Word Winners

Here are the winners of  this year's Washington Post's Mensa

Invitational which once again asked readers to take any word from the

dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter , and

supply a new definition :

  1. *Cashtration* (n.):  The act of buying a house, which renders the

subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

  2. *Ignoranus*:  A person who is both stupid and an asshole.

  3. *Intaxication*:  Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts

until you realize it was your money to start with.

  4.  *Reintarnation*:  Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

  5. *Bozone* (n.):  The substance surrounding stupid people that stops

bright ideas from penetrating..

  The bozone layer unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking

down in the near future.

   6. *Foreploy*:  Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose

of getting laid.

  7.  *Giraffiti*:  Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

  8. *Sarchasm*:  The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the

person who doesn't get it.

  9. *Inoculatte*:  To take coffee intravenously when you are running

late.

 10. *Osteopornosis*:  A degenerate disease. (This one got extra

credit.)

 11. *Karmageddon*:  It's like, when everybody is sending off all these

really bad vibes, right?   And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious

bummer.

 12..  *Decafalon* (n.):  The gruelling event of getting through the day

consuming only things that are good for you..

 13. *Glibido*:  All talk and no action.

  14. *Dopeler  Effect*:  The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter

when they come at you rapidly.

  15.  *Arachnoleptic Fit* (n.):  The frantic dance performed just after

you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

  16. *Beelzebug* (n.):  Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into

your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast  out.

17.  *Caterpallor* (n.):  The colour you turn after finding half a

worm in the fruit you're eating.

It's Christmas Time - Our First One Without Mom

Gosh, it just seems like yesterday we were at the funeral in Kansas and now it's nearly Christmas.  Time really flies...Thanksgiving came and went, it was tough without Mom here.  Dad had several invitations to eat with friends and neighbors in Las Vegas so he decided to stay up there.  I was expecting (perhaps) a surprise visit from Johnny, but instead he went to Los Angeles to meet with a couple of potential Talent Agents who might be able to get him some more television or movie work.  So I was ready to spend the day with Cowboy Jack and we had planned to make a turkey roast and just stay home.  Around noon, my wonderful neighbor, Valerie, rang the doorbell and informed me that 'Dinner is in an hour and a half' - and I just about lost my mind.  I was standing there unshowered, green goo on my face, my hair unwashed, and nothing to contribute to a holiday meal!!  (I guess she asked me about a month earlier and I didn't hear her or something - ha).  So I rushed upstairs and got ready and made a quick pumpkin pie and went over and had a wonderful dinner with all the trimmings with their great family.  It was a nice Thanksgiving for someone missing their Mom.
Now Christmas is upon us and I am really missing her.
Blaine is moving in with Dad this month, she's up to her ass in dry goods trying to pack herself out of that mobile home up in Camino, CA.  Poor thing is paying perfect strangers to come over and help her pack.  And Dad is calling me every few days, frustrated with moving furniture around on her behalf.  I guess she's bringing THREE beds!!  Can't get a good night's sleep in any of them so she trades off all night...
And I'm in the midst of preparing to go back to work in January, at long last.  It's been so long since I had a job, I hope I remember how to do it!
I've been busy these last few weeks making things, two ponchos, two afghans, several nice neckwarmers, some wonderful pillows, and now I'm working on some dining room chair pad covers and a couple of lamps.  It feels good to be crafty for a change.
Hope all of you are enjoying the Holiday Season and remembering to be good to one another! 
Love -
Belinda

Heard Museum: World Famous for a Reason

Heard Museum: World Famous for a Reason

Back In Arizona At Last

Well, I'm back in Arizona at last - at least for the very near future.  Will have to go back and forth to Las Vegas for a few more months to come.

Poor Cowboy Jack barely recognized me when I first came home and then proceeded to give me the 'cold shoulder' treatment for an entire day and night before he warmed back up to me and now is a total glommer and won't leave my side.  

It's still hot enough here to use the pool, it was 89 degrees in there yesterday and we have lots of clouds but no rain here in Queen Creek this week.

This whole losing Mom thing has got me sort of depressed but I know this is all part of the healing and grieving process so I'm 'going with the flow' and trying not to be overwhelmed by it all.  She would want me to keep on plugging away at something meaningful, like finding a new job, which is my first and foremost priority these days.

Stay positive today - tell someone special that you LOVE them - and smile, for we never pass this way again.

From 'Daily Wealth' - So Good I Had To Put It On My Blog!!

Editor's note: This week, the U.S. government released several key economic reports. To spare you the fine details, just know unemployment is getting worse. And one manufacturing report was so bad, some thought the key number was a misprint. These problems are so severe and so much in the public eye right now, that we're doing something unusual for our Saturday guest essay...

 

Our sister site, The Daily Crux, called this essay the "best rant of 2009." It's no surprise it's from our colleague Porter Stansberry. While it was written months ago, we believe this is far and away best insight you can possibly read on the unemployment situation in America.

This Is Why There Are No Jobs in America

By Porter Stansberry
Saturday, August 21, 2010

I'd like to make you a business offer.

 

Seriously. This is a real offer. In fact, you really can't turn me down, as you'll come to understand in a moment...

 

Here's the deal. You're going to start a business or expand the one you've got now. It doesn't really matter what you do or what you're going to do. I'll partner with you no matter what business you're in – as long as it's legal.

 

But I can't give you any capital – you have to come up with that on your own. I won't give you any labor – that's definitely up to you. What I will do, however, is demand you follow all sorts of rules about what products and services you can offer, how much (and how often) you pay your employees, and where and when you're allowed to operate your business. That's my role in the affair: to tell you what to do.

 

Now in return for my rules, I'm going to take roughly half of whatever you make in the business each year. Half seems fair, doesn't it? I think so. Of course, that's half of your profits.

 

You're also going to have to pay me about 12% of whatever you decide to pay your employees because you've got to cover my expenses for promulgating all of the rules about who you can employ, when, where, and how. Come on, you're my partner. It's only "fair."

 

Now... after you've put your hard-earned savings at risk to start this business, and after you've worked hard at it for a few decades (paying me my 50% or a bit more along the way each year), you might decide you'd like to cash out – to finally live the good life.

 

Whether or not this is "fair" – some people never can afford to retire – is a different argument. As your partner, I'm happy for you to sell whenever you'd like... because our agreement says, if you sell, you have to pay me an additional 20% of whatever the capitalized value of the business is at that time.

 

I know... I know... you put up all the original capital. You took all the risks. You put in all of the labor. That's all true. But I've done my part, too. I've collected 50% of the profits each year. And I've always come up with more rules for you to follow each year. Therefore, I deserve another, final 20% slice of the business.

 

Oh... and one more thing...

 

Even after you've sold the business and paid all of my fees... I'd recommend buying lots of life insurance. You see, even after you've been retired for years, when you die, you'll have to pay me 50% of whatever your estate is worth.

 

After all, I've got lots of partners and not all of them are as successful as you and your family. We don't think it's "fair" for your kids to have such a big advantage. But if you buy enough life insurance, you can finance this expense for your children.

 

All in all, if you're a very successful entrepreneur... if you're one of the rare, lucky, and hard-working people who can create a new company, employ lots of people, and satisfy the public... you'll end up paying me more than 75% of your income over your life. Thanks so much.

 

I'm sure you'll think my offer is reasonable and happily partner with me... but it doesn't really matter how you feel about it because if you ever try to stiff me – or cheat me on any of my fees or rules – I'll break down your door in the middle of the night, threaten you and your family with heavy, automatic weapons, and throw you in jail.

 

That's how civil society is supposed to work, right? This is Amerika, isn't it?

 

That's the offer Amerika gives its entrepreneurs. And the idiots in Washington wonder why there are no new jobs...

 

Regards,

 

Porter Stansberry

Donna Lou Boyles

DONNA LOU BOYLES

Donna Lou Boyles, beloved wife, nurturing mother, adoring grandmother, wonderful friend, and beautiful spirited woman of 75 years, passed away on Sep. 2, 2010 after a courageous 5 year battle with cancer.  Donna was born on July 15, 1935 in Dexter, Kansas, to Mr. and Mrs. Fay Felix & Sarah Opal Cochran, and was a resident of Henderson, NV., for the past 13 years.  She spent her early life growing up in rural Kansas and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Dexter High School where she was the band’s Lead Majorette and Senior Class President.  Donna moved to Arkansas City, KS., working as a receptionist for the Kansas Gas and Electric Company, and eventually met Murry Boyles while he was serving in the US Marine Corps.  They were married on June 5, 1955, and Donna attended Arkansas City Junior College until starting a family.  In 1959, she gave birth to her first child, Bradley Lee, who was sadly taken by the Lord shortly after birth.  Three more children and several moves later, Donna arrived in Sunnyvale, California, where she continued to raise her family and further her education, culminating in a Business Marketing degree from San Jose State University and position with the Hewlett-Packard Corp.  Donna spent the majority of her life in Sunnyvale but was never one to be tied down.  After several years as a Real Estate Agent in Silicon Valley, a move to Phalaborwa in the Republic of South Africa, where sliced bread was a novelty, convinced her that her true calling was in travel and introducing others to the beauty and contrast of our world.  In 1982, Donna became an International Tour Director, coordinating and leading tours for several global companies.  The positive reviews and critiques she continually received were a testament to her devotion and drive to enrich the lives of others.  In 1996, after conducting 98 tours and 14 cruises, she retired to Henderson with her husband Murry.  In her later years, Donna fought many ongoing and chronic health problems with grace, toughness, and an indomitable spirit and was always smiling.  She showed all who knew her the meaning of true courage.  Donna is survived by her husband of 55 years, Murry Boyles of Henderson, NV.; her three children: Belinda Boyles of Queen Creek, AZ.; Lt.Col Bryan Boyles (USAF) of Highlands Ranch, CO.; and Blaine Boyles of Camino, CA.; her two sisters Rita Sue Davis and Karen Marie Hanks of Wichita, KS.; and her granddaughter Alana Boyles of Highlands Ranch, CO.  In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Memory of Donna L. Boyles  to the Susan G. Komen Foundation via their website.  Donna’s viewing will be held at the Miles Funeral Home in Winfield, KS.; followed by a memorial service at the Dexter Christian Church and graveside service at Dexter Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her first-born son.  Donna leaves behind many acquaintances across the world, and she will be greatly missed by her husband, children, granddaughter, and all her friends and relatives.   We love you so much, Mommy...May you rest peacefully with Bradley.

Update on Donna L. Boyles - PLEASE READ

Mom passed away after a 5-year ongoing battle with breast cancer on Thursday evening.  It was all very sudden, as the cancer had moved into a brain tumor diagnosed at the end of July.  She was just on a relocation preview trip for my Sister, Blaine, in mid-July and was doing very well.  She was supposedly 'in remission' from her breast cancer and her experimental chemo treatments had worked.  The Doctors neglected to do an MRI when they took her off the chemo a couple of months ago and apparently this was when they 'missed' the brain tumor - the rest of her tests all came back clear.

Mom tried radiation treatments as the tumor was found to be inoperable because of where it was located and its size.  The radiation had some bad side effects that caused her to decline mentally at a rapid rate.  She struggled valiantly against psychosis and paranoia for a couple of weeks and then began having extreme difficulty with eating.  One thing led to the next and she rapidly went downhill.  Mom was a fighter right to the end, and never gave up. She loved life and she loved people.

It is to her credit that she was able to spend some quality time with each of us three children before she passed away; the trip with my Sister Blaine, a four-day visit with my Brother Bryan and his daughter (Mom's only grandchild), Alana, and several visits with me over the course of the past 3 months.  We will always treasure those times and hold them close in our hearts.

Of course, Mom wants to be buried in Kansas where she was raised, next to my stillborn older Brother, Bradley.  So right now we are making arrangements for a service there in a few days.

We want to give all her friends an opportunity to celebrate Mom's life and the contribution she made to our own lives, so we are also planning to hold two celebration services/get togethers, one in Kansas and one in Las Vegas.  The one is Las Vegas will be held in mid-to-late September and you will be able to get an update on it here: 

www.cabocat.blogspot.com 

(this is my blog, which updates every few days on Mom's situation and our actions, etc.)  Please check it out.

Also, in lieu of flowers, Mom wouldn't want flowers - they DIE - she would appreciate it if everyone would PLEASE follow this link to this website and make a donation to FIGHT BREAST CANCER, the disease that took her from us. 

https://secure.info-komen.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=5300&5300.donation=form1&scid=1041&JServSessionIdr004=scwy1wbmy5.app306b

Your donation amount is never disclosed to the family but we will receive notice that you contributed in her memory.  Thank you for loving my Mom and for being her friend, colleague, companion, or family.
We appreciate your prayers and care during this trying time.
God Bless You,
Belinda E. Boyles and Family

You can reach my Father, Murry Boyles, at:
(702) 260-6400 home
(702) 334-3044 cell
436 Piute Valley Court
Henderson, NV  89012

Unfortunately, he does NOT use email.  Thank you.

Mom Passed Away Tonight

Mom passed away tonight around 7pm.  Please say a prayer for my family, especially my Dad, Murry. They were together for 57 years. 
Services will most likely be held in her home State of Kansas.
Thank you for all your condolences and prayers.  Dad can be contacted at (702)334-3044.  I'm sure in lieu of flowers, she would probably want donations made to a favorite charity.  He will know which one.
Thank you and God Bless You All.  If you love someone, TELL THEM while you still can.  That would've made Mom very happy, to know she had that impact with her passing.
- Belinda

Mom's Getting The Feeding Tube Today

Well, after much debate and family deliberation, we have decided to give Mom the feeding tube surgery today.  It seems that when she was getting some nutrition (through her port from the cancer chemo) via glucose, she was better and more 'herself' up and until the dropping incident of 4 days ago.  Since they dropped her, she's gone downhill.  Can't talk, only just some whispering, and tough to understand.  She can still write notes although they aren't always legible.  Yesterday she agreed, while seemingly 'herself' to allow the feeding tube surgery.  Then she 'changed' again and denied it. But because she's not getting ANY sustenance at this point, we have all collectively decided to try this as the final option on helping her to get back some function.  

She has repeatedly asked to 'go home'.  She wants to go back to her home and stay there, not die in a hospital surrounded by incompetents who have been dropping her, not feeding her, etc.  She is tired, and frustrated, and not 'herself' most of the time.

Dad has agreed to take her home provided he's able to get her proper care now that she's unable to walk, shower, or dress herself.  If he can get good home or hospice care, that would be best at this point.  The problem with glucose feedings is that sugar fuels the growth of the brain tumor (cancer loves sugar) and leads to her earlier demise.  

Without the ability to take the radiation treatments, we are really at a loss for something else to do on her behalf.  The Doctors say she needs a Divine Healing, they are unable to operate to remove this tumor because of its location in the brain.  She could be operated upon but the surgery would result in loss of function and she might live but not ever again be 'herself'.  And that's not an option we can live with.

Please pray for her, for my Dad, and the family as we struggle with these times.  God Bless You All.

Mom's Back In The Hospital Again

Mom's been back in the hospital again now for a couple of days.  She had an episode and was hitting Murry and her health care aides.  Yesterday I got a call from one of her care coordinators in the hospital asking me who she was to be released to when she got well enough to come home?  Duh...Dad.  She's having a few lucid moments, and the rest of the time she's nuts.  When she's lucid, the doctors and nurses think they are dealing with a person in her 'right' mind - but they aren't.  Then they believe some of what she is saying.  Very sad.  Dad is her primary care person - she belongs at home with him - but when she gets delusional she says he and the health aides are 'trying to kill her'.  Yesterday Dad told me that Blaine is arriving later today for a visit for a couple of days.  It will be good to know she is finally there and can help to assess what we are all dealing with, and perhaps have more understanding of the situation.  Please keep us in your prayers.

Mom's at home with Dad now

Mom's at home with Dad now, the health care aides are coming in for two hours morning and night and yesterday when I called Dad, he was getting her to eat something.  That's a good thing, she's losing body mass and a lot of weight from not eating or drinking properly.
We are hoping for him to get her to and from her radiation treatments over the next two weeks.
It's challenging, she's not very cooperative.
If you are getting any emails from her, PLEASE DO NOT CALL HER, call MURRY ONLY at (702)334-3044, as she's still psychotic and 'in and out' of being 'here'.  Some of the things she's writing online are delusional.  Dad is trying to keep her away from the computer and the phone, as she is so disturbed.
And NO, this is not some grand conspiracy to control her - we just don't want you spending your life savings flying out to see her when she's so out of control, and probably wouldn't know you anyhow.
Watch for updates here, I post every couple of days or so on her condition.  Thanks!

Mom's worsened

Mom has worsened.  She called the police in a bad mental state a week ago, said she was having issues with my Dad trying to 'hurt' her.  They took her to the only available Emergency Room, halfway across town and she was admitted in a psychotic state.  These doctors and this hospital are not her normal care providers, so we had to spend all week coordinating her care.  Finally they got her evaluated and a doctor called me Thursday evening and basically said they haven't seen this sort of thing manifest in this type of situation before;  they don't know if her trouble is from the steroids, the tumor, the painkillers, or the former history of strokes and brain damage from that.  It's very frustrating, she thinks the doctors are killing her, the nurses are killing her, my Dad is killing her, and now I am killing her for leaving her in the hospital.  I swear, she's totally LOST IT.
The worst part is, her radiation treatments to shrink the tumor can't take place as long as she's hospitalized - so unless she can stay in the home, she has no hope of survival from this.  Dad took her home late Thursday night.  Please, everyone pray for him - he's handling this with the home of 2 daily visits from home health aides, and Mom's already pissed them off bigtime.
He's determined to get her the radiation treatments, even if it means he has to keep her at home for 2 or 3 weeks.  If she freaks out again, and gets crazy, I'm afraid she will end up in either a convalescent home or the hospice. 
Please pray for my family at this time; that's really all we can do.  Thank you and God Bless.

Mom's got a brain tumor - HELP

Just returned from spending 4 days in Las Vegas dealing with MOM.  Her breast cancer has migrated into her brain and she's losing function, a little bit at a time.  When I got to the hospital, it was a shocking sight - just two weeks ago she was in great shape, moving a little slowly, but functioning fine, she was still 'herself'.  When I got to the door of her hospital room, my first thought was, this must be the wrong room - because she had gone so far downhill, she looked like a refugee from the convalescent home!  Little tiny grey-haired lady with no makeup and no hair gel - that's NOT MOM!! 
Never mind the fact that she's raving and losing her mind - she can't swallow, can't walk, can't drink or eat too well, and can't get her radiation treatments as long as she's in the hospital.  Says the nurses are 'beating her up'. 
The one I really feel bad for is DAD.  He's taken her home now and is dealing with the day-to-day.  I told him to get Home Health Care to come in and assist him - I hope he will.
There is NOTHING I can do for her - with my back this bad, I can't lift or help her, I can't do anything but get in the way and make her even angrier than she already is, and I feel so helpless.  This sucks. 
I hope God will give us all the strength to get through this, no matter His will in the outcome.