The Rain and Pain Causes Flooding in Texas. Shit! That Don't Rhyme.

It's been raining like crazy down here in Texas. Almost all of East Texas is under water and it shows no sign of receding. The Brazos river is flooding most of East Texas and it's set to still rise some more today. The Guadalupe river that runs near us was high but not over flowing. In fact it's receding.

I took some pictures (too lazy to post them) of the Guadalupe river that runs by the golf course near our place. The river looks far away because they have the area near the river blocked off. It's not safe because of snakes and they might let more water out of Canyon Lake at any time. Canyon feeds the Guadalupe river that passes through Seguin. So far we've been extremely lucky, flood wise. We are high and dry here in Seguin, but who knows what's next with all the rain.

Speaking of rain, it's been reeking havoc with my back. We have a Low right now over us and it's moving kind of slow. That means lots of humidity plus more rain and back pain. I love this rain because we really need it here in Texas. But DAYUM! Not all at once! Maybe two days out of the week would be nice not six out of seven.

Yesterday I made a Tamale Casserole from a recipe I found. David is crazy about it because it has cornbread, ground beef, enchilada sauce and cheese in it. All four of his favorite food groups. It's so fucking easy to make and above all, it's comfort food. So those are two good things going for it.

Using a fork, you mix a store bought cornbread mix using only 1/3 cup of milk and an egg. Then add in a 14 oz. can of creamed corn and mix that in nicely. Pour the mixture into a greased deep casserole dish, I use a 6x6 inch glass casserole dish that has a glass lid for this size recipe. Bake the cornbread mixture at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until done in the center. I use a little knife that I stick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.

While the cornbread is baking, brown a pound of ground beef with finely diced onions (if you like) in a pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste and one teaspoon of ground Comino. (comino is basically ground cumin) Drain off any fat and let sit until cornbread is done. When the cornbread is done, poke holes in it with a knife or fork. Layer the beef on top of the cornbread. Pour 2/3 of a 15 oz. can of mild enchilada sauce over the beef. The sauce will seep into the corn bread. Then sprinkle shredded Mexican brand cheese over the top of the beef. Sprinkle as much cheese as you personally like. I usually sprinkle a little salt on top of the cheese because the cheese is very bland. lower the oven temperature from 400 to 350 degrees and bake until cheese melts and the sauce bubbles. Take the casserole out and let it sit and cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

HEY! I'M BACK

Well, I'm back at the ol' grind, so to speak. I decided to take another week off just because, so don't go there, and don't judge me. I wasn't feeling so great. We had three weather fronts hit our area of Texas in less than 48 hours 2 weeks ago. I felt like my bottom half of my body was coming off. Really! It was that bad. I spent the whole week in bed and couldn't eat because of the pain. Sitting, standing, and walking were not on the agenda. Even my pain doctor couldn't help me. So I just rode it out and hoped my sanity stayed intact. But hey, we all know I'm crazy. I have the papers to prove it.

Anywho, onto other shit. I had to have blood drawn and another MRI this morning. Big whoop, I know, right?!  Well, if I had known it was going to take so fucking long I would have taken my laptop along for the ride. At least, I could have hammered out this shit while I sat there waiting and watching my life sucking. This shit is getting too old for me. I want something better. Why doesn't someone come up with a body shop for humans, where we can trade in the old models for newer younger ones. Shit, I'm way ahead of my time here.

Oh, the puppies got their very first BarkBox on Tuesday the first week I was out "technically". They somehow knew it was for them when I cut the packaging tape off the top. I guess they could smell the bacon infused doggy chew toy. They were so crazy, I wished you could have seen them. It's almost as bad as when I take them to the dog park. Anyways, they got a bag of dog treats made from turkey meat, some doggie gummies to freshen their breath, the bacon infused chew bone toy, a squeaky ball, and a lambs ear to chew on. They absolutely loved everything that they received. I'm wondering what will be inside their next box, which should be here by the 20th of next month. I don't have a say for what goes inside the box. I can only let them know if they are on certain diet restrictions or are allergic to something. The people at BarkBox will accommodate for those two reasons.

Well I have little minds to warp and values to twist.

Answer To Friday's Question

It's been raining for two days and nights now. I told David he needs to hurry and finish that ark before the flood starts. Then there is that nasty time change crap. Why the fuck do we need a time change anyhow? Other than that I have spent that whole morning in bed on the heating pad. Arthritic back pain is the worst.

Mkay, let's get to the answer to last Fridays question. Debra asked,

Why are you a dog person instead of a cat person?

Well Debra, I have had birds, hamsters, cats and dogs throughout my life so far and I tend to like dogs the best. I have come across different personalities in both dogs and cats. I just like dogs more because they are not indifferent to their owner like cats are. Cats don't give a shit about you. They just want you to feed them. The cats that I have had tore up my furniture and drapes. I don't really hate cats, I tolerate them and their behavior or habits.

Dogs want to play and run and have fun with you. They also have a certain unconditional love for their owner, which is quite sad because so many animals are abused at the hands of the very people they love. I also love dogs more because they can be trained to help you, such as service and/or police dogs, and they can also be trained to behave in your home without tearing things up. Dogs let you know when someone is at the front door before that person knocks and they will let you know of an intruder. I feel safer with a dog when David is gone on a fishing trip.

I'm Back!!!

I'm Back!! And YES, I'm so happy about it. I guess I could say it was a mini vacation but having an arthritic back is no picnic. Only those of you out there with this problem would know what I'm talking about.

I went to see my doctor on an emergency appointment and ended up getting shot up in the lower back to bring the pain down to a tolerable level. I do have to say that I feel better now. We had rain this Friday when I went for a follow-up and my back only felt slightly achy. At least I was able to stand for a half hour and make dinner without crying. That's how nice it was. I am still lying on a heating pad for 20 minutes every morning before I get up, and that does help a great deal. Otherwise I'm walking, standing, and sitting for longer periods of time than when I had this pain before. 

This morning was absolutely gorgeous! In the high 50's and sunny. I was sitting outside with my humongous mug of hot coffee and wearing my black sweats. The sun hitting my sweats kept me nice and warm. I sat and watched the birds teasing the neighborhood cat tribe. They're fun to watch. It's so wonderful that the weather is turning cooler now. I'm able to wear my long sleeve shirts and sweats. Also I'm able to drink my hot coffee again. I just love it!!

David walked with Lucy, our crazy Boston, this past weekend. He alternates walking with Spunky and Lucy. If he were to take both walking there would be problems. 

The Spunkinator with his burnt orange an
 cream UT @ Austin collar. Ready to go walking.

You see, Spunky likes to take the full length of the leash to extremes. He likes to walk 15 feet ahead of David. He never strays from the walking path and never goes after other animals or even people while walking at the park. He may be blind but he knows the walking path by heart. He's all business.

Lucy being her lazy ol' self.
Refusing to get out of our bed.

Lucy is the goof ball. David takes her usually on the weekends, which breaks poor Spunkinator's heart. She takes the leash out to the full length and waits for David to pass her up, all the while she's searching for cats, squirrels, and things that look interesting. BUT! She never leaves the walking path. She just likes to watch. When David is a good distance ahead of her and just before he starts to pull of the leash; she whines and hurries past him to the full length of the leash and checks out the surroundings again. David says she's good in the fact that she never jumps on people or other dogs. It's just the constant running she does that bothers him. And he wonders why she's so fucking tired every time he brings her home. GAH!!!

Peacock hair pin from Amazon.com

I had to trim my hair a bit this weekend because it's gotten so long. This is the longest it's been since I was a child. It goes way past my shoulders now and to me that's so cool. Now I get to put it up in my nice hair clips and stuff. I was actually on Amazon.com yesterday looking for pretty hair clips. Found a butt load of things to put on my Wish List for later to buy. It's easy to get sidetracked in that place.

While I was on hiatus for a week and a half. I went through some old clothes that are way too big for me. David will take them to the Thrift shop later this week when he has the time. Other than that nothing much happened during my time off.