On Hiatis... Back in October 2012

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

The Rath of Dallas, TX will be on hiatus until October 2012.

Try not to miss it too much.  The Blogger software has been changed a little so I am trying to learn the new changes.

                                  Hang in There !!!

Men's Warehouse in Plano

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Kevin mentioned that he needed to buy some new work clothes and was thinking about buying Dockers - yuck!!!   Dockers are really not suitable for professional office attire (in my opinion).

So, while out running errands, I popped into the Men's Warehouse here in Plano to check out the goods.   Lucky for me, all men's suits, shirts, pants, etc. were on sale - two for the price of one.  How can you pass up a deal like that?

While chatting with the store clerk, I mentioned that Kevin will be in the same week to take advantage of the sale.   I also mentioned that she should NOT allow him to buy Dockers.   She promised me that he would not leave the store with Dockers.   I am glad because I would not let him in the house with them either.

Of course, I mentioned this all to Kevin, so when he went in the store, he had fun with the store clerk.   "I want Dockers and nothing else!!!"  She caught on right away and tried to dissuade him and presented the dress pants, etc.   Finally, Kevin could not keep the charade going any longer and they both had a good laugh about the situation.

Your choice? Dockers or Dress Pants?

Dockers ???

Dress Pants !!!

A motto that I have is that it is not how much you spend as it is in how much you save while you are spending!

Happy Shopping !!!

One Year Mark... Guys Weekend !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Can you believe that on September 19, 2011, we have been in Dallas for one year? We have actually lived in the rental house in Plano since October 6, 2011 and have experienced all of the seasons in Dallas. Believe it or not, but people here are wearing parkas from November through March. Weenies!!!

I am looking forward to Spring when the leaves will be back on the trees and flowers in bloom. The grass gets quite brown through the dormant Winter season as well, so it will be nice to have it green again.

The only problem with being anxious for Spring is that the bugs will be back. Hoish!!!

Kevin's five brothers were here at the end of September 2011 for a "guys weekend" filled with football, hockey, and baseball not to mention some R&R by the pool. It was really fun to have the house filled with laughter and then silent while they were at the games.

I hope they come back this fall of 2012 for another "guys weekend". The Rath clan are always fun to be around.

Recognize Any of These Guys ???

While the guys were here, Kevin managed to pull a muscle cleaning the pool.  How embarrassing!!!  Pool cleaning exercises are a must at his age!

Also, Ken, with all his wisdom, decided that it was a necessity to have two TVs set up in the great room for Sunday football all day.  A challenge it was and a feat to conquer. Check it out!!!

Divide and Conquer !!!

Happiness on a Sunday Afternoon !!!

Here's to Guys Weekend 2012 !!!

1895 HP Sauce (House of Parliment)... Anyone ???

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

If you love BBQ Steak, you'll love left-over BBQ Steak!!!

Most of the men in my family love left-over BBQ Steak with HP Sauce... I think.

In any case, Kevin loves it.  However, HP Sauce is hard to find here.  I searched and searched and searched, and then, I FOUND IT!!!   I did not buy it as I thought I would come back later to get it. NOT!!!

I started the search all over again...  Tom Thumb, Folgers???, and other authentic grocery stores.   Not to be found anywhere.  Unlike Kevin (and any other man on the planet earth who will refuse to ask for directions), I ask a store clerk. NO IDEA what I am talking about... "Specialty Aisle" ???... this... that... yadda, yadda.  I finally found it in the "import aisle" and purchased two bottles of the House of Parliament Sauce made in Holland.

Check out this Historical link in Wikipedia ===> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_Sauce

HP Anyone ???

Happy New Year - 2012 !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

I must say the latter part of 2011 was quite busy and I was negligent in writing to you all. My apologies.  I am going to try to post some of the last part of the year to get back in the Blog Biz.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.  We had an awesome Christmas with family and friends back in Calgary.  It was a mad dash to get there, a mad rush to prepare for Christmas, but it was a lot of fun.

Take a look at my Christmas Tree!  Much easier than setting one up and decorating just to take it down before we left on the 28th.

Merry Ho Ho !!!

Happy New Year!!!  Any New Year's resolutions?  I am just hoping I can maintain all of my friendships from afar and that I can be a good person despite my flaws.

I shared this very touching video with most, but I loved it so much that I decided to post it to this blog in case some of you did not have a chance to see it.

Click Here ==>  Change for a Dollar

One more thought for everyone... only 358 days until Christmas 2012!!!  Ha, Ha.

Have an Awesome 2012 !!!

Cop Nod - NOT !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


The other day, we were returning from dining out and were stopped at a red light.  A cop pulled up beside us and gave me a big smile and nod.  I mentioned this to Kevin and he said this happened for the following reasons:

1. We were not speeding.
2. We have current vehicle insurance and outstanding warrants for arrest.
3. He was just saying hello.

The cop has a camera in his vehicle that takes pictures of the license plates.  Then, the plate is run through a database looking for current insurance, outstanding warrants, etc.  So, the smile and nod meant that we were good to go.

Apparently, 20% of Dallas residents do not have insurance on their vehicles.  That seems high!

Good to Go !!!

Water Restrictions & Energy Conservation !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


With the extreme heat, the City of Plano has put water restrictions in place:

• Only water 2 days per week.
• We are on the Monday & Thursday schedule (even house number).  Odd numbered houses are on Tuesday and Friday.
• Watering is prohibited between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
• At least we are allowed to fill the pool at its normal level.

Also, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) has requested that Dallas residents observe the following conservation tips:

• Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment.
• When at home, close blinds and drapes that get direct sun, set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, and use fans in occupied rooms to feel cooler.
• When away from home, set air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn all fans off before you leave. Block the sun by closing blinds or drapes on windows that will get direct sun.
• Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, or other home appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m.
• Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers more than necessary.
• Use microwaves for cooking instead of an electric range or oven.
• Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or evening instead of the afternoon.
• Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing nonessential production processes.

There may also be rolling blackouts to conserve energy.

Should be "Peppers Network"

Our gas bill last month was... get this... $8.99 for the whole month!!!  Kevin says it's because I don't cook enough on the gas stove.  NOT!  In fact, it made us both laugh as we have never paid a gas bill that low!

Melt Down in Dallas...

Whether You Like It, or WEATHER You Don't !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


We experienced a Dallas melt down in August and September.  We even made record breaking heat temperatures.  One area in Dallas reported 110 F.


Back in 1980, Dallas reported a record of 42 consecutive days at 100 F. or above.  This year, we hit 40 consecutive days at 100 F. or above and missed breaking the record by two days.  Dallas residents were somewhat disappointed that they had to endure the heat only to miss breaking the record by two days.


The second record to break was recorded in 1980 with a total of 69 days for the year to have a record at 100 F. or above (not consecutive days).  As of September 12, 2011, we tied the record this year as we were at 69 Days with 100 F. or above.  As of September 13, we broke the record with 70 days at or above 100 F.  This is a new record for 2011.

With this extreme heat wave, there have been many fires in Northern Dallas and several communities have been evacuated.  We have been watching "live" footage and it has been devastating to watch the fires burning houses down to the ground... leaving families with no place to go and no return to their homes.


Can you imagine watching your house burn down to the ground on television???  We continue to have empathy for those families and hope that they will be in the care of loved ones.

Triple Digit Melt Down in Dallas...

Good Food - Bad Food !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


If you are really hungry, you'll eat anything.  However, I am spoiled by Kevin as he makes breakfast almost every Saturday and Sunday.  Bacon and eggs, orange juice, and coffee. It always tastes better if someone else makes it - right?

Yummy !!!

A while ago, we went out for a nice dinner to a restaurant called Steve Fields Steak & Lobster Lounge & Restaurant.  They have live entertainment in the Lounge or you could enjoy a quiet dinner in the restaurant.  The food was fabulous as was the ambiance.

As we worry about how Brandon is doing at home and whether or not he is eating properly, we need not worry.  Sometimes Brandon will send us a picture of his dinner that he prepared and we are thankful that it is not Kraft Dinner.  Here's one of his latest creations...

Good Job, Brandon !!!

There are times when you have lost your appetite before you even take a bite.  We visited a Chinese Food restaurant (Mr. Wok) a couple of times and the food was delicious.  However, Kevin ordered a medium Tilapia dish (offered as small, medium or large).  Unfortunately, it was not to his liking due to the appearance.  It looked something like the following except that it was standing up on its belly staring right at him.  Ugh!

What Not to Eat...

Family Heirloom

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


When we moved to Plano last year, I brought along a family heirloom.  These little fellows have been in the family since I was a kid.  They have seen some abuse over time, but managed to be glued back together.


I wonder who broke them?  I guess we will never know - right Chris?  Ha, ha.  I have no idea who broke them and put them back together and really don't care.


As much as everyone wanted these little guys, the fight was on and I won.  Aren't I lucky?  I think some day they will travel with us again and may very well end up in someone else's home.    Let this be a family warning!  Beware of these guys showing up in your home on display some day.


They are enjoying being in Plano.  Aren't they lovely!!!  I keep checking on them to make sure they have not wandered out to the pastures nearby.  Maybe it is their fault that we had so many dung beetles in our back yard this summer.

Just for You - Chris !!!

Arm-a-Who ???

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


As I have been driving around getting groceries, etc., I have actually passed three of these on the street.  Dead of course...  That's right - Armadillos!!!


Armadillo is a spanish word for "little armored one".  The Armadillo is the Texas state small mammal and it is observed on ground hog day the same way a ground hog is observed seeing its shadow.  The official Armadillo in Austin, Texas is called Bee Cave Bob.


Check it out!  Note the nine "bands" on his armored back (the lines of armor).  The "nine banded Armadillo" is native to Texas.  If you "click" or "double click" on the photo, it will enlarge and you will be able to see it better.  Use the "back button" to go back to posting/story.

Armed and Ready !!!

R.I.P. !!!

After seeing the Armadillo's on the road, we were fortunate to have a "baby" visitor on our front lawn.

Meet baby "Armando" the Armadillo !!!

Baby "Armando"... Watch Out For Cars !!!

Armadillo - ArMyGosh !!!

Wasps Anyone ???

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


In June, I showed Kevin the giant wasps that were flying around outside.  They are called Cicada Killers.  The males don’t sting, but the females do and we don’t want to try to figure out which is which.  They are about 1.5 inches long (sometimes bigger - the size of a man's thumb - a large thumb) and they eat Cicada bugs which are tree bugs that come out every 13 or 17 years.  Cicada bugs make a really loud sound and only hang out on trees until they finish mating and return to the ground where they stay for 13 or 17 years.  In some areas, the Cicada Killers and bugs come out every year.

The Cicada Killers catch the Cicada bug, inject their venom into the bug to paralyze them and then the Cicada Killers take the Cicada bug back to their own nest in the ground (nest is a hole 12-24 inches deep in the ground).  The Cicada Killers need 10-20 bugs in their nest to feed the newborn Cicada Killers.  GROSS!!!  Both Kevin and I had the heebie geebies all day.


Also, a red wasp got in the house and was sitting on the printer paper in the printer.  Kevin was at his desk and tried to print something.  Wondering why the printer was not printing, he looked up to see the red wasp about a foot away from him.  Thank goodness I have three heavy duty fly swatters which saved the day for Kevin!!!


So, the pest control company showed up to treat all 9 Cicada Killer nests and red ant hills in the back yard, plus two paper wasp nests in the front of the house.

Check out the links below:


Cicada Bug  ===>    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada


Cicada Bug Video  ===>    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mah26og11ms


Cicada Killer Wasp  ===>    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_cicada_killer

Cicada Killer Video ===>    http://www.veoh.com/watch/v15581392eErZSAbw

Cicada Killer Wasp

Bugged Out !!!

Don't Be Alarmed !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


Back in the middle of June, Kevin went out on a Saturday morning to run some errands.  While he was gone, one of the smoke detectors in the house started to beep and then stopped.  A short while later, all 9 smoke detectors went off with their high pitch piercing sound “singing” like crazy which lasted about 15 minutes long.

I checked upstairs and downstairs and there was no reason for them all to go off.  Then they all stopped... only for about 20 minutes, and then they all started the emergency sound again.  This continued as I waited for Kevin to come home.  So, all went off about 4 times before Kevin got home.  I knew he would not believe me if I called him on his cell, so I just waited for him to come home.  Of course even as I told him what happened he did not believe me.  I showed him the one that I tried to disconnect and as I was showing him, they all went off again.

So Kevin called the landlord who suggested to call ADT (no luck there as they did not have record of installing them).  Then Kevin called Milestone Electric who luckily found someone to come out and take a look.  With the landlord’s permission, Milestone replaced all 9 units with new ones.  Thank goodness they all went off while the technician was standing in our living room.  The old ones were a cheap model and he installed a better model.  It sure makes us feel better knowing they are new.  The old ones were probably the initial ones installed when the house was built in 2001.  The technician said you should put new ones in every 8-10 years.  The landlord paid the bill (thank goodness). Hoish!!!

Check Your Smoke Detectors !!!

Meet Oscar !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

While Aaron and Brandon were here visiting, we had an unexpected guest arrive in the yard.

Yes, a little Opossum wandered through the yard during the day. We managed to get a couple of photos of this little creature. He was kind of cute, but what was he doing out in the daylight hours? Opossums are nocturnal and roam around at night.

The Opossum is usually slow moving and when frightened, they fall into an involuntary shock-like state... playing "possum".

Meet Oscar the Opossum!!!

Oscar is So Cuuute !!!

Holidays Are Never Long Enough !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Aaron and Brandon had their first visit to Dallas in May and stayed for three weeks.  We had a great time here by the pool, had some nice dinners out and also spent one week in Aruba!  Never go to Aruba for one week.  It simply is not long enough.

We stayed at the Costa Linda Beach Resort.  The pools were warm and the resort was really clean.  The beach was miles of white sand and the ocean was warm and crystal clear.  We only had a few light rain showers throughout the day that did not last very long.

Aaron and Brandon named the Kreepy Krawly "Katie" and the yellow rubber ducky is "Harold".  They are their new brother and sister.  For the most part, Katie and Harold are well behaved.

Aruba... We'll Be Back !!!

Dung Beetles !!!

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Dung Beetles are members of the cockroach family. They arrived here in April and are completely disgusting!

They come out at night and they can fly and are attracted to light. So, I stayed inside when it was dark out and we do not turn the pool light on. Normally they are active in May/June, but the bug guy said this is an off year and they are early in the season.

I forgot to turn the pool light off one night and the next morning, there was a nice surprise in the pool.  I stopped counting after 60, but there could easily have been about 100 floating in the pool.  Good thing the pool guy was on his way to clean up that mess.  Just talking about the Dung Beetle creeps me out!

The Dung Beetle mainly eats pooh!!!  See what I mean - they are gross!  They roll up pooh into a ball and then bury it in the ground, lay eggs in it, and feed off it.

Some people eat these awful creatures.  I suppose if our planet did not have the Dung Beetle, our world would be a stinkier place!

Dung Beetles are Gross !!!

Southfork Ranch

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

In April, we also had the opportunity to attend a corporate function for Kevin's company. It was held at the Dallas Southfork Ranch which is about 10 minutes from our house.

We enjoyed cocktails, food, live band, and a tour of the Dallas House on the Ranch. The Ranch is quite large, but the Dallas House is much smaller than it appeared to be on the prior Dallas TV Series.


There was a casino set up with "play" money and prizes were given away. Unfortunately, we do not gamble and did not win a prize.


One of the main singers/guitarists in the band works with Kevin. He is also a geologist. It seemed weird to see a geologist jumping around on stage and singing his heart out. One of his colleagues told him to quit the day job as he was better as a musician (ha, ha).

In case any of you folks are fans of the Dallas TV Series from years ago, guess what? A new Dallas TV Series will be coming out on TNT Summer 2012!!! JR, Bobby and Sue Ellen are back!!!

Click on the link below for a Sneak Peek!

Sneak Peek - New Dallas TV Series - Coming to TNT Summer 2012

Who Shot JR ???

Ring Ceremony

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,


Aaron finally did it!!! He graduated from the University of Calgary with a BSc., Mechanical Engineering and started his full-time job on June 1, 2011.  We are very proud of him and excited for his successes.


We attended Aaron’s Iron Ring Ceremony for his Mechanical Engineering Degree graduation.  It was about two hours long with about 1,000+ graduating Engineers.  The place was packed with two to three audience members per Grad totaling about 4,000-5,000 people. All graduating Engineers had to pledge an oath to perform the best work possible, etc.


The organization that hosts the Iron Ring Ceremony is a Canadian Organization and is sworn to secrecy for the most part (no photos taken during the ceremony, do not speak to the press, only speak of the ceremony to family and engineering grads/professionals).   It was quite awesome.

                                           

Congratulations Aaron !!!

More Tid Bits...

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

We have had a couple of busy months, so my apologies for not blogging since February.

Here are some more Tid Bits to share with you.  Enjoy!!!

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Dallas Transit

The transit here in Dallas is called "the Dart".  Apparently, you do not have to wait long and it is NOT packed with standing room only.  Unbelievable!!!

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Sales, Sales, Sales!!!

I saw an ad the other day from Bachman Pawn & Gun Shop.  By the way, they were having a discount and you could go to the Fire Arm Center to Pick Your Own Gun.  That won't be happening.  EVER!!!

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Fine Dining!!!

We visited an Italian restaurant a while ago and we were chatting with the Owner.  Our "accents" give us away as we admit to being Canadians.  It turned out that the owner's son played hockey in Saskatoon.  T'oon Town invasion!!!

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Winter in the Big D!

I know winter can be pretty ugly in some places.  However, we did get a pretty ugly week or two of winter in Dallas in January.  The problem was that the snow melted during the day and froze over night and we woke up to a 4 inch skating rink on our roads and sidewalks.  I did go out to buy a shovel, but shovels do not exist here in Texas.  What I needed was an ice pick.  Seriously, our news showed people ice skating on residential streets.  Skate in the Texas State!!!

There are good things about winter... NO BUGS!!!  Stay tuned for the Spring Bug Thing!!!

Shoveling with a Dust Pan!

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More Silly Stories to Follow !!!

The "Investor"

Dear Fellow Blog Followers,

Kevin was leaving the office the other day and encountered a stranger in the elevator. With the two of them in this compact space, a conversation began.

The stranger, obviously checking out Kevin, asked if he was an "investor" as Kevin was dressed in his immaculate business attire minus the tie he would have normally worn in Calgary.  Not being an "investor" brought further curiosity to the stranger...

"Well, who do you work for", asked the stranger.  Kevin explained that he worked for XYZ company in partnership with ABC Company.  The stranger then asked if he was British and Kevin proudly said that he was Canadian..

"Oh, that's good.  We like Canadians", said the stranger who was casually dressed in a plaid button shirt, khaki pants, casual shoes, and wore a ball cap that was clearly too small for his head..

After a proper introduction of names, this "stranger" turned out to be the CEO of ABC Company - dressed like a fisherman!  The ABC Company is up for sale, hence, Kevin being mistaken a possible investor.  The CEO said that Kevin was dressed too nicely to be an ABC Company employee (keep 'em guessing Kevin...)..

They shared discussions of hockey... The Dallas Stars versus the Edmonton Oilers was the most recent game (which Kevin was fortunate enough to attend and sat in the ABC Company Box Seats - spoiled brat), and the CEO told Kevin to call his Executive Assistance to request any other games he wished to attend.  Dallas Stars versus Calgary Flames is in mid-March and there is a good possibility Kevin will be able to go and sit in the Box Seats yet again.  Life is rough for Kevin....

Hockey Anyone !!!