RULE #1
You pull into my driveway and honk, you’d better be delivering a package, because you’re sure as hell not picking anything up.

RULE #2
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anthing below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off my daughter’s body, I will remove them.

RULE #3
I’m aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don’t take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open-minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise; you may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

RULE #4
I’m sure you’ve been told that in today’s world, sex without utilizing a “barrier method” of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate. When it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

RULE #5
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is “early”.

RULE #6
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

RULE #7
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don’t you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

RULE #8
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there is dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka – zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided: movies which feature chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

RULE #9
Do not lie to me on issues relating to my daughter. I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres out behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

RULE #10
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a race paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean my guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway, you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car. There is no need for you to come inside. That camouflaged face you see at the window is mine (and if you think this is silly, wait until you have a daughter of your own).

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:01 PM :: 4 comments

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Marriage Seminar

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."

He addressed the man, "Can you name your wife's favorite flower?" Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it? The rest of the story gets rather ugly, so I'll stop right here.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:17 PM :: 0 comments

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Women's Revenge!

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked. "No," she replied, " but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:16 PM :: 2 comments

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Personal Inspiration

My Inspiration

I have had this piece of paper for years. It has been on the refrigerator, on the kitchen counter, in the “junk drawer”, in my purse, and floating around the house. It’s torn, and dirty, who knows what has been spilled on it, but it never ceases to amaze me that it turns up probably when I need it the most and I get the same feeling as the first day a read it. It reminds me that the challenges in life makes us who we are. So take some time out and…

Think of what inspires you!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:02 AM :: 2 comments

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Sunday, June 26, 2005 A Day at the Beach

What a blast! I took two of the three kids to the beach today. Yes, laundry needed to be done, floors needed to be mopped, clothes needed to be folded. You may have noticed that the list didn't include anything concerning the kids. As a working parent, weekends tend to be my catch up time. The kids asked to go to the beach. I thought about going, then I thought of my list of chores (yes, I'm anal, I make an actual list). I decided that the chores will still be there if I put them off for a day. I also decided that this would be a great opportunity to practice what I've learned in the book SuZan and I are reading about the "STEP" program (see post below). I must tell you that this has been one of the best trips to the beach we've had. Thanks to the book I realized that being a parent doesn't mean that my only job is to make sure every rule is followed, that everyone's behavior is perfect and that everyone is happy. I learned that it's OK for ME to laugh and have fun with my kids. We laughed a lot, we fell down, we were covered with sand, we ate junk food and played the music loud as we drove with the windows down. What a wonderful day!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:29 PM :: 1 comments

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In Search of a Guest Bedroom #5

old color & new color

OK…OK! There is a reason why they call it “woops” paint. After looking at it over night, it looked more and more like…well…poop! So being resourceful, I mixed in white until I came to this color and I am much happier with it. This color reminds me of a latte and of course, being the “coffee snob” that I am, this I can live with. So after the paint goes up, instead of calling it “the room” it will now be referred to as “the latte room”.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 1:53 PM :: 6 comments

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Good God, I Giggle

I am so glad that Sheri nudged me into the world of Blogging and Podcasting, it has to be said that I have had a blast and I have learned a few things about myself.

BLOGGING
I can’t spell worth a darn. Yes, that’s right, I have come to rely on good ole spellchecker, furthermore, certain words I just go ahead and misspell because I know spellchecker will fix them on its own.

PODCASTING
I swear I don’t know who is talking but that’s not ME! I have never heard that person before in my life. Sheri promises that it is me, but I refuse to believe it.

“That’s right!” If I hear “that’s right” come out of my mouth one more time, I’m gonna heave. I remember during collage in my public speaking class, the teacher would have the class raise their hand after every “um” that we uttered. I’m afraid that if I asked Sheri to do that with the “that’s right” she would look like she was trying air out her armpits or be trying to fly away.

The giggles; honestly, I NEVER knew that I giggled….UGG! Gotta do something about that! Since our first podcast, my husband is actually going around calling me “giggles”.

The hardest thing about all of this is listening to yourself. We have decided that we will limit our intake to only 2 glasses of liquid courage during a podcast. Our last one got a little slurry towards the end and I we rambled on a bit. All in all, this is so much fun and you've got to be able to laugh at yourself!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:23 AM :: 0 comments

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Saturday, June 25, 2005 My Mother-In-Law is So Wise!

I am so lucky to have been blessed with a great Mother-In-Law. She is such a kind, patient person. She is 82 years young and just lost her husband of 60 years. The other day I was commenting on her plants as they all are so healthy and beautiful. There was one plant that she had growing up her fence and I asked her how she got it to grow that way. Her response was "You know, plants are a lot like children. You feed them, nurture them, and give them direction and hope they grow the way you want. When they get unruly, you clip them back and set them back on track. The key is, giving them enough guidance, but letting them make some decisions as to how they want to grow. They may not go where you think they should, but sometimes the path they choose is better than the one you've chosen for them." I asked her how she decides when she should step in and do some clipping and redirecting. She said, "Well, when they interfere with the other plants or are growing in a way that could kill it."

Such wise words!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:24 PM :: 2 comments

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Batman Begins-Yes! AMC Theaters-Yuck!

We just got back from seeing Batman Begins. The movie was GREAT! I really didn't expect to enjoy it, but my husband suggested we go as a family (which doesn't happen when you have teenagers). I am not a Sci-Fi kind of gal. Give me a chic flick and a box of tissues (and depending on what time of the month it is, a chocolate bar and a bottle of wine) and I'm good to go. But I really enjoyed the movie. The storyline was great as well as the special effects. Let me just add, Christian Bale (Batman) is a HOTTIE!!!!!!

Anyway, hubby bought the tickets online which worked out great! Got to the theater early enough to pick up some snacks and get some decent seats. We go stand in line at concessions, and stand, and stand. This portion of the theater is the most poorly, unorganized mess I've ever seen. Each cashier not only takes the order, they get the food and drinks as well. Now, it's not like they have a huge selection. I mean, how hard is it to remember two cokes and a popcorn? Anyway, we ordered a total of four drinks, a popcorn, and one of the big pretzels (that was quite stale and tasteless - $3.50 sheesh). Could she take the whole order, then get the food? Nooooo. I'd say one item and off she went. Did she have any hustle? Of course not. None of them did. The only thing that was hustling was their mouths! To top it off, I paid $24 for crappy service, a stale pretzel, and burnt popcorn. The only thing that didn't suck were the drinks! I think it would be far more efficient if they had food runners. Maybe one for every two registers. That way, the cashiers could concentrate on taking orders and handling the money transactions, and not so much time dilly-dallying around! I don't know if I should say 'SHAME ON YOU AMC" for the service and lack of organization, or "SHAME ON ME" for paying $24 for lousy food instead of taking it back any demanding my money back. Of course, because of the insane amount of time we spend standing in line at concessions, we ended up with lousy seats (front row) sitting in front of a family with several small children. Not only did the children talk through the whole movie, the adults did as well!

OK, rant over. The whole point of this post was to tell you how great Batman Begins was. Go see it, you won't be sorry. Don't wait on this one to come out on DVD. See it on the big screen and enjoy the awesome special effects. (Oh yeah, and don't forgot to check out Christian ♥♥)!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:51 PM :: 0 comments

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In Search of a Guest Bedroom #4

Found: an empty room

Well what do you know…..there is a room here after all! I’m so glad everything is cleared out; however, everything that I’m keeping is in the living room and dining room. Ya’ll have seen the dining room table but I have a mattress and box springs in my living room (the cat thinks it’s cool she has a new perch).

My goal is to totally transform the guest bedroom (I know just emptying it out is a transformation…lol). I am very budget minded when I set out to make or do things. The new carpet cost me barely over the cost of the labor to install it and as Sheri had mentioned in a comment, the paint came from Lowe's “woops” paint. I love it when they have a new employee because there is a lot to choose from. The paint cost $5.00. So I’ve swept all the cobwebs, now onto patching holes in the wall. I don’t know what direction I’m going as far as the look of the bedroom, but I will find something that will inspire me and set me off towards the right direction. THIS is the part I love!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:58 PM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 24, 2005 Wouldn't You know it

I've had access to "the man chair" (see post below) all week, but I've been too busy to use it. Wouldn't you know it, I finally get to sit down, but now my husband is home.... and in it! That's OK, at least I'll have a snuggle bunny tonight :-)

I'm glad you're home, honey!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:59 PM :: 1 comments

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Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University

One of the “projects” this summer is for my son and I to visit Universities here in the State (tuition costs you know). We went to our first collage tour this week at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Things sure have changed since I graced the halls of knowledge!

The University Representative told us that we were smart starting this early (my son will be a Junior this coming school year). Starting the search early tends to make the transition smoother and helps the student feel confident about their decision, not to mention (as in our case) put out there the expectations and “what it takes” to be admitted.

We continued the tour walking around the campus and WOW, I was amazed at what was offered for the students. Dorm rooms (which aren’t what they used to be); workout area, entertainment area; besides the regular cafeteria, they had several “fast food” places on campus and even a Mexican Restaurant (yum). They even have a Hotel for parents. At the end of the tour, I wanted to sign myself up (forget the boy…I want to stay). I really liked the campus, it wasn’t too big and wasn’t too small. Huntsville, is located on the edge of the piney woods of East Texas and is very lush and green. My son was also very impressed and hopefully the strategy will work to inspire him to move a little closer to his potential.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:55 PM :: 2 comments

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Go Spurs!

San Antonio Spurs Rock!

Need I say more?



Go Spurs!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:37 AM :: 1 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #8

PocketBlogger

Ok all, frustration has now settled in (I have been geek-ti-fied). I tried to download Texmaster only for the Axim to tell me that I didn’t have enough memory. I ran out and picked up a CompactFlash card…OK…great (can’t tell hubby how much I spent….shhh). I then downloaded (correction – tried to download) Texmaster; after it finishes the download, the Axim tells me that it is not a pocket pc program. - Uggg!

Topping off this experience Kevin from kct's digital world recommended Pocket Blogger. I downloaded pocket blogger and now I can’t find it on the Axim! Sigh…..you know I’m going to have to read the manual. I’m not very happy right now.

Until next time!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:31 AM :: 0 comments

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Thursday, June 23, 2005 Coffee with My Daughter

This was just so cool I just had to post (I know SuZan, I'm supposed to finish my cleaning by 9:30 then off to the man chair-probably won't happen). Anyway, I took my 16 year old son to Target today to apply for a job-any job (I pimped my son to the manager). Try as he did to get out of it, we still went. Our Target has a Starbucks. I asked my daughter if she wanted to go and have a coffee with me (I've always wanted to say that as that was one of the small pleasures my mom and I had before she died. I was only 18) while we wait. We did and had a blast. My kids are soooooo cooooolllll!!!!! The only way I could yell louder would be IF I PUT IT IN ALL CAPS. OK, here it goes.....MY KIDS ARE SOOOOO COOOOLLLL!!!

Ta for now-I have dust calling my name!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:00 PM :: 3 comments

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The Reason I Was Late to Work!

READ THIS PARAGRAPH BEFORE YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES

A guy in St. Louis was driving to work on Hwy I-44 when he heard a 'pop'. He thought it sounded like a flat tire, though his ride wasn't affected. After pulling over, checking the tires and finding them intact he opened the hood to look at the motor. Before the hood was even all the way open he jumped back in shock and knocked his head on the partially opened hood, unable to believe what his eyes were seeing! Nobody was going to believe this! You sure wouldn't have either! Fortunately, a coworker with a camera recognized him along side the road and stopped to see if he could help. Now, this has to be right up there at the top of the list of unusual but verified:

The Reason I Was Late For Work.

Yikes

Gulp

Uggg

Sheri and I have a good friend in Germany. Don't know where she finds this stuff but I wanted to share. But really ladies: late to work? I'm afraid this would be grounds to take the day off and go have a drink!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:26 PM :: 3 comments

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In Search of a Guest Bedroom #3

Slowly getting there

Marching on! I am making progress in my search of a guest bedroom. It doesn’t look as drastic as the last post but I am trying to rid myself of stuff as I go (because the dining room is driving me crazy). Now I’m forcing the issue, I went out yesterday and ordered new carpet for the guest bedroom (being we sloped glue on it when we put in the wood floors down the hallway).

Tip of the Day: If you only have a room to recarpet, ask at the store if they have any remnants in their warehouse. I did this and I am getting Mohawk frieze carpeting, installed, for a sweetheart of a deal.

So they will be here Tuesday to install the carpet. Before they do that, I have to clear everything out and paint. I’ve pretty much decided I didn’t want to mess with the floor moldings, so I will just give them a good scrubbing. And to top it off I won’t be able to work on it until Saturday (Hospital called…..I’m out spending money…..guess I’ve got to….sigh). This weekend I’ll trade out with my sister-in-law that big sewing table for a vanity to go in the room. I wish Katy were here, she said she likes doing this kind of stuff!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:44 AM :: 3 comments

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Wednesday, June 22, 2005 The Value of Being a Woman

Sheri and I recently had a conversation we called “The value of a woman”. I thought it would be interesting to figure out how much it would cost (good ole dollars & cents) to replace what we do everyday. Wouldn’t you know, today on Dr. Phil, he actually quoted a study about stay-at-home-moms. He stated that being a stay-at-home-mom is the equivalent of 2 full-time jobs (of course we all knew this).

I still thought it would be fun to actually look up the cost with known services that you can hire. After searching around I stumbled across Salary.com and sure enough found the chart below. I will tell you that the dollar amount did surprise me.

What is your salary?

Salary.com also figured that a 40-hour per week working mom who comes home to take care of her kids should earn the 60 hours of mom overtime in addition to her work paycheck. Boy am I underpaid! I think I need to revamp my resume.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:09 PM :: 4 comments

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A Good Night's Sleep....

Or not! SuZan asked me how I slept being my husband is out of town. In answer to her question-ha. Dogs wouldn’t go out last night before bed (11:30 p.m.). At 3:30 a.m., Oreo (little dog) starts whining, licking my face, then eventually gives a low growling bark. I told him to go back to bed because it was not yet 5:00. He just kept looking at me with those serious eyes while wagging his tail. OK, up I go to let him out. Meanwhile, Bradley (big dog) was already standing at the door. We go outside, Bradley runs off to take care of business while Oreo sits on the patio looking rather smug. I tell him “you better go do something”. So, he lifts his leg and pees on the pillar while standing on the patio. Bradley comes running back, we go inside, Bradley runs to his bed-out like a light. Oreo and I go to my bed; Oreo stretches out in James’ spot-out like a light. Sheri on the other hand tosses and turns for about an hour realizing how much she misses James’ snoring and while she hears every crack and creek in the house. Sheri fell back asleep at 4:30. She was not happy when the alarm went off at 5:00! Then, as she is walking dogs (half asleep), the sprinklers kick on. It’s dark, so she can hear them, she just can’t see them. That is until they spray her from all sides! What an interesting morning. You just have to laugh!

P.S. Don't you just love the switch from 1st person to 3rd? Blame it on sleep deprivation!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:01 AM :: 1 comments

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Great Problem Solving!

Hey ladies, this is for all of us who

have husbands and sons!

Amsterdam Toilets

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:30 AM :: 4 comments

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Tuesday, June 21, 2005 The "Man Chair" bwahahaha!!

Ladies-remember the days after you were first married and couldn't bare to be apart from your hubby for 8 hours let alone several days? I remember them well. My husband traveled extensively when we first married and usually his travels took him over seas. Our schedules were such that it was not conducive for me to travel with him, so I spent a lot of time alone. I just didn't know how I'd ever make it through the week without him.

I'll tell you what, after six years of marriage, I love him as much as I did before, but, I'm so looking forward to sitting in the "Man Chair", with the remote :-} !!! Don't get me wrong, I miss him terribly, but oh, the man chair. You see, this chair is worn to the perfect softness. It's angled so that you can see the TV without obstruction, and, as I found out today, the air conditioner vent is turned to blow directly on the chair's occupant. Why my obsession with this chair? Because I never get to sit in it! My husband seems to always be in the chair, hence the chair acquired the "man chair" title!

So far, I've only been in the man chair today for maybe....30 minutes total. You see, I had this huge list of things that I just knew I was going to get done. Yeah, right! I came in, looked at the chair, tripped over the dog, oh shit, I need to let the dogs out (husband's job). Then I ran to my bedroom, ripping my suit and heels off while sprinting to the closet to get in my comfy clothes. Woo Hoo I'm going to hit the chair. As I come out of the bedroom ready to float to the chair, there are four beady eyes staring at me. Shit again, I need to feed the dogs (again, my husband's job). As I walk through the laundry room to get the dog food, what to my wondering eyes doth appear? DIRTY LAUNDRY! OK, so I'll feed the dogs, and while their eating, I'll switch out the laundry, then.... you got it.... CHAIR TIME! Oh, that's right, the dogs need to go out again after they eat. Out they go. While I'm out there, I look at the grass that is getting dry and brown. OK, I'll turn on the sprinkler, but that's it! Got it set up, walked in, and started to get hungry. Oh great, my son was going to make breakfast for dinner. Well, that was before his friends called. It's only me. What to eat? Man, all of the good, fattening food is gone! All the food is gone for that matter (teenagers). Do I run out and get something? The sweat is forming on my brow. If I were to do that, well, that would take more time from "THE CHAIR". What to do? There's got to be something in the deep freeze. Ah, one last frozen Lean Cuisine Dinner. Not too much frost on it, should be OK. Stick it in the microwave for 5 mins, perfect amount of time to check email. Checking, checking, oh my, seems to be a problem with our podcast feed. OK, I'll shoot off an email to get that fixed. Holy heck, 89 unread emails. I'll just skim over them. Thirty minutes later, the forgotten dinner. Should taste really good now. Well, while I eat, I'll balance my check book. But, where did all of these receipts come from? Ring, ring. SuZan? Go walking? Sounds like a great idea.

I could go on, but you get the gist of it. Oh my Man Chair, when oh when will I get to be with you?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:42 PM :: 3 comments

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The Real Women Show #002 Is Live

The Podcast Network


The Real Women Show #002 (MP3 - 26.8MB - 76min)LISTEN NOW

Welcome back and thanks for listening. We had a great response to our first show! We love all of your comments plus the great ideas and suggestions for future shows.

Our second show deals with the difference between an OT (Occupational Therapist) and a PT (Physical Therapist), and how health conditions not only effect the patient, but the family. We share a fun quiz from the July, 2005 edition of Good Housekeeping-we want to find out how our listeners would react if they were in this situation. SuZan discovers Sheri’s filing system (yeah, if that’s what you want to call it)! Sheri describes her recent “well woman” exam (and yes, it tends to get a bit graphic) which brought up an interesting discussion on UTI’s and the ease of getting your doctor to write prescriptions-for ANYTHING. Sheri talks about her hobby-gardening and how it helps here “detach”. In our new Tips and Tricks feature, SuZan shares a cute way to serve ice cream at your summer time barbecue! During the intermission (read-potty break), there will be a word from The Podcast Network.

After the break, Sheri and SuZan sit down and do an in depth review the of the 1st chapter from the book “STEP-Systematic Training For Effective Parenting” by Don Dinkmeyer, Sr.; Gary D. McKay; Joyce L. McKay; and Don Dinkmeyer, Jr. Listen to the end to hear our real life examples and how they were put to the test based on what we’ve learned – and we only read the 1st chapter!

Sit back, relax, and listen. This is a long one folks-we’re still learning the art of Podcasting. There is a small section with technical difficulties. Don’t adjust your settings. Keep listening and eventually it will clear up. As always we’d like to give special thanks to James from jkOnTheRun for his technical assistance and to One Egg ticket for the fabo music.

Enjoy!

Update: Earlier our "listen here" link wasn't working. Great news - it works now! Enjoy!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:32 PM :: 2 comments

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The Teenage Vocabulary

This afternoon, my husband was complaining how “chatty” our 16 year old was with me last night. Our son was helping me haul trash out, going through things, and we were having fun (well as much fun as you can while cleaning “The Room”). My husband was right though, our son usually speaks in sentences of three words. We started naming them and this is what we came up with:

What’s for dinner?
Is there food?
I wanna eat.
Can I go.
Clean my room?
I don’t know.
But I’m hungry.
Can’t find it.
Order pizza please.
Bite me dad!

And of course we cannot forget the newest addition to his vocabulary:

Can I drive?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:50 PM :: 0 comments

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In Search of a Guest Bedroom #2

Progress

I cannot believe all of this Crap! As you can see I am making progress (to bad the dining room is filling up with junk, but you have to move it out first). I have thrown away four garbage bags full of “stuff”. You are not going to believe some of the junk I have found:

April 17 newspaper from 2004
Power Ranger wrapping paper (I think at 16 my son is over them now)
Son’s freshman football physical
Hartz 2in1 Flea & Tick Killer for dogs (we haven’t had a dog in 8 years)
Oh good God a spare headboard! (what I need that for I don’t know)
All of the boards my son broke when he was in Karate (from age 5 to 8, I think I’ll just keep the first one he broke).
All the pinewood derby cars my son and husband built (sorry…these are keepers)
A printer (that doesn’t work)
Etc…

You get the idea…sigh. As much as I hate clutter, this has been unbelievable. This room has been the catch all for everyone. It has been so easy just to shut the door…..BUT no more! Can’t wait to work on the fun stuff.



My poor dining room...sniff...sniff

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:49 PM :: 1 comments

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Monday, June 20, 2005 Busy Day?

Is this "dog" tired?

This is what I looked like after a day of cleaning out "The Room". Goodnight, I'll have an update tomorrow.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:19 PM :: 0 comments

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In Search of a Guest Bedroom #1

Yes Virginia...there is a bed under there

This is probably one of the most embarrassing situations…clutter…clutter and more clutter. I realized last night that my sister will be here in approximately two weeks. I had told her that I wanted her to visit, because it would force me to do something with this room. BTW: we affectionately call it “The Room”, sort of like a code for “black hole”. I have tried to get inspiration from the show “Clean Sweep” but when I open the door, I quickly get over that feeling.

Granted, this room is not ALL my fault. We have lived here 12 years; whenever I would tell my son to clean his room, he would move stuff over to “The Room” (it would never be seen again); and you all know when you are having people over, you do the quick pick up and stash things. Well after so many years THIS is what happens! I’ve decided that I HAVE to start this today, so it is time to roll up my sleeves, dig in, and throw out.

CHARGE!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:32 PM :: 7 comments

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The Last Day of Spring! You’ve Gotta Be Kidding Me!

They announced on our local news this morning that today is the last day of spring. If you have ever been here in the Houston area you know better. Today’s high is supposed to be 96 with humidity at 50 (wow it’s actually low today…yea!) and a heat index of “Hell”. I remember what my mother used to tell me when I would tell her I was hot and sweaty:

Horses sweat…
Men perspire…
Women glow…

Well mom; we are glowing all over the place down here!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:09 AM :: 5 comments

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Current Book - Parenting Teenagers

STEP

Parenting Teenagers: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting of Teens (STEP)by Sr. Don Dinkmeyer, Gary D. McKay, Joyce L. McKay, Don Dinkmeyer Jr.

We are currently reading Parenting Teenagers: Systematic Training for Effective Parenting of Teens. The book is designed to read one chapter a week and implement the strategies as situations arise. Be sure to listen to our Podcast #2 (coming soon) as we discuss from Chaper 1, the different parenting techniques from the book. We give real life examples of areas in our life that we’ve identified thanks to what we’ve read.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:57 AM :: 0 comments

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Sunday, June 19, 2005 To The Father Who Was Never There

As my son grows and I see the relationship that he has with his father, it directs me to reflect on the one I have with mine. This is not a warm and fuzzy post, nor one of sorrow. It is how I feel after coming to terms with the cards I was dealt, and it is OK.

To The Father Who Was Never There
The memories are few, fortunately or unfortunately uneventful. You left out of my life when I was one and except for an occasional family reunion or an attempt from my part, you have not been in my life. Please do not feel sorry for me as this is what I know to be normal, and the only thing that I have experienced. I have in the past comforted myself by believing that you cared. I wanted to believe that circumstances have made it unavoidable for you to be a father. But the truth we both know.

I can remember those few family reunions looking forward to seeing you and wanting to spend time with you, only to get lost in the sea of people that I really didn't know. In adulthood I remember the anticipation of bringing you your eight year old grandson for you to meet. Yes you were kind, and I certainly enjoyed your wife (who reminded me of my mother), but we have no connection and no history.

There are no feelings of hurt, no feelings of disappointment only feelings of what you have lost out on. I have had an interesting life and have a great and caring family. Your grandson is a good young man, with dreams and ambitions that you would be proud of. I’m sorry for you because you have missed out on so much, and my experience or lack there-of has only reinforced my belief in a strong family. I do love you…Happy Father’s Day.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:16 PM :: 2 comments

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Opps! Michelin Fubbed Up at Indianapolis!

Michael Schumacher

Today is Father’s Day, and of course we do things my husband likes to do. Even though my son is a “Sports Fanatic” (and I do mean fanatic about all sports), my husband is only passionate about racing. We sit down ready to watch the United States Grand Prix. All of a sudden, Michelin announced that they would not approve their tires for the race unless a chicane was added at one of the turns to slow the cars down onto the banked corner. They had problems with the tires during the trials and only brought back up rain tires. Now, they are looking out for the safety of the drivers, as they should. The race starts and there are only six teams racing…Uggg!

What makes me feel this was inexcusable is that this was the sixth Formula I race at Indianapolis, plenty of years to prepare for this track; they tried to muscle and threaten the Federation Internationale De L’ Automobile and bring in tires that were not approved (because it might give them an advantage). So I think it was fine for the FIA to call them on their bluff. Of course the losers in all this are the Fans, the Teams and the drivers, all of the drivers because the winners certainly don’t want to win this way.

Sham on you Michelin! I guess your giving the FIA more ammunition since they want to bring back to the rules for only one tire supplier.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:49 PM :: 0 comments

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Saturday, June 18, 2005 Happy Father's Day

For those of you who still have fathers on this earth, take the time to hug and kiss them. If that is not an option, then pick-up the phone and call them. For those of you whose fathers have passed to another place, hug yourself as a little bit of your dad lives on through you. My husband's father passed away this past Thanksgiving. He was old (87) and in a lot of pain. We know he is in a better place. That doesn't make it any easier to celebrate this first Father's Day without him. Even though I was only a part of his life for seven years, I want to share with everyone what a good loving, honest, caring, gentle man he was. He accepted me into the family and loved me as if I was his own. So this Father's Day, I not only want to wish my darling husband a Happy Father's Day, but I would also like to pay tribute to my Father-In-Law. Below is an excerpt from a letter my husband wrote to his dad after his passing. This was so beautiful that the minister read this in it's entirety during the funeral then put it in my Father-In-Law's pocket in the casket to live on forever.

Honey-I love you completely. Happy Father's Day!

"Goodbye to a great man"

"My father was one of those people who understood that to achieve greatness could only be done through maintaining strength of character in all that you do. He instilled in his children the unerring credo that you must always do the right thing. It doesn't matter if doing the right thing is difficult, or if doing the right thing is the popular thing to do. What matters is you always stay true to your convictions, and your actions must be consistent with your beliefs."

To continue reading click here...

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:30 PM :: 0 comments

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The Evolution of a Blog

Oh No!

Last night (or maybe it was early this morning…I can’t remember), as usual I was messing around with our Blog. We have been progressing slowly with learning how to post pictures, adding links, we had a counter, we could change text and color, and added a RSS feed. We had been approved for google ads for some time now, but with us both being technologically challenged, we just haven’t had the courage to “put them in”.

A BRAVE MOMENT:
So no better time than the present….here we go….hmmmmm that wasn’t so bad. Maybe I can post more stuff, you know to make it interesting. How about a calendar, weather map, clock, etc. There are tons of things out there and with a little (really a lot) of knowledge, we can really be creative and have some fun!

THEN THERE ARE THOSE TAGS!
Tags! My experience with tags is what is on an item I want to purchase or on the inside of a shirt. When looking at the “Template” all you see is nonsense! Don’t know what the words and characters mean. It sort of reminds me of the Commodore 64 days (anyone remember those). I think I was only successful back then to write a currency exchange rate (dollars to/from pesos). But you know, I’ll try anything once.

THAT HORRIBLE FEELING IN THE PIT OF YOUR GUT
Oh no! I don’t know what I’ve done but I have lost everything, and I mean EVERYTHING! All the work that we had done….POOF…..into the cyber black hole. Hmmmm, (a few choice words were uttered here) what to do, what to do? I ended up just clearing the template, of course any customizations we had done were gone…for good. Ok….maybe a little sleep and I can fix the problems.

SIGH OF RELIEF
After about three hours this morning, we are back. Some things are not working (STILL), like the link to our email (but the email is there if anyone wants to drop us a word or two). We still don’t have our RSS feed back, but we'll bug jkOnTheRun for that again (he has been such a sport with Sheri and I).

After all of this…I think I need a shower!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:18 PM :: 1 comments

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Friday, June 17, 2005 How To Feed a Cat

How To Feed a Cat

In honor of Father's Day Sunday, I wanted to share a cartoon that my Grandfather drew for me last month. Yes that's right, my grandfather. He has been drawing cartoons for as long as I can remember (and before). During WWII, he was a pilot instructor for the Navy and drew cartoons for the Newsletters where he was stationed. At 89 years young, I think he's still got it!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:37 PM :: 1 comments

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Does Your Husband Need Training?

"Most guys do, at least when it comes to flattering their wives. Quick, give him this guide…before he lands in the doghouse again." By Beth Levine

This article in the July 2005 issue of Good Housekeeping made me laugh. Yes the article was funny, but I was laughing because my husband and I have had this discussion many times. He has a very unique philosophy on communicating with women. I thought it would be funny to just ask him some of the questions from the article.

My Husbands Point of View:
You must first learn to grunt. Since every question your beautiful wife asks you is a trick question, grunting is safe and can be interpreted any way. She will continue to press you for more information, but you just state…”that’s not what I said”.

Does this dress make me look fat?
You are in trouble with whatever answer you give. If you say yes, then you had better head for the hills. If you say no, she will say “are you sure?” or “Oh your just saying that”. So you see it is a trick question.

Can we discuss something important to me?
Oh no, just grunt, trust me on this one.

Do you wish I still looked the way I did when we first met?
Silence…Stare (not even a grunt).


Gotta love him! He does try. :)

July 2005

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:47 PM :: 0 comments

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The Dreaded "Well Woman Exam" - Yuck

It's been two years since my last exam. I know, slap my hands. But, can you blame me? It's just such a pain in the ass (or there about). I woke up dreading my damn appointment. I've been dreading it all day. I don't know what I am dreading the most: missing lunch and eating pretzels at my desk? I mean, I can't possible justify going to lunch AND leaving early for the doctor all in one day; Am I dreading the freaking 2 hour wait before I even get back to the exam room; Am I dreading sitting naked on the stupid table for probably an hour reading their stupid expired magazines; Am I dreading the uncomfortable exam with those salad tong looking things? You'd think they'd come up with some other method for checking things out. Maybe they should call this the biatch exam because that's exactly what kind of mood I'm in.

Sorry honey, this is going to be a be no night..... be no fun at our house!

UPDATE!! I was lucky enough to be the last appointment. No waiting as they wanted to get out of there as much as I did! The exam wasn't too pleasant, but she was more than happy to refill ALL of my prescriptions. Anything to get me out of there!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 1:13 PM :: 2 comments

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The World of Podcasting

On Tuesday, SuZan and I posted our first podcast. I realized then that a lot of people may not know about podcasting and the preface behind it. I have to admit, if I wasn't married to a techno-geek (it's OK to call him that as he is a self-proclaimed geek), I wouldn't have known about podcasting.

Podcasting is a lot like blogging. Most people who blog use blogging as a tool to express their personal feelings and desires. Its a mode of communication that enables each blogger to communicate with and reach people they otherwise wouldn't. For the most part, it's an uncensored platform allowing each person to share and promote exactly would they would like to.

SuZan and I worked in conjunction with The Podcast Network to create our first podcast. Check out their site to get a more in depth understanding of podcasting. While your there, take some time to check out some of the other fantastic shows! Here is a brief explanation on podcasting from their site:

"What is a Podcast?The short story...its exciting and relevant audio content, that is easy to get and that you can listen to anytime and anywhere. For the full story, and easy directions on how to download our wide variety of shows, click here for our easy guide to podcatching"

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:10 PM :: 1 comments

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Thursday, June 16, 2005 A Little Attention Please...

"I want attention!"

This is the obstical I have to overcome

when I work on the computer.

If I move her, she will only jump back up and "plop" again.

Do you think she wants my attention?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:06 PM :: 2 comments

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Kids and Summertime-The Perils of Kids With Working Parents

If I hear "I'm bored" one more time, I may just lose what little gray matter remains in my head!

My kids have now been out of school for three weeks. My oldest is in summer school (he, he) and, all of his friends are now driving. So, he seems to keep himself occupied. He will be even more occupied when he finds himself a job (double he, he).

On the other hand, my daughter who is about to turn 15 is in a different boat. Her two best friends (they were sisters) moved to California last week. Up until that time I rarely saw her. Now that they're gone, she's completely bored! When I was growing up, I lived in a small town and most of the kids I went to school with were within walking or bike riding distance. Unfortunately, that's not the case for my daughter. Her friends don't live in our neighborhood. None of her friends are driving yet, so that's not an option. I work, so I can't take her places. That pretty much leaves sleeping, the computer and TV. She has a room full of crafts, books, sewing stuff, etc. As I run through the list of suggestions, she gives me the same response each time "that's boring". I asked her what she would like to do that wouldn't be boring. Guess what, each item required either transportation or money.

My youngest son is completely opposite. Give him his Playstation II, his games and TV, maybe some food, and he's good to go. My daughter asks him to go and do stuff with her, but he is of the variety that is very content to stay inside where it's cool.

When the weekend rolls around, they are all looking at me for transportation and entertainment. We all know that, as a working mother, weekends are the only time that I have to try to clean, pay bills, work in the yard, go to the grocery store, etc., etc. Again, they face disappointment.

What did we do when we were teenagers during summer break? Did we count on our parents for entertainment? Are our kids so spoiled that, what we would have considered to be cool is now mundane?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:37 PM :: 2 comments

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Wednesday, June 15, 2005 Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #7

Bloggin through the PDA...well not yet!

This post has taken longer than I would have liked but, I agreed to work this week at one of our local hospitals (and I forgot just how fast paced it was...and how whooped I’d be!) and I wanted to make sure that I posted from the Axim, in my living room. Well folks…that didn’t happen. I haven't been able to download the "pocket blogger" that Kevin from Kct's digital world recomended, after all this is a work in progress. BUT as you can see, I can now use it in landscape. Thanks jkOnTheRun!

Next week when I’m not working, I’m going to download the Textmaster software to see if it fixes my template problems. This program was recommended by Janine. Her blog site is called “Baseline” at http://baseline.blog-city.com/. You have to go and check out her “Problem Solving Flowsheet”. I printed it out and my husband took to work to see how effective it was with his problem solving! :)

Thanks again for all of your suggestions. Until next time!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:16 PM :: 3 comments

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Amazingly Simple Home Remedies

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto, the blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Ms. about lifting the toilet seat by simply using the sink. (I think my boys have tried this!)

4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Smash your thumb with a hammer and you will forget about the toothache.

8. You only need two tools in life: WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the
WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

EXTRA TIPS:

* Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

* Never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.

* If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You get another chance.

* And finally, be really nice to your family and friends; you never know when you might need them to empty your bedpan.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:23 AM :: 1 comments

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Tuesday, June 14, 2005 It's Here and It's Live!! Our First Podcast!!

The Real Women Show


The Real Women Show #001 :: MP3 - 7.7MB - 22min 09sec

We are so excited to have completed our first podcast. This first show is an introduction to us as we describe our goal with this podcast. We talk about “Shooting the Bastard” who created the Super Mom/ Super Woman image as well as identifying who the “Bastard” really is. We also introduce plans and ideas for future podcasts. Sit back, get a cup of coffee or your beverage, maybe a candy bar on the side and take some time out for yourself. Enjoy!

P.S. We'd like to give a very special thanks to James Kendrick from jkOnTheRun. Without him, this project would never have come to fruition. Thanks Honey!

P.P.S. Special thanks to One Egg Ticket for the awesome music!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:10 PM :: 3 comments

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Advice from the Gardner with a Black Thumb!

Most everyone who knows me is laughing at the fact that

I'm posting gardening advice!

The most successful thing I've grown so far has been, hmmm, WEEDS!

This year, I was determined to put some color in our beds. Here are a few tips that I have used to decide what, where, how & when to plant.

1) Be realistic. How much time, effort and money do you really want to devote to this?

2) Plant according to conditions. My back yard gets the morning sun and my front yard gets the HOT, direct, afternoon sun.

3) Instead of planting in the ground, try planting in decorative pots. They take up more room and add a little umph. Also, if a plant or group of flowers doesn't do well in the pots, you can get rid of them and replace easily. You don't have to worry about bare spots in your bed.

4) Decide if you want to add color using plants, flowers, or a combination.

Here is a list of what I have growing (yes, they're still alive). I guarantee you that all of these plants require little effort and attention:

Begonias - Dark leaves/dark flowers for hot & sunny areas; light leaves/light flowers for less sunny & cooler areas.

Geraniums-My geraniums actually bloomed all year! They even bloomed during our brief (2 minute) snow storm! All I do is snap of the bloom all the way at the stem when it dies.

Caladiums-An easy maintenance, hearty plant that comes in a variety of shapes and colors.

Kalanchoe-My Mother-In-Law gave one of these plants for Mother's Day-and it's still alive! I only remember to water it about once a week.

Petunias-they only lasted through spring. I've never been successful keeping them through the summer. But, they are beautiful and slightly fragrant when their blooming.

For all of you black-thumbed gals, I hope this information helps. If I can keep these plants alive, anyone can!

Happy Planting!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:52 PM :: 0 comments

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Monday, June 13, 2005 Michael Jackson-Guilty or Innocent

I have to jump on the Michael Jackson issue then put it to rest. I'm not sure, but based on the history of the plaintiff (the boy and his parents) I was not fully convinced of all charges. Then again, we weren't privy to ALL of the testimony shared over the last 14 weeks.

What makes me angry is the child's parents. How could they have let the child spend all of that time alone with someone who has a questionable past, up to an including paying a settlement to another family for similar accusations? To me that is neglect on the parents part and, if something did happen to this child, the parents should be held responsible. That's just my opinion. Honestly, would you let your child go - ALONE? Argh!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:06 PM :: 2 comments

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Sunday, June 12, 2005 Custody battle over young cancer patient takes another turn

After hearing this report on our local news then reading it on their web page, I thought it would be interesting to hear what other parents thought about this situation. I'm sure this story doesn't contain all of the information as it seems to be very one sided, but my concern is, as a parent, do we really have control over what kind of health care our children should receive?

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:03 PM :: 0 comments

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Schick Intuition Works Pretty Darn Good

Schick Intuition

Since my husband is always complaining when I use his razor, I decided to go ahead and try the new Schick Intuition with the all-in-one cartridge. Schick advertises that there is no need for shave gel, soap or body wash to use while shaving.

Of course before I used the product I was concerned about it ripping off my skin, but I have to say that I was pleased with the product. My skin is still intact and no lacerations to report. I would even say it was a time saver (and you know we have to grab those when we can). So my husband will now be happy that I will leave his razor alone, I just hope he doesn’t discover mine and “try it out"!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:07 PM :: 0 comments

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A Day With My Daughter

What a fabo Sunday afternoon. My boys were gone so I had the unusual opportunity to have some one on one time with my daughter. I cleaned out my husband's wallet (thanks honey) and took my daughter to the movies. We saw "The Longest Yard". I didn't realize that this was a remake and really didn't know what the outcome would be. I'm a huge Adam Sandler fan, so I figured I'd enjoy the movie regardless. I'm happy to say, this was a great movie. Afterwards we had a slice of greasy New York Pizza (yum) and finished the afternoon with a Jamba Juice. I chose the Peanut Butter Moo'd. It was AWESOME.

Well, now it's back to reality!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:11 PM :: 0 comments

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Good Job Rookie!

Patrick

Even though Thomas Scheckter won the Bombardier Learjet 500K at Texas Motor Speedway, I had to keep an eye on our girl Danica Patrick. She finished a respectable 13th, and gained more experience. During her interview, she summed it up just right when the interviewer stated that she didn’t seem disappointed:

DANICA PATRICK: I don't sound disappointed? Yeah, I'm disappointed. Of course, I am. But I'm also not -- you know, I'm not an idiot. I know it takes time to learn things. That's why I got three shiny yellow lines on my car. You know, sometimes it doesn't appear like I do, and other times it does. It's going to show again this year, I promise.

You can read the full interview at indycar.com. She did great and drove smart! Sometimes it is best to learn first, gain experience and then "go for the gusto".

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:24 PM :: 0 comments

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Disappointed with the Grapples

hybrid?....NOT

Of course this is a classic example of “buyer beware”. I was in the grocery store and saw the Grapples. They caught my attention so I had to check it out. I thought they were a hybrid between a grape and an apple. They looked like an apple, but the smell was of grapes. Even though I’m not one to try hybrids (something about those altered chicken ads keep popping in my head…lol), I thought I would give them a try.

At home I my son tried one first, he stated they tasted like apples. I tried one and also, it tasted like an apple with grape juice. So now I decide to read the fine print: Ingredients-Fuji apples and artificial grape flavor. Not even grape juice, it is grape flavoring. They tasted fine but for the price, no way. If I want grapples I’ll soak my own!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:19 PM :: 0 comments

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Saturday, June 11, 2005 The New Me!

Schroeder

Now that I can surf the internet with the Axim and am able to use the keyboard, this is what my husband says I look like!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:54 PM :: 0 comments

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Easy Recipe-Chicken Pot Pie

I said that this recipe is easy, NOT healthy or low fat. But, it's good and my kids love it. Especailly on a cold day. There are a few shortcuts that I take since I work full time. This is my version.

2 Packages- Louis Rich Fully Cooked Grilled Chicken Breast Strips
1 Jar - Chicken Flavored Gravy (You can use 2 if you like it saucy)
1 Pkg (2 shells total)- 9 in. Deep Dish Pie Shells (thawed)
1 Cup - Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Shredded

Cut chicken strips into smaller pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes). Dump into a bowl. Dump gravy on top. Stir. Stick in microwave for about 2 minutes just to warm. Dump warmed mixture into one of the pie shells. Take second shell. Dump cheese into it and squeeze cheese and shell together to make a cheese dough so to speak. Crumble this dough on top of the chicken mixture to cover top. Bake at 400 for 20 - 30 mins. until browned and shell and crumble topping no longer seems doughy. Let sit 5 minutes then serve.

I serve with mashed potatoes or noodles and steamed mixed veggies. In the past, I have taken a small package of frozen mixed veggies and dumped them into the bowl with gravy chicken mixture. However, I stand a better chance of the kids eating the veggies if they are on the side.

Ugh, my mother most be rolling over in her grave at my culinary skills and verbiage.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:45 PM :: 0 comments

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10 Reason Why I Do Yard Work

Simple.....

1) There aren't short people running behind me undoing everything I just did.

2) The short people (and tall people as well) leave me alone and stay inside where it's cool lest they be forced into helping should they come out.

3) I nurture it and it rewards me with no back talking.

4) My yard won't expect a car and driving privileges - EVER!

5) My yard won't eat everything in my refrigerator.

6) My yard doesn't care if I look fat in my outfit.

7) My work doesn't have to be perfect. Not every leaf or blade of grass needs to be perfect in order for the product to be considered a masterpiece.

8) I don't have to go to the gym on yard work day. What a great ass workout when pushing the lawn mower up the hill.

9) In no way would my husband or family have the nerve to ask "what's for dinner". After all, I did have to work in the hot sun all day :-)

10) And the best part about doing yard work......finishing it! Then a cool shower, a tall glass of my favorite beverage (usually of the adult variety), and a sit on the swing to watch the birds, squirrels and other creatures come about to check out the finished product. It's almost as if they are saying "thank you" as they run around. The birds tend to be very "chirpy", almost as if their telling their friends "hey, come check out this yard".

If I wasn't so technically challenged, I'd post pictures!

Enjoy your weekend!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:23 PM :: 0 comments

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Spiderweb

I was working in the yard and came up with an analogy that I thought I'd share. As I was blowing all the dirt out of the garage I came across this mass of spider webs. Here I am blowing, & blowing, & BLOWING with the leaf blower, and they just wouldn't come down. Here's the analogy, we (families) need to be like spiderwebs and stick together no matter how hard the winds of life are blowing on us!

Enjoy!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:45 PM :: 0 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #6

It Works!

Oh boy! It works! I now have the keyboard and the Axim working with each other. WOW! This is truly cool. The keyboard is a Stowaway Infrared Portable Keyboard by Think Outside and it works like a charm. Furthermore the keypad is very comfortable to use. I still need to learn all the function keys but so far, so good! I actually downloaded the driver from their site and it went straight to the Axim. This was a big deal for me, remember I'm technologically challenged.

So far I have been able to load some favorite pictures, and of course play the games (which my husband has also been playing). I’ve been able to load a couple of templates; the first is the mileage reimbursement form we use and this turned out great on the Axim. I’m having some trouble with another template we use at work that was created in Word. This may still take some work as the transfer is not very usable right now (I guess even computers loose something in translation).

Maybe the next Geek-Wanna-Be entry I can create on the Axim….hmmm a challenge.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 12:29 PM :: 4 comments

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You Know You're Living in 2005 When...

2005

1. You accidentally enter your password on the microwave.

2. You haven't played solitaire with real cards in years.

3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of three.

4. You email the person who works at the desk next to you.

5. Your reason for not staying in touch with friends and family is that they don't have e-mail addresses.

6. You go home after a long day at work you still answer the phone in a business manner.

7. You make phone calls from home, you accidentally dial "9" to get an outside line.

8. You've sat at the same desk for four years and worked for three different companies.

10. You learn about your redundancy on the 11 o'clock news.

11. Your boss doesn't have the ability to do your job.

12. You pull up in your own driveway and use your mobile phone to see if anyone is home.

13. Every commercial on television has a website at the bottom of the screen.

14. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn't have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

15. You get up in the morning and go online before getting your coffee.

16. You start tilting your head sideways to smile. :)

17. You're reading this and nodding and laughing.

18. Even worse, you know exactly to whom you are going to forward this message.

19. You are too busy to notice there was no #9 on this list.

20. You actually scrolled back up to check that there wasn't a #9 on this list.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:43 AM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 10, 2005 No one told me......

that my pee would be this awful bright orange-yellow color after taking Uristat (recommended by the pharmacist)!!!! Sure, it was listed on the little pamphlet as a side affect. But shit, if I read the warnings, I'd have every freakin symptom listed. Talk about freaky! What the hell is it doing to my insides! (If you're completely lost, read the post below).

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:41 PM :: 0 comments

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Slow Day

Sorry about the slow post day today. SuZan had to work. I got to take the day off to spend with my kids (youngest son's birthday). Needless to say, we've been going non-stop since his feet hit the floor. Had to go to the bank to cash his checks, then off to the mall!

Question for all of you ladies. Prepare, this is very personal and graphic (and pretty gross). When I pee, it feels like my insides are trying to come out through one very small opening. Pain is pretty constant also involving lower back. Is this a UTI and can I treat with OTC's? I'm so hoping this isn't going to involve a trip to the doc!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:48 PM :: 1 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #5

Yea success!

I’m synced! I’m synced!......Yea! That was crazy. The Activesync Tutorial from aximsite.com WORKED! You see when you are technologically challenged; setting up any type of electronics is very frustrating. But now My Axim and computer are communicating and they are even getting along with Outlook. My email on the other hand is not playing well with the others. Don’t know what I’m going to do about that.

Darn it! Wouldn’t you know, after I finally got synced, I did something to mess it all up. I have no idea what I did but all of a sudden my Axim and computer where not on speaking terms. jkOnTheRun to the rescue with a soft reset!

Problem solved. I’m so glad I have the summer to learn how to work this thing! Hopefully next post I can say I’ve learned something.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 4:22 PM :: 0 comments

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Ah, Chocolate

And who was it that said chocolate couldn't cure what ales ya? My daughter is much better today ( See post below)! Whew!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:12 AM :: 3 comments

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Thursday, June 09, 2005 I Sooooo Need A Drink.....

To deal with my daughter's PMS!!!! Ugh!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:02 PM :: 1 comments

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You Never Know When You’ll Touch a Life!

What started out being just another trip to the dastardly grocery store, turned out to be a memorable experience. Even though I work in the school system (2 years now), the majority of my experience has been working in Inpatient Rehab (orthopedic and neurological).

While at the checkout, the gentleman bagging my groceries (who was about my age) did not have the use of his right arm. While we were walking out, I asked him if he had had a stroke and he stated yes. He said that he had the stroke about a year and a half ago.

He told me about his family, we talked in length about the rehabilitation he had received, the different modalities available, precautionary measures he should take to protect his arm, and how the simplist things have changed. We probably talked for at least a half an hour.

Afterwards, he told me how much he appreciated our conversation, that it was wonderful to talk to someone who understood what he was going though and that I didn’t look at him with pity. When I tried to give him a tip for his help with my groceries, he refused the money and extended his hand out for a handshake. Eventhough he wouldn't take my tip, he doesn’t realize the tip he gave me!

If you are unfamiliar with strokes, please take the time to visit the links listed below. You never know how much the knowledge can help a life.

American Stroke Association

National Stroke Association

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

SAFE Stroke Awareness for Everyone

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 1:19 PM :: 1 comments

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Summer School - He, He, He

A Mother's Revenge!

My son couldn't manage to pass Geometry during the regular school year, hence he is in summer school which started today. I don't think he quite realized the impact this would have on his life. Curfew is now 10:00 instead of midnight. He has to wake up at 6:45 a.m. instead of 12:00 noon. He has to be dropped off at 7:15 even though school doesn't start until 8:00 (I'm not going to inconvenience MY schedule because he couldn't pass). The clincher, he may be walking 5 miles home because afternoon transportation isn't available and I work about 45 mins. away from school!

Some lessons are better learned the hard way!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:37 AM :: 3 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #4

What do I think about my new Dell Axim? Well, I’m lovin it so far. I can tell you that I am now superbly proficient in Solitaire and Jawbreaker and am on the verge of carpel tunnel syndrome in my right wrist because of it.

Ok, back to reality. After I run a few errands today, I will try and figure out some of my ActiveSync problems and learn something productive on the thing.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:37 AM :: 0 comments

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Wednesday, June 08, 2005 Loading the Cannon.....

Boom!!

We made our first milestone - 1000 hits!

Woot! Woot!

Thanks everyone!

Hope ya'll keep comin back for more!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:58 PM :: 3 comments

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Confessions of a Hair Care Product Snob

Maybe reformed snob would be a better choice of words. My hairdresser had me completely convinced that my hair would, I don't know, turn green, fall out, or something dreadful if I didn't use expensive shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, etc. That was all well and good-when I could afford it! Do to life circumstances, we're watching every penny we spend. I couldn't justify spending $10-$15 on shampoo (that's shampoo only!). Recently a couple magazines did some comparisons of different products. Pantene ProV Expressions made their list with impressive results. Wouldn't you know it, as I was walking down the hair care isle at my favorite store, I saw the shampoo on sale - 2/$10 - mix or match shampoo and conditioner. I tried the one for blonds. I love it. My hair is easy to control. The color still looks great. The smell is clean, not over powering. I'm very satisfied! Who'd a thunk it!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:16 PM :: 0 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #3

So Sad...lonley PDA

OK….crisis over….had to call Road Runner to get my email working again…whew…talk about your communication being cut off…well (that will need to be another post). I did have to set is up in Outlook Express and not in Microsoft Outlook, I’ll have to tackle that one later.

Back to the Axim. It’s charged! It’s working, but still not synced, but it is working. I decided to check out the Axim site that Crowes recommended, to see if I could fix my problem. They have an ActiveSync Tutorial so maybe I’ll be on my way. Being the visual person I am, I went ahead and printed out the tutorial. BTW….I didn’t realize that I was printing out a Thesis!

I thought it would be time to see about the wireless keyboard that jkOnTheRun (notice …no spaces) gave me. While I am viciously digging in the junk drawer for batteries, his words are ringing through my ears “replace the batteries”…….sigh……..you know it is always something!

So now I am back to needing to get away from all of this. I need to go to the store and buy batteries and printer paper (lol….you just have to laugh at yourself).

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:58 PM :: 3 comments

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Our Babies Grow Up Before Our Eyes

My youngest son is going to turn 12 on Friday. I can't believe it. One more year before he's officially a teenager. I guess since I have always known that he would be my last, his growing and maturation process sometimes catches me by surprise. As my oldest has gone through each step of the maturation process, its been kind of exciting. I think because I was experiencing the unexpected. When my daughter (middle child) just 18 mos. later went through the process, it was expected. But, as the youngest reaches each stage, it sometimes sneaks up and slaps me in the face. When he stopped nursing at 9 mos., I cried. When he got on that big yellow school bus to go to kindergarten, I followed the bus! I new he would be OK as I already had a 3rd and 4th grader at that school and new ALL the teachers. But that didn't make it any easier. I had butterflies as he got on the bus to start middle school. Yesterday I went up to his room and found that he had taken down almost all of the "special" projects we made for school over the years. Projects like the "All About Me" poster that we did in 3rd grade, his "Student Star of The Week" poster in fourth grade, his space project, his awards for honor roll and good citizenship, and a few other special things were gone-stuffed under his dresser! It took me a minute to figure out why he had taken them down, then it hit me, he had his friend stay over. I guess that stuff isn't cool. Again, it's not like I haven't already gone through this with the other two, but it really got me that my baby is growing up. He doesn't want his Sponge Bob comforter sets on his bunk beds anymore! Guess I'll be off to the store to find "cool" bedding.

Be ready ladies, whether we want to admit it or not, our babies grow up!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:13 PM :: 0 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #2

Oh No!

Well Folks…I think I jumped the gun! I thought I would get ahead of myself and install the Windows Mobile, Outlook, and ActiveSync. Uggggggggg I needed the unit fully charged to do this so I had to stop. Now my email doesn’t work! Sigh….I’ve got to figure this out….I’ll keep you posted.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:29 AM :: 0 comments

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Cell Phones-The Electronic Leash for Our Kids - Or Are They?

Two of my three kids have cell phones (my youngest is next on the list). I have them check in with me while they're out with their friends. Last Saturday, my oldest called and said he was at one friend's house but would be staying overnight at another friends house. I reminded him about his midnight curfew and to call me when he was at friend #2's house. At midnight he calls, from his cell phone. I hear mysterious noises that sound strangely like a party. It occurs to me that he could be calling from ANYWHERE. Out of the blue I said "OK, hon, hang up and call me from friend #2's house so I have the number on caller ID should an emergency come up." Silence on the other end. "Hello" I say. "Um, I'm not really there yet," my son says. I say "then where are you?" "I'm still at friend #1's house," he confesses. I say "I'll be there in five minutes to pick you up, you lied to me." He says "I just didn't want you to worry." I say, "honey, I'll always worry!"

Doesn't look like a cell phone is a fool proof way to keep up with our kids!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:48 AM :: 1 comments

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Dell Axim and the Geek-Wanna-Be #1

It's Here! Yea!

It’s here, It’s here! My new Dell Axim X50v has arrived! I had decided that all of the paper I was dealing with at work was simply ridiculous, so I set out to find a PDA that would meet my needs and fit in my purse, hence eliminating all of the notebooks I had been carrying around.

After looking at several models, talking to several sales clerks (that really didn’t have much input to my delima), I finally went to talk to JKOnTheRun. He recommended, for what I needed, the Dell Axim X50v, and since JK’s word is golden….that’s what I went with.

So here we go….Open the box….get out all the goodies…make sure that everything is there….yippie!....hmmmmmm instructions (yuck)…cradle-check….cords-check….unit-check…yep…its all here. I want to do this right so I guess I’ll have to read the directions.

Oh Crap! The unit has to charge for 8 hours before I can do anything. Sigh, stay tuned for a follow up.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:07 AM :: 7 comments

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I Declare Today "No Stinken Thinken Day"

Because my son asked me why I'm always so grumpy, I decided to challenge myself and set aside a day to look at the bright side of things. You may think this is stupid, but I guarantee, after you try it, you'll be in a much better mood. I'd love to hear how everyone changed their "stinken thinken" upside down. Here's where I am so far today:

Stinken Thinken: The alarm went of at 5:00 a.m. and the dog reminded me that I'm supposed to walk.
Positive Thinken: The alarm went off and first, I was alive, second I have two legs and am able to walk. Added extra, I have a dog that loves me no matter what.

Stinken Thinken: Ugh, I have to switch out the laundry and then have to put it away.
Positive Thinken: I have clothes to wear, and a washer and dryer to use.

Stinken Thinken: Houston traffic at rush hour (need I say more)
Positive Thinken: I have a car to drive and a job to go to.

Stinken Thinken: I got stuck behind a funeral procession and was late for work
Positive Thinken: I wasn't the one in the hearse!

Enjoy the day!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:42 AM :: 1 comments

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Tuesday, June 07, 2005 We Need to LISTEN to Our Children (Remember-they pick your nursing home)

A lot of my posts regarding children deal with teenagers as my house is CRAWLING with them. This post, however, is for parents who have kids at ANY age (even grown-up ones). This post is for moms and dads, grandmothers & grandpas, aunts & uncles.

I'd like to start by sharing with parents of toddlers, it's never to early to start listening to your kids. I'm not talking about "hearing" what they are saying, I'm talking about "listening" to what they are saying. You may not think that there is a big difference between the two, but oh, yes there is. One thing that I've learned, once your kids are teenagers, you can't suddenly say "talk to me". That environment needs to be established way before puberty.

My daughter, as I mentioned in previous posts, is about to turn 15. She is a very intelligent young lady who is not afraid to tell me (or anyone for that matter) how she REALLY feels. One day she was talking about something that happened in school concerning a confrontation between her and a teacher. My daughter is NOT a trouble maker and got all E's for conduct grades. Anyway, she was going on and on about what happened and I was "hearing" what she was saying. Then she said something to the effect of "I just wanted to tell that teacher to shut up and sit down because she is just so stupid!" Stop the presses. I then played the roll of mother and said something like "you shouldn't talk that way about your teachers and I hope you didn't show her disrespect!". At this point she said "see mom, you didn't even LISTEN to me, all you're worried about it how I reacted, not what happened. I'm never going to tell you anything again!" You may be thinking that she was rude to me, but, after getting over the initial denial of what she accused me of, I started to think about what she said. You know something, she was right in a way. I was listening to her, but, at that moment, that's all she wanted me to do was listen, NOT lecture. I know that there are occasions when I've come home from work and just needed to vent. I didn't want my husband telling me I should or shouldn't have done something. I usually just want someone to listen to me and maybe give me a hug. That's what she needed. After the listening was done, at a more appropriate, less emotional time I could have shared my reminder about respect.

After our cooling off period she came to me and told me that she felt like, because of my comments, that I was on the teacher's side and not caring what she was trying to tell me. Regardless of what I thought, that's what SHE felt. So, the next time something happened, this time with her dad (that would be my ex who is an ex for a reason), I tried LISTENING. I didn't say a word. I looked at her in the eyes as she was talking, I nodded my head when appropriate, not in agreement, but more in acknowledgement, then gave her a big hug and wiped her tears when she was done. Afterwards she said to me "thanks for listening mom, I knew you'd understand". I don't think she realized that I hadn't even said a word! That day is very special to me because I think we bridged that small gap in our relationship and I might have reassured her that, no matter what, I'm always here for her!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:45 PM :: 5 comments

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When Your Hairdresser Goes on Vacation!

You know what happens; you try to squeak another week out before you get your hair done. Then you make the call and YOUR HAIRDRESSER HAS GONE ON VACATION!.. Nooooooooooooo…Uggggggggggggg…CRAP! OK; just gonna have to deal with it!

This was my reaction last week when I made that call. After a couple of days of trying different parts in my hair (you know…to cover up the roots as best you can); tease the bangs up since they now go down to my chin (can’t go without the bangs you see there is just too much grey to part and go); not to mention that there is no way to tame the “lion’s mane” affect going on here. So I finally just pulled it back and wore it up for a week (and everyone just thought I was getting in the swing of summer; yeah right).

I wondered why I just didn’t feel right and I have concluded that finding the right hairdresser is just as hard as finding the right doctor. I know personally I would change doctors before I would give up my hairdresser. But I lived through it (silly me), disaster averted, and the hair is back in place!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 3:53 PM :: 0 comments

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Are Your Tired of Being the Car?

Sometimes You Are the Bird

Sometimes You Are the Car!

Mama said there would be days like this!

Found this on a fellow blogger's site....very funny: http://stemily.blogspot.com/

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:53 AM :: 6 comments

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20 Year High School Reunion

It's time for my high school graduating class to start planning our 20 year reunion. I got out my old year books and was paging through them when my kids came in. What fun they had tormenting me about my "big hair" and "too much eye make-up". We started talking about high school and trends in my day comparing to high school in today's age. I thought it would be fun to see what people remember about their high school days, hence this post.

Here's what I remember: Billy Idol, the B-52's, Aqua-net Hair Spray, too much make up, spiral perms, two tone jeans, v-neck sweaters (worn backwards of course), MC Hammer pants, guys wearing make-up, big earings, pink lipstick.......

Feel free to add your memoris. I bet you can tell, I'm a product of the 80's.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:46 AM :: 4 comments

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Charles M. Schulz for Parent Counselor!

When dealing with my teenager, I have concluded that Charles Schulz had an immeasurable amount of knowledge about our kids. You know what I mean, you talk to them until you are blue in the face and turn around and it seems it was just wasted spit! Reflecting back to all of those times, I’m looking at it through Charles Schulz’s eyes and everything makes more sense.

What we say: You really need to clean your room. I fear that it has become a health hazard.
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What we say: Grades are important; you are setting yourself up for college.
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What we say: Get outside and mow the lawn, the grass now cover’s my ankles.
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What we say: Don’t stand there at the refrigerator with the door open like that; you don’t pay the electric bill.
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What we say: Get out of your room; go outside, you could use some vitamin D.
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

What we say: Take out the garbage….NOW!
What they hear: Blah, blah, blah, blah.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:39 AM :: 1 comments

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Darn Dogs

Oh how I wanted to sleep in today. After all, don't I deserve it? I walked yesterday morning, went to the gym in the evening, cleaned the bathrooms, etc., etc. The alarm went off and I thought "I'll just snooze the alarm for a few more times". The dogs however didn't seem to understand my thought pattern as, after pressing the snooze button, I felt a cold, wet nose on my face and felt a tail wagging on my arm. I tried to appease little dog by petting him and even put him under the covers. Didn't work. The big dog then wakes up and starts nosing me. Ok, Ok, I think "I'll brush my teeth and wash my face, then go sit on the couch with my coffee as it's not quite 5:30 so I have a little bit of time to work with. Then, just maybe, the dogs will forget that they wanted to walk". Nope, didn't work. They followed me to the bathroom, then to the closet while I threw on some close, then to the sink to brush my teeth. All the while little dog is running between my legs just to make sure I didn't forget about him. I get my coffee, turn on the news, and hear wonderful news, it was raining in some part of Houston. Excitement starts to creep in as both dogs are snobs and feel they are too good to get wet. Unfortunately for me, Houston is a big city and I don't live in the "part of Houston" that was getting the rain. As if on queue, the clock strikes 5:30 and the two dogs are looking at me. I get my shoes on, but still, in the back of my mind I'm thinking "OK, we're going to make this a short walk, and we're NOT going to walk fast". I should have known, the dogs had other plans. To make a long story short (you're right, too late for that), I walked the usual mile in 30 mins. and was glad I did when I got home.

After we got home, I jumped in the shower. When I got out, two dogs (one on my bed) were SOUND ASLEEP! Grrrr!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:48 AM :: 0 comments

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Monday, June 06, 2005 Monday's-Ugh!

What a difference between last Monday (a holiday) and this Monday - NOT a holiday. I had last Monday off, and, if you read earlier posts, you'll see that I did absolutely NOTHING! Today, since I had to work I, walked the dogs from 5:30 a.m. - 6:00; showered and dressed, started the roast for dinner, filled my car with gas, worked from 8:00-5:00; stopped at the gym from 5:30-6:15; came home and added the finishing touches to dinner (yes, opening a can a sweet potatoes and cooking frozen spinach does count); sorted the laundry, washed two loads, dried one; and cleaned the two bathrooms upstairs, one of which is the one my boys share (and just how they can be so disgusting in beyond me!). Needless to say, I am now ready for the decontamination unit (better known as the bathtub). I'm sure I'm not alone in my hectic day, so, why as women do we feel guilty when we do nothing! Shame on us!

Signing off until all germs are DEAD!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:23 PM :: 4 comments

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Cool Web Page About Women & Weight Loss

I stumbled onto this site and found it to be pretty cool, informative, and most importantly, down to earth. What originally made me check out the site was the name - 3Fat Chicks!

Enjoy!
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:01 AM :: 0 comments

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Top Feline...........Still.

The Family Pets

My son and his friend came in from running around outside with a box. Inside the box was a cute, adorable, little black kitten. She couldn’t have been more than 5 weeks old. They stated that they found the kitten in the bayou, behind our subdivision. She was in a cardboard box with a few morsels of cat food and cat poop. Our cat Mercedes was very curious about this little fur ball, that is until the little fur ball tried to nurse her.

This situation has made me furious! The temperatures here are now in the mid 90’s (hot and humid); and as far as the food that was left for this kitten, I don’t think she is even eating cat food yet (and she had no water). There are so many places that you can drop off an animal if it is unwanted, the SPCA; Special Pals; and Citizens for Animal Protection come to mind; why would anyone leave her out in the heat to die!

Anyway, we did find the kitten a home, if we hadn’t’ I guess we would have had another member of the family but for now Mercedes is still “Top Feline”

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:44 AM :: 2 comments

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Its All "Relativity"

I made a funny observation this weekend. My husband and I can't work together when it comes to technical issues. He gets frustrated, I get frustrated, I usually get hurt feelings, and nothing gets accomplished. I maintain our computers at the office and work with an IT specialists that we subcontract. A lot of my needs are taken care of over the phone as we work through different problems. I thought myself to be a total computertard, but this person assures me that I know more than the average "Jane". Of course, I do cut the checks :-) ! But, I must be doing something right as my intolerant boss would have fired me by now if I wasn't. So, for the sake of our sanity, I think it's safe to say, Honey-you're off the hook. I promise not to ask you for technical support!

Your office computertard,
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:20 AM :: 2 comments

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Sunday, June 05, 2005 Splenda-Is It All That?

A few years back, we found out that my husband is a diabetic. We have had to make a lot of changes in our eating habits and diets in order to try and control his diabetes. He completely understood the importance of changing his eating habits, but, the one thing he was the most concerned about was what he would use to sweeten his coffee. My husband used to drink 6 - 8 cups of coffee a day with two teaspoons of sugar in each cup! Obviously this wasn't going to work considering the circumstances. We tried Sweet N' Low, Sugar Twin, and just about anything else that was on the market. You coffee lovers will understand that, once you're used to your coffee tasting a certain way, its hard to find an alternative that satisfies the pallet. About this time Splenda was introduced. We asked his doctor about using Splenda. She said Splenda would be a great choice. So we tried it originally in coffee, then in a few recipes, and now it would not be uncommon for us to be out of regular sugar and have several bags of Splenda in the cabinet!

More and more companies are using Splenda in their products, Diet Coke being the most recently advertised. This made me wonder if these same companies are using Splenda because they are really concerned about our health and well being, or if they are jumping on the marketing band wagon taking advantage of Splenda's popularity. I remember this same thing happening when Equal was introduced. Everyone including McDonald's was using Equal as a marketing tool. Low and behold, after a few good years, research revealed that Equal (or NutraSweet) may not be as good for us as originally thought. Out of curiosity, I have done a little research to settle my mind on this issue. Here is some of the information that I found to be interesting and helpful.

Kelly Alexander did a great review on Slate.com wherein she not only researched Splenda, but other artificial sweeteners as well. Her research helps us understand a little bit of history behind each product as well as health concerns associated with them. She didn't stop there; she also did extensive testing of each product including taste tests, cooking & baking tests, and ease of use. This article is definitely worth checking out.

A site that I found to be interesting with information that would make me think twice about using Splenda was this site dealing with holistic medicine. It gave more of a scientific insight to Splenda.

Finally, the site that seemed to address some of my questions regarding long term affects of Splenda on humans was The Truth About Splenda site. This was very interesting information that was presented in terms that were easy to understand and follow. Although interesting and somewhat convincing, it wasn't enough to make me switch from using Splenda based solely on the information presented.

In summary, will I continue to use Splenda for my sweetening needs? My answer is yes. I am not convinced that it is the best choice, but it will be my choice of sugar substitutes. However, in the back of my mind, I am wondering if regular old sugar might be our best choice when used in moderation. After all, moderation is probably the key to solving most of our problems!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 6:01 PM :: 0 comments

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Teenagers & Music

Yep, never thought these same words that are about to come out of my mouth came from my mother's mouth not too terribly long ago. What's with the music our teenagers are listening to and why does it have to be sooooo loud! Seriously, my son's bedroom is above mine and I can here every word and beat as if it were on down here! The worst part-these people aren't singing, they're talking to a beat using words for the mere fact that they rhyme, not because they make sense! Ugh! OK, rant over!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:35 PM :: 2 comments

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Saturday, June 04, 2005 Here Today.....Hot Tamale!

Since I’m always wanting to try new things, I had the opportunity to learn to cook homemade tamales (I think I’m over that now). Four of us planned and got together at my house. Two of the ladies knew what they were doing, and two of us didn’t have a clue (you know which category I was in)! Of course as soon as my husband and son found out that we were going to have a “bunch of women” over to make tamales, they decided to attend an Astros game today. Even though the game started at 3:00 pm, they high tailed it out of the house at 8:30 am.

Making the tamales was a very interesting endeavor, and very time consuming. We started at 9:00 am, (we all had cooked pork and chicken the day before) and finished at 3:30 pm. We ended up with about 32 dozen tamales, some pork, chicken, cheese & jalapeno, and bean. I knew that making them was a pain in the butt, but I really had no idea how much was involved. I don’t think I could (or would) ever make them by myself. Of course what made it bearable was all of us cutting up and having a great time. The camaraderie of all of us together was fun and entertaining. Now I have a freezer full of tamales and quite a back ache. I think I’ll go take a nap in my husband’s “man chair”. Hmmmm, seems like a good night for “fend for yourself” dinner, I am over that "Susi Homemaker" thing for a while.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 11:25 PM :: 1 comments

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Teenagers and Birthday Parties

My daughter was invited to a friend's house for a birthday "pool" party. This friend is turning 15. I asked my daughter what she was going to get for her friend and she said "Do you want to buy her a Starbuck's gift card?" It occurred to me at that point that she wanted ME to buy the present for her friend. I feel that, since my daughter has money and continues to earn money doing chores, mowing the lawn and babysitting, she should be buying the gift for her friend. I thought this would be an interesting topic as I'm really interested in finding out if others have had this come up and what they did about it.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 10:46 PM :: 4 comments

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Woman's Day Magazine

Just picked up the May 31, 2005 issue of Woman's Day and have found it to be very enjoyable. One article that I enjoyed the most was "Make Your Day, Things to Make You Smile When You Need it the Most". One of their suggestions to "seek comfort" with things other than food encourages us to do things that we thought were fun when we were kids. They suggested keeping things like legos, crayons, Play-Doh, and Silly Putty around and use them to unwind. I think I just may try this!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:42 PM :: 0 comments

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Friday, June 03, 2005 I have got to get it in gear!

I think I have passed Procrastination 101. My husband and I set out to remodel our house a couple of years ago. We have accomplished a lot like gutting a bathroom and putting in new tub, toilet and sink and retiling the whole darn thing; changed the dining room into a foyer by knocking down a wall and building and new one to change the traffic flow; we put down hardwood floors (yes…the real thing…I’ll never do that again!). The reason this works so well is my husband is the builder and I am the finisher (and yes we are still married). I’m in charge of all doing all the painting, decorating and finishing touches.

Here lies the problem. We have worked on the living room, dining room, foyer, hallway, guest bath, son’s bedroom and the master bedroom, and NOT ONE SINGLE ROOM IS FINISHED. The guest bath is the closest to being “done” but I still have to: finish painting the ceiling; set the nails in the crown molding; calk door casings and moldings and paint them; remove door knob and chisel out a little bit more of the hole in the door so that you don’t have to slam the door of the linen closet to close it; sheet rock the inside of the linen closet (where we changed out the plumbing) and paint. School has been out for a week and I have done NOTHING! I can’t get motivated and I am so mad at myself. I can’t help but feel that I am wasting precious time to get it done.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 2:41 PM :: 1 comments

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A New Perspective

As I previously posted, I've been holding myself accountable and walking every morning from 5:30 - 6:00 a.m. since I no longer have the "school house shuffle" (summertime!). I'm going to tell ya, it ain't easy! I keep thinking "21 days to star a habit". I try to stay on well lighted open areas and usually go the same route everyday. Today I decided on going the same route, but in the reverse direction. Even though I've traveled the same route now for a week, I started noticing different landscaping etc. since I was coming from the other direction. This revelation got me thinking. A lot of times we get stuck in a "rut" in our lives, whether as a mother, a wife, an employee, as a citizen. We then start to get depressed or do things out of habit without really realizing the purpose. Maybe it's not what we're doing, but how we're doing it. Maybe we need to come in from a different direction or tackle our daily chores from a different angle. I felt not only physically refreshed, but I guess emotionally refreshed with the determination and idea to look at the not so pleasant parts of my day from a different direction.

Always one to practice what I preach, I get to work. My "inbox" was overflowing. There's only one way in and one way out of my office and the inbox sits on the corner of my desk for easy access by my boss. I tried moving my inbox. Didn't work. It was still overflowing. I tried staring at a focal point on my wall as I walk into my office. Nope, still overflowing. In an effort to not lose my positive outlook I knew I needed to come up with a plan. I got a big cardboard box and put everything from my inbox into the cardboard box which I shoved under my desk. I placed the now empty inbox back to its spot. Yep, worked like a charm. I am no longer overwhelmed by my inbox! Guess I can take off early today since my inbox is empty! Just kidding!

Happy Friday,
Sheri

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:39 AM :: 2 comments

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Getting a "Good" Phone Call-From School?

My daughter (she's almost 15) brought this to my attention. You see, she is the middle child, the only girl between two boys. She is a very bright, conscientious student worried about her GPA, and she only just finished her Freshman year of high school. She was able to maintain all A's & B's with the only C being in Spanish III which is an honors class. She was on the JV soccer team and not only joined two additional clubs, but participated in their events as well. As you can see, I'd say she's a very well rounded student.

Her older brother (they are 18 months apart, only one grade difference in school) would be classified as, for lack of a better term, your classic jock. He is Mr. Football dating the cheerleaders and invited to every party that goes on. He has the ability to make A's & B's (he was on the honor roll all through elementary until he discovered girls in 6th grade), but he is content on getting C's & D's because, after all, that's passing. I harp on him about college and his reply is usually "don't worry, I play football".

To get to my point, one of his teachers last year did everything in her power to make sure he passed her class (he's quite the charmer). Again, the only reason he wasn't doing well was his laziness. He didn't feel homework or projects were important. This teacher liked him so much, she would give him extensions of time to turn in projects without reducing his grade. She even started teaming him with other students to work on projects knowing that most likely, he would talk his team mate into doing most of the work (I see a future in politics). His teacher and I got to know each other quite well as she called me weekly with updates on his progress. The end of the year exam came and what does my son do???? He aces it! Got a 90 on it which brought his grade up to passing. She called me so excited and couldn't stop telling me how proud of him she was.

Along comes my daughter. She gets this same teacher. She turns in ALL homework, completes ALL projects making at least a 95 or higher on each, she never makes lower than a 90 on any test or quiz throughout the year, and was the girl who always helped the "underdog" (she feels bad for the kids that tries hard and still doesn't "get it"). Not only did she ace the end of year final, she made a 101%. Did I hear from the teacher, at all? Noooo. My daughter in her infinite wisdom said "I should have done poorly, then I might have at least gotten acknowledged". This got me to thinking, and she is correct.

In summary, this is not meant to put teachers down as I appreciate everything this teacher did from my son, but, as parents, teachers, care givers, etc., we need to take the time to give credit when credit is due. Don't assume that our children know how proud of them we are!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 8:31 AM :: 3 comments

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Affirmation from a Coffee Snob

You have to understand that I am the only coffee drinker in my house. My husband’s daily caffeine intake is from Coca Cola. Therefore he tells me that I am a coffee snob because I like Starbucks. For years my favorite has been Starbucks Christmas Blend. Santa is always very good about leaving seven to nine pounds of it around my stocking. Sadly, I have run out of my precious stash (I usually do about this time of year). Instead of buying the House Blend like I have for years, I decided to try something new, Starbucks Komodo Dragon Blend. It was great! It was full bodied without being too overpowering. I loved the smell and it passed the ultimate test: If it makes my mouth water after taking a sip…..you’ve got some good coffee! To really experience the flavor at its best, try it in a French Press, that really brings out the flavor.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 7:09 AM :: 2 comments

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Wednesday, June 01, 2005 White Knuckles and Valium

One of the most stressful times in parenthood is when your teenager learns to drive. Today we have a couple of options as to how to prepare our children for this endeavor. As for us, my husband and I decided that the best option was to send our son to Driver’s Ed. We figured we didn’t want to serve the jail term that we would have after killing our son if we taught him how to drive. I am pleased to announce that the Driver’s Ed. School is still in business now that he has completed the course.

On our last road trip, our son convinced us to let him drive home (approximately 180 miles). During the drive through all the small towns, my blood pressure was only slightly elevated until we got closer to Houston and traffic. I can honestly say that I have a few more gray hairs after the experience. I also learned that EVERYTHING is so much closer on the passenger’s side.

I really tried to be supportive but good God, I’ll take an arobics course to increase my heart rate, not this! After a few hours of “your too close to the curb”, “please slow down”, “get off his tail”, “STOP NOW! ”, we finally arrived home. I did refrained from getting out of the truck and kissing the driveway. It took at least 3 hours for my stomach to settle. That evening, I asked my husband (who is not the most patient person in the world) how he coped with our son driving? "You just sat in the back seat and didn’t say a word the whole trip". I then found out that he wore his sun glasses to hide the fact that he kept his eyes closed the whole trip!

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 5:34 PM :: 1 comments

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BEAUTY TIPS #1 Natural Plastic Surgeries

This past weekend I learned some valuable beauty tips from nature. When you are watching your body grow in areas you never imagined, you begin to start thinking about what you can do about it. This weekend was a revelation, and nature itself provided me with answers. If you are starting to notice the following situations, please try these solutions before any drastic measures:

BOOB JOB: Is gravity starting to set in? Are they getting closer to your belly button? If you have contemplated having surgery to turn back the time a little, try nature’s remedy first.
Solution: Jump in the water when it is 70 degrees with a northern breeze. It will perk them right up…I promise!

DROOPY EYES: If you have had plenty of sleep and you are rested but you still have droopy eyes, try this:
Solution: Sit in the passenger’s seat while your 16 year old is driving for about 180 miles. Your eye lift will last at least 24 hours.

BAD POSTURE: If you find yourself slowly slouching down in a chair you don’t need a stick to lean against to straighten up, simply try this:
Solution: While you are sitting, relaxing and enjoying the scenery, a cold, wet dog nose runs up your back. You will be surprised how quickly your posture improves.

Posted by Sheri & SuZan :: 9:19 AM :: 0 comments

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