DANGER: Falling Ice

The roads were better today. Mt Krumpit didn't bother the little Red Focus...

However, backing out of my place was very interesting. I almost ran into the ditch. We know the Rav4 can survive that, but I really don't want to test the obstacle with the Focus. When I finally hit the street, the car was facing the wrong direction. So, I went to the Stop sign, turned around and made my up the Southside of Mt Krumpit. This morning we reached the mind-boggling speed of 21mph!

Now the worries are being hit by falling ice. Our tower is shedding it's coating and the ice is pummeling to the front parking lot. Fortunately I parked at the far end of the NW parking lot - ice doesn't get that far.

Long days and pleasant nights...

Snow Snow Go Away...

Another early morning. I'm beginning to miss my little Sunfire. It was small and could handle Mt. Krumpit much better than the new larger Ford.

Anyway, I made it up the mountain... I did think about calling to say that I couldn't make it to work. However, Darrean would've just asked what's wrong with my legs. So, I popped the Focus into 2nd and let the wheel go whenever the car decided to try to slide. Thanks Daddy for forcing me to drive home from work with you in the passenger side. I haven't forgotten that terrifying experience and it has served me well.

If the temperature doesn't get above freezing tomorrow, I'm going to ask to borrow Strait. I already sleep with 2 dogs and a cat - a horse that stands 16 hands won't be too much more.

Anyway, I did remember my camera this morning. Primarily because when I looked out to check the car situation - I had to laugh. There were paws all over the snow running every direction. They ran all around my car. They ran from the porch in all directions. It was too funny. So I have snapped a couple of pics that I think are worthy. Not the quality of my friend Jo, but I like them...

Long days and pleasant nights...

Ice Storm 2009

At 7am when I looked out and saw the beautiful winter wonderland I thought, oh shoot, I forgot my camera at home.

Then that thought was immediately followed by, I have plenty of pictures of Mt Krumpit iced over. Hopefully, this ice storm will not have the whollup the last two have had.

Yes, I was at work by 4:30 this morning. Schools all over the viewing area are closed. If they aren't, they probably won't have very many students attending.

If you live in Oklahoma and don't have to get out - DON'T...

Long days and pleasant nights...

Changing of the Guard...

A new day has dawned in our country.

As I sit here and listen to all the inaugural speeches, I am proud and ashamed at the same time. The Constitution states very clearly that "all men are created equal." Yet it has taken 232 years to elect a man of African descent to the highest office in our country. We have yet to elect a woman or Native American for the office. Indeed it took over 100 years for those of African descent and women to even get the basic right of voting.

The History Channel has been re-running their series on the American presidents. It has been interesting re-learning about our forefathers. As we move forward, a huge task is being placed on our newest president. He must somehow undue an economic mess that began in the years of Ronald Regan. Since then every president, including President Clinton, and each Congress contributed to the situation we face now. President Obama faces an economic situation similar to that of FDR when he first took office. He has made large promises. Time will only tell if he is up to the task.

I pray that the nation supports him thru the hard times to come. Good luck Mr. President.

Long days and pleasant nights.

Weekend Wrap

It was a busy yet not so busy weekend.

Steve and Renie came over and helped me out with the chainsaw. Seems my friends and family don't trust me with a chainsaw. Turns out the "big limb" that the neighbors told me was under the pile of brush, didn't exist. So we re-arranged the the pile into a manageable pile that I can actually work on. Steve did have to use the chainsaw on a some of it. Jo is going to donate old hay to my yard to help kill out weeds. The hope is that I will have an area to have a nice garden.

Steve's german shepard had puppies. They are a black lab/german shepard mix. If you're in the hunt for a good pup - give a shout!

Took the chainsaw back to Jimmy, yesterday. Kevin grilled burgers for dinner. They were really good. Mom and Dad came over with Zentner. We were entertained for a couple hours by him.

It was a good weekend. More of these are needed...

Long days and pleasant nights...

Great Decisions

This week I began what I had believed to be a Bible class.

It all began with an innocent conversation with a co-worker that discovered we are both Episcopalians. She mentioned this class that she and a friend go to at their church. She sent me the information and I quickly enrolled. I've participated in Bible classes sponsored by the Episcopats before. They have all been wonderful experiences.

When I picked up the book, I quickly began reading the first "lesson." It was a bit perplexing in that there was no mention of the Bible, God or even Jesus. Now, as an Episcopat this was no real surprise. Many times the moderator receives a larger manual that will have the Christian instruction. I love this aspect of my chosen church. They gently force you to think.

Well, I made it to the first class. It was the coldest night of the century. (not kidding) There were about 35 gray-hairs, two forty-something couples and me. Again, no real surprise. The surprise came when this very nice grandmotherly person began chatting with me. I mentioned that I was using this as a boost to get my behind back in church. She looked at me and asked "what does THIS have to do with church?"

Once I wrapped my head around the fact that this is a class that is only housed in the building because the moderator is a member... I was able to begin paying full attention to the subject at hand.

It is a wonderful discussion, so to speak, about world events and the situation the world finds ourselves in. It is fascinating and has already opened my eyes to a few things I had no idea about.

Thankfully my prayers to my Lord were answered and I wasn't allowed to talk myself out of going the first night.

Long days and pleasant nights...

Red Dirt Cram

I have begun a crash course in learning more of the music I LOVE! The test is the weekend of June 18 - 21.

Last night on the way to the most wonderful birthday celebration for my most wonderful Daddy, I listened to a newsly purchased cd.

In addition to being one of the Red Dirt Godfathers, Robert Earl Keen is freakin' hysterical. I found myself laughing out loud (lol for those of you younger than 25) As much as I love Boland, REK had much the same affect on me. I was all smiles last night. Slept perfectly well, just like a baby. I had to keep reminding myself that he influenced Pat, not Pat influencing him. Mayhap that is one reason I have that warm-fuzzy feeling.

It is a bit disturbing that Pat has already begun creeping into my dreams. He was standing in the shadows of one last night. So, Pat, I PROMISE I'll be at the Calf Fry. I will be dead on my feet at work the next day, but I'll be there. You could've at least played Friday to help me out...

Long days and pleasant nights...

Happy Birthday Daddy!

January 13, 1943 in Yakima Washington, Vernon Z and Martha E Smith became the parents of the greatest man I know.

My daddy was the second of 5 children. Being the oldest son gave him the birthrite to the Zentner name. A name which has become beloved in the family.

My daddy has always been there for me. When I was allowed to join the Speech and Debate team in high school, he became the parent that went on trips. That meant that he had to be on a school bus with anywhere from 10 or more teenagers from 4am until after midnight on the weekend. After having a teenager, I understand the sacrifice he made.

He was also in the room when my baby girl was born. One of my clearest memories of that day was telling Daddy that I was tired and wanted to go home. He sighed and calmly said "Sug if I could take you home, you know I would, but you have to do this first." Jeff and I were grossed out by the bloody mess... but my Daddy stood over the doctors shoulder making sure he was doing everything right and then gave the baby her first bath.

After the divorce, when I called and said that I was going out of my mind, Daddy drove to Pryor and took me to a doctor in Ft Smith to make sure I was ok.

They don't make Daddy's like this anymore. He taught me to respect God, country, family. He taught me that family always comes first, no matter how difficult it is to be there, physically or emotionally. He is always there for me and my sisters with an unconditional love. I love him more than words can ever tell.

We are celebrating tonight at his favorite place to eat - Golden Corral.

Long days and pleasant nights

February 14, 2009...

...is a very important day in my life.

It is the day that pitchers and catchers report to Spring training. That is only 5 weeks away.

The Redbirds have been busy in the off season. They still have a very light pitching/bullpen staff. I'm hoping that will change by the time the season actually opens. The good news is that most of the rest of the team is still in place. Miles was allowed the free agent exit. That is a loss of a good utility player, but only one.

Pujols and Yaddi are still anchoring the bases and bats. Ankiel and Ludwick are still around. Barton as far as I know will be back. I'm hoping we will see him in more games this season.

I'm sure LaRussa will be calling soon with all the off-season details I need to know...

Long days and pleasant nights...

Seriously?

Are we really having this debate again?

When the pitbull with lipstick stepped onto the national stage, I defended her as a "mom" in the workforce. I've been there and done that - so to speak. Everyone knows how I feel about the Governor of Alaska. Nevertheless, I do think she might actually make a decent Senator if she so desires.

As a card-carrying Democrat, I also know I'm supposed to pay homage to anyone that is in the Joe & Rose Kennedy lineage. Even a must to kiss the ring of the direct heir to the throne - in this case - Caroline. I kept quiet when the talking heads began spinning the whethers about her appointment to fill Senator Clinton's seat. But today I read an interesting piece about how qualified she isn't. Seems a woman that decides to get an education then stay at home to raise the children before re-entering the workforce isn't qualified for squat. I can not disagree more. What are her qualifications?

Well lets take a looksee...

**Bachelor degree from Radcliff (part of Harvard)

**Law degree from Columbia Law School

**Founded the Profile in Courage Awards, which honors elected officials who have shown political courage.

**Caroline co-wrote In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action with fellow law graduate Ellen Alderman. This is the first of several books she has published.

**She turned down an offer to be chairwoman of the 1992 Democratic National Convention. (has no problem saying no to the party)

**Serves as a member of the national board of directors for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the vice-chair for the Fund for Public Schools in New York City, and chief executive for the New York City Department of Education Office of Strategic Partnerships.

You may not be able to see Russia from her backyard, but I think she is qualified to be a Jr Senator from the state of New York. We need more women in Washington DC that have a deep passion for what women care about. It doesn't hurt that she is a Kennedy either...

Happy

It really doesn't take much to make me happy.

Last night while I was washing my dinner dishes, I heard a knock at the door. Followed by a lot of barking to let me know there had been a knock at the door.

It was Nicole!

As wonderful as it was to see her, she brought my Christmas present. That is the source for today's happiness. She bought Just After Sunset - King's latest collection of short stories.

I'm thinking that his short story books are probably up there with my favorites of his releases. You get scared many more times than in a novel. The novel is a totally different kind of scare. It creeps up on you. For example, in Duma Key, he kept warning me that the paintings of the ocean and the boats were deadly. I didn't realize that he was being literal until one killed his daughter. Jo, I dismissed the earlier suicide and murder attempt as coincidental...

Out of King's tinkering with short thoughts, we got such wonderful stories as Jeruselem's Lot that later turned into the absolutely horribly scary 'Salem's lot. Along with The Mist and 1408. My absolute favorite series, The Dark Tower, began with tinkering as well.

Needless to say, my weekend is Booked!

Long days and pleasant nights...

Greed - One of the 7 Deadly Sins...

Porn industry seeks federal bailout
Posted: 03:00 PM ET
From CNN's Rebecca Sinderbrand and Mark Preston

Larry Flynt is asking for a bailout.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Another major American industry is asking for assistance as the global financial crisis continues: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt and Girls Gone Wild CEO Joe Francis said Wednesday they will request that Congress allocate $5 billion for a bailout of the adult entertainment industry.

“The take here is that everyone and their mother want to be bailed out from the banks to the big three,” said Owen Moogan, spokesman for Larry Flynt. “The porn industry has been hurt by the downturn like everyone else and they are going to ask for the $5 billion. Is it the most serious thing in the world? Is it going to make the lives of Americans better if it happens? It is not for them to determine.”

Francis said in a statement that “the US government should actively support the adult industry's survival and growth, just as it feels the need to support any other industry cherished by the American people."

“We should be delivering [the request] by the end of today to our congressmen and [Secretary of the Treasury Henry] Paulson asking for this $5 billion dollar bailout,” he told CNN Wednesday.

Flynt and Francis concede the industry itself is in no financial danger — DVD sales have slipped over the past year, but Web traffic has continued to grow.

But the industry leaders said the issue is a nation in need. "People are too depressed to be sexually active," Flynt said in the statement. "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."

"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It's time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly."

So far, there has been no congressional reaction to the request.

–CNN’s Chloe Melas contributed to this report
Filed under: Congress

Disclaimer
So I don't get in trouble - this came from CNN.com - I thought it was simply too funny to not share.

Long days and pleasant nights.

Seven Pounds

If you know me, you know that I'm not all that big on movies. My BFJo is, however. So over the past decade that we have known each other it has become sort of a tradition that we do a dinner/movie thing for my birthday.

This year we dined at the Roadhouse (of course) and wondered on across the street to the movie theater. We decided on Seven Pounds. Primarily because I totally love Will Smith, and it has received good reviews.

I can't tell you about the movie without blowing the plot. I can say that I recommend it for viewing if you like movies. Also, you may want to consider taking kleenex.

It does invoke some thought about mortality, suicide, organ doning. I would go further but I'm already treading the spoiler waters...

I also highly recommend the "Yummy Hot Chocolate" at the cafe.

Long days and pleasant nights.

puppies & kittens

Who woulda thunk that a kitten living here would actually become part of the family?

Millie and O are practically inseperable. The best part of that is that O literally wears Millie out. It has gotten to the point that O has to almost beg Millie to play. Puppy toys are now considered fair game for puppies and kittens. Well, except Millie's pink ball - that is exclusively Millie's toy.

Yesterday was such a wonderful day weatherwise, that I opened the living room and kitchen windows. O was entranced. She spent most of the day going from one window to the other. Occasionally she would notice the front door open and look out from there. Sometime in the afternoon I heard her "talking" in a language I had not heard from her. Upon investigation, one of the kittens from next door was sitting on the other side of the window talking to O. This conversation went on until Millie discovered a wild animal trying to kill her sister. She immediately began the attack and let the wild animal know that O was her sister and she wouldn't allow any correspondence. Of course this resulted in both O and the "outsider" just staring at Millie like she was nuts.

Toby on the other hand, has become more of a Mommies puppy than ever. If that was possible. He is no longer the least bit interested in playing chase with Millie. He does chase O, but that is only to eat her.

If someone could let me know how to get the kitten to sleep thru the night, or at least let me sleep, please give a shout.

Long days and pleasant nights...

2009 - Please be Kind

Well another year is gone. It seems like just yesterday I was a kid in McAlester. Cheering in the new year with my friends and then running like hell to get away from the "birthday love" swats. Jimmy Dean was always in the lead on that one...

Now I'm sitting here in my kitchen with the puppies and kitten.

Looking back on 2008, it could've been better.

It was the first full year without Nannie. Uncle Louis left us. We had a small adjustment of personnel at the station. Friends also left... David, Emma Lou and Colt.

On the up side, if there is one. It was definately the year that it was a good thing to not be heavily invested in the stock market. Being poor was actually better than having stocks or being a high class banker, CEO of almost anything or one of the "expendable" persons in a company choking on it's own bad investments.

And one of the brightest points of 2008 was getting re-acquainted with a few cousins that time had gotten away from us. Jeff, Steve, Louie, Droopy.

My first ever trip to the desert happened in June of 2008. Astonishingly Jeff actually welcomed the idea that I might be coming again to see my Redbirds play his Dbacks. It was also weird that I was the only "Dellinger" his family and friends had met outside his parents and brother.

There are two jewels of the year that standout. My new relationship with my Tio NT. He is a true blessing. I enjoy every communication with him, whether it be a quick note letting me know he is on his way to some meeting or a lengthy email about his thoughts.

The other is the addition of Oprah Mae to the family. I've never been a cat person, nor has Millie. But O has really stolen our hearts. She was born a poor black girl in a barn on the Mazie Prairie. Colt appointed himself as her protector so how could I continue to say no to her moving in with us? Millie can no longer innocently walk around without having a kitten pouncing on her.

2009 - please be a little easier than the your predecessor. My baby girl will graduate with her BA in History and Teaching Certificate. I will gain a son this year. I am praying to just keep the status quo...

Long days and pleasant nights, if ye kenit.