Such a funny little hero....

Tired of the Olympics yet?

2008-08-13T02:10:00.004-04:00

What is it about Big Brother that causes contestants to become idiots?

I’m not talking about just their normal idiocy they bring with them into the house, such as Jerry’s crotchety-old-manliness or Jessie’s total self-absorption. What amazes me is that even now in the tenth season of Big Brother, the contestants still have no idea how the game is played.

You would think that when these nimrods applied to be on Big Brother, they would at least take a moment to familiarize themselves with how the game works.

Big Brother is not reality. It’s a lockdown house. Everybody lies, manipulates, and betrays to stay alive. There are no saints in the house. If there were, we wouldn’t be watching, but still every year someone gets indignant that another houseguest is playing the game.

“I can’t believe she would lie to my face.”

Why not? Big Brother is not a church social. It’s more like a political negotiation. All that matters is staying alive for the next week.

Currently, Jerry the Marine, who went back on his word and evicted a fellow military man in week one, is angry with Dan, a Catholic school teacher who was playing both sides of the fence and voted out one of Jerry’s allies. And even though Jerry vehemently proclaims that Dan is "America's Player" (which he was last week) he still says that Dan betrayed him, and calls him Judas.

Hypocrisy is apparently not a word they teach you in boot camp.

Their lack of strategy also eludes me, such as the constant kissing up to the Head of Household. Once the nominations are made, the HoH loses a lot of power. By the time the veto ceremony is finished, the only difference between the HoH and the other houseguests is a better bathroom, but still you see them swearing their allegiance to vote however the HoH wants.

At that point, the HoH is the weakest person in the house. They can’t change the nominations, and they can’t play for the HoH next week, but they’re still treated like the belle of the ball.

They’re a lame duck, and we can see right now how very little power a lame duck administration has.

They say that breaking up is hard to do (comma comma down-doobie doo-down down).

2008-06-25T04:23:00.009-04:00

Since the dawn of time, ending a relationship has been difficult, so it was only a matter of time before cowardly souls would come up with ways to avoid making eye contact with the recently dumped.

I’ve read that Sylvester Stallone once broke up with Jennifer Flavin via Fed Ex. On “Sex and the City,” Carrie was once dumped on a Post-It. Matt Damon broke up with Minnie Driver on the Oprah Winfrey show!! How embarrassing is THAT?! A blogger recently posted that his girlfriend’s MOM informed him that her daughter was breaking up with him. Hello?! That is SO Junior High!

The following is my list of the 9 Lamest Ways to break up with your significant other.

1. Text Message
A few years ago, I could never really imagine that this would be a break up method. But with the popularity of text messaging these days, I’m sure that more than one woman has been dumped in this cowardly manner.

Carrie Underwood sent Chace Crawford (of "Gossip Girl") a "Peace Out" text to end things.

Hot mess Britney Spears reportedly informed Kevin Federline that she wanted a divorce via text message.

2. Voice Mail
Nothing says that you are not committed to the relationship like waiting until you know she’s in a tunnel to call.

3. IM (Instant Messenger)
Pretty much says, “While I’m breaking up with you in THIS window, I’m chatting with my NEW girlfriend in another window” Added bonus: When he says, “I’m breaking up with U”, you can always pretend you were dating Prince.

4. Email
Saves you the trouble of recounting your breakup conversation, because you can just forward it to all of your friends for their comments. On the downside, it’s always there for you to reread and remember what a loser you were dating.

5. Changing Myspace/Facebook relationship status
While researching the break up topic, I came across a blogger that had this to say, “It hits like a wave of confusion and denial. For some odd reason, the crazy folks at Facebook have incorrectly notified you (and the entire universe, thanks to Newsfeed) that you are suddenly single. Uh, what? You immediately call to tell your significant other of this insanity, but they don’t answer. Ever again.” Worse still, seeing their status go from “In A Relationship” to “Single” means they’re announcing they’ve not only dumped you, but they’re open for business and ready to start dating again.

6. Ending things in a restaurant
If you’re going to do this one, be prepared to spring for separate cab rides home for both of you. I’m embarrassed to say that I’m actually somewhat guilty of this one. In a conversation with my now ex-husband, I blurted out “I’m not happy!” over my Szechuan Shrimp and Fried Rice. In my defense, it wasn’t planned, but it was plenty uncomfortable. Nothing like trying to keep the couple at the table next to you from overhearing you, when all you want to do is stab someone with a chopstick.

7. It’s not you, it’s me
Your reply, “Of course it’s you! I’m great, so it HAS to be you!” I have to confess that I’m guilty of this one as well. Even though this line is completely over-used, and is usually a cop out, I actually meant it when I said it. So it IS possible that your boyfriend is not taking the easy way out. A very slim possibility.

8. On your Wikipedia page
Maybe you thought it was bad to be broken up with by your boyfriend’s doorman, secretary, or five year old little brother, but you haven’t lived until your boyfriend breaks up with you on his Wikipedia page. Wikipedia chief Jimbo Wales dumped his girlfriend on his page, and she was so angry she sold his clothes on eBay. WikiDump

9. Rejection Hotline.com
Nothing helps soften the blow of being dumped like hearing a witty answering machine message saying, “The person that gave you this number wants to break up with you.” Dumpers have several choices of breakup messages to choose from, including one that tells the caller they have bad breath. Seems funny, but probably will lead to bad feelings, held grudges, and slashed tires.

Uhmmm I think the Universe is messing with me!!!

2008-03-04T19:33:00.006-05:00

Okay, today I posted my myspace status as "Kimberly is watching "Rockford Files". James Garner was so dreamy. :)".

I've always had the hots for him, even though he's an older man. He's the definition of "ruggedly handsome".

So, two hours after I posted my status, I'm flipping channels and run across the show "8 Simple Rules" on ABC Family channel. I stop because I've always been a John Ritter fan, and I haven't watched the show since he died 5 years ago. (I haven't watched Three's Company either. It just makes me too sad.)

So anyway, the commercial ends and it opens in the family's kitchen. The doors opens and in walks James Garner. An 80 year old James Garner. A BALD James Garner. A GRANDFATHERLY James Garner. *shiver* I was like "WTF?!" I mean, it makes sense that he's an old man by now, but I just didn't need to see it so soon after I'd been lusting after him today!

Oh, and his scene? haha The family is coming back from one of the kids' plays and he says, "Well, that was worth missing 'Rockford Files' for." LOL

Well, that sucks. Jeff Healey died.

2008-03-03T13:31:00.001-05:00

Some of you may not be familiar with Jeff Healey, but all of you that grew up in the 80's should remember him. He was the blind guitar player/singer featured in the movie "Roadhouse" with Patrick Swayze. He also had a hit with the song "Angel Eyes".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYz_LHKrgDY

I guess I never knew *why* he was blind. He lost both of his eyes to retinoblastoma before he was eight-months-old. He found out later in life that he carried a gene that made him predisposed to other forms of cancer. He had been treated in the last couple of years for lung cancer.

Even though we hadn't heard much in the US about Jeff since the 80's, he had become a jazz musician in his native Canada. He even had his own radio show.

Heh. I'll always remember one of his scenes in "Roadhouse". Patrick Swayze had just come to the Double Deuce and a huge bar fight broke out. Dalton kicked some serious ass, of course. When things died down, Jeff says, "The name.... is Dalton." I don't know why it cracks me up, but it does. Probably because I'm obsessed with that movie.

I don't know why it saddens me so much when someone I don't even know dies. I guess I felt even worse when I heard about Jeff because I felt like his life was probably difficult enough, due to the blindness. Adding cancer on top of that just sucks. Well, cancer always sucks, of course, but he was 41 years old, dammit.
Rest in peace, Jeff.

Suspended in Time

2008-03-01T01:29:00.000-05:00

Okay, you can't tell it from my typing, but I was totally singing "Suspended in Time" from Xanadu when I typed the subject of this blog.

But I know for certain
Goodbye is a criiiime
So love if you need me
Suspend me in tiiiiiiime

I wanted you guys to see this video clip. It's amazing. I would have loved to have been there.

http://www.maniacworld.com/frozen-in-grand-central-station.html

Okay, and while I was talking to a friend about posting this blog, she asked me if I had seen the following video. I hadn't, but it made me laugh my ass off AND it falls in line with my 80's theme lately. haha Thanks, Jill!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6EDAZ3crdY

Rick Astley would never....

2008-02-29T01:15:00.000-05:00

Thought you girls would appreciate a blast from the past, and before you go bashing him... I just gotta say, I LOVED this man. I thought he was just the cutest thing. haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez, ya’ll

2008-02-27T01:08:00.000-05:00

Crockpot 102

Okay, I'm obviously on a crockpot kick. Wanted to share with you guys an easy, yummy and CHEAP meal I made last week.

I was perusing the soup aisle at Wal-mart, when I came across this:

It's a Slow Cooker Meal Starter for Cajun Red Beans. Mmmm When I was looking at the directions on the back, I realized it would be a really easy way to make Jambalaya. I bought a can of diced tomatoes, some boil-in-bag rice, and smoked sausage.

So, I rinsed the beans and then poured them into the crockpot. I added the diced tomatoes, 4 cups of water and then closed the lid. Set it on "Low" and left it alone for about 6 hours. About 20 minutes before dinner, I boiled the rice and then sliced up the smoked sausage. Added the sausage and turned the crockpot on "High". When the rice was cooked, I added it. Voila! Jambalaya!!

Indy! Say it isn't so!!!

2008-02-25T00:55:00.000-05:00

Well, it didn't really come as a shock, but Jimmy Kimmel has retaliated to Sarah Silverman's "I'm fucking Matt Damon" video. I will have to say, that it's pretty damned funny, tho.
Here's the video. My thoughts are posted BELOW the video. Don't read ahead boys and girls! You'll only be cheating yourself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lcmNaXmjvs

First of all, kudos to Ben Affleck for wearing a spandex shirt that I couldn't imagine a gay man being caught dead in.

Brad Pitt cameo as the Fed Ex guy. Even with the scruff, SO cute. Is it weird that I can't look at brad without thinking about how lucky HE is to be sleeping with Angelina Jolie? I mean, DAYUM!! You know a woman is hot when I'm thinking that Brad is the lucky one. haha

The "We are the World" take-off. It was nice to see Joan Jett again. Not so nice to see Macy Gray. I was really hoping that she was in a crack house somewhere. Okay, that may have been too harsh, but I really can't stand her voice. Blah.

I LOVED seeing Huey Lewis again. I guess the benefit to him ALWAYS looking kinda old is that he looks exactly the same as he did when I fell in love with him when I was 14. I loved Huey so much that I actually sat through that horrendous movie he did with Gwenyth Paltrow a few years ago. AND I listened to their remake of "Cruisin'" like a MILLION times. Yeah, I had it bad. haha

My first "Holy Shit" moment came when Josh Groban appeared. To hear my Joshy singing "He's fucking Ben Affleck" in his classically trained tenor... I almost fell off the couch! It was hilarious!

Second "Holy Shit" moment... Harrison Ford blowing Ben and Jimmy a kiss! I mean, it's been freaky enough to see the Indiana Jones of my youth going around sporting a goofy earring and dating Ally McBeal, but Damn!!! Second time I almost fell off the couch laughing.

Over all, I thought it was awesome. I still prefer seeing Matt Damon growling "on the bed, on the floor, on a towel by the door", but this video really made me laugh. Hope you guys enjoyed it, too. Would love to hear your thoughts!

Ode to a Crockpot

2008-02-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I call it a crockpot, you may call it a slowcooker, but my Mom called it a crockpot, and I'm sticking with that.

I don't know about you guys, but I think the crockpot is one of the best inventions EVER. I'm amazed that everyone doesn't own one, but sadly, I know some of you don't. But that's all gonna change. You're gonna want to run right out and buy one after reading my blog. Even if it's 3am, you're gonna brave the mutants at Wal-mart, just to buy your very own. Well, I guess some of you freaks might not like juicy, buttery, falling apart pot roasts, and if not, in the words of my sweet little nephew, Jayden… I'm not your friend anymore.

I've used my crockpot to fix pot roasts for years, and I even thought the ones I made were tasty, until my dad showed me the error of my ways. I had always just thrown the roast in the pot, put in some water or beef broth, and some Lipton's Onion soup mix. I'd chop up some carrots and potatoes, etc and throw them in, too. Then I'd cook the hell out of it for 8 hours or so. Yeah, I know it sounds lazy, but that's the whole purpose of the crockpot!!! Anyway, what I would get was a watery roast with mushy vegetables that tasted like…. watery roast. It was edible, but now I know I had been led astray. Listen up peoples, I'm gonna show you the light.

Now, this is what you're gonna need to know before you head down to Wal-mart to buy your ingredients.

First of all, my method of picking out a roast was flawed. I would just pick the most expensive roast per pound, cause I figured it had to have the best taste. WRONG! I would pick one that had the least amount of fat on it, cause I thought I was supposed to. WRONG! In this case, fat is good. Now, I don't mean a LOT of fat. Marbling is best, actually. Now I actually pick the LEAST expensive roast I can find, which is usually Rump Roast. Okay, that's lesson one.

Lesson two: Invest in some oven bags. For those of you that have never used them, you don't know what you've been missing. My mom has always used them for turkeys, chicken, etc… No need for basting, turning or fussing with your food when you use them. They keep all the juices inside the bag, with your meat. Best of all, you aren't left with a messy pan to clean up. Woohoo!

Tres: Yukon Gold Potatoes. Mmmmm For years, I always bought Idaho baking potatoes or Russet or whatever I could find. But these little babies are YUM-MY.

Onions… well, pretty much any onion will do, I suppose. Carrots, same thing. Well, I buy the peeled baby carrots, cause I'm lazy. I also fix mushrooms with my roast sometimes.

Oh, a tip about mushrooms. A few years ago, I found out that my method of cleaning mushrooms was the opposite of how you should actually clean them. I used to just run them under water and then clean them with a wet paper towel. WRONG! Mushrooms absorb water. So, when they turned out all mushy and watery and I wonder why… ding! The correct way to clean a mushroom is to use a damp towel. Yeah, it's a pain in the ass.

Quatro: Seasonings!!! Tony Chachere's Spice and Herb seasoning. Mmmmm It's a little spicy, I gotta warn ya. Montreal Steak Seasoning, which is basically pepper. Lawry's Seasoning Salt. I love this stuff on pretty much everything. Garlic, cause my dad taught me to put garlic in EVERYthing. If you don't want to buy fresh garlic, just buy the minced stuff, or hell, just use garlic powder. I've done both. Oh, you're gonna need some olive oil.

Shopping is done! Now go home and wash off that Wal-mart smell.

Now the good part…..

Put your oven bag inside your crockpot.

Rinse and dry your roast. While you are doing that, heat up a skillet with a little bit of olive oil in the pan. Now, drizzle a bit of olive oil on your roast and then use your fingers to make sure it's all coated. Next, sprinkle the following on all sides of the roast: Tony Chachere's seasoning, some salt (I use Lawry's Seasoning Salt) and the Montreal Steak Seasoning. Now rub it into the meat. It should stick pretty well.

Now your pan should be ready. Brown the roast on all sides for at least a minute or so, and then transfer it to the oven bag.

Close the lid to your crockpot, turn it on low and then forget about it for about 6-8 hours.

Now I know you're all thinking, "But Kimberly, you forgot to put the vegetables in with the roast!" Nope, didn't forget. First of all, if you cook a potato for 8 hours, even in a slow cooker, it's gonna be a mushy, mealy mess. Secondly, I want my potato to taste like a potato, not roast. So…..

About an hour or so before you plan to take your roast out of the crockpot, do the following:

Preheat your oven to 350. (Reid objects to the term "pre-heat", he says there is no "pre" heating, only heating. Whatever!)
Put your oven bag in your baking dish. I use a 9x13 cake pan, because my 9x13 glass baking dish had a little accident (See previous blog: Final Destination) Drizzle in some olive oil.
Sidenote: I don't know how many vegetables you like with your roast, but I like a BUNCH, so sometimes I use TWO baking dishes for the veggies. It could also have something to do with me having to segregate my vegetables due to Reid not eating anything but potatoes, and that he'd rather go to a Toby Keith concert than to eat a carrot. (Keisha, that was just for you. Haha)

Peel and quarter your potatoes.
Peel and half your onions.
Open the bag of baby carrots (see! Now aren't you glad I'm lazy?)
Grab the mushrooms and a damp towel and take them to the kitchen table where you can spend the next 30 minutes wiping uhmmm "dirt" off of them. But you'll be sitting down, by God!

Okay, this next part is optional. Heat up your skillet with a little olive oil. Put your onions in the pan, cut side down, and brown them for about a minute. Flip them over and cook for another minute.

Now we're ready to put all of our yummy veggies in the oven bag. Because I'm lazy (if you haven't gotten the hint already), I wait until all of my veggies are in the bag before I season them. I sprinkle in some Lawry's Seasoning Salt and the Tony Chachere's seasoning, and then I kinda shake them around, so they are all coated with the olive oil and the seasoning. I also put in a couple tablespoons of butter.

Now close up your bag and put the baking dish in the oven for about an hour.

There ya go. That's it. Just be careful opening up the oven bags, cause they have a lot of steam inside. It only took 5 or 6 steam burns for me to remember THAT particular lesson.

Alrighty, then. Enjoy your yummy dinner and feel free to come back and worship me.

Not a Man of Constant Sorrow

2007-11-25T19:38:00.000-05:00

I was just flipping through the channels and came across one of my favorite movies. I'm usually happy when that happens, but this time it's a little bittersweet. I haven't seen this particular movie for the past two years. Two years and two days, as a matter of fact. I hadn't really planned to post anything about it being the two year anniversary of my brother's death, but I almost feel like I have to now. Don't worry, I'll try to keep it as brief and upbeat as I can.

Jason had been in the hospital for five weeks, and as you can imagine, it got pretty boring there in his hospital room. I took a DVD player and quite a few movies in for Jason to watch. He watched some of his old favorites, including "Jaws", which is one of my all time favorites, as well. He and I watched the remake of "The Longest Yard", and both remarked on Courtney Cox's surprisingly (and suddenly) large breasts. In retrospect, if I had known that Jason was going to die, I wouldn't have wasted his time with that crap movie.

Twenty-four hours after Jason had been told of his inoperable aneurysm, he was trying to remain upbeat and reassuring to the rest of us. That night, we had the movie "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" playing in his room. None of us were actually watching it, but it was just background noise, I suppose. I don't know how many of you have seen the movie, but near the end is the song "In the Jailhouse Now". Totally out of the blue, Jason starts yodeling along with the song. We all laughed, but it was just so surreal. My brother was always kinda goofy and making us laugh, but I'd never heard him yodel. Less than 12 hours later, he was gone.

I'll always remember that in my brothers last hours, he was still trying to make us laugh, and that's why it makes me a little sad to be watching this movie now. I just can't imagine handling my impending death the way Jason did. He was so brave, so strong... I never saw him shed a tear, never heard him ask "Why me?". Yep. My brother was "bona fide". (For that to make any sense, you have to watch the movie)

Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

2007-11-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

After a month of problems with my laptop, it's finally up and running! (Thank you, Reid!!!! You are my knight in white satin armor! haha) It's a great feeling. Familiar and comforting. It's a little bit like coming home. A home that has been robbed of all of my furniture and personal belongings, that is.

My hard drive died, you see, and even though I was married to a computer guru for a 100 years, it apparently never quite sunk in that I should BACK UP MY HARD DRIVE!!!!! So, all of the programs I used daily... gone. All of the music that I copied into Windows Media Player, and then sold or gave away the Cd's.... gone. All of the pictures of my friends and family from the past couple of years... gone. All of the videos Reid sent of him playing his guitar and singing for me, when we lived 1000 miles apart... gone. Yeah, you get the idea and yeah, I'm a little sad about all of that.

Oh well. I'm not going to dwell on it. Instead, I'm going to be appreciative of the fact that it could be fixed. Even though it has to be the heaviest laptop that's been manufactured in the last 10 years, it's been pretty good to me. I have very fond memories of the words I read on this screen, as well as the words that I typed on this keyboard. I came to the scariest and most wonderful realization of my life on this computer.

Thank you, my love. Not only for fixing my computer, but for loving me, and making me happier than I ever thought possible.

Time to get busy making new memories.

"Final Destination 23" Starring: MyHeroZero

2007-09-06T19:48:00.000-04:00

Last night, I felt like I should have been in one of the "Final Destination" movies. For those of you that are just too snobby to watch such tripe, people get killed in really freaky ways. Death is conspiring against them basically, and all kinds of unlikely events all come together just to kill them off. A leaky toilet, spilled shampoo, a clothesline and BAM! a kid just hung himself in the shower. Anyway...

I was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for my love. I was actually rushing a bit, so it would be ready when he got home from work. Damn, I am so June Cleaver these days! haha Anyway, we had decided on chicken and AuGratin potatoes. Since I'm no Paula Deen, I'm making the potatoes from a box mix. Terrible, I know. I get out the 9 x 12 glass baking dish and put it down on the only available surface in our tiny ass kitchen... the stove. I get out a pan to boil the water, put it on the back burner and turn it on. I empty the freeze dried potatoes into the baking dish and turn around to wash some dishes while waiting for water to boil. I have no clue how much time had elapsed, but I hear a very loud noise that sounds like an explosion. I have NO idea what just happened. Yeah, you guys can see where this is going, right? I turn and see that the baking dish has EXPLODED into about 500 pieces all over the kitchen. Totally freaked out, I run into the living room (which is only about 4 feet away haha) I'm standing at the front door, almost hyperventilating, still trying to figure out what the hell just happened, when I look into the kitchen and notice that those damned potatoes are now catching fire, because they are laying on the burner. So, I rush back in and turn off the burner and knock the potatoes off of it.

I look around and see that the glass is EVERYwhere. It's all over the kitchen counters, the floor, in the sink and even in the dining room. And then it hits me, actually... why DIDN'T it hit me? It went everywhere. I was standing 2 feet away, at most, and I'm not a small target. :) How in the hell did I not get cut by the flying glass? This wasn't safety glass. I actually cut myself a couple of times cleaning it up. How did I not get injured? And what is the likelihood that I would be wearing my shoes? I rarely wear my shoes in the house, but I had been doing laundry yesterday afternoon. Freaky, eh?

I don't know about any of you, but when something like this happens, I imagine my life as a movie. I can see the camera going in for a closeup of my hand, turning on the wrong burner. I can see it focusing on the burner glowing red while my back is turned. I can see it in slow motion as the dish explodes, and hundreds of small pieces go flying everywhere. I see the close up on my face as I hear it, and my look of confusion. I can hear the dramatic music. I see all of that in my mind and then I laugh. Damn, I'd pay money to see that!

Anyway, I'm feeling incredibly lucky. Especially because my man came home from work, hugged and kissed me, and then took pity on me and went out to get Chinese takeout for me. Woohoo!!!! AND he came back home and cleaned up the glass for me. He's a sweetie. I love you, baby!

You know, as long as no one gets hurt, things like this just crack me up. It's what makes life interesting. Although, I'd prefer that my life got interesting by winning the lottery. Oh well...

Mr. Faded Green Jeans

2007-07-09T14:10:00.000-04:00

I've definitely never been much of an environmentalist, but I did learn a few things from Saturday's Live Earth Day. Now, I'm not going to run out and buy a Toyota Prius (although they DO get 55 mpg and I would love to have one) or start walking or riding a bike everywhere (anyone that knows me is thinking "Yeah, like I thought THAT was a possibility!") and I'm not planning to put big solar panels on my roof (I think the apartment owners might object to that anyway), but there ARE lots of small things that made sense to me. So, this is a realistic list of things that I put together that I think I can actually do. If you'll notice, nearly all of them will help the environment AND save me money. Woohoo! Everyone wins!

Check your tire pressure. If every American's tires were properly inflated we could save around 2 billion gallons of gas each year! I don't know about you, but with gas being approximately $ 3.00 a gallon, regardless of the impact on the environment, I'm pretty interested in the significant impact on my wallet.
Buy some of those funky $ 7.00 fluorescent light bulbs. Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 100-watt incandescent bulb with a 32-watt CFL can save $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. And think of the fewer chances that you'll fall off that chair you stand on to change light bulbs!
Unplug your chargers when you aren't using them! All of those cellphone, ipod, laptop and electric razor chargers use lots of electricity (approximately 20 watts), even when they aren't charging.
Wash and rinse in cold water. I've always washed my clothes this way, mainly because I didn't want them to shrink! LE Factoid: If everyone in the United States alone switched to cold water with their washing machines, we could save about 30 million tons of carbon dioxide each year -- and more than $3 billion in energy costs, collectively. And what's more? Cold water cleans your laundry just as well as hot water.
Mailing Lists. You can have your name removed from junk mail lists by visiting this site. http://www.dgaconsumers.org/
Re-use water bottles when possible. Reid and I have been refilling our gallon jugs of water at Walmart for only .25. I have some 20 oz. water bottles that I refill to drink around the house and when I go for a walk. Live Earth factoid: 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to make bottles every year, a waste that could instead power electricity in 250,000 homes.
Download music instead of buying CD's. By purchasing digital music online you can help conserve the oil consumed in transporting CDs to and from the store. Hey! I've been saving the environment for years! Wait, they said BUY music online. Crap.

Any of you guys have any "green tips" you'd like to share?

We're So Sorry Uncle Al Gore

2007-07-08T01:52:00.000-04:00

4:25 CST: So, I've been watching the Live Earth concert today... for the most part it's been kinda "Eh" so far. I'm sure they are reserving the bigger acts like The Police for prime time. But what's really got me kinda pissed is, Duran Duran performed FIVE songs and Genesis performed ONE!!! Now, I love Duran Duran and Simon LeBon is wonderfuly preserved, but I was really looking forward to seeing Genesis. I've always been a fan, and especially a fan of Phil Collins. Does that make me a dork? I don't care. Phil Collins rocks the house! (South Park reference) The cool thing about Genesis 2007 vs. Genesis 1984... Phil has always looked kinda old, so there's no noticable difference in their appearance and he sounds great! Although Phil IS rocking what looks to be a size medium black tshirt. Looks like he could be Vic Mackey's dad.
I'm sure I'll be back to bitch more about Live Earth later.
Update:
5:18 CST: Shakira, live from Hamburg. Too many clothes. :)
9:47 CST: The Live Earth Gods (aka Al Gore) have thrown me a bone! Genesis performs another song! "Invisible Touch"! And to my utter shock, Phil Collins says "Fuck"! Reid says, "Oh I can just hear the Live Earth censors. 'I sit through Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Red Hot Chili Peppers and nothing! But this little 60 year old garden gnome looking motherfucker is dropping F-bombs like they are coated with butter!'" bwahahaha Now you see why I love this man? No one can make me laugh like he does. :)
10:11 Woohoo! Lenny Kravitz!! "Are you Gonna Go My way?" Answer: If given the opportunity, most definitely.

Shiny Happy People

2007-05-25T02:47:00.000-04:00

Things that make me smile these days…

Texas sunsets.

Driving around with the top down on my car while exploring my new town.

Trying a new pizza place! It was a “take and bake” pizzeria and was VERY yummy!

Surprising Reid in the shower last night with a squirt gun filled with ice cold water, and hearing him squeal like a little girl. S'okay, he got me back. He tricked me into a kiss where he proceeded to spit water in my face. Sorry, ladies! I don’t have a pic of THAT. Haha!

Watching the season finales of 24 and Heroes, while curled up on the couch with Reid.

My new Mary Jane Crocs. They are SO cute and comfy!

Washing the dishes last night while Reid played his guitar, and serenaded me with goofy renditions of “Mr. Roboto”, “Come on Eileen” and “Hey Mickey”. Yes! I said washing dishes!

Looking at pictures of my nephew, Jayden, wearing the cowboy hat that Crystal gave me as a “Moving away to Texas” gift.

Seeing Reid’s smile as he walks through the door every evening.

Life is good.

I Wanna Talk About Me, Wanna Talk About I, Wanna Talk about Number One oh my me my....

2007-04-21T01:11:00.000-04:00

What's got me quoting lyrics from a Toby Keith song, you might ask. Well, this is part one of a three part series of tidbits ALL about me! Fascinating reading, folks! Enjoy!

1. My first concert was Rick Springfield, when I was in Jr. High. My best friend, Becca, and I thought we were the coolest kids EVER, except we were being escorted by our moms
2. I started watching General Hospital again last year just because I heard Rick was back playing Dr. Noah Drake. He shows up about once a month, but now I’m hooked on the damned show again.
3. I wish Paula Deen was my mom. Well, maybe not my mom, cause I have a pretty good one. Maybe an aunt instead. I LOVE her show and think she's just the cutest thing ever. I'd eat anything she cooks, mainly because she puts about a pound of butter in every recipe.
4. I couldn’t live without my Tivo. Sitting through commercials is torture to me. I’m spoiled. (Oh, wait. That should be #5)
5. Clowns scare me ever since seeing the Stephen King miniseries "It". "We all float down here." AAARRGGGHHH
6. My first pet was a blonde Cockapoo named Bear. He was the sweetest and softest dog in the world. Thinking of him still makes me smile.
7. My toenails are always painted, but my fingernails rarely are.
8. Speaking of toes, I wear a toe ring year round.
9. Paul McCartney is my favorite Beatle.
10. I preferred Dan Brown’s "Angels and Demons" to "The Davinci Code"
11. I quit playing the clarinet after my best friend and I were kicked out of 8th grade band for talking too much.
12. I don’t like to pick favorites, but "American Beauty" ranks in my top five movies of all time.
13. I’m the oldest of five… two brothers and two sisters
14. I’m the aunt of FIVE nephews, no nieces. *sniff sniff*
15. I wear contacts.
16. I love the movie "Jaws" and have to watch it EVERYtime its showing on cable, even though I own the DVD.
17. I’m in love.
18. I hate rice pudding. It’s not the taste, but the texture that makes me gag.
19. David Caruso also makes me gag.
20. I love roller coasters, but ferris wheels terrify me.
21. I had a waterbed when I was in high school.
22. I have an Angelina Jolie poster hanging in a spare bedroom in my house. This poster was purchased by me, and not my ex-husband. Yep.
23. French Vanilla Cappuccino? Yes. Hot Chocolate? Yes. Chai Latte? Yes!! Coffee? NO!! Shhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone.
24. I haven’t had a haircut in 8 months!
25. I love sushi.
26. I watched "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and I don’t care what anyone thinks about it. The dialogue was always funny and clever and I miss it! I miss the kicks. I miss the quips. I miss Spike!!!
27. I’m scared of snakes and spiders, although I have a feeling I’ll soon be the spider killer in the family.
28. When I was 7, I ran into a barbed wire fence and ripped my arm open. I received 38 stitches, but from the look of the awful scar, I actually needed about 380 to close the wound properly.
29. I once had posters of Shaun Cassidy and Leif Garrett hanging in my bedroom. Apparently I was REALLY into feathered hair in the late 70’s.
30. Probably my biggest pet peeve would be people that smack their lips when they eat and/or chew gum. I’ve been known to deliver a slap upside the head for that.
31. Christmas is my favorite time of year and I just may need to join a support group for Snowmen addicts.
32. I’m an avid fan of 24, but Kiefer Sutherland’s earlobes freak me out a bit.
33. My first car was a 1970 VW Beetle. For those of you keeping score at home, yes, that was the year I was born. My spoiled sister, on the other hand, HER first car was a brand new 1997 VW Jetta. No, I’m not bitter at all. Why do you ask?

Corny Beef Rehash

2007-04-20T01:04:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've previously posted this blog, but I'm including a link to a video clip that will PERFECTLY illustrate just why I hate this man.

Damn you, David Caruso!

Every Monday night, I continue to engage in a most torturous activity... I grab a drink and a snack from the fridge, curl up on the couch in my den, and watch... CSI: Miami. You see... I despise David Caruso. You know.. David Caruso.. redhaired arrogant jackass that after one season on NYPD Blue, thought he was hot shit, and quit the show to be a movie star. Hmmmm... how did that work out for ya, David? For some reason classics such as "Kiss of Death", "Jade", and "Body Count" just don't appear in my DVD collection. (Please don't think that I actually KNEW the names of those movies.. I had to IMDB him.)

Apparently a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the William Shatner School of Acting, Caruso delivers the most overly dramatic lines I've ever had the misfortune to hear. The worst is at the end of the opening scene, right before the music... Here's a typical exchange:

Medical Examiner: "He almost decapitated her. He doesn't know his own power."
Caruso: "Well (dramatic pause) he's about...(dramatic pause) to know OURS."

From her bedroom, next to the den, my sister can hear me screaming at the TV. "Aaaaaarrrrghhhhhh! I fucking HATE him!!!" As usual, she laughs and asks me... why do you watch that stupid show? As usual, I have no answer.

Actually I'm reminded of a scene from the movie "Heathers". (Winona Ryder, Christian Slater. 80's movie)

Veronica's dad (smoking a cigarette): "Would somebody please tell me why I smoke these damn things?"
Veronica: "Cause you're an idiot"
Veronica's dad: "Oh yeah, that's it!'

Need I say more?

Check out this video. Here's your challenge... see if you can make it all the way through it without rolling your eyes and/or screaming at the screen.

http://www.break.com/index/david_caruso_one_liners.html

My New Love

2007-04-02T22:35:00.000-04:00

Since vanquishing Diet Mt. Dew from my life a couple of months ago, I have been searching for a replacement beverage that didn’t resemble something that I put in the radiator of my car. Why is it named Mountain Dew anyway? It sounds like would be the name of a bottled spring water, not a beverage that you can pour on your car battery to get rid of corrosion. Perhaps it’s because the more appropriate monikers of Jolt and Coke were already taken.

I LOVE water and I used to drink it exclusively, but that was before I was lured into the trap of the caffeine laden liquid crack. I’ve gone back to drinking it about 80% of the time, but I just needed something with some flavor. I’ve always been a fan of Iced Tea, but never found a bottled tea that wasn’t Lemon flavored (ick!) or WAY too sweet (double ick). But my luck changed a few weeks ago when I happened on Lipton’s Diet Peach Tea.

Mmmmm I love me some peaches, but it seems that I always forget just how much. The taste of ripe, juicy peaches is indescribably delicious and Lipton’s has captured the flavor perfectly. Peach lovers rejoice! And for a certain someone who is a peach hater, well, just remember not to kiss me immediately after I’ve taken a drink.

Can you hear me Lipton’s people?!!! I fully expect a check from you for my ringing endorsement of your product!

The Wrath of Grapes

2007-03-27T00:10:00.000-04:00

This might make me a bad person, but I just can't help myself.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

2006-10-29T22:49:00.000-05:00

So, I need to pick an NFL team to root for. If not, I'm going to become a football widow on Sundays. My guy is quite the football enthusiast. He lives in Texas. It's mandatory. (In Texas, they issue you your lifetime membership card to the Dallas Cowboys fan club at birth.) Now, I didn't grow up watching football. My dad had no interest in sports. My brothers watched it, but by the time they were old enough to exert their control over the TV, I was moved out of the house. I had no football-crazed boyfriends and my ex-husband wasn't really into football either. So, this is a whole new world for me. I had a VERY basic knowledge of football. And by "very basic", I mean that I knew what a touchdown was. So, my boyfriend is educating me. And he's been surprisingly patient with my stupid questions.

Me: "Baby, what's a receiver?"
Him: "Well baby, that's the guy that RECEIVES the ball when the quarterback throws it."
Me: "Oh!"

That's not really what he said, BTW. I'm sure it was much more technical than that, but he has been really sweet! (Although I think I caught an eye-roll last Sunday!)

So, he thinks it will be more fun for me if I have a team to cheer for. Sounds reasonable to me. So many teams to choose from! Do I pick the Bengals because I'm from Ohio? Do I pick the Bills because that's his favorite team? (nah. No friendly rivalry if I do that.) Do I pick the Steelers because my brother Kevin will kill me if I root for any other team? The Miami Dolphins because my sister-in-law is a rabid Dolphins fan? (He's vetoed that one) Do I pick Tampa Bay because I think Jon Gruden is dreamy? Or do I go with the Cowboys, because they were my brother Jason's favorite team. Even as little boys, Kevin liked the Steelers and Jason the Cowboys. Check out their PJ's in this pic. Haha

So, that's my major life decision for the week!

Congrats!!!

2006-10-21T22:46:00.000-04:00

This may seem weird to some, but not for the people that actually know me…

Congratulations to my ex-husband and his new wife on their marriage today. He's always been a great guy and I wish him every happiness in his new life.

Congratulations Boo and Jessica! May your first child be a masculine child.

Welcome to the World....

2006-09-01T17:30:00.000-04:00

I have a new nephew!!!! That makes five, yes, FIVE nephews. Apparently, my brothers are just too damned manly to have girls. Yeah, right. Anyway… Congratulations to my brother, Kevin and his wife, Trish, on the birth of their son. The newest addition to the family is named Jason Wesley Jones, in honor of our brother, who passed away last year. We will be calling him “Wes” and that makes me smile. The above pic is of Baby Wes and Jayden (Jason's son)

Wes was the name of one of my most favorite people in the world. My great-grandfather, or “PaPaw Wes”, as we called him. Do you remember the Randy Travis song, “He Walked on Water”? There couldn’t have been a more perfect song to remind us of him. He was one of those old guys that you never saw without a hat on his head. He was also a man that NO one had a bad word to say about. My brothers and I ADORED that man. An incredibly hard worker, he built the last house that he and my great-grandmother lived in when he was in his 70’s. No, I’m not kidding. He drove every nail and dug the basement out with a shovel!!

I remember a story that my dad used to tell about him. My dad was home from the Army, when he looked out the window and saw Papaw Wes chopping wood. He thought, “Oh, I’ll go out and help the old man.” My dad said that they didn’t stop chopping wood till after dark and that was only because there was no outside light. Dad was totally worn out, but my grandfather was still going strong. Hmm... if my dad was in the army, that means that Papaw was in his 80’s. (I’m 36, and I would probably drop dead within an hour.)

He was just a wonderful person and he was an amazing grandfather. He passed away in 1992, at the age of 102, and as most of you know, my brother Jason died last year, at the very young age of 30. I’m sure that they both would be so proud that their names live on, in the hope and promise of a brand new life.

Welcome to the world, Wesley Jones!

Lost in a Dream...

2006-08-14T23:32:00.000-04:00

“Do you hear the words, or the music?”, my dad asked. “What?”, I replied. “When you listen to songs… do you hear the words, or just the music?” he said. I looked at him and I smiled.

Have you ever noticed that during times of extreme emotions… happiness, sadness, anger, etc… songs mean more to you? As someone who hadn’t had a lot of ups and downs in my life, I didn’t really realize that until recently. I’ve always loved music, but I never paid much attention to the lyrics. Heh. Just the other day, I was flying down the highway, top down, wind in my hair, listening to my iPod, when I noticed that I was singing “I got soul, but I’m not a soldier” What?! What the hell does that mean?! Doesn’t matter… it’s a fun song. (All These Things by The Killers)

But anyway, for the last several months, I’ve really been HEARING the lyrics to songs. All of those sappy love songs that I used to laugh about... now I’m thinking, “Wow! That’s exactly the way that I feel!” But no song has epitomized the way I feel like the Josh Groban song “When You Say You Love Me.” So, I’m going to be one of those lame people that post the lyrics to songs on their blog. I can’t help it, guys! My only defense is that I’m in love with the man of my dreams. Anyway, here goes….

Like the sound of silence calling,
I hear your voice and suddenly
I'm falling, lost in a dream.
Like the echoes of our souls are meeting,
You say those words and my heart stops beating.
I wonder what it means.
What could it be that comes over me?
At times I can't move.At times I can hardly breathe.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive

You're the one I've always thought of.
I don't know how, but I feel sheltered in your love.
You're where I belong.
And when you're with me if I close my eyes,
There are times I swear I feel like I can fly
For a moment in time.
Somewhere between the Heavens and Earth ,
And frozen in time, Oh when you say those words.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside
and When you say you love me
For a moment, there's no one else alive

And this journey that we're on.
How far we've come and I
celebrate every moment.
And when you say you love me,
That's all you have to say.
I'll always feel this way.

When you say you love me
The world goes still, so still inside and
When you say you love me
In that moment, I know why I'm alive

When you say you love me.
Do you know how I love you?

Yep, I know you're all gagging by this point. A couple of months ago, I would have been too. Now I'm just so goofy and in love, that I want everyone else to be happy too. So, if you haven't heard the song, give it a listen.

2006-03-20T14:46:00.000-05:00

Damn, I'm a dork.

I don't usually take these goofy quizzes, but I couldn't pass this one up. I LOVED Calvin and Hobbes, and curse Bill Watterson everytime I pick up the comics page from the Sunday paper.

Almost All Calvin

You are 90% Calvin and 10% Hobbes

While Calvin-ness predominates within you, there are still traces of sensibility, kindness, and reason in there, too. Your Calvinesque side makes you adventurous and lively, and you temper that with Hobbesian good-sense, most of the time. It's a good combination. Look how cute you are with the little tail and stuff.

Woohoo! I'm Calvin! One of my favorite C&H strips EVER was the one where Calvin asked his dad what a control freak was. His dad replies, "That's what lazy slip-shod workers call anyone who cares enough to get things done." Calvin says, "Am I in the presence of their King? Should I kneel?" bwahahahahahahaha Damn, I miss it!

2006-01-20T02:15:00.000-05:00

Growing up in the 70's/80's, with two younger brothers and a dad with an affinity for action movies, it was inevitable that I would see a Chuck Norris film (or 20). "An Eye for an Eye", "Silent Rage", "Missing in Action", "Delta Force" and "Lone Wolf McQuade" just to name a few. NO one could roundhouse kick someone like Chuck Norris. My brother, Jason, was actually a 3rd degree Brown belt (one level below a black belt), and he idolized Norris.

As a pre-teen, I thought he was pretty damned cute. It was only years later that I learned that he's 10 years older than my dad! Ewwwwwwwww On that note... has anyone seen his Total Gym commercials with Christy Brinkley? He's 65, she's like 50.. what the hell planet are these two from?! Actually, I once read one of Christy Brinkley's beauty secrets...she rubs kitty litter on her face. Yes! Kitty litter! She didn't mention whether that was "used" kitty litter or not... hmmmm. Hell, if it'll make me look like her, I'll try anything. "Here kitty, kitty!"

Okay, so what caused this Chuck Norris tangent? Well, besides sucking beyond belief, lately, my life has also been made up of alot of weird little coincidences. I was at my mom's house a couple of days ago, and asked my nephew, Jordan, what he was watching. "Lone Wolf McQuade", he says. "This was my dad's favorite movie." So, we talk a little about it. I made some kind of comment about not seeing a Chuck Norris film for a while. The next day, I'm looking thru my Yahoo news items and see something about Chuck Norris. It's a story about some kind of website (http://www.4q.cc/chuck/) dedicated to spouting "facts" about Chuck Norris. I check it out. And for the next 10 minutes, I laugh so hard that I'm almost in tears. The whole point of this site is to pretty much talk about what a badass he is. Here are a few random facts:

Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.
Chuck Norris draws more blood than the Red Cross.
Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.
Everything tastes like chicken because its Chuck Norris' favorite food
and my favorite......
When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris.

Jason would have LOVED it!

2006-01-11T00:04:00.000-05:00

January 11, 1975

Like most brothers, Kevin and Jason had their fair share of sibling rivalry. Separated in age by only two years, they were as close as brothers could be. A big part of their relationship was goofing on each other. Kevin had a million nicknames for his younger brother. Each one more insulting than the last. haha (Out of respect for Jason, I won't share them with you.)

I will, on the other hand, share with you a poem that, at age 13, Jason wrote about Kevin. A little backstory here... my brother Kevin was quite the stud when he was 15 (well, at least he thought he was).

What really makes me smile, about this poem, is that it takes me back to when we were young. When life was much more carefree. When the most stressful thing in your life was if the boy or girl, you liked, called. When a little brother could make fun of his older brother, with no hard feelings.

Carmen

There is this girl
That Kevin likes alot
When she calls him on the phone
You can tell she's a snot

He asks her out all the time
But she's always sick, or a relative's dying
And when she tells him this
She's always fake crying

She's never said "yes", or even a "maybe"
But he keeps on saying, "Come on, baby!"
He says, "I'm the boss, you just can't admit it
When I snap my fingers, the ladies are here in a minute."

Just a couple of days ago, my mom was cleaning out her office. Going thru boxes of old work papers that had been left forgotten for years. I wondered why she took the time to go thru each of them, when I would have just thrown them out, sight unseen.

I walked in to her office, late that night, both of us exhausted, and she looked up at me and smiled. "I found Jason's poem about Kevin," she said. And then it all made sense. She had taken all that time to look thru each and every paper, just so she could find a small part of her lost little boy. A part that made each of us remember and laugh.

And on this very special day, that would have been my brother's 31st birthday, I thought I would share it with you.

Happy Birthday Jason. We love you.

(the above picture was taken on Jason's 5th birthday. He was quite the fan of The Incredible Hulk)

2006-01-01T01:09:00.000-05:00

Goodbye, 2005. Glad to see you go.

The above picture is of my brother, Jason, and my sister, Sarah. It was taken one year ago tonight. I could never have imagined that Jason wouldn't be here with us now, ringing in 2006.

We miss you, Jason.

2005-12-17T13:49:00.000-05:00

**Warning** My blog has taken a serious turn to the "un-funny".

Jason came to visit me in my dreams last night. It was so amazing to see him again, and I remember saying, quite vividly, "Hey, buddy!" Which was odd.. I had never said that to him before. You see, Jason wasn't my buddy... wasn't my friend... he was my brother. My 30 year old brother, who passed away on Thanksgiving morning.

My brother was admitted to the hospital in mid-October for nausea and vomiting. Long story short... he was diagnosed w/ bacterial endocarditis (a heart infection) and also an infection of his spleen. His spleen was removed and he was started on IV antibiotics for the infection. He had complications in the following week due to blood loss, but nothing life threatening. We had no reason to believe that he wouldn't be coming home to us.

After five weeks of hospitalization, he was still losing blood. Tests were performed, surgery scheduled. On the evening of November 22nd, his surgeon came in his room and quite matter of factly informed he and his wife that surgery wouldn't be performed. His CT scan had shown an aneurysm, and it was inoperable. Inoperable??!! How is that possible? He's 30 years old and you aren't even going to TRY to save him? The answer: This is an aneurysm that we see once a year in this hospital. There are no known cases of a successful repair of this type of aneurysm. (mesenteric, for those of you that may be interested) We had no idea how long he had to live. The surgeon said it could be hours, it could be days.

As I prepared to see my brother for the first time, since he was told that he was going to die, I wondered what in the world I would say to him. I didn't want to break down and cry, I wanted to be strong for him. But what could I say? Turns out, I didn't have to worry about it. When I walked into his room, in the ICU, I was again struck by how much weight he had lost. His once strong and muscular body, now frail and frighteningly pale. He glanced up at me and gave me a little smile. I walked up and took his hand. He looked me in the eye and said, "It'll be okay. No matter what happens, it will be okay."

For the last thirty-six hours of his life, my brother repeated those words to each and every one of us. To the parents that were about to lose their youngest son and a part of each of them. To the brother that was going to lose the one person in the world that shared a million memories, and secrets that only brothers can know. To his younger sister who was losing her soulmate. To the wife that was losing the only man she'd ever loved and had been her high school sweetheart. To his two sons who were losing the man that would now never be there to teach them how to talk to girls or drive a car. To the countless aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends that came to visit him on that final day. And to the older sister that he hadn't always had the best relationship with. Yes, that would be me. And my reply to him, "Jason, I don't know how you can be this brave, but I am so proud of you." And of course there were tears.. plenty of tears from his big sister. I didn't want to upset him, but I believe that he needed to see them. He needed to see how much I cared. For all the times in his life that he doubted that I did.

Each and every one of us left his room with a dazed expression on our faces and a feeling of disbelief. Even more shocking than his impending death, was his attitude about it. He was actually trying to make us feel better! There were no tears. There was no self-pity. There was no anger. There was regret, of course. He was sorry that he wasn't going to be here with us. He worried about my mom.. he worried about his wife.. he worried about his boys.

Oh, but that smile.. that cute little smile of his. All thru that final night, I would look over at Jason and he would give me this smile. I would smile back, of course, usually thru tears. My sister, Sarah, asked him what that little smile meant. He said it was his "I love you" smile. I can still see it when I close my eyes. I hope I always will.

One of my all-time favorite movies is "Steel Magnolias". I've always loved that movie and the scene at the end in the cemetary. Makes me cry everytime, but there was always a line that I didnt quite get. When M'Lynn is recalling Shelby's death, she says, "I was there when that beautiful creature drifted into my life and I was there when she drifted out. It was the most precious moment of my life."

When my brother took his last breath, I was there. I was holding his hand. I was telling him it was okay to let go, everyone would be okay. I stroked his hand and his forehead and I whispered all of the things that I thought he needed to know. All of the things that I wished I had said to him everyday of his life. How much I loved him, how much I was going to miss him, and how proud I was to call him my brother. Yes, it was the most precious moment of my life.

2005-11-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

Sudoku
I was recently introduced to the evil world of Sudoku by my equally evil friend, Mike. For some reason he thought I would enjoy being frustrated, feeling like a moron, and generally wanting to bash my head up against the wall. And.. he was right. I've become addicted to solving these damned number puzzles.
For those of you that are not familiar with Sudoku.. don't click on this link www.websudoku.com I implore you! Run awaaaaaaay! You'll spend hours, that you should be doing something productive, just making your brain ache.
Okay, I'm not really that dumb... the easy ones aren't bad.. fun even. I haven't tried the Hard or Evil ones. I don't think I could handle the pressure.
So, check it out.. it's the latest "thing". And let me know what you think!

2005-11-15T00:40:00.000-05:00

Every Monday night, I continue to engage in a most torturous activity... I grab a drink and a snack from the fridge, curl up on the couch in my den, and watch... CSI:Miami. You see... I despise David Caruso. You know.. David Caruso.. redhaired arrogant jackass that after one season on NYPD Blue, thought he was hot shit, and quit the show to be a movie star. Hmmmm how did that work out for ya, David? For some reason classics such as "Kiss of Death", "Jade", and "Body Count" just don't appear in my DVD collection. (Please don't think that I actually KNEW the names of those movies.. I had to imdb him.)

Apparently a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the William Shatner School of Acting, Caruso delivers the most overly dramatic lines I've ever had the misfortune to hear. The worst is at the end of the opening scene, right before the music... Here's a typical exchange:

Medical Examiner: "He almost decapitated her. He doesn't know his own power."
Caruso: "Well (dramatic pause) he's about...(dramatic pause) to know OURS."

From his office, next to the den, my husband can hear me screaming at the TV. "Aaaaaarrrrghhhhhh I fucking HATE him!!!" As usual, he laughs and asks me... why do you watch that show? As usual, I have no answer.

Actually I'm reminded of a scene from the movie "Heathers". (Winona Ryder, Christian Slater)

Veronica's dad (smoking a cigarette): "Would somebody please tell me why I smoke these damn things?"
Veronica: "Cause you're an idiot"
Veronica's dad: "Oh yeah, that's it!'

Need I say more?

2005-11-01T14:20:00.000-05:00

Kathleen Turner. I'm sitting here watching "Peggy Sue Got Married", I haven't seen this movie for years. It's quite coincidental, because a friend and I were just discussing her yesterday.

So anyway... am I the only one that finds it more than a little scary that she went from this beautiful, sultry-voiced sex rabbit (hehe anyone remember Jessica Rabbit? "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way") to playing Chandler Bing's drag queen father on "Friends." And.. do you think they had her in mind when they wrote that part? Can you even imagine her agent calling her with that bit of news?!

Agent: "Uhmmm.. Kathleen.. I've got great news! They want you for a role on "Friends"! You know it's the #1 comedy in prime time!"

Kathleen: "Oh, that's great! Who do they want me to play? Rachel's new boss at Ralph Lauren? Joey's new SOMEwhat older love interest?"

Agent: "Uhmmm..... well, not exactly."

Kathleen: "Okaaaay... don't tell me that they want me to play someone's MOTHER!"

Agent: "Uhmmm... well, not exactly."

Kathleen: "Carol's new lesbian lover? Just tell me!"

Agent: "They want you to play Chandler's dad."

Kathleen: "What?! I couldn't hear you."

Agent: "They want you to play Chandler's dad."

Kathleen: "Chandler's DAD?!!!!!!" (Click)

Okay.. that was a little more drawn out that I imagined it to be.. but that Kathleen is kinda full of herself! So, obviously she reconsidered... and did an awesome job. Apparently she had the voice of a drag queen all along! Who woulda thunk it?!

Just a little footnote here... I'm heavily medicated at the moment. I'm home sick w/ a cold. So please excuse my pointless rambling!

2005-10-31T21:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've found that I'm much more of a reader, than a poster. Although I really appreciate my friend for introducing me to the blogs, and I really have found a lot of interesting ones thru him... I doubt I'm going to be doing much posting of my own.

I really get a kick out of reading everyone else's blogs, but feel a bit intimidated about posting on my own. Everyone else is SO funny and interesting. I feel like I have to compete... But who knows.. it might turn out to be a bit cathartic.

So, a little bit about my blog name... it might ring a bell for those of you that are in your thirties. I am a big fan of Schoolhouse Rock. So many of those little songs still resonate thru my head... Lolly, Lolly, Lolly get your adverbs here is one of my favorites. As a matter of fact, in the late 80's when there was no schoolhouse rock, and they weren't out on video yet.. I recorded me singing the Preamble to the Constitution on a cassette tape for my little sister to learn. haha I wish I had that tape now... I'm sure it was hilarious.

You see. this is the kind of stupid shit that goes thru my head... stuff that probably wouldn't interest anyone but me. Haha

Oh well.... we'll see. If anyone wants to post their favorite Schoolhouse Rock moments, I would welcome them. And maybe I won't feel like such a dork.

2005-10-26T17:03:00.000-04:00

Wow! My very first blog entry for no one to read! I'm not sure that I have anything of interest to say....