diego audition)
7. Carly Smithson (San Diego audition)
8. Amy Flynn (Charleston audition)
9. London Weidburg (Charleston audition)
10. Angelica Puente (Omaha audition)
11. Asia'h Epperson (Atlanta audition)
12. Brooke Helvie (Atlanta audition)
13. Amanda Overmyer (Atlanta audition)
14. Amy Davis
15. Cardin Lee McKinney
16. JoAnn Borgella

What's that you say? That's more than 12 girls? You're right - I actually had 13, and added the last 3 after last night's show, "The Best of the Rest" (which is why I don't know which city they auditioned in). But hey, it's my list, so I can do that.

Is the next American Idol up there on my list? Only time will tell! If so, then I can point back to this and say, "I picked him/her from the BEGINNING!" Heh heh.

Mmmmmm....you smell like Disney!

The other night as I was running my nightly bubble bath, I noticed my bar of soap was about the size of a quarter. This would not do. One could easily lose a bar of soap that tiny while using it, then find it stuck to your armpit or butt cheek the next day. So I went to the cabinet to get out a new bar - and of course, we were out. Curses! More rummaging around in the bathroom uncovered a variety of soaps and small bottles of shampoo collected from the resort on our last Disney trip (I love anything with Mickey on it, you know!). So I opened a bar of Mickey bath soap and used it.

Later as I snuggled up next to Hubby in bed he said, "Mmmm....you smell like Disney!"

Do I know how to turn on my man or what?

Wordless Wednesday - King & Queen of Mardi Gras!

American Idol in Atlanta - Last Audition City!

I wasn't even going to bother blogging about tonight's American Idol auditions, because frankly, I'm tired of them. But there were a few that made my list that I'm interested in seeing how they do in Hollywood, so I decided to mention them here...

• Asia'h Epperson, whose dad died in a car crash while she was on her way to the auditions; she had a nice voice, but I think she made it thru on sympathy;
• Brooke Helvie, Miss South Florida Fair who seemed a little ditzy but proved that pageant girls CAN sing;
• Amanda Overmyer, the rocker chick;
• Josiah Leming, the 18-year-old who lives in his CAR; I hope he really has a shot at the Top 24 because his voice was good and he kinda needs some better living conditions.

Tomorrow is the last night of the auditions - titled "The Best of the Rest". I'm not sure if that means we'll see some genuinely good singers or the "best" of the goofballs. I'm hoping for the former; then I can finish my list of contestants to follow and move on to Hollywood Week!

Super Fat Birthday Tuesday

**Scroll down for Ten on Tuesday**

Big day today. Of course it's Super Tuesday - but my state is not involved in that today. We Texans will just be watching from the sidelines on that one.

Today is also Fat Tuesday - better known as Mardi Gras! Tune in to my Wordless Wednesday tomorrow for a pic of Hubby and me as the Mardi Gras King and Queen on our Steamboat Cruise up the Mississippi River a few years back!

And, most importantly, today is my perfect nephew Drew Bear's first birthday! Happy Birthday, Baby Boy! I love you so much!!

Ten Things You Can Do Instead of Watching TV

What?? Not watch TV? This week's Ten on Tuesday challenges you to come up with Ten Things You Can Do Instead of Watching TV - OK, here goes:

1. Have a Girls' Night Out!
2. Read. Always a good thing to do. Read a book, the newspaper, the back of the cereal box, but read!
3. Take a nap. Naps are good.
4. Play cards or a board game with someone - if you have kids, play with them - they'll love it!
5. Write a letter to someone; if you don't have stationery, send them an e-mail. Just make it personal, not a forwarded joke or chain mail.
6. Take a walk; bring your dog(s) if you have them.
7. Listen to music; it's good for the soul.
8. DANCE! Dance like there's nobody watching.
9. Take a warm bubble bath (you might need one after all that dancing).
10. What else? BLOG! :-)

P.S. Head over to D's blog to read about our adventure with Hannah Montana's 3D Movie Concert! Complete with pictures!

The Best Superbowl XLII Commericals

The winner (according to me):



Runners up:





Yep, all Budweiser ads.

In Celebration of WhyMommy

I only wish I could have gotten in on this:

In Celebration of MYMommy

I blogged back in October that Bubba's Mom was facing her third round with breast cancer - yes, her third. Her first diagnosis was in 1983, and she had a single mastectomy and 2 years of chemotherapy. Two hellish years that got rid of that bad cancer. Then in 1994 it appeared in the other breast - another mastecomy and reconstruction, but no chemo necessary this time. Now it has come back for a third fight - but she has been taking a medication for 3 months that has shrunk the tumor to half its size and pulled it away from the chest muscle wall. In another month the surgeon will take what's left of it out, then she'll do six weeks of radiation. Then that bad bad cancer will be gone AGAIN. This time for GOOD. I am SO PROUD of my momma. So very proud. She is strong, and she is a survivor. I love you, Mom.

"It's happened again!"

** Scroll down for Friday's Feast**

I was sleeping in on a Saturday morning 5 years ago when my phone rang - it was Bubba's Mom. "It's happened again!" she said in tears. We had lost another Space Shuttle.

Today, February 1, we remember the crew of STS-107's Space Shuttle Columbia.

We didn't think it would ever happen again - it had been 17 years since the last shuttle disaster, and NASA was back on track with successful missions. And though we held our breath with every launch, even this mission was going well. Until they had to come home. Our community was rocked yet again.

This time I had to explain it to my children - 8 and 5 at the time - who had astronauts as neighbors and Sunday school teachers - would it be our friends next? We took flowers to the makeshift memorial outside JSC's gates, and I stood there with dozens of other people and cried.

In loving memory of our lost heroes. Godspeed.

Friday's Feast #31

Hungry? It's time for Friday's Feast!

Appetizer

What is your favorite kind of cereal?

I love cereal so it's hard to pick just one - but I'll go with Cranberry Almond Crunch. I especially like it with Half & Half on it. Yum!

Soup

When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

I think it was a rug I put in the family room last October.

Salad

What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen?

All the Budweiser/Bud Light commercials are hilarious!

Main Course

Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey).

Paprika Pony

Dessert

Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______.

I haven't had my bathing suit on since summer 2006.

AI: Miami

While the American Idol judges reported a lot of talent in Miami, apparently the editors decided not to show much of it last night. Either that or I'm becoming disinterested in the whole audition process and not paying as much attention as I was in the beginning. Either way, there were a few that I thought were not bad, but also not stellar. I liked rocker Robbie Carraco. We got the unwed-teen-mother contestant sent to Hollywood (is it just me, or since Fantasia's win have there been more and more of these contestants showing up?) (and it is just me, or does anyone else feel that an unwed-teenage-mother is not the best role model/idol for America?). We saw our share of bad singers/strange people. Blah blah blah. I sure hope next week is Hollywood Week!

Wordless Wednesday - Hay!

Corn-Fed American Idols

American Idol auditions were in Omaha, Nebraska tonight - cornhusker country! Nothing too exciting tonight - I think the judges were actually pretty generous, giving people like Jason Rich (who forgot the lyrics) and Angelica Puente (who was noticeably nervous) second chances and golden tickets to Hollywood. I'm glad - both had good voices and deserved a shot at the big-time. I also liked David Cook - a rocker who sang "Living On A Prayer" (can't go wrong with Bon Jovi!)!! Leo Marlowe also made my list tonight.

Tomorrow - Miami.

Ten Things I Would Buy If I Had $1 Million (And Had To Spend It On MYSELF!)

I had a hard time with this week's Ten on Tuesday list because all the things that first came to my mind were not for me - I would pay for my kids' college tuitions, buy them a Wii, buy Hubby a new Corvette and a boat - but none of that stuff is for ME. So here is my very selfish list of Ten Things I Would Buy If I Had $1 Million - And Had To Spend It On MYSELF:

1. a lovely house, custom decorated (including new furniture)
2. nice clothes
3. a horse or two
4. a cook (ok, I would HIRE a cook - I know you can't BUY a cook!)
5. a maid (ditto above)
6. several fabulous vacations
7. a really nice camera
8. a good printer to print photos
9. all the scrapbooking supplies I could ever want or need, stocked in my own scrapbooking room in my lovely, custom decorated house
10. a sporty, just-for-fun car

22 Years

Nothing has impacted the area in which I live more than the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. This is a NASA community - my daddy worked for NASA for 40 years. The astronauts are not just heroes to us - they our are neighbors, our co-workers, our friends.

I was a junior in high school and had just gotten out of class to go to lunch when I heard the rumors buzzing in the halls - "The space shuttle exploded!" No way, I thought. That just couldn't be. TWO friends of mine had daddies on that space shuttle. It just simply couldn't be. But during lunch the principal came over the PA system and announced the truth - Space Shuttle Challenger had disintegrated upon launch. You could have heard a pin drop in that high school cafeteria. For what seemed like forever, NO ONE made a sound. We were all in shock. And for weeks - for months - our whole community was in shock. And saddened beyond belief.

We lost seven heroes that day. Every year on this day I honor their memory. We will NEVER forget.

The Original Reality Competition

Tonight is a much anticipated yearly event at the Bubba's Sis household - the Annual Miss America Party! I grew up watching Miss America with Bubba's Mom, and now our family and friends join us for a pageant-viewing party every year, complete with crowns! Sadly, D and Wendy Bird can't make it this year, so the contestants are narrowed down to myself, Bubba's Mom, and Katie-Lady.





To those who think Miss America is just a silly beauty pageant, I beg to differ. Unlike the Miss U.S.A. Pageant, Miss America awards scholarships to its contestants; the winner of Miss America must posses not only outward beauty, but also inner beauty, as well as talent, poise, and personality. Miss America must have a platform - a cause she feels deeply about - and she speaks across the country on her issue. She is a role model. Gone are the days of the parades along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, of Bert Parks singing, "There she is....Miss America....", of a September crowning. But despite the changes over time, the Miss America Pageant has stayed relevant and fresh - and a great excuse for a party!

Get ready.......There she is!!

**Post-pageant update - rather disappointing this year. See a full review over at Bubba's Mom. Things just aren't what they used to be, are they? It's OK. I still want to be Miss America. Congratulations, Miss Michigan!

Friday's Feast #30

My 30th Friday's Feast:

Appetizer

How many times per day do you usually laugh?

As often as possible - I love to laugh, to act silly with the kids and say corny things that crack myself up. Laughter is good for the soul.

Soup

What do your sunglasses look like?

thin tortoise-shell frames and smudgy, scratched lenses (I'm hard on my sunglasses!)

Salad

You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?
Colorado

Main Course

Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.
As I've mentioned before, I love being half-way between the big city of Houston and the historic coastal city of Galveston.

Dessert

If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

lavender

How a tiny plastic baby messed up my plans. And a very important message. Read on.

This morning after I took the kids to school I was going to head over to the lab to have some blood drawn - just a general health screening as party of my annual exam - but I had to be fasting to do it. Fasting is not easy for me. But instead of making my cup of hot tea as soon as my feet hit the floor this morning, I abstained.

The kids wanted King Cake for breakfast - I bought a delicious strawberry-filled one at the store yesterday. But of course, I had to hide the baby in it first. So I poked him in there - real deep so he wouldn't easily be found - and covered the evidentiary hole with more gooey icing, then proceeded to lick all that yummy icing off my fingers. Oops. No blood tests today.

I did have my annual mammogram today - to anyone out there dreading this procedure, I can say in all honesty IT'S NOT BAD! I'd much rather do a mammogram than the whole visit with the gyn and all that involves (which I did last week). It is SO IMPORTANT for women to have annual mammography screening. PLEASE do not put this off - it could save your life. Early detection of anything is your best bet. Just ask Bubba's Mom. She'll tell you.

So the moral of the story is, take care of yourself, have annual checkups and screenings, and don't lick the icing off your fingers if you are supposed to be fasting. It counts.

Carolina Idol

A rather dull American Idol audition show from Charleston, South Carolina tonight. No one really stood out, but there was also not anyone really really weird. There were only two on my short-list tonight - Amy Flynn and London Weidburg. We'll see how they fare in Hollywood Week.

Next week - Omaha, Nebraska.

Wordless Wednesday - Swamp Shack

Say a prayer!

Please say a prayer - and keep saying them! - for WhyMommy, who is battling Inflammatory Breast Cancer. She had a double mastectomy today and is doing well in recovery. Just like Bubba's Mom, I know that WhyMommy is going to beat this damn cancer and be a SURVIVOR!

American Idol in San Diego

We only had to endure one hour of American Idol auditions tonight - much better! The funniest to me was the girl who said she likes to watch the auditions and laugh at the bad people, then she became one of the very people she laughs at - oh the irony! My favs tonight were Perrie Cataldo, Michael Johns, Samantha Musa, David Archuleta, and Carly Smithson.

Ten Things That Were Better "Way Back When"

Ah, the good old days! This week's Ten on Tuesday list is Ten Things That Were Better "Way Back When":

1. the freedom to be a kid outdoors
2. MTV
3. breakfast cereal
4. concerts
5. children's television
6. customer service
7. the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (it was better in the Astrodome)
8. airline travel
9. country music
10. Christmas

An Amazing Finish!

CONGRATULATIONS to TK and Rachel - winners of the 12th edition of The Amazing Race! Well done, you two! I was rooting for you all the way!