Memoirs of a Crazy Cat Lady

Too Pretty

2010-03-10T03:42:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it's so pretty outside I can almost not stand it. It was gorgeous yesterday. It is that time of year when the mornings are chilly and the afternoons are perfect. I picked a good time to be on vacation.

I've been off work for so long that I can't keep up with what day it is any more.

All of my family are out of the hospital and everyone is doing really well. Here are some flowers I cut from my yard to take to my mom. It's not a great picture because I could not set these down without the kitties wanting to eat them:

The flowers on the bookcase in the background are fake, if you are curious.

Yet, Another Day...

2010-03-09T08:59:00.000-06:00

Vacation Day 2

2010-03-04T18:37:00.000-06:00

Spent today at two separate hospitals. Both patients are doing fantastically well.

I got to see pictures of my niece's small intestine prior to surgery. It was awful the condition her insides were. The fact that she had no dead intestine is a miracle unto itself. She was up and about today and she had many smiles to share, although that is not uncommon on most days.

The difference between my mother's first hip surgery and the one she had yesterday (afterwards) are like night and day. This was a hip replacement replacement surgery, I guess. The ball was switched out to a smaller size and things were realigned. The biggest difference I saw today was that she wasn't sick like last time. She was immobilized last time and they had her up walking today saying she could put as much weight on it as she could stand. We are not sure if the difference is due to the doctors or the procedures. My mom DID say that if she knew it wasn't going to be as bad as last time, she would have done it sooner. Although she still says this better be the last time.

Saw lots of family today and that always makes for a good day. Didn't get to see my daughter, though, and I miss her even though she kidnapped me last Friday and made me go out in a public place. My cheeks hurt from laughing with her all day. We had pancakes and bought cool stuff from Hobby Lobby.

It was a gorgeous day.

Spring Has Sprung

2010-03-03T14:17:00.000-06:00

Spring has sprung here at the crazy household. The last few days the birds have been going crazy, the squirrels are dashing all about, the kitties have been soaking up all the sunshine and I have been looking longingly at the empty planter pots on my front porch itching to plant something this year.

My niece is in the hospital after having emergency surgery to remove scar tissue that had built up around her intestines over the last several years. When she was born, she had multiple medical issues and had a feeding tube till she was 4 or 5. She's a beautiful, healthy young girl now, extremely intelligent, wonderful personality and I speak for my whole family when I say she is our little miracle child. She is doing well and has started moving around.

My mother had surgery this morning. Her hip replacement surgery last year was not done properly and she went in to be refitted and realigned. She came through fine and I will be visiting her soon.

Started at 7am this morning, I am on vacation from work till the 19th. This week I will be visiting hospitals.

For My Special Reader(s)

2010-02-22T08:20:00.002-06:00

If you couldn't see the video from yesterday, here is the direct link to You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvqmrFPpLqo

Thanks to all those that still stop by. :-)

A Funny

2010-02-21T20:02:00.000-06:00

Heard this was old but it was new to me. If you've not seen it, I hope this makes you smile.

Digging Out

2010-02-13T08:14:00.000-06:00

Had to dig out my car so I could work last night. When I got stuck and opened the driver's door, the snow was level with the bottom of that same driver's door.

I realized this morning how very lucky I am to have had power this whole storm. I couldn't go down a street without seeing workers fixing lines and lines that were down that they had yet to fix. Lots of chainsaw noises echoing through the frozen fog we were gifted with this morning. Not sure what my roof will look like once the snow has melted but at least it's still up there. I lost some very small branches. My parent's Live Oak tree did not fare so well. I counted five big branches snapped but still hanging. They are out of town and don't know that yet, though. It's sad because that tree was the only privacy they had in their backyard from the monstrosities some call houses that were built 3 feet behind their back fence.

How come all the really good support bras makes me look like a throw back from the 50's? You know... all pointy. Okay, maybe I need to redefine "really good". Did I spend more than 25 dollars on it? No. But it wasn't one of those 10 dollar no name disasters either. Then again, could be I'm just used to the worn out saggy things I've been wearing for too long now. I bet you're glad I started blogging again.

Snowed In

2010-02-12T08:55:00.000-06:00

A foot of snow. At least that's what the official reading is here. More in some areas. I might have once told you that it doesn't snow here like it once did. THIS is how it used to snow. Breaking branches, downed power lines... or some kind of line. The view is indescribable. It's beautiful.

I ventured out this morning and the snow was almost to the bottom of my knees. Sitting here looking outside, the urge to go out and play in it is almost too much to resist.

I am watching the snow fall from the power lines now and I'm thankful that my house is sturdy enough to support the amount of snow that is on my roof right now. I'm wondering if it will slide off in a big avalanche or if it will just melt off. I'm also thankful that my electricity has not gone off. There is some downed line by my house but I'm not sure what it is because my internet and lights are all still on.

Here's some photos of the last 24 hours:

What Blog? I Have A Blog?

2010-02-04T20:33:00.002-06:00

Feelin' Guilty

2010-01-19T08:42:00.000-06:00

I can't begin to express to you how sorry I am that I have avoided this place like the Swine Flu. Actually... I think I just did begin. So let me continue...

It seems that any time I want to write about something it's always something that I'm mad about and I'm beginning to think I'm never NOT mad any more. Not only that, it's stuff I've complained about before and as long as I can keep from repeating myself at this point in my life, I'd like to hold on to that for what time I have left... for remembering stuff, that is.

So... let me recap. I hate people. I hate the way they drive. I hate the way they treat each other. Which is why I stay indoors away from them all which results in me being a hermit and never getting out to experience anything good enough to talk about on here.

There. Now I never have to talk about this again.

Hope you had a nice MiLK day.

My Grandmother is now 106 years old.

My son will be 24 in two days.

My children's very first kitty, Hector, died last week. The very first tattoo I got was inspired by his beautiful eyes.

Two Words

2010-01-12T16:15:00.003-06:00

American. Idol.

Moments In Time

2010-01-11T20:48:00.001-06:00

It felt like a normal chilly morning ride home this morning compared to feeling like I was riding home in an ice cube the previous morning. 27 degrees is much warmer than 12. It's 48 now and it feels like a heat wave. I almost felt guilty about turning on my fire this evening, except I'm freezing... because IT'S ONLY 48 DEGREES!

It was also the first night since Wednesday night that I didn't turn off my water. It was nice coming home and having warm water. Heck... it was just nice having water. The turning off the water was not as inconvenient as I thought it would be, but it was still a pain. If anything... this cold has helped me become more intimate with this house and it's long past.

Speaking of long past and this house... my grandmother turns 106 in 5 days!

And speaking of birthdays, I had a wonderful late birthday dinner a few evenings ago with my kiddo's and their significant others... and Erin. Erin is my children's step sister (on their dad's side) and she is as much a part of my family as my children are and just as cool to hang out with.

I don't talk a lot about my ex-husband here but it's because we've been divorced for so long and he lives his own life and I live mine. In February, I will have been officially divorced from him for 20 years. 21 years if you count the year we were separated. A life time. He re-married about 3 or 4 years after the divorce and they are still married today. Her son is only a year and a half older than my son, and her daughter, Erin, is only 4 days older than my daughter. I don't think I could have hand-picked a step mom for my kids any better than who he chose.

It's a part of my life that I can look back on 20 years later and see how perfectly things worked out, compared to how bleak it looked 20 years ago.

Now everyone needs to turn their head to the side and go AWWWWWWWWW:

SPAZZ AND CRICKET HAVING A MOMENT:

JYNXY HAVING A MOMENT:

It's Midnight In The Garden

2010-01-08T00:31:00.001-06:00

And boy is it COLD!!! Capital letters and 3 exclamation points cold! I think I will never bad mouth Summer again. Even with it's hot and sweaty tendencies. I would take some hot and sweaty right now. Okay... all you people can get your heads out of the gutter now.

It's been a bummer of a weekend for me. Haven't gotten anything done that I wanted to. Like taking down the holiday decorations. Yeah... that's right. I still have a tree in my living room. And lights on the house. So it's been a whole week of not getting anything done. Here lately, that's not unusual. I'll be glad when whatever has got me in such a mode of unproductiveness finally let's go. It plays heck with my blogging.

For those of you out there enjoying temperatures above 15 degrees, enjoy.

Digging In

2010-01-07T01:03:00.000-06:00

Because it's about to get really freaking cold and stay really freaking cold for several days in a row, there were a few things that needed to be taken care of before I could retire for the night. Behold, the to do's and the I did's...

The Itinerary:
8am Wash dishes
9am Take shower
10am/4pm Sleep, after getting off work at 7am
5pm Buy gallon jugs of water to wash and cook with
5pm Buy drinking water
9pm Fill tub up for flushing toilet
915pm Turn off valve at well house before rain comes in
917pm Turn on all faucets to clear lines

How it went down:
8am to 12pm Played computer game
1pm Slept
530 Played computer game
8pm - Washed dishes
9pm - Took shower
Midnight - Looked outside to see rain and heavy winds had started. Ran and got dressed and drove up to CVS Pharmacy. Bought water and munchies. Drove to What-A-Burger because it could be YEARS before I get out again. Drove home in very gusty winds and sideways rain. Filled up bathtub. Ran to well house and turned off valve. Ran back inside and took off wet clothes. Put on dry clothes. Had sudden urge to poop knowing the water was off.
1230am - Played computer game
1am - Realized I forgot to open faucets and ran to open them.
105am - Typed up this blog post before playing computer game.

2009 Revisited

2010-01-02T12:43:00.003-06:00

I had a different video up before this one. I was not happy with how it came out after viewing it here. So I re-did it. If you didn't see the first video, you will miss absolutely nothing. Happy New Year!!!

2009 from Laura Lopez on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday To Me

2009-12-31T15:50:00.000-06:00

And this was the highlight of my day and I'm SO not complaining:

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T06:52:00.000-06:00

Every year as a child, I would wake up on Christmas morning and look outside to see if it had snowed. For the first time in my life, when I woke up THIS Christmas morning, there is a blanket of snow and ice covering everything. It's my very first white Christmas.

Now I sit here eating a piece of pumpkin bread, sipping my hot coffee waiting on the house to warm up. I still feel pretty tired from the last few days of baking and other holiday stuff and if it wasn't Christmas morning, I would finish my bread and coffee and go BACK to bed. I might still if it's early enough. I only have about 45 minutes of dark left before the sun comes up and sets the snow aflame with sparkles. I would like to get a picture of that. But for now... here's some pictures from our "blizzard like" conditions that we had yesterday that led to this morning's white Christmas:

I missed church yesterday. I got so preoccupied with the turkey and having everything ready to eat that the time got away from me. Then with the snow and things going very badly traffic wise very quickly I just didn't want to chance driving home in the dark. Yeah, I know I'm a big baby. But by the end of the night, all of my family was safe at the places they needed to be, the dinner was a success with my daughter proclaiming that it was the best turkey she had ever eaten in her life (only the second one I had ever made but I proclaim it my first because the only thing I remember about the first one was pulling the packages of body parts out of the cavity) and finally pure exhaustion took over and I passed out a little after midnight.

All in all... it was a magical Christmas Eve. The snow will melt quickly this morning once the sun comes out, but for now it's 24 degrees and alls frozen solid outside. I'm thinking I'm feeling a nap coming on already...

Xmas Eve

2009-12-24T06:43:00.000-06:00

Wow. It's here already. It feels like just yesterday that I put up the tree. People have asked me the last week, "Are you done with your Christmas Shopping?" and I always think to myself... are any of us ever REALLY done?

I have to make a quick trip this morning to Walgreen's. I was there yesterday and I saw what I needed for something else that I was wanting to do for someone but I needed something else with me before I could get it. Ah... don't ya just love holiday vagueness?

The last few days have been unbelievably beautiful. Yesterday, especially. This morning I awoke to a Winter storm system moving in which has prompted a Winter storm watch around these here parts. Not sure if it will get cold enough to do much damage, though. I did notice that just West of here, they are encompassed in an ice storm. For those that are not familiar with Texas weather, when we have Winter weather it is most often in the form of ice, not snow, although, I can't remember when we had a really good ice storm around here. I remember one time as a child, it iced so bad that our neighborhood street turned into a solid sheet of ice and that no one could even think about going anywhere. We ice skated in our sneakers that year. Our Winter weather watch says we have to watch for blowing snow. I've never seen that warning before. Right now it's raining pretty good and the winds are up... we are experiencing blowing rain. And as usual... we will not be having a white Christmas.

If all goes well weather wise, I will be attending a Christmas Eve service with my family this evening. It's the one time of year that my family can get me into a church. But if it gets too nasty, like the weather warning suggests... I will not be going. I will drive in snow covered roads but I don't do ice.

It's 6:30am now. Walgreen's opens at 7. Gotta beat the crowds! Ya'll enjoy and be safe this Christmas Eve.

Ninja Christmas Kitty

2009-12-21T12:37:00.002-06:00

You Know It's Way Too Cold When...

2009-12-16T08:06:00.000-06:00

Definition Of Nom:

2009-12-13T08:21:00.001-06:00

Passing Gas

2009-12-12T09:38:00.000-06:00

The only person, aside from my children, who I ever felt comfortable farting around left me. It also happened to be the only time a guy ever broke up with me. Well... the only time it mattered. So women, be warned. He may SAY he likes it when you fart around him, but does he really? Really?

When I was growing up, fart was not a word that was allowed to be used. I didn't fart as a child. I passed gas. I also didn't pee or poop. I puddled and pottied. Then I met the father of my children, who's voice will forever fill my head with the phrase, "A fart is always good for a laugh." Needless to say, I took great pleasure in trying to out-fart my children as they grew into the fine, upstanding and gassy young adults they are today. To be honest, though, my daughter seems to have been spared the over amusement of her farts. She's quite the young lady and for me as her mother... well, let's just say that miracles DO happen. But my son... oh, boy. He is definitely his father's son.

I was in Walgreen's the other day just doing a little light shopping. I ventured onto the Christmas isle, which was empty at that moment. I noticed a lady, maybe in her 70's, come onto the isle with me. Then I noticed that she slowly walked up behind me and then she stopped. Let out a very audible fart. Pause. Another very audible fart. Then slowly moved on down the isle. I didn't laugh. I didn't even acknowledge that I heard anything. I just kept flipping through some holiday bows like she wasn't even there. I turned and looked at her as she reached the end of the isle and I know the look on my face would have made for good hidden camera show footage.

Before starting this post I was standing in front of my gas Dearborn heater warming my hands. Two kitties at my feet. I let one rip in the silence of my early morning household and suddenly got scared that it was going to catch on fire because I was so close to an open flame. And that was my inspiration for today's post.

What I Really Want For Christmas

2009-12-12T08:12:00.000-06:00

Because jewel encrusted is in right now... and the whole shiny and sparkley thing I have going on.

What I Want For Christmas

2009-12-11T07:10:00.000-06:00

Clear And 23 Degrees

2009-12-10T05:23:00.001-06:00

This is the time of year where I notice how incredibly drafty my house is. It's 23 outside right now, but it's a warmer 23 than yesterday's 23 because the wind is not blowing this morning. My goal is to get the inside of my house to reach 60 degrees at some point today.

My son is graduating college on the 19th of this month. About a week away. That young man has worked his rear off since he graduated high school. Having a full time job and going to school full time... I think he's not going to know what to do with all the spare time he will have. I've already chosen the box of Kleenex that I will be taking with me to the ceremony.

My visitor count has gone down drastically since I quit blogging. I'm the world's worst about not wanting to keep up with a blog when they don't update regularly. I think things are settling down here and I should be back a little more often than I have been the last couple of months. I'm at least going to try. Thank you for hanging with me.