Art mirrors reality

Does anyone else out there relate their world and the people they meet in it to characters from the Simpsons?

Just curious.

If I said that I found it sweet to watch a “Cletus” walk his “Brandine” to the bus stop and give her a kiss good-bye could you totally picture the scene?

Or the Marge that rides the bus with me only she has raven black hair that tumbles down her back in soft curls could you picture her too?

I’m just say’n………………………….

Discovering the past

In the past couple of years I have become a fan of the classic film. And I have fallen completely in love with Carey Grant, Audrey Hepburn, and so many others. This weekend we watched two of Grant's films: Night and Day which told the story of Cold Porter, and some of The Touch of Mink. Both were enjoyable. The costumes in Night and Day were spectacular. I found myself wishing to live in a time when people dressed for dinner and wore evening gowns and tuxedos to just about every event short of grocery shopping. Just think of all the shoes I would need :-)
Anyway, aside from The Simpsons, and 24 I have pretty much decided that TCM is the channel for me and it runs 24/7 in this house. Ok, so once in a while we tune in to Mythbusters. I'll admit that.

And while I am talking about tv shows I did catch two episodes this weekend of Gay, Straight, or Taken. I can only say it was interesting. It was sort of like watching a train wreck. And once I started I had to wait and see how it all turned out. I was thinking of Scott during the show. Those boys would be fine photography subjects. Let me tell you. The first show I watched the boys all took their shirts off. Um, well, yum. And they were all cute and physically fit as hell.

Ok, so aside from a guilty moment or two of trash tv I also started The Memory Keepers Daughter by Kim Edwards. Page 119 and so far so wonderful. I am really enjoying this story.

And that's about it. It snowed here all day. The Bears won the playoffs! Unfortunately at blog time the Colts have one hell of an uphill battle on their hands. But my fingers are crossed. At least we don't have to spend the Super Bowl hearing about Cinderella stories and overcoming adversity. It's early in the third quarter so my fingers are crossed. Go Manning! And Tony - you coached one hell of a team!

Monday mumblings

We finally got some snow up here. About 8 inches at our place. Not a lot, but it’s the most we’ve seen so far. It was pretty funny to watch little Lily go outside. She was half buried in the snow. What has always baffled me is the fact that a lot of dogs hate rain and wet ground yet snow doesn’t phase them in the least. In fact they romp and play in it like crazy. All our dogs go nuts when it snows. They run around like maniacs. They get clumps of snow stuck in their fur. They get drenched. And in Lily’s case, they get buried. But they don’t mind it. However when the ground is even damp, they won’t go outside. I am VERY grateful that they like snow. It just makes me scratch my head.

While watching 24 last night I began to question at just what level do the networks think their audience IQ is at. I don’t know what the demographics are for 24 but I decided after last night that it has to be pretty young and or barely educated. I would think maybe high school completion and ages 15-29 would be their target.

Here’s why: In the show the main character memorizes some coordinates, then feeds those into a phone and gets a map of where he needs to go.
Ok, no biggie right. We all know the technology is out there. But the commercial that immediately followed that scene was one from Sprint and it began: “Do you want to be just like a federal agent and have instant global positioning on your phone?”

Wow! Goley Gee Batman can I? That would be so cool to be just like a federal agent! Are you going to sell me a black car, sunglasses, and a dark suit next? Are ya? Huh? Cause I so want to be just like a federal agent. Do I get to carry a gun too? That would be just way too cool! Can I Can I pleeeease????

So, I’m feeling a tad insulted by the Sprint commercial. And wondering just how dumb they think their audience is. Or perhaps the word should be impressionable. But then this morning, I realized that I am their perfect audience. I am dumber than a stump and I should be talked down to.

This realization hit me about 90% of the way through shoveling my walkways. And why you ask??? Well let’s start from the beginning shall we…………I got out of bed. Let the dogs out. Then wearing ONLY a Victoria’s Secret thin cotton nightshirt and a short little terry robe from the Disney Store I threw on a pair of socks, my winter boots, and gloves and went outside to shovel. Yes, in 5 degree weather with a wind chill of -7 I was out mostly “naked” shoveling snow. By the time I realized how positively stupid this activity was on my part I could no longer feel my legs. And I just kept thinking about the pot of coffee that was probably just finishing brewing. Apparently in my head a hot cup of coffee would make it all better. Why I couldn’t take the time to put on snow pants and a sweatshirt or something is beyond me. But at the time it just seemed like an ok idea. After a hot shower and more coffee my legs were still ice cold. Yep, brilliant decision on my part.

Sheesh…………………………

On a separate note we went to listen to the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra on Saturday night. Girl J and I have a fabulous time. We went to dinner and then to the Ordway for the concert. They called it their preview to European Tour concert. The concert started great. The first piece they did was excellent. But then they played a piece, no, that’s not the right word, they made noise for 7 minutes. It was the most irritating and ear bleeding thing I have ever heard.

Here’s a link to the piece

http://www.thespco.org/mediafiles/event/Ligeti_Ramifications.mp3

Yep, it was REALLY annoying. I kept waiting for the conductor to stop, turn around, and say “just kidding” only he never did. I don’t know if I have ever heard a more reserved applause.

This was followed with another relatively modern orchestral piece. Not bad, but modern composers seem to be against any sort of flowing melody. The music is more sporadic and choppy. In trying to be so different from classic composers they go in the opposite direction of melody and harmony. It’s unfortunate that some composers feel compelled to do that. I don’t care for it in the least. But that is just me.

Sunday was a mellow couch sort of day. I finished a jewelry project I had been working on. A long over due project for a friend. But to try to make up for the delay in getting it to her I made her something extra and it came out beautiful if I say so myself.

Oh, and I made a pot of split pea soup. It came out YUMMY. My mother in law recommended the mix, it’s from Manishevitz in the kosher food section of the grocery story. It’s a long plastic bag of split pea soup mix. I really liked it. Added some ham and there you go, perfect soup. If you try it, take your water down to 3 or 3 and ½ cups of water. Don’t do 5 cups. TOO much water. I like my pea soup thick, not watery.

Stenches, lab coats, and more

*Good news: the stench has not reappeared. So our guess is that it was the combination of chemicals my buddy on the other side of the wall was using. Yippee! Yahoo! SOOOO glad it wasn’t something newly dead in the ceiling or walls or under the floor. Did I mention there is a hole in the floor big enough for a large rat? You’d think an umpteen billion dollar corporation could at least plug the holes in the floor.

*As for the lab coat. It is the signature apparel of our company. All our sales and service techs are supposed to wear them. They don’t, but they are supposed to. I work for a chemical manufacturing company. In a nutshell we clean the world. Funny story that lab coat. The one place we have been asked NEVER to wear them is when we are performing service calls on cruise ships. They are afraid we will be mistaken for coroners.

*I have managed despite constant dog watching, chasing, and pee cleaning to get back into the swing of things with my reading. This morning I just decided to give up on a book that I had been looking forward to. I just don’t think I’m in the mood for it’s subject matter. It’s about inner city life, gangs, mafia, spousal abuse, animal abuse. Just not what I need right now.

*We have been watching the NBC/Sci Fi series Heroes. Last night they ran a marathon. I am impressed with the story, how intriguing the whole idea is. And trying to figure out who the bad guys really are.

*It’s finally gotten cold here. We basically went from sweatshirts outside to down parkas. But my mantra this winter will be: “At least November was warm” We’ll see how long that works for me before I go screaming to the Como Conservatory, rip off all my clothes and dance in the humid tropical heat.

*My dad is excited to have me coming. He wants us to go to the Weiner Wonderland Parade (pull your minds out of the gutter people!) at Balboa Park the day before I leave. I think that will be a blast. I went last year and it’s too funny to see hundreds of little dressed up dachshunds running around. Dad thinks Lily will have fun. I have a reindeer costume/coat that I got for Sophie last year for holiday pictures that was too small for her. It might fit Lily just right. Groan all you want but we’ll feel like the odd ones out if we aren’t in costume. Or perhaps I should make her a weiner dog costume so she will fit in with the rest of the puppies. And besides Balboa park is one of the most beautiful places in San Diego and it has an amazing artist pavilion to shop in.

Sorry but no pictures today. I was thinking I might run around down town and take some pictures today if it warms up at all. The city is just beautiful in winter.

Weekend Recap

So, who out in blog land remembers when watches had to be wound? I thought of this Saturday night when I was putting mine on. And I wondered how many people remember it and then how many people didn’t know that at one time you would wind up your watch?

Of the 3 options for Saturday night I opted for the museum. The exhibit, “Passion for Paintings” is located in their new wing which is incredibly beautiful. Among other exhibits open for the evening was a photography one. What they put on display was two images from the same negative. Each developed slightly differently or at a different time.
The purpose being to show how much art is involved in developing the images on film.
It was fascinating.

Then this morning on MPR they were talking about the fact that film cameras are going the way of the dodo. Or that only the very high end cameras will still be produced. Yes this was inevitable in today’s instant gratification society but also it was a little sad to hear. I like film cameras. And I still feel that they take better pictures. But I know that digital has come a long long way. It’s just a little sad…………….Of course it took a few years but the phonograph made a come back when people finally figured out that music just sounds better off a record. I wax nostalgic.

Back to the museum. Surprisingly even the hubster enjoyed the exhibit. He thought the paintings were beautiful. It was also nice to be entirely among adults. Dressed up adults no less.

Which brings me to another thought. When the invitation – mailed, not emailed. Says “Cocktail attire” what would you wear? I did the little black dress and the hubster did suit and tie in muted fall colors. We were dressed appropriately. Suits, LBD’s, sequence covered tops, pant suits and even a few full length gowns were worn. But also present were jeans and sweaters – dressed up mind you, but jeans. The other interesting choice were the “hippy artists” for lack of a better description that dressed in the cargo/baggy cords, with grungy shirts. Of course the most interesting attire for the evening was the security guard in a dark suit with the Mohawk.

The only downer for the evening came when we ordered wine. Served in little plastic cups mind you. We got our wine and watched a $20 go across the counter with no change coming back. Most expensive glass of wine I have ever had. And it didn’t even dance with me. Or take me to dinner for that matter. The whole time we were drinking out little glasses of wine we thought “We are supporting the arts, we are supporting the arts………..”

All in all it was a wonderful evening. We got to dress up, spend an evening around adults with like interests, beautiful music filled the air as we walked around, and we got to see an amazing display of artwork.

Sunday was a quiet day. I put on a pot of coffee and then settled in to switch my blog to the new beta version. It went smashingly. It was easy. And I love some of the new features. It took me a bit to figure out where in the html code I could stick my personalized banner but several tries later I finally got it. I don’t understand html in the slightest so it is all done with a wing and a prayer.

I also worked on some bracelets that may get sold to a local jeweler. He asked me to bring in my work. He will either put it in his store or take it to a boutique at a casino. I was surprised and flattered by his offer. He noticed the bracelet on my wrist when I was in there on Friday and when he found out I made it the conversation just took off from there.

We watched a new Midsomer Murders last night and I must say I had a hard time following the story. Or, I should say, I had a hard time following who was related to whom. It was a great show as usual just a little more confusing than normal. Of course it probably didn’t help that I was embellishing a bracelet at the same time. Mysteries are not a good thing to only have half your attention on. Oh well.

Weekend recap

Living in Minnesota when we get perfect days we bask in them from sun-up to sun set. Especially if they occur in fall or in spring. This weekend we were blessed with amazing weather. We played outside with the pups. We finished cleaning out the garage and got BOTH cars inside it. Yes, you read that correctly, my four car garage now has a boat and two cars in it. Exactly what we wanted to have fit in there when we built the thing. The fourth stall is taken up by our wood shop. (just like we planned). How exciting is that? To not have to stand out in the freezing cold weather to remove the three inches of ice from the windows. The garage paid for itself the first morning we weren't scraping.

And of course, like a good little Minnesotan I ran out to the grocery store and got the fix'ns for burgers. If it's unexpectedly warm - you have to grill. It's a state law or something.

I raked up more leaves. Cut down more old growth. - Filled up two more paper lawn bags as well as the garbage can. Oh, and poop scooped.

We ate our burgers outside. And I read some of my latest book out on the porch.

Sunday ended with a Simpson's marathon and then a brand new Midsomer Murders! In celebration of the new Treehouse of Horrors and the new mystery we made tater tot hotdish.
And between me and the hubster, Boy J and R, we polished off the whole casserole dish. The hubster completed the perfect television evening by making up a batch of cherio crispie treats. They just seem healthier than rice krispie treats.

While watching the Simpson's we were trying to figure out a voice. And so I googled the new episode. Well, the voice was Richard Lewis but what was interesting was the number of articles about the "Political message" in one of the little stories. And that only days away from elections they make a statement about "the occupation". If people haven't figured out by now that the Simpsons is one giant political undertone they aren't watching enough. Or those brain cells ain't rubbing together. Good lord, they cover everything. Heck, you name the controversy, there is an episode for it. I think the last one to garner so much media was the one about gay marriage. I think after just about every episode I try to remember to google the show to see who is crying in their milk over what was said.

"Save Me Jebus"
"Commander Coo-Coo Bananas"
"SSCCATAGAPP" (Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples And Teens And Gays Against Parasitic Parents)
All classic issues to come out of the Simpsons.
For more on these issues:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politics_in_The_Simpsons - Politics and the Simpsons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_The_Simpsons - Religion and the Simpsons

Lastly, Lily got her first bath and she looks super cute all white and puffy.
She is also booked on a flight with me to San Diego to see my family next month.
We'll see how that goes. I am assuming she will make enough progress over the next month to go with me to see family. And I think Caleb is becoming so attached to Sophie that he will do okay with Lily gone for a few days. My Aunt would really like to see Sophie too but she is too big to go as carry on and I would hate to put her in the bagage compartment. So, it will be Lily this trip. My Aunt and Uncle are SO excited that I am bringing her. My aunt had a sheltie when she was growing up so she just loves that I have sheltie mixes.

Oh, and the other big puppy progress, Caleb jumped up and layed down right next to me on the couch and let me pet him for most of a show we were watching. This was the longest session with him yet............

Friday Fluff

An odd and funny moment:
Alright, since we brought home Caleb and Lily I have mentioned almost every day the fact that Lily collects “babies” from all over the house and brings them to her bed. Well last night the hubster had me struck a little dumb:

Hubster:”Honey, why are my Sketchers sitting here?”
Newt: “Uh, cause Lily collected them.
Hubster: “She did?”
Newt: “Uh, yeah, like she collects everything else.”
Hubster: “Oh”
Newt: “Did you just refer to your shoes as Sketchers?”
Hubster: “Yeah, why?”
Newt: “Nothing, just making sure I heard you right.”

Why did I find this conversation odd you might ask? Ok, well obviously for one it “slipped” his mind that Lily collects stuff? And the majority of what she collects is HIS shoes. But that’s not what really struck me. What baffled me is that he referred to his shoes as Sketchers. The man doesn’t have a clue what label is on what item of clothing. He could care less about brand names. He has Reebok’s and Bass, and a number of other brands. So for him to refer to his brown boots as Sketchers really threw me. They are Sketchers so it’s not some funky new name for shoes in general. I was just a little taken back that he even knows who made his shoes.

On that same sort of note:
I spent a part of this morning putting “babies” around for Lily. I had gotten a whole bunch of tiny stuffed animals for Sophie since she likes to play with small toys. But of course now that I bought her a bag full she isn’t interested in them. So, now that we have Lily I thought it would be a good thing to pull them out of the bag and lay them around the house in spots where she always wants to pick something up. Such as the steps by the back door. Every time she comes in from outside she wants to take something back to her bed with her. Usually that is a shoe or glove. But since all the shoes and all the gloves are now on her bed she is looking for other things to bring back. This included some huge tie down straps that are in a bag on the kitchen floor. So I piled up babies by the back door and also by the hall closet where the hubster stock piles his shoes. No sooner did I do this then Caleb decided to run around the house and gather up all the babies I had left around for Lily. So now all the shoes, gloves, and babies are piled up on their bed. If nothing else, they keep me busy.

Catching up on 24
I finished disc 2, season 1 of 24 last night. The peanut gallery was on his computer in another room so I was able to finish the show without the running commentary of how much it sucks.

Craft show preparedness
I was able to leave work early yesterday so I went home and got everything ready for my craft show tomorrow. I have a pretty nice variety of stuff this year. I just hope it moves. I even decided to have some clearance items this year. Stuff that has been hanging around for the past couple of years and hasn’t sold. I eliminated the expensive ($25) hand made bracelets. I spend between 2 and 15 hours weaving bracelets that I think are beautiful and easily worth $25 but you would be amazed at how cheap people are when it comes to homemade items. To pat myself on the back here I think that the woven pieces I make are beautiful. I wouldn’t hesitate to pay $25 if I was on the other side of the craft table.

A Political observation from the Bat Cave:

I work for the classic corporation. Dark suit, white shirt, power tie. I stick out like the pink flamingo on the green lawn of life. And that’s ok. I won’t loose who I am in order to get an office with a door. I’m happy in my bat cave and enjoy the less than zero responsibility that I have. This is not a put down on myself. I have chosen to not be ambitious in my career. Sure there are directions I wouldn’t mind going in my career and I work toward those. But I won’t step on other people to get there. I won’t play the game. So, I guess since I am on the outside looking in I tend to notice things that the rest of the sheep just walk past.

Elections are only 3 weeks away and we host several debates/meet and greets with various candidates. The posters for the second event just went up and I now notice a trend between the two. Both the ass and the elephant are invited to speak. The poster tells us the names, the date of the event, and what food they are bribing us with. The poster also shows pictures of the candidates. I find it interesting that in both posters so far the Republican is wearing a blue suite, white dress shirt, and the proverbial red power tie while standing in front of Ol’ Glory. This of course is in severe contrast to the other side which in one case the Democrat has been pictured in a sweater against a plain tan background as if they had the portrait done at Sears, and in the other case the candidate is looking sideways with a background of blurry trees and some odd indiscernible thing behind her. The two pictures together have that Felix and Oscar sort of look. We have the proper GQ candidate that knows how to dress and we have the backyard photo of the slovenly other candidate. I mean, why be subtle? Why not just have one guy standing with his arms around US soldiers and have the other guy giving flying lessons to terrorists with a soldiers head swinging from the rear view mirror? I mean, at least that way, I know for sure what point you are trying to make.

Now I know that the Democrats prefer to be thought of as “the neighborly sort” and so pictures of them do tend to be more down to earth and approachable. And I am all for that. But put side by side, there is a remarkable contrast.

I am a proud liberal and have every intention of voting the way of the donkey. But I also understand all the complaints about the Democrats not having their crap together and being more unified. I also can see where fence sitting people would hesitate to vote for the democratic candidate because in this time of war (thanks entirely to our oil greedy Commander Coo Coo Bananas) there is a lack of faith in their ability to defend the country. Going strictly on photo impression (and you can’t argue that looks don’t matter) there is more safety and security conjured up by a person in a suit near the flag then there is in a guy that looks like an English Professor.

OK, this is WAY to heavy a topic for a Friday.

Winter Holiday of Your Choice Blog Extravaganza Gift Exchange Questionnaire Answers
Fill in the blanks:

If I could, I'd invent a bra with heater, and damn it, the world needs one because, headlights in winter, need I say more?

I sometimes buy sexy tops, because it is/they are more like theme I want to be than the me that I am.

If you came over to my house to play and touched my animal in a violent way I'd be a little bit mad at you forever. (Actually forever would only be as long as it took me kill you and dispose of your body.)

The color/s burnt orange/olive green makes me want to shave my eyeballs with acheese grater.
The color/s yellow, peach, and pink is/are so beautiful that when I see them, abeam of light comes down and I hear a choir sing.

Talk shows like Oprah and Jerry Springer makes me gag, feel it in my mouth for a minute, andthen swallow it back down rather than spit it out (or else I just don't likeit, but I'm too nice to say it.)

I might get sick or die if I touch or ingest seafood, or look at Paris Hilton..

Clowns and Mimes gives me the willies and I might need to consider afrontal lobotomy if I even think about it further.

I love the feel of flannel so much I want to hump it like a puppy ona sofa pillow.

No one should have to watch me eat sopapillas, because then I mightconsider being polite enough to share, and I don't want to share it.

I'm a grown-up now, so I don't have to eat brussel sprouts anymore, and you can't make me.

If I could invent a way to permanently coat my nostril hairs with this scent, I'd be my own biggest customer: Irish Spring Soap

Three things I like that anyone might like: Apple Pie, Reading, bike riding

Three things I like that nobody else in the world likes:Corned Beef Hash, Circus Peanuts (those orange marshmallow things), Macaroni and Cheese wth Brocoflower mixed in

I have TOO MANY/TOO MUCH OF beads, and not enough books.

Okay, we know the best things in life aren't things, but these are the best things in life if there are going to be best things: Well written books that move me to laughter and to tears.

When people have kind, sweet and nice things about me, they're usually talking about what a sucker I am. When they say I'm too sensitive, they're usually right too.

It's true, I'm a geek. I'm learning to be proud of it.

If I could have any talent in the world, I'd choose musical talent and use it to play the violin OR the piano . One or the other.

You are given a day and a no-limit credit card to spend in one of theseplaces, childfree. Choose one, or write your own: Barnes and Noble

If I could suggest that you read only one post from my archives, this one would be it:

And
If I were to name the Holiday of my choice for this exchange, it would be:Winter Solstice! This is the turning point of winter and the days only get longer after it.

Monday already????

Friday visit

Caleb and Lila came over on Friday. The house has been inspected and approved. The dogs got along just fine. And the kitty could care less. So, now all that was needed was for Michael to experience their irresistible cuteness.

Meatballs and deals

Friday evening we went to Ikea for dinner and then some shopping. I found new chair pads for $1.25 each. Grant you they are wafer thin and a fabulously boring tan color. But and this is a big BUT, they were cheap and will wash easily. Considering the sheer amount of fur and cat barf the cushions are subjected to cheap is the only kind of deal we look for.

I also got a really pretty duvet cover with matching pillowcases. I decided it would be fun to have a more European style bed. I have a comforter that dates back to my high school years. It’s just now starting to show signs of wear. So I thought it would be perfect to use inside the duvet. And it did work nice. The cover is a very very soft cotton just like a sheet. So that is all we have on the bed. Rather than a sheet and a blanket this combines them into one. I wasn’t sure how the hubster would take it but he liked it. No more tangling up in the sheet, or kicking the sheet to the bottom of the bed. It’s very slick actually. The bonus being that the duvet and pillowcases are only $20.00. Not bad considering how much sheets are costing these days.

Dr. Who

Friday also was the start of the new season of Dr. Who on SciFi. So far so good. I am not really keen on the new doctor but I’m sure he will grow on me.

The Thirteenth Tale

I finished the John Dunning book I had been reading and started The Thirteenth Tale. So far so good. It’s a beautifully written story. My bookmark is on page 147. So I’m a fair ways into the story. I can’t tell you how it’s going to turn out but from talking with Dad he said that he left the last two pages and hasn’t finished them yet. He doesn’t want the story to be over. I take that as a good sign of what is yet to come.

I have an office

My major accomplishment over the weekend was cleaning out the office. I managed to clean the whole thing out (except the hubsters desk) in between a whole lotta sneezing. But wow, I have a floor. I took out three large kitchen garbage bags full of shredded paper and junk. I haven’t seen that room in a couple of years now. I’ve seen it, I’ve been in it, but there was SOOOOO much clutter and crap that I was in complete denial of it’s actual existence.

Homecomings

The hubster came home Saturday night at about 11:30. It was a good reunion. He was glad to be home and I was glad to have him home. While he was in San Francisco he did some shopping and bought a new cologne. He got Obsession for men by Calvin Cline. Damn did he smell good. Dangerously good. Really really really good.

Sunday

After sleeping in we had a leisurely morning. Then we went to see C and the dogs. We spent a little over an hour with them. They still won’t come near us but I think we got some good quality time with them. And I think the hubster really likes them. He agrees with me that we can probably work wonders with them. It will just take time and patience. And we have to be willing to invest everything in them. All our free time and attention will have to be about them. We plan to discuss it more tonight.

Final thoughts

We had absolutely perfect weather yesterday. It is days like that that make living in Minnesota SOOO worth putting up with everything else. The sky was a brilliant blue, the temperature was perfect. A soft breeze blowing, just enough to make our wind chimes sing. We even grilled steak for dinner to celebrate the perfection of it all.
The evening came to a spectacular close with Midsomer Murders. They showed the very first episode of the show last night. We had never seen it. But this was the episode that tied into a much later one.

Until tomorrow…………….
Cheers!

These feet are made for walk'n

Well, of all the sucky things one has to do for work today I had to force myself to go to Mall of America and prepare a plan for the next class. The mall is an excellent place for "real world" training in our industry. Each level is approximately 1 mile around. So to walk all three floors means 3 miles. Good excercise right?

Wrong. First of all I had, I repeat, HAD to walk past cinnabon. And damned if I forgot to have breakfast before I came. So of course I had to stop and get a cinnabon. That right there negated the calorie's burned on the walk. Then I went into B&N to grab the new paperback from George R.R. Martin. 3 count them, 3 books later I noticed the Star Bucks cafe and thought, wow, that would go really good with my cinnabon. So, even MORE calories consumed vs. used. But I was wearing a heavy sweatshirt and the mall was about 1,000 degrees so I did get to sweat a little. But due to the extremely warm conditions I felt compelled on level 3 to stop for a cold drink. Well, a cold fresh squeezed lemonade and a corn dog. So that really killed any health benefit from the walk. Dang..........

But I now have a floor plan we can walk. And I have two perspective restaurants to choose from for dinner.

I watched a funny but not very good movie last night - Mr. Wrong. With Ellen Degeneras (spell?) and Bill Pullman. Also arriving in the mail was disc 1, season 1 of 24. I'm almost glad I didn't get addicted till season 4. I have 72 hours to catch up on. Yippee.

I think I want to also add Scrubs to my dvd line-up. I watched a little of it last night and really liked it.

On the puppy front I talked with "C" today. She is Caleb and Lila's foster mom. She is coming over Friday afternoon to inspect the house. Bonus! She is probably going to bring Caleb and Lila with her. This way they can meet Sophie AND Max. I know they will be terrified and not social but still any excuse to see them. She said that she feels really good about them going to live with us. And I guess "L" the woman in charge of the shelter is very excited that we are taking them. "C" also told me that she is preparing herself for the pups leaving. She isn't sure how she is going to feel. They have been living with her for almost a year now. But I let her know that she is always welcome to visit. She thinks that would be nice especially since she adopted Becca who is probably Sophie's sister. So we figure we will arrange somewhat regular play dates for the dogs. She only wants to wait until we think Caleb and Lila are ready. She doesn't want to confuse them. So once they are adjusted and in love with the hubster and I then we can get back together with her.

Well, that's about all folks.

4 days till the hubster is home!

So long and thanks for all the fish!

MEME's from Jay and other ramblings

10 days till the hubster returns!

Hockey game was loads of fun! There is one big problem with sitting on the club level though. Food is hella expensive. Damn. They have a buffet up there. I kid you not, $32.95 per person. Who has that kind of money????? When you spend $85.00 per ticket. And you go to several games. Seriously, who can blow this kind of cash?
I'm just curious. But on the good side, the Wild won their pre-season match agains Detroit. It was a pretty fun game to watch. And the goalies on both sides did a bang up job. Defending some 20+ shots on goal. It was an impressive night. We even got a fight.

I watched a movie yesterday that surprisingly I kinda liked. It was Phone Booth. I borrowed it from Girl J. It was out a few years ago and stars Colin Farrell as the poor guy who answers a ringing phone in a booth in New York. Keifer Sutherland is exceptional as the "voice" on the other end of the phone. The movie went by rather quickly, in fact it wrapped up and the credits rolled before I thought they would.

I also enjoyed last night's episode of Eureka on the Sci Fi channel. It's a fun series.

Alright, on to the MEME's

1. Who is the last person you held hands with? The hubster

2. If you were drafted into a war, would you survive? No, I get lost too easy. I’d head “North” and wind up in enemy camp.

3. Have you ever drank milk out of the carton? Yep

4.Have you ever won a spelling bee? Hell no.

5. How fast can you type? Pretty darn smok’n fast – just don’t ask me how accurately

6. Are you afraid of the dark? Yes, much of the time I am

7. What is your eye color? Greenish/Hazel

8. When is the last time you chose a bath over a shower? My first date with the hubster

9. Do you knock on wood? Always

10. Are you drinking anything right now? Coffee

11. Can you hoola hoop? Used to, now I just look like one

12. Are you good at keeping secrets? Yep

13. What do you want for Christmas? World Peace - or Season 1 of Farscape

14. Do you talk in your sleep? Apparently

15. Who wrote the book of love? My Aunt and Uncle

16. Have you ever flown a kite? Yes, but more often I’m told to go do so

17. Do you consider yourself successful? A lil’ bit

18. How many people are on your contact list of your cell? A bunch

19. Have you ever asked for a pony? No, apparently I am missing that girly gene

20. Plans for tomorrow? More of what I do today

21. Missing someone now? Yep, the hubster – very badly

22. How are you feeling today? Just peachy

24. Are you black? What kind of question is that?

26. What are you looking forward to? My next tattoo

27. Have you ever crawled through a window? yes

28. Can you handle the truth? sometimes

29. Do you like green eggs and ham? Never had it, but I like eggs, and I like ham so I guess I would like them sam I am

30. What three things do you always bring with you to places? A book, money, phone

31. Any cool scars? One on the back of my hand; a moon shaped one on my thumb; one next to my eye from cracking it open on the fire place in honor of my first birthday (nothing says “Happy 1st Birthday like two black eyes); my left foot, ankle, and calf all have burn/graft scars which I intend to beutify next month with a tattoo of a phoenix rising from the ashes – get it- burn scars- phoenix – how cool is that?;oh, and one on the small of my back from falling onto the roof of a metal dollhouse.

32. Do you like or have a crush on anyone? Johnny Depp

33. How many kids do you plan on having? As many as I can – all of them four legged and furry

34. What do you do when no one is watching? Uh, I’m not sure

35. Have you ever been in love? Yes, very much so

36. Do you talk to yourself? Yep, I find myself quite interesting actually

37. Is there something you want that you do not have? A digital camera

38. Who are you thinking about right now? The hubster, and Scott for some reason

39. Who did you last hug? The hubster – hugged him good-bye – sigh….

40. Where is your phone? Both cell and home are on the coffee table in front of me

41. What is the last movie you watched? Phone Booth

42. What song do you currently hear? True Companion by Marc Cohn - in my head

43. What do you want? For winter to not be coming so soon

44. Would you ever date anyone on your friends list? Yes.

45. What TV Show are you watching? Eureka
Interesting, there is no question 23 or 25 hmmmmmm

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (your first pet and the street that you live on)
Muff 14

2. YOUR MOVIE STAR NAME: (grandfather/grandmother on your mom’s side, your favorite candy)
Ruth Twizzler

3. YOUR “FLY GIRL/GUY” NAME: (first initial of first name, first two or three letters of your middle name
R Jo

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Pink Koala

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Jo Fontana

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name, first 2 letters of mom’s maiden name)
Kowreka

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The”, your favorite color, favorite drink)
The Pink Hurricane

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first name of both your grandfathers)
Tony Jack

9. FUTURISTIC NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne and the name of your favorite shoes)
Woodhue Sketchers

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: ( mother/father’s middle name and the next name you hear on the tv/radio/talk)
Jane Simpson

11. Stripper name: (favorite dance and favorite snack)
Waltzing Popcorn (I am SO not getting any dollar bills with that name)


Until tomorrow dear friends,
Cheers!