Snow for Christmas!

For the first time since 1918 -- it snowed -- and stuck to the ground (on Christmas) in South Texas. Our estimate is that we got around 10-14 inches between the afternoon of Christmas eve and 4 am on Christmas day. That might not sound like alot to most people that actually get snow during normal winter months...but for here...it's absolutely amazing.

As sick as we all still were, we played in the snow. My oldest loved daughter loved it and learned very quickly how to make snowballs. Good for her, bad for us; no where was safe! The younger 2 kids liked the snow for about 5 seconds and then they got smart and went back into the house to play with their new toys.

The hubby just cursed me over and over again, telling me that if I ever wished for that "white shit" again, he'd kick my ass. I proceeded to sing, "Let it Snow" and "Dreaming of a White Christmas" for the rest of the day.

A pic from out in the pasture...

*Ugh*

I don't know how clear this post will be. My brain seems to be on vacation. For those of you who think that's nothing new.....I hope Santa gives your presents to the neighbor.

Last weekend my oldest daughter was sickly. She never actually got sick...just extremely tired. Well, by Friday, the other 2 ended up the same way -- except they ARE sick. With lots of little extras to go with the fatigue. What a fun weekend it's been.

I thought I was doing good. But last night, I had that *feeling*. The one you get when you're about to get sick. I woke up this morning, expecting the worst, but was just tired...as usual. As the day went on, I just couldn't seem to get moving. Now, it's too much of an effort to blink.

So, if you don't hear from me for a few days...I've climbed into bed and couldn't manage to get back out.

When did it become our right?

It breaks my heart to hear someone say, "You have to love yourself first..."; then turn around and point to someone else and say, "God, look at her/him, can you believe -fill in the blank-". Just how two-faced is that? No wonder we wonder if our friends are actually being honest with us.

When did it become our right to judge someone because of how they talk, how they dress, what they believe in, how many cars they have or don't have, what neighborhood they live in or where they don't, where they work or where they don't, how they have more or less than we do, how he or she should just do this or that, how they'd be so much happier if they were on a diet or how if they'd just gain a little weight....I could go on and on.

We're all guilty of it...but why? Why must we be that way? Why can't we just accept people the way they are without trying to change them or judging them for being who they are?

The next time you think of doing it.....STOP, and think about this. They might be perfectly happy just the way they are...

Except that by judging them...you're cutting them out of your world, someone who just could have been the greatest love of your life or the best friend you could ever have asked for.

Ok, my complaining is done for the day. Carry on.

Is it just me...

Or do people complain way to fucking much? Ok, so this post is a bit ironic. 'Cause I'm about to complain. Oh well. Don't like it...you can go away now.

I spent the entire weekend dealing with complaints. In the time that I should have been writing and working, I was dealing with other people's feelings and trying to smooth things over. Some things, I admit, I didn't give a flying fuck one way or the other if those feelings were spared.

If you're a member of my group and you're reading this. I'm sorry. I just have to vent...and this is a better place for it...for me, at least. At least I won't have to have a debate over what I'm feeling and whether it's right or wrong.

If you're not a member of my group and don't know what's going on...I'm sorry. You're welcome to join and read up. Just don't complain to me...at least for a week or so until my *bitch self* goes back into her corner.

I started my group as a place where I could beta my work. It was a quiet group at first, 18 people joined from another board I was on, and their feedback and comments meant the world to me. After some encouragement from them, I started posting the story to Nifty. Boy, the numbers came up quickly and since those 18 members in January of this year...my membership stands at about 1060 members.

Eventually people joined up that liked to chat and share jokes and pictures and stuff. I fully and completely encouraged that, (still do) and I vowed that there would never be anything that was "off-topic". I didn't care if you were sending in "Aunt Mabel's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe" or a pics of hot naked men...it was readily accepted. Anything was allowed as long as there were no attacks on other members of the group.

My friend, my twin sister at heart, and my moderator sent in a post that was nothing but a "group hug". One person got in a big tissy over that and posted what I considered a rude and retaliatory comment and just went on and on, basically berating her in front of those 1060 people. Acceptable -- Not bloody likely. It pissed me off.

For one, because someone was attacking someone else who I love dearly. For another, because the person who did it was someone I thought I'd connected with on some level. I was so disappointed in that kind of behavior. And then, I was pissed with myself because I trusted in him and his ability to behave enough to take him off of moderated status before it was his time. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Now, there are people who post and say, "I don't know if this is ok..." or "I don't want to offend anyone with this..." And now, when I can't approve a post the minute it hits the board, people worry that they've said something they shouldn't have thinking the post has been deleted.

It bloody pisses me off that he's introduced that worry into my group, that people now wonder if they are doing something wrong by sharing or posting. He sent me an email later on saying, "you didn't post my last message before I left the group".

Hell no I didn't post it. Did he think I was going to let him post that and leave the group so he wouldn't have to listen to the responses? He must think I'm such an angel. I might claim it, but when you get me pissed off, you're looking at more of a demon than anything else. I am not proud to admit it, but I hold grudges. Probably for alot longer than people can remember what they pissed me off about or what we fought about.

Some people have this, "I'm right, I'm always right, and you're damned if you don't think so" attitude and it just pisses me off to no end.

I do have one exception to that one though. I have a friend that likes to be right all of the time, and there are lots of things we disagree on, but we know where to leave it. We know when not to let it interfere with our friendship and we'll both back down. Politics and the election was a tricky time for us, because we had opposite beliefs, but it ended up ok. You know who you are, hon, and if you're reading this...know that I love you :-)

This situation has got me to thinking.....

There is so much going on in the world right now; so much hate, war, crime, hunger, poverty, prejudice, sickness -- I could go on and on. But it really makes me wonder about people when they start complaining about the things that are so trivial in nature. Things that aren't going to end the world. Things that are nothing more than slightly annoying.

Damned ISP's...

I apologize in advance, this is a whiny post...

Recently, the owner of my ISP took the time out of his oh-so-busy schedule to email me and let me know that I'd been using too many hours of my unlimited service. He wanted to know if I could cut down my usage in order to help him save $$. In order to help me accomplish that, he interrupted my service for 2 days.

Not only did he interrupt my dail-up access, (Yes, I said dial-up. I live in the middle of BFE, what do you expect?) he cut off access to my email and to all customer service points of their system. So, not yet knowing what the problem was, I called customer service. The guy at customer service, (now named 'Kenny with the sexy voice') did tell me that the owner had suspended my account, but had locked everyone out of seeing why. He also told me that the owner was out of town. Great.

While all of this was happening, I signed up for a trial subscription to MSN. Their dial-up really is unlimited, but I absolutely cannot stand using webmail. I like all of my mail downloaded and saved, put in its respective folders. While I can download MSN mail into my Outlook, it just isn't the same. I think I'm going to keep looking for another provider.

Since I could connect to the internet again though, I went looking at my old ISP's site, trying to find the Terms of Use agreement. I ripped through that thing, trying to see if there was something I'd missed about hours and usage, but everything just pointed me to unlimited service. And, according to the Terms of Use, the owner breached his own part of the contract by suspending my account.

The owner and I have since traded some interesting emails and he offered to let me keep my email address for my troubles, as long as I don't use their dial-up service, and it would only cost me $3.95 a month. That would be taken off of the 6 months that I still have left of my yearly subscription. That sucks too...cause their mail server won't allow me to send mail while I'm connected to MSN or another dial-up service.

I just feel shafted about the whole thing. The company advertises unlimited dial-up and usage. In fact, the name of their company is "----- Unlimited". I think the owner is striding into false advertisement territory, and have told him as much. He gets defensive and tells me that's his right. Maybe so. I still think he's in the wrong.

*sigh*

Oh well, if anyone sent me an email to my regular email address and I haven't emailed you back, now you know why. I never got it and you're more than welcome to re-send. As of now, some of the messages that I send are still being delayed either by a couple of hours or even days. One of these days I'll get it all straightened out...one of these days I'll move to where there's DSL access. Woohoo!

Dirty thoughts...

I picked up my daughter from the school bus this afternoon. I'm perched on the 4wheeler, writing some outline things for a chapter into my notebook, when the bus pulls up. I look up from writing and I swear, I could not keep my jaw from dropping.

The driver was HOT! I mean, stepped out of the pages of International Male or GQ ...HOT!

He smiles and waves and I have to force myself not to slide off the 4wheeler into a quivering mass of jello. We trade a few words while my daughter is climbing onto the 4wheeler. As it turns out, he's got this low, sexy, husky voice that just gives fuel to dreams of hot, sweaty, sex.

I sit there for a moment, watching him drive away and then ask my daughter. "Who was that?"

She says, "Oh, that's Mr. ----"

And I say, "But he's not your normal driver."

She laughs and says, "No, he's the high school principal. He was just driving us today because Mr. ---- was sick."

"Ooooh, I see." I get caught up in the thoughts of his voice again and wonder how come WE never had a hot Principal.

She then punches me on the shoulder and says, "I know, he's hot, right?"

"Oh shut up."

She giggles incessantly and I'm tempted to make her get off and walk the mile home. Little shit. I'm going to have to watch that one!

By the way...

I will reiterate that I am happily married. But just 'cause I'm married...doesn't mean I'm dead!! When a gorgeous guy crosses my path, damn it, I'm going to fucking look. Or drool, or wish, or think dirty, nasty thoughts....!!

I am a mean, evil...

Bitch. Or at least my cat thinks so. She used to lounge at the edge of my desk throughout the day, now she doesn't want to be in the same room with me.

I gave the little shit a bath this morning, because after getting out of the house the other day, she suddenly came up with a few fleas. By mid-point thoughout the process it sounded, and kind of felt, like I was trying to hold down a mountain lion. Never knew the little 7 pound bitch could be so strong!

Had I come across this wonderful set of instructions, it might have gone much better.

Ah well, maybe next time...

Calendars for 2005

The calendars are all coming out for 2005 and DAMN some of them are smokin' hot!! It does seem to me that wet is somewhat of a theme. Several of the calendars I've come across have had men in water, men under waterfalls, men in showers.

But I think that no matter how many calendars I come across, none elicit more of a response (no, not that kind) than Jeff Palmer's work. His Temptation 2005 calendar is a sure winner.

Jeff is, without a doubt, my absolute favorite photographer of male nudes. He's got men photographed alone as well as in couples. His work is sensual, erotic, raw, honest, romantic...just beautiful. If you've never seen any of his work...check it out. You won't regret it!

This is definitely not a complete list, but here are some other calendars I've found interesting so far:

Cowboys by James Franklin -- who doesn't like cowboys?!?

Diex Du Stade 2005 - French Rugby Team

Dreams by John Falocco

FDNY Firefighters

On the Couch by Tom Bianchi -- Tom's another awesome photographer

Reichen by Kal Lee

365 Dicks a Year -- ok, so this one is purely the perv in me.