Another Work Year Ends

The work year is drawing to a close.
Another Friday and I'm here by myself.
I think I might lock the door.
Mostly because I'm playing my iPod rather loud.
Sing to me, Eddie!
And just to satisfy anyone's curiosity, this is the Vera Bradley case I received for Christmas:DN1 got the pink and green one which even though those aren't her colors (she's not a petal pink kind of girl - reds and oranges yes), I didn't want to have two black ones in the house, and oh yes, the black one is mine.
Yesterday DN1 got really busy in the house and moved things around - it was lovely!
Brava!
I'm so proud of her, and not just because she organizes my life. But she did help me create my own little Virginia Woolf room. I can't wait to get in there and shut the door and read, or knit, or listen to music sans interruption.
I'll post pictures later, because it will be awesome, oh yes.
A domani!

Are bedbugs the new cockroaches?

I'm working on this scarf for my brother using some Bernat from my stash. I had to make something for him especially when he contacted me after I sent him a handknit hat for Christmas. He told me (via email) that he could use some cold weather coverings because his apartment had become infested with bedbugs and he had to throw a lot of things away.
Bedbugs seems like such an archaic thing, so Mother Goose or something (Sleep tight! Don't let the bedbugs bite!), but apparently they are becoming even more common than before.
So I posit that bedbugs are the new cockroaches.
I found this article from Harvard discussing bedbugs.
And you may remember that Maya Rudolph (of SNL) had to flee her NYC apartment because of bedbugs.
They're not pretty.
I can't imagine crawling into bed with anything so hideous (that's what she said).
They remind me of ticks and I hate ticks.
So this is not charity knitting, just helping a brother out because winter in Beantown can be mighty chilly.
Cheers mate.

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, Ho Ho Ho and Off You Go

Santa's gone, folks and he left some mighty nice things.
For one thing, Santa sure knows how to shop off of my amazon.com wishlist.
Smart guy!
Because then he knows things are always just right if you buy me what I want. And if you don't, I'll just buy it for myself, but a surprise is always nice.
I received my first, ever Vera Bradley bag - it's the train case - and unlike DN2, I did think I would have to wait until I was 75 to get my first piece. (For the record, I'm not a huge Vera Bradley fan - those cloth bags would not hold what I carry in my bag everyday, which is usually one to two books, knitting, numberous receipts, at least four tubes of lipstick and other assorted accoutrements.)
So I was pleased with my gifts, and my children were too.
Here's a picture of my gamers in action:



Now sometimes things seem magnified and perhaps a bit strange after you've been drinking. And let me say for the record that on Monday night I hadn't imbibed so much champagne that my judgement was impaired, but as I sat there drinking I heard my son's voice come from the television set. It was totally surreal and all I could say was "Wow," "How cool," and "Is that you, God?" Because I have to tell you, even though I know a rotary phone would kick my kid's collective butts, there is nothing like this new XBox 360. I don't play the games, they're too difficult for my small brain (I never know which button to push), but the fact that my son here in NY can play, and talk to, my other son in Minnesota, as well as a friend in Virginia and another in Minnesota...well, it boggles the mind!

But they can play all they want, because I'll be up in my room knitting and eating my Crunchie bars. Yum yum. Hope you all had fun!

Six Weird Things

I've been tagged by KnittyOtter and I feel compelled to comply because she's just so awesome (you are!).

Here are the rules: "Each player of this game starts with the "6 weird things about you." People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says "you are tagged" in their comments and tell them to read your blog."

Oddly enough, I'm having trouble finding enough weird things about myself to complete this list(ha ha!). So really, if you feel the need to contribute weird things about me, by all means go ahead, but I know you'll have trouble, because I may be whacked and a total dork, but I'm not weird!!

1. Eggs. I am very particular about my eggs. I cannot stand for my eggs to be cold. If I could eat them straight from the frying pan I would, because I hate it if my eggs get cold. And I get very angry if anyone gets in the way of me eating my eggs after they have been sitting on my plate for more than a minute. Now if I purchase them from somewhere that I don't expect to be fresh and hot, like the hospital cafeteria, right Sheri, then I will get them scrambled and cover them with ketchup. (I don't like buttering cold toast either - the butter must be placed on the toasted bread as soon as it is finished toasting so that it has an opportunity to melt into the toast.)

2. I like to eat the food on my plate one item at a time. Normally I'll start with vegetables first, but I also factor in what I will eat last since that is the taste I want to have in my mouth when I'm finished eating. And yes, Jean, the foods can touch, but only sometimes. If I am at a buffet I do not like my food items to touch. I like for them all to have their own little spot on the plate. I'll go back for seconds and thirds just so my food doesn't run into each other.

3. I have intellectual crushes on writers. I'm just a dirty whore, I know, but sometimes I just can't help becoming attracted to someone through their words. I believe we've already discussed my fascination with Albert Camus, but I also like Gilbert Highet and H.D.F. Kitto. And no, I don't look at their pictures, I read their words. Much more effective, because their looks? Meh. Their brains? Oh yeah, baby.

4. I abhor having my picture taken. No really, I really hate it. With a passion. I wish that I were as photogenic as my children, but I think I look goofy and dorky (and gigantic) in every picture, except for some that were taken in 1996. Yes, for a short period there I actually peaked.

5. I follow stories in comic strips and certain tv shows to the extent that I feel anxiety for them. I know they are not real people. I can't help it. I get too involved. What will happen next in For Better or Worse??? This is why I don't follow a lot of soap operas, because I know I'll become addicted and filled with anxiety. It was wrenching for me to move up here and not be able to watch EastEnders anymore. I've got history with that show - I've been watching it since 1992!! Literally. So I try not to think about it and how I don't know what is going on. It's difficult. I miss Grant! (If only I could access the Buffalo or Syracuse PBS station.)

And if my kids are reading this, they can stop right now. Good-bye!

Psst. Are they gone?
Okay good.
Here's that last one.
6. Beer makes me horny. And you know I have to be careful when I drink it and read Camus. ^_^

Now I'm supposed to tag six people. That may be difficult, so let's see, I'll choose three and then three other people can chose themselves. But let me know who you are!! Here goes: Kat, Micky, and Jennifer.

If this doesn't make you feel old, I don't know what will

Time: 10:30 pm (it's late, it's a Saturday, so sue me)
Place: My living room
People: DN2 (age 8) and me
Watching: "Desperately Seeking Susan"
Set up: Scene where Roseanna Arquette is in jail and is placing her one (actually second) phone call. She asks if she can make another call and then proceeds to dial the phone (it's a rotary dial).

DN2: How do they do that?
Me: What? (Pause) Dial the phone?!?!?!
DN2: Yes
Me: Well you put your finger in the holes and turn the dial.
DN2: (Pauses while thinking) You're going to have to buy one because I just don't understand.
Me: (Laughing)

Tomorrow we'll talk about records. This should be interesting.

In the spirit of the season, apparently I'm a dork

You Are Donner

The most loveable and sweet reindeer, you're also a total dork! Why You're Naughty: You keep (accidentally) tripping the other reindeer while flying. Why You're Nice: You're always smiling, even if you've fallen flat on your horns.

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

The Longest Day

According to the Naval Observatory today's sunrise is at 7:41 and sunset is at 4:40.
Welcome to the shortest day of the year and the longest day of the work week - the Friday before Christmas.
And what is truly sad is that I snagged the best parking spot this morning. Of course, there were only 4 other cars in the parking lot. What's even sadder is I was running about 4 minutes late (so 8:04) and I still got the best spot.
That's okay, I've got my book, I've got some knitting, and Lord knows I have work today (meh), and I'm hoping a guardian angel will come along and say, "Oh, please don't stay all day. Leave early if you'd like."
Because Christmas is the time of benevolence and good will, or so I've been told.

Note: Time on deck is 1337 (that's 1:37), and I'm the last one here. It's kind of like standing duty, being here all alone, but at least I don't have to go out and tour the area making sure all is secure (or keep a logbook). I would start to become concerned if I heard the elevator running - that might freak me out. But I've been given permission via General Order #5 and I will be quitting my post at 1400 (that's 2:00), so I'll be hightailing it out of here in order to go home and, well, do nothing! Kind of like how I spent this week at work! Enjoy the weekend!!

Blogging, Knitting, and Wasting Time

Hey y'all - I don't know if any of you noticed - but Wendy commented on my blog!
I had to call my husband and then email all two of my friends who would care.
It's like a visit from a celebrity - and one that I like!
Because honestly I've been around celebrities, and not all of them are worthy of being honored.
But the ones that are - well let the genuflecting begin.
I feel that I have arrived (and they haven't had time to show me the back door yet).

Now, I started working on the Hurry Up Spring Armwarmers from Stitch & Bitch Nation day before yesterday. Working with four needles is like trying to diaper an eel (because obviously I've done that before), but I'm persevering. Well before I started working on them I had a thought - and you know, it was one of those thoughts that you should listen to, you know, the one you ignore because you think it's all crap anyway. At least my thought processes are usually crap. So I thought perhaps I should check on the web and see if there are any corrections to this pattern and then my laziness kicked in and I didn't bother.

Big mistake!

Because yes, there are corrections to the pattern. Big corrections. Massive cable knitting corrections that if I were able to think and knit at the same time would not have made sense ergo I wouldn't have made the mistakes, but noooo (and I'm channeling John Belushi here). I sat through Talledega Nights and several hours of Dog the Bounty Hunter knitting up mistakes. What a fool I am. I guess I should have been sleeping instead. Well perhaps I'll put it down until tomorrow and watch some Miami Ink, drool over Ami James and rip it out and start all over again. Arrgh.

Nice Dreams

This is about that moment when you're thisclose to waking up and you're involved in a really nice, or cool, dream that you just don't want to leave - and then that damn alarm clock starts squawking and you have to leave the land of make believe.
Yes, today was one of those days.
I love my dreams.
Honestly.
Sometimes I think it would almost be cool to be comatose.
Almost.
Because when I dream it is like having a movie inside my head every night.
I am always entertained, sometimes scared, but always entertained.
And the thing is, I'm not always the main character. Sometimes I literally watch a movie, edited with slow-mo and fade outs and other techniques. It's so cool.
And I know there is music inside my head too, because one time I was having surgery (not on my brain, but darn close, Ms. Proboscisface) and I was listening to Vivaldi. When I came out of the anesthesia I asked the docs if they were listening to a classical station. They said no, their radio was tuned to something else.
So I know there are things going on in my subconscious that only get tapped at night.
Like last night I dreamt I was in a city and I was going to walk home and this chick named Fyodorika Finlandia (don't ask me where that name came from - perhaps something to do with Dostoevsky and the flag of Finland that I saw yesterday) and she said, don't walk home alone, it is unsafe. So she walked home with me, and then I had to go inside and get someone to walk home with her and there were more bizarre things happening, like we drove her home in a wagon pulled by horses, and when we dropped her off she worked at this modeling agency that classified their models as either back door or front door (nothing to do with sex, just how they looked). Strange stuff and really not entertaining for anyone but me.
But waking up from these wacko dreams is the hardest part, because sometimes I just want these dreams to go on.
Alas, they never do, because reality butts in and here I am, hard at work, anxiously awaiting the hour when I can go back to sleep.
And before you start asking questions, no, this post has nothing to do with a Cheech and Chong movie, nor with any of the illegal substances of which they partake.

New ideas to rid myself of stash yarn, and yes this means knitting them (and following directions)

Wendy over at WendyKnits has a new plan for 2007.
Knit from your stash; this pretty much follows the idea behind much depression-era thinking which is "make do or do without."
Well I want to do without. For a bit anyway.
There's even a hot, new button or four you can choose from.
These two are my favorites:

She has even developed a set of rules which I will copy here forthwith. Now these rules were created for Wendy and her friend, L-B. Chances are if Wendy had a look at my stash she'd create a new chapter in her next book entitled "The Determined, Yet Still a Loser, Knitter." And then light fire to all the acrylic yarn in my house while laughing at the puny amount of good yarn I own. Here are her rules with an extra-special caveat at the end:

"1. The Knit-From-Your-Stash-a-Thon will start January 1, 2007 and run through September 30, 2007 -- a period of nine months.

2. We will not buy any yarn during that period, with the following exceptions:

2.a. Sock yarn does not count. What? You think we are made of stone?

2.b. If someone asks for a specific knitted gift that we really and truly do not have the yarn for, we may buy yarn to knit that gift.

2.c. If we are knitting something and run out of yarn, we may purchase enough to complete the project.

2.d. We each get one "Get Out of Jail Free" card -- we are each allowed to fall off the wagon one time.

3. We are allowed to receive gifts of yarn.

4. Spinning fiber of any sort is exempt.

Anyone else who would like to join us in this is welcome to do so! Feel free to link to this page or to post the guidelines on your own blog. You may also alter the guidelines to suit your own situation."

Yes folks, it does say, "...alter the guidelines to suit your own situation..."
A nice easy out. And that third rule -- what does that say??? Gifts of yarn - yes, we can buy and give to each other. Ahh, how nice. And what Wendy doesn't say in her rules, however, applies to knitters like me with pitiful stashes -- there is the possibility that I might knit through all of my stash yarn! And if you believe that, George Strait and I have some oceanfront property to sell you in Arizona. At the speed with which I knit I think I might still be working on a lace hanky by the end of next year, unless I have about 25 works in progress. And that's actually doable.

Now, if I can just find Bleak House on CD or cassette and we get a blizzard in by the first week of January, I'll be all set.

What my obituary will say - but I'm not planning on dying yet!

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Book Meme

Courtesy of Kat.
Because why should you have to listen to me complain about how poorly my knitting is going (is it possible I just cannot read directions?).
Or about how I'm searching high and low in my house trying to find Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol so I can finally catch up with the Knit the Classics Ring? Anyway, here's a book meme and it goes something like this.

1. Find the nearest book.
Since I'm such a wonderful housekeeper (watch out Little Suzy Homemaker), I am able to reach over to the side of my bed and search amongst the half dozen books lying there.

2. Turn to page 123.
Easy enough to do since there's enough wattage coming from the neighbor's
Christmas display to blind me. Not to mention the streetlight.

3. Go to the fifth sentence on the page.
Glad I'm not wearing socks - I need my toes to count.

4. Copy out the next three sentences and post to your blog.
Now shouldn't they have revised that sentence? Why write it and then type it?
Time management folks.

5. Name the book, the author, and tag three more folks.
Tag, you're it. And no touchbacks.

This is what I have:

Mersault already knew the owner of the cafe, a former tenor who would sing behind his bar and between two beats of Tosca threaten his wife with a beating. Patrice was asked to serve with Bernard on the holiday committee, and on July 14 they walked through the streets in tricolor armbands or argued with the other committee meembers sitting around a zinc table sticky with aperitifs as to whether the bandstand should be decorated with ferns or palms. There was even an attempt to lure him into an electoral contest, but Mersault had had time to know the mayor, who had "presided over the destiny of his commune" (as he said) for the last decade, and this semi-permanent position inclined him to regard himself as Napoleon Bonaparte.

A Happy Death Albert Camus

Yes, folks, this is what is next to my bed. And you wonder why I'm so whacked out.

I am Charles VI, I am, I am

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?

You are Charles VI of France, also known as Charles the Mad or Charles the Well-Beloved!

A fine, amiable and dreamy young man, skilled in horsemanship and archery, you were also from a long line of dribbling madmen. King at 12 and quickly married to your sweetheart, Bavarian Princess Isabeau, you enjoyed many happy months together before either of you could speak anything of the other's language. However, after illness you became a tad unstable. When a raving lunatic ran up to your entourage spouting an incoherent prophecy of doom, you were unsettled enough to slaughter four of your best men when a page dropped a lance. Your hair and nails fell out. At a royal masquerade, you and your courtiers dressed as wild men, ending in tragedy when four of them accidentally caught fire and burned to death. You were saved by the timely intervention of the Duchess of Berry's underskirts.

This brought on another bout of sickness, which surgeons countered by drilling holes in your skull. The following months saw you suffer an exorcism, beg your friends to kill you, go into hyperactive fits of gaiety, run through your rooms to the point of exhaustion, hide from imaginary assassins, claim your name was Georges, deny that you were King and fail to recognise your family. You smashed furniture and wet yourself at regular intervals. Passing briefly into erratic genius, you believed yourself to be made of glass and demanded iron rods in your attire to prevent you breaking.

In 1405 you stopped bathing, shaving or changing your clothes. This went on until several men were hired to blacken their faces, hide, jump out and shout "boo!", upon which you resumed basic hygiene. Despite this, your wife continued sleeping with you until 1407, when she hired a young beauty, Odette de Champdivers, to take her place. Isabeau then consoled herself, as it were, with your brother. Her lovers followed thick and fast while you became a pawn of your court, until you had her latest beau strangled and drowned.

A severe fever was fended off with oranges and pomegranates in vast quantities, but you succumbed again in 1422 and died. Your disease was most likely hereditary. Unfortunately, you had anywhere up to eleven children, who variously went on to develop capriciousness, great cruelty, insecurity, paranoia, revulsion towards food and, in one case, a phobia of bridges.

Threadless

My kids love threadless.com - they have great t-shirts that make me laugh.
This is one of my favorites.



It's called "The Communist Party."
Karl Marx wearing the lampshade cracks me up every time.

Man am I boring

I got this Meme from Kat.
You're supposed to take the first sentence from each month throughout the year and post it here.
What do I have?
Some damn boring entries - check it out:

March
Here it is - the first time out there.

April
I’ve thought long and hard about writing a blog.

May
I read a lot of blogs, some are about knitting, and some are about celebrities.

June
When I was growing up, I always felt a connection with the south, primarily because I was born in Virginia.

July
Today is Franz Kafka's birthday.

August
There's a little more sadness in the world today.

September
It's officially over.

October
My youngest son has friends who are licensed to drive.

November
Last year when DN2 and I went trick or treating, we went out with a friend of my brother's and his daughter, who is the same age as DN2.

December
What is it with cats?

If this is a writing exercise you know what I've realized? That I rely very heavily on my title, and when my first sentence is separated from the title it doesn't stand on its own very well. Yes, I've taken a fun meme and turned it into an exercise in self-awareness. See - I must be boring!
Now, if you want to check out a blog that is not boring at all but quite informative with regards to the celluloid industry (movies, folks), head on over to Reel Fanatic. You know me, I'm so easy (glad that's not a first sentence) - post a comment on my and I'll link to you for life. Honestly, he's got some very well-written movie reviews and discussions about what's going on in the film industry and without the snarkiness of the gossip blogs. Check it out.

What Kind of Reader Are You

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Christmas Music

I like to buy new Christmas CDs every year. I love Christmas music, and sometimes you can get some really good music. And then every year I would read the reviews for Christmas CDs in the Washington Post and a lot of time I would purchase these CDs based upon their positive reviews. Well, I don’t get that newspaper anymore and yes, I know that I can read it online, but sometimes finding when they have published the Christmas CD reviews is just too much work. So this year I’ve decided to review some CDs myself.


The first CD I purchased this year was Sarah Maclachlan’s.
I had high hopes for this CD because honestly, who doesn’t like Sarah Maclachlan, and she is always innovative in her interpretations of songs, especially ones that are not her own (which are few). And the primary reason I was excited about this CD was because I had purchased a Christmas CD she produced and released about 4-5 years ago and on which she sang two tracks. This CD featured all Canadian performers, and I have to say it has become a family favorite (Lalique glass or crystal?). But then I listened to her new CD. Well, let me put it this way, there is nothing new and innovative with these songs. They are boring and mundane. And I almost don’t want to listen to this CD again. Blech. She has a Joni Mitchell song on here that everyone wants to sing called “River” (even Robert Downey Jr. sang this song in a movie). If you haven’t heard it I’ll tell you that it’s a sad, soulful song about a woman who is alone at Christmas in California and she’s pretty depressed about the whole thing. Great song, very sad, but great. I thought that Sarah’s interpretation would be outstanding. Well it’s not. It’s actually almost a little too upbeat. Come on – this woman is depressed. And here’s Sarah singing as if there’s no problem at all! It is horrible. At least to me. I made DN1 listen to it and she told me to turn it off, she couldn’t stand it. I’m adding that in just so you know it’s not just my opinion. Now truthfully I believe that Tori Amos has the best version of “River” bar none – and that means her version is even better than Joni Mitchell’s – and I’m comparing these versions to a live, bootleg recording of Tori singing this song! So I’ve set a difficult bar for anyone to overcome, but Sarah doesn’t even come close. Number of stars: 2 (and I almost want my money back)


Next comes James Taylor. You know, what can I say, it is James Taylor. I love him, but let’s be honest, a lot of his music sounds the same. The first part of the CD he tries to reinterpret some old carols, and it’s not too bad. His version of “Go Tell it on the Mountain” is kind of catchy. He too sings “River” and it is only slightly better than Sarah’s. The second half of the CD is just some innocuous singing, sounds original, but doesn’t grate on my nerves. After a bit I find myself singing along. And let me put it this way, if you’re hurriedly writing a paper at the last minute and you don’t care what you listen to as long as it doesn’t interfere with your thought process about Albert Camus (or fill in the blank with whatever you’re writing about), than this CD is for you. Number of stars: 2 ½


The third CD is Celtic Woman. I love this group, or combo, or gaggle of women, whatever they are calling themselves. I have their first CD (a non-Christmas one) and it is a pleasure to listen to. I also had high hopes for this CD and I was not disappointed. It is an excellent CD and what makes it easy for them, besides their obvious talent, is that they can switch around singers and this way none of their songs sound the same. But truly, they have done a wonderful job and even though a lot of the songs are not traditional “Celtic” songs, they are still done very well. Their version of “Carol of the Bells” is one I listen to often and I’ll tell you a funny story about their song “Christmas Pipes.” I was busy writing and listening to this CD and this particular song came on, but I misunderstood what they were saying; I thought they were singing about Christmas Pies. And I just couldn’t understand why someone was so excited about pies, which made me start thinking about which kind of pie and perhaps it is mince. Anyway, it is not a song about food, but I did crack myself up. Definitely one that I will listen to again each year, and sometimes in July. Number of stars: 3 ½

Post Secret

I don't know how many of you use the link to PostSecret from my blog but I suggest that you might just want to sit down each week and do that. And I'll tell you why.

Every Sunday, Frank, who is the keeper of the postcards, posts new secrets. Some are funny:

Some are full of hope:

And some are achingly poignant:

We live in a society where we can become instantly connected to people on the other side of the world but at the same time feel alone and isolated. PostSecret is intended to show us many things, primarily that no man is an island entire to himself (to misquote John Donne).

So go on, check it out. You won't be disappointed. And you may just find that someone else has the same secret as you.

The Safest Forecast

Around here the safest, and most used, forecast is "lake effect snow." It may not always happen but it's the safest bet to call for it, then if it doesn't happen, I don't know, blame it on the Canadians (just kidding! I love Canada!). We began the day yesterday with the threat of lake effect snow. This is what I saw out my front door yesterday morning:


Not too bad. Here's a picture from work just to thrill ya:


By yesterday afternoon, however, the winds were picking up and the forecast continued to call for - what else - lake effect snow. Here's the scene out my front door this morning:


You can't even see down the street and of course I didn't want to step outside only wearing slipper socks (thanks Sheri!). And it continues to snow. Just goes to show you, when the odds are even your forecast may actually end up being spot on - at least 50% of the time.

In sync

I just received a phone call from SN1 (my number one son) in Minnesota and it went like this:

Me: Hello
SN1: Hey, guess what I'm watching
Me: "The Witches"
SN1: How did you know?
Me: Because I'm watching "The Witches"
SN1: You are? On HBO?
Me: That's cool we're watching the same movie.
SN1: It's my favorite movie.
Me: I love this movie.
SN1: But it's freaky
Me: Well, it's true to Roald Dahl because it's not nice (said during scene where the grand high witch sends a baby in a pram flying down a hill towards the edge of a cliff).
SN1: I'd like to see a movie based on BFG
Me: They'd probably ruin it

1000 miles apart and we are still somewhat in sync.
And my sons wonder why I don't like their girlfriends...

Holiday Celebrations

I received a party invitation from a high school friend and I thought it was so clever that I must share. The invitation states that guests are invited to a celebration on Saturday, December 16 and once at the party they are encouraged to:

Please feel free to Celebrate any of the following: Independence Day in Central African Republic, Anniversary of the Restoration of Independence in Portugal, National Holiday in United Arab Emirates-Laos, Independence Day in Finland, Delaware Day in Delaware, Independence Day in Ivory Coast and Panama, Prophet Mohammed’s Birthday in Fiji, Mother’s Day in Panama, Blessing of the Water in Uruguay, Our Lady of the Coupe in Paraguay, Independence Day in Tanzania, Human Rights Day, Thai Constitution Day in Thailand, Wyoming day in Wyoming, Foundation of Worker’s Party Day in Angola, Independence Day in Upper Volta, Independence Day in Kenya, Republic Day in Malta, Statue Day in Netherlands Antilles, Constitution Day in Nepal, Day of the Covenant in South Africa, National Day in Bahrain, Hanukkah Semitic Diaspora, Victory Day in Bangladesh, National Day in Bhutan, Republic Day in Niger, Victory Day in Egypt, Emperor’s Birthday in Japan, Christmas Day in USA-South Korea-Philippines-Macau-Germany-France-Australia, Constitution Day in Taiwan, Children’s Day in Congo, Kwaanza African American Diaspora, Birthday of Quaid-i-Aziam in Pakistan, Bank Holiday in Canada-Ireland-UK-Cayman Islands-El Salvador-Honduras-Pakistan, Boxing Day, Family Day in South Africa, St. Stephen’s Day, Feast of Our Textbooks in Greece, Constitution Day in North Korea, Public Holiday in Lesotho-Zimbabwe, Civic Holidays in Costa Rica, His Majesty, The King’s Birthday in Nepal, anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Madagascar, Proclamation of the Republic of Congo, Feed Yourself Day in Benin, New Year’s Day-Earth, Independence Day Haiti-Sudan-Burma, Universal Fraternity Day Mozambique, Ancestry Day Haiti, St Berchtold’s Day Switzerland, Revolution day upper Volta, Martyrs Day Zaire-Panama, Children’s Day in Uruguay, Three Kings’ Day Puerto Rico, Christmas Ethiopia, Pioneer’s Day Liberia, Armed Forces Day Liberia, Zanzibar Revolution Day Tanzania, National Liberation Day Togo, Martin Luther King Holiday USA, Adults Day Japan, Arbor Day Jordan, Martyrs Day Benin, Revolution Day Tunisia, Confederate Heroes Day Texas, Ethiopian Epiphany Ethiopia, Name day of Archbishop Bakarios Cyprus, Army Day Mali, National Heroes Day Guinea-Bissau, Lee-Jackson Day Virginia, Robert E. Lee’s Birthday Alabama-Mississippi, Our Lady of Altagracia Dominican Republic, Feast of St Ildefonsus, National Handwriting Day, Economic Liberation Day Togo, Republic Day India, Australia Day Australia

What flower are you?

I am a Daffodil What Flower Are You?

You have a sunny disposition and are normally one of the first to show up for the party. You don't need too much attention from the host once you get there as you are more than capable of making yourself seen and heard.
This is actually pretty accurate.
Okay, well I do not always have a sunny disposition.
Seriously.
Those who know me well would call me some kind of vile name, like a female dog or something (speaking of which I just had one of those flashes of memory back to when I was about 8 or 10 years old and my old Uncle saw a dog on the porch at my Grandmother's house and he said, "Get that bitch out of here" -- it made me giggle).
Anyway, my grandmother had wild daffodils growing in her yard - and they are still there even though my grandmother is no longer with us - and we used to always have daffodils in vases at our house.
Even though I hate the color yellow - hate it - daffodils have always been my favorite flower with irises coming second and lily of the valley third. Not that anyone cares, but what the hell, this is my blog so I'm blogging!
Now, take the quiz and find out what kind of flower you are!

The Lights of the Season

DN2 and I drove around last night looking at Christmas lights. We stayed in the village and didn't travel out farther. We'll save other trips for another night because some of the houses that we did see go above and beyond - and it's great! They are deliciously tacky, as if the more lights and blow up figures on the lawn the better. (Honestly, what does Shrek have to do with Christmas??) I'm still a big fan of the simple look such as candles in the windows, but then the simple look is not worthy of a picture (because it's boring). It is the garish and tacky decorations that need pictures!

So we drove around and took photos, some not very good, mostly because I scared DN2 and said, "You better hurry up with that picture taking because someone may come out their door with a shotgun and try to shoot at us." Hey, you never know. But we had our excuse all ready because they are actually holding a contest for house decorating and they have some really outrageous categories - which some of the houses we saw may actually win!

What we discovered during some of our travels is that the people who had great houses at Halloween time also took the time at Christmas to go crazy. I say, good on 'em.

This is why I put paper down

What is it with cats?
They scratch doors and meow to get me up in the morning, act so anxious when I come down to give them their food, and when it is in their bowl they look at me like I'm trying to feed them chopped dirt.
I just don't get it.
Another thing I don't understand is what they're doing with the litterbox.
They have this huge litterbox and yet they miss it at least once a month.
Don't they know that when they're doing their business their ass is hanging over the edge and they are completely missing the box?
Or are they doing it on purpose because they're pissed at me?
Is it because of the food?
Trust me, my cats are not starving by any stretch of the imagination, but there you have it, a big plop of cat poop completely outside of the litterbox.
I'll spare you the picture - just use your imagination.
But just so you know, this is why I put paper down.