WINNER:

Pop Collaboration With Vocals: "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)," Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

They may have won a Grammy, but their video still sucks

love this angle on the columbine

lupine

Taking a page out of Spidey's book, on this -1 degree day I was looking at my old garden photos. This was taken in June of 2005. I love the bi-colored lupines and hopefully they'll bloom again this spring..

Of Bagels and Filing Cabinets

My new favorite bagel is the EVERYTHING BAGEL--Garlic, poppy seed, sesame seeds--which, granted, isn't everything, but well-toasted and smeared with real butter or a good plain cream cheese, it's pretty damned good. I enjoyed mine with coffee. My breath will smell like garlic all day, but I think it's an okay trade off.


OHH!!!! I FORGOT TO TELL YOU!! BP finally got rid of his rusty old ugly van! I told him that the insurance was coming due for it and since he drove it less than two times the whole of last year that it was time to get rid of it--sell it, give it away, something. Last week he came in smiling, all pleased with himself. He told a guy he knows that he was getting rid of the van. The guy reconditions filing cabinets and tables so BP traded the crappy van for a not-so crappy 4 drawer filing cabinet and two small stainless steel tables he'll user in the basement. I'm thrilled to have that eyesore out of our driveway and he's thrilled he got a "deal."

So I'm watching TV and flipping channels from Survivor (YAY--the disgusting Jonny Fairplay was the first one to get voted off) and Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?
The player was a PhD candidate and she was up to the $500,000 level with one question to go and if she got it right she'd be the show's first millionaire.
The subject was U.S. History. She'd always liked history so she risked her $500,000 for a chance at the millionaire.

"What US pilot was the first to break the sound barrier?"

Hell, I'm screaming at the TV "CHUCK YEAGER! CHUCK YEAGER!"
And she's thinking out loud, "Lindbergh was the first to cross the Atlantic. And Amelia Earhart was a woman pilot. . . . umm......"

Me: CHUCK YEAGER! CHUCK YEAGER, YOU ASS! CHUCK CHUCK BO BUCK BANANA FANANA FO . . . "

Contestant: And Howard Hughes had the Spruce Goose . . . .ummm. . . . I'll lock in Howard Hughes.

DAMN!!

I want my million dollar check.

UFOs

I've gotten to the part of Shirley's Sage-ing While Age-ing where she's talking about extra-terrestrials. She believes that the Earth has been visited by ETs since forever. She has read, studied, researched these UFO sightings for a long time. We've not just been visited by one group of ETs--we've been visited by four distinct planetary visitors from various places in the universe. She reports that President Eisenhower actually met with aliens in New Mexico in the early 50's. She writes and reports on very compelling information.


Many people have reported seeing UFOs.
Personally, I don't know about other planetary vistors to Earth. I don't think about them on a daily basis. Supposedly, these visitors have given us information on cloning, among other things. It's intesting to think about.

Today at work:

The whole company's computer system was down all day. It's amazing how much work we do with the computer, so my day was pretty much blooey.

I had a conference call at 2:00 which was totally boring.

Afterwards my assistant and I went for coffee and then home.

I hope it's fixed tomorrow. I probably have 50 million emails and loads of work to do on each one.

Happy Sunday! I'm enjoying my coffee despite the fact that Nesta Kiki Marie is swirling around my feet.

Oops, just a minute . . . .

Okay, I'm back. I went to the bathroom and then turned off the coffee maker.

Chores to do today:
1. Vaccuum our bedroom! It's long past due.
2. Watch The Soup which I recorded last night.
3. Go to the store and buy milk and other stuff


I'm reading Shirley MacLaine's new book Sage-ing While Age-ing. (Spidey, you might enjoy it too) I've always been a big Shirley fan. Her movies, and her books. I admire her courage to believe what she believes (reincarnation, extra terrestrials, etc.) despite ridicule from Western thought.
In this book she discusses her physical body aging, her friendships with Stephen Hawking and some NASA astronaut (I forget his name right now) who had metatphysical experiences on his way home from Earth from the Moon.
She also throws in some celebrity tidbits like the time she told mobster Sam Giancana to "Fuck off!" because he badgered her to eat some spaghetti.

No Super Bowl Chat Here

I usually blog about things I love and like: both of the Ps, books, gardening, music & movies, travel, politics. Stuff like that. I love talking about that stuff.

But don't talk to me about Football. Or about the Super Bowl. I don't like football, or sports in general come to think about it.

Nominee for Worst Video

I don't watch many music videos but I was clicking past VH1 this morning and saw a video Gone Gone Gone--a duet by Robert Plant and Allsion Krauss (love her.) The song is a bouncy ditty but the production and creativity values of this video were awful. It looked like it had a budget of a thousand dollars. There were three sets:
1. A giant silver room with big disco balls hanging down. The two were on tread mills singing to each other--looked like a giant roll of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil vomited on them.
2. They were in a room of those big blow up Wave Balloons--you know the kind that car dealerships use to draw people's attention to a car sale. They were singing and getting wind-blown hair.
3. A huge Gold Lame room with people sitting at tables, and other people dancing, and Plant and Krauss pointing to each other and singing.

Bad. Horrible. Bad. Horrible. And just plain Yucky.

Still cold. We're supposed to have a "snow event" tonight and tomorrow, which may mean up to 6 inches of snow.

I'm having orange juice and a yummy croissant this morning.

Have you ever had a stiff neck? Well, this morning I think I have a stiff head. My head hurts to move it.

Lost debuts tonight: ABC 9 pm to 10:02--it's getting an extra two minutes!

It's frozen cold and windy here today.
But it's off to work I go.
Ta.

I got a default jugment against the freeloaders . . . now, if they'll only pay up.
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I made the most delicious Bananas Foster for dessert tonight:

3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
dash cinnamon
1/4 t vanilla
2 tablespoons Appleton rum

Melt butter in skillet.
Add brown sugar and stir until sugar is melted.
Add bananas and saute until tender.
Add cinnamon, vanilla and rum.

Spoon over vanilla ice cream.
It takes about five minutes to put together and it's almost as good as an orgasm.

I am going to small claims court this afternoon to get a judgment against the evicted tenants. They owe me $1572.41.

I will ask my limousine driver to speed to the County Court House and run over as many redneck white trash lower socio-economic peasants as he can--leaving them broken, battered, and voting Republican.

Power to the bourgeoisie!!

Yes I have fun. No, I didn't get drunk--I just had one extraordinary margarita.
And I ordered seafood tacos.

Eight showed up and we gossiped and laughed--and perhaps even a snort or two.

This afternoon I met my sister for lunch. I had grilled salmon with too-hot wasabi sauce. Man, talk about clearing out your sineses. Afterwards we shopped. I got two pairs of shoes, a denim jacket, from Ann Taylor's that was originally $98 marked down to twenty, and four books and three magazines. A nice afternoon.

Tonight it's Girl's Night Out. In a few minutes I'm meeting about twelve others for drinks and dinner. I'm looking forward to enjoying a Patron margarita on the rocks. I'm wearing my new jacket out tonight.

Since I'm playing today--tomorrow I'll do housework and laundry.

I blocked off a week in May for vacation. I thought about going to Barbados, but then Sanibel Island in Florida is also a possibility. I lived in Florida for five years back in the 80's but never made it to Sanibel. I thought we could also take a guide trip through the Everglades and a day trip to Key West.

Barbados looks cool too--but it's an awfully long way away. Plus next year--our tenth anniversary, we're planning to go on a cruise. My first cruise, and BP's first cruise--so we could do Barbados then.

BP said that I could choose where we go. Because this winter has been so fucking fierce, a beautiful white sandy beach sounds so wonderful.

Any of you been to Sanibel/Captiva?

Precious Kitty Update: I sure hope Mems doesn't miss it!

Nesta's new favorite hobby is to run into the bathroom when I'm finished with a shower and hop into the tub to watch/play with the faucet drip. Isn't she precious??

I can't believe someone who is dirt poor would be against universal health care, even if that plan has flaws. Some amount of health care is better than nothing. This country has got to get on board with the fact that there are millions and millions of people in this country without adequate health care--or any health care. A lot of people have to work past the age they'd like to retire just because they need health care benefits that a full time job gives them. It's disgusting.
Who's going to address this problem? The Republicans? Bah! Yeah, right.

If you didn't already know it, my husband is a saint.

His mother called at 1:30 this morning because her sump pump wasn't working and her shower plumbing was going haywire. She had called a plumber but he wouldn't get there until someime today and she was worried and scared. So BP drove 60 miles out in the bitter cold, fixed both problems temporarily until the plumber came, told her for the 50 millionth time that she should sell that ancient farmhouse and move closer to us, and drove home. He got back about 5:30, poor thing.

I think I'll let him sleep until noon.

Ok, so it's going to be way, way frigid this weekend (that's a meteological term--'way way frigid')

Last weekend I painted something that I want to hang on the kitchen wall. This weekend I'll put the finishing touches on it and ask BP to hang it.

Since we have a 3 day weekend (thanks MLK, Jr!) one project I'd like to tackle is the bedroom closet. It's a catch-all and an absolute mess and I don't even want to tackle it--but it's a job that needs to be done.

Project Runway: I'm sad that Kit was booted. She seemed like such a nice and talented person. I hated all the avant garde creations except Jillian and Victorya's. That coat and ruffled shirt were great! All the contestants this year seem to truly like each other, and not backstabbers like in years past.

A few days ago in Indianapolis some gunmen went into a house (a reputed crackhouse) and murdered the two women there. As if that weren't enough they also killed their two small children (one was a baby.) WTF? Why in the hell did they have to murder those kids? No sense to it at all. Now supposedly three out of the four gunmen have been captured, and of course, each said he was there, but not the shooter. Sigh.

I have a headache.
I think it's because the weather's changing--it's supposed to get very cold this weekend. Or it could be from work. Or a combination of the two. Who knows.

I think all work should cease in the wintertime and we should just burrow beneath bedcovers for the duration, emerging only to pee, eat or read. If a political candidate runs on that platform, I'll vote for him/her.

Email from Meme

Meme received this personalised card from the Bushes. I thought I'd share

Whirligig--love that word

Got up.

Washing sheets.

Watching the light snow fall.

Going to make coffee and pumpernickel toast.

Yesterday I received three garden catelogs in the mail--loving it. This gnome whirligig is on sale. I might have to be tied down to keep from buying it. Isn't it cute?

Britney meets history

I was watching E!'s The Soup with Joel McHale last night. In case you don't know-- it's a show where they show stupid and/or absurb clips of other "real" shows, then make fun of them and the celebrities on them.
Some of Joel's recurring targets to make fun of: Tara Banks (Tara is always about Tara), Oprah and her vajayjay, Barbara Walters and the View, Donald Trump, Pat O'Brien and his Access Hollywood (or whatever entertainment show he hosts,) etc.
He was reporting on the reporting of Britney's mental breakdown and being rushed to the hospital the other day. An entertainment reporter by the name of Jim Moret (as an aside--he's the son of actor James "Moondoggy" Darren) was reporting on Britney leaving the hospital.

Moret: To dodge reporters Britney left Cedar Sinai via an underground tunnel.

Cut to McHale: Ah, Britney--the Harriet Tubman of the bi polar lip syncers.


SNORT! Writer's strike or not---that was funny!

Words of Wisdom

From my quote of the day calendar:

--Three things have helped me successfully go through the ordeals of life: an understanding husband, a good analyst, and millions of dollars.--Mary Tyler Moore

--Sexiness wears thin after a while and beauty fades, but to be married to a man who makes you laugh every day, ah, now, that's a real treat.--Joanne Woodward

--A finished person is a boring person.--Anna Quindlen

--Women are always being tested . . .but ultimately, each of us has to define who we are individually and then do the very best job we can to grow into that.--Hillary Clinton

--Love thy neighbor--and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easer.--Mae West

Item:

After twelve years of dependable nuking, my microwave blew up. It went out in a blaze of glory. Literally. A blaze.

My New Love

Nabisco Gingersnaps with REAL ginger and REAL molasses are wonderful! So spicy and gingery!! 4 cookies are only 120 calories with only a little fat.

GET SOME!

Three days ago the high was 7 degrees . . today it reached 64.
It's January.

Vern Yip, Here's a Tip

Have any of you watched Vern Yip's Deserving Design? I like Vern, but his bedroom designs are SOOOOOOOOO impractical!

Of the two bedrooms he's done, one had about twelve glass orbs suspended over the bed with little tea lights in them. When lit they're pretty, but HOW do you light twelve tealights (get up on a ladder?) and WHY would you put twelve tealights on the ceiling when there are so many soft lighting options that would be better.

The other bedroom had a headboard where he incorporated the same type of evil tealights into wrought iron. This bed even had a cloth CANOPY. WTF, Vern? One of the tealights could go awry and FVOOOOMPH! . . .there goes the canopy up in flames.

I wanted to crack the Tealight Headboard Recipient lady in the head! She and her family lost "everything" in Katrina. When Vern did THE REVEAL she and her daughters jumped up and SCREAMED and HOWLED like stuck pigs, then she collapsed on the floor, then the bed then started bawling--mascara running down her face. GOOD LORD and pass the potatoes...Reign it in, Girls!!!
Anyway, Vern you are as cute as a bug with your lip gloss an' all...but, please no more tealights!!

My New House

Hello Dear Reader,

I thought you like to see my new house. Well, it technically won't become mine until mid March when I win it from HGTV.com.

It's in the Florida Keys, on the water. The only trouble is it'll be part of a small community of six other homes, when the building is complete.

One thing about HGTV really pissed me off: This is the 12th Dream Home giveaway. All the others have been hosted by Joan Steffend of Decorating Cents. This year they ditched Joan and hired a twit named Monica Pederson (of Designed to Sell) whose teeth count rivals Giada DeLaurentiis. This broad is younger and sexier than Joan so I figure that why the boot was given to my girl Joanie.

Anyway, I'll still take the house when I win it, but I'll give the HGTV execs a piece of my mind about this matter.

I'll host a Shelf Meet in the Spring when I win. Well, maybe not a Shelf meet---but a Emmawrites Blog Reader Meet--gotta keep out the riffraff.

How am I supposed to go to work when it's been frigid cold most of the week? Not fit for man or beast or Emma.

It's supposed to be 50 degrees and raining this weekend. Oy.

We evicted the deadbeat tenants. Of course they left the house in a mess (who takes down smoke detectors??) We go to small claims court at the end of the month. They owe us close to $2000 so far. It'll climb when we do some repairs they caused.

Meme, we have a vacant house if you and the boys want to be Hoosiers.

My computer has a new hard drive.

Happy 2008 to all.
We went over to my friend's house about 9 and stayed until 11, came home, watched the ball drop and was in bed by 12:05.
We played a game called Left, Right, Center--it's a quarter game involving three dice, each one having an L R C or a dot. Depending on what you throw you have to give a quarter to the person on your Left or Right. If the die shows a dot then you get to keep it. It you throw a C for center a quarter goes into the bowl in the middle of the table. The last person with
at least one quarter wins the pot. I won one of the pots--it was fun--especially when the party's hostess started rubbing the dice on her nipples to bring her luck. Snort--she was a little drunk.
We got about 2 inches of snow overnight so as soon as LP gets up and shovels a path I have to go to the grocery store.

Sticks and Stones

Easiest candy you'll ever make:

2 packages Butterscotch morsels

1 can La Choy chow mein noodles

1 cup of cashews, rough chop

Melt the butterscotch either in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Take off the heat and stir in the noodles and chopped cashews until well mixed. Drop spoonfuls onto waxed paper or Reynolds No Stick Wrap and let cool. You can also refrigerate them.

They are terrific! I call them Sticks & Stones

Inspired by Tree's List

Favorite Books in 2007

**Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows by JK Rowling. A satisfying wrap up to the best series about a wizard and Muggles ever written

**The Wild Trees by Richard Preston. About the secret lives of California Redwoods and those who climb and live among them.

I’ve read a lot this year—just nothing else stellar, but I’m sure I’ll think of other good ones.


Best Television

**30 Rock. Tina Fey is a comic genius as is whoever cast the show. If you're not watching this, you're a gay looser!

**The Office. The only thing that disappointed this season was that because of the writer’s strike it was so short. They need to make one more season—any more and I’m afraid it will Jump the Shark.

**Colbert Report. Steven is obnoxiously funny, whereas O’Reilly and those he parodies are just plain obnoxious.


Television Messes

**Big Brother. This show just gravitated mean and stupid people. None were humorous—just mean and stupid

**A show I won’t watch anymore: CSI because I loved and will miss Jorja Fox, sorry Gil Grissom, I’ll miss you.

**Whenever Dubya shows his smarmy, smirky face

Notes:

**If I ever read “S/he’s in rehab” it will be too soon.

**In 2008 I hope I’ll never have to read/hear about: Britney, Britney’s sister, Lindsay, Paris, Dannielynn, Anna’s decomposing corpse, Racheal Ray

For Clanky & Catz, my recipe or sugar cream pie:
1. Go to Marsh grocery store.
2. Buy a sugar cream pie.


I love to cook, but hate to bake so I usually buy my desserts.


Today two friends took me out to lunch and fought over who would buy my lunch. Haha.
Then BP & LP and I went to a discount store and bought a recliner/rocker/game chair/thingy for LP's bedroom.

I made chicken and new potatoes for dinner.

Yesterday we went to St Elmo's Steakhouse in downtown Indianapolis for my birthday dinner.
I had good wine, their famous shrimp cocktail, filet mignon and bread pudding for dessert. It was very expensive but a very nice dinner and we had a good time. My sister who went with us told us that she's been there several times and she's seen Mario Andretti and some NFL coach in there.

Oh, they make their own shrimp sauce with freshly ground real horseradish and man, oh man that stuff was POTENT and cleared out my sinuses. When I took the first bite it was like the hot stuff went directlythrough my gray matter and ended at the very top of my skull! Whewy!

I also bought myself a B-Day present: My own plaque to put up in my backyard, certifying it as an official Backyard Wildlife Habitat. I will take a picture of it this spring when I put it up and there is something in bloom.

We had a really nice Christmas. About 2:00 we drove to my sister Jane's house and hung out, opened presents and ate around 6pm. She's a wonderful cook and put on quite a spread: turkey, ham, dressing, green beans, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry stuff (ick) homemade yeast rolls, and her famous homemade noodles (it's an Indiana thing). For dessert I brought pecan pie, sugar cream pie, tiramisu and ice cream.

After dinner and clean up we played cards--poker, and a game called "Pass the Shit"-- and we were home by 11.

Today I got up and went to Panera Bread for coffee then out shopping for a few things: batteries, scissors and Thank You cards. I also had to buy these adorable Christmas cards that were half price. I'll put them away for next year but will probably forget where I put them.

Then I hung out and watched Dreamgirls for the first time--I bought myself a present of the DVD for $10. I'm glad Eddie Murphy didn't win an Oscar for his protrayal of Jimmy Thunder Early, cause he wasn't that great. Every time he said something he sounded like his Donkey from Shrek voice.

Jennifer Hudson was quite good though. Overall, I thought the movie was too long and rated about a C. The songs' lyrics were really bad--sounded like an amateur wrote them.

But there were cameos by John Lithgow and John Krasinski from The Office. Oh, and Jamie Foxx did a good job--as did the guy who played CC--Effie White's songwriting brother.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm going out for a great dinner with BP, LP and one of my sisters.

A few weeks ago, Linda, one of the women I usually have lunch with, told the group that she lost one of her diamond tennis bracelets. She wears three bracelets on her wrist, and while out Christmas shopping she must have lost one. She listed five or six shops where it may have fallen off. She was heartbroken because it was not only expensive, but it also had sentimental value.



Flash Forward:

Yesterday I was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper and i went back to the Classifieds and the FREE column (lots of cats, a half breed puppy, and a piano this time). I glanced down at the Lost & Found column and there it was: A BRACELET FOUND IN THE VAC OF KOHL'S. CALL & DESCRIBE.
I called Linda and left a message on her machine that she ought to call this number_______,and describe her tennis bracelet. It was a longshot, but hey.

That afternoon she called and was thrilled--it was, in fact, her tennis bracelet!
So, I did my good deed for the day.

It's weird, because very seldom do I read the classifieds, Free Items column or Lost & Found. It must have been Synchronicity, Serendipity, Fate, or one of those things.

Saturday before Christmas Stuff

Yesterday we had my employees Christmas lunch. We had fun--I took them to a restaurant that they chose (expensive) and then we went home around 2.

After he got his hair cut (the cutter girl was a real "slimmee" --not slimy . . . slimmee-- and wanted him, don't you know) LP and I went out Christmas shopping. Well, he mostly shopped and I stayed in the car. I was forbidden to go into Bed Bath & Beyond with him.

We're wrapping present today. I told him that I'd help him wrap everyone's and he could wrap the presents he got me and BP.

Yesterday late afternoon it started to mist rain and after that it got foggy as hell. Rudolph's nose would have to be at full wattage to get through that pea soup.

Phil Donahue's 72nd birthday was yesterday and I forgot to mention it. I love Phil Donahue and miss seeing him on tv. So, Happy Belated Phil, you old Liberal Fart!

I'm taking the rest of the year off--don't have to go back until January 2. Who's happy about that? Who? Who? MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

One of the secretaries came into my office today explaining that she was asking people to donate money because this woman who works in the cafeteria had her gas shut off and she needed $700 to get it turned back on.
A few people around here (me included) know for a fact that she received over $6000 in back child support in October. So did she pay her utilities and other bills then? No, she bought cigarettes and Jack Daniels and a flat screen TV and went on a trip to the Bahamas.
Now her two kids had to leave the home and go and live with an aunt who has heat in her house.
I did not contribute to this fundraiser. The secretary fell for a false hard luck sap story and talked other people into contributing.
I just hope the money raised goes directly to the gas company and not to the woman herself to blow on smokes.

Dan Fogelberg: 1951-2007

When I was in school, I played it so much that I wore out two copies of his Souvenirs album:
That picture of him, with his long hair, sitting on a rocking chair was just a quiet kind of sexy.
Loved his music.
Loved his voice.
Dan Fogelberg died yesterday.
Thanks Dan.

Same Old Lang Syne

Met my old lover in the grocery store
The snow was falling Christmas Eve
I stole behind her in the frozen foods
And I touched her on the sleeve
She didn't recognize the face at first
But then her eyes flew open wide
She went to hug me and she spilled her purse
And we laughed until we cried
We took her groceries to the checkout stand
The food was totalled up and bagged
We stood there lost in our embarrassment
As the conversation dragged
We went to have ourselves a drink or two
But couldn't find an open bar
We bought a six-pack at the liquor store
And we drank it in her car
We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness but neither one knew how
She said she'd married her an architect
Who kept her warm and safe and dry
She would have liked to say she loved the man
But she didn't like to lie
I said the years had been a friend to her
And that her eyes were still as blue
But in those eyes I wasn't sure if I saw doubt or gratitude
She said she saw me in the record stores
And that I must be doing well
I said the audience was heavenly but the traveling was hell
We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to now
And tried to reach beyond the emptiness but neither one knew how
We drank a toast to innocence, we drank a toast to time
Reliving in our eloquence, another 'auld lang syne'
The beer was empty and our tongues were tired
And running out of things to say
She gave a kiss to me as I got out and I watched her drive away
Just for a moment I was back at school
And felt that old familiar pain
And as I turned to make my way back home
The snow turned in to rain...

Sunday Morning

1. We got a lot of snow yesterday. It's supposed to stop around noon but we're getting 40MPH winds until 3 so that won't be good. LP's going to have to shovel, shovel, shovel.

2. Spidey** you little imp. I received your Christmas card yesterday and I felt all the little shineys you put in the envelope before I opened it, so they didn't go all over the floor! ;)

3. Last night I made this kick ass chicken recipe I saw that Food TV guy--Guy Fieri--make.
RECIPE. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, and just regular red and yellow peppers instead of the kind he used. It was really really good. Lots of flavor.

4. On today's agenda: clearing off the snow, reading T is for Trespass, cleaning my kitchen and that's about it.

Miss Steak

Eye wannted two chek on the weeather and the sturm koming so I tiped en weather.com but I akskidentleee tiped in weeather.com.
Did you no ther wuz a weeather.com websight?

Update

Last night I went to a Christmas get-together with some of the other women who work at the Company. Twenty in all. I met a new employee name Nikki Brown. I kid you not, her birth name was Gray and she was on her second marriage (to Mr Brown.) The first husband's name was Green. So she was Nikki Gray Green Brown. I suggested she marry a guy name Plaid and cover the whole spectrum in one swope.
I found a new drink I like: An Italian Bug. It had a melon liquer, coconut rum, pineapple juice and something else. Tasty! And quite tropical for mid December.
---------
I shopped for LP's Christmas. So far he's getting Tour of Duty4 for XBox 360, and a wireless controller. He also desperately needs a new suit of some sort because he will get a job in 2008.

---------

I am taking off the week between Christmas and New Year. I'm going to try to relax and read.

---------

Beann, thanks for the card you sent! :)

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I'm reading or have read or will start reading soon:

Alan Alda's Things I learned While Talking to Myself (or something like that)

Some guy named Gay's Five Wishes. It's a motivational self help tome that's a boring as a chunk of cement.

I bought Sue Grafton's T is for Trespass.

Daring Book for Girls (I read the Dangerous Book for Boys and loved it!)


A compilation by Caroline Kennedy of Christmas Stories. I'm digging it. Did you realize that at one time Christmas was not a commercialized holiday??? Horrors!

Oh! and this fun book called Intellectual Devotional. I think that's what it's called--it's in the bedroom and I'm too lazy to get up and go look at it. It's a one or two page little ditty to read before retiring at night...about music, history, etc.

It grows

I've been up since seven o'clock and still eating this one bowl of oatmeal. My doctor suggested that I eat oatmeal every day and I'll tell you what, it's going to take me all day to choke down this stuff.
It smells good--I bought the stuff with cinnamon and I nuked it and then poured a little tiny bit of milk in it but every time I take a bite, the bowl grows back two bites. It's a mushy texture and now I think my spoon's permentantly affixed to the mess.
I wonder if CheeriOs are just as beneficial.

FYI, Schell: I asked my anti soup eating friend about the pudding and ice cream and she said that she would eat that stuff "as a snack, not a meal." Apparently she doesn't want to work that hard at mealtime.

The cat's been up on my lap. I'm wearing a hoodie and she's found the strings and is gnawing on one of the strings, making it twice as long as the second one.

I'm going to put up the Christmas stockings I bought the other day. We must have 50 million different Christmas stockings in the basement, but every year I buy them. This year, they are plain red with white fluffy stuff on top.

"Mom"
"Pop"
"Liam"
"Nesta"

is what each one will get with glitter. I think I'll go ahead and put a lump of coal into mine so as to save Santa the trouble. On the 24th, I think that instead of leaving cookies and milk for Santa, I 'll leave him this bowl of oatmeal.

Last Night

I completed our Christmas cards last night and will mail them on the way to work today. LP signed them all and I signed BP & my names because he is out of town until Sunday.
I didn't send too many this year, and you--all of my cyber friends and aquaintances--aren't getting squat (not that you mind, I'm sure.)
I decided to go ahead and put up a Christmas tree this year--a small 5 ft tall one--that Nesta aka Miss Kiki Marie has taken to munching on and batting at.
I had lunch with friends yesterday and someone brought up the subject of Christmas . . how she's gotten all her gifts purchased and wrapped and is planning to bake this weekend. I don't know, I'm just not feeling it. I have not bought one gift item yet. I don't want to. It seems more like a chore than something I want to do, so I haven't done it yet.
Is there a law that says people have to be jolly around this time of year?

No Soup for Her

I talked to a thin-as-a-rail friend yesterday and I told her that my sister Connie had turned me on to Kashi Go Lean cereals.
She told me that she dosn't eat cereals because all that up and down motion (she motioned putting a spoon to her mouth from a table, over and over) was tiring for her.
She said "I feel the same way about soup--too tiring." I LOL'd.

We are bracing for the first big snowstorm of the season

Here ya go Spidey

Ok. That's me in my evening gown doing the designer a favor by posing in his window for a few minutes.

The butterfly thing was a display outside the resort elevators.

That's BP's side of the bed. The walls were dark brown with big splashes of color from the Andy Warhol artwork.

That's part of the bathroom I fell in love with---the lump in the middle of the tub was the faucet and the water poured out like a waterfall. Loved it. I spent many happy moments soaking in that tub.

The last one is justone of the many flower arrangements around the resort. Gorgeous!

Back from Sin City

Hello! We got back from Vegas late last night.
I have to report that we had a great time. BP won a poker tournament (and $800)at the Planet Hollywood and I won enough at slots to pay for our air fare and hotel.
We stayed at the Wynn. Beautiful hotel. Beautiful room. (I’ll post pictures later.) We didn’t make it to any shows though—three days just wasn’t enough.
The Planet Hollywood is where the old Aladdin was. We loved the Aladdin—we stayed there a few years ago, had a Strip view room and it was great. The PH’s casino played the best music in any casino I’ve ever been in. It was a lively mix of 70’s, 80’s and current music. I was just sitting at the Wheel of Fortune machine boppin’ and singing along.
For any of you gambling aficionados, here’s my “secret” for doing well at slots:
1. Pick a machine (I like the $1 or the quarter machines).
2. Play maximum bet for THREE times ONLY.
3. If you win, keep playing that same machine for awhile until you hit something you consider “big”
4. If you don’t win anything within the 3 pulls, move on to the next machine.
5. Either you sit down at the right time, or you don’t. It’s that simple.

People worried me. Once I sat down beside an older lady who was playing a Powerball machine. She was RUBBING the screen when the bonus icon appeared. She’d rub and rub. I don’t know what that was supposed to do, but it wasn’t working for her.

Don’t EVER buy a Ferrari. There is a Ferrari showroom at the Wynn. They charge $10 just to get in the showroom to see a red car on display. What a crock. We didn’t fall for this shit (just so you know.) We did go into the Ferrari store just to look around--$95 for a KEY CHAIN. Yes, a key chain. Sheesh.

More later.

Saturday

BP and I have some shopping to do today. He wants to get a couple of new shirts to take on our trip (Spidey, we leave tomorrow and will be back on Wednesday.)
And since he never buys himself clothes, I readily agreed. The last new shirts he got were the ones I bought for him over five years ago.
I also have to clean the house. A friend from work is going to come over and take in the mail and newspaper and feed, water and play with the cat. She's done it before, but she's told me that she thinks we have a security camera on in the house, so when she's here she talks to us.
Our nice neighbor Bill is going to keep an eye on the place too.
We're dropping LP off at my sister's. He, of course, wanted to stay here by himself and I said "No way, Jose."

I'm going to meet a friend for coffee at Panera soon and then we might go shopping awhile. I don't want to buy Christmas presents. I want to buy a new piece of luggage for our Vegas trip on Sunday.

Yesterday at Connie's was enjoyable. The kids are cute. The food was great.

Last night my MIL, BP and I watched CSI. What an AWFUL episode--I went to bed in the middle of it.

My Thanksgiving offering

On Thursday the P's, my mother-in-law, and I are going to Muncie to my sister's for the holiday.

Here's what I am to bring:

My hot artichoke dip and pita chips/crackers

Green bean casserole (hey--someone always gets stuck making it. One year we did without and people complained!)

Yeast rolls

2 cans of that godawful cranberry crap that slides out of the can embedded with the can circles. Only three people eat it: BP, my mother and my ten year old nephew.


That's my offering at the table.

Cat Water Fountain

This is what I'm ordering for Nesta aka Miss Kiki Marie for Christmas. It's a cat water fountain that has a filter to keep the water fresh. Since she loves to drink from the kitchen faucet--which I am not successful at preventing--I thought this might do the trick.

November 18

Hello everyone.
Today is my Little Puddin's 17th birthday. My sister paid for two rooms in a nice hotel so yesterday we and some of his friends went shopping, ate at Ruth's Chris and stayed in the hotel for his birthday. Lynn and I watched No Reservations (with Catherine Zeta-Jones and it was awful and boring and boringly awful--they should take away the Oscar she won for Chicago.) Today I bought (not made) him a birthday cake.
Most of my time in New Jersey sucked The Big One. I'm glad to be back.
More later.
Anything new with you?

Praising Al Gore

This past week NBC's primetime shows featured green themes. The best newer show (it's in its sophomore year and definitely NOT suffering frrom Sophomore Slump!) on TV is Tina Fey's 30 Rock. Al Gore was one of the guest stars--playing himself, natch. Tina--aka Liz Lemon (one of the best sitcom names ever) was talking to him when he paused as if hearing something far off. "Wait, there's a baby whale crying somewhere. I must go help." Funny! The guy can laugh at himself.

Remember his reputation for being Stiff Al during the Clinton years? I think he was probably afraid that he'd do a huge mistep in public and it would haunt him the rest of his political life. Now he's looser, enjoying himself more. The best thing for Al was losing the election to Duyba. Not the best thing for the country, but probably the best thing for Al himself. He's doing what he loves, winning awards and bettering the planet.

What will Dubya do after his political life is over? Hmm, I dunno--go to Crawford and clear brush? Write a book? (snort---yeah, right!)

You can watch 30 Rock on NBC.com

And yet another reason to love Steve Carell

Bittersweet:

Production is shutting down on The Office because Steve Carell refuses to cross the Writers' picket lines to go to work.

I have nothing to blog about.

I have to go to fucking New Jersey next week.

I don't want to.

Bacon-on-bagel

1. I just had a bacon-on-bagel sandwich (or "Sammie" as the evil Rachael Ray would call it.) BP and I got up at 5:30am because LP called us and wanted to come home from a friend's house he was staying all night. He had fallen asleep at midnight, then gotten up and couldn't sleep so he played Halo 3, then got sleepy again, then woke up, etc. So we had to drive clear across town to pick him up. Of course he was hungry ("I just had some hot wings about 9 pm yesterday and nothing since.") So we stopped at Mickey D's on the way home and the two P's got food. When we got back home, I fed the cat took off my shoes and climbed back into bed and slept until 9. Both the P's are still asleep: BP in our bed, and LP on the sofa in the living room. I'm waking them both up in an hour.

2. I did fill the bird feeders yesterday but need to refill the bird bath today. Also I crumbled up some old bread and English muffins and threw those out near the feeders. It's a freakin' Bird Buffet.

3. Kohl's is having a sale (when aren't they having a sale?) so I'm going to go and buy a few pairs of black slacks and possibly a new winter coat if I can find one I like. I don't wear the longer coats anymore--they're uncomfortable driving in--in the driver's seat, I have to lift up my ass and pull the coat back over so I can move. I want a shorter coat-either knee length or one that hits just below my butt.

4. Nothing else of note. I'm going to go and put in a load of laundry in the washer. Have a good day

Books, Crap & Birds

1. I received a personalized signed copy of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s book Crimes Against Nature. It's about how Dubya and his corporate friends are raping and killing the environment. He was signing his book at DePauw University, and so a friend sent me one. Not for free. I paid for it, but he stood in line and had it signed.

2. There's a craft show here today. There are usually about a 100 booths. I can't decide whether or not to go. I like walking around and seeing stuff, but I neither want nor need any more crap to bring home.

3. I need to fill my birdfeeders. I haven't filled them in a few weeks, and ths morning when I went outside to get the newspaper I saw about six birds carrying signs that said "A cheapass woman who doesn't fill her feeders lives here!"

Thursday

The best part of my day was leaving for work this morning and walking to the garage. I look up and the sky was dark, clear, and I saw Orion in the sky. Clear as a bell. Lots of other stars, but Orion stood out. Knowing how to identify Orion was one of the things that have stayed with me from my freshman year astronomy class. I’m a whiz at identifying constellations and various stars within. One of the things I’d like to do sometime is to go to the Arizona desert, or up in a mountain somewhere—away from city lights—and star gaze.

I’ve started a “Life List.” You know, a list of things you want to do while you still can and before your Life’s Bucket is kicked. I think I’ll put “Do more star gazing” on it.
I asked BP to name things he wants to do, and we had some of the same things in common.
Here’s a partial list. Try to see if you can identify which are MY items and which are BP’s:

Build a submarine
Take pilot lessons
Produce alternative biofuels
Take a train trip through India
Learn conversational French
Visit British Columbia



The rest of the work day sucked—all our email, internet connections, were down and will be down until tomorrow afternoon. So I spent most of the day reading.
I’m going to pay some bills and then enjoy an evening of fine television viewing: Survivor, 30 Rock and The Office.

Tomorrow morning I have a teeth cleaning appointment!

Field Trip to CHEMNITZ?

Drawings on Display

Mango Martini

Last night Iwas our Girls Night Out dinner. They voted for Olive Garden which was okay. (Next time you go try a Mango Martini. It was lucious.) I guess it was bash men night because a friend of one of the Girls just got divorced after 33 years of marriage. Her husband had cheated on her and she felt like enough was enough. Aside from the bashing it was a fun evening.

I went out to get the paper this morning and there was frost on the ground! The first frost of the season. When it dries up, I have GOT to get out there today and work!

I'm taking today off because 1. I need to eat up some days off before the first of the year, and 2. I have to go to small claims court today to get a judgment against a former tenant.

It's beautiful out today so hopefully I can do some garden clean up today or tomorrow.

I posted something about reading Rag's blog and what a run-of-the-mill bitch she was to her boyfriend, but decided to delete it.

Spidey!

Thanks Spidey for the wonderful Halloween card I got in the mail today. After a long ass day of boring meetings your card was a delight!

Orange Zinnia, Pink Zinnia with not so much mildew

Open Letter to My Puddin

Dear Puddin,



It is now 50 days past the agreed upon deadline to get rid of this disgusting rusted out van that is sitting near our garage. Two tires are flat. A family of spiders has taken up residence in the rusty body of the van. Please evict them. NOW! Thank you.

Love,

Your loving wife

Saturday

I didn’t leave at noon yesterday—I left at 3, so the day went better than anticipated. A few of us went out to lunch, and that was fun.

It’s Saturday and I don’t know why but I woke up at 6:30 and since I couldn’t go back to sleep I figured that I might as well get up. I started a load of laundry and I’m thinking about going out for coffee.

Our cat has been scratching more than normal the last month or two. It’s not fleas. I asked a cat lover at work about it and she said her old cat did that and the vet advised her to change the cat’s food—something other than poultry. So I looked for non-poultry cat food at the store last night. Do you know how hard that was??? Read the ingredients on a cat food label some time. Gross. I finally settled on a salmon dry food which listed chicken waaaaay down on the ingredient list so we’ll try that. I figured this morning when I put out her food she’d notice that difference. If she did she didn’t say anything (ha) and ate with gusto. I hope this helps—my cat friend said that the vet would gladly run tests to see exactly what food her cat had an allergy to, but that could be very expensive.

I contributed to Hillary’s campaign yesterday. I was talking to my brother last week. First, let me explain something. I came from a very political and strictly Democratic family—and that was extremely hard in staid, Republican Indiana. It was true 30 years ago and unfortunately it’s true today. My mother and father and paternal grandparents were active in local politics and instilled in all of us a sense of community service and political activity.

So a few years ago I was shocked when my brother came out as voting for Bush of all fucking people! MY brother! We’ve had some very animated conversations let me tell you.

Anyway last week Matt mentioned that he was voting for Hillary! “WHAT?” I said as I hugged him. “You’ve come home! The Prodigal Brother returns!” After he stopped laughing he said that he’s turned into a One-Issue Voter. “Any politician who is pro-stem cell research gets my vote from this day forward.” He’s a diabetic and very active with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Well, he picked the right party to support. Those SOBs in the Conservative wing of the Republican Party are convinced that stem cell research is on a par with abortion. Idiots. So my brother will vote for Hillary. YAY!

1, 2 ,3

1. It stormed like Hell here last night. Tornado watches and warnings. Pissed me off because they'd cut into 30 Rock and The Office to show the Doppler radar and the storn cells and how they were moving across Indiana. Do they cut into the commercials? Noooooooo, right into the good parts of the shows. At one point, I took my white socks off, balled them up and threw them against the TV screen. That'll show 'em. Then Nesta batted the socks around and they went under the couch and there they sit. If I remember, I'll fish them out when I clean tomorrow. If I forget, please remind me.

2. I had a shit ass horrible motherfuckin' badass day at work yesterday. I told my Asst. that I was going to quit. She said, "Well, I'm not working here if you aren't. I'll get a damned greeter job at WalMart!" I said, "Okay. I'll start calling you 'Clanky'!" She looked perplexed, and I laughed. Anyway I hope today is better because if it's not, I'm leaving at noon.

3. There is no number three.

Wednesday

I'm taking a personal day off from work today. I have a lot of time I need to use up before the end of the year.
I might go to Panera Bread for a cheese bagel and coffee.

Vegas in November

We're going to Vegas for a few days in November. BP wanted to go the cheap route and stay at the Orleans for $35/night. I wanted to stay at the new mega resort Wynn. Wynn link So I held my breath until he met my demands. It's a little game I play to get my way.

---O---O---

I want to see either the Love Cirque show about the Beatles' music at the Mirage, or Spamalot which is at the Wynn. BP wants to go paragliding so he'll do that one afternoon, I'm sure.

We booked via Travelocity which was cheaper than Expedia and the airline's own website. I'm excited--I need a getaway. Just BP and me. It'll be nice.

Diarrhea and Open Houses

I didn't do a thing yesterday but hang around the house thinking that this needed to be done and that needed to be done and wishing that my gnomes would spring to life and do the housework.

I woke up today with diarrhea. I know I probably didn't spell that right---but it's diarrrehea, who cares? So I've been on and off the toilet since 6:30, in case you wanted to know.

I did go to the grocery store yesterday so I think I might blow off my other chores and go to some open houses today. I found four showing between 1 and 4 today.

Are we thinking about moving, you ask. I am but BP is not. I want a bigger house with three bedrooms and at least two bathrooms and a bigger yard. I know it's impractical, but either we move or we renovate this place. I want a kitchen like Schell's.

That's all. I'll keep you updated on the diarehea.

Friday

It's Friday.
My assistant has jury duty today. She's bummed about it. I got called a few years ago but never actually got to serve on a jury--the defendent pled guilty a few minutes before the trial started. I still received my pay--fifteen dollars or something astronomical like that.

I hope the weather is dry this weekend--I've got 50 daffodil bulbs I want to plant.

Clean car

Yesterday I took my car in to get washed and detailed. I used a company on the recommendation of a friend's father.
Oh my gosh! This place did such a fantastic job! The car so clean! The wheels are shiny. The hubcaps are shiny.
My trunk had traces of potting soil and other crappola in it---now gone! Sticky stuff from Cokes in the cup holders---now gone! Believe it or not, they even cleaned the inside of BP's Butt Bucket ashtray cup! After I saw the car's interior went back inside the place and told the guy who worked on it "You did such a great job!" He said, "Thanks. The only thing that was really rough was the driver's side floormats. "
"Yeah, well they really hadn't been cleaned for three years." He gave me a "tsk tsk" look.
Even Sara Sidle and Gil Grissom couldn't find a stray hair, blood droplet or fingerprint in the entire thing.
Only problem is now I don't want even BP or LP to ride in it. One hundred dollars well spent.

Bloomin Show Off

Here are some garden pictures I just took: apricot cannas (third bloom), Cosmos (blooms all summer and fall), Iceberg Roses (I moved them last year and they love this spot!) Irises (second bloom--I need to dig them up and divide them after this bloom)

The bunny was in my yard eating my parsley, when I took some pictures he took off across the street. Little does he know that I don't care if he eats my parsley. I planted it for the neighborhood bunnies and butterflies.

Saturday

1. It's supposed to reach 88 degrees today. In October. I like sweatshirt weather--not just sweat weather.

2. My irises and lavender plants are reblooming! My roses look fab. How am I supposed to go shopping for pumpkins when the weather is hotter than Hell?

3. I like this new show on HGTV. Fun Shui. This feng shui expert decorator helps a couple out in a room they don't like. Last week is was an unrelaxing bedroom. Last night it was a dowdy kitchen. She says you're not supposed to have too many books in your bedroom--a lot of books create too much fire energy and it's not relaxing. Uncluttered . . soothing colors . . . photograps or decorative items placed in twos are calming for a bedroom. In the kitchen last night, she painted the ceiling red! Red? you say? Yes, red. I thought it would be god-awful, but with the other colors and some new appliances it looked fantastic. And did you know that the stove was one of the most important pieces of "furniture" in your home? It's where the family is fed and nourished. My stove is older than dirt and looks it. I want this stove
But before I get that stove, my whole kitchen needs to be gutted and redone. BP has told me that I am forbidden from watching HGTV ever ever ever again.

4. Today I'm doing my regular Saturday chores: laundry including bedsheets (I love sleeping on fresh bedsheets) grocery store and damn it, I'm going to sit my butt on the porch and read too!

Office Recap

1. Love that Jim and Pam came out about their relationship. Was that the first mean thing Toby's ever done--the memo thing?
2. Creed's being 29 was funny--the dye job hair was great.
3. We saw Phyllis' claws come out when she pretty much threatened Pam about giving new clients on a random basis.
4. Dwight trying to make peace with Angela by giving her a feral cat.
5. Ryan the Temp has turned into an asshole.
6. Kelly Kapoor---- ::::rolls eyes::::
7. The gift baskets were a stroke of genius! Too bad none of the clients were women--we suckers for gift baskets---full of money!
8. Ryan hitting on Pam was just creepy.
9.Dwight & Michael driving into the lake because "the machine told me to" was hysterical!
10. I want me some more Andy, 'cuse me "Drew", Bernard. I love when he sings a cappella.

Rock Hall of Fame

I don't know if rock needs a hall of fame--aren't rockers supposed to be anti-establishment, and besides music is a very personal thing either it speaks to you or it doesn't--but here are the most recent Rock Hall of Fame nominees:

Dave Clark Five (don't like them)
Ventures (who?)
Leonard Cohen (masterful)
Afrika Bambaata (evidently this is a person and not a group)
Beastie Boys (fall into the Dave Clark Five "don't like them" catagory)
Donna Summer (Yessssss! Love to love you, Baby!)
Chic (who?)
John Mellencamp (a genius, a nice guy, a Hoosier--need I say more?)
Madonna (the original Boy Toy)

Read a Banned Book this week!

Oh shit. I'm getting forgetful in my old age. We're smack dab in the middle of National Banned Books Week and I didn't give it a Shout Out.

Banned Books

This is the time to remember how stupid it it to ban or challenge books at the library or even in your own home. The Freedom to Read should be coveted by all.

BBW was started by the American Library Association and now encompasses other pro-reading organizations, including EmmaWrites, Inc and Emmerica (all rights reserved).

Next time you hear a Stupid Person say that they don't think Little Johnny or Little Brittney Cristina (or you or me for that matter) should not read a book because it contains any or all of the following: witchcraft, anti-religious characters, menstruation talk, masturbation chat, homosexual references, etc. --just do society a favor and bite them on the leg. While they're sitting in the ER getting rabies shots their children can be reading!

Squirrel Chat

I was getting in my car, going back to work after lunch. I look up and see a squirrel snatch an ear of corn from my neighbor's gourd, pumpkin, corn Halloween yard display and carry the whole freaking ear in his mouth across the street. Big pig.

The Cyborg & Me

When I was waiting in the doctor’s examination room the other day I heard a commotion outside. When all was quiet again I thought about that scene in The Terminator where Arnold plows through the police station in search of Sarah Connor and goes room by room looking for her.
In this little exam room there were two big thick windows. I lifted up the blinds and there weren’t locks. The windows weren’t even functional so the only way I could get outside would be to smash them and jump out. I looked around to see if there was something metal to use to break the window, but there was only the Blood Pressure cuff attached to the wall, a pc monitor, a box of Kleenex, a chair, and some other assorted doctor-type things. Would a pc monitor break a heavy window? My best plan would be to use the chair and ram one of its legs through the window and use the exam table paper sheets to knock out the remaining glass and then I’d be out. My exam room was at the end of the corridor but I wonder if I would have enough time to:
1. Hear a life threatening commotion inside the medical office itself
2. Acknowledge to myself that the indestructible Cyborg was in the medical office, wreaking havoc and looking in each of the exam rooms, and working down the hall towards my room.
3. Then hop off of the exam table.
4. Pick up the chair and ram it into the window several times, enough to smash it.
5. Use that same chair to climb on and hoist myself outside to freedom.

Maybe my best move would be to hope that Sarah Connor was in the exam room two doors down so that when the Cyborg located her, he’d either kill her on the spot, or carry her off to finish the job.