Houston Museum of Fine Art

Boy, what a busy weekend! Yesterday the Gipsy Kings, today the Museum of FA, and tomorrow Gustav. We are turning into exciting people. Okay, maybe not. but we have been busy.

We took the kids, downtown to give them a fabulous fun-filled Family-Day. Yes, I did pick the location. And no, the kids were not impressed with my idea. But hey, they are 17 and 9. There is not much that I do that does impress them.

The museum was very nice. The entrance fee reasonable (at $7 for adults and $3.50 for each kid). But I was a little disappointed. After looking at the website, I was under the impression that they had Van Gogh's Starry Night on loan from NY. Not so. There was one Van Gogh and tons of Monet's, so I got over it. But it still did not equal the MFA in Boston.

The cafe had FABULOUS food. Not your average burger and fries joint. There were sandwiches and salads, but ones that could rival any upscale restaurant. The prices weren't your average burger joint either (at approx $10/person), but I always expect to pay more when I eat food at any tourist place. At least here you get something for your money.

I loved the Asian section, paintings, and antiquities. The British Contemporary Art was a little out there for me, but it was interesting. I guess.

Overall, not a bad way to spend a hot afternoon. The kids even stopped complaining. Well, until we got back to the car.

Gipsy Kings Concert

My husband and I went out last night on a real date. Shocking I know, after 11 years of marriage and two kids. Best of all, we were able to go to the Gipsy Kings concert at the Pavilion in The Woodlands (TX). Fabulous show. These ten old guys were incredible. The fact that the entire concert was in Spanish made no difference. The music and the talent transcends all barriers.

We have been fans of the Gipsy Kings for over 10 years and have never been able to get to a concert. It was fantastic and well worth the wait.

For those that aren't familiar with the Gipsy Kings, they are a group of Spanish gipsys from France. I'll wait while you cipher that one.....................ok. I have heard that they are also the most popular French musical group ever in the U.S. I was surprised at that one too, but then I really can't think of any other French musical group so I suppose that it is true.

If you ever get a chance to see these guys and you love to hear truly great musicians, you MUST go! People were dancing in the isles.

It's Sarah Palin!

John McCain has surprised me. To choose Sarah Palin as his VP choice is brilliant. I've been telling my husband for days that she is the only smart choice that he could make. All of the others had major drawbacks. Palin could only benefit McCain.

She is the youngest governor of Alaska with an 80-90% approval rating. She obviously is a woman, which will draw many disgruntled Democratic women libbers. She is a die-hard Republican, member of the NRA, Pro-Lifer, Christian, and wants marriage defined as between a man and a woman. This will reassure the far Right-Wing base. She is only 44 years old which will help counteract the age issue that McCain has had to deal with. She is a mother of five children. One is a special needs child and another in the military.

She has been compared to Margret Thatcher, but a lot better looking and was even a contestant for Miss Alaska. She will be incredible debating Biden!

Thank God that I can now vote for McCain without a clothes-pin on my nose!

Obama is running on "Change", yet he picks a running mate who has been in Washington for 35 years. Those who actually want change should now vote McCain. Palin has produced change in Alaska and she can do it in Washington.

For more info on Palin, visit
http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/

http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/2007/02/palin-on-issues.html

Can You Take the Texas Out of the Girl?

I had to laugh this morning when I realized that I'm not as Texan as I used to be. I guess that I have been gone too long. People will say and do things that used to never catch my attention because they were so commonplace, so much a part of me. Now I chuckle and am filled with warm fuzzies. I am home again!

For example, this morning the school nurse called because my son was in her office with a stiff neck. I guess that he had slept crooked and when he left for school it was very tight and sore. I told the nurse that I had given him some pain relievers and put a hot pack on it, but there was just not much we can do for a muscle spasm. She agreed and noted that "we call it a crick-in-the-neck."

I smiled. That term used to be so common for me, but this morning it never entered my mind until she mentioned it. I'm no longer a part of the "we" that refers to a muscle spasm as a crick-in-the-neck.

I also realized that I don't refer to 7Up, Dr. Pepper and Pepsi as coke.

"What kind of coke do you want?"
"7Up."

It's kind of sad. I guess that you can take the Texas out of the girl if she is gone too long. I still say "a-fixin to" so there is hope. You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take all the Texas out of the girl.

Jan David Clark Update 07/22/2008

Odessa American article dated 7/22/08:

Clark hearing postponed
by Christine Stanley

A pre-trial hearing for a West Odessa man charged in connection with the slaying of his wife has been postponed until Sept. 4.
The court is allowing Jan David Clark's son, Christopher, more time to secure funds to hire his father an attorney. Clark's court-appointed attorney, Lawrence Barber, has said Clark has enough assets to pay for counsel out of his own pocket.
Clark has been behind bars since February after telling sheriff's investigators that his wife, Susan Kay Clark, died while he was trying to rid her of a demon.
According to a probable cause statement, Clark said he was holding his wife's face to the floor of their carpeted master bathroom at 3547 Ferguson St. when the exorcized spirit from her body entered his, causing him to kill his wife.
Preliminary autopsy results showed Susan Kay Clark was suffocated. Investigators found the 59-year-old woman, known by family and friends as "Nanny," wrapped in a bed sheet on her back with a cross and a sword placed atop her body.
In a February jailhouse interview, 60-year-old Clark said he was innocent, claiming he shared a cell at the Ector County Detention Center with 10 demons.
"I was moving ahead of the Lord's timing," Clark said at the time of his wife's death. "We were locked in combat for three hours. She's small but mean. That night was the first time I had ever spoken in tongues."
Dave Clark's father was Dr. J.T. Clark, an Odessa dentist who was the city's mayor from 1960 until 1962

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I'm trying to cut back on HFCSs in an effort to loose weight and get a little healthier. It is amazing how many and what types of foods have HFCS. Most breads, even the "healthy" ones contain HFCS. I thought that I would start a list of foods available at the grocery stores and restaurants that do not have HFCS. Once I have a good long list, I will divide it into groups to make it more user-friendly.

For the negative scoop on HFCS :

Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fructose-corn-syrup/AN01588

Florida Chiropractic Sports Physician, Dr. Todd Narson http://naturalsportsmedicine.blogspot.com/2008/04/hcfs-is-not-natural-says-fda.html

My List:

Lean Pockets Philly Steak and Cheese
Voortman's Vanilla wafer cookies
Honest Kids juice pouches
Oroweat whole grain white bread
Slim-Fast Optima creamy milk chocolate shake
French's mustard
Double Dave's ranch dressing
Minute Maid orange juice
Diet 7up
Honey Nut Cheerios

New Secretary of Energy

Whoever the next President is, the best choice for Secretary of Energy would be T. Boone Pickens. Here is a man with a plan!

By building wind generators from Texas to North Dakota we can "produce 20% of the electricity for the United States." Also, building wind power facilities in small towns will produce jobs for rural Americal.

Pushing Natural Gas Vehicles (NGV) would not only help with our enery crisis, but they are cheaper to run and are better for the environment. "Natural gas is our country's second largest energy resource; [it] is one of the cleanest, safest and most useful forms of energy — residentially, commercially and industrially; [and] Domestic natural gas reserves are twice that of petroleum." In some states, natural gas at feuling stations are less than $1 a gallon! "According to the California Energy Commission, critical greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline. "

More details on the Pickens Plan are available at the website below.

http://www.pickensplan.com/

Health Care

I just read an interesting article in Texas Monthly (Sept 2008) titled Small-Town Family Doctor. What I found interesting was Dr. Edwards' statement that "Medicare only pays 60 cents for every dollar I charge; Medicaid is even worse." He also goes on to explain that there is a shortage of primary care physicians expecially in small towns. He is the only doctor in Garza county, TX which has a population of 4,872.

With a lot of emphasis being put on health care during the election this year, several thoughts have occured to me:

1) Fewer medical students are choosing primary care because of financial rewards.

2) Most graduates leave medical school $140,000 in debt.

3) Doctors and hospitals do not want to handle Medicare and Medicaid due to the paperwork hassle and inadiquate reimbursement.

The states need to offer medical students a deal: attend college in our state, become a primary care physician, spend your first 3-5 years in an area of our state that needs doctors, and we will pay $100,000 of your student loan.

The government also needs to fix the Medicare and Medicaid system. Standard and customary charges should be paid at 100%. These systems care for the elderly and the poor, two groups that need better care.

NASCAR on Pay Per View

I have resorted to TiVoing the NASCAR races so that I don't have to watch the commercials. I hate when the networks break during pit stops, long runs, etc. to go to commercial. I want to watch the pit stops. I also hate it when something important happens and you have to watch it on replay because we were watching a "Big Boy" (male enhancement) commercial instead of the big pass on the track.

Now, I understand the need for commercials. The bills have to be paid. But what if NASCAR teamed up with Pay-Per-View? I personally would pay to watch Talledaga or Daytona without commercials.

People pay to watch boxing, basketball, etc. on Pay-Per-View. The networks are already filming the entire race. The announcers are already there (unless these are bathroom breaks). Fans would get to see the entire race and not miss any action.

Maybe I would TiVo the Pay-Per-View. I like to pause to take my own breaks.