Vox

All Purpose Fortune

M went to Pei Wei for lunch today and allowed me to "steal" a fortune cookie:

Advancement will come with hard work. Many new friends will soon be attracted to your friendly and charming ways.

Random Fortune

From my cookie fortune collection:

Be direct, usually one can accomplish more that way.

Curiously, this one says it is from Panda Express. I never eat at Panda Express (too salty) so I must've snagged it from someone. I wonder who or when?

Quote for the Day

Once again, in thumbing through old scrapbooking magazines, I found a fitting quote:

"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you today just the way you are." *

*no attribution given

Words of Wisdom

Came across this paragraph on a featured layout in Digital Scrapbooking magazine:

Life can be crazy sometimes. You can learn a lot or close your mind and not let any of life's lessons seep in. Surround yourself with people you love and with positive thoughts and that will take you far. Always say thank you and you're welcome. Smile often and big and don't be afraid to pass out compliments.

And also reminded me I haven't been doing enough digital scrapbooking ;-)

Word Play

I have become quite addicted to playing Lexic on my phone, handy way to pass the time when stuck somewhere. If you aren't familiar, the object it to spell out words of three or more letters using only connecting squares. No skipping over letters, no reusing letters.

Simple example:

You could get "SEAT" but not "SEATS"
You could get "EAT" but not "EATEN"
"TASK" is a no go.

There is a time limit, but since you can set it yourself on the phone it really doesn't play. When your time is up they give you a score, and they show you all the words you missed (just to rub it in). I tell you all this because I got a grid to work with the other day that had the fewest possible words of any I've come across. I thought I'd put it here in case any of you want to play; count the words you find and post your number here if you are so inclined.

Merry Christmas

Hope you found all you were hoping for under your tree.

Sankta Lucia

Also, from the archives (The real archives, not my online ones), my sister & me circa 1972. I was never the oldest daughter, so I was never Lucia. I sure made certain I was in the picture, though. Bonus points to anyone who can guess what that wreath was made out of. Perhaps you had one, too?

Twit Lit

I've been on Twitter for a while now, long enough to have some thoughts, such as they are. In no particular order, just stream of consciousness. What do you think?

UPDATE: See also 5 Mistakes of New Twitter Users

UPDATE 2: Choose your user name wisely. One of the main things - length. Yes, size matters. When you are writing your tweet, that 140 character limit may not come into play, but when someone tries to reply, direct message or retweet, every letter in your username eats up valuable real estate. For instance. "@pinkelephantpun" is a killer. You can attach and display your real name with your account if you so choose - so your username can be short & sweet.

Add a profile pic or avatar. That default is ugly and far too prevalent. But...don't steal someone else's avatar...I'm just sayin'

Put something in your bio and/or post several updates before you start following people who don't know you. They will click onto your page to see who you are and what you're about. Give them some information to go on.

See also: Setting up a professional profile on Twitter

UPDATE 3: It is good to tie your blog to your twitter account, and there are several tools that tweet for each new blog post. However, those give no 'value add' to the info and, if the sole content of your tweet stream is from tweetfeed, why bother? If I want to follow your blog, I can use RSS much more efficiently. If you have nothing else to say and don't want to join in the conversation, Twitter may not be for you.

UPDATE 4: Say something! As of now (Jan 31, 2009) E_Stampede ["Informational Network about Social Media for Republicans"] has 5 updates in 5 days, all saying the same thing. Yawn. If you are going to bill yourself as all about social media, perhaps ya' ought to be sociable....

Buy Buy Buy

Fix & flip is over, buy and hold is the order of the day.

Home prices in the Phoenix area fell for the 18th straight month in August, breaking a record for consecutive months of falling prices.

The Valley has not seen a prolonged home-price drop like this in more than two decades.

Now is the time to start your real estate empire. If you have decent credit, you can pick up some distressed property at bargain basement prices. If the property is considerably distressed, hire yourself a good contractor and you are still sitting on an income stream now, and selling for a profit later.

Firearms Refresher Course

"Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not."

~ Thomas Jefferson

Apropos of nothing. I was cleaning my desktop of shortcuts and found this in a txt file. Don't recall where it came from. I guess I could tie it to this.

1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

3. Colt: The original point and click interface.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.

7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.

10. The United States Constitution ©1791. All Rights Reserved.

11. What part of "shall not be infringed" do you not understand?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.

23. Enforce the gun control laws we ALREADY have; don't make more.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.

DocStoc

For my own personal reference, though you may find it handy, too.

DocStoc provides the platform for users and businesses to upload and share their documents with all the world, and serves as a vast repository of documents in variety of categories including legal, business, financial, technology, educational, and creative. All documents on docstoc can be easily searched, previewed and downloaded for free.

Found a quality lease agreement, courtesy of Mythri K, that I was able to easily modify to meet my needs.

To Tweet or Not To Tweet

Yeah, I am way behind the times. I have a couple of friends who have been pushing Twitter for ages, but I just never saw the point. Like MySpace, which I played with enough to set up a large selection of music friends, but now don't log into often enough to know what those bands are up to, Twitter just seemed kind of silly to me.

But I keep getting pressure - and now I have a Twitter app on my phone.

So, maybe I'll try it.

Do any of you use Twitter? Why did you decide to sign up? What do you use it for? Did you Twitter for a while then lose interest and stop updating? Should I follow you - would you have any interest in following me?

Gobsmacked

Perhaps I should hold off on my praise, but after four days of ownership I am ready to say:

G1 = best phone EVER.

(Unfortunately, their TV ads are weak and completely miss selling the features that make the phone so impressive and unique)

What Passion Can Do

Amazing video of a ballerina (Alicia Alonso, born 1920), through the years, performing the same section of the ballet "Giselle". Clearly pursuing her passion and loving what she was doing, well into her 70s. Yes, she was a communist, but this is about her dancing.

More from NeoNeoCon

Gun Blast

When looking for pics of Laura's gun (I am jealous), I found Gun Blast, the online gun magazine - awesome!

Check him out.

Told Ya'

Because I don't think Lori really believes me:

Most have been de-tangled, those in the lower right basket still need attention. This is only the unfinished, rescue Barbies - I have at least as many in boxes or display cases or....

As far as vices go, rescuing Barbies and drinking caffeine are relatively harmless....right?

Science Is Romantic

The secret to a long marriage appears to be . . . wanting a long marriage.

The benefits of marriage have been well documented, here is the case for staying married. Also, worth noting is the fact that the longer you make it, the easier it gets.

~ Full article reproduced below ~

SARAH HAMPSON
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
October 2, 2008 at 9:10 AM EDT

Want to have a long marriage like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward did?

Well, the right thing to say to your wife in the midst of an argument could be as simple as this: "Honey, let's not get upset. When our brains age, we'll become more adoring companions."

Alternatively, you could say, "Just think of all the emotional-attachment synapses we'll be laying down in our brains if we make it to our 25th anniversary."

Who knows? You, too, could have a 50-year happy marriage like Mr. Newman, the Hollywood legend whose greatness behind the scenes received just as many accolades, if not more, than his acting career when he died last week at the age of 83.

He is iconic for his husband-hood in an age when marriage is increasingly seen as a rite of temporary and convenient passage - one you glide through and leave as you might a party you'd thought you'd enjoy - not just in the Los Angeles hotbed of sex, beauty and ambition, but in the culture at large.

Mr. Newman rarely discussed his marriage. To Playboy magazine, he once explained his marital fidelity by saying he didn't need to go out for hamburger when he had steak at home.

But usually, he would politely say "I don't like to discuss that" when interviewers pressed for the secrets of his long, happy marriage.

But now, there is scientific and psychological insight into the benefits of long-term marriage, and the reasons why marriages that survive often become better as they age. In the long run, marriage is a state of being that suits, even enhances, human biology, experts say.

"There are biological changes that occur in aging in the so-called 'blue spot' of the brain, an area that has to do with anger, aggression, anxiety. That area literally loses neurons as we age," which means those emotions are less acute, explains Maggie Scarf, a therapist and author of several books including September Songs: The Good News About Marriage in the Later Years.

Ms. Scarf uses this and other research to explain the surprising evidence she found in interviews with couples aged 50 to 75 that sticking out a marriage, even a contentious one, brings a level of happiness that few of the participants could have predicted earlier on.

"There was still a source of annoyance and irritation. It was just that it was handled in a different way. The intensity of their conflict never reached the rage stage."

It's a comforting thought: We may be wired to fall in love, but we are also de-wired to get along in our dotage.

There is also a psychological shift among older couples that makes marriage easier and better, she says. "As people age, there is an unconscious or maybe conscious motivation to move toward the 'positivity effect,' " she says, citing medical research from Stanford University in California. "People realize that more years of their life have passed than are ahead. Time is like an oil supply that is running out, and as it runs out it becomes more valuable, and people think about how to use that time in a way that makes them happy."

Ms. Scarf is not advocating that people stay in marriages that are truly miserable. "There are real reasons why people divorce," she acknowledges. But she thinks that couples need to know the benefits in store if they ride out the bad patches.

"Marriage is a journey, and things turn around," says Ms. Scarf, a wife of 55 years, mother of three children, and grandmother of eight. She and her husband haven't "floated here on a cloud of bliss" she says of the long marriage that gives her pleasure and meaning.

Divorce is in vogue, which may make couples contemplate it without enough consideration, she says. "I don't think couples in long-term happy marriages have a voice, and they should have one, because the voices of the divorced people are much noisier."

The cultural obsession with romantic love as opposed to the opportunities - and biology - of long-term commitment also encourages divorce, says Mark O'Connell, a marriage therapist and psychology professor at Harvard Medical School who wrote The Marriage Benefit: The Surprising Rewards of Staying Together.

"There is the biology of falling in love, but there is also a biology of long-term attachment," he said in an interview. "If you look at research, it is clear that there are increased activities in pleasure and addiction centres in people's brains when they are falling in love, and down the road there is increased activity in the centres that have to do with long-term memory and long-term learning - the kinds of places that have to do with the laying down of enduring attachment.

"But we have this idea that the early falling in love is this intense, passionate biological experience, and that the rest of it is just sort of social convention that we have to deal with as a compromise."

Self-help books that suggest ways for couples to "get back to earlier passion" are unrealistic, says Dr. O'Connell, a husband of 24 years and father of three children. "If we have a model of love that says we should be happy all the time, people are disappointed. But they can't live like that because that's not the way love works."

One of the greatest opportunities of marriage is the ability to understand yourself, he adds. Contrary to popular belief - that divorce is the crucible to self-actualization - it is marriage that is a potential gateway to true self-expression.

"In a marriage, people get into places with each other that are often going to be reflections of [the] most pained and difficult and vulnerable parts of themselves, the places that they most need to wrestle with individually," he explains. "People work on their marriages to get along, but there is a lot of potential for personal growth. So, in fact, divorce can be the antithesis of self-expression, and is, in fact, self-denial."

He "Woked Up"

Love to hear stories with a happy ending. I'm glad the doctors were wrong.

Unique

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Heh.

Yes, I used my real name

Pictures of The Devastation

Amazing to think of what people in hurricane zones must face. D and I visited Houston last year, and I have family living there still (in Katy) - I wouldn't have imagined the city as so vulnerable, or pictured it in that condition.

I do agree with Coyote, though, I want the builder of the yellow house.

A Bit of Cuteness

Every time I look at this pic it makes me smile.

Found it online in a slideshow from a cute baby contest.

Happy Happy

And some music to celebrate your day.....

Prognosticating

I would like to point out that, once again, the forecast was wrong.

Storms were predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday. Both days were bone dry.

Thursday called for a slight chance of isolated thunderstorms.

You know how that turned out.

UPDATE: From Royal Norman

Pretty much totally unexpected ... even as the initial storms developed the Weather Service, and frankly yours truly, were in denial. The atmosphere, or what we thought we knew about the atmosphere at the time, didn't seem ready for such an outbreak. It seem the storms would only be a southern Arizona deal last night. And yet it happened.

Tick Tock

I really wish I could fall asleep.

I have a long day of work ahead of me . . . must. sleep.

Cash or Convictions?

Two things have come up recently that have lead me to ask that question:

1) I have Google ads on this site (and my others, actually) They have an option in the settings that allows you to block specific advertisers. Lately, my posts have garnered ads from MoveOn.org. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out how I feel about them. I was going to log in and change my settings to keep their ads off my site - then I realized I have a perverse sense of satisfaction thinking that some minuscule amount of their money is coming to me. But, I should stay true to my beliefs, right? I shouldn't willingly give them any exposure, should I? Or, should I just keep their money coming?

UPDATE: This may be less of an issue than I was imagining, since it is unlikely that my readers would click on a MoveOn.org ad - and the rate for straight impressions is much less.

UPDATE 2: Well, this one answered itself. When I came to my blog and saw a MoveOn ad at the top . . . I knew that it was totally unacceptable. No matter how much they are paying. (OK, I am sure I have my price, but Google ads don't pay enough) I put them in the filter, hopefully the ads will cease appearing soon.

2) A bit more serious of an issue. I have posted before about my attempts to buy some property in this down market. The banks, however, are in no hurry to part with the inventory - very odd. Anyway, my intent is to rent the properties out. One that I have an offer on already has long-term tenants in place. My realtor tried to warn me off the deal because they are Section 8 tenants. However, the more I read about the program, the more I am convinced it is a great deal for landlords.

The problem is my general disdain for subsidized housing. Is it right to protest the system while profiting from it? Is it a cop-out to think that, as long as the system is in place, I might as well be one of the ones to benefit from it? Is it capitalism or opportunism to allow the housing authority to make my mortgage payment with tax dollars?

Atheism vs Anti-theism

I know many Christians. I know some Jews.
None of them spend their time and money trying to force others to share their beliefs. In fact, the Muslims I worked with didn't, either.

These people, however, are doing just that.
It isn't enough that they don't believe, they don't think anyone else should, either.

Anti-Theism seems to be more of a religion than they would care to admit.

UPDATE: I was curious how I got a "you're so stupid" comment so quickly on such a nothing post, so I checked my logs. Turns out, Sam found me via a google blog search for the term "atheism". I guess it is cool that Vox popped up there, but who would imagine some poor guy searching for posts about atheism at 1:00 in the morning? Curious.

UPDATE 2: This old post shows, again, the difference between atheism and anti-theism. Unfortunately, the post it referenced is gone, but the snippet I grabbed at the time is pretty clear.

For M

Because I love her and she is trying some new things

Melissa Lawson - "What If It All Goes Right?"

And because I like the song.

OMG - I M 2 WASTD

This story is very sad - and seems to miss some very glaring information:

Girl in Fatal Wreck Sent Text Message Moments Before Crash

HIGHLAND, Calif. — Authorities say a 16-year-old girl who died after losing control of her car had been texting on her cell phone moments before the accident.

Kayla Preuss, of Highland, was driving on the Interstate 10 Freeway in Redlands when she lost control of her car and crashed. She died of head injuries.

Authorities say Preuss had been driving drunk and was speeding. But another factor may have contributed to the crash.

Phone records show Preuss was texting just before the accident. Her cell phone, which was flipped open, was found resting on the floorboard by her feet.

Preuss' mother Kelly said she hopes the accident will make other people think before texting and driving.

Emphasis mine. Imagine, her SIXTEEN-year-old daughter was DRUNK and speeding, but the lesson to be learned in her mind? Don't text and drive.

I'm guessing she plans to sue the service provider.

Pew Knew? Your IQ

I found the Pew Research New IQ quiz via Little Green Footballs and I had to see how I'd do.

My results; 91st Percentile, 11 out of 12 correct (didn't know where the Dow Jones was sitting, so I guessed...incorrectly)

Not too shabby.

Happy Birthday To Me

There were a couple of reasons why my birthday could have been better (may tell you about that later) but what didn't suck:

I spent the day with D.

Always nice, though very low-key today. We pretty much just relaxed..watched some golf...napped....cleaned our guns...

He made me a great steak dinner & D Jrs mom made me brownies (my sweet tooth Achilles heel*)

Some more stupid TV, some ice cream..and now for bed.

* ya' see what I did there?

Really, Don't Mess With Texas

Even their teenagers fight back.

Not to mention, Special Agent Johnny Utah will be packing heat soon.

Variations on a Book Cover

John Cox (of Cox & Forkum) continues to post his artwork, though Cox & Forkum is essentially shuttered.

One of my favorite 'themes' he regularly explores is book covers. New versions for some of his favorite works, as well as ideas for books yet to be written. Here is the latest, Treasure Island.

I wish he had a category for it so it would be easy for you to see them all. This strikes me as a great way to get children to explore their creativity. I remember as a youngster, my book reports always included a poster advertising the story (perhaps I was thinking movie tie-in ;-) )

I think art should be a big part of childhood, and something that encourages both reading and creativity is genius.

Happy Birthday to Us

One of the best versions ever:

Very cute, very accomplished, very young

Our local American Idol

Just for good measure, America the Beautiful

Intriguing Headline

"Women Consider Empowerment Through Voltage"

That's not exactly news.

Oh, that kind of voltage.

Never mind.

Magic

I have been a fan of contact juggling since I saw Michael Moschen's work in Labyrinth. There is just something completely mesmerizing to me.

Check out this performance - wow!

Hat Tip Shiny Shiny

Of Course He'd Say That

Alleged Mesa ID thief says police should bust real criminals

I think they just did.

Pending

Just heard that someone managed to steal the Lifelock guy's identity (you know, the guy who puts his social security number out there and dares people to try and take it)

Someone did. Now several Lifelock users are suing him for false advertising.

Details as they become available. Story here

Kind Of Impressed By These Guys

Obviously, I am glad I am not having to deal with these guys (though I really enjoyed Houston when D and I visited last year), but you have got to be impressed with their organization and adaptability.

Nuts!

Broke my freakin' tooth..on an almond.

Guess I know where my stimulous check is getting spent.

"I hope I don't find another one"

How no one smelled the horror that authorities say may have been up in Glenn Parker's overgrown tree for a year is a mystery, but the partially mummified body made itself known last week.

Odd. Just odd.

Love Is All Around

Perhaps my single readers would be interested in this tip for finding your soulmate.

Register at a forum. The example I am using is AZ Central, but I hardly think these poor lonely, lost souls trawling the internet are limiting their search to our local news site.

I registered at AZ Central a while back to comment on some story or other. Today I received this:

Someone found your profile on azcentral.com and wanted to tell you the following:

"Dearest One, My name is jessy ,i saw your profile today and became intrested in you,i will also like to know you the more,and i want you to send an email to my email address so i can give you my picture for you to know whom i am.Here is my email address( jessylove_xx@xxxx.xxx) i believe we can move from here.I am waiting for your mail to my email address above.Miss jessy Remeber the distance or colour does not matter but love matters alot in life. Yours Love Miss jessy jessylove_xx@xxxx.xxx "

Geez, if I wasn't already involved it might be difficult to pass up a come on like that - you know, leaving aside the whole gender issue. [/sarcasm]

Obviously this is some fake come on fronting someone who "just needs a few hundred/thousand dollars to get out of Kenya/Nairobi/London and then we can be together forever" I can't believe they are bothering to sign up on an Arizona newspaper site to do this.

I also can't believe there are actually people out there who respond to this stuff...let alone get suckered into sending cash.

Who Is The Bad Guy?

I feel really sorry for this lady - really I do.

But how is Wal-Mart the bad guy here?

BTW: Did the family bother to sue their original lawyers for taking over half of the settlement?

Top O' The Mornin'

Missed It By That Much

I was in a Washington Mutual branch today and noticed that they are offering an 8 month CD with a 4.00% APY - with a $1,000.00 minimum and early withdrawal penalties. Not too bad, except...

ING is advertising in Kiplingers for a savings account with a 4.10% APY - no minimum, and easy access to your funds with no penalty. Oh, and they throw in a $25 bonus when you sign up.

Hmmmm......

The HGTV Effect

I have heard it mentioned that prosecutors are having trouble with what would have previously been sure win cases - they attribute it to the CSI Effect. The jury pool has seen so many forensic shows, they expect every case to come with iron clad physical evidence. If cops can't nail 'em with fingerprints and DNA, the jury will assume innocence (or not-so-reasonable doubt, anyway)

I think we are also seeing something I will refer to as the HGTV Effect. There are some wonderful shows on that make over a room, or several, for a very small budget. The problem is, the budget they reference doesn't include the cost of the professional plumbers, carpenters, electricians, etc. that they use. Sure, if you have the knowledge and skill, you can have those miraculous results for $500, $1000 or $2000 - but you probably don't. If you have to pay a contractor to, for instance, build a wall/replace a door/build and install bookcases, it will cost you more than the price of materials.

D is running into this on a regular basis now. It seems there are oodles of folks just itching to put up new patios, remodel their kitchens....but they want it done for the Designed to Sell, Design on a Dime price. Yep, you guessed it - the price of materials.

Good To Know

I have honestly never heard anyone say "champing at the bit" - but if I ever do, I'll know they got it right.

I Am Vox, Slayer of Weeds

Yard work - hate it.

No, not, "Gee I wish I didn't have to do this" - I really, really HATE it. Further, I live in the desert, I shouldn't have to do it. I purposely disabled my automatic sprinklers because I think it is silly to have a lawn here; why waste all that water to make something grow - when you are just going to have to mow it when it does?

However, it does seem a shame to kill something that manages to grow here. But when I realized that my backyard was so overgrown with weeds packs of wild great Danes could be wandering in there and I would never know, I decided it was time to do something. I have hired people in the past, but they are remarkably unreliable - and expensive. Oh, and did I mention the size of my backyard? I refer to it as the Ponderosa - my house was built on a corner lot in 1960, back when they still included yards.

Gross Out Advertising

I've been seeing a new Carl's Jr ad lately, I think the product was a chili cheese burger. The script has a girl telling her companion he has a little something on his face. When he asks, "Here?", she replies. "More in this area". Then they show him as he asks, "Did I get it?"

And it looks like he has thrown up all over himself.

Were they hoping to make potential customers lose their appetite? Because I sure did.

Free Tech Support

Yep, FREE - until March 15th anyway.

Check out MinuteFix.

(After March 15th, it will be $.99 per minute with the first 5 minutes free)

Protecting the Pretty

February 26, 1919 - Grand Canyon Joins National Park Service

First designated a forest preserve in 1893, the Grand Canyon joins the National Park Service when President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill designating it the 17th national park. The Grand Canyon's annual visitation rate will be 44,173 in 1919. By 2008, that number will have reached more than 4.4 million.

Free Press

The AZ Repugnant had an editorial today regarding the lawsuit brought by the West Valley View against Sheriff Joe and his office. (I would link it if I could find it in their on-line edition, but they are far from being that new media friendly)

The gist of the suit regards the decision by some MCSO staffers to remove the West Valley paper from their press release email list. Apparently, they were removed in response to reporting on Arpaio that the MCSO found offensive - though I don't think the motive has much bearing on the issue.

Elliott Freireich, publisher of the West Valley View, filed his suit claiming that his First Amendment rights were being violated. He keeps winning - and the MCSO keeps appealing. The Republic, or whoever wrote this editorial anyway, feel that Sheriff Joe is wasting taxpayer money fighting this lawsuit.

Perhaps.

But how does Freireich have a leg to stand on, and how does he keep winning?

His First Amendment rights would only be violated if someone was keeping him from publishing - no one is doing that. He, or one of his employees, could go to the trouble of getting the information through more old school means.

The WVV is a for-profit enterprise that in most cases ends up going directly from the driveway to the trash can. To claim that he needs to receive the press releases via email to provide a service to his readers is presuming facts not in evidence. (D lives in the West Valley, I have tried to read the paper - not even the ads are worth the time - and I have seen them littering the driveways of his neighbors who don't expend the effort to pick them up until trash day)

Why should the MCSO, or any other office, public or private, be required to provide information to any Tom, Dick or Harry who wants it, in the format they want to receive it? Further, why would you provide it when you know it is only sought as fuel for their editorial fire? If I wanted to start a blog that did little more than regurgitate information from other sources, and criticize Sheriff Joe (it would be easy enough to do), they shouldn't be forced to add me to their list.

It would have been easier, and cheaper, for the Sheriff's office to simply add the paper back to the email distribution list. Perhaps they should have. (Though it would appear from what I have read that Freireich would still have found a basis for a continuation lawsuit)

There simply is no reason they should have to, and no reason for them to have thought they would lose the suit.

Is there?

Home Improvement

It's nearly time to start your Spring Cleaning, with that you may want to consider some improvements, as well. Something as simple as new fixtures can give your room a lift. New ceiling fans allow you to use your AC less (and the newer styles are much more attractive).

Ready to go all out? Why not add a patio to take advantage of out great weather - perfect for parties or just enjoying a glass of wine with your significant other.

How about a new bathroom or an improved kitchen? Not only can it make your life easier, those are two investments that pay off big time in resale value when you decide to move.

If I have your attention - I recommend you check out this website.

This is Beautiful

What is more important for the environment, the trees or the solar energy?

Pot Kills Brain Cells

Need proof, read this.

Looking for a Lawyer?

Thinking of choosing one from their remarkably annoying TV commercials?

You may want to avoid this guy.

PR

There is a company that has made their mark by pushing the censors and getting their Super Bowl ads rejected - for several years now.

The ads themselves are not particularly clever (this year may be the stupidest one yet) but their marketing is genius. They buy one ad slot, produce one offensive, unplayable ad, and the news media reports about it for weeks. There were at least two separate 'news' stories about it in todays Arizona Repugnant. There have been stories about it on Foxnews.com, USA Today, ESPN, Perez Hilton.....

Again, they do this every year. Nothing new to report, no surprise to their approach.

One ad buy, unlimited coverage. Brilliant

and also freakin' annoying.

Six More Weeks

Happy Ground Hog Day, anyway

Design Flaw

I recently picked up a roll of stamps. The man at the counter asked me if I wanted "flags or flowers"? That seems easy, of course I want the flags. Until I get home and unwrap them and see these.

Just plain fugly. How in the world do you take the red, white & blue and make it look so bad. Guess I should've done a bit of research first.

I wonder what the flowers look like? Hmm, pretty.

Satisfied

Accordingly to a poll in the February 2008 Playboy magazine, those respodents who are supporting Fred Thompson have the most frequent sex.

I'm just sayin'

Greatest Invention Ever

Well, that may be a bit of hyperbole. It is my favorite invention lately.

The heated mattress pad. Amazing, fantastic...cozy.

The one I am using is from Sunbeam, but only because that was what they had on sale at WalMart.

I love climbing into a warm bed. I love that when I stick my hand under the pillow, it is toasty. I love that if I wake up in the middle of the night, I am cozy and can just roll over and drift back to sleep.

Bliss.

The sleep fixation runs in my family

What Day Is It?

Christmas is only 9 days away!

Where have I been?

I do have a cushion with my family Christmas, which is on January 5th, but I am seriously behind on gifts for friends. And I have no idea what I am making for my ornament this year, so those two extra weeks are very important.

Yikes!

Marriage is Good For You

As long as you wear the ring.

Who The Heck Is Ashanti?

And why was she singing the National Anthem before the Cowboys/Jets game?

Ouch.

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope you and yours have a safe and blessing filled day!

Lazy Sunday

Just about perfect way to spend the day:

At D's house, watching football together, reading the Sunday paper, rocking the high speed connection on my laptop.

Life is good.

Not Shaken or Stirred

I've never considered myself a drama queen, but this seems a bit to the other extreme, even for me...

You Are As Cool As They Come

Rational and relaxed, no one could accuse you of being dramatic. You roll with the punches, and nothing ever gets you too worked up. You are able to maintain perspective and see the big picture. And even if you're emotional inside, you don't let it show. You're great at keeping it together, and you're rewarded for that. People see you as an ideal friend, employee, and partner.

Happy Birthday, D

I didn't get on my blog yesterday, so I didn't get this up - sorry it's late, Handsome.

Work Product

I just saw a clip of the striking Writers Guild members outside the set of Desperate Housewives.

Their chant: "We write the storia for Eva Longoria"

Seriously, these are professional writers who are claiming they deserve more money - and that is the best they can come up with?

Yes, I Have Scary Hobbies

NameThatSerialKiller.com - Test your serial killer knowledge

Curious about the rating, which is below Sherlock Holmes level. How do I get them all correct on the first clue and not get the top score?

via Michael-Diebler.com

Falling

I got a new video editing program (not for any particular reason or project) and was testing some of the features. I wanted to test the 'Smart Movie' option, so I dug up this old video from our skydiving trip several years ago. I then selected a song, Falling by Kim Richey, and the program did the rest - it sliced and diced the original footage and churned out this little clip.

So, now you all know what I look like...or at least what I looked like years ago. Such a dork :-P

TIDBITS: It selects the different clips randomly, but matched the lyrics "best friend and lover" to the bit where I give my instructor a cuddle before the jump - funny. At the end of the video, it managed to include clips of all the important people that were there; my nephew (it was his birthday), my sister, her friend, and me.

A Legacy

Today in Legal History

OCTOBER 2, 1967 - Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall Sworn In

Thurgood Marshall is sworn in as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Before becoming the court's first African-American justice, Marshall led the Legal Defense and Educational Fund of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He successfully argued Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas before the Supreme Court in 1954.

How disappointed would he be in the NAACP today?

You Are Now Free To Move Outside The Country

I almost forgot to mention - I got my passport yesterday. When I finally managed to get the application in (boy, they don't make it easy, do they?) I was told I would have to wait until at least October 13th unless I chose to pay for expedited processing. Since I don't actually have anywhere I am planning on going, I figured I could just wait.

What a great surprise to open my post office box yesterday and find the official government mail. :-) The new passports are a lot prettier than the old ones, full of patriotic images and quotes. Of course, my old passport picture was better (spiral perm & peacock bangs not withstanding) - I changed a bit in the last 17 years....

I guess I should come up with a trip now - seems a shame to let a perfectly good passport go to waste.

Legal Trivia

Did you know:

There are 7 states where you can take the bar exam and become a lawyer without ever having attended law school?

That there are two states (well, one now, two next year) where you can become a lawyer out of law school without passing the bar exam?

Interesting.....to me anyway

Bad News/Good News

First the bad news - temperatures are going down. It hasn't even reach 100° today. Summer is on it's way out and the cold weather is just around the corner.

Now the good news - football season! I thought I had to wait until Sunday for the first game, but D just informed me that we do, indeed, have Thursday night football to look forward to. Woo hoo. Sure, my team sucks, and the NFL has some serious issues with players' behavior - but it is still a great game.

Are you ready for some football?

Have You Seen This Couple?

I would love to be able to return it to them, but . . . how do I track them down?

UPDATE: I uploaded a photo of the venue here, in case anyone recognizes it.

The Jokes Just Write Themselves

Report: Man with Almost No Brain Has Led Normal Life

Downtown Phoenix

So, here is my dilemma:

There is a concert tonight that I may want to see. D isn't interested, it really isn't his thing. After all, Snow Patrol is kind of girlie rock, especially compared to what he usually listens to. So, I would have to go alone.

The concert is downtown. I am a native Phoenician and I have always hated trying to get around downtown. Throw in the additional venues over the last few decades, and the light rail construction, and it is just a nightmare to even think about. And I would be alone.

I haven't been to a concert in quite a while (was Craig Morgan the last one, Sweetie?), I haven't been to one without D in . . . can't even remember.

I have a better offer - D is making burgers (and he makes great burgers). Should I go - or no?

BDay - 1

Well, tomorrow is my birthday...

Still not jazzed about it.

I did get all the info that I need to process this week from a client, so I won't have to work tomorrow. Thing is, I have always loved to work on my birthday - after all, you can't get flowers at work if you aren't at work. I think I have worked 97% of my birthdays since my mother first sent me flowers when I was working for her at a tennis match the day I turned 14 (I think it was 14)

This year . . . eh.

I must be burned out or somethin'

Birthdays

My birthday is less than 2 weeks away.

Normally, by this time I would have reminded you all about it several times - and have a countdown running up there on top of the page. This year is the first year I have sort of just felt "eh" about the whole thing.

A birthday coming and I'm not excited. . . I definitely need a vacation or something.

7/7/07

Do ya' feel lucky?

Well . . . do ya'?

Ode to John Edwards

Girl Crush

We watched Gray Matters last night (don't bother) so I thought I would confess my girl crushes.

In no particular order:

Monica Bellucci ~ the woman is a freak of nature. Someone, somewhere has mastered the manipulation of DNA. Of having her in the part of Mary Magdalen in The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson said. "It didn't matter how much dirt we put on her, we couldn't make her look bad".

Bonus news about Bellucci - she is in a new movie, Shoot 'em Up, with Paul Giamatti (great actor) and Clive Owen (yummy actor). Looks like a good action flick which D & I will definitely see.

First Day of Summer

Happy Summer!!!

Fortune

I have posted before about my affection for fortune cookies - well, more the fortune part than the cookie part. My collection is regularly fed by our frequent trips to one Chinese restaurant or another (mmmmm, Kung Pao)

Last night, D got a very strange fortune in his cookie, perhaps one of you could translate.

Now is the time to make circles with mints, do not haste any longer.

Fiery

So Sunsilk is doing this series of commercials about the weapons they are providing in the battle between blondes and brunettes.

Nothing in their product line for redheads, though.

I guess they are just surrendering to our natural superiority

Flickr Vision

Shiny Shiny is bad, very bad. They are constantly distracting me with all their gadgety goodness.

Today they have crossed the line by posting about the time sink known as Flickr Vision.

AAHHHHHHH - I can't stop myself from looking.

Father's Day

A beautiful vison of Mother's Day, from the wonderful Sand in the Gears

Synchronous

I promise that when I wrote this, I had not yet seen this. Exactly the type of feedback I was looking for.

U-Turn

Advanced education, say....law or medical school, at an advanced age.

Pros? Cons?

Happy Mother's Day

Meet Your Match

There's a new game in town, apparently, looking to grab it's share of the online dating market. All of the Chemistry.com ads mention what is wrong with eHarmony.com. For the most part, just the standard "we are better" stuff.

Tonight, however, they had a guy getting "a Dear John letter from eHarmony". The voice over says, "we don't know why eHarmony has rejected more than a million people" and something along the lines of "you're welcome here".

It seems, if you are looking to score with the rejects, Chemistry.com is your dating site of choice.

Virb

I think you all know how I feel about MySpace (cesspool), so the idea of me joining a social networking site seems unlikely.

However, having been recently introduced to Virb, I figured it was worth a try. They certainly don't have the numbers of MySpace, and so far they don't have nearly the number of cool bands. However, they also don't seem to have the wanna-be porn stars and hormone-raging teenagers.

If you decide to check it out, make sure you add me to your friends :-D

BTW: I haven't taken much time on customizing my page yet. Apparently the customization settings are much more user friendly than MySpace so I will give it a go when I have a few.

Why People Hate Lawyers

After the murders at Virginia Tech,

At least one legal advertiser has bought Google AdSense words in quest of victim families.

Via Overlawyered

Words Fail

Silly Bird

Sorry for the image quality, I snapped this pic with my phone.

Cut to yesterday when I was cleaning out my bird's cage. I had her settled (I thought) on her play perch in the living room while I was outside scrubbing her habitat. I came back in the house and realized she was nowhere to be seen so I started whistling to her. Fortunately, she seems unable to resist and always answers. After a minute or so of following her chirps I made it to the kitchen where I found her like this, contentedly nestled amongst the blooms. She seemed quite happy to pose for this shot...

BTW: I wish I would have snapped a picture of these flowers earlier. They were really gorgeous when I got them - still pretty good for more than a week later.

Lawn Service

For my own future reference, and because they did good work.

Claudia Reyes, Landscaping
623-742-5454

Hallelujah!

Please, please, please let this be true - Coke may give up high fructose corn syrup.

Coke definitely tastes better from the Mexican grocery store.

Not that I have a problem with it or anything.....

R.I.P. - Cathy Seipp

Cathy Seipp lost her long battle with lung cancer today, she was 49 - too young.

L.A. Times obit

Happy Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Now, go have one of these

Pretty Pictures

I had previously asked for postcards from my readers....hello, do I have any readers?

Anyway, I have a couple of people who took me up on it, so I decided to start scanning and posting. Not a lot up there, yet, but I am working on it. Luckily, my sister just went to Maui, so she sent me some from there. I still have the ones from her last Hawai'i trip - just gotta get 'em done.

If anyone wants to contribute, you can use this PO Box

Vox
c/o PO Box 39559
Phoenix, AZ 85069

BTW: Let me know if I can say who it is from, and whether I can post your message.

Poem

My step-sister is quite clever (I know, I know...I've told you that before). She just posted this poem on her blog

Plenty of Fish in the Sea

my fingers in the water,
combing, gently, stirring waves
reaching the bottom, scraping
looking for goldfish,
pulling up sharks
losing my fingertips
and eventually my self esteem.

I think most women can relate to that...

Total Geek

With a score of 34.714% I am ranked as a Total Geek

I am a little disappointed to have scored so low. I will, however, revel in the fact that one of my favorite geek friends branded something I did last week as "like a 10 on the Geekitude scale"

That made my day

3.14...

..159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510 ....

Happy π Day

"The Riches"

I watched this show last night, it was much different than I was expecting. I haven't decided if I like it or not, but I will probably watch the next episode.

FX definitely gets this whole internet thing, though, posting the entire premiere episode online. If you are interested, you can watch it here.

Oops Is Right

From ShinyShiny

(PRODUCT) RED has brought in $18 million. Hooray. Unfortunately, they spent $100 million on marketing. Oops. [Neatorama]

"I'm Fine"

Forget what you think you know about persistent vegetative state.

Christa Lilly slipped into a PVS coma in 2000, and woke up this week for three days, telling her mother "I'm Fine". She was also interviewed by a local TV station.

Just something to think about.

The Trip

Yeah, I went out of town - and we had a good time.

And we ate WAY too much, but the food was really, really great.

And I have pictures...I'll post them eventually...really.

UPDATE: Here's a start, frogs & stuff from the museum

Just A Thought

Out of town till Sunday night, comments are off. Hope you all have a Happy V-Day and a great weekend.

Nasty Habits

I recently came across a review of Marshall Goldsmith's book, What Got You Here Won't Get You There, that included his list of 20 bad habits that damage your professional/personal life.

Seems like he's hit all the biggies. How many of them do you have? I would say I have 3-5.....(UPDATE: Just to clarify, that would be 3 to 5 of them, not 3 through 5.)

• The need to win each time
  
• The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion
  
• The need to pass judgment on others
  
• Needless sarcasm and cutting comments
  
• Starting with “no”, “But”, “However”
  
• Need to show how smart we are
  
• Speaking when angry
  
• Negativity: the need to share negative thoughts even when not asked
  
• Withholding Information
  
• Failing to Give Proper recognition
  
• Claiming credit we don’t deserve
  
• Making excuses
  
• Clinging to the past
  
• Playing favorites
  
• Refusing to express regret
  
• Not listening
  
• Failing to express gratitude
  
• Punishing the messenger
  
• Passing the buck
  
• An excessive need to be “me”: exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are

Only A Matter Of Time

I have been seeing these 'invisible' book shelves lately, and I instantly wanted one (or 5). They were a bit pricey, though, and it seemed that they should be reasonably easy to recreate.

Instructables shows you how.

I am quite sure this isn't the method the commercial shelves use, but it is a good one.

Coolness.

Pretty

I've never really listened to Kelly Clarkson much. Her tune selection immediately following AI was unbearable, or so I thought. Somehow I missed this gem. Or maybe it is just hitting me the right way today....

Beautiful Disaster from her 2003 album Thankful

What Would You Blow Up?

Suppose you were given a coupon to have an image printed as a 24" X 36" poster. I was, and I am at a loss.

What image would you want to have at that size?

Why Not DIY?

Just in case you were looking for a project to keep you occupied this weekend, Fuzzy Gerdes will show you how to construct juggling chickens.

Bay of Pigs and Watergate break-in organizer dead at 88

Former CIA officer and White House secret agent E. Howard Hunt died of pneumonia at North Shore Medical Center in Miami, Florida, on Tuesday, January 23.

R.I.P.

Thirty-four years ago the horrendous decision known as Roe v. Wade was conferred upon the unfeeling masses.

Since then, over 45 million children have been murdered in the name of choice.

As I have said previously, I absolutely support a woman's right to choose...not to get pregnant in the first place. After that, however, there are at least two other people involved in the decision; a father, and a child with no voice. Once you are pregnant, there are many resources available to help you through, such as these.

UPDATE: National Review on the inherent humanity of the human embryo.

UPDATE: Confirm Them

Excremental Expression

Amusing take on a juvenile (and, I imagine, smelly) issue.

Taking the First Amendment too far afield.

Duke LAX case

But Nifong's plea to Cooper is the first smart thing the DA has done right in the case in months. The other thing he did right was to take seriously the claims of a young black woman who claimed she had been raped. But in between those two points in the case, pretty much everything else Nifong did was foolish, shortsighted or downright unethical.

Well said by Jami Floyd at CourtTV

Fireflies

Way too cool, fireflies in a jar, sort of.

I wish I had the technical expertise to make it.

Abacab

Trivia from Volokh:

Some countries have names in which consonants and vowels alternate -- consider Canada and Panama. What is the longest such name?

I think they got the answer on his page, but I would love to see what you all come up with before you peek. (but if you must)

Marriage Is Good For You...

...as long as you're happy.

Get Over It

Yes, it is January 2nd, also known as Get Over It Day.

Now is as good a time as any, I guess....

Happy New Year

Hope you are all celebrating with people you love and keeping safe.

Welcome to 2007!

Suggestions

A friend of mine just heard about this list from her boyfriend, and passed it on to me. Basic common sense things, nicely compiled.

Number one reminds me of a quote I heard from George Burns. A reporter apparently asked him the secret to a long marriage and Burns replied, "Marry Gracie" Awww.

21 Suggestions For Success by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.
   
2. Work at something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.
   
3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
   
4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
   
5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.
   
6. Be generous.
   
7. Have a grateful heart.
   
8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.
   
9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.
   
10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
    
11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.
    
12. Commit yourself to quality.
    
13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.
    
14. Be loyal.
    
15. Be honest.
    
16. Be a self-starter.
    
17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.
    
18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.
    
19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.
    
20. Take good care of those you love.
    
21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.
    

Last Minute Gift Ideas

OK, it isn't really that big of an idea, more of a reminder.

If you are still looking for gifts, especially for someone far away, consider an Amazon Gift Certificate. They can be purchased in amounts starting at $5.00 and sent electronically so you know they will get there in time.

I'm just sayin'

Doppelganger

I have been working out with a trainer for a couple of weeks now, usually at The Castle Sports Club. It is really a great place, not crowded and the people are all friendly.

A couple of weeks ago, an older gentleman that everyone just calls "Colonel", told me that I reminded him of Ann-Margret. Yeah, I wish. I heard it once before and had the same reaction, she was an uber-babe in her heyday and is still pretty smokin' today, the only things we have in common are red hair and a Swedish bloodline.

The Colonel came up to me today and said he had wanted to be sure, so he Googled her and checked out the pictures. He definitely thought I looked like her. T, my trainer, said he didn't think I looked like her at all and was sure no one else would, either. So he started asking, and they all agreed with the Colonel. Even the guy who didn't know who she was (he was young) agreed once we named a few movies she was in.

As we were walking out down the hallway, he asked the guy at the desk if he thought I looked like a movie star. He said he wasn't sure, but when T said, "everyone in there is saying she looks like Ann-Margret" he said, "Yeah, I can see that" LOL

Of course, this was after my REALLY pathetic workout - I am such a wimp. So when T says, "Well what do ya' know, I have a celebrity client" I said, "If I was really Ann-Margret, even at her age, I could probably lift a lot more weight"

He comes back with, "That pretty much goes without saying"

An Open Letter

Dear Mother Nature,

Vox

Drab & Wonderful & Everyday

I just finished watching Yours, Mine and Ours (the good one, for probably the 100th time) and was struck once again by this quote:

Life isn't a love in, it's the dishes and the orthodontist and the shoe repairman and... ground round instead of roast beef. And I'll tell you something else: it isn't going to a bed with a man that proves you're in love with him; it's getting up in the morning and facing the drab, miserable, wonderful everyday world with him that counts.

Runs With Scissors

I cut my hair last night.

Nope, I didn't "get my hair cut" - I cut it. Not wimpy little trimming, either. Big, drain clogging hunks of it.

It wasn't a move designed to spare my budget, purely a move fueled by frustration. I have been unable to get my hair to do anything I wanted it to for months now and I just didn't want to deal with a salon. My last few visits have left me wondering if they ever hear anything I say.

Those of you girls who were teenagers in the '80s may remember the quick easy way to feathered hair; bend at the waste, grab all your hair in one hand, chop it with the other. I learned that trick from B.J. Gack whose hair always fell into perfect feathers, despite the fact that she was always playing one sport or another.

I sorta did that, but not quite. At first it looked scarily mullet-like, but I was able to tweak it into a kind of flippy shag. I am sure it is uneven, and will probably have someone catch the obvious problems when I get to work, but I already like it soooo much better.

At some point, however, I will have to visit a salon and deal with the inevitable, "Who cut your hair?!?"

Operation Santa Clause

KFYI & the Sanderson Dealerships would like to welcome everyone back to
the Fifth Annual Operation Santa Claus Charity Drive. The first four
years of Operation Santa Claus have resulted in a record number of
donations for valley children's charities and this year we hope to do
even better.

To help our cause please bring new unwrapped toys, children clothing
items or packaged food donations to any of the three Sanderson dealer
locations from November 16th through December 21st. With each accepted
donation you will have the opportunity to enter to win your choice of a
new Ford Edge or Lincoln MKZ. Donations from Operation Santa Claus will
benefit the West Side Food Bank, West Valley Child Crisis Center and Tim
and Willy's FUN-Dation.

Giving Thanks

Via Shiny Shiny, I found more things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving - and they are all yummy.

Soundtrack Of My Life

Snagged this from Sofa King

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
So, here’s how it works:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend your cool…

Yep, you can listen to this soundtrack via a Radio.Blog

Open Credits: Blues - Eddie Duran
Waking Up: Out Of This World - Donald Byrd
First Day Of School: Shoo Shoo Baby - Frank Sinatra
Falling In Love: Frank's Theme - Holly Cole
Fight Song: Wrygly - Young Sounds Of Arizona
Breaking Up: Silent World - Donna Lewis
Prom: These Dreams - Heart
Life's Ok: I'll Be Loving You - Gabriela Anders
Mental Breakdown: No Judges - Kim Richey
Driving: Misty - Dinah Washington
Flashback: Tea House Moon - Enya
Getting Back Together: He's My Guy - Nancy Wilson
Wedding: Love Walked In - George Benson
Final Battle: Fear No Evil - Ann Peebles
Funeral Song: It's All In The Game/Make It Real One More Time - Van Morrison
End Credits : Egyptian March - Philharmonica Slavonica

Quotables

When I invite a woman to dinner I expect her to look at my Vox. That's the price she has to pay.

In the pursuit of mindless busy-ness, I turned myself into a movie quote.

Oooh, this one is even better for tonight

A Vox. Shaken, not stirred.

Funny like I'm a Vox? I amuse you?

You've got Vox on you.

Sing It, Girl

I don't know how I missed this earlier post from Felicia, but I'm glad I found it.

Nothing in there for me to disagree with.

Random Stuff

Possibility of TMI to follow -->

• I was attacked by a light fixture today. No, I didn't provoke it. My sweetie called and, while I was talking to him, I got up and walked down the hall. As I passed under the light globe that has been in that hallways much longer than I have owned the house, it dropped. Directly on my head. Ouch is an understatement. Then, of course, I reached up to catch it - yeah, that was gonna happen. It fell harmlessly on the carpet. I noticed, however, that my hands were covered in blood and, in rinsing them off was starting to worry that my head was split open. I finally found where my finger had been sliced open and would not stop bleeding. Apparently, when I tried to catch it, I managed to come in contact with the one section of the rim that was broken (you know how those get little nicks in them).

  Let's recap: the light globe fell at exactly the moment I was beneath it after residing happily on that ceiling for at least a decade, when I reached for it I grabbed the one spot that would do the most damage. Poltergeists, anyone?

  UPDATE: It hurts to shampoo when you have fileted the end of the middle finger on your dominant hand. [/whine]

• My land line has been on the fritz for months, since the big rains we had. During that time, anyone who called would have gotten a busy signal. I figured many people and telemarketers would have given up. I got the phone fixed yesterday. When I came home from work today, I found 3 messages. Two were from people who were trying to sell me something, based on my listing in a professional database over 5 years ago. I registered there in hopes of getting clients, but all I have gotten are telemarketers. The other call was from the Republican party - well, Rudy Guiliani telling me to vote for John Kyl.

• Long time readers know I have an old dog who has had some major health problems over the last few years, most recently just a few weeks ago. Some of you know that I have white carpet - well, it was white when I put it in 8 years ago. While shopping in the dollar store last week I found a product called "Urine Remover", supposedly their answer to "Urine Gone". I had seen the ads, but never believed the claims. However, for a buck.....

  I tried this stuff yesterday and it was amazing! Took those stains right out, so I figured I would try it on the others (my old roommate liked to have parties here, remember, and his friends were slobs). It was great. Took care of the soda stain in the middle of my living room, the red margarita stain in front of the living room chairs (rather than tell me he had spilled, the guy that did it had just moved the chairs over the top of the spill - he didn't even sop any of it up first. Pig), the odd and sundry stains I can't place. I am definitely getting more of that stuff.

• Conservatives who say that Republicans need to be taught a lesson by being out of office, and so are not voting or are voting for Democrats, make about as much sense as a man saying that Brittney Spears has been acting kinda trashy lately so he is going to date Tara Reid for a while.

• Back in the 80's, it was fashionable for those on the left to claim to be "Against Nuclear War". I used to always say something along the lines of, "Duh, nobody is for nuclear war, we just disagree on the means necessary to prevent it" Thomas Sowell agrees, and puts it in a contemporary setting.

  It is staggering that anyone could be so self-infatuated as to single out their own particular policy preferences as "anti-war." Anyone who is not a sadist or an idiot is anti-war. The only serious issue is how best to limit, deter or conclude war. But responsibility for confronting this issue is evaded by those preoccupied with the moral preening of being "anti-war."

Dreams

I am a dreamer. Almost every night I have some flight of fancy or other. Generally, these take the form of action that I am a part of - as bizarre as it may be.

Last night, however, my dream was like a movie. Very elaborate, lots of well developed characters, fantastic production values, and I was only an observer.

It was fun, but it was odd.

Unexpected

My biggest gun safety fear since purchasing my new gun is that it will be stolen.

Not because it was expensive, it really wasn't bad.
Not because I love it, though I really do.

I just hate to think of some low life getting a hold of it.

I didn't have that fear with my old gun. So why now, I wonder?

Next Up For The Sweet Tooth

The homemade strawberry ice cream experiment went well, my folks are asking for another batch.

Right now I am thinking of making an apple pie, which would be great with cinnamon ice cream, if I can find a recipe.

If not, I need to find one for coffee ice cream...

All Angels Day

Free Hugs

I like the tune, too

Free Hugs

Happy International Tool Day

I swear that when I heard that September 26th was International Tool Day, I assumed that someone figured out how to give Jimmy Carter a holiday.

Cleaning Demon

I have been on a tear the last few days. I got a wild hair and have been completing projects and cleaning house. So now, though my kitchen table is still covered in a craft project, my dining room table isn't. There is one on a side table....

I have lots of ideas for projects I want to start, but I have forbidden any new projects until I complete the ones currently scattered throughout my house. That means I had to reorganize those, and the spaces around them, to make it possible.

And then the demon got me, whatever cleaning demon possessed me to scour my kitchen to the point of cleaning inside the knife holder and oil up the fronts of my cabinet doors (that did make my whole kitchen smell lemony fresh - mmmm) I cleaned the under side of my dining room table. The gunk in the window tracks. I tossed magazines I hadn't even read (that is HUGE for me, people)

The depressing thing is that the house still doesn't look like I want it to, but the family room is next so I have hope.

TMI to follow, click at your own risk:

 
Also, I also ended up cleaning nearly nude. I had gone to the store in jeans & a tank top. When I got home, I took off the jeans because they were hot and I was going to clean after I read the paper. Tank top and panties, at this point. After I had been cleaning a while, I grabbed some bleach cleaner. Since I didn't want to splash any on my Raiders tank top, I took it off and kept cleaning. About 30 minutes later I realized that there was probably a porn with a plot very similar to that. This isn't the first time this has happened, I often end up that way (at least while I live alone) Anybody else do this, or is it just me?

Happy Kiss Day

Lessons Learned

I have been able to examine the final product from last night's furniture refinishing project. I give it a 7.

Some issues:

• I left it sitting a long time. I had decoupaged images on the table top of movie stars (classic stars, not today's bozos) in a random, over lapping pattern. By the time I got to this final step, the glue had apparently given out a bit. A couple of the corners lifted into (and out of) the epoxy.
  
• I bought the epoxy I was using to seal it a long time ago. I should have been completely clear but has a slight amber cast to it, perhaps as a result of age?
  
• I waited until it was too dark in my garage. There is lighting in there, but apparently not enough for me to see all that I needed to, for instance the bubbles in the top coat. They are tiny, and there aren't many, but I can see them now and it bugs me.
  
• I chose the wrong supports. You have to raise your project off of the ground to keep it out if the epoxy that drips off the edges. I could easily have picked up some blocks or something at the dollar store (or whatever) but I thought the plastic cups I had would work. They didn't. Unfortunately, they broke after I had poured the epoxy all over the top and it was in the self-leveling stage. One broke and as I tried to salvage it, another broke - I got a bunch of epoxy over one edge where I definitely didn't want it. The feet did get stuck in pools of epoxy, but I was able to break them out.
  
• The clear sealer I had sprayed over the pictures originally (they were photocopies so I wanted to be sure) may not have been thick enough. Where the overlapping images looked just fine before the epoxy, the chemicals apparently caused the paper to become a bit transparent. Now some of the images are showing through so you have, for instance, Shirley MacLaine's feet in Danny Kay's living room window.

Little Things

I had a pretty busy, productive day today and so I decided to treat myself to some pasta for dinner - Chicken Parmesan from Streets of New York. Yummy and close to home.

I had spent the evening completing up an old furniture refinishing project. I started it before I met SG and just never got around to finishing it (no pun intended). So, I was basically in my grubby short shorts and a tank top - standard grunt work wear for me. Didn't figure there was a need to change just to pick up a take out order, didn't count on their drive through window being broken.

No biggy, I have no problem going inside looking like that. But then I notice the people at the tables staring at me. Kind of pathetic stares, too, and mostly at my legs. Then it hits me - they are at just the right height to be confronted with my most mondo impressive scratch/bruise. All pretty and purple. Considering its location on my upper inner thigh, and factoring in my other visible knocks, I can only imagine the stories they came up with in their dirty little minds.....

Berry Good

I have been in a strawberry mood lately; got two different kinds of strawberry cereal, had strawberry sundaes from Costco the other day (my sweetie got his made with chocolate yogurt instead of the vanilla), and my first batch of home made ice cream is going to be...strawberry!

The house I was looking at today is near a WalMart, so I was able to pick up the rock salt I needed and a bunch of stuff I didn't.

I was also able to get my tire fixed at Costco - yes, it's brand new but has had a slow leak since I got it. When I dropped it off they said it would be 30-40 minutes so I headed to the mall. He called me shortly after that, but not soon enough to save me from the boots. The boots I just had to have. The boots with the insanely high heel that are so adorable I couldn't pass them up despite the fact that I will probably have very little opportunity to wear them anywhere. But so cute! Luckily the store has a AAA discount - yay them.

My ice cream is churning away in there, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Real Estate

I just went to look at a house that is coming on the market soon that I thought would make a good investment. I know the market is in the toilet right now, but it is under priced for the area - an area that should see a boom in about a year.

I have the advantage of being friends with the current owners, so I had an idea what the house looked like, and heard they were planning to sell well before they are actually going to be ready to do so. It is larger than I remember, but also would require more work than I was figuring. I had originally envisioned this being an investment with a friend who has the expertise, but that has fallen through. I had hoped that the work it needed would lean more to the cosmetic, but there is some serious 'work' needed. If I were to take this on it would require hiring contractors (always dicey, especially for a female with limited knowledge) and laying out cash.

But I still want to do it. Am I completely crazy? I don't know if it is under priced enough to make up for the amount of work that it will need. I don't know if I have what it takes to get it done.

But I still want to do it. I am crazy. It is a GREAT house. Arrgghh!

Well, I have a couple of weeks to think on it...... Any of you have experience with that sort of thing?

On the plus side, while checking out the house I got to spend time visiting with my friends - and I always love the chance to catch up :-)

Constitution Day

Happy Constitution Day

How do we get more of our elected officials to actually read the darn thing?

Armed & Dangerous

Literally - 51 year old woman strangles the hit man hired to kill her.

Coolness

Slow motion video of a bullet's path, mostly through food.

Change Your Outlook

Loving this little utility - Wallpaper Changer

It cycles through al the images in a specified folder, at intervals you set. Also handy, it can be configured to display specific images on specific days. I set it up to show my step-sister's wedding photos on her anniversary - so I'll definitely remember the day. I may have to find some other pictures for other holidays - very cool.

There Seems To Be A Trend

I was surprised to see this happen once, but to have another can fail is just too bizarre.

I wonder if something else I am storing in my cupboard is radioactive.....

Not Ready For Disaster

I was peeking at the canned goods in my pantry this morning and found a can that was not living up to it's potential.

Unfortunately, the picture isn't living up to it's potential, either.
One small can of tomato paste with one medium size eruption.

While investigating further, I found a little spray of tomato on the shelf above, and a little spray on the side of the cupboard. Seems like it sort of gave a bit of an explosion and then just kept oozing. I have never heard of a can failing that way.

What if I had needed that to survive an alien attack? After all, I think they may already be here - Macker has proof.

Odd Celebrations

Today is Red Telephone Day - honestly.

I'm not sure how you would celebrate that, so I am simply posting a song that I found on a CD I purchased at the dollar store recently. Because it is by The Red Telephone.

Piranha
right click -> save as, please

Good Words

One of my favorite words is plethora, which I attribute to two specific usages.

In that old show Head of the Class, one of the students is walking down into the journalism room and says, "May I have a word?" to which Charlie Moore (Howard Hessman) replies, "I'm not using plethora at the moment".

Three Amigos brought us an exchange that used the word plethora a plethora of times.

I just had never realized the educational possiblities of the latter exchange - until now.

Charge Him Anyway

He wasted police resources and cost the taxpayers who knows how much cash, only to find his DNA is not a match.

As I said over at Lori's site, I thought there was something wonky about his confession. I guess it wasn't Lori's site - well, I said it somewhere.

I heard he was arrested in Thailand for some unrelated sex crime. (Is that true?) What does a person have to do to get arrested for a sex crime in Thailand, one of the major freaky sex tourist destinations in the world? Maybe he had consensual heterosexual sex, in the missionary position, with a woman over the age of consent?

Suspect Arrested

Police have arrested a suspect in the killing of Jon-Benet Ramsey.

Disturbingly (or extra disturbingly), he is a second grade teacher.

For Monty

Back In Phoenix

Fabulous time!!! More on the trip, and how very, very spoiled I am, later.

Of course, while I was gone Phoenix apparently had a magnificent storm - I wish it would've waited for me.

Heading North

Back Sunday-ish

I'd Watch it

The most recent large Powerball payout was $208.6 million to 100 factory workers in Wisconsin. Each worker will probably get around $1 million.

It would be interesting to see how such a large group handles the new wealth - which ones are still better off a year (or 2 or 5) from now, which ones make bad choices. I'd watch that documentary, I wonder if anyone would make it.

BTW: I thought of this because my sister received a strange package in the mail this morning - 7 powerball tickets with 5 quick picks on each. No return address, no note or explanation. The only clue is that the postmark is in Phoenix. Odd.

The Beauty Around You

I got an email from my step-sister today - she doesn't blog (though she really should) she just sends us a group update now and then. I love getting them, I love her writing and I love her outlook.

Here is a gem from the latest dispatch:

Twenty minutes ago I was on my way home from work when a woman, easily in her 80s, with a soft "jewish" accent, said to me, "do you want to see something good?" This being New York I hesitated...but she took my arm and pointed toward a tree, "do you see that there?" and then another tree, "and that?" and a third, "and look at this one right here...Isn't nature beautiful? Kids play here...the cars go by, and nature keeps growing...and it's always good."

And I smiled my way home.

One Red Paperclip On Your Tax Dollars

I blogged earlier about the One Red Paperclip phenomena, Coyote has the unfortunate conclusion. He says it better than I, so go read it there: From Rags to Riches at Taxpayer Expense

Clean, Square Lines

You're romantic, graceful, and sophisticated—just like the popular princess-cut diamond. Characterized by clean, square lines and intense sparkle, your relative rock conveys the kind of elegance and femininity that you possess. Plus, the rock's clarity is as clear and true as you are with those close to you. At once classic and ladylike, a princess sparkler suits those who just love being a girl.

Stiff Digits

We've all heard of having an itchy trigger finger, but a sore one...? Three hours of shooting two days ago and my finger is still stiff and sore.

Yeah, I am just in a whiny mood today

Happy Freakin' Birthday

Traffic School here I come!

OK, technically the birthday is tomorrow, but I got the ticket today so I am pouting about it today.

I have gotten more than my fair share of speeding tickets in my life, not complaining about that, just stating fact. I am a distracted driver with a lead foot (maybe distracted isn't a good word....disinterested?) I pay attention to what is going on around me but not to my speedometer - I just don't. I go whatever speed seems reasonable in most instances; with the traffic when there is some, a comfortable speed when the street is barren (like this morning). Knowing that my speed doesn't always jibe with the posted limit, I got a radar detector. Darn thing goes off every time I drive past a store with an automatic door, but didn't make a peep when it had a radar gun pointed at it. Nice.

I have to say that of all the tickets I've gotten through the years, and all the interaction I have had with various police departments and courts, Glendale is the worst. The cops are major @$$holes - I know you've gotta write me a ticket, but you don't have to be such a dick while you're doing it. The clerks in the court are completely rude and unhelpful - you know, because doing their job is a major imposition on them.

So, that is how my day started.....

BTW: What is the protocol when you are pulled over and you have a gun in the car? Should you tell the cop that you have a weapon in the vehicle? (if I'd have told the guy this morning he'd have had me face down in the dirt, he seemed to have a need to prove what a bad-@ss he was on his big bad traffic stop. I wasn't crying when he stopped me, but I was by the time he got through.) In general, though, is it required/a good idea to tell them?

Need Your Support

My step-sister, who I have mentioned before, is planning a mission trip to Peru with her church. As you may have guessed, this requires her to raise a fair amount of money. The purpose of the mission is to work at the Girasoles Center in Lima, which is primarily working to help get young boys off the streets (where they get by through prostitution and theft) and help them realize that they can be 'men of valor'.

If you are so inclined, she needs donations which can be made here. The quantity represents the amount of your donation; under choose one, simply scroll to Piper Pack. If you are not inclined or in a position to offer monetary support, she is also asking for prayers.

Smoke On The WalMart

I decided to try my own advice and wear a ring during my workout today, so I tried to stop at WalMart on the way. Not a good day for WalMart shopping. Coincidentally, those are the two WalMarts where I most often shop. I wonder how long they will be closed.

So, K-Mart it is. Apparently, if you wear a size 7 or 8 you can have all the costume jewelry you want, if you wear a size 5 you are out of luck. Fortunately, the clerk was helpful and she dug through her back stock to find me a serviceable band. Size 6, but workable. Then I looked at the price - $65. Uh...no. I said, "really, this is just for the gym so I am only looking for some cheapy thing". Turns out the $65 ring was on sale for $15 (talk about overpriced) - still not as cheap as I would like but it'll do.

Off to the gym where I have NO problems, zero. This could be attributed to many things; might be the ring, might be the time I went (10 am), might be that word has spread that I am a b****, might be that no one found me the least bit appealing, or (using the JJ analogy theory hypothesis) I was actually looking good today, maybe there were no men there today..... Many possibilities but the outcome is the same, a peaceful workout. I ended up staying with it a bit longer today, just because I wasn't aggravated by the interruptions. Cool.

I do wish I could get my honey to join up so we could go together, I think it would be fun. Not that we even need to work out together when we are there, though I bet he could get me squared away on using the weights & machines correctly, but just going together would be nice. I'll keep working on him.

For now, I will wear the ring unless it stops working. It is small and simple enough to not bug me, so why not?

Blasts From The Past

I've mentioned before that I don't put too much stock in dreams & dream interpretation, but I am sometimes surprised by how powerful the feeling they evoke can be - even after you've been awake for awhile.

Last night I had a dream that featured lots of people from my life, most of whom I have lost touch with for one reason or another. It started out with me sitting on a bench with SG and he turned on a DVD to watch. The voice on it was very familiar and I sat bolt upright to say, "that's Ali!" Just as I did I noticed that Ali was sitting on the next bench, but he wouldn't talk... just smiled.

Then I was at a funeral, an occasion where people you haven't seen for a while all come together. There were all sorts of old friends and acquaintances in the crowd. No one was talking, but I did manage a lot of hugs. At one point I noticed a girl, B, that I knew when I worked at a computer company a decade ago, and I kept trying to get to her - I just had a really overwhelming need to talk to her, but I could never quite get there. It isn't like she was avoiding me, in fact I got the impression she had no idea I was there. She just kept on going about her business, getting herself a dish of food from the buffet table, walking amongst the crowd. In fact, though I know it was her, I was only seeing her from the back the whole time. Strange.

My old friend JJ showed up (you may remember I am trying to lose touch with her) and she was talking. I kept trying to get away and she kept grabbing and gabbing at me - I just had a really overwhelming need to run from her, but she just kept coming. And I just kept trying to reach B - I just knew there was something I needed to say, or she needed to say.

So here it is, several hours later, and I am still feeling an overwhelming pull to talk to her. I just can't imagine why?

UPDATE: 12 hours later and I can't shake the feeling that something is up with her.

Word of Mouth

I have recently decided to quit "cheaping out" on myself; opting for a "real" salon instead of Great Clips, indulgent smelly shampoo, web enabled cellphone....

Tonight I found myself all dressed up with nowhere to go, or at least no one to go there with. I have almost no food in the house, so I was thinking I could just run out to Taco Bell or something and grab myself a quick bite. Instead I decided to treat myself to a 'dining experience' and headed out to a Glendale club. I got the impression they thought I was a secret shopper or a critic or somethin' since I was alone and very inquisitive. That gave me an idea to do a review....

I registered a domain a couple of weeks ago to have a repository specific to my "Word of Mouth" reviews, but I haven't done much more with it. Now there is one post.

Since I haven't explained it there yet, I will remind you here: the Word of Mouth Scale refers to how many people in my little circle of friends and family I am likely to recommend something to, not necessarily how good I think it is. For instance, I thought both Wedding Crashers and The 40-year Old Virgin were good movies (hilarious, actually) but there are few people in my group I would recommend those to because the crass humor would be offensive to 80% of the circle.

So, there you have it. I am going to be spoiling myself a little more, I just got a great haircut and a cool phone, I started a new (mostly empty and unattractive at this point) blog, 80% of my friends/family are proper.

BTW: I may be interested in other contributers to offer a different perspective. i.e. Broken's circle of friends is much different than mine, so his WOM Scale would be quite different, as well.

Sam & I

But, I have to ask, why did he turn her into a smoker? Yeuch!

Vox Trivia

Apparently, if/when I talk in my sleep, I talk about Suns basketball.

I sorta DID IT

I got a little feedback on my request for information on web phones/services. Both of the commets were specific to T-Mobile, and I think I was pretty much sold on them anyway.

So, Monday night I went down to Metrocenter and got signed up for the web service, and purchased the MDA. So far, so good.

I have 14 days to kick the tires, but it appears to do everything I was needing it to do - and a few things I hadn't even thought of.

BTW: The mailman asked about it and I said it was great, I can work no matter where I am. He pointed out that perhaps that was poor planning on my part, now I'll never have time off :-)

BTW2: Lori, I know you think cell phones are the work of the devil, but come on, the internet in the palm of your hand. How cool is that?

A Good Trade

I read this story yesterday and was quite amused - and wondered who the Phoenix singer was who traded away a years free rent.

Today I got an email from one of my girlfriends (who I haven't spoken to in ages, see the post below) inviting me to a "Red Paperclip Party" at Alice Cooperstown tonight - she's the singer in the story!

BTW: She is an amazing singer, very bluesy/rocky. I could see her playing Janis Joplin in the bio-pic they are casting, certainly long before Britney Spears (who they mentioned) or Renee Zellweger (who is playing her in some movie already)

UPDATE: Just visited her website (it's been a while) and found she has seriously changed her style. See what happens when you don't stay in touch - you miss a lot of stuff.

Riddle

I was presented with this riddle today, and I am stumped so far. It supposedly has an actual answer. Any takers?

I turn polar bares* white and I will maik* you cry.
I make guys have to p* and girls comb their hare*.
I make celebrities look stupid and normal people look like celebrities.
I turn pancaiks* brown and make your champain* bubble.
If you squeaze* me, I'll pop. If you look at me, you'll pop

UPDATE: I found this posted elsewhere with the final line being "Can you guess the riddle?" Does that change the puzzle at all? Give any of you a jump start to the answer?

[changed the spelling of things*, to make it BAD, because I am getting far too many visitors based on searches for this phrase. If the misspellings don't stop it, I guess I'll just delete the post...but I hate to do that.]

Image Is Something

After having a discussion regarding vehicles and the impression they make, I promised to put up this poll to see what the general consensus is. Namely, do you find a truck or a sports car to be more attractive - specifically "sexier"? Mostly looking for female votes here, but will take them all (I have too few readers to be that picky)

Cool Video

Very cool if you like juggling...or the Beatles...or juggling to the Beatles....

Noises Off

I am not one of those people who is bothered by light when I am trying to sleep. If I sleep with the blinds/open, the sun doesn't wake me up - but I love having the sunshine when I do open my eyes.

Noises on the other hand, even the smallest ones, will drive me up the wall and keep me awake all night. Last night for instance....

I have a valve in my back yard that won't shut off all the way, I've had the hose hooked up to it dribbling in to the pool. Unfortunately, it has gotten worse and now I can hear the water running through the pipes all the way on the other side of the house. Definitely one of those noises that keeps me awake. Argh! So I decided to try my white noise machine set to "rain", and it really worked.

Why is it that the sound of synthesized running water was able to cancel out the sound of actual running water and allow me to sleep? Strange.

Guess I should fix the problem instead of just trying to cover it up....

How to Avoid Marrying a Jerk

No, seriously - the Army can show you the way.

I'm In Love

Hershey's Take 5 - pretzels, peanut butter, caramel, chocolate.

Yeah, Baby!

The Gift

Courtesy of Lori - here it is:

Teddy Bear With A Heart

Gift Giving

Toughed out another episode of SNL (with Steve Martin hosting I had to give it a try) and it wasn't as bad....

There was a gem, though - the "Teddy Bear with a Heart" commercial. I've been hoping someone would post the video, but haven't seen it yet.

The message: Nothing says I love you (and I put a lot of thought into this) like a crappy little teddy bear with a heart, available absolutely anywhere - literally.

Yes, guys, it's that time again. Time to actually put a little bit of brain power into your gift.

It's not about how much it costs you (the giver), it's about how well it suits her (the recipient). If she hates golf, don't give her clubs. If she is trying to get healthy, don't buy her candy. No kitchen appliances unless her passion is cooking. You get the idea.

And please, no "Teddy Bear with a Heart" except in jest or in high school. Not for Valentine's Day.

UPDATE: Thanks to Lori, here it is.

Arrrr!

I love the idea of extra weaponry in my home, but really - in my home this would just be another vertical surface to clutter up. By the time I got all the books and such off it, I'd be toast.

The Difference

As I was lolling about in my nice hot shower this morning, it dawned on me that as soon as I got out, I would be cold. Teeth-chattering, freezing cold. It's a girl thing - and I realized how true that is.

When a man takes a hot shower he heats up. No matter the ambient room temperature, his core temperature has been raised and he will, therefore, be hot for 20-30 minutes. Sweating, even

When a woman takes a hot shower, that doesn't happen. Or it doesn't affect us the same way. We seem to feel the difference between our body temperature and that of the air around us and, no matter how warmed up we were in the shower, feeling the cooler air makes us feel cold. Shivering, even.

Have you noticed that, or is it just me?

Ditto

Yep, this is how I'm feeling.

I'm Back

Did ya' miss me?

Escape

How do you know you have been working too much on one project? When you dream about it. When every time you wake up in the night you are thinking about it; "if I put an 'if' test there it might take out some overhead", "maybe I can pre-populate those fields", "if I index it this way it might be more efficient", "maybe he would love me if I..." (oh, wait, that's a different problem).......

What it all boils down to is, despite my looming deadline, I need a break. So I am running away from all my problems/projects and spending a couple of days up north. Sedona is one of the most beautiful places on the planet to visit, and I always manage to getting relaxed & refreshed up there.

Comments are off till I get back.

Nuclear Wings

I love Buffalo Wings - hot, please. I usually find that at most restaurants, the medium is way too tame for me. So, when I ordered wings from Streets of New York tonight, I ordered hot. Boy were they!

Yowza!

But yummy

'Tis The Season

USA Weekend had a list for cheering the troops in their Holiday Gift Guide:

• TreatAnySoldier.com
  
• YellowRibbonAmerica.com
  
• AdoptaPlatoon.org
  
• OperationMilitaryPride.org
  
• Stripes.com
  
• OperationPaperback.org

Handy Debate Techniques

Over at the Dilbert Blog, Scott Adams gives you all the help you need to win arguments.

The bonus is, you don't even have to actually believe that snakes have arms to make the point....

Happy "You're Welcome" Day

Makes sense, since we were all giving thanks yesterday.....

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have much to be thankful for!

Listening To Paint Dry

I listen to talk radio, mostly in my car to and from work. Tonight I got in the car to go home and the host promised to talk about "Deadbeat Dads" in the upcoming hour, and specifically a man who sent an email and was upset about Sheriff Joe's latest round up.

You all know that this is one of my pet peeves, so I was very interested. I waited...and I waited.....

And he talked about the Mayor being called for jury duty and played a sound bite of him talking about it - over and over and over and over.....
It was truly like listening to paint dry. He had 4 or 5 callers with jury duty stories, which could have been informative little bits if he didn't go on and on and on and on about the Mayor - and asking the same questions over and over. (OK, you guys probably know that another of my pet peeves is repetition - just get it freakin' out there and move on. You can stay on the same subject if you have additional information otherwise, wrap it up!)

He ended up repeating the jury duty bit for the full final hour of his show and never got to the Deadbeat Dad story. What are the odds he'll cover it tomorrow?

Absurdity Day

In honor of Absurdity Day - that's today BTW - I have a slightly absurd request...though I am completely serious.

I love to get pretty postcards (scenic, cityscapes....) from far away places. I would love to get them from my readers, you know, sort of a way to show me where you live. Or where you want to live. Or where you're visiting (too bad I didn't have this idea a little earlier.) If I get some, I may even post them.

If you are game, send them here:

PO Box 39559
Phoenix, AZ 85069

Thanks!

Sappy

OMG, a Cheerios commercial just made me weepy!

That little face looking up at her new mommy at the end -

I'm In

I love the idea, But I think you might want to reconsider inviting the Californians down there.

I'm just saying.

Brrrrr...

The Weather Pixie is nuts

Do They Make A Hallmark Card?

Happy Pickle Appreciation Day

I am sure SG will be celebrating this one - he is a pickle eating fiend.

UPDATE: Well, it's not Hallmark, but there are cards.

RIP - Vivian Malone Jones

The passing of a true Civil Right pioneer escaped my attention last month, and apparently that of the MSM. I heard nothing about it till now, when I found a small reference to it in an obscure magazine.

Vivian Juanita Malone Jones, civil rights pioneer and civil servant, born July 15 1942; died October 13 2005 after suffering a stroke.

I found an obituary in the Guardian

Vivian Malone Jones, who has died after a stroke in Atlanta, Georgia, aged 63, came to public attention as one of the two black students whose enrollment at the University of Alabama in 1963 was a decisive moment in America's civil rights struggle. It remains etched in the nation's memory, defying Governor George Wallace's infamous "stand in the schoolhouse door" to stop integration.

Behold The Power....

...of Nyquil.

Spent the day in sweet oblivion - mmmmm, sleep.

Nyquil rarely disappoints (though sometimes it causes people to write bad poetry) Come to think of it, this could probably be considered drunk blogging.

My Node Ith Tuffed Ub

Ugh - I thought it was just allergies, but no such luck. I spent the day with a stuffy nose and a bit of a sore throat and no energy. Went to bed early with a dose of Chloraseptic. Woke up at 5 and I am miserable; sneezing, coughing, can't breathe, nose & throat on fire.

Bleh - I hate colds. With the stress of the past week (work has been a killer) and my general lack of healthy living lately, my immune system must be shot.

I am giving in and hitting the Nyquil - with any luck I will sleep till I have to be at work Monday (can't call in sick, the whole rest of the office is out of town, Albuquerque, Sedona, Prescott...)

[whine, sigh, whine, whine, whine]

Flash Back

Well, this was my life in the 60's - look familiar to anyone else?

Old Friends

One of my old friends (she is actually the ex-girlfriend of an ex-boyfriend, they stayed in touch and she and I really hit it off. I never felt insecure about their relationship because he was always open about it.) has finally gotten her website up and running.

She has had an amazing career in the music/movie industry in LA, working on the scores to some of your favorite big time films.

I suppose that unless you are into music (specifically the flute, jazz, or classical) or you know her, there isn't much there for you - but she is as cute as a button. There is even a picture of her of which Lisa would approve.

PR - or What's In A Name

A flier for a new restaurant was just placed on the door at the office. The name of the restaurant is "Uncle Tom's" - why in the world would a business choose that as a name? The food seems to be Italian, and the proprietors are listed as "Thomas & Maria" - wouldn't "Aunt Maria's" be more appropriate? Or even "Uncle Thomas"? Something, anything, less offensive.

And, while we are at it, when did Uncle Tom become an insult? Wasn't he the hero of the story? I know it has been a long time since I read the story, but I thought he was the one who resisted and protected - am I remembering it wrong?

Mariachi Night

Enjoy some margaritas, chips and salsa, and some cumbia rhythms, but don't drink to much or you will have a head start on tomorrows holiday - Headache Day.

Easy As Cake

Today is Cake Appreciation Day - here are some to get you started.

Mmmm, yeah - found my kind of coffee cake.

From The Ashes

My sister's latest report from Albuquerque includes the tale (with pictures) of one town's method for pulling beauty from the ruin of a fire.

Catching Up

Ended up with last minute plans tonight to see an old friend for dinner and drinks - someone I haven't seen in at least a year. In that time she got divorced, which made it odd; I only knew her because of her husband (I remember when they started dating), I rarely ever saw her without him, I never really got along with him too well so I didn't see her that often. I always thought she was probably someone I would enjoy spending time with but it was unpleasant when she was with S, and akward once they split.

But then I heard from her at just the right time - when I really needed a drink, and figured dinner wouldn't hurt either. We met up at Abuelo's, Mexican food and margaritas - mmmm.

Three hours, a lot of laughing and too much food later we were finally ready to go (OMG, my margaritas were $8.50 each! Ouch!) So, with a promise to actually stay in touch, I made my way home.

I like her a lot better as a single gal - or at least not married to S. Is that horrible?

What'd You Call Me?

You are a Theory Slut.
The true elite of the postmodernists, you collect avant-garde
Indonesian hiphop compilations and eat journal articles for breakfast. You positively live for theory. It really doesn't matter what kind, as long as the words are big and the paragraph breaks few and far between.

Found it via Not Exactly Rocket Science

While we're at it:

You're the Smart one
....so chances are you'll survive! :-)
You might get cut up & have some minor injuries, but you'll be victorious. The Killer better know NOT to mess with you anymore!

Decisions, Decisions

Trying to decide whether to change to the Weather Pixie:

Or stick with the Weather Sticker:

I like the simplicity of the Weather Sticker, but the Pixie is darn cute and she knows what moon phase we are in (though she seems to have issues with the time). On click through, Weather Sticker takes you to a very thorough forecast complete with moon phase and this cool monthly weather calendar, she just takes you to a "Get Your Own Weather Pixie" page.

Little Things

Made a stop at the local QT for gas - and a free Coke (love the under the caps game). Pretty basic and uneventful.

Except when I was walking out the door, a young man (in his 20's - that's young to me) said, "Howdie Doodie, Cutie" I said, "You just made my day!" Amazing how such a little thing could completely change your mood, but you girls know what I mean - don't ya'?

What made it even better was that he didn't seem to have ANY agenda. Didn't try to chat me up, no follow up - just a sweet how-do-you-do then on with his day.

Let that be a lesson to you guys about how easy it is to cheer up the old ladies you encounter in your day.

Mangia!

Peanuts

You are Linus!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Still Looking

...For a name for my bird.

...For you to respond to my drunk driving sentencing survey.

...For my old friend, Terry Woods.

All Fixed

I rock.

I mean, for a procrastinator, I rock.

The Winner Is...

I saw this little contest over at Cowboy Blob's so I sent the link to my ex - to see if he would get it. And he did!

Not that I ever had any doubt, that boy is wicked smart (though prone to errors in judgment like letting me get away ). Kinda figured it would be a military figure, which just made it even easier for him.

Way to go, DP!

BTW: I think he is going to give the prize to me. Kind of nice to get a present, what with our anti-versary coming up this weekend and all.

BTW2: Blogger is still not supporting trackbacks - WTF? The very thing that Google relies on for their ranking, who links where, they don't support. Idiotic.

Perils of Procrastination

My house has two bathrooms and so, two toilets. One of them has been broken for a few weeks. I fixed half the problem (the fill valve) but it turns out the flapper needs to be replaced, as well. I have been putting it off 'cause I am not here that often and the other one works.

Or, to be more precise, worked.

Not sure what is wrong with that one. I do know that I shouldn't have put off fixing the other one.....

UPDATE: It's the fill valve - won't shut off. I really don't want to go to the store and fight with a toilet tonight... Argh! Think Hope I can muddle through till tomorrow.

WMD Found...

...and it is in the Gulf of Mexico.

At least according to some moonbat at Weather Wars who thinks the "power Elite" unleashed the Weather of Mass Destruction on New Orleans to "introduce an element of change into American society". Huh?!?

Someone in the administration has the power to control the weather, and this is what they would choose to do with it? Honestly, people, get back on your meds - I mean it. You are a danger to yourself and others.

It's The Great Pumpkin

The planets seem to be tuning in to Lori's Autumn obsession

Between now and the end of October, Mars, already so bright, will double in brightness again. Imagine that. The timing is practically perfect for Halloween. Millions of kids and their parents will be outdoors after dark trick-or-treating on Oct 31st.

Furthermore, purists insist, Mars isn't really red, it's pumpkin-colored.

Simon Wiesenthal - RIP

I just found out, via No Pundit Intended, that one of the good guys is gone.

"Justice, not revenge"

What is Fair?

I have been having a discussion (disagreement) with a friend regarding a specific drunk driving case here in Phoenix, which was compounded by an article in Saturday's sports section. I am amazed at how far apart we are in our opinions.

I put together a survey because I am curious to get input from all of you. Well, all of you who are willing, anyway - it is only 8 multiple choice questions long.

Take the survey: Sentencing Drunk Drivers

BTW: To the first commenter. It isn't a fair survey if they know 1) What my opinion is (then you'll just say they are agreeing with me) 2) What your opinion is 3) Who it is I am disagreeing with 4) Your justifications for the way you feel - or mine, for that matter. I tried to present it in as fair and unbiased a fashion as I could, in order to get unbiased opinions. After the poll expires and I tally the votes, I will put your comment in that post. And, if you want, we can ask the questions again with that extra info.

How come you didn't take the survey?

I Love This Stuff

TCHOTP sent me this very cool illusion

He knows I am a sucker for that stuff.

Random Crap

I outed myself this month as a serious infovore - I will read anything you put in front of me. My friend JJ is one of my biggest enablers. Along with the standard magazines (Glamour, Cosmo, In Style) she also gives me Star and The Enquirer. These are publications I would never spend money on, I just don't want to put money in the pockets of the type of people who publish that trash. Reading it second hand, though, makes me feel like I am screwing them a little - and it reinforces my conviction to never buy one of them. Not to mention I love the 5 minute crossword puzzles in the back.

In an issue she gave me last week I found a couple of odd items:

• Regarding the War of the Worlds remake

  Because of recent discoveries of just how benign the real Mars seems to be, Spielberg changed the villains of the new film from Martians to aliens from an unspecified planet

  Uh...because if they were supposed to be martians it might not be believable? Since they are just some random aliens...they might really exist? yeah - whatever.

• Regarding Britney Spear's apparent decision to give birth here

  How wise is Britney's choice of hospital for her baby's birth? After all, it's a small facility in a small city.

  Yeah, it is one of the premier hospitals in the Western U.S., very near one of the premier children's hospitals in the country, in one of the largest metro areas in the nation. I can see how they would think it is a dangerous choice. BTW: Isn't it St Joe's that so many woman with high risk pregnancies travel to from around the country? If she had any problems at all, she would be right around the corner.

Odd, but not in the magazine, is a commercial I just heard for pondscum a personal injury law firm

At this time of year it is important to remember not to drink and drive.

Hurricane Katrina

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have had their lives severely affected by the devastating destruction of Hurricane Katrina. Please consider donating to the relief effort by contacting some of our local agencies. President Bush has signed emergency legislation enacting hurricane relief assistance, and has pledged to do everything possible to help our fellow citizens affected by this tragedy.

Postulate

Discussed at the Coffee Plantation today: Men are pigs, women are crazy.

Agree or disagree?

Click 4 Cathy

One of my favorite sites to visit is Day by Day. His cartoons range from funny to poigniant to shocking to thought provoking - sometimes all in the same day's panel. Right now he is dealing with a family illness and is using the resources he has to help. In this instance it is the internet and his legions of readers. In hopes of raising the Yahoo! rating of the Cancer clinic treating his sister, he is asking for clicks for the next 10 days. It costs you nothing but a second or two. Remember - click early, click often.

Cancer, cancer clinic, cancer treatment, cancer center, cancer ablation, cancer resource ...am I missing any?

A Warning

Why you should always wear sunblock

Oops

You should be careful if you are going to be floating around your pool in a bikini - you never know when a camera will be pointed at you.

I am so blushing right now

Darn satellites are everywhere.

I hope I was laying face down when they snapped this.....

And Another Thing

My pool has been looking great. Crystal clear water, deposit free walls....in fact it has been in better shape the last few weeks than I have ever seen it since I bought that house years ago.

But then I decided to invite people over so the vacuum stops working. I checked all the hoses (lots of suction), all the baskets and bags (emptied and replaced), I backwashed the pump.....I can't find a reason why the Kreepy Krawly just stopped kreepy-ing. But it did.

Because I wanted to have guests . . . and it hates me.

Well, that's the theory I am going with anyway - it is the only one that makes sense.

AC Soothed the Savage Beast?

I have been watching my sister's dogs while she is in Hawaii, and one of them has been a pain-in-the-neck (the spoiled little princess).

Anyway, between her dogs whining at night, my bird squawking in reply and a rash of crank phone calls, I have not been getting a lot of sleep the past week or so.

Last night SG showed up at my house (completely unexpected and I didn't freak out - that is a huge step for me). I usually keep the AC set at around 82-84° - I like it warm and only go that low so the animals don't melt. Since I wanted SG to be comfortable I turned the thermostat down, eventually to around 76°, and covered myself in a doubled over comforter.

The animals hardly made a peep all night. Really. The bird even slept in, not starting to rustle around until after my alarm had gone off. Could the temperature have made the difference? Maybe?

Whatever it was, it was wonderful

Cobalt Blue Steel And A Hair Trigger

I wanna go shooting.

Yeah, you heard me - it's been years since I've done it. I would probably suck at it at this point (not that I was ever that good). I just have had a hankering to empty a clip or two.

I don't own a gun, I would love to have that kind of cash. Mmmm, my own boom stick (well, I'd rather have a handgun - but I like the quote/movie).

There are a couple of gun clubs here, any recommendations of which to try...if I decide to try one?

Can You Rephrase The Question?

According to Blum & Weprin Associates, 2/3 of us are greedy because of the answers given to the question: "Which would you rather have: More sex or more money?"

Couldn't it be that 2/3 of the people are just happy with the amount of sex in their lives?

Couldn't it?

Today is...

officially Hot Enough For You Day - right now it is only 99°, so my answer is still no

In the last weeks, though, we got some serious triple digits.

Cleaning Question

Does anybody know how to get blood (lots) out of cream colored Berber carpeting?

Or am I getting tile sooner than I had planned.....?

Rather Have a Bottle In Front of Me....

...Than A Frontal Lobotomy.

Thirty years after doctors stopped performing lobotomies to treat mental illness, epilepsy and even chronic headaches, relatives of patients who suffered after undergoing the procedure want the Nobel Prize given to its inventor revoked.

They also say

Relatives of patients who underwent the procedure agree. They are pushing the Nobel Foundation to posthumously strip the prize given to the lobotomy's pioneer, Portuguese neurologist Egas Moniz.

"How can anyone trust the Nobel Committee when they won't admit to such a terrible mistake?'' asks Christine Johnson, a Levittown, N.Y., medical librarian who started a campaign to have the prize revoked.

But it ain't gonna happen

The Nobel charter has no provision for appeal of a prize awarded, he said, and the foundation ignores such criticisms, as it did when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's Peace Prize was challenged.

Need A Boost

I have been using bookmarklets for quite a while now, a couple times a week at least I find a use for one of the handy little apps.

I had forgotten about this one - but it is a fun little Confidence Booster.

I Got Tagged

Michael picked me to answer one of those blog memes, causing me untold amounts of stress.....

OK, actually, no. Which is germane to the question:

Things you enjoy, not because you have to but because you WANT to, even when no one around you wants to go out and play. What lowers your stress/blood pressure/anxiety level? Make a list, post it to your journal. And then tag 5 friends and ask them to post it to theirs.

So, my five things would be....

• Spending time alone. Sometimes I just need to hit the reset button and the fastest way for me to do it is time in a bubble. Last year I spent most of my birthday week completely alone - and it was wonderful.
  
• Reading. Magazines are my junk food of choice here, as books actually engage my brain.
  
• Blogging/Blog Reading. Sometimes just reading what someone else deals with on a regular basis, or seeing the drama people create in their own lives, is all a person needs to count their blessings. Blogging makes you organize your thought, and dump the effluvia.
  
• Crossword puzzles. I have always enjoyed puzzles, occasionally did the crossword. Lately, though, SG and I have been doing the daily puzzles together - and it is really nice. Our brains work differently so we seem to be a perfect complement when it comes to figuring it out, and I love doing just about anything together. Plus, you get a sense of accomplishment when you fill in that last letter.
  
• Working out. You just can't beat working up a good sweat for releasing all sorts of feel good chemicals. Bonuses: alone time, time to organize your thoughts and a sense of accomplishment.

Delicious Way To Say Thanks

My Mother took a large chunk of our family on an Alaska cruise last month (I opted out for many reasons) and she just received a thank you from someone. A beautiful fresh fruit arrangement from Edible Arrangements Very yummy, very fresh and sweet.

Unfortunately, the card was signed "Thanks For The Alaska Cruise" - with no name. Could have come from just about anyone......

Girls Bed Hit By Lightning...

....cussing ensues.

Kaylee described her parents' reaction.

"He said a bad word, and then Mom heard it, and then she went upstairs, and then she said a bad word," she told KMBC. "There were lots of bad words around here."

New Toy/Old Service

I have had Cricket as my cell phone provider for years - since they came to Phoenix however long that is. My phone has been giving me trouble for over a year now (my phone, not the service).

Cricket wanted me to buy a new phone at full price which I had a problem with; if I was a new customer of theirs or any other company they would give me a free phone, many other companies offer a new phone every two years to retain their customers. So I resisted, and procrastinated, and drove my friends batty because my phone would be shut off without my knowing it, or it would shut off in the middle of conversations.

My family finally had enough and my mother, step-father and sister got me a new Cricket phone - a real doozy with text messaging and pictures and the works (my other phone was very old - call in/call out - that's it) OK, they also got me the phone because my birthday is coming up. And I am spoiled. But I am going to go with "they were sick of me struggling"

So I call Cricket to change over and I am told it will cost me $30 to make the switch. WTF?!? No one on the Customer Service line can help me because it is "company policy" - the deadliest words in your PR nightmare, right up there with "it's not my job".

$30 to remain a customer doesn't work for me so I email. And write a letter. And Wait. It was a pretty good letter that ended with:

"I paid my July Cricket bill today.
Your decision will dictate whether I will be paying Cricket or another provider in August ."

Outa Here

Comments are closed for a few days - I am off for a romantic weekend in Sedona with SG.

3 Stars

My horoscope for today gives me three stars - but with this text:

Conflict seems to be the nature of the day. Don't even try to convince others of their mistakes or that another approach could work. Let others run the show for now.

Fortunately, my day has been nothing like the newspaper predicted.

By the way, my sign is Cancer - - and my birthday is right around the corner

By the way 2, my wish list

Poor Planning

Third Times a Charm

Played in this tournament again and managed to get past number 12 - woo hoo! In fact, I made it to third place which means I won $50. Unfortunately it also means I can't play in that tournament anymore. It was a lot of fun and cool to make it to the money.

Dreamsicle

Another day, another trip to QT for beverages. Today I decided to sample from their Mix It Up menu, and went with the Dream Shake.

Oh so yummy, just like a creamsicle......mmmmm.

A.B.M.S.

In '04 we had the "Anybody But Bush" crowd, seems there is also an "Anything But MicroSoft" movement - whether the alternative actually works or not....

Jackpot

Remember when I got my free facial a while back?

The doctor's office just got a new laser that is used to treat acne. I have been hearing about these for a while now, but wasn't aware they were being used commercially yet. I didn't have a problem with acne during my teen years, but I have been graced with adult acne since my early twenties. Nothing horrible or overwhelming, but enough to cause me frustration. I have been to doctors about it, including a dermatologist, but nothing has actually worked.

Well, they offered me a treatment - and I wasn't about to refuse. I was the first person they used it on - lucky guinea pig me. I asked about the cost for the full course (2 times a week for 8 weeks) and he said he would give it to me free. How cool is that?!? I don't have any problem with him taking before and after pics and, since I've tried so many other things that didn't work, I will be a perfect poster child if it is successful.

I'll let you know.

BTW: This is the kind of news I would have immediately called my friend to share, but we are in a 'dark' period when I'm not allowed to call.

Pros & Cons

There are many, many irritating things that come with PMS.

But there is a plus side....

my boobs are HUGE.

Muddy Waters

Why must America use it's power for evil deeds?

Grave Situation

If you want to hide a murder, bury the victim in a cemetery - the police admit "Had this guy kept his mouth shut, we would've never, ever found out what happened to this victim".

UPDATE: More info

Babies & BBQ

I went to my girlfriend's BBQ today - so great to see her and her family. We have been friends since the first grade so I feel very much like her family is my family, too. It was also nice to meet her boyfriend and his daughter - and her baby (who I instantly took over - I just do not get enough baby time).

I was probably a lousy guest since I spent more time monopolizing the child than conversing with the adults. This baby loved me - loved me.

I even dug my camera out of the clutter so I could get pictures of her family - and most of the pictures are the boyfriend's grandson.

There were burgers and other BBQ type foods - and her mom made brownies, my big weakness. She and her boy seem very happy, despite the disparity in their political affiliations. There is beauty in our differences.

Got Her

Remember my Liberal friend who had just started dating a *gasp* Conservative.

They're in love.

She's moving in.

I'm going to a BBQ at his house tomorrow to meet him - and see her and her family, of course. Her family must be horrified - if they were any more left they'd be....well, I don't know what they'd be, but they'd be something.

Play Money

I decided to try again and hit the play money tables at Bodog - started with $400 (that's all they give you) and won $820. Nice.

Of course, I play differently when I don't really have anything to lose.

UPDATE: Went back again, started with $400 (of course) won $600. I figured it was good to leave the table at an even grand. Wish it was real money, but I would never be bettin' it.

Can I Get A Little Help

This post removed by request.....

Suppose you have someone something in your life that you know think is bad news, like, says, cigarettes. You finally have gotten enough proof that it is bad for you, or you are bad for it, that you think you can break away. But it is taking every ounce of resolve you have not to go running and throw yourself at him it and shout that none of it matters and you can just start over and everything will be fine because you really, really are fantastic together. And you really can make it work. And who cares about the lung cancer and premature aging, if we care about each other enough we can make it through anything. And I really do care... more than enough. And......

And the one girlfriend you think you can count on to talk you down isn't answering any of her phones. I just need her to tell me - "don't go near the cigarette if you don't want to get burned"
JJ, where are you when I need you?

Of course, that's not to say the cigarettes are pining away for me - just that I am having issues resisting them.....

Diversion

You know how, when you are upset/feeling bad/depressed/off balance, you will do stuff like prolific blog postings, dusting your baseboards, sorting your vitamins....basically anything to avoid dealing with what you are feeling? Or is it just me?

Anyway, I am running out of diversionary activities and I am not ready to face my problem. Suggestions?

UPDATE: I'm going to try an online poker tournament. They have one that costs nothing to get in and I could win up to $100. And I will be distracted...
Or not - that was quick. Knocked out on the first hand I played - 2 pair, aces and jacks. He had three of a kind. On the plus side, he got knocked out three hands later.

Incidentally, having been hit once again with comment spam for an online gaming site of which I most certainly don't approve, I have decided to list the Official Vox Online Gaming Destination as one that I do - Bodog. If you sign up, please enter referral number P1F1B13 (SG, I know you have a different referral number but I can't find it. If you send it to me or leave it in the comments I will put it up - I know you will get more benefit from it than I will)

Men / Women

A little illustration of the differences between the sexes:

My nephew and his family live in the North Valley. His wife, who is just a generally wonderful gal, put herself through college doing hair. Though she has moved on to a different career now, she maintains her license and takes care of family and friends. I love to have her do my hair because she is good at it and very sweet. I also get to see the babies.

However, I always put it off (Mom does, too) because I have such a hard time finding her house. You see, I had gotten directions from my nephew and my brother-in-law. I'm sure those directions were technically correct, but they involved getting off the freeway at Bell, and then there was all sorts of convoluted twisting back and around and through neighborhoods to get to the house. I tried Mapquest and Yahoo Maps, both gave the Bell Rd directions. I always got lost.

This time, when I mentioned my trepidation, my niece-in-law (is that right?) told me to go the extra mile on the freeway to Union Hills, head west, then turn on their street, straight to their house. SIMPLE!

All this time I didn't realize how easy they were to find because I got directions from MEN.

BTW: great haircut, but she had to take off more than I would have liked since I waited so long. I was thinking it was pretty short but SG, who notices everything, said it hardly looked any different - guess she did a great job.

Financial Security

Michael often posts his investing information, but it is way too technical for me to follow ;-)

Today he spelled out all the financial information you will ever need.

Add that to his radical weight loss secrets and your life is just about perfect.

Finally

I have a bad record of automotive maintenance - everything from oil changes to general cleaning gets put off. As an aside, these are the things that make perfect presents for me, do the stuff that I need done but won't do myself; oil change, car wash, re-pot my plants (those things have never been re-potted and most are 5-6 years old) Simple gestures that mean a lot...I digress.

Yesterday I had finally had enough of my dirty car. After the Laughlin trip it was completely plastered in bugs and you could hardly tell what color it was anymore. Since it was overcast I thought it would be the perfect time to take care of it - and not have to worry about the hot sun causing water spots. So I scrubbed and scrubbed, did I mention I don't do this very often? It was a mess.

It became clear that I would still have to dry the car off to avoid spotting but, since I don't do this very often and hadn't planned on that, the only old towels I had were the ones I had used when I washed my dog. And they were full of dog hair.

So my car got clean - and fuzzy. Quite a site, my little blue car covered in white fur.

UPDATE: Yeah, it rained today - but I have a garage

Eyewitness

I haven't come up with anything to say about the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, but I found someone who did. Kool- Aid was there and he tells us about that day.

Later that evening myself and several others who had training and experience in search and rescue were loaded into vans and left the base to go downtown to help with the search and recovery. I saw some things that will stay with me forever. I also saw the largest outpouring of human kindness and caring that I have ever seen.

Apt Description

I mentioned to a friend of mine that I organized the shirts in my closet by color this weekend. And she said: "That's the special kind of insanity that is B"

heh - heh

Dogs Need Help

We have a bit of a tragic story unfolding here in Arizona, involving several dogs who are in need of homes - now.

A small group of people (including me) are trying to help get 44 dogs placed in permanent (or foster) homes before the end of April. At that time, the remaining dogs will be put down.

A vet recently went to Kingman to give rabies, parvo etc and a check up. The dogs are most definitely adoptable and desperate for loving homes.

Bottom line, the dogs are in Kingman and many people do not want to make the drive. A group of us are driving to Kingman on April 23 to transport these dogs. I am trying to find people willing to help transport dogs on April 23 or, even better, give homes for the remaining dogs. I also need to borrow kennels (and old towels, blankets, etc for the kennels) to transport the dogs in.

Left Out

In all my recap of the Laughlin weekend, I skipped one itty bitty part.

Thursday after my dinner & drinks with JJ, on the way out to SG's house, I met him at the little country bar we go to. Thursday is karaoke night and he thought he might get me up there singing. I am not totally opposed to the idea, but I have to be good and toasted to do it. And not just on wine, either. Vodka, tequilla, gin, whiskey.....anything that burns on the way down. Bottom line would be, if I am sober enough to drive (which I was) I am too sober to embarass myself. At least that way.

One of his buddies was there, singing his heart out. He was pretty good, especially considering how drunk he was - lol - and I enjoyed the fun for the short time we were there.

So, no karaoke for me that night, but I'm sure I will do it one of these days......

Spinning

Long time readers will remember when this happened.

And that it was pretty hard for me to get back on my bike for the long ride after that.

Between being nervous about the trek and the winter weather (well, it's cold to me) I stuck with my car. Add the fact that one of my injuries from that crash has been acting up the last month or so (the physical therapist actually told me not to get on my bike so it isn't just an excuse...she gave me the OK last week) and I haven't ridden to work since

Until today.

A little slow, a little more challenging than before, but no real issues. The weather is gorgeous and I really enjoy the time and how working up a good sweat on a steady ride can clear your head.

And things can make you laugh, too. I was coming up to an intersection where I passed 4 apparently homeless men; dirty, pushing there shopping carts full of junk. One of them said to me, "Hi, young girl". Seemed friendly and harmless enough of a statement, and my mother always taught me to be polite, so I said, "Hello"

Then he said....

"Nice hooters!!! Huh Huh"

All I could manage was some noise that was sort of a cross between a snort and a guffaw - but I was definitely laughing.

April Fools

Well, I learned several things about April Fools gags - you can't tell people you aren't gonna be around and you've closed comments before you let your sister, M, talk you into an April Fools post. I had a couple of specific marks in mind - and they didn't come by.

I got Michael - sorry 'bout that.

I got my Mom, but not directly. My brother read it and told her about it Saturday night. Even with his caveat that he thought it was an April Fools gag, she bought it. She then came to the site and read it and printed it to show my step-dad - without noticing the "Happy April Fools Day" M had added in the extended entry. She asked M about it the next morning at church and got let off the hook. I made the "April Fools" bigger Monday morning since no one seemed to see it but WickId.

I wanted to get JJ because she put the idea in my head when we went out Thursday night. She said, "you aren't going to go up there and get married without me, are you?" But she didn't read the blog because she knew I was out of town.

And I really hoped to get some reaction from Rachel and Lori - because I knew they would be shocked. But, noooooo - nothin'.

I'll do better next year....maybe.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that I got another friend. He said, "you had me going there. I nearly crapped myself" - but he didn't comment, either.

For a list of some successful gags, you can always count on Snopes.
Some from this year, and some from years past.

Laughlin Trip, part 1

So, it's about time to tell you about our wonderful trip to Laughlin. It gets long so I am breaking it up.

The weekend actually started on Thursday night when I took my girlfriend JJ out for her (belated) Birthday dinner and drinks. We started at the Spaghetti Company, for old times sake - we used to go there a lot when we were 'kids'. Split a bottle of wonderful wine and had some yummy pasta. And some general girlie dish.

Then we went down the block to Cheuvront's Wine & Cheese Experience, a wine bar run by one of our local politicians. The waiter suggested the perfect wine for each of us - mine was a Chilean Merlot, just the right amount of spice, mmmmm. It was great to spend some time together, just the two of us, which is harder and harder to do as we get older (and older).

Then home to pack for the big trip. Then to SG's to be ready to go in the morning.

We weren't in too much of a hurry, so it was a relaxing morning getting loaded up to go.

The drive was mostly uneventful, with the exception of SG having to stop more often than he would have liked because of my micro bladder Fortunately, he was patient with me.

One of the stops we made was at Luchia's in Wikieup. I never really knew where Wikieup was - now I do. If you happen to be taking a road trip, this is worth a stop. (I know, Lori, you are going a different way) They have wonderful homemade pies, some really pretty tchotchkes - and critters. There is a koi pond outside that is brimming with fish - throw in some food and it is like a piranha attack. There are also peacocks all around. We were fortunate to see 3 of the males in full display mode. Cool to see the way they, literally, shake their tail feathers. In order to get them up, they vibrate them - and when a female comes near they vibrate the whole showing fan. It is beautiful - and loud. So much fun to see. I have pictures that I will post later - can't resize etc from the office.

We got to the Riverside with plenty of time to spare so, after dropping our stuff in our beautiful room overlooking the river, we did a little investigating. SG has been there several times before, but usually sticks to the casino floor - and there is so much more there!

More later - but now I get to leave work and go see SG

Happy Birthday, H

Tomorrow is Hugh Heffner's (warning: X-rated pop ups) 79th birthday - and that man has lived several people's lifetimes already.

I remember a comedian once, talking about death, who said "Most of us count on going to a better place. Think about it, when Hugh Heffner dies - can he really go to a better place?"

For you geeks out there: Playboy was the first national magazine to embrace the world wide web - playboy.com debuted in 1994!

Well....What's Next?

? ?

Do Databases Need Time Off?

I went online to pay my cell phone bill and decided, just for fun, to actually look at the bill. I don't usually do that since the amount is always the same. I clicked on the "View My Bill" link and got this:

Your billing history is available between 6:30AM and 9:30PM Monday through Friday Pacific Standard Time, Saturday between 7:00AM and 8:00PM Pacific Standard Time, and Sunday between 7:00AM and 7:00PM Pacific Standard Time. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please check back during these hours. Thank you.

Boys

Tony, once again, manages to cut through to the core of the problem - and he'll make you laugh while he does it.

Read this for the consequence of disobeying God's first order to Adam & Eve.

Home Again

Well, we are back from Laughlin - such a great time.

Too much work right now, but I will give you the full scoop as soon as I can.

Concerts & Casinos

Headed out of town with SG to see the Ricky Van Shelton concert at the Riverside Resort in Laughlin, then stay overnight...or, perhaps, the whole weekend. We have had this trip planned for weeks and I am very excited it should be a fun trip.

I have never been to Laughlin before, so I am looking for information. I know that SG will be plenty amused in the casino, 'cause he is good at it. I don't know that it will hold my interest quite as long (and my wallet can't take the hit). So, what else is there to do in Laughlin?

Ahhh!

The Sears guy showed up yesterday morning (early!) to look at my water heater and took less than 20 seconds to conclude that "we need to order you a new tank" - duh! And it cost me $55 to get that He was actually very friendly and professional and nearly restored my faith in Sears to provide reasonable customer service.

He got it ordered and about an hour later they called to let me know it was available for pick up - Yay!!!

I called SG in the afternoon to let him know, and before I even left work he had gone by my house to get the paperwork he needed and picked up the heater. By the time I got home he was well into the project. Just a bit later, and with a minimum amount of frustration on his part it seemed (despite some challenges presented by location and the size of the new tank), the tank was filling and heating.

I took SG for a sushi dinner last night (OK, sushi for him, teriyaki chicken for me) as a start on thanking him. It works out as a bonus for me, though, 'cause I love going out with him

This morning I took a long, very hot, very wonderful shower. In my own shower. I have been fortunate to be able to shower elsewhere this week, including the office. There is just something to be said for your own set up, especially for a girl.

Brrrr

I thought I was going to see SG last night so I did the whole hair & make-up thing. I didn't end up seeing him (well, saw him for about 30 seconds) but still had the make-up on, which I had to wash off before bed, right? And, because I did the whole thing, the was no skimping - even though there is no hot water.

Yesterday started off good, then kinda sucked, then was topped off by no time with SG and a frostbitten face.

Bah!!

Grumble

Oh, the joys of home ownership.
The latest fiasco: My sister and I went shopping this morning, then to lunch. When we got back to my house I decided to open up the doors to take advantage of the beautiful weather (high of 75° today). When I looked out I noticed the sprinklers were on. "How odd", thought I, since I haven't had them on in over a year. When I went to turn them off, I noticed water pouring out the side (at eye level) of the enclosure that houses the controls...and my water heater. I open the access panel to find water spraying out the top of the heater tank, where it had soaked the sprinkler timer and caused it to fire off.

Thankfully, my sister was there. I am kinda the quintessential helpless girly-girl in many instances - my reaction was a timid "help, help, help" to her. She quickly leapt into action and crawled through the access panel to shut off the water, cutting her hand and getting bonked on the head by the door in the process.

We then managed to pull off the whole side panel so we could turn off the power to it. (which involved unscrewing several screws, which invloved pain since I am severely right-handed)

Fortunately, it is under warranty. Unfortunately, Sears says they can't send anyone out until Wednesday to look at it and determine what parts they need to order. I told them: "there is a hole in the top it needs to be replaced".

"Well, we need to look at it to determine the extent of the problem"

Which means, "we will look at it, charge you for the visit, then make you wait for the replacement, when if we just trusted your ability to see a hole in the metal we could have it out to you by Wednesday"

The customer service I received from Sears when my washer broke is the reason I bought the replacement at Lowe's. This is another example of why Sears sucks. I'll be without hot water for at least 5 days, they will charge me to come and verify that it is, in fact, broken - and then replace it (if I'm lucky).

Of course, I hadn't yet showered today and I keep trying to turn on the hot water to wash my hands.

Appreciation

You never really appreciate how important certain body parts are until they stage a revolt. In my case it is my right shoulder/arm. I knew I would be in bad shape if something ever happened to my hand(s). I never anticipated the trauma of a bum wing. The simple things; brushing my teeth/hair, opening a bottle, lifting even the lightest things, writing...... Wish I'd have worked a little on being ambidextrous.

The physical therapist told me to do nothing this weekend. Surely, I decided, she didn't mean nothing nothing. She meant, of course, nothing strenuous (right?) No, and I knew it because she specified - but I am stubborn and needed to clean my house...how bad could that be? Well, pretty hard actually. Vacuuming, for instance, with a bum shoulder is torture...and my left arm is totally uncoordinated.

So I stopped and my house is still a mess

Think I will head over to SG's house for some basketball and gettin' spoiled....

Timing Is Everything

After physical therapy (which is fabulous!) I stopped by Wendy's for some lunch. Cup of chili, yummy.

I get done eating and jump on the computer.....where I read this news story.

And nearly lost my lunch -

Not So Peaceful

As an update to this post, see Patterico for an account of the "peaceful and dignified" death offered by starvation.

Triumph of Technology...

...over the snooze button.

This may be the solution to actually getting me out of bed in the morning.

Ooohhh Yeahhhh!

Back again on Thursday for more, I may be on my way to feeling better....

Terri Schindler Schiavo

This situation has made it very clear that everyone should have a living will in place. In the absence of such a document, we should err on the side of least damage - in this case, life for Terri.

I did my living will several years ago spelling out explicitly what I do and do not want done (the file cabinet under the disco ball if my family is wondering). Coincidentally, the one thing I said not to remove is the feeding tube. I figure that if the only thing you have to do to keep me alive is feed me, my brain is still functioning on some level - and starvation is not the way I want to go.

However, many on the death side of this argument are saying that starvation is a peaceful end. It is actually the dehydration, they say, and you go into a coma so it is painless. (yeah, right) Now these are, to a great extent, the same people who argue in support of euthanasia and abortion. Apparently they don't need to fight those fights.

"Starvation is a peaceful and dignified end", so anyone with a terminal disease who chooses to end their life can simply stop eating and drinking. Eventually they will just slip softly away into a coma and their troubles will all be behind them.

A woman who decides that she can't bother to be inconvenienced by an unplanned pregnancy can simply cease eating. Before too long the lack of nutrients will take care of the problem for her. She may slip out of consciousness first, but she will be ever so svelte when she wakes up - no troublesome child, no excess baby fat.

No muss, no fuss, no costly litigation, no litmus tests for judicial nominees - just someone choosing whether they want to eat or not. How long could you go without food? Without water?

Unfortunately, in Terri's case, this isn't a choice she is making but one being forced upon her.

UPDATE: Solves the death penalty problem, too. No more debate about "cruel and unusual" punishment - make that prisoner's last meal their last MEAL. In a week or two or three it will all be over, "peaceful and dignified", so we can all feel just peachy about how justice was done.

But I Keep Trying

"The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight because by then, your body and your fat are really good friends."

Don't Mess With Texas

A while back I made the observation that cheerleading seems to be more about dirty dancing than cheering on the team. It seems I am not the only one. I especially like the fact that the professional cheer coach pointed out that they would have no problem with such a law, since those moves are not part of legitimate routines anyway.

J.M. Farias, owner of Austin Cheer Factory, said cheerleading aficionados would welcome the law. Cheering competitions, he said, penalize for suggestive movements or any vulgarity.

"Any coaches that are good won't put that in their routines," he said. And, most girls cheering on Friday nights were trained by professionals who know better, he said.

"I don't think this law would really shake the industry at all. In fact, it would give parents a better feeling, mostly dads and boyfriends, too,'" Farias said.

It just amazes me that this isn't self-policing - how do the adults in charge of these programs not know what they are presenting to the general public? Why do the parents of these kids not step in and stop it?

How My Mind Works

While getting ready this morning, I thought about E.R. - perhaps because I was headed to a doctors appointment.

That lead me to think about Chicago Hope.

Which reminded me of Mandy Patinkin.

So, of course, I thought of Sunday in the Park with George.

And now I have one line, from one song, stuck in my head - over and over.
"The kind of woman willing to wait's not the kind that you want to find waiting...."

I wish I had the rest of the song playing in there - because it really is a nice song, and I am stuck on that cynical part. Argh!

Snooooozzzzzzz

My cool new(ish) toy has a handy "wake to music" feature. This has been great for me, and is especially fun with the selection set to random - I never know what I will get, and with nearly 8,000 songs to choose from I often get a nice surprise.

This morning I was awakened by "You Go To My Head", one of my favorites, unfortunately the next random selection was Brahms' "Lullaby"......

Yep, right back to sleep......

Monday

Still dealing with this, durn it!

Etiquette

Say you have a friend who knows you like wine, specifically red wine. Say this friend, being thoughtful and wanting to surprise you, bought a bottle of red wine and surprised you with a glass after dinner. Now suppose it is really not good. Really not good. What is the proper reaction?

I thanked him for being so thoughtful, because he was. I commended him for remembering that I prefer red, which is proof he pays attention. I did not, however, take a third sip - two tries were enough to be certain of my opinion. I told him wine is tough, and that I am sort of a wine snob, so he should probably not make that particular gesture in the future. After all, he is a non-drinker, and when he did drink it was not red wine.

He said I should have finished the (quite full) glass and said something to him later. Did I mention it was really bad not good?

I think it is better to be honest. I am not the type to fake enjoyment of something that ain't workin' for me. I wouldn't want anyone to lie to me about something like that. What do you think?

BTW: The wine was a Lambrusco. Are they always that sweet, or is it because it was Reunite? Would I be safe trying a different Lambrusco or am I likely to have the same reaction? It tasted similar to a cooking sherry - is that the idea? Anyone?

Vroom!

Anybody know the make of the car used in the Michelin high performance tires commercial?

Heh Heh

You Are A Romantic Realist

You are more romantic than 50% of the population. You tend to be grounded when it comes to romance. Sure, you can fall hard... but only for someone you've gotten to know. And once you're in love, you can be a total romantic goofball... But you'd never admit it to your friends!

Happy V Day

Like A Skunk Goes With Stank

A day early, a redneck love poem that I stole from YaYa who got it from Rita.

Collards is green, my dog’s name is Blue
And I’m so lucky to have a sweet thang like you.
Yore hair is like corn silk a-flapping in the breeze.
Softer than ole Blue’s and without all them fleas.

You move like the bass, which excite me in May.
You ain’t got not scales but I luv you anyway.
Yore as satisfy’n as okry jist a-fry’n in the pan.
Yore as fragrant as “snuff” right out of the can.

You have some’a yore teeth, for which I am proud;
I hold my head high when we’re in a crowd.
On special occasions, when you shave under yore arms,
Well, I’m in hawg heaven, and awed by yore charms.

Still, them fellers at work, they wall want to know,
What I did to deserve such a purdy young doe.
Like a good roll of duct tape, yore there fer yore man,
To patch up life’s troubles and fix what you can.

Yore as cute as a junebug a-buzzin’ overhead.
You ain’t mean like those far ants I found in my bed.
Cut from the best cloth like a plaid flannel shirt,
You spark up my life more than a fresh load of dirt.

When you hold me real tight like a padded gunrack,
My life is complete; Ain’t nuttin’ I lack.
Yore complexion, it’s perfection, like the best vinyl sidin’.
Despite all the years, yore age, it keeps hidin’.

Me ‘n’ you’s like a Moon Pie with a RC cold drank,
We go together like a skunk goes with stank.
Some men, they buy chocolate for Valentine’s Day;
They git it at Walmarts, it’s romantic that way.

Some men git roses on that special day
From the cooler at Kroger. “That’s impressive,” I say.
Some men buy fine diamonds from a flea market booth.
“Diamonds are forever,” they explain, suave and couth.

But for this man, honey, these won’t do.
Cause yore too special, you sweet thang you.
I got you a gift, without taste nor odor,
More useful than diamonds…
It’s a new troll’n motor!!

Oral Sex

Get your mind out of the gutter - this was simply an orgasm in a 6 ounce cup of chocolate.

You've seen it here and here, now I get to rave about it. I resisted as long as I could, but a trip through the mall with SG culminated in a stop at Starbuck's and, well, I had no won't power at all. I told myself I wouldn't be so taken though - it was just a glorified hot chocolate after all. Heh! Not even close.

Between this drink and the sundae SG made me last night (sliced strawberries, chocolate syrup, French vanilla ice cream, more strawberries, whipped cream, more chocolate syrup, chopped nuts - unbelievably yummy) I have been making some pretty obscene noises related to food lately. mmmmmm, aaaahhhh, oooohhhh yeaaaahhhhh.

Resistance is Futile

My oldest friend (since we were 6 years old!) has always been on the opposite side of the political spectrum from me. In her case it's genetic, her parents are big ole lefties from way back ;-)

We have managed to have a great relationship because we respect each others opinions, and always keep our arguments logical rather than emotional (hard to do sometimes)

She is now dating a Conservative, for their first date he took her to see Sean Hannity. It's been several months now and they are still together. Yesterday I got this in my email:

Hey, I went to the driving range last night! So I'm dating a Republican and will probably start playing golf. It's like the world as I knew it has turned upside down. But my political affiliations remain firm!!!!

Many years ago, I was dating a very sweet, but very liberal, guy, T (a real life rocket scientist - sigh) One of his pastimes was yacht racing. He was relating a conversation he had with the owner of the boat which went something like...

T: "I've been dating this girl for a while. The only thing wrong with her is she's a Republican"
Boat Owner: "Yeah, that is bad. You wouldn't want a girl with a brain"

Just In Time For V-Day

A recent survey of men & women shows a definite disconnect in our romantic movie choices.

I'm actually a little surprised by some of the choices - for instance, who'd have thought Sleepless in Seattle would be number 1 with men..and number 10 with women?

And who'd have thought movie watching would rank higher on the list of favorite activities than sex? I don't think I've ever seen a movie that good

Concludes Mr. Thompson: "The great thing about lists like these is they're a great way to start a friendly argument and waste at least an hour's work on any given office day."

How Your Friends See You

One of my older friends (what is it, like 8 years now?) and his wife host a party every year for Groundhog Day. It is a fun gathering that starts too early but does go all day. I arrive fashionably late because I am not a morning person.

The conversation at one point turned to how he would describe me to someone else if that person didn't know me. His response "Fun. Won't stab you in the back." I like that.

Now, he has been a steadfast friend through the years so I think I would have described him as "Fun. Won't turn his back on you."

I guess now I know why

BTW: Punxsutawney Phil says 6 more weeks of winter

Yep

There was another old friend waiting to make himself known - I got an email from another of the St Gregory's gang.

hmmm..wonder what's around the corner?

Old Home Week

Strange how things happen in groups.

• Saturday I attended a conference for the members of the Arizona Commision on the Arts. While I was there I ran into a girl who went to my high school - though a year after me (damn young un's) She didn't recognize me because, frankly, she wouldn't. I was a big ol' nerd then, she was Miss Popularity - she wouldn't have given me the time of day. In our older incarnations we were able to bridge that gap and it was nice.

• Also at the conference, a girl from my old neighborhood - she was my sister's age, but I still feel like we grew up together.

• Last night I spoke to an old friend who I haven't spoken to in months (just the odd IM) and haven't seen in almost a year. I needed to get in touch with him because of something he said to SG that I wanted to clear up/understand. It was nice to catch up, though I think I am still miffed about what he said ;-) (not everybody gets his sarcasm/sense of humor)

• Today I had an appointment with my doctor, so I stopped at a different branch of my bank to make a deposit. And I ran into a guy I went to grade school with (k-4). I run into him now and then; saw him when I was stuck in an intersection a few years ago, at a local sandwich shop with his wife and kids over a year ago, and at the bank a few months ago. At the bank that time he said, "Is your name Brenda?" Since it wasn't, and I didn't feel like talking, I just said "no" and left.

  He was one of the 'in' crowd, too. While I was at St Gregory's school, I was pretty much in it as well, but once I left I was out - big time. He also wouldn't give me the time of day in high school. Today was a good day; the clothes were workin', the hair was workin', the makeup was on...I even got a "damn" from an old guy checking me out in the store, and my doctor told me I was looking great and shouldn't lose any more weight. I was feeling good and as I drove to the bank I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if I ran into ____ _______ today? He wouldn't know me!" Boy was I wrong. He walked through the door, saw me from the other side of the building and said "B__ KENNELLY!" He got both names right - Wow.

• Then, I get an email from an old friend. One of those people who are very important in your life, but who you just don't work hard enough at staying in touch with. I had sent him a happy birthday email MONTHS ago, and he responded. I flagged his response so I could give it proper attention at a later time, and kept putting it off. So, he sent another one - because he is that kind of guy. I had seen the domain name of the last company I knew he worked for show up in my log files and wondered if it was him. Sure enough.

Wonder if there are any more old friends lurking...?

Emotions and Eating

I let myself get a bit upset today and didn't deal with it too well.

When trying to deal with the mixed up feelings and disappointment I decided to be constructive and go for a hike. It had been quite nice out when I was out in the morning, so I dressed appropriately - shorts and a t-shirt. By the time I got to Squaw Peak, however, it was evident that I had made yet another poor choice and would be getting quite a chill. I decided to go for it anyway, figuring that if I walked fast enough I would warm up. It was funny to watch the serious hikers, though, in their hiking boots and multiple layers, as I skipped by in my little pink shorts and pink t-shirt (yeah, I looked a bit like Hiker Barbie^®) Thirty minutes later I had enough and headed back to my car to warm up.

And then realized I hadn't eaten anything all day (that half glass of chocolate milk doesn't really count) so I had to stop. Right ?!?! I had just gotten some exercise so it would be OK. Right ?!?!

So I stopped.

At Los Compadres (which Rachel and Lori are familiar with).

For a machaca burro. And a sarsparilla. And Sopapillas.

I should know better than to get near a restaurant when I am sad - willpower-be-gone....completely. Guess I'll be doing some extra workouts this week - if I can ever move again.

Too much food, too fast

Can A Funeral Be Hip?

One of members of Phoenix's jazz scene, Michele Horsefield Carney, passed away January 21st. She was a pianist and vocalist, and I was fortunate enough to take a few vocal lessons from her a few years back.

Her funeral was this past Thursday, and it was not like any memorial I have ever been to. A veritable who's who of talent filled the hall, and many performed during the service. When I walked in and heard Dwight Killian (bass) and Chuck Marohnic (piano) playing the prelude I knew it was going to be a hip tribute - and it was.

The pastor was the low point of the day, seeming to talk only to hear his own voice (though proclaiming God as the father of the blues, and Adam the first blues singer "Lord, that woman you gave me; she done me wrong, she done me wrong" did get a chuckle)

The best parts were the anecdotes from her life, the stories that made it a real celebration. How she was hired out of high school to oversee the installation of a radar guidance system. How she managed the twists and turns of her life. How, when she was a widowed single mother teaching voice to support her family and she shattered her wrist in an accident, the musical community where she was living at the time rallied. She was so loved and respected, other musicians signed up in shifts to come in and play for her lessons so she wouldn't have to lose her income.

And the music which was so much a part of her life.

At one point they had a recording of her singing the first verse of "With A Song In My Heart", which another great local singer, Vicki McDermitt, then finished. Though I had actually read the memorial program and knew it was coming, apparently no one else did, and there was a collective gasp from the crowd when it started.

The service finished up with a jazzed up version of "This Little Light of Mine" with an all-star band, including her son John Horsefield on drums. There is no way to make that song hip, however, even with a crowd of serious jazz heads. But it was up tempo which is a good way to end a memorial - then send everyone to the community hall for more stories and food.

On a side note, one of the common anecdotal themes was how Michele told everyone they were beautiful, in fact one lady got up and said "I thought it was just me, but now I see she did that to everyone" Except she never said that to me. I felt like standing up and telling that lady "It may not have been just you, but it wasn't everyone, either" ;-) I could have also said that she laughed all through our lessons - I have always tried to convince myself it was just because she was such a happy lady and not because of my voice......

What A Ride!

I received one of those darn email forwards today - usually just delete them but there is occasionally a gem. This one had a funny at the end

And remember this motto to live by: Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

I had decided to let myself be bad and pick up a 20 oz Coke on the way in to work yesterday - even though the most effective thing I did for my weight loss was giving up soda. I love Coke like a cat loves catnip and I miss drinking gallons of it every week. As I brushed my teeth and looked at myself in the mirror (nekkid) I realized that I am pleased to see the definition coming into my abs, the narrowing of my waist - and drinking a couple hundred extra empty calories, loaded with sugar, carbonation and chemicals won't help with that. So I didn't get it.

~ sigh ~

Is there a way I can slide in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, and fit to wear a bikini in public.....?

Jeans a Demon

'I'm glad I serve a God who can work through my pants.'

Spring Fever

Well, quite a day today.

Kicked that software's butt, I rule.

Then, because I had had enough stress and it was a beautiful day (80 degrees and sunny), I decided to go for a walk. But why just go for a walk - let's make it a hike! Yeah, that's a great idea.

First challenge was finding shorts that fit. It's been a while since I have worn them so went through several pairs. Even the pair I was wearing in this picture (taken last June) are too big now, hanging around my hips. They were a bit loose even then, but now.... Yippee, soo close to my goal. (I digress)

Then out for my hike, with a quick stop for lunch at Kyoto Bowl. Not my favorite but worth a try. Halfway through my orange chicken I realize I forgot my phone - something I have been doing too often lately (Freudian?) So the dilemma is, do I go back home and get it or just go for my hike? I decided to do without it, though I always feel better having it when I am hiking, just in case. Did get use out of it one time when I was hiking Camelback and came across a guy having a heart attack - of course, that mountain is so crowded there would have been someone else who could call. (I digress...again)

So I was originally thinking of hiking on the back of North Mountain (entrance is at 7th Ave above Peoria, for you locals) but decided I'd wanted more of a challenge, a bit more uphill and a bit more greenery so went to Squaw Peak instead. Gorgeous. It was such a beautiful day I just kept on walking...and walking....and walking. Long hike on a beautiful sunny day - what could be more perfect?

Well, following it up with shopping was a nice touch.

First to Staples for supplies - where they also had some Christmas stuff on clearance. I picked up a little sampler pack of flavored coffees for my step-dad, in adorable Norman Rockwell tins that Mom will love. It's two, two - two gifts in one!

Then Fry's Electronics for a CD. Yes, one CD - I swear that it all I was looking for. But they have cool stuff...and bargain computer books...and racks and racks of CDs & DVDs. So I spent a few hours there, though that is a good thing. When I first walked past the bargain books, I picked up about 20 but made myself actually look through them and pare them down. Which I did - to just three. I think that is pretty good. And just one CD - Billy Dean Greatest Hits because I have had one song in my head for weeks and needed to hear the real version. I was looking for the Sugarland CD but, unfortunately, they didn't have it.

Which lead to a shopping trip later in the evening. After my workout and a shower, I decided to see if Best Buy had the Sugarland CD. Bad idea. Oh, they had it - but they also had a bargain CD bin where I got America Remembers (more weepy WWII ballads), Swing (just a random collection of Big Band tunes) and a 2 CD set of Rimsky-Korsakov (I have been wanting Scheherazade).

They also have their electronics set up so you can test them - so I now know that the Creative Nomad is every bit as cool as I thought it would be. I want, I want, I want!

Of course, there was the fall out from forgetting my phone. SG couldn't get in touch with me so he was worried.

The office was trying to track me down, as well. Since my last message to them had been "got the formulas to work, now I am going for a walk" they were a bit put off by not being able to reach me for 5 hours. Especially bad in that they needed some reports that should have been done last week ... and the bookkeeper was there to process them ... and I was the roadblock. Bummer, bad day to play hooky. I will see what I can do to recover from that one - at least I have some currency from the last few weeks of dealing with this new program.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls

SG had a BBQ for his buddies yesterday; burgers, basketball, beer..and poker.

Lucky for me one of the guys had his kids this weekend, three adorable, sweet, well behaved younguns. We watched movies all day - Garfield, Shrek 3D, Lilo & Stitch, Scooby Doo - none of which I had seen before.

I had fun braiding the girls' hair, jumping on the bed (sorry, SG), dancing every time music came on...we were just generally goofy. The youngest was a real cuddle bug so I got lots of hugs and she kept climbing in my lap - I just hate that. Not.

I have four wonderful nieces, but two are all grown up and off to college, and two live on the other end of the country (OK, an hour away, but still!) so I don't get enough girl time. Besides, those two are at the age where they have definite ideas about their hair and don't need their aunt messing with it. They do still give me lots of good hugs when I see them. Not sure if they would go for the jumping on the bed and dancing like fools....but they used to....sigh.

We also watched Scary Movie 2 [Rated R]. Not my idea, I hadn't ever seen it but figured it was too old for them (2?, 9 and 11 years old) They kept asking to watch that one. Their father said it was fine and that they had already seen it. That movie is awful! Absolutely not a movie I would let kids see. Fortunately, I think all of it was lost on the baby, but the other two sure seemed to get the 'humor'. I would have trouble OK-ing that for teenagers and I am hardly a prude, but I was dumbfounded watching it with those youngsters. I went out and mentioned it again and their dad just laughed about it. And I think he is a good dad, seems like a great dad in fact. Also, like I said, the kids were great - no attitude problems, no whining, no fighting, nothing in 7 hours. I even doubt he is anywhere near in the minority when it comes to letting little ones watch stuff like that.

When did we decide this is what we want for our entertainment, let alone our kids? When did we decide to stop protecting their innocence?

(Yes, M, I know. I know. I am a complex and confusing person)

Surprise Awakening

What do you generally think when your phone rings at a strange time - say 6:40 on a Sunday morning? That's right - something bad has happened.

Now, suppose the voice on the other end, sounding very measured and officious, says, "Is this _______?" That's right, oh my God it's the police and something bad has happened.

Then it turns out it is a friend of your brother, who you haven't seen or thought of since, oh I don't know, the late 70's! Calling at 6:40 on a Sunday morning!

Very, very strange.

I never really asked why he was calling. Once I found out who it was I said, "It's really early to be calling". He offered to call at another time. I got his email address and went back to sleep. I sent the address and his phone number from my caller ID to my brother. I am just assuming he called to reconnect with him - though it is odd he'd call me since my brother, TCHOTP, is listed and easy to find.

I'm not really mad about it, I fall back asleep very easily and in fact encourage my friends to call me anytime. But to call someone out of the blue after 25 years or so, why would you pick 6:40 in the morning?

Buckle Up

It is so simple to do and could save your life. It isn't a statement it's a safety issue. It could keep your loved ones from having to say goodbye too soon.

Highway Robbery

I just went to pay on one of my credit cards - a AAA Mastercard - and got a very unpleasant surprise. They raised my interest rate to 22.49%

Are you kidding me?!?!?!

Paid off that balance faster than you could say "shysters" "usurers"

Changed after a tip from TCHOTP

Inspiration

The latest issue of Fitness Magazine has a model on the cover with a realistic body - I am going to use her as an inspiration.

This is the body I am aiming for by summer:

UPDATE: For those of you who are interested in such things, the magazine lists the model's name as Magdalena Wrobel. However, she doesn't look like any of the pictures I found online for the model of that name, who is apparently the new WonderBra girl.

Kids These Days

I decided to go see SG Jr's basketball game today. It was quite a trek but definitely worth it to cheer him on - boy was SG surprised to see me :-)

They were away so we were treated to the home team's cheer squad - OK, I'm stretching it, it wasn't a treat at all.

The music starts - hip-hop, of course - and they start bouncing their way to center court, so far so good. Then they start 'dancing'. Now SG Jr is in the 7th grade and he is 12, I was 14 in the 8th grade, so I am guessing these girls were between the ages of 12 and 14 (seems reasonable) Someone choreographed a routine, lead them through rehearsals and presented them to the assembled children and parents - a routine that involved moves no child should be making. The way they were dancing was as bad as the dancing I was asked to stop at the Penthouse Club (yes, I got in trouble for dirty dancing at the Penthouse Club - I wish I could blame it on the gin, but I didn't have that much. Wait no, it was the gin - yeah, that's the ticket! - I digress) I was shocked/appalled/disgusted by these little girls "workin' it" - and I felt sorry for some of the parents who seemed equally as uncomfortable.

However, our guys won convincingly and I am glad I went - but why do kids have to grow up so fast? And what adult was supposed to be supervising them but seriously dropped the ball?

Drowning

Just about sick of this rain - tthhhp!

It's cold and gray, not the way Phoenix should be. Not to mention that it just makes stuff grow and I can't get my lawn guy to return my phone calls. Anyone know of someone in Phoenix who is reasonably priced (cheap even) who I can call? My cactus garden looks a bit like a jungle right now.....

UPDATE: Not to mention that I have no downspout on my raingutters, just a hole, so I have waterfall right by my garage door - and a flood in my garage everytime it rains.

UPDATE: Not to mention that my battery was dead this morning (yes, I have known it was going bad and didn't get it taken care of - I am bad) so I had to call my sister to come give me a jump. And, since I just park in the middle of the garage, I had to push my car out into the rain so she could get next to me. Nice.

UPDATE: My stepdad fixed my battery after I got to work. SG came by to fix it as well, but it was already done - so he took me to lunch instead. The day is definitely looking up!

Still Looking

...for suggestions. Anyone have ideas for a fun New Years Eve celebration in Phoenix? I have a smokin' dress that would lend itself well to a nice dinner, slow dancing and cocktails - but I am not married to that idea if someone has a better idea.

Country dancing?
Symphony?
Hiking?
Gambling?
A movie night with the girls?

?????

How You Can Help

Unbelievable

I have been watching this story develop and am at a loss for comment.

Such monumental devastation. Such catastrophic loss. Such an enormous personal toll.

If you are looking for somewhere to make a charitable donation before the year is up, might I suggest the Red Cross? You could make a huge impact on other's lives - and (if you need extra incentive) it is tax-deductible.

It's Christmas...

...and I am depressed.

Just like Mother's Day.

Bah!

While I'm Away

Enjoy the Christmas music on my Radio.Blog

Visit the sites on my sidebar - and my sister, who I forgot to put there when I did my housecleaning - Duh! Maybe if she starts getting some comments she will start posting more often.

Groundhog Day

I know it seems like I do this over and over and over....because I do.

I am heading back up the Sedona for another evening :-) I am so spoiled.

My timing is off, though - Lori just came back.....

As usual, comments will be off till I get back. No internet access means no way to stop the comment spammers

Note To Self

...Talking to SG on the phone about an inflammatory subject while eating a protein bar was a bad choice. I think I aspirated half the stupid thing and nearly choked to death. My throat is still sore.

So, I can walk and chew gum at the same time - I just can't talk and chew protein bars.

Noted.

Between Me and My Calvins?

It appears that some people believe you can tell a lot about a person by the underwear they choose. Hopefully you already know a lot about someone before you see their undies but, if you are curious, here is the cheat sheet.

Apparently I am confident and spoiled - oh yeah, that's a news flash.

I Feel MAH-Velous

I just had my first facial - Oh man!

I got a gift certificate from the facialist - I assume it was a marketing ploy. Free pampering, not about to pass that up. I expected to get a hard sell for facial products, you know "you just have to have this to repair/rejuvenate/rehydrate..." When I showed up at her office, which turned out to be in a plastic surgery office, I expected a whole different type of hard sell.

I had nothing to worry about, she did mention that they are using gel implants now and that they are very popular. She mentioned in passing a light moisturizer I may want to try. No selling at all.

So I lay there while this woman with gentle hands and strange tools massaged and exfoliated and microdermabraded and massaged some more. She used some electrical devise that clicked and buzzed - it tingled so much I could imagine a cartoon-like effect of little lightening bolts dancing across my cheeks. And the lotions and potions with their delicious smells - mmmm, yummy! Whatever she finished up with I can still smell - I smell MAH-velous.

I think it took off ten years - so I look MAH-velous, too. And no selling at all when it was over - she gave me some samples to try and wished me a Merry Christmas.

I wish I was rich so I could do that every day - or every week - or at least once a month. Oh yeah......

In Phoenix and wanna try it? Paula at AZ Cosmetic Surgery

Hip

For some reason, this Louis Prima song is going through my head....

removed the file

The Mind Reels

How do you deal with the shock and grief of this?

Just Ditzy

I got the scoop, such as it is, on why my friend neglected to mention her upcoming wedding. I'm glad I didn't go all medieval on her - but I do think she is a ninny. Especially since I had to get this from a third party, Tink.

Turns out she married someone I dated once (or twice) eons ago. I think we had lunch once, I know he took me out on his boat and we sailed around San Francisco Bay. It was sweet, we watched the sunset and might have held hands. The one thing I definitely remember is that we discussed the fact that I had just left my husband (who was is a pilot) and this guy was a flight surgeon (which means he was a doctor to the pilots) which might be a bit awkward. So that was it. Didn't end badly, didn't have any regrets. I think I ran into him a few months later at a coffee shop and it was just a "hey, how ya' doin'?" moment. If I saw him in a coffee shop today I doubt I would recognize him. All I remember is he had very short hair - duh, Air Force - and great teeth. Hardly a complete picture.

To put it in further perspective - when Tink told me his name, she did it in the, "well, she married John Doe" sort of way, as if I should instantly get it. Problem was, I didn't even recognize the name. At all. Nothing.

So, she reminded me who he was and my response was, "So?" Geez, two freakin' dates - this was not a big love affair with broken hearts and broken dishes.

But I see how it got so out of hand.

First, she ran into him and agreed to go to dinner. She wasn't sure how to tell me and figured it was just one dinner so it probably didn't matter. Figured she'd tell me after and we'd have a good laugh. Then they went out again. and again. And she was fretting about how to tell me. And the longer it went on the harder it seemed, till she had waited so long it seemed impossible. Then the proposal..and the wedding plans..and not including me was stressing her out. But she couldn't figure out how to tell me, "By the way, I've been seeing X X X for almost a year now. Sorry I didn't tell you. Hey, you wanna be in the wedding?" So she didn't.

Apparently he kept telling her it was a non-issue and that he was sure if she just told me everything would be fine. He was right, she was wrong. Had she told me he had asked her out right away (and reminded me who he was) I would have said, "Great, he seemed like a really nice guy. Say Hi for me" But, no - she had to be a ninny. It is funny the problems we create for ourselves in life.

Anyway, this is still all third party, can't get a hold of her directly. I think she is still afraid to face me - so I am sending her a letter to tell her it is not only OK with me, but that I am thrilled for her. Maybe I can get her back in my life.

Yes, I can see how this spiraled out of control. It is the same when you want to call someone or send a thank you note but you put it off.... and put it off ... and... till it has been so long it seems like it would be worse to send it than to not send it. This is why Lori didn't get a thank you note for her fabulous Halloween party - I am the queen of procrastination. So I am a ninny, too - just not as big a one as my newly married friend

OK, Guys

This is getting weird. I thought it was a bit odd when I received this gift anonymously last month. It was an expensive series of exercise DVDs that I had on my wish list. Love the gift but wanted to be able to thank someone.

Today I got a magazine, what looks to be the start of a subscription, in the mail. It is an exercise mag that I love to read. My first thought was that SG bought it for me. I know that you don't usually want fitness stuff from your boyfriend, but in this case it would have been really sweet - he knows I read it and am always looking for inspiration and variety for my workouts. I was sure it was him, but I was wrong.

So that means someone else sent it. Was it the same person? It wasn't on my wish list and it came to a different address. So, is someone I know trying to tell me I need to exercise more? Is there someone out there spending lots of money just to mess with me? If so, it's obviously working.

What gives?

Gift Season

OK, it is gift giving season again so I am going to remind you guys out there of my advice from Valentine's Day - stay away from cheesy, chain store jewelry.

Unless, of course, your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother...whoever the recipient is, is cheesy and generic.

BTW: If any of you girls out there like that stuff, I'm sorry.

I'm just sayin'

No, this isn't a hint for SG. He doesn't need hints - that guy has got my number. (and my sister's with whom he has previously conspired )

Just Dissed?

I have a girlfriend in California who I talk to about twice a month. I've always thought we were pretty close, certainly close enough that if she were to get married she would invite me. Right? Wrong.

She just got married and I found out when I got a letter from her telling me about her nuptials which were two weeks ago and a "favor from one of our guest tables". WTF?!?!

Not only did I not know she was getting married, I didn't know she was dating anyone - she never mentioned anyone even when I asked her how her love life was going. How weird is that? Maybe she just met him? If so, maybe she knew I would try to warn her about jumping in to something so serious so quickly? Since they had guest tables and favors they must have planned a little in advance. I talked to her three weeks ago - no mention. I left a message for her 10 days ago and haven't heard anything until todays letter - perhaps she was on her honeymoon.

I'm just not even sure what to think at this point.....

UPDATE: I still have not been able to reach her on the phone. I would really like to talk to her and find out what the situation is.

brrrr - still

BTW - still no heat. I did get an estimate today - $450.

Looks like I'm gonna be chilly for a little while longer....

UPDATE: Here is the scoop on the breakage. In July the A/C went out - the fan motor was kaput. When Steve replaced it he used a motor with a 1/2" fitting, as I now understand it this was due to the fact that the exact replacement motor (with a 5/8" fitting) is harder to come by. In order to get us up and running (it was July in Phoenix, remember) he went with the readily available 1/2". The fan blade, however, is on a 5/8" shaft. Rather than replace the blade, he connected it with a bushing. It held for a while, but broke loose last week and cut the freon line. 15 lbs of freon in that monster - at around $15 a lb. New freon line. New fan. Clean out. $450. Ouch.

He is a licensed contractor, therefore his work is covered by the Registry - if I call them I can probably get some of the fix covered. However, I really don't want to do that. I am reasonably certain that if Steve was in the country, rather than serving it in Iraq, he would make good on his work. I really don't want to put a mark on the record of his company just because he isn't here - it's not like he bailed on his customers, he was deployed.

Not sure what I am going to do yet.....

And, Again...

Off to Sedona again :-)

Comments are off till I get back - can't have the spammers running loose.

As American As Pumpkin Pie

From the Federalist Patriot:

Which is the quintessential American holiday? The Fourth of July, our nation's recognized birthday? No, a typical Independence Day celebration now turns more toward recreation than to original customs of patriotic reflection on the debt we owe both to our Founding Fathers and our Heavenly Father. But Thanksgiving...this holiday, more than any other commemorated in our country, has retained -- even if in attenuated form -- the sentiments present from its first celebration on our shores. On Thanksgiving, we still stop to give thanks for our blessings; we still take pause to hold our family and friends dearest in our hearts; and we still acknowledge, expressly or implicitly, the Author of life and liberty who has heaped bounties on us beyond our deserving.

Visit Lion and Lambs for some more thoughts on this

"O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with
thankfulness." --William Shakespeare

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other
virtues." --Cicero

"The worship most acceptable to God comes from a thankful and cheerful
heart." --Plutarch

"Since the things we do determine the character of life, no blessed person can
become unhappy. For he will never do those things which are hateful and
petty." --Aristotle

"Pride slays thanksgiving, but an humble mind is the soil out of which thanks
naturally grow. A proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he
gets as much as he deserves." --Henry Ward Beecher

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and
new." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The person who has stopped being thankful has fallen asleep in life." --Robert
Louis Stevenson

"We ought to give thanks for all fortune: if it is 'good,' because it is good,
if 'bad' because it works in us patience, humility and the contempt of this
world and the hope of our eternal country." --C.S. Lewis

"No people on earth have more cause to be thankful than ours, and this is said
reverently, in no spirit of boastfulness in our own strength, but with the
gratitude to the Giver of good who has blessed us. Let us remember that, as much
has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes
from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds." --Theodore
Roosevelt

Happy Thanksgiving

brrrr!

OK, so it isn't cold compared to some parts of the country, but when it gets down into the 40's at night it can be downright uncomfortable.

Unless you have a nice, reliable heater.

Which I don't.

Last night, as I was heading to bed, I heard quite a clatter outside my window. I go outside and look up on the roof to see if Santa came early - no such luck. Just my heater trying to implode. So, off it goes and I spend the night in sweats covered by a truckload of blankets. Brrrr.

Called my A/C guy and found out he has been deployed to Iraq - damn.

UPDATE: Got a referral from a girlfriend, got it working again - no charge! Happy Holidays!!

UPDATE II: You get what you pay for. Not making noise anymore, running like a champ - no heat coming out, just a cool breeze. Another night buried in a mound of blankets.

Back at Home

Great trip, I'll fill you in later.

Bad part of going away for the weekend? Sorting through the buckets of spam in my inbox - ouch!

Cute

Oh yeah - I want one

Strangely Appropriate

Found it at Rachel's

Pssssst!

Stole it from Rachel who got it from Chrissie

Aristocat! You're a sophisticated cat, proud to hold your head up high even when somebody ruins your day. You do have your bad hairball days, but instead of freaking out over something, you'd much rather take it in stride and move on.
What kind of cat are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Faith and Behavior

Lately I have been giving a lot of thought to faith and how it is manifested in people's lives. Specifically, I know many people who claim a religious affiliation - and few who live in a manner that reflects it.

I think it was partly inspired by Ernie's death - a man who both professed his faith and lived it.

I was partly inspired by John Kerry, a man who professes to have faith but shows very little evidence that he incorporates it into his life. And George W. Bush - who allows his faith to be a guiding principal in his life.

And, I am reminded of my ex-husband, a man who told me I would be going to Hell because I didn't attend church, regardless of the fact that I live according to what most would consider to be Christian values. His belief is that, despite his disregard for several of the commandments and embracing of the seven deadlies, all he has to do is profess his belief and his path to Heaven is assured. I see that as an indictment of God as ego driven - "I don't really care how you behave, how you treat each other, or whether you follow my teachings - as long as you declare me to be your savior."

I realize that all religions emphasize the idea of forgiveness, but I also believe they are rather fond of their followers avoiding the need for forgiveness in the first place. Better, certainly, not to sin than to confess and ask for God's mercy. There is a reason to affirm that which is a sin.

"Sin creates [an inclination] to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil. Thus sin tends to reproduce itself and reinforce itself"

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1994

So, you people of faith, how does your faith manifest itself in your life? or How do you manifest it?

Do you feel it matters to Him if you

• attend an organized church?
• avoid sinning to the best of your abilities (realizing that as a human you are imperfect)?
• declare to others that you are saved (as opposed to holding it in your heart)?
• perform acts of service? - from the only Bible verse John Kerry seems to know (or at least quote) "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
• share your faith with others, perhaps try to save them?
• maybe something else?

I have come, in the last few years, to be a firm supporter of Religion in general. It seems to clearly accomplish good in the world that people believe. I know that horrible things are done in the name of religion, but I know that far more wonderful things are.

I realize this is rambling and mostly incoherent, but I am curious - what are your thoughts?

UPDATE: two articles I came across that illustrate my point to a certain extent, particularly the one that says "He was such a Christian Man" - I assume they are basing that on his words, not his actions. THis one covers a much bigger issue (partial birth abortion) and may break your heart, but is making the point of people who call themselves Christians and yet support that heinous practice.

UPDATE: I am getting some great comments! Thank you guys.

Nice News

Need a break from election madness?

Read about the Homecoming Court at a local high school.

My Advice

If Lori ever invites you to a party - GO! A big thank you to her for including me, it was great!

That girl thinks of everything. My one big party of the year is the Oscars, I usually go overboard. She makes my shindig look like a pot-luck. I was gonna invite her this year but now I'm embarrassed.

Of course, she is a movie buff, maybe I can get her to help me out....?

Witches Ball

Tonight is the night. A few Phoenix blog chicks, and a few other bodacious chicks, are getting together at her place for a cackling good time.

I must try to remember my camera - there should be many good photo ops :-)

Be Prepared

Found Subliminal Koolaid through Lisa, and found this simplification of concealed carry on his site.

Sorta gets right to the point, don't ya think?

Sad Day

One of the finest men I have ever had the pleasure to meet passed away last night. Ernie Pancrazi, Pete's father, was truly one of the greatest generation - there aren't many of those guys left. He was a 19-year-old bomber pilot in WW II (he flew for the Air Force, his brother for the Navy), then went home to Yuma where his family lived, raised a family of his own, and built an empire. In every sense of the word, he was a real man

He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, their three children and 5 grand-children - as well as his twin brother, countless cousins, nephews, nieces, and so many, many people whose lives were made better because of his.

UPDATE: The funeral is Monday at 10:00 a.m. I will be going. It will be tough - hard enough that he is gone, but I am a basket case at military funerals. That flag draped casket means so much, I always end up bawling like a baby.

Newseum

What a very cool service - see the front pages from many of todays newspapers, 323 papers from 41 countries, at the Newseum.

(Hat Tip to Curmudgeonly & Skeptical, but be warned before clicking to his site - it tends to the NC-17 to R range)

Futurama

How cool is this - hanging fire! I sooo want this in my house, but I don't think it fits the decor...

Oh, or on a patio - it would be great.

Found, BTW, via Shiny, Shiny

Make Time to Smile

Tony nails it, that special something children bring - "why we do it" as one commenter said - and what we risk missing.

I have none of my own, one of the only things in my life that causes me regret. However, I see my brothers and sisters in that post. I have been fortunate to have amazing nephews and nieces. I am blessed, also, to have friends who share their little treasures, their offspring, with me.

Time flies so quickly - the first child born to one of my siblings (wasn't it just a couple of years ago?) has children of his own now.

I have memories of when my sister let me borrow her boys for a whole month one summer - when I lived out of state. They were 4 and 6 (?) at the time and we had such fun, and I wish I had taken more pictures. I remember being amazed she was able to part with them for that long a time, especially when it came time to send them home - I didn't think it was possible for a heart to shatter in that many pieces...even knowing I'd see them again soon, at Christmas, didn't ease the ache. (there was also a plan to borrow them the following year, but it is hard to deal with homesick boys when you're dealing with your cheating husband and the end of your marriage. I will always regret that missed opportunity with them and the way I handled it) Now they are grown, making us all proud with their smarts, making us all crazy with their fashion choices

I know that my brother's children will do well in the world because of the example he and his wife set. He is one of the greatest fathers I have ever had the pleasure to watch - where he found his example I don't know, perhaps seeing our mother be great in both parenting roles.

I often see people rushing to "get through" the weeks, or months, or years, with their kids - not realizing that time is rushing all on it's own.

The chance to just be with them is now. The time to make memories is today.

(Hat Tip to Brutally Honest, who says it much better than I - "The T-ball games, the Christmas mornings, the wagon rides, the times at the beach, the bed-time stories, the reading times and the family get togethers where our little guys were the center of attention.

Dear God how time does fly.")

UPDATE: I can't seem to get enough of Tony's blog. His writing is thoroughly enjoyable. He captures the tiny moments in life and touches your heart - I should be working, instead I am chuckling, tearing up, nodding in agreement, all of the above...

The Long Ride Home

OK, belatedly giving you the scoop on the first ride.

It took a while to get the nerve to actually start pedaling off, away from the safety of the office, but I finally did it. After half a mile my legs were screaming in pain, my lungs gasping - it truly hasn't been that long since I did this, what is up? I keep pushing. Hit the mile mark and have to stop to catch my breath. Surely I didn't get so out of shape in so short a time, it has to be all in my head, right?

Then, at about a mile and a quarter, it happens - just what I need. I'm riding along in the bike lane and a car comes from behind, and turns from the second lane nearly taking me out. And the driver gives me the look! You know, the look that says "How dare you be riding your bike legally in that bike path when I want to turn illegally here!" And he had to have seen me since he drove up from behind - doofus.

But it got me back in the groove and I was good to go again. In fact the rest of the ride felt great - so great I took a detour which included a stop by my old roommates house to pick up a phone cord he absconded with. It ended up adding about a mile and a half to my ride - and the extra time that went with it. As it turns out, I wish I hadn't done the extra - when I got to my house SG was there waiting for me because he knew I needed some help. And I kept him waiting

Fortunately, he didn't seem too bothered about it - but I felt bad

Bottom line -I made it. My average speed was about 2/3 of my standard, but I was taking it way easy. Next week I will try and get back in a routine, good for my health (as long as I don't get hit), good for my wallet (saves me 1/2 a gallon of gas every day I ride), good for my spirits (the sun is shining, the birds are singing)....

Getting to Know Me

Rachel & Goldie are working on the latest "Getting to Know You" list, so I thought I would play - 32 trivial things about me....

1. What time do you get up? anytime between 8 and 10 a.m. - depends on how late I worked the night before. I am definitely a night person

2. If you could eat lunch with one living person who would it be? William F Buckley, Jr or Thomas Sowell

3. Gold or Silver? What, platinum isn't an option??? Color-wise, I prefer silver because I think yellow gold looks sort of cheap. But, silver tarnishes so I guess....white gold. Does that work?

4. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Something with SG - what did we see? Drawing a complete blank this morning. Oh, that's right: Collateral

5. What is/are your favorite TV Show(s)? Law & Order, Rescue Me, most of the home decorating/renovating shows

6. What did you eat for Breakfast? Complete Wheat & Bran w/ skim milk

7. Who would you hate to be stuck in a room with? Too many to pick just one.

8. What is your middle name? Like I'd tell you.

9. Beach, City, Country or Mountains? In order: City, beach, country, mountains. City would always be first, the others shift around.

10. Favorite Ice Cream? Haagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond

11. Butter, plain or salted popcorn? Plain or with just a little Parmesan cheese, only if I can't get kettle corn

12. Favorite Colors? Jewel colors. Sapphire Blue, Royal purple

13. What kind of car do you drive? Toyota. My second. I drove the first one for 9 years and never took care of it, and it held up great. So, when I decided to get a new one, I got the same make and model. Unfortunately, the old one got about 34 mpg and the new one only gets about 30. What's up with that?

14. Favorite Sandwich? Greek Philly Cheese Steak (minus the tomatoes) from the Burger Factory.

15. What characteristic do you despise? Mostly those horrible characteristics I see in myself - that become glaring annoyances in someone else.

16. Favorite flowers? Delivered. Oh, you mean the actual flower - daisy, probably because of this movie.

17. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Greece

18. What color is your bathroom? Scrumptious blueberry blue & white

19. Favorite brand of clothing? The only brand I am consistent about is Levis - the only jeans I wear are 501 shrink to fit.

20. Where would you retire? Probably right where I am, Phoenix

21. Favorite day of the week? Right now, Sunday - FOOTBALL. Usually I would probably say Saturday.

22. What did you do for your last birthday? Spent the day alone at a resort in CA. Walked on the beach in my bikini in order to fulfill a goal I set for myself. Got bowled over by the flowers SG sent to me. If you want to make a girl feel special, track her down in another state on her birthday and have a beautiful bouquet delivered.

23. Where were you born? Phoenix

24. Favorite sport to watch on TV? Football

25. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? This question doesn't really work when you blog it.

26. Person you expect to send back first? Ditto

27. What fabric detergent do you use? Depends on my mood when I am shopping. Sometimes Gain, sometimes Surf, sometimes All...

28. Coke or Pepsi? Coke - no question.

29. Are you a morning person or a night owl? Night, night, night

30. What is your shoe size? 8, very narrow

31. Do you have any pets? I have a deaf, blind, mute Aussie mix. Yes, she was born that way.

32. Who sent this to you? Found it at Rachel's, who got it from Goldie

Scaredy Cat

Today is the day I designated to get back on my bike. The injuries are mostly healed, it's time - right? Since I got my bike repaired over here, it has been at the office. I figured it would be perfect to make a small step, carpool in with M and ride my bike home.

A grand plan.

Except the closer it gets to time to go, the more afraid I am to do it. I've been feeling antsy and uncomfortable, every time I thought of riding again, since the accident. I know I have got to just do it - and I will (I don't have any other way to get home) but I am a nervous wreck.

Wish me luck!

UPDATE: Here I go! I am going to take Michael's advice and just breathe..and go for it.

Later :-)

UPDATE: Made it ~ woo-hoo! More on that later, must shower

Rockin'

Because of this, I needed to buy a new bike helmet. I tried looking at the cheaper mass market retailers, but I have a small head and the helmets they sell weren't nearly adjustable enough.

So I went back to the store. I don't know why I would shop anywhere else. Landis Cyclery on 7th Ave & Indian School is where my family bought our bikes when we were kids, it is where I always get mine serviced (I didn't buy my current bike there only because I was living in Delaware at the time), it is where I got my last helmet.... Truly, it is one of those places where you feel comfortable and know they know their stuff and won't screw you.

I start perusing their selection and find the perfect one - perfect color (gorgeous blue), perfect fit - at a not so perfect price: $79.99. Ouch.

The very Helpful Sales Guy (didn't get his name, sorry helpful sales guy) must've noticed the disappointed in my face and he quickly came up with a solution. Last years models (in another room) are clearanced at 60% off - woohoo. I found another blue one for $18. Yep, you read that right - $18. Sure, it's not quite as cool as the first one - but it is a great buy and it will certainly do the job.

Thanks, Landis and helpful Sales Guy.

What's Next?

? ?

Yummy

Because I am a member of LunchClub, I had a coupon for buy one get one free Sonic burgers. I certainly can't be expected to pass that up, can I?

So, as I am ordering the burgers - one for me, one for the boss - I happen to glance up the menu board where I see.....

A Caramel Apple Shake

Now, I am a sucker for caramel, so I can't be expected to resist that either! I don't know how they do it but it really tastes like a caramel apple. I am just grateful this is a limited time thing or I would quickly add too, too much caramel weight to my backside....

The Fantasy

I realize it is truly a tax on the mathematically challenged, but the fantasy is too great to resist.

I bought my quick pick for the PowerBall today. Yeah, the odds are astronomical - but for a few hours I'll be imagining what I could do with the $96 million cash pay out.

Pay off the bills, spoil my friends and family, set up a scholarship fund for the nephews and nieces....

What would you do?

Falling Apart

What is up with my life lately?

First the accident that left me bruised and bloodied

Then I get this horrendous cold.

Then tonight, while I was eating pizza, I broke another tooth! I sure don't want to go through this again, definitely going to a different dentist.

I feel like I am falling apart...

Do you suppose this would be the week for me to buy a lottery ticket?

RIP

Janet Leigh has done her final scene. The actress passed away at the age of 77. I had no idea she was sick - 77 just seems too young to go. Though I thouroughly enjoyed her work in Psycho, I always thought it a shame that her other roles didn't garner her more recognition - despite everything else she did, she will always be the girl in the shower.

LA Trip

Sorry it took me so long to get this up (fortunately Lori is quicker) - it has been quite a week. This is a fairly long account, so most of it will be in more....

Monday morning - Of course, because it is me, I was running behind. I got to Lori's place just before 10 and she looked quite chic and set for a road trip - including a selection of driving scarves. We had to stop for gas and munchies - and caffeine - then we hit the road!

Despite the fact that I have no CD player we had brought along music for the drive. Hey, I still have quite a selection of tapes from back in the day. Silly, though - did we actually think we would stop talking long enough to need music? Puh-leez. We were gabbing the whole way.

(the pop-up pictures work perfectly in Netscape, kind of iffy in IE - they are there, just not always near your mouse..?)

No trip from Phoenix to LA would be complete without a stop here, especially after he did it. I did get a couple of pictures - though the T-Rex mysteriously vanished from my camera.... Took a spin through the gift shop which would be great fun if you have kids. So much dinosaur stuff you could have a real treasure hunt.

We made it to Banning before we stopped for food and chose Carrows..should've backtracked to the IHOP we missed. The waitress was a trip (in a good way), but the service was sooo slow. I think they were baking the bread and laying the eggs back there. We saw an example of a real right wing religious fanatic in the parking lot - so we had to get a picture.

Finally made it to LA. When we left Phoenix and I told Lori I was not looking forward to driving in LA she asked "how bad can they be?" After all, we deal with Phoenix drivers all the time and they are bad When we got to LA she was converted - as bad as it is here, LA is sooo much worse. We did manage to find our way down Hollywood Blvd to the Motel 6 safely. The lobby looked promising, and you can't beat the prices - besides the fact that we had very little time to shop for a place since I wanted to get to the concert early (general admission and all) The floor we were on (5) smelled awful, as did the room - although opening the window and cranking the AC helped a bit. We did have a lovely view..of the alley. And if you contorted just right you could see the sign for the big Frederick's of Hollywood there. Why didn't we stop and shop? They also had ashtrays in the room with no smoking stickers on them - ?

My old friend A came to visit for just a couple of minutes and, like the gentleman he is, he brought flowers. Amazing how they can make such a difference in the atmosphere (and odor) of a room. Then Lori and I got dressed, and I had to take this picture for Michael who claims to be nerd-like. I tried to sell the idea of taking a taxi, but I think Lori and A both thought I was crazy, and I couldn't convince A to drop us off so we drove..more LA traffic.

The House of Blues wasn't too far, but I did manage to drive right past it once. When we came back to it and I saw the line around the corner I decided to just go ahead and use the valet parking ($15). We got in line and met Todd - a definite nerd. Talked to him till we went in, then he took off for the front of the house. We headed to the bar where we were disappointed to see that the drinks, in little plastic cups, were $9 - ouch! We each got one but there was no chance of us getting loopy at that place - I'd have had to take out a second mortgage. Lori grabbed us a nice spot in the corner where we spent the rest of the evening. The opening act (Jesse something?) was OK, seemed like he had a decent voice, not bad on the guitar. However, he had these horrible synthesizer backing tracks he was using. In between songs he would bend down to change the drum track or some such. Those tracks were pathetic and made it so unpleasant to listen to him - dude, if you've got the chops you don't need that crap. If you want to get the sound of a band - get a band!

The I love nerds shirt should have been much more popular considering the crowd (serious cliche version of nerds) - but it actually drew more attention at a pub in Tempe when I wore it for Broken's graduation. There were a few who made conversation with us, but mostly just stares. On the trip over, we had discussed alter egos, and I had mine all picked out. I was so ready to give my pseudonym - but every time someone asked, my real name just popped out. I guess I am no good at that covert stuff.

Finally Marillion takes the stage! It is very loud, and too much bass and drums for them - almost completely drowns out Steve Hogarth, who is as cute as ever. The first hour is all music from the new CD, then they took a break. He promised the next set would be 'older' stuff - but it was all from Brave (1994) or after. Their first two encores were also newer songs, thankfully they did a third and I got to hear them do two of my favorites; Cover My Eyes and Easter (which is a very moving, simple song about the terrorist activity in Northern Ireland)

We had to wait quite a while to get the car back from the valet people due the swarm of folks who seemed to have used the service. We chatted a bit with some of the people in line, Marillion fans are friendly folks. At one point we noticed a guy eavesdropping on our conversation and chuckling - he was just looking for an excuse to break in. So when I told Lori I needed sleep so I could drive, he piped in with "where did you come from?" Just a couple of minutes later his car showed up - dammit. As Lori pointed out, it isn't often you find cute, friendly people at stuff like that alone - we could have invited him for drinks - though then she wouldn't have met her fantasy man. We finally got the car and I had nothing left to tip the guy - sorry, I paid $15 to get it parked and $18 for drinks, you get nothing cause I have nothing.

We drove back to the hotel so I could put on some warmer clothes - though I didn't have any that were actually warm. And then I left my jacket in the car, which we had to park a block from the hotel. We headed out for food, conviced the only thing we could get at 1 a.m. would be Popeye's Chicken but, lo and behold, we spot a gem. Looks like a cool little Bistro and they still have a menu propped up on an easel out front - could it really be open? Yep, and it is adorable. Brasserie Les Voyous

The cutie patootie waiter, Chris, showed us to a table by the window and Lori was instantly smitten - amazingly smitten. Neither one of us could stop giggling every time he got in our eye line. When he came back to apologize for Lori having to change her order he squatted down to be at our level - nice touch. In honor of the cafe, and some music that was playing, and Lori - here is a special song.
The song was "Whatever Lola Wants" from Damn Yankees

As we are leaving, the owner tells us that we just missed movie night which is every Monday. They put up a 15 foot screen in the courtyard and show classic films, we missed The Manchurian Candidate and something else (I forget) This week it will be the first two Godfathers. Very cool, very fun. They also have a band night with live music. Very cute place, very good food, very hunky waiter. Almost makes me wish I lived there.

Up early on Tuesday morning for the trip to the studio, it was so cool of A to arrange that, especially on such short notice. It will be fun to see the movie when it comes out and try to place the scene they were doing. I just wish we could have spent more time with A, but he is one of those employed people - he had actual work to do :-(

After that, we drove up La Cienega to Norm's Diner for brunch - big portions, good prices. Quite yummy and, though they were packed, very quick. Great chocolate shake!

After that a stop at Ralph's for munchies and cash - then we made the decision to skip the touristy wandering of Hollywood Blvd and Sunset since Lori was a bit under the weather. On the way out of town we spotted a perfect example of a whacko anti-Bushie - but the picture didn't turn out. He had the "buck fush" bumper sticker on his helmet, and many generally obscene stickers on his bike. Classy. And we passed Hollywood High (after Lori had been talking about Valley Girl) - here is the picture, that's the back of my head - lol. And, we thought about stopping here to give them a piece of our minds but decided against it - it's not like they would actually listen.

Despite Lori's discomfort, I couldn't pass up the chance to stop at Ikea - sorry, girlfriend. The Ikea in Covina is a newer, larger one so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it was not well stocked, there were a lot of prices not marked, staff was not friendly - not the usual Ikea experience. I still managed to spend some money, though :-) and I got meatballs to bring home.

We made one more diner stop on the way home, I think it was called the American Diner or something like that.

Made it home safe and sound - happy to have had good company on my adventure. Thanks for joining me Lori!

Today

He was a good guy, but a bad husband for me - and I was a bad wife for him, I suppose. He is remarried, we are still friends - in fact he is one of my favorite people.

So, 'cause I know he reads this sometimes, too, Happy Anti-versary DP, you old SP.

Things To Consider...

..before you ask your roommate to move out of your house.

Who owns all the furniture?

My house is 2400 square feet of empty space, good thing this is coming soon

Time to Talk

Coincidence or design? Either way, it is cool....

Whew

Back on my home turf, so comments are back on...

Unfortunately, while I was playing in Cali the computers at work blew up (figuratively, of course - geez) so what was already going to be a day of serious catch -up is now a complete nightmare. I will post about the trip later - for now see Lori's account of our shenanigans.

Hopefully I will be able to come up for air sometime today.

Reckless Bikers

I started riding my bike to work again. I've really been missing it and have been looking forward to getting back to it. I love the hot weather here, but it is not exactly conducive to a bicycle commute. Since it is back down to the 90's I was good to go.

The morning ride was great. There is a bit more humidity this time of year (not Florida humid, by any means, just more than most of the year) so when you sweat it actually cools you off. Most of the time the moisture disappears before it can do you any good - till you get into an air conditioned space where you sweat for another 5-10 minutes.

The ride home was really nice, too - most of the way. Heading up 27th Ave (on the sidewalk, it is a busy street full of crazy drivers) I see a lady walking the same direction I am riding. Coming from the other direction are two guys on bikes. So, I pull over to the side behind the lady and slow down - plenty of room for the guys to pass us, then I can pass her.

The first guy goes past me with no problem. Second guy jumps off the curb to go around the lady, "no problem" I think "he is going to ride in the street past us". Wrong! He jumps back on the curb right into me. Nailed me nearly head on - couldn't have hit me more squarely if he'd have been aiming at me. Good news is - my helmet works. Bad news is - now I know my helmet works (and I have to buy a new one, they are only good for one impact). He was on a BMX type bike which put his entire mass (and handlebars) at exactly the right place to do the most damage.

I went flying forward: groin impacted the handlebars; right knee, right arm & head hit the concrete; left hip hit something. I now have a bruise the size of Montana on my a**

So, I am walking down he street covered in gravel and dirt and blood, tears streaming down my face, and NOBODY says anything about it. No one asks if I need help. The only guy who said anything to me asked for directions.

This morning is even worse, as happens with those types of injuries - this weekend should be a lot of fun.

RDRAGE

The Smoking Gun has compiled a list of Washington State disallowed personalized license plates. Some are pretty obvious, but others....maybe it is because there are so many musicians in my life, but I can't figure out what is offensive about GIGS. Or GIGL.

Am I missing some naughty slang?

And GOTMILF? Just plain clever.

RSS Calendar

I have been keeping an online calendar for a while now. I find that it does help keep me on track, even during especially scatter-brained times. I was using Yahoo's calendar, but was not thrilled with it - my options for reminders are an IM (which could go to a different computer if, for instance, I forgot to log off at work) or an email (which is really annoying, Yahoo reminds you over and over and over that you have an email - I know, I clicked OK, I'll get to it when I am ready)

Well, I am now going to try RSScalendar which will give me my reminders in the form I prefer, an RSS feed. I also have the option of letting others subscribe to my calendar feed, which I can see being handy for a business though I don't know why anyone would subscribe to a personal calendar that was not theirs. And, since they offer it, I have put my weekly calendar over there on my sidebar (down at the bottom) so the whole world can see just how exciting it is to be me. not.

You will see, for instance, that this Thursday my roommate closes on his new house and I will be helping him paint before he moves into it next week. You will also see what his taste in colors is...all beige, all the time

If you are interested in the service and want to see what the feeds look like, here is my rolling 30-day feed. You can also choose daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or all events when you set up your feeds. You can set public and private events, separate events (and your feeds) by category....

So far it is looking pretty good, my one complaint being a lack of support for links. You can put them in the comments, but not in the other sections. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is a service I will be happy with - I will let you know.

UPDATE: They added a place for an event URL - a step in the right direction.

Happy Birthday to You....

Today is Broken's birthday (yeah, we celebrated a little early) so, as a gift to him, I will only sing here so he doesn't have to hear it.

hmmm-hmmm...

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday, dear Broken.....

And many, many, many more!!!

Creative Conflict

The story of my life...and some suggestions I should try to follow.

Typos

I told you earlier how grateful I was to now have the power of ieSpell to catch my errors. Most of those errors are typos rather than actual spelling problems.

I also rely on MS Word's spell checker to catch those. My typing stinks. One of my big, consistent problems is switching my D's and S's. So why, when I spent all evening typing a very important business document and ran it through spell check, did it not tell me that at more than one point I had typed tols instead of told. Is that a word? I couldn't find it on Dictionary.com.

Tols completely blows your credibility.

BTW: ieSpell didn't catch it either...if it is a word, what does it mean?

UPDATE: The spell checker in word also did not catch smmoth. ieSpell, however, did suggest (properly) that I probably meant smooth.

September of Giving

Take Action - September of Service

After September 11th millions of Americans gave their time and money to to help the families, emergency personnel, and others affected by the attack on America. President Bush in his January 2002 State of the Union Address said, "After America was attacked, it was as if our entire country looked into a mirror and saw our better selves. We were reminded that we are citizens, with obligations to each other, to our country and to history. We began to think less of the goods we can accumulate, and more about the good that we can do." This year he has called upon all Americans to take part in a "September of Service" by renewing, expanding or establishing our commitment to doing good. Here are some ways you can "serve" your country today:

Give Donations:

• Pentagon Memorial
  
• September 11th Anniversary Fund
  
• Flight 93 Memorial
  
• Armed Forces Relief Fund
  
• Calling Cards to Troops
  
• Frequent Flier Miles to Troops
  
• Operation USO Care Package

• Operation Dear Abby
  
• Amber's Soldier
  
• Help Veterans
  
• USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network
  
• Public Service and Volunteer Opportunities

**************************
I received this from my Arizona4Bush2004 Yahoo group, but there were no links, though it was laid out and worded as if there should be. I have cleaned it up a bit and added links - hopefully they are the right ones. If anyone has seen this online somewhere let me know, I will link to the proper source.

That Day

Cox & Forkum
Go see the image at their site

I was asleep when the first plane hit. When I woke up I went to my computer and logged on - it's just what I do. No radio or TV turned on yet, so I am still completely in the dark.

Then I get an IM from Daniel who says "It is a sad sick world"
"What????"
"Someone just flew a plane into the World Trade Center"
"NO - on purpose?"
"yeah, I think so"
"talk to you later"

So I turned on the TV and stared at it for what seems like days, flipping channels, willing the newscasters to tell me a different story. Seeing the second plane had hit, the news about the Pentagon, the crash in PA, the towers collapsing - it all was just a blur of shock and sorrow and rage. I sobbed for hours thinking of the people who might be trapped in the rubble, hurting for the families and friends who were waiting for news of their loved ones.

I talked to my ex for a couple of minutes. He is an Air Force pilot and I wanted to know he was OK, was going to be OK, didn't know any of those lost at the Pentagon - as if he would already know those things. Mostly I just needed to hear his voice. We were married just before Desert Storm and I sat many sleepless nights then. I knew the US was going back there, I knew he would be going back there. I knew he would be able to say something to make me feel better...but he was at a loss as well. And then, obviously, he had to go - there was work to be done.

And now it has been three years and the anger and the sorrow and the shock and the disbelief are just as strong. Now they are directed not only at the events of that day, but also at the reaction of so many in this country and around the world. The idea that we deserved it, that we should just try to appease the murdering bastards, that fighting to free Afghanistan and Iraq won't make the world a better, safer place. Humans have a short attention span - perhaps the anniversary will remind a few of them just what we lost that day - and what we are fighting for now.

* See also the timeline Lori has posted for the events of that day.
* And Jeff Jarvis' post as he visits the site. He visits each 9/11 (and throughout the year), thankful to be alive, having been there that day three years ago. He is the very definition of politically centrist - but he got pushed a bit to the right on that day, on that issue.
* Janie, another Arizona blogger, has some powerful memories to share as well.

Lift and Separate

It was time - I put it off as long as I could. Almost as bad as swimsuit shopping...bra shopping.

I've been kind of looking, intermittently, for a couple of months - no luck. Finally, I sucked it up and went to the stores.

Frederick's of Hollywood first. Not much selection, and a really poor fitting from the staff. I haven't been a 34 since I was 14, I have a slender build but a large rib cage so anything smaller than 38 is very uncomfortable. And they were 2 cup sizes off. Tried on some stuff but wasn't impressed (though the Halloween costumes are cute)

On to Victoria's Secret. I haven't shopped there in years because they used to pump so much perfume in there you couldn't breathe. Much better now - no overwhelming odors at all. And the staff was very sweet. They tried to put me in a 36 (till I showed them that it barely closed) but they got the cup size right. And they have a wonderful system: if you are browsing, looking for many bras or don't really know what you are looking for, they set up a wardrobing room for you. They give you a box with every bra they carry in your size. How convenient for the customer - and the staff. I ended up buying 4 - $150 worth. And I'll go back; friendly staff, convenient shopping, pretty merchandise (like this) - what's not to love?

OK, they are a bit pricey...but ooh-la-la.

Things Frank Doesn't Like

I agree

Search Strings

Here are the top 20 search strings that brought people to Vox so far in September:

annoy a liberal
kerry's lies
kerry lies
john kerry's lies
drunk headless friend
how to annoy a liberal
i am awol
john kerry lies
kerry drunk
mekahlo medina
sexy vox
arnold schwarzenegger donated to kkk
btvs photo shoot
bush lawsuit fcc 2004
how can i miss you if go away
how to say thanks
jesus saves withdraws
john dougherty phoenix new times
john kerry quotes on wmd
late night humor

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to:

• Sean Connery (74)
• Gene Simmons (55)
• Pete Pancrazi (47)
• Jo Dee Messina (34)
• Jordan Pack (11)

Oh Yeah, mmm-hmm

Just changed my desktop wallpaper to this picture, now if I can just concentrate on work...

I am so ready for the concert Friday

Catching Up

Finally, she posts!

Tuesday night - yes, the night after my dental nightmare - I went to the Melissa Etheridge concert with my friend, JJ. We've only missed one of her shows since I've been back in Phoenix, and we are never disappointed. That girl can ROCK!

I was a bit worried that she would get too political, especially knowing how different my opinions are from hers, but she barely touched on it. Took a short break to tell everyone to register and vote, that's it. Got no problem with that, I've been doing the same thing.

Thursday I took off work so I could wait for the Maytag repairman and do some work for my freelance clients. You may recall he was coming a week earlier to fix my dishwasher. His fix at that time was to unplug it, tell the roommate to wait a couple of hours and turn it back on "I'm sure that'll fix it" K, they could have told me to try that over the phone then we'd have known that it didn't work before he came out. So we scheduled him again, this time he was going to replace the boards. Only he calls me an hour into his 4 hour window and says "those boards are on backorder, I won't be coming" When I ask how long he says he has no idea and that someone will call me to reschedule - uh-huh. I've had the stupid thing a month and gotten one good wash out of it.

The Maytag repairman isn't lonely because he has nothing to fix, he is lonely because he doesn't fix anything. Lowe's seem very willing to help, in fact they were going to just replace it, but Maytag keeps insisting on making repairs...which would be fine if they would actually repair it.

The rest of the time I was at work - or with S.G.

Oh, BTW - 1 week to

Pain

Went back to get my crown today - well, it turns out I went back to get a temporary crown today

Remember how I said the root canal was not as bad as I expected? Well, today was much worse than I could have anticipated. Picture a scene from Little Shop of Horrors; limbs flailing, instruments getting knocked from the dentist's hands, tears streaming down my face.

You think I'm kidding? I wish.

By far the worst dental experience I have ever had. That's right, ever.

And I have to go back in two weeks for a repeat......ugh!

UPDATE: BTW, did I mention the blood? Bleeding like a stuck pig, I was - it was really a bad horror movie experience

Smokin' Hot in July

Found this birthday meme over at Bitchalicious, who found it at Ataqun's site.

Pick your birth month and cross (strike) out what doesn't apply to you. To strike out you use the S tag. So for the cross out you would surround the "strike out" with strike out. Then post the whole list for the next person or link back to here.

JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

Complete list under "Keep Reading"

JANUARY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very Stubborn and money cautious.

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FEBRUARY:
Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but those not show it. Dislike unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizing dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

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MARCH:
Attractive personality.sexy. Affectionate.Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

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APRIL:
Active and dynamic. Decisive and haste but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people's problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their luver can see.

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MAY:
Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

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JUNE:
Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having lots of ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Abiding. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

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JULY:
Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people's feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

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AUGUST:
Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride of oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

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SEPTEMBER:
Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people's mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive.Thinking generous. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves sports, leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

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OCTOBER:
Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to takes things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn't pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

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NOVEMBER:
Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciates praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

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DECEMBER:
Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egoistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

More On Redheads

London Zoo Welcomes 'Ginger' Heads

LONDON (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Only red-headed humans qualify for a free entry this Sunday at the London Zoo to celebrate the birth of the monkey version of the red-headed species.

The occasion dubbed "Ginger Sunday" is to welcome the arrival of the new Francois Langur baby, an endangered animal.

"To rejoice in gingerness, the Zoo is offering two-for-one entry to all red heads on production of a voucher," a news release said.

Red heads can take advantage of the two-for-one offer and bring a brunette, blonde, black, ginger or bald headed friend in for free.

A recent survey of London Zoo visitors showed that 9 out of 10 redheads were teased at school about their hair color. Some scientists even suggest that redheads are the last survivors of the Neanderthals.

With continuing jokes about ginger nuts and hot headedness, London Zoo decided to give something back to red heads with our special offer.

In addition to the new Francois langur baby, "Ginger Sunday" will celebrate the zoo's other red headed animals.

UPDATE: I'm not the only one intrigued by the offer

Lonely Repairman

I am sitting at home, waiting for the Maytag repairman to show up. My new dishwasher works a little too hard - just keeps running, and running, and running.... Goes through the cycle over and over. Bah!

Hopefully, the roommate will get home soon so I can leave him to wait and I can go to work. Otherwise I am going to get a lot of reading done :-)

oowwwWWW!

Darn tooth hurts worse now than it did all weekend! It has been getting steadily worse since I left the dentists office.

I will be taking my pain pill and going to bed now

Tooth Update

Well, I gave up on the ow-my-tooth-hurts-and-I-can't-chew diet on Saturday - I decided I love food more than I hate pain so I just went for it. I am still down about 3 pounds, but I will put that right back on once I can really get eating.

The root canal was not as bad as I feared, but it was far from pleasant. The dentist hardly spoke. In fact, when he came in he said, "how are you doing?" and that was it for the rest of the appointment. Not even a reassuring answer to my reply of "scared...."

Fortunately, the assistant was really sweet and comforting. It was so nice to look up at her very warm eyes, and then she would smile (couldn't see that part through the mask) and her eyes would sort of crinkle up and twinkle. Could soooo tell she is a mother, that is a real mom trait. She got me through. Definitely an asset to that office.

Through the course of drilling and prodding I had to get redosed with novacaine three times - and that needle is the worst. But, just over two hours later I have a temporary fix in place - back next Tuesday for the permanent crown. Woo-hoo.

Great Headline

First, I love that hot redheads are being singled out:

'Hot' Redheads Bound for Extinction

LONDON (UPI) -- While redheads are all the rage in the fashion world, they could be extinct by 2060 because there aren't enough of them to keep the hair color going.

Redheads were buried alive by ancient Egyptians as a sacrifice to appease the sun god and turned out of dairies because it was believed they would turn the milk sour, The Mirror reported.

Scotland has the highest number of redheads in the world -- about 13 percent of the population compared to 2 percent of Americans -- and the Scots descended from the Celts, who were violent warriors. [what does that have to do with the story?]

Ireland has 320,000 natural redheads, but worldwide it is estimated that just 1 percent of the global population has red hair.

Dr. John Gray of the Oxford Hair Foundation says natural red hair may be gone in 55 years.

"The way things are going, red hair will either be extremely rare or extinct," he said.

The problem is that just 4 percent of the population carries the red hair gene, known as MC1R. Because the gene is recessive, it is diluted whenever carriers have children with people who have the stronger brown hair gene.

To AB, who described my hair as 'spun Celtic copper' over a decade ago, thanks - even if it was a line, I still blush when I think of it. Or maybe it's just when I think of you.....

Things That Make Me Go ARGH!

I have been shopping for a new cell phone service. I have been happy with Cricket, but my phone is finally giving out after 5 years. They are offering free phones to new customers (everyone is) but nothing to keep existing customers - nada. I called to see what they would do for me and the answer was "you have to talk to the individual retailers" Well, the retailers have no interest in me continuing with my current service - it is in their best interest to sign me up for new service with another provider.

So, I looked around and got recommendations - and signed up with T-Mobile over the phone. Free phone, 1 year contract.

Got the phone Tuesday and charged it up. Called T-Mobile to see about changing the date of activation from Friday to Wednesday since I got my phone early. I had to call back three times and talk to 5 different people...none of whom could help me. Why? Because I had booked my plan through sales and their computer doesn't talk to service so there was no account in the computer for me - despite my having an order #, an account # and a transaction #. Service and support can't help until the phone is activated because, as far as they are concerned, I don't exist. Because their computers don't talk to each other. So I gave up and figured I would just wait for the original schedule. My Cricket bill is due on the 6th, though, so I want to make sure it is handled and I don't get billed for another month..

I come in to the office today and look at my new phone, which has shut itself off...and it won't turn back on. Hmmmm....

So I called T-Mobile customer service again, being a glutton for punishment, and explain that they sent me a bad phone. My options for a new phone are:

• they send me a return label which will take three to five days, then I send back the phone and call them with the tracking number, at which time they send out a new phone. Six days minimum - past when I need to be off Cricket to avoid paying for another month. But, they assure me, they will go ahead and port the number so the changeover is done..great, I'll just be without a phone while I wait.
• I send the phone back at my expense via Fed Ex and call them with a tracking number, at which time they will send out a new phone. Not much better as far as options go, might save a couple of days but I am out some cash.

BTW: I went with a variation on option one; they send me a return label and I send back the phone, but they don't need to send me a new one - they can just cancel my service plan. Does that make them care enough to try and keep me? Nope, their best offer isn't "we'll send you out a new phone right away and you send back the bad one - you are a customer and we want you to be satisfied" it's "I'd be willing to credit you a free month of service" woo-hoo! I've had to deal with your service department twice in two days and both experiences took over an hour and left me feeling frustrated and unappreciated. Thanks, you can keep your 40 bucks!

Someone should direct them to Good Experience to see if they are capable of learning a thing or two.

I'm Back...

...sort of.

Still trying to catch up - amazing how far behind you get in a week. For now, enjoy the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest winners.

(Hat Tip Good Experience)

Too Tired

Just back from a day trip to L.A.

There is more to it than that, but I can't keep my eyes open (I've had about 5 hours sleep since Monday at 8 a.m.) let alone type straight. I may elaborate on the visit later.

Till then...

You Bring the Handcuffs

Leave it to Michael to find the silver lining to Ken Lay's indictment cloud - babes in suits....with handcuffs

Oh, and he covers the improbability of Lay doing jail time, if you are into actual analysis.

Breakthrough

I have never seen Forrest Gump.

That movie had a key part in the events that led to the final dissolution of my marriage. I have never been able to hear about that movie without experiencing that same stomping on my heart feeling - and people love to talk about that movie. I certainly never had any desire to sit through the whole thing.

Well, last night I was visiting a friend...and the kids wanted to watch it...and I felt that kick in the sternum....but I didn't know how to say, "no, please don't because I will spend the entire time fighting to keep breathing and stop crying" without going into the specifics of why. So, I watched it.

And you know what? It was the right friend at the right time. The right hand holding mine, the right kids goofing off with us.

I feel like a weight has been lifted because I conquered that demon. Thanks SG

It may seem like a small victory to you - but it feels like the Tour de France to me!

Happy, Happy

Boobs

From the Why Not? file:

Hey, I got 45 out of 100 - I think that's pretty good!

BTW: someone told me they thought my boobs were bigger than Shania Twain's - I disagreed. Now I know the answer, provided this quiz presents accurate information

Time To Get Serious

Well, my goal was to be in a bikini by my birthday - which is fast approaching. Prior to that is a day trip to LA to see an old friend, and you always want to look good for old friends. I have been slacking off the last few weeks and that needs to stop. Yesterday was my last day of nutritional suicide (hey, it was a party. you can't refuse party food )

I went to GNC Friday and loaded up on my healthy snacks and supplements - all at a serious discount, between their clearance sale and my Gold Card (which was actually 30% off, not 20).

I have no reason not to ride my bike to work every day - just because it is 105 degrees outside is no excuse. There is lots of shade to be had and I can carry a lot of water. I've got more exercise videos than a video store - though I wish more of them were on DVD...VHS is a pain in the tush.

Two weeks to the reveal date....wish me luck!

I'll need all the luck I can get, I love bad food soooo much

p.s. In honor of my birthday coming up - my wishlist

Happy 4th!!!

As always you should visit Lori for the Holiday scoop.

Cool App

Those of you who are long time readers probably know I am a big fan of RSS (and I am grateful to those of you who provide a feed of your blog, especially in full readable format like Michael) I wish I had the time to devote to learning more about it, and applying it more productively.

Fortunately, Ben Hammersly does...and has. Now you can plug in your FedEx tracking number - and get an RSS feed of your shipment's progress - Cool! This is an ideal application of the tool.

It amazes me how few companies are taking advantage of this technology, and I'm glad there are people like Ben to do it for them. RSS is a system that will be a breakout when people find ways to monetize it - FedEx could have done it.....

Under Cover

I have always been suspicious of ice cream trucks - we just give them too much access to our children. And, there is no telling what they could be selling out of there....

Now a real lowlife ice cream man has shown his true colors - sick, sick, sick.

'nother Family Feud Question

They are having an Army vs Navy series this week on the Feud.

Last question: Give me the last name of any athlete whose first name is John or Johnny.

Not there: John Elway, John McEnroe..?!?!

There:

• Johnny Unitas - OK
• Johnny Bench - OK
• Johnny Weismuller - maybe
• John Madden - Good
• John Morton - ??
• John Taylor - ??

Behind Your Back

Rachel has a post today that reminded me of something that happened to me several years ago.

My father is not part of my life, hasn't been for a very long time. I occasionally have to see him at family functions but do my best to avoid any interaction. This works for me.

When I was getting married (a long, long time ago) I didn't bother to tell him - why would I? He wouldn't be invited and he certainly wouldn't be contributing financially (as if I would take his money). No reason what-so-ever to share it with him.

Well, he found out - of course, it wasn't a big secret - and spent weeks calling my sister and my grandmother and giving them grief about me not telling him myself. Jerk, like it was their fault. Anyway, when I heard about that I called him up and told him to leave them alone and that if he had a problem with me - he should bring it up with me. I told him I chose not to tell him because it was none of his business and that if he cared he should be glad someone told him in the first place.

Idiot...but maybe that's just my take on it.

So yeah, Rachel, I agree: if they had a question about you they should have asked you.

Oh, BTW

Men SUCK

Rule Number One

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know I am a huge David Wilcox fan.

One of the reasons I like him so much is his ability to make a point humorously in his lyrics. I bring this up because I live one of his songs, Rule Number One, every day. In concert, when he plays this song, he prefaces it by saying "someday you'll be the waiter" - how true that is. The Ex was never nice to waiters, counter people - whatever. Impatient and downright rude actually.

I had dinner last night at a Waffle House (that's another David Wilcox song, BTW) and the waitress was a bit slow, perhaps impaired even. My companion was fine with it, patient and sweet actually. And I was struck by the glaring difference of how the Ex would have handled it - and how much more pleasant the meal was without that extra stress.

Heartless B****

So, I have this friend - really, really sweet guy...let's call him Jay.

So, when I met Jay he had been in a relationship with a women, let's call her Kay, for 15 years. She didn't want to get married, but they lived together for well over a decade. Well, sweet, unsuspecting guy that Jay was, he had no problem with her spending time with people from work, even having them at the house - even though it was almost always the same guy, um..let's call him Dan. So, one day, Kay announces she and Dan are in love and have been having a relationship for years - years So Jay found himself alone.

I thought that was a low point for him, but the latest tops it.

He has been seeing a lady for about 4 years now..um, Annie will work. He brought her to my house often, and she always seemed nice enough. She was having employment troubles so he was basically supporting her. So, last Friday she leaves a lovey little note that she is going to church and she'll see him soon.

And she is gone for the last three days! He is, understandably, in a panic since she never came home. He finally gets a hold of the church and asks if they've seen her and they say, get this,.....

"Yes, she was married here Friday night"

WTF

Apparently she's been seeing someone else and decided to marry him - and maybe thinks she can continue her relationship with Jay? Maybe she assumed he'd never find out and she could still have her cake?

Bad enough to be in an extra curricular relationship (no comments from the peanut gallery) but to get married?

Whacked!

Keeping Us Safe

Good to know that the leader of a notorious marshmallow distribution ring has been stopped!

Who knows, had she gotten away with this she may have taken to leaving harder stuff out in the open - like Twinkies^©

Sorry Michael

Once again, we left Michael out of the eye candy loop

This ones for you...

World Juggling Day

Happy World Juggling Day!

Double Yum

Uptown Girl gives us an extra helping of delicious today.

To look at and to drink

I'd just like to say a big thank you to her

Where Were You

1. Where were you when you heard that Ronald Reagan died?

I had been in Mexico that weekend for my step-sister's wedding. As we drove back on Sunday a.m. we saw all the flags up in Ajo, and at half-mast. There was much conjecture about what may have happened but none of us thought of Reagan dying. Apparently, those of you with access to TV and other media had some warning. We stopped at a Circle K and checked the newspaper - and were shocked.

2. Where were you on September 11, 2001?

In bed when it happened. I got up and got online, and one of my friends IM'd me with "it is a sad sick world". I asked what he meant and he said "someone just flew planes into the world trade center". I didn't believe him, turned on the tv, didn't believe it. Couldn't believe it. Spent the rest of the day crying and glued to the set.

3. Where were you when you heard that Princess Diana died?

censored to my then boyfriend. We had the radio on to some rock station and they announced it. I stopped for a second to ask "what did they just say?" then went back to censored - didn't think it was real since it was one of those stupid morning shows where they are always doing idiotic stunts. When we finished I called a girlfriend to verify it - which she did.

4. Do you remember where you were when you heard Kurt Cobain had died?

No idea, no interest.

5. Take one for The Gipper: What’s your favorite flavor of jelly bean?

All the Jelly Belly flavors are excellent, but I would probably choose watermelon.

Or strawberry, or root beer, or......oh, I don't know.

6. Where were you when Magic Johnson announced he was retiring from the NBA due to AIDS?

not a clue

7. Where were you when Reagan was shot?

Don't remember. I remember feeling very sad and frightened, as I would have if someone took a shot at any President. A direct attack on our leader (whether I like him or not) is earth shattering.

8.Where were you when the Challenger exploded?

I actually don't remember. I don't think I was watching it live, but I know I watched it over and over again.

9. Where were you when the 0J verdict was announced?

At work, I'm sure. Probably heard it second hand.

Snagged this from Lisa over at Just A Girl In The World

Good One

I followed a link from Uptown Girl to a Cam Edwards post about the c-word.

And found this a comment from Bruce Wood

"Give a man a policeman and (maybe) protect him for a day; give him a gun and protect him for life"

Flag Day

In honor of Flag Day from The Federalist:

"It was leadership here at home that gave us strong American influence abroad, and the collapse of imperial Communism. Great nations have responsibilities to lead, and we should always be cautious of those who would lower our profile, because they might just wind up lowering our flag."

~ Ronald Reagan

UPDATE: Also, the Supremes allow the phrase "one nation under God" to stay in the pledge - though they avoid the question of it's constitutionality.

A Moving Tribute

Michael gives us a picture of another real American and his reaction to Reagan's passing.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words.

Farewell

He will be missed.

How To Describe Reagan...

Reagan was like a bigger than life hero from one of his movies. He showed up when America and yes, even the rest of the world, needed him most, saved the day, and then rode off into the sunset, leaving all of us with a debt of gratitude that we could never fully repay.

The Command Post

Reagan Procession

Amazing to watch, will post thoughts as they occur to me.

:: It must be an amazing honor to be one of the servicemen chosen to carry the casket. Does anyone know how they are selected? I know there are rigorous guidelines for the color guard at every base, must be very intense standards for men who will carry a Presidential casket.

:: Nancy looks amazingly composed - she is a very dignified lady, a treasure.

:: Someone just shouted out "God bless you, Nancy!" Not sure whether that is sweet or completely inappropriate. It is too somber of an occasion for random shouts from the peanut gallery...but isn't it what we are all feeling?

:: The riderless horse just makes me cry; seeing Reagan's boots in the stirrups, the sword on the saddle, knowing how much he had loved to ride....

:: There are so many people lining the streets, such an outpouring of love and respect. Such a great man.

:: The announcers are talking about the grandeur of the ceremony, all the pomp and circumstance, almost sounds disapproving. Noting that Ron & Nancy planned and signed off on all events. Mention that Nixon elected not to do the Presidential funeral. I can't imagine them trying to skip these important public events - the office is too substantial, he was too important to our country, too many people want the opportunity to pay their respects as demonstrated by the volume of people who passed through the library in Simi Valley and are currently lining the streets in D.C.

:: There will be a fly over soon - that should be very impressive

:: Announcer telling the story of a military pilot taking pains to express the love he and other soldiers feel for Ronald Reagan. Comments that Reagan was a friend of the military

:: Watching channel 3 - lousy coverage of the fly over, hope you guys got a better view

:: John McCain appears to be quite jovial - which seems quite inappropriate.

:: Still think the Air Force dress uniform looks the nicest - might be biased there, as well

:: People in the office talking too loud so I can't hear the TV :-( They are right next to each other - and practically shouting.

:: Anyone hear who the officer is who is escorting Nancy? What an important job, that would be another one you'll remember for the rest of your life.

:: Kind of interfers with the gravity of the situation to see that photographer there chomping his gum :-|

:: Comment in the office re: Nancy "That a really classy lady"

:: T.S Elliot quote?

:: Props to Nancy in the speech for her strength and loyalty

:: "A man who appealed to our best hopes instead of our worst fears"

:: "he actually brought freedom to hundreds of thousands of people around the globe"

:: "an unparallelled leader and an exceptional man"

:: "it is our turn to thank Ronald Reagan for making us believe in that shining city"

:: "when others weakened, President Reagan stood tall"

:: "Knowing this moment would come has not made it any easier"

:: "his largeness of spirit"

:: I can't see a flag draped coffin without tears, because I know what it means.

:: The choir sings - wow! They are great.

:: The Reverend has an amazing voice

:: I can't begin to imagine how hard this is for Nancy to have to say good-bye to him over and over again, in public, all week. I hope she gathers some comfort in seeing how many people love him and want to show that love and respect.

:: Announcer debating the fact that Reagan ended the Cold War - idiot. Not only is he wrong, his timing is wrong as well.

:: Now discussing how much this funeral is costing the U.S. - bah!

:: All in all it was a ceremony befitting the man. I am glad he and Nancy decided to allow the full breadth of tribute.

Recipe

OK, I don't usually post recipes here - but this one is special (and Michael will probably like it)

Moldable Chocolate

Ingredients and Preparation:

• 10 ounces of chocolate (chopped chunks or chips)
  
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup

1. Melt the chocolate in a microwave for 1 minute. Stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, return to the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stir until smooth. If you don't have a microwave, place the chocolate in the top of a double broiler over hot water and stir until melted.
   
2. When the chocolate is melted, add the corn syrup and blend.
   
3. Pour the mixture onto a waxed paper sheet.
   
4. Spread the chocolate with your fingers until it's about 1/2 inch thick.
   
5. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let it stiffen for at least a couple hours or overnight. The chocolate will become very pliable.

Making a Chocolate Rose:

1. Roll 10 marble-sized balls out of the chocolate clay.
   
2. Place the balls on a waxed paper sheet, about 1 inch apart.
   
3. Place another waxed paper sheet on top. Big or little thumbs can press each marble into a flat disk (about the size of a quarter). Use some pressure!
   
4. Remove 1 disk and curl it into a "teepee" shape, narrow at the top and wider at the bottom.
   
5. Wrap the next disk around the opening of the teepee and the third disk at the back of the teepee. This is the rose bud. Continue adding disks which will look like petals. Continue to layer them to create a rose in bloom.
   
6. Roses can be used as edible decorations for a cake or to create a basketful of blooms. They will harden after a few days and can be saved by storing in a cool, dry place.

   Since this recipe is the consistency of modeling clay, you can mold any shape you want.

   Important note: Adult supervision and participation is required for this activity.
   

   Posted by Vox at 03:03 PM | Comments (2)

Reagan Memorial

There will be a gathering at Republican Party headquarters Friday at 8:30 a.m. They will have the funeral broadcast on so we can all watch together.

Arizona Republican Party
3501 North 24th Street
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

R.I.P. Cowboy

Words fail me, again, this was my President - the first one I ever voted for, the one who proved it was good and right to be proud of America, the one who told us the American dream was still alive we just had to be willing to go for it. He made a lasting impact, not just on the world but on individuals in all parts of it. There have been several times in my life I have cried when I thought of Ronald Reagan; when I realized how grateful I was that he came along and truly brought us "Morning in America", when I wish we had another leader like him, when I thought of what his family was going through losing him bit by bit....and now, when I see that the man is gone but he has left us such a legacy that I know his spirit remains.

Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness, and won its love with his goodness. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom. He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save.

Take the time to read the whole page, the place has turned into Reagan Central with many great posts and much information.

UPDATE: Some of Reagan's greatest speeches at GeorgeWBush.com.

Yummy

Just came across Everything Smells.

You can get this, and this, and this and.......

And for Michael, this.

For Michael

Michael wasn't impressed with the eye candy Uptown Girl gave us, so here is some eye candy for him.

courtesy of VirtualChocolate

UPDATE: I completely forgot to mention the eye candy over at Downtown Chick Chat - *swoon*

Go, Busy!

I love to read Uptown Girl; she is a prolific poster with many fun insights. Now she shows she can entertain even when she is too busy to blog - she gives us girls some eye candy.

Men

The trouble is you can't live with men, but then you can't chop them into little pieces and boil the flesh off their bones, because that would be cooking.

Jenny Eclair

A broken heart is what makes life so wonderful five years later, when you see the guy in the elevator and he is fat and smoking a cigar and saying long-time-no-see. If he had not broken your heart you could not have that glorious feeling of relief.

Phyllis Battelle

Altered Goal

I've been told (by several people) that the bikini I bought as an incentive to getting in shape isn't something I should wear in public, no matter what shape I'm in.

I don't think it's that bad, but I can take a hint.

So I found a new bikini today. Though not quite as posh as a suit from Trashy, this one was a bargain at Target. It actually looks cuter on a real body than on the mannequin - which is great 'cause I need all the help I can get. Another bonus, Target sells these suits mix and match so if you need, say, a larger top and a smaller bottom - you can do that.

What a Mom Wants

My mother has given me the scoop for all future gift giving holidays. She told my sister and me that next Mother's Day, or any occasion, each of us should call one of our brothers and remind them they have a mother.

That's a gift that never occurred to me - but I'll remember it.

BTW, that is a grammatical rule which makes me nutty. I know that "my sister and me" is correct in this instance, but it sounds so wrong to my ears.

Yesterday

Mother's Day Sucks. Worst day of the year for me, sans one day in January.

Every year I swear is the last that I will let myself be made miserable by it. Then the next year I am once again thrown into b*tch mode on waking and spend the day snapping at friends, sulking, crying, and eating too much.

It's just another day, and I shouldn't let it get me down...and yet it always does.

All day long, the TV is loaded with Mom themed stuff, the paper is Mom themed, even the blogosphere is chock full of Mother's Day reminders and wishes. Did anyone see that McDonald's commercial...tears your heart right out if you are like me.

It isn't that my Mother isn't wonderful. In fact, I am fairly certain she is the most amazing, kind, generous, loving, gracious, beautiful woman the world has every known. I am so fortunate to have had her as a mother and I tell her that all the time, not once a year.

Hopefully, I can snap out of this quickly...the residual effect can be almost as crippling as the day itself.

Service

One of my clients' web sites is down - hard (for about 36 hours now, that I know of). No site, no email, no nothing. I can't even get in to the control panel to investigate the problem. Which meant I had to wait for my support request to make it's way through the system to get an answer. The site is down for the stupidest of reasons, the domain registration expired.

This is the first time I've had a domain come up for renewal with this particular host. The other hosting service I used would simply send an email to let you know the time was coming and that you would be billed - then they did it.

This service never gave us a heads up. Though they have a credit card on file, and he paid for 2 years of hosting just 6 months ago they didn't simply bill the renewal. The site just disappeared. One can assume that after ponying up for 2 years of hosting he would prefer to keep the site up. So now, at one of the worst possible times for the client the web site he depends on is inoperable while they renew (which takes longer that paying for it before it expires) and he is out of email communication with his clients.

That's customer service for you.

Oh, yeah

I did watch the finale of Friends last night - always try to watch the final episodes, even if I caught the show only rarely. I was, I'm afraid, underwhelmed.

It wasn't awful, certainly no Seinfeld (the worst final episode ever), but it wasn't good either. It was just, well...boring and pointless. Yes, Ross and Rachel end up together - duh. Chandler and Monica get twins, again - duh, it's a rarity for TV characters to have one baby. They didn't take the opportunity to lead us into the spin-off, Joey. Basically, just yawn - though the fact that it ended (cultural event and all) was hype worthy, the episode did not live up to it.

Interestingly, the final episode will be available , packaged with the pilot, on DVD Tuesday. The quickest turn around of a TV series ever. I imagine there are people who will buy it, no matter the quality of the script. I can't personally see needing to see it again. Certainly not anytime soon.

Paperweight

That's what my home computer is right now (came to the office to check email).

Virus? Don't think so.

Microsoft? Yep!

I get an "LA Shell (Export Version)" error, then it does the auto shutdown - referencing lsass.exe. The desktop is mostly gone, but I can at least boot up. The laptop tries to boot up and gives an error that says, basically, lsass.exe tried to send a password that was incorrect; then it tries to reboot, hits the same error, tries to reboot, hits the same error.....

Blogging will be lite, to say the least. I can read your comments and emails from work, though, so keep 'em coming - especially if you know what particular "feature" I am dealing with.

UPDATE: it's a worm

UPDATE: Apparently, it's not a worm...or it is...or it was... I ran the Sasser removal tool which says I am not infected, though the patch did seem to stop that particular error. Now I am getting "generic host process for Win32 services" has quit error, followed by auto shutdown - referencing "Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service" Bah! Antivirus is up-to-the-minute up-to-date, scan reveals no infection or compromise.

Boom Boom

T.C.H.O.T.P. is right, this is cool. I've long thought that our researchers should be able to crack this problem - glad to see they are well on their way. I look forward to my first super sonic flight.

Quote

There is not any memory with less satisfaction than the memory of some temptation we resisted.

James Branch Cabell

A man is as good as he has to be, and a woman is as bad as she dares.

Elbert Hubbard

Aphorism

There's always free cheese in a mousetrap.

Quote

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

-- Bertrand Russell

From the Quotations Page

Sale

All Posters is having a clearance sale - several items are only $1.98, including these reminders:

World Trade Center - Tribute
22 in. x 34 in.
Buy posters at AllPosters.com

New York
36 in. x 23 in.
Buy posters at AllPosters.com

And this one:

Strength
22 in. x 34 in.
Buy this Poster at AllPosters.com

Sexy/Not Sexy

I haven't commented on the new Victoria's Secret ads 'cause I couldn't think of much to say. Basically, it's hot models (Sexy) then Bob Dylan (so Not Sexy) - whose idiotic idea was that. I can't wear lingerie with even a fleeting connection to him.

Best Week Ever has a little more insight into Dylan's motives - as if there was any question.

"We asked him to be in the commercials," said Vic's CEO Grace Nichols, "and he said yes, he would gladly go off to Venice with the supermodels."

Happy Easter

Hope you are all enjoying a beautiful day with your loved ones

Results

In the words of T.C.H.O.T.P.: Duh!

Update: He adds "This is like fighting armed robbery by providing bullets and teaching gun safety, or fighting obesity by teaching kids to vomit after meals."

Nostalgia

From T.C.H.O.T.P. a bit of nostaglia for my P.C.

Show Your Support

Linda has contact information for two support projects, one a memorial fund for the Fallujah Four and one to show your support for all the troops. It only takes a minute to make a big difference.

If you scroll down you will see she is also working on a project to collect stories of the positive things happening in Iraq. I know that there are many bloggers who have posted such stories, but I lose track. If you know of any, send them to her.

Quote

Seems fitting for a blog:

It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time.
      -- Tallulah Bankhead

On a related note, posting may be lite the next few days

OK, This is Cool

From Commercial Aviation Today

VENDOR/PROVIDER NEWS

Connexion by Boeing yesterday unveiled pricing details for its high-speed in-flight Internet service scheduled to become commercially available this spring. Initially, there will be two pricing plans:

Flat Rate Pricing Option: (Unlimited access to the Internet) $29.95 for long-haul flights (more than six hours); $19.95 for medium-haul flights (between three and six hours); and $14.95 for flights less than three hours.
Metered Pricing Option: 30-minute starter package for $9.95 with rates of $0.25 per minute thereafter.
The pricing is based on extensive customer research conducted individually and in conjunction with airlines in Europe, Asia and the U.S.

“Our research shows that 38 percent of frequent travelers are willing to pay at least $25 per flight for full, high-speed access to the Internet and their corporate network,” said Forrester Research analyst Henry Harteveldt.” In-flight broadband Internet access is a highly desirable amenity, especially among frequent business and leisure airline travelers. Airlines that don't offer passengers this kind of service risk losing a key segment of their customer base to carriers that do.”

Lufthansa will be the first airline to launch the Connexion by Boeing service on commercial flights originating from Germany this spring.

Of course, Jeff Jarvis does get upset when he can't post his experiences right away (posts via his Treo when need be) and I love the frequency of his posting. Though his daily Stern rants have kept me from checking quite as often.

The Trip

I am leaving my job at the airline. Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while know I love that job. It was my one truly customer contact job and I thrive in that environment (all my others involve sitting in front of a computer or otherwise working alone). It was not an easy decision to make, in fact I am still torn, but I know it is the right one - too much time, not enough return $$$

I wanted to take advantage of my flight benefits before I lost them so I went on a trip Monday-Tuesday (which meant taking time off from my other jobs, the ones that pay actual money). One of the guys who was in class with me (J) came along.

The trip was planned as: fly in to Sacramento, rent a car, drive to San Francisco for a day, Napa the next, home to Phoenix. When we arrived at the airport we found out the Sacramento flight was full (oversold in fact). As non-revenue, space-available travelers we are the lowest priority so were not holding out high hopes for that. We tried to come up with alternative plans - with not much luck - but since I got up at 6:00 in the morning I was determined to go somewhere.

This gets long....

Finally, by some stroke of luck, they called my name - enough people hadn't shown up that I got a seat. Need 2 more so J can get a seat, too. Mr Zamora didn't show up, Mr Harris...cool, now we both get to go. Bear in mind, we were so far down the list that 15 people had to not show up in order for us to go, 15 people. In all my time at the airport I have never quite grasped this - why would you not show up for your flight. Not missed a connection in this case, but just not come to the airport (or not come in time). Strange. Worked out for me, though, so if you didn't take your scheduled flight to Sacramento Monday morning, thanks.

Into Sacramento with nothing set up - with fingers crossed we headed to the rental cars, third try (Avis) we get one and we're on our way to San Francisco. Absolutely beautiful day, perfect weather. J is a great travel buddy - fun and laid back, no stress at all. We ate lunch at Joe's near Fisherman's Wharf which gave us a great view of the World Famous Bush Man. Seems like a silly gig, but it is a crack up. We were up there for 45 minutes and couldn't stop laughing.

Then, more sightseeing, more walking along the wharf till we found the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (OK, I knew it was there and was heading for it). Yes, we had been to Ghirardelli - but I wanted chocolate covered strawberries, my biggest candy weakness. I was not disappointed, freshly made with some of the sweetest, juiciest strawberries you can imagine.

We headed out of town across the Golden Gate bridge. J had never been over it, so it was even more fun for me. I love seeing things like that through someone else's eyes. Walked out on it and nearly got blown in to the bay but had a great time despite the wind.

On the way out of town, J called ahead to Napa and booked the hotel, no worries...other than me getting us lost trying to find said hotel

Dinner at Mary's then back to the hotel for - get this - 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Wow did I need that!

Next day we head out for the winery tours, which is something else J has never done before - so I get to see that through his eyes as well. That may be the best part.

Started at Trefethen, because I thought I remembered touring it before. Turns out I was wrong. No real tour to speak of, though you can wander through their library. Too much money to do a tasting so we moseyed down the road.

Stopped at Cardinale/Atalon. Again, no tour but a nice tasting of 6 wines. They specialize in reds (which are my favorite) so I was loving it, J is new to wine so that much red was a new treat for him. All the wines we tasted were wonderful, the last two were spectacular. But at $80 and $120 a bottle, respectively, out of my reach. I did take the 1999 Atalon Merlot which was worth the $45 price tag.

On their recommendation we headed to Diamond Oaks which specializes in white wines. The tasting was nice but not spectacular - the view, however, was breathtaking. One of the most glorious views I remember seeing in Northern California.

The Atalon guy also recommended Sawyer Cellars as a nice family owned place. We went in, wandered around, fondled the merchandise. Someone walked past us, but no one said anything - not a peep. Finally we gave up and walked out (my motto "if someone is trying to give you money, you make it easy for them") and then someone came out to see if we needed anything. Nope, too late. If I am already getting in my car to go, you missed your window.

From there we went to Niebaum Coppola, because you can't pass up the opportunity to see Francis Ford Coppola's vineyard. The building was beautiful, and the museum was quite interesting. Downstairs there is a Coppola family history, upstairs are artifacts from his movies. Fun to see a real Tucker, the bamboo cage and surfboard from Apocalypse Now, Vito Corleone's desk from The Godfather. Bought some chocolate flavored with Sofia Blanc de Blanc wine - yummy.

On to the crowning jewel - V. Sattui. Beautiful location, beautiful building, free tasting. After you make your way through their long list of yummy wines, you can go to their on site deli and pick up some food. We decided on the sour french bread, some sliced dry salami and the cream cheese/artichoke/garlic spread they make onsite... to die for... mmmmmmmmmmm. Stayed there ('cause it was so comfortable and relaxing) till it was time to head back to the airport. What a beautiful, wonderful day. Both days.

Made it to the airport with time to spare and got onto an earlier flight - in first class. Comfy for the ride home. Then I had two days of email and work to catch up on

There you have it, short story long. But it was indeed just a fabulous trip, thanks J for your very enjoyable company.

Quote

Life can be marvelous. Try not to miss it!
       ~ Unknown

Overkill

I just got an email from my airline job. The subject line was "BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT!" and the email itself was marked as high priority.

How does a basketball tournament (especially one that is still a month away) deserve CAPS, an exclamation point and high priority? I think she is a bit unclear on the concept - or she [literally] has her priorities all screwed up.

Good Experience

I am a firm believer that, no matter your business, customer experience should be paramount. I find most brick & mortar companies seriously lacking in this regard. Online, it seems like such an obvious step - design for the optimum user experience. Sadly, I see failure at that simple task again and again in my attempts to browse the web.

Good Experience just gave rave reviews to Google for their ongoing positive customer experience, leading to long term customer loyalty. It is a good reminder of how focusing on some of the simplest things can get you the business and financial rewards most entrepreneurs dream about.

As a disclaimer, I have to say that I rarely use Google, having found and become loyal to DogPile first.

It All Adds Up

Allowed myself a couple of sodas and a couple of smoothies over the last couple of weeks and....

....gained back a couple of pounds.

Gotta do a couple of extra workouts.

Quote

Apropos of nothing

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes. But the half-wit remains a half-wit, and the emperor remains an emperor.
     -- Neil Gaiman, Sandman

from The Quotation Page

Sounds Good

I received this in a forwarded email today (from my Mom) and, perhaps because I had a rough week (sick and all) it just struck a chord with me.

In my next life, I'd like to come back as a bear. When you're a bear, you get to hibernate. You do nothing but sleep for six months. I could deal with that.

Before you hibernate, you're supposed to eat yourself stupid. I could deal with that, too.

When you're a girl bear, you birth your children (who are the size of walnuts) while you're sleeping and wake to partially grown, cute cuddly cubs. I could definitely deal with that.

If you're a mama bear, everyone knows you mean business. You swat anyone who bothers your cubs. If your cubs get out of line, you swat them too. I could deal with that.

If you're a bear, your mate EXPECTS you to wake up growling. He EXPECTS that you will have hairy legs and excess body fat. Yup.......... gonna be a bear.

Travel Tips - again

Time to update this entry with more tips.

• Put your name on your bag. Seems obvious. Remarkably, we see 30-40% of bags come through with no name on the baggage tag, and another 10-15% with the wrong name listed (not the name of the person who checked it). Not so obvious, put your name inside your bag. This could be as simple as including your business card or as permanent as painting it inside - whatever. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that luggage gets lost - why not make it easier to get your belongings back. Don't believe this is a major problem? - This company has built a very successful business on lost luggage.

• Airlines have no control over the weather - 1. And yet, we are constantly blamed. This past week was a week of storms here in Phoenix, Thursday was especially bad. I had passengers screaming at me about how incompetent my airline was due to the delay they were facing, when directly behind us was a large window looking out onto the tarmac - closed because of the hail storm. Do you really want to try to take off in a hail storm? I even have people tell me, on a regular basis, that we "do that on purpose". Believe me, if we could control the weather we wouldn't use our powers to strand you at the airport so we can hear you scream.

• Airlines have no control over the weather - 2. When you are flying off for that ski weekend, remember why you chose that particular destination - the snow. Well, the very thing that makes it an attractive city for winter sports, can make the airport close. And no, we don't do that on purpose, either. If a flight cancels due to weather (which is really, truly beyond airline control) you are on your own for accommodations until the next available flight. I repeat, the next available flight - just because a flight may go out first thing the next morning, if it's full you don't get on. If a flight cancels due to maintenance or some other factor in our control, we will feed you and put you in a hotel - weather you are on your own.

• Airlines will not inconvenience other passengers for you.
  
  
  • We don't roll back passengers. If you are on a 2:00 flight to Denver that gets delayed till 4:00, we won't bump the passengers from the 3:00 Denver flight. You wouldn't believe how often this one comes up, and you wouldn't believe how many people don't get the concept.
    
  • We don't hold flights. Yes, it sucks that your inbound flight was late and you missed your connection. No, it isn't fair to make that connecting flight late causing those passengers miss their connection or be otherwise inconvenienced.

• Check the local time. If you are making a connection, there is a good chance you are in a new time zone. Chances are, if you were listening you'd have heard the flight attendant make an announcement of the local time. We regularly have people who miss their flight because their watch was an hour behind (or get mad about the delay because their watch is ahead). Ask what the local time is and plan accordingly. Many airports don't have clocks. I don't know this for sure, but I assume it is to avoid problems if they were to get out of sync or stop. Regardless, any employee will tell you the time. Most gate agents, when you ask about your flight, will tell you some version of "we'll be boarding your flight at 6:00 and it is 4:30 now" or "we will be boarding your flight in about an hour and a half, at 6:00" Why not just take a minute to ask?

Party On

One of my girlfriends (actually, a friend of a friend, but I like her too) was celebrating a birthday Friday night - woo-hoo, my night off so I got to go be a wild child with the rest of the gang. Well ~ as wild as a group of women "of a certain age" will get.

At least that was the plan.....

We met at Barcelona in Scottsdale for dinner, where the coordinator of this shindig had made reservations a month ago - telling them we wanted to stay all night for a party. Well, about 7:30 they decided they needed us all out of our (large) table - even though some of us were still eating. We protested and were allowed to finish, but "then we really need this table". They told us they would move us into the VIP lounge - fine, as long as we have somewhere to sit and drink.

After we finished and settled the bill (during which they stripped the table) we were indeed put into the VIP lounge...where a waitress came up to us and very snottily said "you can't just sit in here, this is the VIP lounge". After being informed that her manager put us there, she left...and didn't come back. After 30 minutes, one of our girls went to find a waitress so we could order drinks (am I wrong or is that how they make money?) I looked through the chain curtain and saw that our table, and the two near it were still empty - which is how they stayed for the rest of the night.

Finally got the snotty waitress back to take our orders. $10.50 each for normal sized martinis - ouch (I guess this is how they make their money). I'm spoiled by the enormous martinis you get for $8 at Durant's.

In the mean time a band has started to play, or at least a piano, drums and chick singer. She's pretty good, nothing special but good pitch, nice delivery. I ask someone who it is and I'm told "Zowie Bowie is the name of the band" Now, I'm pretty sure that if the Zowie Bowie had a sex change it would have made news, so I assume it is some group of kids who just call themselves that - which seems an odd choice considering the material; Norah Jones, jazz standards, easy listening.

After a while they change to a rock band by adding guitars and a bass. And Zowie Bowie who sings with them and who, pathetically, starts with "Let's Dance" - just to show his pedigree I guess. This configuration is also not bad, not good. They do note-for-note (but abbreviated) covers of pop/rock/dance tunes. He sings, she sings - nothing special, no reason to have live music when it just sounds like a record. Not even audience interaction. I guess I've gotten spoiled by the flexibility with jazz - every player brings something different to his arrangement - and then there are the solos which are so much more intricate than anything you'll hear a rock player pull off.

We are in the VIP lounge for almost 2 hours, the waitress never comes back so we don't order any more drinks. And then they decide to kick us out of there, despite the fact that it is mostly empty so they don't need the space. Our intrepid leader, she who organized the bash, complains to the manager who promises us a nice table in the main room and a free round of drinks. The table they move us to is fine, but this is getting ridiculous. Our original table has now been moved to clear space for dancing.

As we are leaving the lounge, we see they are accommodating a real VIP - George Benson. So now I'm thinking, "George Benson is in the building and we are listening to this schlock" ~ sigh. Of course, most people only know him for his pop recordings which are good, but he is also one hell of a jazz player. Apparently he either wasn't impressed with the place or the players because he left after 15-20 minutes.

The food was good and we had a good time because we were together, but I can't recommend the club to you. Maybe the Chandler location is different, but this one is not well suited for handling customers.

Oh Captain, My Captain

Meant to link this earlier, Lori's 100 reasons that Kirk is better than Picard

Some of my favorites:

• 91. Diplomacy for Kirk is a phaser and a smirk.
  
• 77. Kirk wasn't shy about taking his shirt off --even around those pesky Yeomans.
  
• 76. Kirk would never waste a holodeck on something stupid like Dixon Hill.
  
• 65. Kirk's first officer NEVER tells him to stay on the bridge.
  
• 59. Kirk is not politically correct.
  
• 45. If Kirk finds a strange spinning probe, he blows it up.
  
• 29. Kirk appreciates Shakespeare, but he doesn't let it show.
  
• 22. The Klingons didn't have a word for surrender -- until they met Kirk.
  
• 8. Kirk doesn't test the engines -- he just fires them up.
  
• 7. When Kirk says "Boldly Go," he MEANS it.

Go read them all - she's got some beauties.

Another Gift anti-Suggestion

To go along with my earlier post on bad Valentine's Day Gifts, I have to add Maripat's
Lamest Valentine Gift, Ever

Gift Advice

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, and the incessant jewelry ads on TV, I feel it is my duty to give the men out there some gift buying advice.

Those jewelry chain store ads - don't got there! (I mention this store specifically, but there are many others - you know who they are) The sets they are selling will not get you those tears of joy. They will get you recognized as having put forth very little thought or effort. That stuff is ugly and cheap looking.

Not to mention, the only jewelry box that should convey the name of the jewelry store where you made your purchase is Tiffany's - and their box doesn't actually say Tiffany, it just is Tiffany The boxes in the chain store ads proudly display the chain store's name - eewwwww.

If you want to make it easy on your partner or lover or friend or spouse (or, hopefully, all of the above) give them a clue. I've got my wishlist where any significant other can go for ideas. He would be safe with just about anything on that list - and I would be happy.

Lesson of the day - if you want to receive a nice present, you have to let them know what you want. If you want a good reaction to the present you give, stay away from cheeseball jewelry.

Here's a link to Amazons 'love' jewelry - There are some gorgeous pieces, but there is no filter to get rid of the crappy stuff so you'll see that, too. You're on your own to figure out which is which

I'll Take it as a Compliment

One of the mid-point goals on the way to the bikini goal is wearing a sexy outfit (picked out by my fashion forward friend) to go out dancing. I was OK with most of the look, but decided the shoes would not be conducive to actually walking - let alone dancing. No problem, I certainly don't mind a trip to the store.

I was in a grungy mood - probably because I hadn't showered yet (ewww) - so I threw on an old, but tight, sweater and ratty old jeans. Put the hair in a ponytail and I'm off.

So there I am, walking through the store, browsing in the accessories department, minding my business, when a girl comes up and starts a conversation - - "aren't those so cute?" "I just love this color" "Where do you dance?"

"uh, what?"

"Which club do you work at?"

"I don't work at a club"

"Suuuure, you're not a stripper. Right...whatever" This last line delivered with an unbelievable amount of sarcasm.

"No, really, I'm not - if I was, I would admit it." Completely true, I don't believe in doing things I would be embarrassed to admit to a stranger.

Anyway, at that point she just tossed her hair and strutted away.

So, is it good or bad that this girl (who I am going to assume (?) was a stripper) thought I was one, too?

The Goal

Well, here it is - the bikini I intend to wear in public on my birthday.

I still have 6 months to go, so I thought I'd post the image here. Why? Because the more people you tell the more accountable you are. I figure that if my 4 or 5 loyal readers know the goal, I have to follow through. No sugar, no soda, no slacking on the workouts.

Mind you - I don't intend to wear it for a long time, just one stroll down the beach. Still, even for a short time, I figure the less frightening the image is the better.

BTW: the suit is from Trashy Lingerie (a store I wholeheartly recommend, don't let the name throw you) I got it on a recent day trip to L.A.

UPDATE: No, that isn't a real person wearing my bikini, it's a mannequin (I thought the shallow belly button and mottled skin might give it away). But thanks to those of you who thought it might have been me (despite the shallow belly button and mottled skin) It fits me a little different in some areas

By the Sea

I had the opportunity to take my sister with me when using my flight benefits this past weekend. Finding a place to go was a little tough this time, though. First we planned on Colorado Springs for a concert, but it was sold out (and very cold). Then I thought of San Antonio, beautiful city and she's never seen the Riverwalk - but they drained the river for maintenance. It had to be somewhere we could get to Friday and back on Saturday, so when we got to the airport and they were boarding a Monterey flight we hopped on.

What a great choice! I was a bit worried that the weather would be bad (the forecast was for very cold rain) but it was nice. A little chilly Friday for this Desert baby, and a bit cloudy, but not unbearable - Saturday was absolutely sunny and gorgeous. The whole area reminded me of the things I love (and miss) about San Francisco - without the crush of a million tourists. The scenery was beautiful, the people were wonderful - the food was great. We found a great little taqueria in Sand City, thoroughly enjoyed the walking and shopping down Cannery Row and in Carmel, and even the regular mall in Monterey (where we went to eat at Pizza My Heart) was pleasant. Before catching our flight home we enjoyed a home cooked breakfast at Ann Kelly's, a smallish restaurant with the freshest veggies and a wonderful view of the lake.

Carmel was pretty much the way I imagined it would be. Friendly people strolling and chatting, many with their dogs, and just enjoying the beauty of the place - and there was so much beauty to enjoy. A major plus ~ all the shops we visited were playing actual music - jazz, swing, big band..... Unlike here where every store plays either some KennyG-esque muzak or ear-cracking hip-hop/rap. What a joy to shop while enjoying great melodies, clever lyrics and reasonable volumes.

Definitely a trip I would recommend, I certainly plan to do it again. I do wish we had done a little planning, I know we wasted lot of time just trying to figure out what there was to do - instead of actually doing it.

The only real downside was the hotel - Comfort Inn. I have usually had good luck with them but not this location. Dirty room, cobwebs hanging from the ceiling, carpet that hadn't seen a vacuum this millennium, bedskirt torn and hanging from the bedframe, heater that sounded like a chainsaw when it was on, TV that didn't get broadcast channels (and only had about ten cable choices), TV guide for the following week, the list goes on and on.... Fortunately, we weren't there for the hotel and that was a small slice of the weekend.

BTW: The ladies with National/Alamo rental cars were so friendly and helpful that they started the whole visit off for us on a wonderful, positive note.

Great Turn of Phrase

When I work out, I like to have music to listen to. I have been working out a lot lately, so I've been going all through my CD collection - listening to some I haven't played in a while.

I came to one of my favorite artists last night - more for his writing than his singing. I just listen to his songs and chuckle at his clever 'bons mots'

I still have one running through my head: "Fishing for a good time starts with throwing in your line"

genius

Who is it? You tell me.....

I'm Anonymously Famous

I recently purchased a book by Seth Godin, who writes a great deal about online experiences and permission marketing (among other things).

In this particular book, he reprints an email he received after doing business with an online shopping site - the dot-com I used to work for, in fact. He gives it very high marks - in fact he called it "fast, simple and obvious" and "exactly what I expected it to be". Cool.

Why cool? Because that was my email - at least it was my program that sent that email that gave him a positive customer experience. Amanda wrote the copy (or most of it anyway) - but I made it sing, baby!

OK, so this was obviously an older book (the dot com experienced 'funding issues' and had to let most of us go - sigh) that I found in the bargain bin at Border's (buy 2, get one free)....but I saw that email and I was PROUD!

I do miss those days - I really enjoyed that job and I know that my coding skills are getting rusty now. I hope I am still up to speed when the right opportunity comes around.

I Resolve....

An excerpt from my Blessed2Bless newsletter:

I'm reminded of the story of a man who had the reputation of being the best marksmen in the FBI.

One day, he was traveling through a small town. Everywhere he looked, he saw evidence of the most amazing shooting he had ever seen. On trees, on walls, and on fences there were numerous bull's-eyes with the bullet hole in dead center. Finally the FBI man asked one of the locals who was responsible for the superior marksmanship. He was introduced to the town joker. "This is the best shooting I have ever seen," said the agent. "How in the world do you do it?" "Nothing to it," said the man. "I shoot first and draw the circles afterward.

So, now that I understand the appropriate concept,
here are my New Year's Resolutions for 2004.

I resolve to:

• Spend more time with my computer
  
• Eat a better quality of chocolate
  
• Get out of bed by at least 11:00 every morning
  
• Never wear another tie
  
• Promote blue jeans, sweat shirts, and tennis shoes
  
• Turn off my computer and go to bed before 5:00 every morning

Makes Me Feel So Safe

So, this guy has a knife - and it isn't hidden. The flight attendant is able to notice it and get the plane turned around.

But the TSA screeners missed it.

However, they did manage to catch the eyelash curler in my carry-on the other day - leading to a bag search. Keeping the skies safe from dangerous beauty products!

UPDATE: The knife was a utility cutter, the type used for clipping coupons. The man brought it to cut articles out of magazines (apparently) and the flight attendant noticed it when he started to work. Now, I realize that they believe the 9-11 hijackers used box cutters - but I think we still need to maintain some level of sanity. This seems like an "I'm sorry, sir, I'm going to have to take that from you and you will have to pay a fine" type offense, not a "turn this plane around, the cops are here to arrest you, you may have to serve 10 years in prison" offense. But that's just my opinion.

UPDATE: The TSA in action elsewhere brought to my attention by The Smallest Minority

Finally

A little of the news I've been hoping for. As time goes by, the chances of these type of stories surfacing get smaller.

Thank heaven for the miracles.

Tragedy

Just when I start to get wrapped up in my petty little concerns ("I eat too much sugar", "I work too many hours", "my dog is too fat") something like this comes along and puts things into perspective.

It is hard to imagine that sort of devastation, human losses 5 to 6 times greater than on September 11th. I have been watching this story for days, hoping to hear some good news - a survivor found, a reduced death toll estimate - nothing.

And this, smaller in scope but, I am sure, equally devastating to the families, friends and communities of those lost.

Who can we count on to help in these situations? The Red Cross. When they get involved with political matters, they seem to fail. However, as a disaster relief agency they are top notch - you count on your donation getting to someone or someplace in need. If you have anything to spare, I recommend a trip to their web site to help them as they help others.

BTW: It's the end of the year, your donation is tax deductible - 'nuff said.

heh heh

David Dodenhoff has a great way for George Bush to increase his popularity with voters. He calls it "I'm going to tell you how George W. Bush can get my vote"

It might be a bit extreme for some - but I definitely agree in theory......

Why do people suck?

I have been working on balancing the bank account at my day job. Spent a lot of time trying to track down the problem with November....several hundred dollars off. That doesn't happen much since we tied our in house money manager program to the banks online service.

Except when the bank makes a HUGE mistake. They cashed a $578.21 check, but only keyed it in to our account as $57.21 - so we were ahead by $521.00. Realizing that, since it's been 4 weeks, they probably don't have a clue that this has happened - we called the bank. (Bank of America, BTW)

Do you think they are grateful? Pleased? Friendly?
Wrong!

Their first response is, "So...?" Then, "if you have a problem with a check you'll have to come in to the bank to straighten it out". When the office manager pointed out that it was their mistake and it put us ahead by over $500 - therefore, not worth a drive to the bank - they gave one of those eye-rolling sighs. Then started in with, "so what you need me to do is take $571.00 out of your account?" um, NO! It would be $521.00, and it will help you - not us.

Finally, after sorting out the details the phone call is finished. Did they thank us? Nope. Seem the least bit surprised? Yes ~ that we would call such an error to their attention when we were obviously getting away with it.

Yep, it's pretty unbelievable, and stupid, to be honest in this world.

Yes, I still love my job...

...but this quote is funny:

The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines.

-- Henry J. Tillman

More Travel Tips

Another update to this entry:

• Find a way to make your bag unique. Whether you check it (which I've already told you to try and avoid) or carry it on, it is best to make sure it is instantly recognizable. If you have to pick it up at baggage claim, it will go that much quicker. If it needs to be re-routed because you have changed flights, it will be easier for the baggage handlers to find. Also, many airlines are now gate checking bags that don't fit in the overhead bins - when there are 20 black roller bags lined up in the jetway you want to make sure someone doesn't take yours (yep, it happens and then you are both inconvenienced).

  How to make it more unique? Anything from buying a bag in an odd color (black we see alot, green not so much) to tying a ribbon on the handle. Or put a large & distinctive tag on it. Even the plain black bags with different color zippers stand out a bit. Whatever you can do to mark your bag as your bag.

Pushers

When I was a teenager, I had friends who did drugs (smoked pot, it was a simpler time) even though I had no interest at all. Whenever they were going off to smoke they would ask if I wanted to join them. I would say "no, thanks" and they would go away, do their thing, and come back. Not once did they ever try to pressure me into joining them. Not once did they call me chicken. So, I never understood all the talk about peer pressure and drug use - my friends didn't feel any differently about me because I chose not to join them, and they never made me feel like an outsider. Maybe that proves they were real friends.

Now that I am older, I choose to try and avoid junk food. However, people have no respect for that choice. Friends and strangers alike are constantly trying to push things on me. Why, when someone offers a cookie (or whatever) and I politely refuse, they persist, "oh, come on" "one cookie won't hurt you" "you can afford it" "you know you want it" Why does it matter to them whether I eat one or not?

I think from now on I'll just say I'm diabetic to shut them up.

Hearts & Minds

Useful Fools has some heartwarming anecdotes of the interaction between our troops and the civilians who appreciate the sacrifice. Nothing you'd hear about in the mainstream media, mind you.

So, we'll do our best to spread the word amongst ourselves. Most of the country is grateful and proud to have these citizen soldiers willing to travel around the globe, leaving behind their family, friends and the comforts of home, so we can have the peace and freedom that too many take for granted.

Thanks to all of them, and thanks to the civilians who find ways to show their gratitude.

Men are Men...

...no matter the job. From ArcaMax News:

SOME FIREFIGHTERS LEFT WIVES

At least a dozen of New York's firefighters -- some assigned to look after Sept. 11 widows -- have left their wives for the World Trade Center widows, sources tell the New York Post.

Fire Department of New York spokesman David Billig would not comment and another FDNY official tells the Post, "It's a very sensitive topic."

"It's disgusting, heartbreaking what they've done," said Mary Koenig who claims her husband Gerry left her for a World Trade Center widow. Some psychologists tell the Post it is not surprising that married firefighters fell in love with some of the widows, it's all part of their "rescue fantasies."

Whew!

Well, I survived the Sunday-after-Thanksgiving craziness at the airport - barely. Many passengers who were bumped off flights because they didn't have a confirmed seat, or who volunteered to give up a seat in exchange for a Future Travel Award, won't be able to get out till Tuesday.

I know "there's no place like home for the holidays" make sure you plan well in advance, and have a seat assignment.

More Air Travel Tips

To add to this previous post

• Watch your intake of alcohol. Not only does sitting in the airport bar watching the game increase the chances of missing your flight, if you are intoxicated you can be kept off the airplane. Yes, you read that right - if the agent at the gate thinks you would be a hindrance to smooth flight operations they can refuse to allow you to board. You may be able to take the next flight if you have sobered up, though if the next flight is the following day you are on your own for lodging, food and ground transportation. If you are too belligerent the airline can elect to simply refund your ticket and send you off to fend for yourself - or have law enforcement take over.

Because I'm a Little Nuts

I was not scheduled to work at the airport the day before Thanksgiving, historically one of the worst travel days of the year. I was feeling generous, however, so when my boss said they were really short-handed and would be needing extra help I offered to go in and work.

I think I have finally recovered. I also worked on Thanksgiving day (very slow) and the day after (mostly slow) and had today off. Unfortunately, I work Sunday night - historically the other worst travel day of the year. I may be a basket case next week.

BTW: in spite of the Holiday craziness, I still love the job.

Tips for Airline Travel

Just in time for the holiday travel season:

• When you book your ticket, make sure you have a confirmed seat. The FAA allows for a certain amount of 'oversell' counting on no-shows and missed connections, this is how airlines keep the cost of airline travel down. If you don't have a confirmed seat, you may be in that limbo. Airlines will do what they can to get you on board, but isn't it better to be sure?
  
• Check in early. If you don't have a confirmed seat, the earlier you check in the higher up you are on the list to get one. If you do have a confirmed seat, this keeps it from being given away (the FAA also permits that for "Late Arriving Passengers") Many airlines allow web check in, some up to 30 hours prior to departure - if you have the access I recommend you do that. If you can't check in online, do so as quickly as you can when you get to the airport. If you are checking luggage you will check in at the curb or the ticket counter. If you aren't checking luggage, many airports and airlines offer self check-in kiosks ~ they allow you to be checked in before you have to wait at the security check point. If you are checking in at the gate, do it first thing.
  

• If there is any way to avoid checking luggage, do. Yes, carry-on restrictions are stricter lately. The trade off is - checked baggage slows you down and limits your options. If your flight gets delayed or cancelled, it is quick and easy to move you to another flight...unless you have checked bags. Rerouting your bags requires a 30 minute to 1 hour lead time. Nope, saying you don't care if your bag is late won't work ~ security requires that you travel with your bags. Yes, they will move you even if you have checked bags, but your options are limited.
  
• Pay attention to the announcements - 1. Flights move. The gate agents will make announcements letting you know your new gate of departure and if you are not paying attention you may not know till it is too late. If you miss a flight because you were on your cell phone or listening to your MP3 player, the airline is not required to accommodate you. Yes, they probably will ~ but what if there are no seats available until the next day? All you have to do is watch the signs and listen for the announcements. Believe me, you will be glad you did.
  
• Pay attention to the announcements - 2. Listen for your boarding announcement! Many times they have people who come up to the podium after the flight leaves wondering why they haven't started boarding. Gate agents make several boarding announcements, including calling missing passengers by name ~ and yet those passengers will swear they were "sitting right there" and never heard a thing. Again, if you miss the flight because you weren't paying attention the airline is not required to reaccommodate you - they will try, but why make your travel any longer or more stressful. As an aside to this, listen to which flight they are boarding - many airlines have multiple flights going through each gate. Just because there is a line of people standing at the door it doesn't mean it is your flight ~ when in doubt, ask.
  
• If you buy your tickets through an online clearinghouse, you will probably get a good price. You may not get a good deal, however. You have not purchased a ticket from the airline (or travel agent) and therefore you do not get the airline contract. You may be aware of the steps an airline must take to try and get you to your destination in the event of a cancellation or delay; first is trying to get you out on another one of their flights, second is trying to get you a seat on an airline with which they have an interline agreement, third is putting you onto an airline which does not have interline agreements in place, fourth is a refund of your ticket. If you have purchased your ticket through a clearinghouse, the airline isn't required to do any of that - you are on your own. Most airlines will still attempt to get you onto another of their own flights, but nothing more. Any refund or reaccommodation must be handled through the agency that sold you that ticket.
  
• Yes, I know you have been watching Oprah and you are empowered - you know the airlines have to try and get you to your destination, even if that means putting you on another airline. However, the other airline has to have seats they are willing to give up for that purpose. Just because you or your travel agent can call and buy a seat, doesn't mean the seats are available to other airlines. Also, just because you want to be in Houston today doesn't mean there are any more flights going there - the first available flight on any airline might be the following day.
  
• Departure time is just that, the time the aircraft will depart. The doors for that flight will be closed 5-10 minutes (depending on the airline) prior to the departure time. If you show up at 11:24 for an on-time 11:26 flight, you won't get on board no matter how much you holler. Why push the envelope? Show up early.
  

• Watch your intake of alcohol. Not only does sitting in the airport bar watching the game increase the chances of missing your flight, if you are intoxicated you can be kept off the airplane. Yes, you read that right - if the agent at the gate thinks you would be a hindrance to smooth flight operations they can refuse to allow you to board. You may be able to take the next flight if you have sobered up, though if the next flight is the following day you are on your own for lodging, food and ground transportation. If you are too belligerent the airline can elect to simply refund your ticket and send you off to fend for yourself - or have law enforcement take over.
  
• Find a way to make your bag unique. Whether you check it (which I've already told you to try and avoid) or carry it on, it is best to make sure it is instantly recognizable. If you have to pick it up at baggage claim, it will go that much quicker. If it needs to be re-routed because you have changed flights, it will be easier for the baggage handlers to find. Also, many airlines are now gate checking bags that don't fit in the overhead bins - when there are 20 black roller bags lined up in the jetway you want to make sure someone doesn't take yours (yep, it happens and then you are both inconvenienced). And, when pulling carry-on bags out at the end of the flight, they sometimes get mixed up - if someone grabs your bag you want it to be instantly obvious.
  How to make it more unique? Anything from buying a bag in an odd color (black we see alot, green not so much) to tying a ribbon on the handle. Or put a large & distinctive tag on it. Even the plain black bags with different color zippers stand out a bit. Whatever you can do to mark your bag as your bag.
  

• Put your name on your bag. Seems obvious. Remarkably, we see 30-40% of bags come through with no name on the baggage tag, and another 10-15% with the wrong name listed (not the name of the person who checked it). Not so obvious, put your name inside your bag. This could be as simple as including your business card or as permanent as painting it inside - whatever. I'm sure it comes as no surprise that luggage gets lost - why not make it easier to get your belongings back. Don't believe this is a major problem - this company has built a very successful business on lost luggage.
  
• Airlines have no control over the weather - 1. And yet, we are constantly blamed. This past week was a week of storms here in Phoenix, Thursday was especially bad. I had passengers screaming at me about how incompetent my airline was due to the delay they were facing, when directly behind us was a large window looking out onto the tarmac - closed because of the hail storm. Do you really want to try to take off in a hail storm? I even have people tell me, on a regular basis, that we "do that on purpose". Believe me, if we could control the weather we wouldn't use our powers to strand you at the airport so we can hear you scream.
  
• Airlines have no control over the weather - 2. When you are flying off for that ski weekend, remember why you chose that particular destination - the snow. Well, the very thing that makes it an attractive city for winter sports, can make the airport close. And no, we don't do that on purpose, either. If a flight cancels due to weather (which is really, truly beyond airline control) you are on your own for accommodations until the next available flight. I repeat, the next available flight - just because a flight may go out first thing the next morning, if it's full you don't get on. If a flight cancels due to maintenance or some other factor in our control, we will feed you and put you in a hotel - weather you are on your own.
  
• Airlines will not inconvenience other passengers for you.
  • We don't roll back passengers. If you are on a 2:00 flight to Denver that gets delayed till 4:00, we won't bump the passengers from the 3:00 Denver flight. You wouldn't believe how often this one comes up, and you wouldn't believe how many people don't get the concept.
  • We don't hold flights. Yes, it sucks that your inbound flight was late and you missed your connection. No, it isn't fair to make that connecting flight late causing those passengers miss their connection or be otherwise inconvenienced.
  
  
• Check the local time. If you are making a connection, there is a good chance you are in a new time zone. Chances are, if you were listening you'd have heard the flight attendant make an announcement of the local time. We regularly have people who miss their flight because their watch was an hour behind (or get mad about the delay because their watch is ahead). Ask what the local time is and plan accordingly. Many airports don't have clocks. I don't know this for sure, but I assume it is to avoid problems if they were to get out of sync or stop. Regardless, any employee will tell you the time. Most gate agents, when you ask about your flight, will tell you some version of "we'll be boarding your flight at 6:00 and it is 4:30 now" or "we will be boarding your flight in about an hour and a half, at 6:00" Why not just take a minute to ask?

The World Wide Weird

From Chuck Shepherd under the heading "How to Drive a Conservative Nuts":

In Sparks City, Nev., during the summer, City Attorney Chet Adams, perhaps influenced by the legal challenges to the Alabama courthouse monument displaying the Ten Commandments, ordered an employee to scissor out "God" from the town's Sept. 11 "God Bless America" signs around City Hall. (Mayor Tony Armstrong, among the many baffled by the newly anonymous blessing, immediately bought more "God Bless America" signs and posted them, himself.) [Reno Gazette-Journal, 9-30-03]

In September, a British government-funded charity, Family Planning Association, distributed a cartoon booklet teaching the joys of masturbation to a target audience of 9- to 11-year-old girls. [Daily Telegraph (London), 9-27-03]

Also in September, the British teen community-service organization Connexions distributed a primer on marijuana smoking printed on a poster resembling a package of rolling papers. [The Sun (London), 9-29-03]

And the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor this semester offered another edition of its sociology course, "How to Be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation" (but its creator said "initiation" is a sociological term and does not refer to initiation of straight students). [Fox News, 8-18-03]

Fringe Benefits

I took advantage of my flight benefits today and took a day trip to Napa (fly into Sacramento, drive to Napa). It's pretty cool to fly for free and it was a beautiful day. We had a great time.

The drive, however, took us past my old neighborhood. I barely recognized any of it - I guess they can change a lot in 7 years. It used to be sort of a quaint, cute little area now it is all built up with Home Depots and car lots and fast food..... As much as I love Arizona, I used to sometimes miss Northern California, I don't think I will anymore.

But it's still nice to visit, especially when it's free.

Computers in Costume

From ArcaMax News:

COMPUTER IN A TOASTER

Hobbyists worldwide have been experimenting with installing computer components into toasters, biscuit tins, lampshades, even a plush E.T. doll.

One hobbyist built a computer inside a sewing box for a relative who didn't want an intrusive beige appliance on her desk, while another built a computer inside a small humidor that sits beside his flat-screen television, the New York Times reports.

"I don't think everyone wants a computer in the shape of an E.T. doll; maybe they account for 1 percent of mini-ITX sales," Evan Wilcocks tells the Times.

The new hobby may make computers more inconspicuous.

Sense - Not So Common

From T.C.H.O.T.P. came this article:

You and I have been bathing and shampooing our hair for years longer than we were ever able to read. One would require a brainectomy not to know how to use shampoo. And yet, the shampoo bottle still has detailed instructions which begin with "Wet hair".

Educational Levity

I got my Chandra Clarke newsletter today ~ actually, I probably got it a few days ago - but I got to read it today. She starts out with this gem:

At one point in my public school education, the Powers That Be decided that competition was bad for children. Actually, they also decided that new math was a good idea, spelling would no longer be necessary thanks to computers and that geography was a waste of time. Thus, my entire generation grew up believing that 8 x 5 = Eurupe.

The rest of the article, which is amusing, was on a completely different topic...which is a shame 'cause I think she could do a great deal more on this.

A New Me

OK, life is good. All day Saturday and Sunday morning I was thinking I would never feel better again - major pity party. Sunday evening the world was a bright and beautiful place. You men may not understand what could possibly make that difference - but I think the women will.

I got a haircut. OK, it was more than that. Because of the stitches I haven't been able to take a shower - and sponge baths only do so much. Washing my hair was nearly impossible, too sore to bend over the sink. So I went to a salon.

In the best of circumstances, having someone wash your hair is an amazing experience. After a week it is beyond description. She was so gentle and gave me an extra scalp massage - heaven. Then she was very gentle and patient during the haircut (a completely different look) - and she styled it all pretty. When I walked out of there I felt like a whole new person and the pain was way in the background. WOW!

So, thanks to Raena at the Regis Salon at Metrocenter for getting me all fixed up.

Happy Day to A Great Guy

Today is Ryan's Birthday! Head on over and wish him a happy one.

I hear he has some interesting plans for the day - let's hope he blogs it.

The Secret is Out

Wiley seems to have cracked the code - we women are powerless

Avast

Ahoy mates: Talk Like A Pirate Day is here! ' Cap'n Slappy an' Ol' Chumbucket be busier than a leaky frigrate full o' pirates bailin' fer their lives, what with the interviews an' all. The WebWench, meanwhile, be scramblin' t'keep up with a veritable tsunami o' fan mail, photos, TLAPD activities an' th' like. Keep yer correspondence comin', but expect delays in arrrrr response.

But I am too busy to come up with something clever to say about it.

Cashing In

From The Smoking Gun:

We don't mean to disparage Food Lion cashiers, but a North Carolina employee with scant monetary knowledge actually just accepted a $200 bill bearing George W. Bush's portrait and a drawing of the White House complete with lawn signs reading, "We like ice cream" and "USA deserves a tax cut."

It seems so far fetched that someone would fall for the $200 bill, I wonder if the cashier was in on it. They could have planned it, counting on the fact that people would just assume she was stupid for taking the bill.

I actually had a similar $2 bill experience, but his tale is more humorous.

Sigh

I promise to get back to posting real stuff soon. This month is just too packed with work to write much. I will try to at least give you links to things I find interesting - but October is when I see some free time. Yay!

For now there's this:

• R Kelly Compares Himself to Bin Laden
  
• Make Silly Putty at Home
  
• Telling Telemarketers What You Think
  
• Another view of Blogs as News Outlet

September 11th

My new job is with the airlines, you may have figured that out by now. Studying the airport/city codes was probably a big tip off.

I'll be working at the Phoenix airport in the late afternoon, evening on 9/11. It's a hard enough day to deal with, I imagine it will be quite surreal to be there.

Tell someone important in your life how you feel about them, they can never hear that too often and you may never get another chance.

Remind your friends and family why our troops are in Afghanistan and Iraq.

God Bless America

Way Too Busy

Between my regular job and training for the new (extra) job, I won't have many free moments for this blog for the next two weeks

Again, not sure I even want this job - almost walked out of training today when we got our Human Resources presentation.

Two of the three women were not only incredibly unpleasant (as in, should never work with people) but incompetent. They couldn't even answer the most basic questions.

The tax paperwork they had for us to fill out is 4 years out of date. Arizona has been through at least three rate changes since then, including a new policy requiring a minimum withholding amount. What this means is they are setting up their employees for headaches come tax time, especially those that believe they are allowed to file exempt and will be hit with a large bill next April. When I pointed it out, they got very snippy and said, "no one has told us we need to use a different form so that's the one we're going to use" Because, heaven forbid you do your job and keep up with the tax codes, etc. Certainly you shouldn't care to look into it even after the problem has been pointed out to you - and politely pointed out, I should add.

The Federal forms have changed little, but I question whether they have made the rate changes to the payroll software. I mean, they would be waiting for someone to tell them do it.....

Then, the head of HR told us we won't be officially hired until our background checks are complete - about 2 weeks. When she was questioned about how they were paying us if we weren't employees, she told us we wouldn't be getting paid for the time until we were hired. Then one of the other ones (head of benefits) said she thought there was a way to pay us. Then the head of HR said she didn't think so. They argued about it for awhile, while the class was getting ready to leave en masse. Finally they decided they must pay us somehow (duh, it's the law) but would have to get back to us. This is not a new company, the women are not new in their jobs - you'd have to think that sometime in the last couple of years these issues would have come up.

The people in the class with me, however, are very nice. Fun, even. So, other than a few exceptions (like my friend who convinced me to take the job), I am really not impressed with people in the company. But, this new crop of employees has potential for making a pleasant working environment and happy customers. If that doesn't get 'trained' out of them, there may be hope.

Sigh

Well, the Raiders didn't win. I do think the officiating sucked in general, and that the Titans were given a touchdown that they didn't earn (a pass that would not have been caught inbounds, but was declared complete) However, the Titans were playing well enough that they may well have scored that touchdown later......

So, I am disappointed with how my Raiders started out. All is not lost, however, since it's always a good day when the Cowboys lose

BTW: Every year I say the Raiders "should win their season opener easily" - sometimes I'm right. Yep, I'll say it again next year!

Sunday Fun

The first Sunday of NFL action this season - woo hoo!

Since I have a satellite and have subscribed to NFL Sunday Ticket, I will be camped out in front of the tube all day.

Yes, I'll be cheering on the Raiders - they should win their season opener easily.

Yes, I should be studying, but...well, it's football season.