Farewell and good riddance to the Aughts

Here's the fourth installment of the year in review.  This time, we're saying goodbye to a decade ... my second full.  I'm not sad to see the "aughts" go.  There were generally more good than bad, but the bad moments were so trying and life-altering.


May the 2010 decade bring much happiness, prosperity, merriment and lots of posts!

Three Words to Describe 2009: Loss, Historic, Ripples

TV Show: Two way tie: Grey's Anatomy & Doctor Who

New TV Show: Gotta give this to a radio/cable tv show moment ... Danettes Dodge Ball Bets.  I would get DirectTV just for that (luckily, they are posted on YouTube)

Song: Not Meant to Be - Theory of a Deadman

Book: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Movie: The biggest disappointment I had when I finally got to see  ... Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.  Crappy Ending to a series that started out great!

Most Notable NFL Moment: The sign from Sunday: 75% percent of the world is covered by water, the rest is covered by Charles Woodson  (the person who thought that up is BRILLIANT)

I'll turn the channel when: any thing with Sarah Palin on! (Please, Please GO AWAY!)

Gift Given: Kelly's toys ... too, too fun

Best new tradition/habit: Ten Dozen Minutes with Jick & Skully internet-radio show. 

KoL:

Wine: 9 ~ Tomato Wine from my mom's coworker, maybe not the best as compared to "professional wines" but most interesting

Best Blog: Dooce.com

Fa a la la la la lotr

For some reason, I had a hankering for The Lord of the Rings series.  And surprisingly, it's getting me in the Christmas spirit.  I think its because there are so many messages of hope that is pulling me in right now.

These are my favorite passages from the first two movies (courtesy of imdb):

Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring. In which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.

Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.


Sam: I wonder if we'll ever be put into songs or tales.
Frodo: [turns around] What?
Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, 'Let's hear about Frodo and the Ring.' And they'll say 'Yes, that's one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn't he, Dad?' 'Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that's saying a lot.'
Frodo: [continue walking] You've left out one of the chief characters - Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam.
[stops and turns to Sam]
Frodo: Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam.
Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn't make fun; I was being serious.
Frodo: So was I.
[they continue to walk]
Sam: Samwise the Brave..
(I'm only as far as the Two Towers.)

There's so many things I didn't remember.  And so many fantastic little jokes throughout.  It's one of those movies that keeps drawing me back.

But every time I watch it .... I'm still mad at Eowyn throwing herself at Aragorn, even after he tells her he is bound to another.  Seriously, bitch, step off.  He's Arwen's man.  And she's Elvin.  What do you have to offer other than wielding a sword and whining?

Theoden also drives me a touch crazy (speaking of which, so does Denethor, but that's in the next movie).  Theoden gives up when the Keep is breeched.  No hope, no direction to his army, his people who were still fighting.  Actually, he lead them to their death by going to helms deep in the first place.  Eomer is only Rohirrim that I enjoy (and gets the short end of the stick).

I love that Pippin is the one who gets the idea to lead Treebeard South past Isengard to see the destruction Saruman has wrought against the Earth and the trees.

Faramir is the yummiest actor in a cast of very yummy actors.


Some of the scenes aren't as technically shiny, bright and spectacular as I remembered. I don't know if it's because I've watched the technical behind the scenes so much and I have a pretty good realization how it was put together (and totally disillusioned that that is not Elijah Wood's real hair) or if in the years since this series has come out and it doesn't seem so cutting edge anymore.

To sleep or to watch TV ... that is the question

I write to you, gentle friends, laying in bed, typing happily on my laptop.  I'm pondering watching The Fellowship of the Ring until I fall asleep or skip the middle man and just go to sleep.

The beauty of all of this?  I'm on vacation.

Woo-freakin'-whoo.  I've had a horrible three weeks.  And a pretty sucky month in general.

I've discovered the old adage of when one door closes another one opens also lends way to when you're trapped in a burning building and all the doors are stuck, if you break a window the whole house might combust.

But I can put all of it behind me and out of my mind and enjoy my time away from the rest of the world.

I'm planning on sleeping in.  Wrapping presents.  Watching television and lots of internet videos.  I'm fairly caught up on all the blogs I read, so I'm going to continue reading my 600 page book ... you know the kind, those heavy things made with paper.

I'm also going to write.  Here and hopefully my book.  Watch for posts. Over posts, and lots of catch up work with my photos on flickr.  I'm going to be dangerously close to not making my goal of more posts than last year.  I'll have to do some real soul searching as how to remedy that with a good conscience.

There's also a lot of filing and cleaning I've been neglecting and accumulating since last summer.  It may be dull but if I get some of that done I'll add years to my life.

If I can have one wish for this vacation other than warm weather and that it would never end...  I wish that this stuffy nose will go away ASAP and with it the groggy, headaches and no energy that has been accompanying it.

Most Unique To Do's I've had

My stove area has a weird spill-over burnt smell.  Cleaned it twice to no avail.  Tonight as I was microwaving some green beans, I realized it's the microwave.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave

America's Test Kitchen just told my not to buy my normal brand of diced tomatos--and I didn't think they tasted bad.  Their choice is 60 cents more--I'm sticking with mine.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction



I love the way my hair looks when it was damp.  It's not soaking wet, it's not quite dry. It's straight and flipping and doesn't feel as heavy.  But then it dries--thickens (is that possible?) and gets that ugly wavy to it.


To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair

Christmas music is awesome! It totally brightened my mood and helped my decorating move along.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair
4. Listen to more Christmas music.  Add to phone and/or MP3 player

Fall decorations have exploded all over my living room and dining room.  I had half of it put away, but then had to dig it out again to find some ornaments.  I'm in the point where it's gets much worse before it gets better.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair
4. Listen to more Christmas music.  Add to phone and/or MP3 player
5. Put away fall decorations, try not to let the Christmas stuff vomit over everything. Post pictures of exploding, vomiting and the pretty aftermath

I've been discouraged with adventuring because it's taking forever to reach level 30.  I've done all I can do in Hobopolis, and underwater isn't fantastically entertaining.  But, it's Crimbo, and I get to work for a mob penguin.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair
4. Listen to more Christmas music.  Add to phone and/or MP3 player
5. Put away fall decorations, try not to let the Christmas stuff vomit over everything. Post pictures of exploding, vomiting and the pretty aftermath
6. Keep adventuring.  Hope to reach Level 30 before I turn 30.  Hire some hobos. Punch Advent calendar.


I'm shamefully enjoying the trailor of the squeakal of Alvin and Chipmonks.  Who knew Rite Round and Single Ladies were more entertaining when sang by a chipmonk?

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair
4. Listen to more Christmas music.  Add to phone and/or MP3 player
5. Put away fall decorations, try not to let the Christmas stuff vomit over everything. Post pictures of exploding, vomiting and the pretty aftermath
6. Keep adventuring.  Hope to reach Level 30 before I turn 30.  Hire some hobos. Punch Advent calendar.
7. Enjoy that Chipmonk commercial.  Laugh. Every. Time.


On the subject of singing.  I'm horrible.  I'm the person Simon Cowell says is atrocious because i thought I had some sliver of talent.  My music teacher in seventh grade said i had expressive eyebrows when i sang, i should have realized how bad of a sign that was.

To Do List
1. Clean the Microwave
2. Look at my tomatoes with satisfaction
3. Straighten my hair
4. Listen to more Christmas music.  Add to phone and/or MP3 player
5. Put away fall decorations, try not to let the Christmas stuff vomit over everything. Post pictures of exploding, vomiting and the pretty aftermath
6. Keep adventuring.  Hope to reach Level 30 before I turn 30.  Hire some hobos. Punch Advent calendar.
7. Enjoy that Chipmonk commercial.  Laugh. Every. Time.
8. Keep singing. Just not in public.  Never listen to myself sing.  Ever again.

And why can't I ....

He said: ...

I said: ...

What I SHOULD have said:  Why do you always have to be such a dick?

Never Good Enough

He said: It's too bad you didn't do better ($500 + food donations for recent food drive)

I said: I'm happy with what we collected.

What I SHOULD have said:
1.  It's a Concert NOT a Dance
2. There's an ever-loving E in my name.
3. I'm NOT a republican!!!!! (Stop sending me propaganda and asking me to coordinate your events!)
4. Nothing is EVER good enough for you, is it?

:-)

D'oh! Oh Network, where did you go?

Around a month ago I came into the office, started my computer, ho-hum just another day.  Computer boots up with no welcome screen.

You know the one, serene blue color, saying, Good morning Stacey.  How's it going?  Is the coffee good this morning?  Did you bring me a cup?  Two creams, one sugar.

Yeah, that one.

Except, it's not there to ask for it's coffee.  The computer takes me straight to the desktop.  An unfamiliar one.  No pretty wallpaper.  No icons of programs that make my world go round.  No various projects that I've saved on the desktop.

And, as I start to hyperventalate because I cannot even access the network, I hear a faint screaming of my computer profile trapped inside the tower.  (From it's shaky account it was blindfolded, poked with searing hot objects and force fed liver)

My profile was sucked away and held hostage for around six hours.  The computer hostage negotiator had to come and boy did he have his hands full.  He had to sweet talk and threaten the evil demon that was torturing my good friend.  I don't know what all went down those six hours except that there were various passwords given and promises made.

In other words, a full work day gone because of technical difficulties.

But that, unpleasant wasteful day was like a hang nail compared to the computer armageddon we experienced this week.

That's right.  A full week.  Five work days.  WITHOUT THE NETWORK. 

The computer that houses the NETWORK was going through black screen convulsions.  "I was not properly shut down last time.  Shut down now? Safe Mode? Resume as is? If you don't touch me within the next five seconds, I'll do whatever I please." 

Turns out, it did the last option no matter what we tried to choose.

It was a crisis situation, so we called in the reserves.

We had email, we had Internet (after some prodding on my part to the so-called-computer-expert) and we had whatever what was located on our individual C-Drives.  Which, my friends, wasn't a whole lot.

One coworker went gangbusters and cleaned.  Which meant she was done with that usually long drawn out task by 2 p.m. on Monday.  (Say it with me folks, F.U.C.K.)

It was an interesting little experiment of who could hold their sanity longest.  (I'm not sure if I won.)

One of us would start something and get cocky.  "Hey, look at me!  I'm working and being productive without the precious NETWORK.  Now I just have to load this Update to the Web site and send out the email ... and .... dammit ... web updates are on the NETWORK. .... WHY GOD, WHY?!?"

La la la, working on something, oh wait, I have to check that figure.  BAM. It's on the NETWORK.

And on. And on. And on.

The busy work and random tasks we could find really didn't task our brains ... and by Wednesday we were all getting a little punchy.

However, our office is now cleaner than when the cleaning Nazi walked our halls.

Friday at two the computer "expert" came back with the computer that houses the NETWORK all new and shiny and working.  The only problem with this is he didn't know where the NETWORK was on the new computer.  He wouldn't listen to the file paths I was giving him.  But oh well, what do I know?

With around one hour left in the week, the NETWORK was restored.  I was so disoriented at all the different options of folders and files that I didn't know what to work on first. 

File it under, What I SHOULD have said ...

She said: Thank you for taking my place in that three hour after work, "sit there and do nothing" thing.

I said: Not a problem.

What I SHOULD have said: "You owe me the first studio show of So You Think You Can Dance?!!"

I've been here before, a few times

I had the oddest memory come to me while I was raking leaves.

It was my freshman year of college and I was in the newspaper office with the other two editors.

Whatever we were talking about came around to the fact I was having trouble sleeping.  One suggested I take sleeping pills.  I said I had thought of that too, but my mom nixed the idea.

He said, "You're an adult now, you don't have to do what your mom says."

I didn't saying anything at the time, because I knew she was right.  They were something I truly didn't need and it was a very real risk that I could have become dependent on them.   A risk I feel better not taking.

My sister and I had a similar conversation about a different obligation.  It was my grandmother's 80th birthday party on the same day as something else I wanted to go to.

"You don't always have to do what mom wants," she said.  Unfortunately I started to cry (I do that when I get frustrated).

I didn't have to be there, but it meant the world to Mom and Grandma.

I've done plenty of things my mom is not happy about or things she wouldn't have chosen for me. But what they don't understand is being an adult means that just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.

With that said, if I could have found a way to go to that Goo Goo Dolls concert when I was 17 and forced to go to Grandpa's birthday party, I so would have.

Come on now, Johnny trumps all.

I Miss You. I Miss You.

When I was young we went camping as a family.  My grandparents and quite a few of my mom's brothers and sisters and their kids.  We would have nearly half the campground to ourselves, the family is so big. 

These were probably my favorite moments of my childhood summers.  Beautiful warm days, all together at Lake Solberg in Phillips.

One time, Laura and Lenny were there, my mom's aunt and uncle.  They wanted to go fishing off the dock and they invited me too.  My dad had gotten me my own fishing gear, so I was all set.  They showed me how to cast, and reel the line in.  It was with them that I had caught my first fish.  I remember being so proud, and their smiles shining on me with pride.

After that my dad and I went fishing when we would go camping without the family and it would be just me and him.

Every family reunion I would stop by them to say hi and they would always ask how my fishing was going.  When we stopped camping they would just ask about me. With such a big family, and not being the loudest of the crowd, it's easy to sink in your own little corner, pigeon-holed to a typecast that someone else fits on you.

But they always saw me.  Maybe they saw the little girl I was, with that tiny fish that one summer.

And now, Lenny died.  And I'm going to miss seeing him.

It's great with that jacket, it's like you're one big sexy fish

I've been staying up late this week, and sleeping in too.  Who needs time to get ready for work in the morning?  Apparently, not me, maybe.

I'm not sure why I'm not going to sleep at a normal time.  In the whole of September I probably stayed awake past 9:30 all of five times.  Hey wait ... maybe this means that cold is finally gone.  Except for the inexpictible stuffy nose and sneezing I was doing this morning.  But to make myself feel better, I'll pretend that was allergies.

Yesterday I watched a two hour interview with Seth MacFarlane online.   Yes, I'm a dork.  But oh yes, it was fantastic.  (too lazy to find the link for it, stayed up too late to remember what it was called).  It was some made for the Internet show hosted by a comedian.  Seth had three beverages and then asked for a salad, and then they brought him one. (it was more funny last night then what it sounds now)  Seth was on Flash Forward (fucking awesome, hopefully he's on more episodes and will maybe have a storyline.  One show at a time, MacFarlane is taking over the television)

Tonight I indulged in some Blink 182 & Mark Hoppus you tube clips.  Nice.  The Hartford concert tribute after DJ AM died brought a lump to my throat. I think the lack of sleep effects the numbers side of my brain first because all night long I've been typing 192 and then I'm all wtf? That's not right.

I'm trying to stay awake for South Park, I'm not sure if I'm going to make it.  Hmmm The Late Show with Craig Ferguson is starting to get a little raunchy. 

He says that when you want to be crazy and yell at people, back in the day they used green ink. I didn't realize that.

Last week I got Children of the Corn from the library and watched it with mom.  It has Linda Hamilton in it, and I am contractually obligated to watch anything with Linda Hamilton with mom.  It really wasn't scary by any means, but most horror films from the 80's weren't really that scary.  The male lead was dumb as a box of rocks like most characters in horror films.  It got to the point I was routing for them to kill him.  He kept trying to talk to the brainwashed, crazy, murderous children.  Don't be fooled by this ridiculous dogma he would sneer at them as they closed in around him weilding their reapers and macheties. 

Towards the end was really the best.  He yelled at one of the kids that didn't show homicidal tendencies to get out of the cornfield, but then asked him three separate times for help. He was making a molatov cocktail to set the cornfield on fire and three it to an area that he hadn't sprayed with alcohol. The kid ran and got it, gave it back to him and said "Now throw it right this time!"  Nice.

And THEN at the very end, he got attacked again (because he's that much of an idiot), and Linda saves the day.  He starts wondering what they should do cuz this girl in unconscious in the front seat.  She says, if you want to become a doctor in Seattle, we got to get the hell out of this town.  Yeah, duh---but if I were Linda I'd leave him behind to convince the crazy girl that she shouldn't follow the word of he who walks behind the rows.  For an atheist, he has too many conservative righteousness.

I just learned from TMZ that the Saints have a bye this week.  Damn, them plus the Packers, I have a lot of players I need to replace.  I hope the Colts and Steelers aren't on a Bye or I'm pretty screwed.

Ohhhh, it's the hurricane katrina episode of South Park.  Gotta stay awake for that.

The Where the Wild Things Trailer makes me smile because the song is the closing of the last segment on Fridays (Arcade Fire) for the Dan Patrick Show.  I also love when Seton plays Blink 182 songs.

CBS plays instrumentals from AvA during their pregame show.  It really puts a damper on my Sunday.  Not enough that I would ever consider watching the FOX show, but still yuck.

And with that .... Ladies and Gentlemen .... the stylings of South Park, and then to sleep.

Should have bought stock in Kleenex

Ahhh ... AHHH ... CHOOOOOO!!!!!!

Obviously I'm sick.  I've had a cold for about three weeks. Sniffy nose and miserable.  Now, I've caught another cold that includes huge sneezes every other minute.  Stuffy nose, watery eyes.  FUN.

This cold has left me even more unmotivated than I usually am--which is pretty pathetic.

In this haze of tissues, the one thing that drives me crazy is that people need to give an opinion about what's really wrong.  Because it's absolutely polite to say to someone who just told you they were miserable for the past two days that they really don't have a cold.  It's the flu.  Or, it's allergies.  Of course you know my body better than me.  I've only had it for 26 years.

But let me tell you, it's a cold--it feels like every other cold I've had.  And unless you have a medical degree and you have checked me over, you don't know. Come a little closer, tell me again, and I'll sneeze on you.

It's one of those colds that if I could remove my nose from my face until it was back to working order, I would.

A nice little touch to my cold today is the sudden dip in temperatures.  We received the first taste of fall today--complete with 40 mile-an-hour winds.   The weird thing about these winds is they are truly gusts.  It can be calm one moment and then, like right now, they bloom up out of nowhere and look like they could rip the trees out of ground.  Even those two ginormous pine trees in my backyard.  I think they may have even lost a couple of limbs.  I'd go out and look, but it's 47 degrees out, and I'm not that curious.

I just finished My Sister's Keeper.  Something you should try to avoid when you have a cold?  Crying.  Man. I did not see that coming.  Not the crying.  This book has been great and captivating, but hard.  It hits too close to home and it wasn't something I could breeze through without fighting serious bouts of depression.  But the ending.  Wow.

Get the book.  Read it.  Make sure you have tissues.  Then go hug your kids, and your parents.

Tingling all over

Kick off weekend was awesome.  So awesome, in fact, I think I was a little over-stimulated.

What a better way to start the season than a game that went into overtime?

See that red light? It means you shouldn't be moving.

The road construction is really pushing me to my limit.

It's not the detours, having to drive through an obstacle course of orange barrels and gravel.  I don't care that we've been playing the guess which road is closed today game since April.

What's driving me bonkers is that in dealing with all of this, people have decided that sacrifices they make because of this construction means that they do not have to obey traffic signals.

There's one area at a four way stop, if you have to make a left turn you should factor in another 15 minutes to your travel time.

Picture this: You're sitting in a line of cars as far as the eye can see, about six car lengths away from the left turn lane.  You can see that precious green turn arrow ahead in the distance pointing you towards the promised land.  The long line of cars vaguely begins to move.  When you are four car lengths away from merging into the turn lane, the arrow turns yellow.

And, then once you finally get in that lane, you lose right of passage.  That is, supposibly.

But the two cars ahead of you decide they are above the authority of that lighted arrow and continue to turn without it. This makes the oncoming cars (who, technically have the right of way) wait.  These cars decide they will continue on their way at the red light, because they were cheated out of their green light.

This sets off a cascade of vehicles traveling through the intersection whenever the hell they please only regarding the signals as a vague suggestions. 

This traffic sucks, I get it.  But because you needed to go at that very second, you just made the whole process five minutes longer.  It's a crap shoot people, and a wonder how there hasn't been an accident.

Oh, on a separate note, I was at a presentation for work at an elementary school yesterday and some parent backed into my car.  Then, she high tailed her pick up out of the parking lot.  The office personnel told me what happened and called the police.  I waited around for 25 minutes to file a report, he said it looked like over $1,000 damage.

I haven't gotten the estimate yet, but that's exactly what I needed.  Add my broken oven, and the other engine repairs the car needed anyway, looks like the fall bills will be hefty.

Let me count the ways ...

Ah, the start of the NFL Season, only topped by the thrill of the Super Bowl. Kickoff weekend brings all the things I love about football flooding back ...

1. Feats of brain over brawn (Denver WR-Brandon Stokley running parallel so that time ran off the clock or the Brian Westbrook play last year where he took a knee on the one yard line instead of scoring so the clock would run out and the other team wouldn't have a chance to score).
2. The chatter and cadence at the line of scrimmage before the snap.
3. The beauty of a pass rocketing straight down the field to a waiting receiver.
4. Sacking the other team's quarterback.
5. A defender appearing out of seemingly no where to swoop in, intercept the ball and run it in for a touchdown.
6. The winded D-lineman when he's the one running down the field trying to make a touchdown after a fumble recovery or tipped ball.
7. Whisper of a perfect completion.
8. Thwack of a batted away ball.
9. Comrade of the players and coaches.
10. Grace of the athletes.
11. Toeing in touchdowns.
12. One handed catches.
13. One handed over the shoulder catch between two defenders.
14. A pass that's floated into a receiver and caught without breaking stride.
15. Anticipation of the big game.
16. Celebrations.
17. Pre-game choreography.
18. The synchronicity of no-huddle offense.
19. Redirection at the line of scrimmage.
20. New commercials (practically better than famed super bowl ads).
21. Holding your breath at the big play, waiting to see the conclusion.
22. Ricocheted passes that are completions and touchdowns.
23. Perfectly executed blocks.
24. Making defenders miss.
25. Shrugging out of a sack.
26. Stiff-arming a player two times bigger.
27. Nail biting final moments that pay off.
28. Making something out of nothing.
29. When reviews go your team's way.
30.  Complicated formulas to get into the playoffs.
31. Third down defensive stands.
32.  Stretching for the first down.
33.  Big yards after the catch plays.
34. Booming kick off or punts.
35. Field goals that dink off the upright.
36. Eleven hours of football (with pregame/post game).
37. The really good color commentators & pregame shows.
38. Surprises as scores come up on the ticker.
39. Bad weather games.
40. High scoring games.
41. Broken plays that gain yards.
42. Fake plays.
43. Blocked field goals.
44. Triple digit fantasy points.
45. Ending the game with an interception.

Of Ice Cream Trucks and Doodleage

I'm sitting here quite ravenous waiting for supper.  15 minutes never seemed quite so long, and I should have started prep about a half hour ago so I wouldn't be contemplating chewing off my arm or polishing off the rest of the ice cream.

I'm waiting for my portabella mushrooms to rehydrate so I can finish my stir fry.  I love mushrooms, especially the bellas, but they are so pricey.  I hope this cheaper alternative is a good alternative.

Today is day two (or four if you count the weekend) of my long awaited vacation.  I've been blessed with such beautiful weather.  I've slept in, watched favorite television shows I don't usually get to see, had lunch out and been canceled on three times.  Three times!  Everyone is canceling on me.  Oh well.

Today my godmother, grandmother, aunt and cousin came for a visit with my mom. My mom made a point to inquire about the depth of my cleaning last night.  I don't think she approves of my standards of housekeeping.  Now, I'll admit I'm not the best.  But it's never more than an hour or two of spot cleaning to get it back to presentable.

I made sure to ask her what she thought of the state of the house on the phone tonight.  She approved. If she wouldn't have, it wouldn't have taken too much of a toll, but it's still nice to get the compliment.

This week I've been serenaded by the hum of air conditioners all around me.  By necessity I think I've trained myself to deal with the heat (not that it's been that hot this summer).  Because two years ago I would have been begging to turn the air on or UP. I don't have air in my house and have only ran my fans around three times.

As I write this, I sit under a quilt (and it's around 74 degrees).  I still have two quilts, a blanket, sheet, plus a throw on my bed.

Dude, an Ice Cream truck!  I didn't think they still existed. What fun. If I had some cash I would help the Ice Cream Truck Economy.

I've become quite a doodler lately, and I don't usually do so.  These doodles aren't anything interesting.  In fact, they're just swirls and scrolls.  While I was recreating the same looping swirl over again during video editing, I got the thought to incorporate my subject of doodleage in a new masthead.  But how?

Over and over again, my pen looped around, and I realized my swirls reminded me of Starry Night and I did a quick sketch of this masthead.  I'm not totally satisfied with it, but overall, I like the effect.

I'm frustrated with the overall look and organization of my template, but haven't found anything I like better.  So, I guess this will do.

Another frustration is my innate nature to avoid writing the book I'm working on.  I'm an aspiring writer, which I've always hated admitting, because, isn't everyone?

I have three solid ideas which I sketch out and write passages here and there.  I don't know if its the struggle of prose that keeps me stagnant, the double duty of typing my written long hand (because the open and vast blankness of the word processor sucks the creativity out of me) or the vanity of writing for an immediate audience.

My good intentions always fall flat.  With my remaining time this week, I'll try to remedy that.  Ooof.

The hot tamale train is nearly at the station again

I love that Dooce loves So You Think You Can Dance?.

How exciting is it SYTYCD will be on this fall?

Even though I enjoy him, I hope Evan leaves this week. I think final two will be Kayla and Brandon -- with Brandon winning. (Even though I like Jeanine more than Kayla, but I think Kayla is the better dancer)

My predictions for final standings (I cannot believe the finale is next week!)

1. Brandon
2. Kayla
3. Jeanine
4. Ade
5. Melissa
6. Evan

With the exception that America is in love with Evan and he might make it to the final, leaving Ade going home tonight. 

Just like sour chocolate soy milk

Driving home from work today I almost hit a kid on a scooter. Almost as in if I hit the brake about 5 seconds later this would be a whole different post. I was still in the momentum from my turn when a little blond boy no older than seven, rolling on his scooter, zipped from the sidewalk by the other lane, over the center line to my lane.  My heart was still pounding as I turned into my driveway.

No, wait, it wasn't.  The pounding was replaced utter annoyance as I had to sit on the edge of the road waiting to turn right onto the street that leads to my home.  There I got to see the smooth moves of a teenager trying to ride and trick out a skateboard in the middle of the road.  Or should I say, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE F'ING ROAD!?  DO YOU NOT REALIZE I ALMOST HIT A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD AND BY GOD DON'T TEMPT ME TO MOW YOU DOWN!

Then, THEN this kid looks at me over his shoulder, tries a kick flip, and fails.  He picks up his board and walks to the sidewalk.  I wish I had skills so I could grab his board, do a wicked backside kickflip 360 give it back and walk away.  As if to say, this is my road and you better clear the way when I'm coming punk.

To continue my issues, I learned that using my office key to open the house doesn't work.  And chocolate soy milk goes bad really quickly. This discovery was such a disappointment.  I had at least two more glasses in there and I was really looking forward to having a glass of chocolate milk with my omelet for supper.

More awesomeness

Blink-182, always involved with something awesome.  Click the photo above to enter to win a ton of prizes.

Say it isn't so

Oh Big Ben, I hope it's not true.

Ben Roethilsberger vows to fight 'reckless' lawsuit