Um ...

Just a little information I received today ...

Gran Torino - I say one of the best Eastwood movies ever made. Oscars? He is only nominated for one- for his singing ... yeah ... SINGING ...

I am OUTRAGED ! But that Mickey Rourke wrestler movie is nominated and a few other stupid movies, but that's the only one for Gran Torino and do you know who will end up winning that category? Bruce Springsteen. UGH

Anyway- you know what movie edged Gran Torino out of the #1 spot these past two weeks?
Paul Blart - Mall Cop

OMG! The dumbest movie ever - and it has been #1 for two weeks.

The state of the nation is now in more question than ever!

Kah

HO WAITING

Um ... not sure whether to be offended or not.

I had to go to CVS tonight. I didn't feel well most of the weekend and I started to feel really bad today when I got home from work. I remembered CVS had a Clinic you can go to for small things. So I ran down there since it was after work and my doc was closed and saw them. She gave me two prescriptions and I told her the pharmacy could go on ahead and fill them.

So I walked over to the pharmacy part and told the man I had just been in the Minute Clinic and my name was Hopkins, etc ... and he said ok, are you going to wait? Yep I said ... I wandered over to the magazine rack and saw a new publication called Southern Lady. Well HECK YEAH! ... so I got a copy and sat down to wait.

About 15 minutes and a lovely recipe for chocolate fondue later ... I heard "Karyn Hopkins. Prescription waiting for Karyn Hopkins" ... so I went up front and paid.

When I got into the car, I ripped open the bag and took my first dose and noticed something odd. On top of each prescription was HO WAITING ... I mean WHAT!? They just LOOK at me and decide I'm a HO. Please ... I was wearing black yoga pants and an OU National Championship 2009 Shirt (don't ask ... darn CONRAD) ... I mean, I look FAR from ho-ish. I didn't even have my sparkly eye shadow or dangly earrings on. JEEZ. Judgemental.

Then it hit me - OH ... Ok I get it ... HO meaning that's for HOPKINS .. and then WAITING because I told the guy I was going to wait. I suppose if I still had my former name it would have been AB WAITING ... and that's not nearly so offensive.

Ah, we learn a little bit each day, do we not? Yes ... for awhile I thought CVS was totally harshing my mellow, you know what I'm saying?

Kah

Missing In Action

So sorry ... this week just got ahold of me and didn't let go.

I watched Inauguration stuff until my eyes were bleeding. Literally - I had a screaming headache by the time the Obama's hit the last ball.

Wednesday I was in bed and asleep by 9:30

Thursday- in by 9

Tonight, it's 8:36 and I'm about to wrap it up and get to bed. It's just been one of those weeks. Nothing I can put my finger on- not OVERLY busy at work, but steady - plenty of rest ... but for some reason my emotions are off .... and I can't figure out what's going on.

The house is a wreck, my stomache has hurt for days, I have a headache that just won't quit and my knee is twice the size it should be and hurts 24/7. I think I just need to go to bed and not worry about what time I'm getting up. Tomorrow's theme should be REST and REJUVINATION.

Wish me luck.

Kah

Oh- and happy birthday to my brother Andy, tomorrow! Happy 26th bro-man

Long Day

WHEW!

Long day, huh?

I started listening to CNN.com this morning when I got into work at 7:30 this morning ... and it just kept on and on and on - I actually watched the swearing in - but the rest of the day I just listened. Very historical and I did tear up- along with every coworker in the building.

Now I am watching the first dance at one of the Inaugural Balls ... and they are dancing to Conrad's and my first dance song! At Last, by Etta James. Such a great song ...

Then CRAZY that Kennedy had a seizure right there at the luncheon - just a wild day. But I'm glad I got to see it and listen to it. I'm so glad we have that sort of technology now.

I learned today the reason Washington and the early Presidents were sworn in on April 20th ... and it was because it took that long to gather up all the ballots and determine who had won the election. I always seem to forget that we didn't have cameras and news and the internet in the 1700's - whoops! But one of the cable channels had Presidental information all weekend and Conrad and I watched some of it- we watched Washington and Andrew Jackson and wow, that Andrew Jackson was something else- he was a duel fighter AND his wife was married before. She says she got a divorce and it was determined YEARS after Jackson married her that her other husband never got the divorce. They called her am adulturer and bigot until the day she died. VERY intersting - oh and she died twenty years before Andrew did. Heart attack. Buried in Tennessee.

I really want to watch more of those and read more. I guess every man had something interesting about him - and I'd like to figure out what those were. Thus. I suppose something else for me to concentrate on for this 2009.

Kah

January 20

Well, tomorrow is inauguration day! I know a lot of people wanted Obama to win and a lot didn't ... but regardless of all that, he will be inaugurated tomorrow. I just LOVE these national events ... I dig it - like Princess Di's wedding ... and Tim Russert's funeral ... I mean good or bad, I like to watch all the national coverage. Maybe that makes me weird, but it's something I'm into. This is also the first election I really got involved in. I watched all the debates and had an opinion - it was like being a real grown up!

So tomorrow I plan to be watching CNN.com at 11AM Central time ... just in time for lunch. HOW EXCITING!!! Tonight I am watching Anderso Cooper on CNN and watching all the crowds forming. Should be interesting stuff ...

As for me, my knee is absolutely killing me. It's still so swollen and hurts so much. I have to find a way tomorrow to get it propped up. I think it's not helping for me to be in a chair all day. I think having it elevated somehow may help - we shall see. Right now, the heating pad is my best friend.

Until tomorrow ...

Kah

Tattle Tails

I had mentioned before that Conrad and I both had sort of rough weeks. I was really busy at work, which is a welcome and wonderful thing- but it seemed that every night all I had energy to do was come home and crash ... Conrad on the other hand, services a lot of med schools and universities. Things are just gearing back up after the Christmas holidays, so he was running like a crazy man. He was home late at least three days and I think we ate dinner separately for three days. It was a wild week.

So we decided to lay around on Saturday morning (which we did) and then take ourselves out on a date. We went to see Gran Torino (Clint Eastwood) and it was AWESOME! PLEASE go see it ... great movie and not even something I would normally see ... we then went to Olive Garden. We had a gift card AND a coupon. SCORE! So off we went. We left the movie theatre and turned into the area where the restaurant is.

Out of nowhere, this Explorer sort of cuts us off and jumps right in front of us. He sort of had to over correct and me, being skittish still of driving, I laid my hand on Conrad's arm and asked him to please not follow that weirdo so close. So Conrad slowed down, just in time to see this dude almost jump the curb as we all turned right onto the main road. I looked over at Conrad and said um, is he drunk? We watched for a little longer and the guy never really drove ERATICALLY but there was just something really off. He'd get really close to leaving his lane - he'd slam on his brakes right before hitting someone. I reached for my phone and Conrad got up right beside him and I am NOT lying- this dude was almost passed out in his car, on one of the busiest streets in Houston. His head would lower lower lower and then he'd jerk it up. He was SO drunk or having some sort of a diabetic reaction or something. So I went ahead and called 911 and reported him and his location and his license plate. I felt sort of bad later - I'm not trying to ruin someone's life - I mean car impounded, felony on his record, court costs, community service- a DWI is no small thing. But Conrad reminded me there could have been a minivan full of kids up ahead and what if this guy had just full out passed out and rammed into them, killing the entire family? An over exageration, sure- but it's happened before. How many of those sad stories have you heard? So I think we did the right thing. It was VERY scary to witness it up close and I'm very glad I asked Conrad not to follow him so close when he first cut us off ... I didn't want to be anywhere near that man once we saw his true condition. I have been very hyper-sensitive since my own wreck. I watch EVERYONE - and I slow down at green lights ... I just don't trust people to drive the way they're supposed too - and this guy gave me a bad feeling from the second I saw him.l so glad I listened to my instincts on this one.

Afterwards, we went on and had a lovely dinner and are now home safe. Thanks be to God for THAT!

Kah

18 Hours

... until the weekend. For some reason this week was LONG and I was TIRED and poor Conrad - he had two bad days. Last night he came home looking pretty bad. He had a headache and was really tired. I think we are both beat ... I don't even know why. I just know I am READY for the weekend.

I got some of the medical bills in for the accident. It comes to like $11,400 - and my health insurance sent a note that basically said this is a car accident, please send this to your car insurance and whatever they don't pay we'll review. I already know Allstate will pay $2500 cause that's what my personal injury is ... and I guess after that, I'll send it back to my health insurance. I mean, it WAS a health problem and I think they SHOULD pay it. If they don't, I am prepared to fight ... it sort of put me in a bad mood though to get something like that in the mail.

So now I am ready to go to bed ... I just want to sleep it off and look forward to tomorrow evening. I am planning on making some of my grandma's chili and I want to see Gran Torino and I think we were talking about going to see a foreclosure in a friend of mine's neighborhood. I'd also like to price another XM radio. I miss the one that was in my truck.

Happy weekend to you all.

Kah

Hypothetical

So Conrad and I were talking about the post from yesterday- stripper names. If he follows the email directions, his name would be Buff Countryclub. Funny stuff.

So he and I were just joking around and I said something about him not being able to go to strip clubs and he said "I DON"T GO TO STRIPCLUBS!" ...

and then he said "This is why I can't have any friends!" ... first of all, he was kidding but I decided to go with it. I accused him of using any excuse in the book a man could come up with to go- like, one of his buds getting married (but I think they are all already married) etc ... and he said, "What if I had a friend that was DYING and he had never been, so we took him?" ... and I said, "Oh, so your friend is dying and YOU have to go to the stripclub." ... and of course, there was some eyerolling and some " I can not BELIEVE you would kill off your friend to see a naked lady?"

I was totally kidding ... but I said "No, you can not go with him" ... and "I can't believe you would REALLY want to go" ... and just some general guilt stuff ...

Then I said I didn't know what I was going to post about tonight. I had no topic readily available and he said, "How about how I got in TROUBLE for a HYPOTHETICAL story? About a HYPOTHETICAL friend who was HYPOTHETICALLY dying and how we went to a HYPOTHETICAL strip club? Which, by the way, I never even said I was GOING. Post about that! Post about how it never even happened and I got in trouble. GOD!"

(grin) ok, so that sounded good to me. I am posting about it. It's so much fun to get him riled up.

But I have to say ... it would take a heck of a lot more than a dying man- who by the way is also a LIAR because all men have been to a club - dragging all his buddies out to see naked ladies before he kicks the bucket. I think Conrad needs a better reason... and I think the "dying" man needs to go to church and get some annointing so as to make his path to Heaven a little more clear.

As we say in Texas, He needs killin'.

Lady H

Stripper Names

Ok, so this a random post, but it's on my mind.

Tonight Conrad and I watched Little Miss Sunshine- a movie from last year. If you haven't seen it and want to, then stop reading ... otherwise, the part at the end, when the little girl does the strip tease "cause my grandpa taught me these moves" is HILARIOUS.

It got me to thinking about stripper names- remember that email that went around that said your first pet's name and the street you lived on as a kid, combined, was your stripper name ... so like, mine would have been Vodka Newberry ...

Anyway, I am covered from head to toe with bruises - from the car wreck and OH falling down last week at lunch- like a big dork ... and while the outside ones have faded, the ones on the inside are still there. They have formed big knots on my legs and chest. Hematomas, the doctor called them- so I told Conrad that beginning this evening, my new stripper name is Lady Hematoma ... I am SO going by that. I also told him I was going to work in a classy joint- where like each girl has her own wall poster. Mine will be me, as I was this evening- in my fleece Christmas tree PJ bottoms, with one pant leg raised (so as to show off my hematoma) with a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. HOT!

It's a new year, why not?

Lady H

Painted Dogs

My family .... well ....

Let's just say that a few years back when I was on the fishing tour, my friend Tracy circulated a picture of my stepdad. It was of him, from behind, with a gun tucked into the back of his pants. She used to tell me people not to mess with me, or my family ...

I can't say I've gotten away from it since I got married. My darling husband and I can not even take a 15 minute walk around our neighborhood without being fully armed and ready for confrontation.

Maybe I attract it ...

Anyway, here is the latest. My stepdad is from Florida and a RABID Florida Gator fan. You must know then he was very excited to see the National Champtionship last night and football games in the South? ALWAYS a family affair- even the dogs get involved. This is a picture of my dear dog-brother Max. Poor Max has had the letters "UF" SHAVED into his fur and he has been painted ... Yes.

Since Florida DID win and are now the #1 ranked team - I shudder to think about what may have happened to poor Max today - I haven't heard. He may have had all his fur dyed orange and blue today. I don't know.

Blanca should count herself lucky that I am her mom. A white dog is PERFECT for dyeing and painting. HEY WAIT - she could TOTALLY sport some gray and blue next season. Hmmm...

Kah

War of the Roses

My new car does not yet have XM Radio installed. I miss it- but I just haven't had the time yet to get that installed -in the meantime, I have been listening to Houston stations. 104 with Roula and Ryan in the morning so far is my favorite. After today, FOR SURE.

They have a Thursday segment called War of the Roses. Basically if you think your one true love is being UNtrue ... they will call and offer to give that person 12 roses, to send to the person of their choice absolutely free. The goal, I guess, is to bust them sending the flowers to someone other than the caller.

So today Lydia calls and she says that her boyfriend, Nick, since the summer- has been acting weird. They went to his family reunion in Wichita Falls in August and he has been crazy ever since. His cousin, Amara, calls non-stop. They are constantly emailing and texting and IM'ing. Lydia has looked at the IM's, etc and said they are fine, normal but still- why the obsession with the cuz? To make matters worse, he has begun to go on "business trips" to Wichita when he NEVER did before. Christmas was awful- all she got was a DVD and she wants to know WHAT IS UP.

So Roula calls Nick, posing as a florist and tells him he has won a dozen free roses- he can send to anyone of his choice. Lydia, unbeknowst to him, is listening in. Nick falls for it STAT and says yes, send them to Amara.

OMG! Lydia just started SCREAMING at him. He finally figures out he's been had, he's on the radio and HE gets mad. He tells Lydia she's sick and sad and sorry and Lydia just says LOOK what is going on with your COUSIN? He says do you REALLY want to go here, on the radio all over Houston and she says yes - and he says FINE. I am in a relationship with her. OMG! Lydia freaks out, the DJ freaks out- GROSS GROSS GROSS ... and when Lydia said WHY did you do this to me? Why did you keep this going since August and IDIOT BRAIN says he did not want to ruin her holidays- she says my HOLIDAYS? He said yes- you know, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and she said um- what about August, September, October- No HOLIDAYS there, IDIOT ... and he is basically just straight busted. So Roula says listen, you guys can take this offline and Lydia, if you want, you can call us back and update us. Lydia says no I do NOT want to take this offline. I do not want to EVER speak to you again, NICK! and she hangs up.

Ryan, the other DJ- just says - Nick DUDE ... and Nick screams WHATEVER and hangs up.

WOW- cheating, cheating with a cousin, for MONTHS, from 8 hours away - or more and then calling your heartbroken girlfriend a sicko and telling her she looks stupid to everyone in Houston. What a slime bag. THEN when you are busted, you're mature enough to say WHATEVER to every question presented to you, asking you about your behavior. Do people REALLY think they can get away with this? There is nothing I can't stand more than a dishonest man - or someone trying to "spare" your feelings when really, it's just too much work for them to come right out and admit they're dirt. Lord have MERCY I have had my share of those- lots of bags of dirt hanging out in my past. FERTILIZER! The whole lot of them. :) (cheeky smirk here) ... gracious sakes alive, there's a lot of dirt in Minnesota, Dallas, Florida- just to name a few.

and what is wrong with ME that I am totally into it, go to work, tell my friends about it and find out they listen to it too! I am so so so going to listen every Thursday, even after I replace my XM Radio. It's just too addicting ... Conrad, in the meantime, has vowed to refuse any free offers of flowers from this point onward ... :)

Kah

Updates

I feel like there's been so much going on, I should update.

Health: I have been sick sick sick- since the Sunday after Christmas ... I finally broke down and went to the doc on Monday. It's turned into a chest infection. So I'm on a Z Pack, some nasal stuff, Prednisone and that lovely hydrocodone cough syryp. YUMMY. Three days later, I am feeling much better.

Insurance: They called today. The wreck has been deemed my fault, by a statement by the witness. Which, if you asked me, he was a very self important man- directing traffic and shouting orders. I am sure he LOVED being contacted by the insurance company. So they called today and said based on him, it was my fault. The good news is, I hit a Ranger Rover- and only did $13K in damage to his vehicle and he's also fine. I had $25K in coverage. So they won't be coming after me for anything. YAY! A month's worth of worry is now gone ...

I talked to Conrad about it all tonight and said you know, financially, this was the best thing ... I had a truck with 100K miles, and I owed a lot of money on it still. Because I rolled in car after car, my monthly payment was high and the gas was killing me. Now I have a car with 30% of the miles, a $175 something lesser car payment, GAP insurance so I don't worry and I filled up for $22 yesterday and it gave me 450 miles worth. I mean WOW. Monthly, we're talking about a $400-500 savings or so PER MONTH. If you want to talk about clearing up OTHER DEBT- it's as good as me just DOING IT - I mean, financially, this is better position to be in for a car owner. But wow, what a road to get here. I still remember the sound, the feeling and I still limp from the impact. I don't think I would have chosen this.

BUT, we're here, so I'll take it!

I took my fancy cough syrup so soon I should be getting tired. I'll let ya'll go- two days til the weekend!

Kah

Oh and for good measure, I included a pic of the baby and her daddy from a few weeks ago. They are SO ridiculous.

Moonbeam

Here's a nasty little secret about me- I name my cars. I also know if they are boys or girls, usually on sight. The name, takes a few days. I have ALWAYS named my cars.

Here's a run down:



1984 Isuzu Impulse- silver- no name- no sex
1994 Ford Ranger- gold - Truckie- boy
1997 Ford Probe- black- Sport- boy
1998 Chry Sebring- black- Joe Black- boy
2001 Ford Explorer- silver- Space Ghost- boy
2004 Chevy Silverado full size- red- Lady Bug- girl

and now introducing ....

2004 Toyota Solara- silver- Moonbeam- girl
Conrad thinks naming the cars is ridiculous, but I maintain that every car or truck I have owned has had it's on personality ... and this girl is no different. Also in the running was Outlaw or Rebel. Why OUTLAW, Conrad wanted to know. Cause I said- she's sleek, she's fast, she takes corners on two wheels- people are looking AT her and FOR her- she's an OUTLAW. And Rebel, he asked? Ah well Rebel in honor of the good southern people who faught in the War of Northern Agression which I STILL say we totally won ... and then Conrad looked at me and said ok, so you went from Outlaw, to Rebel to Moonbeam? What are you a hippie? No, not at all- a Moonbeam, a shining ray of light ... that silver light that comes from the moon. It's spiritual, it's peaceful, it's beautiful ... it's a Moonbeam ...

and after much consideration, Moonbeam it was. It sticks. It's ... her

Here are some pics ... she's beautiful, she's perfect. Four years old, 34K miles, not a mark on her. She was a lease car, with one owner from FL. Clearly an old man who never went anywhere. There wasn't a pierce of dirt, a rip a tear to be found on her ... and when you're out on the open road, she plays old school 90's rap music like an old pro. Snoop Dogg never sounded so good ... she's in showroom condition. I'm so proud.

Kah

Happy New Year

Hola!

Happy 2009 ... I am happy to see it here. We had a good 2008- especially with getting married and all ... but I have to say the car wreck on December 15th certainly helped it go out with a BANG and caused some stress and some frantic car buying ... but it all came out ok. No matter how much I worry and hem and haw - it normally does. Wish I could remember that when I am in the midst of whatever drama or crisis is going on. :) Ah well- always room for self improvement.

Tomorrow I will post pics of the new car - she's a beauty! I am very happy with her. Drives likes a dream. It's almost Saturday - I bought it on Monday night and STILL I have a half a tank of gas. I am going to be SO spoiled when it comes to that! No more $90 fill ups ...

No big resolutions here really. It WAS time for me to get my nails filled- my fake ones ... and I decided to just take them off. I've been under the impression for ten or more years that they make my hands look better when really it may be a matter of self control. I'm a nail biter- UNLESS I have fake ones on. But it's not healthy- it's expensive AND looking at your nails is a good way to determine health and I can't see mine through all the acrylic. So I took them off... and my "resolution" is to keep them off, not bite them and grow my own ... so far, so good. Day 2. HA! I have never made it past day 1 - so I'm already doing well. I feel good- they feel good. Very freeing ... and should be good on the budget too and there's really nothing more I enjoy LESS than going to get them filled. They always scratch me and hurt me with the drimel tool - so there's always that to look forward to.

Happy January 2nd everybody!

Kah