WTF !!

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Just had to replace my Passat's A/c System (compressor)

Did I mention, I still love my car. Okay, it's just gotta be good to me.

ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Silly Me

I got really excited that someone from the UK actually spent their own sweet time and read my blog? Okay, even if it was to defend Simon Baker (I can see Mel cringing). I youtubed the dude and when he interviews, he does come out to be a funny guy. So, maybe I stand corrected. Maybe he isn't that cocky. But how cool to see that I invoked some random person's emotion and they commented on one of my ramblings.

Kinda cool...

Amber

I think my niece is dodging my calls. I was nagging her to blog, since her parents are not doing it for the family. Then it clicked to me, when is her homecoming? Gotta get her a mum for homecoming. I called again and again. Darn voicemail.

Then I saw her post on her blog. That girl...She is something else. I would imagine that coming from Madison. hahaha

I love this picture of Amber. She's our next Volleyball superstar!

Anyways, still need to know when is Dobie's Homecoming.

Viggo, just because

Because he still is number 1 on my list. hee hee

He was the young Amish guy in the Harrison Ford movie witness, the asshole LT. in Demi Moore's G.I Jane, acted with Nicole Kidman in Portrait of a Lady and of course the awesome King in Lord of the Rings.

Under the weather

It all started this past Friday, while I laid in bed, telling myself, "YOU are NOT sick," I woke up Saturday, SICK...
Darn it, this sux balls!

But then I watched tv (I am too cheap to have cable) and was very happy that I got lucky. Viggo Mortensen had a movie on channel 26 or 39 at 11:00 am. Have you heard of Yakuza? Well, if it wasn't for me being in love with Viggo (LOTR Aragon, Hidalgo, History of Violence)this movie would be so bad. How bad? Let's see, so bad that the villian of the Karate Kid (the one with Daniel-san not Will Smith's kid)was in this movie.
So the next movie was Red Planet. Yes, I had a crush on Val Kilmer way back when he was Doc Holiday. Well this movie sux too. It was about going to Mars and trying to find oxygen for earth. Had a great cast but sux, sux, sux. It had that Trinity chick from the Matrix, Benjamin Bratt (Julia Robert's ex), A guy from Reservoir Dogs and Simon Baker (The Mentalist guy who thinks he is God's gift to women). Should have been decent but it was so depressing watching an orange screen of rocks. Probably filmed the darn movie in Arizona.

Then I feel asleep only to wake up and watch the new Hawaii Five-O. Jack-Pot. It was good. (Or was it since I saw two low budget movies? hmmm) As a kid, I loved Hawaii Five-O. Just loved McGarrett and the whole cop and robbers, which lead me to Tom Selleck in Magnum PI...Yikes, I digressed, let me back track. Okay, the new cast was fun and this tv show has a huge budget, thought I was watching a movie! In the end, after 55 minutes, I finally got to hear the line I loved as a kid, "Book'em Dano!"


Then came Tom Selleck's new cop show. I flipped the staion. Sorry Tom. I watched the new show Chase. Kinda cheesy but, it is suppose to be based in Houston, TX. It mentioned River Oaks onced and made it look as if San Antonio was very close to Houston. Like a quick car ride, whatever...

To end the night I saw SNL. It was good except for Katy Perry. WTF???? She's not a great performer, at least not a dancer. And as for the guys, I don't see what is so special about her freaking eyes. To make matters worse, she was featured on the Today show on Sunday morning. At freaking 7:30 am in the morning there was this Katy Perry chick again. I learned that she wanted to be an Amy Grant but couldn't. The studio changed her name to Perry instead of her real last name Hudson. Okay, then it only got worse. In the evening, after the Texan's lost to the Cowboys, (I can see Thomas grinning, enjoy Thomas, enjoy!) I saw Ty Pennington's Extreme Makeover. I screamed, yes, I screamed out of pure disgust, freaking Katy Perry was on the friggin show! Vomit.

So then Amazing Race comes on, first show of the season and there's a father and son (Asian) team from Sugarland, Texas. I am rooting for them but I don't think they will make it far. But go blue team! There's a team that they call the Team Glee. Yes, they were singing when they were competing. I already can't stand the dating tattoo couple, they are ROCKS! I felt bad for the girl Claire, she got hit in the face, full force with a small watermelon. Ouch!

Loved it that the couple who were in first place for the first challenge, ended up getting booted off the show. They were so cocky when they won and when they were in last place, uhmmmm, they weren't so cocky anymore. So satisfying.

So that was my weekend, Sick cough, bad movies, good tv shows. Since I don't have cab;e, I got a friend to record Dexter and Weeds for me. So, that's what I am doing tonight, with a little less coughing.
;-)

Bravo Bourdain

Saw him last night at Jones Hall.
He is a fantastic speaker.
Believe it or not, he seems more like a motivational speaker.
It was him, a podium & one beer, on stage.
He talked for about an hour and took questions for about twenty minutes.

He wasn't shy about confessing to his mistakes and so very humble about his love for travel and the Vietnamese people.

He is mentioned he ate at Mai's in the past and was presented a Durian fruit. He said it cleared the whole restaurant of patrons. hahahaha

He was trying to send out a message of how parents should be parents and that to enjoy life, one should venture out of their comfort zone (food and travel). He stressed that we should be very humble to the gestures of the native people. Pictures are of Anthony Bourdain in Viet Nam.

To be cont...

Regrets

Oh how I wished I never uttered the words, Mark McGrath...Uggggggg
Okay, why I ever thought he was hot...I don't know.
Vomit.
But to redeem myself, People magazine did vote him as "sexiest Rock Star in 2008"
So, at least I wasn't the only dork in the world. lol

Oh, my my, how my sisters won't let me live this down.

My Granny part II

As I sit and read other blogs about my grandmom, tears come out of no where. Yes, there is great comfort in knowing that she is in a better place and even greater comfort in knowing that I now have another guardian angel watching over me. Just never realizing, until my sisters mentioned that she is re-uniting with her husband, my grandfather. I never knew my grandfather but my grandmother, parents, uncles and aunts definitely would never let me forget that I had a great grandfather.

I'm not trying to be silly, but I was told all animals go to heaven. So do you think Grandmom will find Tyson, Sweet Penny? More importantly do you think Grandmom and Anne found one another? I like to think so.

I don't know, I feel all scattered everywhere this week. Yes, it is nice to have to do things, but I think it is going to hit me hard, when all the families are gone and I am left to my memories.

Florida

I needed to take a break from my hectic life. So I decided to do what I always enjoyed before. Reading my siblings blogs. After reading Mel's. Uhmmmmm, my life is not Hectic, compared to hers.

She commented on the Quran situation in Florida and I, without a shadow of a doubt, agree. Just don't burn it! Please. Damn...
I am glad he couldn't obtain a burn permit. As if we need anything else to make things worse.

Fear copycats of stupidity.

FCUK....

My Granny

She's gone.

I know, I know, she's in a better place...

But, but, but she's the most beautifully strong woman I ever loved.

She's my grandmom and I am feeling very selfish right now. I am sad for myself.
I am heart-broken that if I ever have children, they will never enjoy the love I felt for having her as a grandmother. The cakes and flan that she made for us. The joy she has when her grandchildren hugs her. Granny's talent for knitting and helping us get a yes, when mom and dad already said, "NO!"

I will miss her sense of style.

I know my grandmother loved all her grandbabies and great/grand-babies. But who will tell me she loves me best, even if she turns around and tells it to the next grandchild. The fact that she was in tune to make me feel so special.

My grandmother's smile, oh so elegantly regal.

Sigh...

(This is one of my all time favorite picture)

Something NEW

Yippee, you will not believe the luck I am having at Home Depot. Great luck.
This particular vanity I have been eyeing at for 6 months. Debating for a cheaper version, but not happy. Wanted a modern looking vanity, but too costly. Then bam!
The vanity that I initially wanted went on sale for 75% percent off! It was originally $199.00 and now $75.00(tax included). Home depot stopped carrying this style. Did I possibly get that lucky? I had to buy it right there and then. It is real wood too, instead of particle wood. Yes!

The downer of it is it is not a complete set, I now have to purchase a vanity top (sink) for it. But with such a huge discount, the vanity top will still be in my budget, yet I actually got the vanity I wanted. Wow, sometimes it is worth the wait!!! Do I get the new modern sink? Or do I get a square sink? Decisions, decisions.

I now need to decide on a new bath tub. I do not want fiber glass, want the old fashion metal over enamel. Last longer without cracks. I need a new toilet too. Hate the thought of sitting on a 20 year old toilet. Ewwwwww

I need to pick out the tiles to go around the tub. I currently like the tumbled stone look in my other bathroom, but I can't do the same tile for this bathroom, can I? The tumbled stone is a neutral color and I like it, but I should be adventurous and pick something else, right? Do I go for the larger 12inch look? It is now just small white tiles but it just feels gross, because I know it is OLD!

Then I have to pick out another tile for the bathroom floor because I knocked out the old tiles. Mainly because it I can't match these tiles to add for the space underneath the vanity. So it was easier to get some new tiles that will help make my vanity , "pop."

Picture this...

This is a painting that Chi Giao gave to me when she was downsizing.
I decided to give this painting a little update.
Instead of the serious gold frame, I modernized it by changing it to silver.
Then I had an old piece of mirror that I tried to cut (score the glass) to the size of the frame. Not successful, the glass cracked. But no worries, I still had another vision. I bought fabric to go with the guest room, the one that has the blue chandelier. It's going to go above the head board. But ah-ha, still nothing is going to waste, I plan on using the painted magnolia for the dining or living room. Without the frame, it looks less serious. I will place it next to something more contemporary to balance old and new.

You see, I am pretty darn proud of myself, I haven't purchase anything new. I have taken gifts from sibling and made it my own. Someone's trash is another person's treasure. Okay, the only new things I decided to buy or tiles, bathroom things (tub, tiles , toilet),roofing and wood for the house. But as for decor, I am not buying anything new until the basics are renovate first.
Ohhh but I want a kitchen island and a new sofa, so badly...Will power....

For the Red , White & Blue

Amanda got to come home for Labor Day. I don't know who was more excited, her parents or Amanda.
It was nice at the airport, all of Amanda's siblings went and her two cousins from Port Arthur. We held the sign to welcome her home. The airport personel was helpful and wanted to direct us to the correct door that "he" was going to come through. It's funny how we condition our selves to think he, instead of she.

After the airport, it was straight to Pho Binh for Chicken Pho for Amanda. (Did you know they put a hard boiled egg in your ga pho?) weird....but yummy...did you know there was dry pho with broth on the side? weirder!

It was exspecially nice to see how Melly and Thomas made some BCG for Amanda. so cute!!!

Inspiration

I have been talking about wanting a white picket fence for the longest time.
However, my house is not the fancy type of house that would make it okay to have a white pickect fence. It is still in suburbia so it may look out of place. I had a vison and I tried to explain it to a friend but they just didn't get what I wanted.

Until I saw a house that did exactly what I want for my home. (Granted my house is only a one story and not as nice as this home, but whatever...)I came across this house when I purchased my wicker chairs.

So, this will be my inspiration..Oh hell what am I saying, I took this picture because I am going to copy it. hee hee

More Doors & Chairs

I am slowly replacing the bedroom doors with updated doors.But before I can get the doors in its position, they have to be painted. Yes, this Labor day was not LABOR free.

I also worked on spray painting these wicker chairs. I added some new cushions and bam, they look brand new. I just purchased an old double rocker for the front porch. I think this project might take more elbow grease to make it look nice. It sure is DIRTY! I hope it will turn out as nice as these wicker shairs. These wicker chairs are for the back yard.

The Door

On Labor day, I did housework. Got the old pink front door painted. It is now red but it will need a lot more paint to get it the perfect red.Right now, it still has the pink peeking through.

Ultimately the house will be painted either gray with white borders or yellow with white borders. Either way, I knew that I ALWAYS wanted a red door so I just went ahead and painted it. Maybe this will motivate me to get the exterior painted faster. Well, if budget permits.