No more Cindy Lou Who!

Okay I know it is the season for the Grinch who stole Christmas but I believe I have heard enough of the Cindy Lou Who thing to last me for the rest of the year. Since I just started working at Wal-Mart and my name tag reads Cindy Lou it seems that everyone that sees me has to say hello Cindy Lou Who. Today as a lady came through my line she laughed and said "Hi Cindy Lou hows Who ville?" I had to admit that was funny. Today they placed me on the express checkout which I thought was a bit funny since it was only my second day on a register alone. Lets go ahead and put the new cashier on the busiest register so she can slow down the process. (Well I must say I did a damn good job of not screwing up today.)
As I was standing by the red line waiting to flag down someone hoping to check out a nice gentleman walked by so I greeted him. He looked down at my chest and when he saw my name tag he stopped dead in his tracks. With a sly grin on his face he walked over and surprised the crap out of me by hugging me. I am not accustomed to strange men embarrassing me in Wal-Mart so I was shocked to say the least. He said " Hello Cindy Lou I'm sorry but you were just too cute to pass by." I laughed and said well thanks for the hug you made my day. One of the other cashiers witnessed this and was laughing at my response to the hug. Then along came an elderly couple and I asked them how they were . They responded with fine and you." Of course I always say I'm wonderful so the older gentleman reached out and hugged me then replied" Yes you are." I was grinning after that. The other cashier was now wiping tears from her eyes so I told her I must be wearing my pheromones today. She looked at me and ask what are pheromones?
I asked her if customers at this particular store were always this friendly and she replied no you just seem to be attracting the hugger's today. At least I can say that I really enjoyed the hugs too bad I didn't know who the first guy was and the older gentleman made me feel like my dad had came down from heaven or where ever you go when you step on a rainbow just to give me a hug.
I really enjoy talking to the customers and spend most of the day joking with everyone that comes through my line but I must say the older gentlemen seem to be the ones that enjoy the attention I give them the most. I can't help it I love the silver in their hair. LOL Just don't tell Wal-Mart that I'm enjoying my job so much they may want to charge me admittance to the store.

An Old Cowboy's Advice

Another inbox masterpiece.

An Old Cowboy's Advice:
* Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
* Keep skunks, bankers, and lawyers at a distance.
* Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
* A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
* Words that soak into your ears are whispered ... not yelled.
* Meanness don't jes' happen overnight.
* Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.
* Do not corner something you know is meaner than you.
* It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
* You cannot unsay a cruel word.
* Every path has a few puddles.
* When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
* The best sermons are lived, not preached.
* Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
* Don't judge folks by their relatives.
* Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
* Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll enjoy it a second time.
* Don't interfere with somethin' that ain'tbotherin' you none.
* Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
* If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin'.
* Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
* The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'.
* Always drink upstream from the herd.
* Good judgment comes from experience, and alotta that comes from bad judgment.
* Lettin' the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin' it back in.
* If you get to thinkin' you're a person of some influence, try orderin' somebody else's dog around.
* Live simply.
* Love generously.
* Care deeply.
* Speak kindly.
* Leave the rest to God...

Vet Exam

Vet Exam
A man runs into the vet's office carrying his dog, screaming for help. The vet rushes him back to an examination room and has him put his dog down on the examination table. The vet examines the still, limp body and after a few moments tells the man that his dog, regrettably, is dead. The man, clearly agitated and not willing to accept this, demands a second opinion. The vet goes into the back room and comes out with a cat and puts the cat down next to the dog's body. The cat sniffs the body, walks from head to tail poking and sniffing the dog's body and finally looks at the vet and meows. The vet looks at the man and says, "I'm sorry, but the cat thinks that your dog is dead too." The man is still unwilling to accept that his dog is dead. The vet brings in a black Labrador. The lab sniffs the body, walks from head to tail, and finally looks at the vet and barks. The vet looks at the man and says, "I'm sorry, but the lab thinks your dog is dead too." The man, finally resigned to the diagnosis, thanks the vet and asks how much he owes. The vet answers, "$650." "$650 to tell me my dog is dead?" exclaimed the man. "Well," the vet replies, "I would only have charged you $50 for my initial diagnosis. The additional $600 was for the cat scan and lab tests."

Don't it make my brown eyes blue

Sometime I wonder just how much a heart can take. When our designer put us together he/she knew that there would be times of trial and tribulation to test our strengths and emotions. That must be why the heart is such a strong thing. You can go through countless heart breaks in a life span and no matter how much it hurts you still survive. My first love died just before his 27Th birthday when I was 20 years old. I was devastated and to this day still have a soft spot for him. I think a lot of the decisions I made after that were an after effect of having a broken heart which led to the ultimate hurt of all living with out love. The first lesson I learned on that fateful day was you don't try to drink a bottle of Jack Daniels by yourself then attempt to ride in an elevator in a thirty story building the next day. My stomach was upset as it was from the sour mash but the toll the elevator took on my insides nearly caused me to lose my breakfast and lunch in one swoop. The hurt of losing someone you love with your whole being can cause you to lose site of yourself then cause you to make unwise decisions especially when you are young. It has taken me years to learn that I made a major mistake and now have to live with the realization that I traveled down this unhappy road of my life by my own choosing. Don't get me wrong I have lived and learned a lot because of this decision and feel I have learned my lessons in life. Stogie was my life at one point and the center of my universe. Once he bit the dust under that truck that hit him while he was doing what he loved best riding his motorcycle my universe came crashing down around me. This was a wake up call for me. I made myself a promise that I would never love a man that deeply again. I also promised that no man would touch me in my heart in that way again. That was 27 years ago and so far I have kept both promises to myself. Back in May on the 27Th anniversary of his death I realized that all I had accomplished was to live a life without love. Then I learned a new lesson that I am still trying to accomplish. That lesson is how to just let go. I work on this every minute of the day. I learned I need to let go of the hurt that I have felt, let go of the hard feelings I have toward those that hurt me, and let go of relationships that do nothing but hold me back one of which is a 27 year old marriage to a controlling abusive man that never had my heart but somehow found a way to hurt me emotionally. I have moved on spiritually and emotionally but economics have held me in a holding pattern for five years. I look at happy couples and ache because I miss that closeness. I want someone to share my hopes and dreams with but can't because I feel like I'm trying to tread water in quicksand.
I started having strange dreams so I began to write them down. Some are insightful and some would make great movies of the Quentin Tarantino genre. I took one dream that I must say I woke from hanging on the headboard gasping for air with my heart pounding in my chest. I sat up and said what in the hell was that? I wrote that dream down in a little notebook that lay by my bed. As days, weeks and months passed more dreams came and I wrote them down too. My family thought I had lost touch with reality but what they didn't see was the dreams were feeding the creative side of me. Once I started working at Kroger in September I turned one of the dreams into a manuscript that hopefully will someday be a novel that will entertain many people. Today I looked back into that notebook and read some of the dreams. I was amazed at how my dreams had created a happy life for me in my dream state. I also found a couple more novels in the making there. There is a possibility of a sequel or two from the first manuscript. I have always believed that there is a reason for everything so possibly the dreams were the creative force in my trying to escape since I had stifled it for many years under the hurt I felt. It doesn't matter because I realise that I have a bright future with many great things to come I just have to be patient and face each change with a positive attitude and move forward never looking back. I don't feel sorry for myself and I don't see myself as a victim I just need to stop being a door mat and allowing myself to be run over by everyone. I am who I am and I have came a long way to get to this point in my life. I am a strong woman with a lot to give. How does the song go? "I am woman hear me roar"

I love my Truck

My 1967 F100 has fast become my favorite vehicle ever. She is so pretty she turns heads where ever I go. I enjoy people walking up to me and asking what year is that. I proudly say she is a 67 ain't she pretty.
There is nothing more enjoyable than driving a classic vehicle. Mostly men young and old come up to me to make a comment but recently I had a soccer mom come up to me and tell me that she was jealous. She explained she needed her big SUV to tote the kids and the groceries but would give her eye teeth for my truck.
I gave her a big smile and said thanks I love my truck and I get up every morning and thank God that my kids are grown and I can now have the life I gave up to be a mom. Laughing she told me she was more than green with envy now because she had her life then married and had kids. She explained she would soon be 50 and still had a four year old to contend with.
When I told her I was 48 and looking forward to having the fun I missed out on she laughed and said "Honey get in that truck and have some fun for me".
I don't know what the best way to look at marriage and kids is but I married young had my kids and now that they are all grown with lives of their own I am ready to strike out and enjoy the life I gave up for marriage and family. I not only married for the wrong reason but I stayed for the wrong reason but then I was raised with a strong sense of duty. Plus no one told me that the TILL DEATH DO YOU PART thing would take so long.
Lots of people have their fun when they are young then settle down for a life with their chosen spouse. I believe I tried to be everything for the wrong person so now I am looking at the single side but I'm not afraid of being alone. Right now I am just looking forward to independence and telling myself it's never too late.
Who knows maybe there is a Mr. Right out there and I just had to go through the life experiences I had just to be ready for him. It dosn't really matter though as long as I have Mickey and Domino here to keep me company I will never truly be alone. Their love cannot be matched by any human.

A facelift is not enough I want a whole front end alignment

Thought I would share this joke that was in my email.


An Oldie

A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday
She spends $15,000 and feels pretty good about the results.
On her way home, she stops at a news stand to buy a newspaper.
Before leaving, she says to the clerk, "I hope you don't mind my asking, but how old do you think I am?"
"About 32," is the reply.
"Nope! I'm exactly 50," the woman says happily.

A little while later she goes into McDonald's and asks the counter girl the very same question.
The girl replies, "I'd guess about 29."
The woman replies with a big smile, "Nope, I'm 50."

Now she's feeling really good about herself. She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question.
The clerk responds, "Oh, I'd say 30."
Again she proudly responds, "I'm 50, but thank you!"

While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question.
He replies,"I'm 78 and my eyesight is going. Although, when I was young, there was a sure-fire way to tell how old a woman was.
It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are."
They wait in silence on the empty street until her curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out, "What the hell, go ahead."
He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast and he gently pinches each nipple. He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.

After a couple of minutes of this, she says, "Okay, okay...How old am I?"
He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, "Madam, you are 50."
Stunned and amazed, the woman says, "That was incredible, how could you tell?"
The old man says, "Promise you won't get mad?"
"I promise I won't," she says.



"I was behind you in McDonald's."

Living with a wiener

For those of you that know me well know I live with several Boston Terriers and love the breed. For the past 13 years I have been a fan of the breed.
Just recently my youngest son's girl moved in with us and brought along her Dachshund. I have never personally lived with a dachshund before but have been thrust into the wiener culture without wishing to. My biggest fear was how would the BT's handle living with a hot dog that walks which she resembles. I was more concerned that Twinkie, my son's mostly white BT which we lovingly call the Nazi or white supremest skin head would try to harm the adorable red wiener at first glance since she is anti any other breed other than Boston Terrier. Twinkie took the new addition in stride by ignoring her presence for a while. The other BT's seemed to not care at all that their home had been invaded by a dog that is two inches from the ground and has a long nose and tail. That was when I started noticing the little wiener sitting in my son's lap a majority of the time and not his beloved Twinkie whom would sit on the back of the sofa and observe the wiener in her Bubba's lap. That was when I started to comment to my son that his wiener loved him or say hey look your wiener is standing up when she would sit erect in his lap. This brought laughs to us all except for Twinkie of course who sat on the back of the sofa and glared at the little red wiener.
One weekend as we were having a bonfire I sat back and observed the wiener and Twinkie patrolling the fence line together. I thought since I had already downed a few shots of Jameson Irish Whiskey and a few beers maybe I was seeing things so I ask the person next to me which happened to be the wieners mom if I was seeing things. She replied no they are working in tandem. That was when I realized what was going on. The thing is since the wiener is of German origin and controlling she must be of the Nazi persuasion which just fits right in with the little white skinhead. The wiener and the Boston had bonded and were now working as a team. The ball obsessed wiener now had taught the white Boston how to be ball obsessed and the couch climbing I think I'm a cat Boston Terrier had taught the wiener to climb on the back of the sofa and recline like a cat.
Twinkie has been a vocal dog to begin with and we had grown used to her meowing and attempts to talk but now the wiener had learned to be vocal also so all I hear are whimpers from the wiener wanting me to throw the ball or for me to retrieve the ball that has been placed out of her reach by an annoyed human that had grown tired of her incessant whining. Twinkie could care less about the ball being retrieved but she meows and chatters for attention that she feels the wiener is taking away from her.
As for the rest of the BT crew they just lay around and watch the wiener and Twinkie try to control the house and the people in it. I can not tell you how many times I have been awaken at night by the cold nose of the wiener and her soft whimper wanting attention.
The scary part was waking up to a sweet soft body next to me and reaching down to pat my beloved Mickey or Domino only to feel the silky soft coat of the wiener in my bed. That was where I draw the line. I don't mind sleeping with a few Boston Terriers but by god I do not ever want to wake up with a red wiener at my side ever again.
I gently picked her up and carried her to my son's room where I placed her in his bed before remarking that I was single and felt no need to wake up with my hand on a wiener. He said mom your just mad because it was soft.

Turkey Day

Well Turkey day was a tough one for myself and my co-workers. We slaved over ovens to prepare meals for customers. Most were kind and wished us a great day but as usual we had a few that were curt and down right mean. Then as the day came to close my soon to be x-coworkers all gave me a hug and wished me luck in my new adventure of working at Wal-Mart. I hated leaving such a great group of people but I had to face the fact that Kroger was not paying me enough to be the independent adult I wanted to be alas I accepted a position at
Wal-Mart that paid more money and promised more hours. I think I will miss Scott's warm smiles and sweet hugs the most but don't tell him that. Thanks everyone for encouraging me when I was in the middle of writing my great novel that still sits waiting for approval. I appreciate the pats on the back and the interest that you all gave me when my family thought I was wasting my time. I am amazed that such warm and encouraging people exist and I am a better person for meeting you all. Don't worry I will be back to visit and get a hug or two from Scott and possibly I will get to work Kroger as a second job in the near future. Just remember what your paycheck states. A satisfied customer made this paycheck possible. I just love it!

I stood by your bed last night

I hate to think of the day that Mickey crosses the Rainbow Bridge. I watch him each day and realize that he fast approaching that time. I love him as much as I can and spend time with him letting him know I love him dearly. I just hope when the day comes that I lose my best friend this poem will help me to cope.

"I STOOD BESIDE YOUR BED LAST NIGHT" --Author unknown


I stood beside your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I whined to you so softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."
I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times your hands reached down to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.
I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to reassure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said "It's me."
You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair. I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me to be so near you everyday To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew ... In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.
The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning And say "goodnight, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide, I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see. Be patient, live your journey out ... then come home to be with me

Christmas Carol for Dogs

A Christmas Carol for Your Dog(Sung to the tune of "Winter Wonderland")
Dog tags ring, are you listening'?
In the lane, snow is glistening'.
It's yellow, NOT white,
I've been there tonight,
Marking up my winter wonderland
Smell that tree?
That's my fragrance.
It's a sign for wandering vagrants;
"Avoid where I pee,
it's MY pro-per-ty!
Marked up as my winter wonderland.
"In the meadow Dad will build a snowman,
following the classical design.
Then I'll lift my leg and let it go, man,
So all the world will know that it'smine-mine-mine!
Straight from me to the fence post,
flows my natural incense boast;
"Stay off my TURF,
this small piece of earth,
I marked it as my winter wonderland."

True Texan or The Texas Attitude

True Texan or The Texas Attitude
By Cindy Rodd Ruffino






Texas is as unique as the people that call it home. I guess you can say I was fortunate enough to be born in this great state. Over a lifetime of observation I have discovered that not every True Texan was born here. Texas was originally Mexico and years ago a wise man, an Impresario named Stephan F. Austin looked at this vast beautiful land and felt that with the right settlers this place would be wonderful. In order to get your acreage you had to become a citizen of Mexico and become a Catholic along with a few other promises. Without going into a history lesson things changed, a majority of the settlers disagreed, and soon battles for freedom were fought. One of the most famous battles was the battle fought at the Alamo. The men who fought and died trying make Texas free from the rule of Mexico were not Texans. They were here to stand with those whom believed Texas would be a better place if it were its own country. In my years of school and helping my children through their school years I came to believe that these early settlers set the way for what I call the Texas attitude. Even our current President the great George W. Bush has what I call the Texas attitude. The outspoken, opinionated, stubborn personality that will stand by what they think is right even if maybe they are not entirely right. My father had this attitude from time to time and yes reader so have I. There are many great leaders in our past that are from Texas, are also living proof that we Texans have a special way about us. The late President Lyndon B. Johnson was a great example. I remember one History Professor in my College years that told a story of how our illustrious leader loved to hold his cabinet meetings while sitting naked on the toilet. Now that is what I call a True Texan.

I like how it is said that everything is bigger in Texas. I’m sure there are objections to that rule but believe me you do not want to argue with a Texan. I have been married to the same man for 27 years and I will tell you now that he has that Texas attitude. He is a native Houstonian, not the brightest crayon in the box thanks to the old just pass them rule, but when he thinks he is right he gets this little sparkle in his eye, and then he gets a little smirk on his face, crosses his arms and will argue with you no matter how many times you prove him wrong. By God he knows what he’s talking about. I have learned to keep my sanity I just shrug it off and walk away. Maybe that is another part of the Texas attitude I’m right and what’s the use arguing.
My father was a wise man with many tales about what the Houston area was like when he was growing up. I loved to hear about Houston and the surrounding areas. He told of a road named Jack rabbit road. As a little girl I imagined this to be a dirt road with a long patch of green running down the middle. I envisioned my father as a young man walking down this road in his bare feet hunting rabbits. A few years later while looking for a friend’s house that had moved out to the Cypress area I saw Jack Rabbit road. I ask my father if this was the same road he told us of and he confirmed the location. I was disillusioned to see it paved with signal lights. I told my children this story one day as we passed the FM 1960 area that was once Jack Rabbit Road. The bustling corridor to numerous businesses and cookie cutter subdivisions just seemed like an unlikely place to once be called Jack Rabbit Road.

I loved hearing stories about Houston from my father and wished he was still with us so he could tell my children about the places that were. I feel they have lost out on a wonderful experience. Time has erased many of those stories from my mind. Then I remember riding in the back seat of our station wagon looking at miles of country on both sides of the road. I remember the amazing Good Year Blimp base and how it was surrounded by nothing but fields of cows. Today there is no blimp base. The only thing that is there to show that it once existed is a patch of cement and a chain link fence off to the side of a Lowe’s Home Improvement. Things like this I can tell my children because I lived it. I sometimes feel like I am carrying on for my father. They all remember once seeing the blimp overhead and the sound or its motor humming as it passed by. That was possibly the last flight that she flew over the Houston area before she retired. I told them of warm summer nights as a child lying in the grass of our back yard watching the dancing lights as the blimp flew over our Heights home. I can tell them of magical places like the Shamrock Hilton, of Dance Town USA, Gilleys, fishing in Oyster Creek, miles and miles of pastures with longhorn cattle all gone by the way of growth. They can tell their children of showing their rabbits in 4-H at the Astrodome, of Astroworld, the Good Year Blimp, Peppermint Park and other memories that are gone by the way of a little something called progress.
I remember a man once told me “I may not have been born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could.”
There are a few famous people that were not born in Texas but not only call Texas home but they have formed that opinionated attitude that I have come to call a Texas trait. Both Former President George H Bush and our present President George W. were born else where but have adapted to the Texas way. I remember upsetting a few Bush supporters when he first took office. One lady nearly had a fit when I told her that I liked ole W he had the attitude to make Texas proud. She went off on me telling me I should be ashamed that George W. Bush was a gift from God and he was going to save this country. Since I do not believe in discussing politics in public I gathered my purchases and left the store. My husband whom does not like ole W at all, assumed his I know what I’m talking about stance and proceeded to argue with the woman. Since she was the only cashier at that particular corner mega corporation drug store I had to turn around and literally drag him out of the store before the police were called or the woman lost her job. She was still screaming about praying and her God sent President as we drove out of the parking lot. I tried to explain to my other half that there was a time and place to discuss politics and religion and I felt the corner drug store was not the place.
Another Texan that was not born here is the Singer, writer, humorist who just recently ran for Governor, Richard Kinky Friedman. I must say I have never heard his music but I love his mystery novels. I don’t know if he has that Texas attitude but I do know that he has a great Texas sense of humor. He has been known to say things in jest and have it taken the wrong way. I must say, so have I, and just about every other native Texan I know. My youngest son is the same way. I tell him look not everyone gets your humor so you have to be careful what you say. I remember once when I was being loaded into the back of an ambulance on my way to the emergency room when he said in jest “Hey mom while you’re their maybe you can ask for some liposuction and breast realignment. I laughed but the Deputy Sheriff that was standing nearby took that Texas stance and chewed him a new one. The Deputy did not know our ongoing joke about me trying to train my breast to sit up and beg but all they could learn was lay down and play dead. He thought my son was being abusive to me. My son told him that it was a joke and even though my five foot five frame was shadowed by his six foot two frame he was afraid of me.
One Christmas holiday season I was employed by a company that has the Santa set up in a local mall. I had a particular hard time finding a good Santa. One gentleman came in with a beard and he seemed to fit the Santa role but also once he discovered that this was the first holiday season without my father decided he would be my father figure also. It is not an easy thing to tell Santa to butt out. After meeting my husband whom was out of a job and observing his way of dealing with me and my Texas I know what I’m doing attitude he decided I need his advice. He sat me down in Santa’s chair before the mall opened and told me that I was an intelligent and pretty young woman and I did not deserve to be treated in the manner I was accustomed. He told me flat out to get rid of the husband I would be better off raising my children alone. I was shocked. When I told him that he needed to stick to Santa business and leave me alone he became upset with me. He demanded to know why I chose to stay with such a jerk. I looked up at him and replied “ In 1980 I made a promise in a church to god, my family and my husband that I would be there for him in good times and bad, in sickness and health, till death do us part. It is not my fault the till death do you part thing was taking so long.” He did not know what to say and at least gave me a couple days peace before he lectured me again. Years later my mother saw the gentleman at a donut shop and he ask her” Hey is Cindy still living with that Asshole?” It is sad to say but he was not the first to ask that question and certainly not the last. My mother said she has come to expect it when ever she sees someone that she has not seen in quite awhile. I know these people mean well and this is another example of being a good Texan.
Many of you probably do not agree with me on my Texas attitude theory and you’re probably thinking well this was just a waste of time reading this dribble. All I ask is sit back and watch. Take the time to observe our leaders, our coworkers, our friends and anyone else you happen to see. When something is said or done that they do not agree with if they are a true Texan the attitude will show itself.