Stop the Insanity......

I want this day to hurry, hurry, hurry the hell up and not let the door hit it on the way out :) In the meantime, I have been making my already superior iPod even more superior by downloading additional 70's/80's MONSTER hits!!! No iPod is complete without Joe Walsh....or Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steppenwolf, and Foghat. Hell Yeah....

Even better...the new Hank III is on my iPod as well. I love him.

TOT Cook Off is tomorrow and Sunday. Juniors and Beans turn in at noon and CASI chili turn in time is 2pm. Turn in time on Sunday will be at noon. There are a ton off cook offs this weekend...Cleburne, Amarillo, Salado, Quinlan and some others I can't quite remember. After SW Open next weekend, we'll take a break...thank God!!! I'm so excited - we're going to come back early from SW Open and go to Polka Festival. I've never been, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Has anyone read the latest Trails that came out? I believe it's the June edition. I noticed a comment in there and I've tried and tried to keep my mouf (as Paige would say) shut, but it's hard. Something about if there are no CASI directors, then there will be no TICC. Really? Is that what CASI has been reduced to? Running and paying for TICC alone? I would hope that TICC, while it does have to be facilitated by the Board (and COUNTLESS COOKS WHO VOLUNTEER AS WELL), is sort of down on the list of priorities when it comes to the things CASI Directors need to handle. If we don't get on the ball and start advertising, promoting, and recruiting, it won't matter if there are directors to run TICC - there will be no need for it. Have any of you ever heard the phrase "stepping on ants while elephants are running wild"? It's one of my favorites....and kind of applies to CASI sometimes. I know I'm not the only one who sees things this way, either. I'm just not going to share private emails in order to bolster my position. Besides, I'm not saying anything that is ugly, or even untrue. I just wonder how there can be so many people on either side of the field with absolutely no clue as to how to meet in the middle and make things better. I can offer opinions, views and suggestions all day long - we all can. Until the membership elects effective and strong leadership to navigate our organization through this rough patch, then we can really only blame ourselves. Once we take this seriously and demand that CASI be run so that it will grow and thrive, then maybe things will improve - I seriously hope so! Our sponsors do so much for us to have such a blase attitude about the state of CASI and I feel our BOD should be held most accountable for the organization we present to the sponsors. And I don't mean keeping it clean at TICC, either. I'm talking about actively seeking new members, spending sponsor money on advertising and promoting CASI with sponsor money - not just having a week long party in the desert every November. Woodbridge, Bruce Foods and McCormick Distillery do a lot for CASI throughout the year - not just during TICC and we need to show them that we are making the effort to be a true, nationally known charitable organization.

I hope there are people within our membership who will make the commitment to run for the CASI Board and if elected, do what's right for CASI as a whole. I know that these are volunteer positions and so many of us work full time. Still, it must be said that running CASI can no longer be a part time job. We need to make the future of CASI the most important priority for our Directors and hold them accountable for the state of our organization. As long as we have a strong board with a unified leadership willing to do what's right for CASI, and spend money during the year to advertise, promote and bring in new members, then running TICC is going to be the least of our problems.

Now that I've pissed of a certain demographic (I aim to please), I'm going to go back to work. Crazy week at T & B Demo. Busy, but crazy. Things are also going well with the building that we've decided to lease for Mild Bill's. I'm excited to report that things are moving along and your spices will soon be shipped from Ellis County. Hell Yeah!!!!

Spreading joy, kindness and my opinion...warranted or not.......

The Cadillac Cowgirl