Ghost Whisperer........Sam or Jim; Pick One and Stick With It

I’m still having a hard time with the way Ghost Whisperer is going with Jim’s death, undead possession story. Clearly that is Jim in Sam’s body but I’m getting a headache sometimes seeing him look like Jim and other times as Sam. Pick one and stick with it but I guess they’re trying to make a point that even though the soul is Jim’s the body is Sam’s. It was also a quick turn around for that other ghost who was tormenting Melinda trying to get her to tell Sam/Jim or should I call him Jam the truth. He was irate with what Jim did and robbing Sam’s family the right to mourn him but suddenly he made an about face and apologized because Melinda gave them their family by talking sense into them and pointing out how they drove Sam and his sister away. Are they trying to say it’s OK that Jim hijacked Sam’s body and they can get on with their life or was this a quick way to get rid of Sam’s ties to his past and allowing Jam to move in with Melinda and for them to start a relationship?

I have to admit, towards the end with Delia seeing him at the basketball court and realizing it really was Jim and bringing him back to Melinda. That had me crying but I cry at Hallmark commercials so I’m not a good judge of how emotional it really was.

Is the rest of the season going to be Jam slowly falling in love with Melinda and will he eventually have Jim’s memories? I hope not.

For updates on Ghost Whisperer visit my new blog TV Chat

House O House Where Art Thou or Where in Alabama Is My House?

Help, I’m lost and need to find my way home.

I’d posted a while ago that we bought a house. That seemed to be the easy part but now it’s getting confusing. Where exactly is our house located. There are two options and good arguments for both. My house could be in Dothan, Alabama or Kinsey Alabama.

Arguments for Dothan, Alabama:
• House was listed as being in Dothan
• Real Estate Agent states house is in Dothan
• Title company says house is in Dothan

Arguments for Kinsey, Alabama:
• Other houses on the same street we looked at are listed as being in Kinsey
• Kinsey Town Hall says house is in Kinsey
• Dothan City Hall says house is outside Dothan city limits
• House is hooked up to Kinsey water
• Insurance companies are saying the house is in Kinsey

Arguments supporting both Dothan and Kinsey:
• An internet search for the address has it listed in both Kinsey and Dothan, depending on which site you go to.
• Post office for that zip code is in Dothan but they say the house is in Kinsey and has a Dothan mailing address. Mail addressed to either Dothan or Kinsey will still be delivered.

Please help me decide which city I actually live in. Poll in side column.

Invasion of the Body Snatcher....Tonight's Ghost Whisperer

I thought last weeks Ghost Whisperer was bad but tonight was worse. Jim won’t leave Melinda and cross over, Melinda can’t see Jim because of her grief but at his funeral when everybody’s dancing she finally sees him. Melinda keeps telling Jim to cross over and let her go but he still refuses. At the end Melinda’s in the car and sees an accident with paramedics working on someone and they die. Jim announces he knows what he needs to do and Melinda can’t stop him before he enters the dead guy’s body bringing the body back to life. Melinda is the only one who sees this guy with Jim's face. The NuJim doesn’t recognize Melinda.

Previews of next week show him in the hospital with Melinda holding his hand. He tells her he doesn’t know who she is but there’s something about her that’s familiar. GIMMIE A BREAK.

I would have been OK if this had all been a dream of Melinda’s or Jim’s. It would even be OK of Jim stuck around as a ghost and helped Melinda with her “clients.” I would have been upset if Jim crossed over but it would be acceptable. To have Jim steal someone else’s body is totally WRONG.

Share your views and opinions.

For updates on Ghost Whisperer visit my new blog TV Chat

Too Much for So Little

I usually complain about people and companies that really bug me and I’ll rave about a product I really like. This time I’m combining the two and I’m complaining about a new product that sounds great but I don’t feel is worth the money or calories, Bertolli Oven Baked Meals.

We saw the commercial for the Meat Lasagna Rustica and it looked so good we thought we’d try them. I purchased three different meals. The Meat Lasagna Rustica from the add, Chicken Parmigiana & Penne and Italian Sausage Rigatoni. These meals come in a bag and you dump the bag in a casserole dish and bake for 50 minutes. Reading the bag there’s 2 servings at 500 calories each. Being on a diet and counting calories that didn’t seem too bad until I saw the portion sizes. There are 2 rollups of Lasagna about 3 inches long 2 inches wide and 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick. That was it for 500 calories. Of course there was the sauce and cheese to go over it but it still wasn’t much. We ate it and I must say the flavor wasn’t too bad but Don thought it was bland. I decided if we EVER did this one again I’d spice it up a little with some oregano, basil and Italian seasoning.

The next night we tried the Chicken Parmigiana & Penne again with 2 servings at 500 calories each. There were 2 pieces of chicken about half the size of my palm and about an inch thick. There was sauce and penne pasta and cheese to go over the chicken. With this one the chicken wasn’t too bad but the sauce had a funny after taste.

Neither of these dishes held us too long before we were hungry again. I guess we could have supplemented them with a salad or garlic bread but 500 calories is a lot for one meal when you’re only eating 1200 calories to begin with. Who wants to add 150-170 more for a piece of bread with garlic butter or even 60 for a salad consisting only of lettuce and low fat dressing. That one meal would be more than half of my daily allowance. Not to mention the cost of this meal. It was in the freezer section for around $7 a bag but on sale for $5. If you have a family of 4 you’ll need 2 bags and you’re spending $10-$15 and still have to supplement the meal because there wasn’t enough in each serving for a child much less a full grown man.

We still have to try the Italian Sausage Rigatoni and then I’m not going to be purchasing these meals again. When I get a taste for Lasagna I’ll have Don make it and I won’t worry about calories that night. He makes the best Lasagna and Spaghetti I’ve ever tasted.

And They Said It Couldn't Be Done

I’m going to pat myself on the back today. After years of saying it can’t be done I’m doing it. I’m slowly converting over to Sugar Free Pepsi. Gasp!!!

I know, I’ve dug my heels in and have been fighting it tooth and nail but I was recently given a tip that’s proving successful and it’s not switching cold turkey. I’ve been slowly adding diet Pepsi to my regular stuff. It started a couple of weeks ago when I came to the conclusion that my way of dieting isn’t working. Don counts calories but I’ve said "no that doesn’t work for me I’ll just cut back.” I don’t like keeping a food diary and the hassle of counting and adding calories really bugs me. But as I said, my way isn’t working so I finally set my mind that I HAD to cut calories. Part of that was cutting back on my Pepsi. I noticed that 8oz of regular Pepsi was 100 calories so I measured it out every morning and that’s all I drank for the day. My morning caffeine fix.

I was talking to a friend of my mom’s who was more addicted to regular Pepsi than I was, actually I think she’s the one that got me hooked. She switched to diet by following the mixing solution and it worked. Now she’s sugar free all the way and I’m getting there. I started with 6oz of regular and 2 oz of diet. Now I’m at about 2-3 oz of regular and 5-6 oz of diet. I haven’t really noticed any difference; I’m just a little reluctant to go to pure sugar free. I still have several bottles of regular left but I’m never going to drink it straight again. Even if I’m mixing it the way I am now I’m coming out 75 calories ahead. That’s 75 calories more I can eat. Hey, that’s an apple or 5 crackers with half a tablespoon of peanut butter or about half a Peanut Butter Cup cookie.

Can you tell I’m really getting into this? To top it off I lost 7 lbs in the first week. Can I hear a cheer!!!

The Thanksgiving Challenge

With Thanksgiving only 2 weeks away I started thinking about what we’re going to do this year. I think we’ll have a quiet dinner at home, just the 2 of us. No big hoopla and cooking for days. I do plan on getting a small turkey or turkey breast and making potatoes, gravy and stuffing. Of course we’ll have to do the cranberry sauce. Whole cranberries for Don and the jelled for me. Then there’s the pie. I have to have Pumpkin but Don wants Cherry. Maybe I’ll get 1 of each and we can freeze what we don’t eat. Then freeze the turkey in containers for smaller meals on nights we don’t want to cook.

A quiet Thanksgiving isn’t what I’m use to. Last year I almost had a panic attack when it looked like we weren’t getting together with family but we eventually decided to join them. This year I’m looking forward to peace and quiet and none of the hassle.

Another thing I’ve been thinking about with the holiday approaching is all I’ve got to be thankful for. Life is so stressful and we sometimes get caught up and only focus on what’s going wrong or the negatives forgetting everything that’s good. I challenge you to list 5 things you’re thankful for this year. If you’re really adventurous try to think of 10.

I’ll start.

1. I have the most wonderful husband anyone could ever ask for.

2. I have 2 of the most lovable, squishy puppies ever. If you don’t believe me check out The Adventures of Stretch & Ellie.

3. I have been blessed with true friends. The kind who are there for you when you need them even though hundreds of miles separate you.

4. I have my health. The little aches and pains are unavoidable but I’m thankful I wake up every morning and I am able to do the things I love with the people I love.

5. I have a wonderful sister-in-law and brother-in-law. They would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it.

6. I have the love of Lickety Split and Not Me. They are two of the most annoying things in my life but a smile from them or an “I Love You” warms your heart and brings a smile.

7. I have been able to watch my cousin grow from a scared little girl into a wonderful, beautiful woman.

8. When I married my husband I inherited a daughter who has blessed us with the most adorable granddaughter.

9. God loved me so much he sent His son to die for me and I know I have eternal life through Him.

10. God meets all our needs and keeps on giving sometimes even before we realize there was a need.

Ghost Whisperer - Is This the Beginning of the End?

I’m a Ghost Whisperer fan and I was NOT pleased with tonight’s ending. I had a feeling it was going to happen and I was expecting to see him standing next to Melinda but I was still upset when it happened and yes I was crying. How dare they kill Jim.

The show is as much about Melinda and the ghosts as it is her relationship with her husband. She finally agreed to have a baby and they were trying to start their family and now this. I don’t know if the show will be the same. Did they “Jump the Shark” and is this the beginning of the end? I hope not but I don’t know how they’ll be able to get past this.

Share your views and vote in the poll.

For updates on Ghost Whisperer visit my new blog TV Chat

All That Glitters is Not Gold

When we got married my husband didn’t want a wedding ring. He just didn’t think he’d be able to get use to wearing a ring so I got him an engraved silver key chain. I wore my mom’s wedding ring which went perfect with my engagement ring. After we were married a couple of years he came to the decision he wanted a ring and that’s when the search began. I had to get him the perfect ring.

I’d heard someone talking about Titanium rings and blew it off. I wasn’t sure about this. Rings, especially wedding rings are supposed to be a precious metal like gold or platinum. But I always remembered that they made Titanium wedding bands.

After my husband announced he wanted a wedding ring we started looking at the various styles. He wasn’t too particular; it could be yellow or white gold. My rings were white gold so I was determined that’s what he had to have. One night we were looking online to get ideas when he announced he saw titanium rings and that’s what he wanted. OK, now I had to research this. I found out Titanium is a strong metal and it’s used for some rods and joints they put in the human body. Hey, if it could support the weight of an adult it could certainly sustain the daily wear and tear of a ring. We started looking at titanium wedding bands and I was surprised at how many styles there were to choose from. You can get them in silver, yellow and black. You can even get them in silver with a gold colored insert or design and with stones. I was hooked, now to pick out the perfect style. We got a style number 1-018, simple brushed silver with polished silver inserts. It’s perfect and he wears it every day, has never taken it off since I put it on his finger. Yes, even though he got it two years after our wedding I was the one put it on his finger.

I’ve been looking and may get myself a titanium necklace or cross. They are awesome and don’t tarnish like silver does. Believe it or not, they're even making jewelry out of Tungsten now.

Small Town Mentality Doesn't Work

I live in Ozark a city in Southeast Alabama that is growing in population but not in governmental mentality. The city has a land area of 32.24 square miles and according to the 2000 census a population of 15,119.

I moved to Ozark in 2003 and our traffic jams were usually 4 cars at the red light but I’ve seen congestion increasing in the five years I’ve been here. My husband describes Ozark as a big city trying to be run like Mayberry and its not working. Several businesses have closed since I’ve been here and there doesn’t seem to be any incentive to attract new business. There’s a lot of talk and ideas thrown around but nothing is being done.

Today, Election Day, only strengthened my opinion of how this city is run. They moved our polling location from the library to the civic center. I can understand that. It’s bigger and can handle the turnout that was expected. The problem was they still ran it like the library. They had 1 line that wrapped around the building in the middle of the afternoon. A couple of people were coming out and calling for people who’s last names started with certain letters of the alphabet stating that they could go right in. The rest of us had to wait. Someone who was leaving as we were walking up to the line said they’d waited 2-1/2 hours to get in to vote. That is ridiculous. How many people got frustrated or worn out and left because they couldn’t wait any longer. I realize they can’t predict how many people will turn out to vote but I read this morning that voter registration increased 31 percent this year. The officials had to know about that and they should have figured that a lot of those that were already registered and didn’t vote in the past would turn out for this election. They should have planned ahead but no, they put Barney, Floyd, and Goober in charge and we all know what bumbling idiots they are.

I think after the polls close everyone is going to Andy’s for some of Aunt Bea’s fried chicken and home churned ice cream. Tomorrow we may go fishing at Myer’s Lake.

I hope you had a much better time getting your voice heard today that I did.

I May Start Sleeping With One Eye Open

For a three year old kid Lickety is learning how to tease, the problem is, he doesn’t know when to stop.

For the past few months Lickety knocks on our door and runs off. If it happened once in a while or once a day it wouldn’t be so bad but it’s constant. Not only is it annoying to answer the door and find nobody there but it gets the dogs barking and we can’t quiet them down and a couple of times he’s hit the door so hard the window’s rattle. Sometimes I’ll hear a little giggle from behind the door or around the house and he doesn't respond when you call him. When I go out to look for him he’ll come waltzing up smiling, very pleased with himself.

How do we make him to stop? I’ve told him nicely he can’t keep doing it. I’ve yelled at him, my sister-in-law and her husband have yelled at him. I started giving him a time out but he still keeps it up. If I ask him who knocked on my door he runs down the list; Bubbie(6 year old brother), Poppy(grandfather) and Nana (grandmother). The other day I asked why he knocked and his response was “Oh, I dunno.”

After several knock and runs today the two of us walked to Nana and Poppy’s house. A few minutes later a sobbing Lickety called to say he was sorry but I have a feeling he’s already plotting his revenge and has new ideas of how to torture me.