ESCAPE! We're about to head out to Lake Texoma for a day or two of camping. No pies, no dressing, no cranberry sauce, no sweet potatoes or green bean casserole. I did get some sliced turkey for sandwiches just to be cute. Based on our photo history, it looks like we haven't camped at Big Mineral since November 2008. It was cold then, and I expect it will be a little chilly now, but we've got the trailer now for sleeping. It won't be quite as bad as tent living. Yup, I've got quite a bit to be thankful for this year (but I'm not going to list 1,000 things like SOME people). I can't wait to be thankful for my new house, but nothing has happened in 3 weeks, and I'm starting to lose hope. I 'spect I should be thankful for where I am now, and I have been thankful for the little house on Oak Street, but you know how it is when you start looking ahead and being hopeful. It's dangerous business. Besides, I will turn 30 in 29 days, and if I'm still living in my parents' house when that happens... I reckon the sun will rise and set just like it always does.

The subject today is, if someone was going to play the part of you in a biographical movie, who would the actor/actress be? My initial response was...

...John Wayne, of course! I mean, he's always the hero of the story, and even when he plays a drunk or a broken-down old man, he still comes out on top. And why shouldn't he play me since I've been trying to play him most of my youthful life. I grew up believing that I could be a cowboy some day. Of course, I don't quite have the theatrical romantic heroism characteristics of Mr. Wayne, so my second choice was...

...Tommy Lee Jones. Still a cowboy at heart, Mr. Jones seems to often play the tragic hero. While he still comes out near the top, there's no humor or levity to it. He stands for what he believes is right, but he puts his principles before his relationships, and that sometimes leaves him stranded. But he deals with it alright, I reckon. But then I learned that I was supposed to pick an actor/actress according to my same gender. Details, details. So my choice is now...

...Kathy Bates, most notably for me from "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991). I don't know much about her other movies, but I think she could play me. Sure, she's older, but I FEEL older, so it works. She also played across from Terry Bradshaw in "Failure to Launch" (2006), another one of the movies on my favorites list. In both movies, her character is trying to fix things. In the first one, she's trying to fix her marriage, and in the second, she's trying to fix her son. She's not exactly sure what the right path is, but she goes for it anyway. Tawanda! Yup, that's who I pick.

So what do you think? Who would you pick to play me? Who would you pick to play YOU?

What a fun group of ladies! I'll try to give you a brief summary of the TFRW bi-annual convention, but it was a very busy weekend. This picture was taken on Saturday. We had 12 delagates and 1 alternate from Cooke County. I guess there were about 30 ladies there from Senate District 30, and I think there were over 700 ladies attending the convention. I don't think I saw anyone who was younger than me. Probably the closest woman to my age was Lela Pittenger who is running for the US Senate in 2012. Her speach was amazing, and I might be endorsing her as my candidate to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison, but we have a ways yet to go before March. Not that my endorsement means much! Anyhow, the average age of the convention attendee was probably 55, and it does scare me that most of my generation has no clue how this stuff works. Because a lot of our time at the convention was spent on party-related business. When we weren't listening to speach after speach from candidates and elected officials, we were voting on new leaders for the TFRW. Of course I didn't really know anything about the ladies who were taking office, but I did have the chance to get a little more informed. And it really helped me to understand why we do what we do at our county-level meetings.

So some highlights from the convention for me were:

- the 6 "Occupy Fort Worth" protestors who were outside chanting nonsense at us during Donald Rumsfeld's speach.
- the party we had for our senate district in a condo on the 32nd floor.
- the fancy food.
- all the free chocolate. Why, yes I will vote for you if you give me free candy ;)
- the saddled steer for photo ops in the hotel lobby. Hello, Fort Worth!
- my wonderful roomies, Pauline and Ninia.

So, yes, I had a good time, and I learned a TON, mostly about how the system works and about all the different areas where we really can make a difference as individuals, but also about people - my own club members and all the way on up to the candidates for state and federal offices. I'm pretty sure that I'll be going again, and the next one in 2013 will be in San Antonio.

It's convention time in Texas. This is my first one with the Republican Women. I dunno what else I can say about it since it hasn't happened yet and I'm not sure what to expect.

It seems that nothing has happened at the house these last two weeks. It is a little discouraging. If everyone got after the projects that need doing and even took weekends off, I think it'd be finished in 3 weeks. But the plumber has been busy and sick. Everything is waiting on him right now. I certainly can't plumb anything.

I sure could sleep a couple more days and nights. I'd best go get packed.

Pop and I went to the rededication ceremony for our Cooke County courthouse in Gainesville yesterday. The building was built just about 100 years ago, and it just went through a total restoration over the past couple years. I care because I spend quite a bit of time there doing research. I wouldn't have to spend as much time there if they were up to date and had everything on computers, but maybe now they can start getting to that point. I also care because I have gotten to know many of the folks who work in the courthouse - judges, attorneys, clerks, commissioners, etc. Plus I just can't resist the history. I like this one:

Cooke County's first County Judge in 1849, Robert Wheelock, jug of whiskey in hand, mounted his horse and shouted, "All who want the courthouse over here, follow me and have a drink!" Evidently at least two of his Commissioners must have followed him because a decision was made on a site for the County's first courthouse. Amid rumors that this was possibly an illegal meeting as it may not have been posted properly, a walking quorum had established the site of the original and succeeding courthouses.

The story goes that the first courthouse was really just a small shed, and someone's bull broke into it and destroyed it. There was a 2nd courthouse which burned down, taking with it the records of my great-great grandparents. The third courthouse also burned down in 1909, so the one we're using now is the 4th courthouse. May it stand for another 100 years.

I went furniture shopping on Thursday, and I ended up getting pretty much everything I need for the new house. I'm still desk shopping, but that can wait a little. First I found this couch. It's a reddish faux leather with a corner piece.

I could have gotten the matching love seat that goes with these two, but I decided instead to get a big chair with an ottoman. I think it works with the other stuff, but the important part is that it's very comfy.

I also found a chest of drawers, which is actually made for a TV, but I'm fairly certain that I won't be using it for that. I plan to be TV-less for as long as possible.

And I also found a mattress set to go into the bed frame that I already have. It's nothing fancy, but I think it'll do. I'm not sure why they make them so high off the ground, though.

And that is that. The desk I was looking at is similar to this one. But we're still a long way from putting any of that stuff in the house. I think the only thing that happened this week was that the bathroom was gutted. Sigh, but oh well.

The story of my first time to work an election began with a phone call from the county clerk and ended with a phone call from the county judge. It began months ago when I agreed to be the election judge for the precinct. I had a training session on how to run the poll book computer, and I spent an evening studying the laws and rules. I felt mostly ready but still quite nervous. I picked up my election materials - poll book, ballots, ballot box - the evening before election day. I set up the tables and chairs that evening as well.

Election day began at 6:15am when I arrived at the polling place. My two clerks and I got everything on my end set up for the Texas constitutional amendments. Also at my polling place was a team of workers for the college bond election and another team for a municipal tax/bond election. When the first voter came through, it turned out that she was at the wrong polling location. You have to vote where you were registered, not necessarily where you currently live, so we sent her away. The next person who came was what my training book called an "ideal voter." The ideal voter has their ID with them, is on my list for my precinct, and still lives at the address on record. Horray! However, when I tried to print their little confirmation sticker for them to sign, my printer wouldn't respond. Oh, disaster! Fortunately one of the county officials was there, and she pointed out that I had my printer hooked to the computer but didn't have the printer's power cord plugged in. Problem solved, and the day begins.

Around 5:30pm (with an hour and a half left to go), it became clear that we were going to run out of ballots in 30 minutes or less. 0_0 Phone calls revealed that a deputy would bring us more ballots ASAP. He arrived about 5 minutes after we'd run out with 30 more ballots. Unfortunately, we ran out AGAIN around 6:30pm. After some more phone calls, it was suggested that we go visit the closest precinct to see if they had any ballots. Before our runner got back, the other precinct judge had shown up asking US if WE had any extra ballots. More phone calls. It was then approved that I should print some extra ballots from our sample ballots. For the last 10 minutes of voting, 12 xeroxed ballots got us through the day, although some people who came in the window from 6:30 to 6:45 just decided to give up and went home.

So the polls closed, we packed up and drove the ballots and computer over to the old jail. The workers there expressed their shock and awe that we had run out of ballots. I was not that shocked since this has happened before in our precinct. Folks vote 'round here, and I sincerely thank them for it. Hopefully the higher-ups will start catching on when they print our ballots next time.

Oh, and thanks to the Baptist church for the use of your facilities and especially for those brownies! Nom nom nom!

I think this picture is from 1988. It's me and my grandparents, Mildred & Henry (mom's parents), and we're fishing at Lake Texoma at the Fobb Bottom camping area. It's a little too cold for that now, but I don't think I got in a lake at all this summer. With the draught, they kept talking about the bacteria or algae being dangerous for one's health, so everyone stayed away. Just a fun picture.

So, last night I watched an old movie from 1970, "Love Story". It won an Oscar and was quite popular at the time, but I found it devoid of any meaningful substance whatsoever. That's pretty harsh, I know. The story made sense, their relationship was strong, but the memorable line is "love means never having to say you're sorry." That's just ridiculous. If you start with that broken premise, then the rest is sure to take you nowhere. I think I was supposed to take Oliver's side, but I was so hoping that he'd make amends with his father and swallow his juvenile pride. But I guess the movie represents what happens more often than not in the real world. Sad.

Mission accomplished - the garage is now clean. And in a couple hours we'll have this mess unloaded and out of our lives. Perhaps after the dumping we can go to the Home Depot and do some shopping. Out with the old and in with the new and more expensive. Eh, I guess that's kinda how it works. Things don't last forever.

So, someone needs to keep reminding me to take care of my election judge responsibilities. I need to call the church today and make sure we have all the tables and chairs that we need and to see about setting things up on Monday evening. And also on Monday before 5:00pm, I MUST remember to pick up all the stuff - the ballots, ballot box and the computer/scanner/printer for checking people in. And I especially need to remember the question, "Do you still live at..." Apparently the paperwork will help me make sure I do everything I'm supposed to do, but I'm still a little nervous. The scary part is that this is apparently my warm-up so I'll be ready to work the presidential primary election in 2012. That kinda seems like a huge deal. Oh, and I also need to contact my other poll worker TODAY. Or I guess I could go knock on her door since she lives across the street. Naaah, I'll prolly just Facebook her. ;)

The inside of the house is...not quite started. I think it will be another week before the carpenter starts doing his thing - mainly fixing the floor in the bathroom, taking out some cabinets to prepare for installation of a shower and maybe fixing the kitchen cabinet doors so that they'll actually close. You can't really see it in this picture (lucky you), but there's a gaping hole behind the toilet. This evening we clean out the garage, and tomorrow we'll get it hauled off, so progress is still happening.

I had my first visitor at the house the other evening. While we were talking to the plumber, a lady came to the door to had out propaganda for the college. There is a big bond election happening for NCTC, and SOMEONE at my workplace is on the college board, so I don't exactly feel free to give my political thoughts on a $30,704,000 bond for a school that I've never really attended...yeah. Public education in general... Wake up, America!

And the outside is finished! The plumber is coming for his first look this evening, and mom is supposed to talk to the carpenter, so things are still moving along. And I picked up 6 buckets of rocks out of the backyard yesterday. The yard is pretty much sold rock a couple of inches below the soil, and when that giant tree fell down in the big storm, it pulled up a lot of mower-blade-dulling rocks. I'm still not sure how we're gonna fill that giant hole, but mom says the yard work can wait. It can, but it's pretty much the only thing I can do to help. Everything else that needs doing requires professionals.

P.S. If you enlarge this photo and look on the right side of the house in the widow, I'm pretty sure there's a face in there. But there wasn't anyone in the house. We've had another of our pictures come out with a window ghost in it, too. Now we have a new mystery - who is haunting my new house?~!

More rent house news - this floor furnace is no longer there. However, the hole is still there for now, but that will get fixed when the floor gets done. The painters did quite a bit yesterday, and I expect they'll get the trim painted today. That'll require some pictures, no doubt. I hope they get it done today 'cause it might rain again tomorrow. I need to harrass my plumber again. Perhaps I'll call him tomorrow. Well, happy All Saints day.