Five Easy Questions

Miss Cindydianne sent me five interview questions, not because she in crazy in love with me, but because I dared her. So, I will try to give truthful, thought provoking answers that will help you navigate the paths of your life.

1. Who is your favorite NASCAR driver and why?
That would be Michael Waltrip because he is the longest running feminine diver in NASCA history. I also like Jeff Burton and Dale Jarrett because they are a class act and a great role model.

2. Have you ever been in the Armed Services? Which Branch? What is a memorable moment from that time?
Yes! That would be the NAVY. There are so many. I remember leaning over the rail and shaking hands with a Russian sailor as their ship passed us close to port in the Formosa Straights between Taiwan and China. The two captains were having a pissing contest on who was the best skipper. Then there was the day I was on watch, sitting on the radar scope when the announcement was made that Kennedy had been shot. We were by ourselves, two days out of Yokosuka, Japan, with no more information than that, so we went to general quarters (battle stations) in case it had come from Cuba or Russia. Then there was the time, two days after shaking hands with the Russian sailor, we rounded the Southern tip of Taiwan and ran head on into a typhoon. I was only 18 and too stupid to be afraid until I saw the old salts turn white when our ship took a 45 degree roll. At 47 degrees the huge gun turrets are supposed to fall into the ocean to help us get back to level, and at 49 degrees we would have capsized. After that role you couldn’t have driven a straight pin up my ass with a sledge hammer.

3. How many children and grandchildren do you have? Will you tell us a funny story about them?
I have one child that I know of – Marni. Sweet Tea has two – Dr. Amber and Steven. From Marni I have two grandkids, J-Man and Bug. From Steven I have his girlfriend, The Mole, and from Amber I have 36 dogs and 15 cats (anyone want to adopt?).
J-Man and I were cutting up one day and I told him I will take you out. He said, “Oh, PawPaw, if you do that you will go to prison for life.” He then thought about that for a second and then said, “But that’s okay. You want be there too long.” Bug keeps me laughing all the time, but I am having a Senior Moment Brain Fart right this minuet and I can’t think a story to tell you about her. Maybe later!

4. If you could know when you were going to die, would you want to?
Death doesn’t bother me. We are all going to have to face it someday, and knowing when has it’s advantages. I don’t think I would like to know the exact time and date, because I would probably be more concerned with the actual countdown than anything else. But having a general idea would help me get things done that need to be done so that Sweet Tea and Marni won’t have to mess with it. I plan on being cremated with my ashes put into a douche bag and run through one more time. Any volunteers?

5. There’s been a rumor floating around that your appearance is similar to Bill Clinton. Is it true?
Not today. In the summer I keep my hair buzz off. But in the fall and winter I let my hair grow. I comb it back like Slick Willie’s and when I put my glasses on; I have been told that I look like him. It’s an evil right-wing conspiracy, I tell ya. I believe it is perpetrated by hate radio. I don’t, nor ever have, gotten the action he has, and I would never ruin a good cigar the way he did. I have also been told, though, that I look like John Wayne. Especially the way he looked in “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon.” But I think I look more like me than anyone else. As a matter of fact, I look more like myself everyday. It’s remarkable.

Well, I hoped your life is a little better now since you have read this. If not, there’s not a lot I can do for you.

Thanks, Cindydianne.

...ologies

I kind of tagged myself after reading this on Nancy’s Blog Pourri blog.

FOODOLOGY
Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Some times Ranch, sometimes Blue Cheese, sometime Thousand Island, sometime – well, it depends on my mood or taste craving.
Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Wendi’s
Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. I like Japanese, Mexican and Italian
Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. One; next time don’t wait on me.
Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
A. Cheeseburgers with mustard, ketchup, mayo, onions, tomato and lettuce. And Diet Coke!
Q. What is your favorite type of gum?
A. The upper. It holds the prettiest teeth.

TECHNOLOGY
Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. A green sloping filed with a clear blue sky – think Teletubbys.
Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. Four!

BIOLOGY
Q. What’s your best feature?
A. My third finger on my left hand. It has the ring Sweet Tea gave me.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Polyps from my nose; kidney stones; my gallbladder; a few teeth; hope for a safe, secure America for my grandkids; a fingernail and toenail; but I have had a stent put in my heart. So the total is OUT- many, IN – one.

Q. Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?
A. Sleep! Okay, Touch!

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. If you are talking about a woman, it’s been awhile. If you are talking about teeth, now! I go in a couple of weeks to get it filled.

Q. What is the heaviest item you lifted last?
A. Either the last time I went to the bathroom or a chair I took out of the SUV after our trip to NJ last week.

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. Yes!

BULLSHITOLOGY
Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. Nope!

Q. Is love for real?
A. When I think about or look at my grandkids, you betcha.

Q. If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
A. Doctor! Or maybe Howdy! Maybe Sire!

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Blue – especially if Kelly Ripa is wearing it.

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?
A. Yep! A few hairs, a bug or two, some pennies and dimes, a few seeds from the non-food type herbs and a diamond.

Q. Have you ever saved someone’s life?
A. Yep! I changed my mind.

Q. Has someone ever saved yours?
A. Yes! Sweet Tea.

DAREOLOGY
Q. Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?
A. Yes, and you could have a day to raise a crowd.

Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. Kiss them where?

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. Yes, except for number three on the left.

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. Nice try, but HELL YES!

Q. Would you pose nude in a magazine for $250,000?
A. Yes, but it would probably be in Old Geezers and Wheezers.

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000?
A. No!

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?
A. There are some I would take out for free. So, yea, I would.

Q. Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?
A. No!

Q. Give up MySpace forever for $30,000?
A. Sure! I don’t use it now, so why not.

DUMBOLOGY
Q: What is in your left pocket?
A. My pocket knife, and a ten, a five and three ones.

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A. I don’t know who he is or why he would make a movie.

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A. Both.

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A. Stand

Q: Could you live with roommates?
A. I have, but I don’t want to do it again (except for ST of course.)

Q: How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?
A. None!

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A. I got a warning ticket for speeding a few weeks ago. I told him I wasn’t speeding, I was qualifying. He started to take me to jail for impersonation a comedian – honest.

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. Old and happy! Maybe a quality control inspector in a whore house.

LASTOLOGY
Q: Friend you talked to?
A. Quartermaster Chuck in Chicago.
Q: Last person you called?
A. Sweet Tea

RANDOMOLOGY
Q: First place you went this morning?
A. Bathroom!

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A. Go back to the bathroom.

Q: What’s the last movie you saw?
A. The Last Mimzi

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A. I Guess! Especially if you have money.

Dear Proctor & Gamble...

The letter below was sent to me via email. I have no understanding of the content, but some of you might - according to some of your blog posts. When you get through reading this, babe, how about getting me a beer?


Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your Always maxi pads for over 20 years, and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? Ever suffered from "the curse"? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my "time of the month" is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call "an inbred hillbilly with knife skills." Isn't the human body amazing?

As brand manager in the feminine-hygiene division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customers' monthly visits from Aunt Flo. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women. In fact, only last week, my friend
Jennifer fought the violent urge to shove her boyfriend's testicles into a George Foreman Grill just because he told her he thought Grey's
Anatomy was written by drunken chimps. Crazy! The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants. This brings me to the reason for my letter.

Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: "Have a Happy Period."

Are you f***ing kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness "actual smiling, laughing happiness" is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak girl, there will never be anything "happy" about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen’s armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man. If you just have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like "Put Down the Hammer" or
"Vehicular Manslaughter Is Wrong"? Or are you just picking on us?
Sir, please inform your accounting department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flexi-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullshit. And that's a promise I will keep.

Always!

Best,
Wendi Aarons
Austin, TX

Being Southern

There are some great things about being Southern. For example, every Southerner loves grits. It is required, or you have to leave your family behind and move up North. Grits also has a meaning other than pure breakfast nirvana. It is also an acronym for Girls Raised In The South.

Southern Women are made different than those from other areas. For example:

Southern women appreciate their natural assets:
Clean skin.
A winning smile.
That unforgettable Southern drawl.

Southern women know their manners:
"Yes, ma'am."
"Yes, sir."
"Why, no, Billy!"

Southern women have a distinct way with fond expressions:
"Y'all come back!"
"Well, bless your heart."
"Drop by when you can."
"How's your Momma?"


Southern women know their summer weather report:
Humidity
Humidity
Humidity

Southern women know their vacation spots:
The beach
The rivuh
The crick

Southern women know the joys of June, July, and August:
Colorful hi-heel sandals
Strapless sun dresses
Iced sweet tea with mint

Southern women know everybody's first name:
Honey
Darlin'
Shugah

Southern women know the movies that speak to their hearts:
Fried Green Tomatoes
Driving Miss Daisy
Steel Magnolias
Gone With The Wind

Southern women know their religions:
Baptist
Methodist
Football

Southern women know their country breakfasts:
Red-eye or Sawmill gravy
Grits
Eggs
Country ham
Mouth-watering homemade biscuits with momma's homemade jelly and butter.

Southern women know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
Chawl'stn
S'vanah
Foat Wuth
N'awlins
Addlanna

Southern women know their elegant gentlemen:
Men in uniform.
Men in tuxedos
Rhett Butler

Southern girls know their prime real estate:
The Mall
The Country Club
The Beauty Salon

Southern girls know the 3 deadly sins:
Having bad hair and nails
Having bad manners
Cooking bad food

But being Southern isn’t only for women. No, sir! Everyone born and reared in the South is taught many things that baffle the interlopers from the North. It is things only Southerners know, such as:

Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.

Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."
Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."

Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is, as in: "Going to town, be back directly."

Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.

All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.

Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!

Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.

Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.

No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.

A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.

Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines; that when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!

Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.

In the South, y'all is singular, all y'all is plural.

Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.

Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.

When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!

Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it -- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.
Contrary to whatever you Yankees have been told, "macaroni and cheese" is a vegetable. Don't ya'll know that mac & cheese goes so well with taters and gravy, you just can't have enough starch in your diet.

And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say, "Bless her heart" ... and go your own way.

To those of you who are still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!

And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, ... bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!

And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, all y'all need a sign to hang on y'alls front porch that reads "I ain't from the South, but I got here as fast as I could."

Southern girls know men may come and go, but friends are fahevah !

Now...... Shugah, send this to someone who was raised in the South or wish they had been!

And, Shugah, if you're a Northern transplant, bless your little heart, fake it. We know you got here as fast as you could.

Thank You?

You know, I have said before that I am old and out of the loop on many things. There is a lot of stuff floating around out there that I don’t understand. But the thing that is bugging me the most – right now – is the response I get when I say, “Thank You.”

I was taught to say, “You’re Welcome.” Now, I admit that I don’t even understand what that comment means. You’re welcome to say other nice things. You’re welcome to stay? You’re welcome to do as you please? You’re welcome to leave as soon as you leave a tip? What? But I have used it all my life. And I have heard other people use it as well.

But for the last year or so, when I say thank you to someone, I get the reply, “No Problem.” Why? I didn’t ask you if you were having difficulty in serving me. I didn’t ask you to go out of you way to hold the door open (but I thank you for doing it.) I said nothing about a problem or the difficulty you had in doing what ever it is, or was, you were doing. So why say it?

Are they teaching this in etiquette class in school? If they are, why didn’t someone email or blog me about it? I need to know this stuff so that I want choke on my food or look at someone like they are a dilbert asshole who doesn’t understand the meaning of the comment.

I can change. If it is a correct replacement for “Thank You,” then I will live with it. But if I am right, however, and “Thank You” is the proper reply, should I tell the ignorant person the proper response; give him/her a “Jap Slap” across his lips; or jump up and grab him/her by the collar and shake him/her while hollering, “Say THANK YOU, dumb ass?”

I’m too old to be worrying about stuff like this. I need to know so I can be cool and hip, too.

The Wisdom of Larry The Cable Guy

The J-Man and my favorite comedian is Larry the Cable Guy. Below are some of his sayings and most of them actually make sense.

1. A day without sunshine is like night.

2. On the other hand, you have different fingers.

3. 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

4. 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.

5. Remember, half the people you know are below average.

6. He who laughs last thinks slowest.

7. Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

8. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese in the trap.

9. Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.

10. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

11. Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.

12. If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.

13. How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

14. OK, so what's the speed of dark?

15. When everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

16. Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

17. How much deeper would the ocean be without sponges?

18. Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

19. What happens if you get scared half to death - twice?

20. Why do psychics have to ask you for your name?

21. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, "What the heck happened?"

22. Just remember -- if the world didn't suck, we would all fall off.

23. Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.