Christmas Moment Musings...

Short Menu of the Day:

iTunes: Ryan Montbleau cd. (Thank you, equeyaya!)

In my Glass: Toasted Head Chardonnay

Photos: 1) Paper whites are my favorites. I should have taken this when they bloomed more. Oh well.
2) Brian's tradition is to make his own smoked salmon and give it as gifts. It takes all day. But i've never tasted any smoked salmon better than his.
3) My tree, which looks like every other tree, but dammit, this tree is like having a new puppy. It needs water twice a day! I think this tree will live until March. I'm not getting rid of it until it dies.
4) louielouie's daughter made this snowman/ghost candle for me when she was in elementary school (she's 21 now, right?...louie?) I still put this out every year and light it.
5) Dorothy's Christmas wreath was well known around our condo. When she died her daughter gave it to us. The first year we hung it i had two friends call us thanking us for making sure it was still displayed. Brian and I still miss Dorothy and talk about her often. She would join us for our Christmas breakfast those years we didn't have to hit the road to Eastern Washington.

***************************
My thoughts on Christmas moments:

1. First the disclaimer: I wanted to be sure that i have 52 blog posts before i end this year and i'm not sure once the tsunami of Christmas arrives (which for me starts on Christmas Eve afternoon) that i would have time.

2. This blog post is about posting your Christmas moments this year. As i've gotten older I have learned not to have the expectation of the whole Christmas Spirit feeling. I am sure that is partly do to my choice of not having children. (I think children are the key to that spirit.) Instead I have learned to enjoy the season by looking for those moments.

3. Kylee's graduation last week from the Seattle Art Institute. First of all Kylee is the first person in my family to graduate with a bachelor's degree. And being in Seattle at Christmastime with family during a celebration like that was really cool. We went out for tapas and wine afterwards at a nice place where we got to sit in sofas. It was very warm and cozy and happy.

4. Watching Roman Holiday with Brian the other day. Kylee loaned us her DVD of this and though it's not a holiday movie, it felt like it. Neither one of us had ever seen it.

5. Yesterday my brother Troy stopped by unannounced. He was carrying what i first thought was lawn furniture cushions. Instead it was his dog, Gus's dog bed. (Gus was a girl named for Augustus McRae from Lonesome Dove.) Gus was a gentle black lab who lived to be 15 years old. She died only two months before Troy's son Josh died. With Gus's dog bed was also a pair of Josh's jeans, size 30/30. I used to make lots of jean pillows years ago for my nieces and nephews and I had told Troy i would make a pillow of Josh's jeans and Gus's dog bed scraps if he ever wanted that. He never responded at the time so i thought he must have thought it was a dumb idea and i had forgotten about it. But last night he showed up with them both.

6. I am going to buy a sewing machine now! I keep thinking i should.

7. A moment I'm looking forward to: Brian and Kylee are headed out to Weight Watcher's tonight and afterwards are coming over to watch Eat, Pray, Love and i'm in between writing this blog and cooking a healthy pasta dinner for when they return.

8. Tonight my nephew Brian called me from the mall. He always leaves his Christmas shopping until the last few days which cracks me up. He was looking for the Ryan Montbleau cd and he couldn't find it, which i'm not surprised . I don't think Troy reads my blog so i'm not giving up anything. But i love when they call me for ideas.

9. The other night this same nephew was at my mom's house and i noticed that he had duct tape in the crotch of his jeans. LOL.... It was pretty funny. Apparently he had ripped them out and decided that was the fix. So though we normally don't do the gift exchange in my family with any kids over 21 i bought him some Gap jeans for Christmas.

10. My niece Ashley emailed and said she wants to come down and visit with me ahead of the Christmas Eve Tsunami on her way home from Seattle. So she and Kylee and Brian and I are have a pre-function at our place and maybe nephew Brian and his girlfriend will come too. All my favorites.

So if you aren't too busy with Christmas, come and share you own Christmas moments with us all.

And thank you for reading this blog. I hope you will all continue to come here and post in 2011.... (you too....TXGrits, where have you been?)

My goal, whether Facebooking takes over blogging or not, will to continue to try to move this once a week as i did this year. I like writing and it's a great outlet for me.

Merry Christmas all.

Edited: to add louie/louie's children: Emma and Nick. I'll add a comment to explain.

How to be happy.

I'm going to skip the Menu of the Day and just cut to the chase with How to Be Happy. I got the idea from equeyaya's video that i have posted here. This is such a happy song. Anyway i thought it might be fun if we all blogged about our ideas on how to be happy. I myself haven't even thought ahead about this, so i'm just winging it.

1. Do what you are good at. And do it often.

2. Have at least one friend that you can so totally honest with that you can tell them that one thing you might write in your private journal that you hope no one in the world ever reads even after you are dead and gone.

3. Exercise. I know, i know, people hate it. I hate it too. And yeah, getting started is hard and you will be miserable for a bit. But if you do it long enough to make it a habit, it will become that thing you have to do, like paying bills, flossing your teeth, eating fiber. And soon you will be amazed at how much better you feel and how your body will change. And THAT will make you happy.

4. Do something that challenges you. (I'll admit this is a hard one for me and i don't do it often enough. But those times when i have ventured into new territory i find that i get energized, especially at work, for example: designing and maintaining our website at work. )

5. If you love wine, treat yourself to an expensive bottle every once in awhile...it doesn't have to be super expensive, but say... $25 or so, as long as it is recommended by someone who knows their stuff.

6. Try to find at least two hours of unencumbered time for yourself every few days. As a non-mom it's easy for me. For moms, i think it's super essential. Even if it's just to watch TV without interruption or Facebook during that whole time.

7. Change your hair if you hate it. (What do you have to lose?)

8. Listen to music you like every day. But not that freaking sad angsty shit. Something like the video posted above.

9. Don't watch too much of the news on TV. And if you live in the Pacific Northwest, like i do. Don't watch the weather either.

10. Buy yourself flowers. Buy them once a week if you live in the Pacific Northwest. Where the skies are the color of..... concrete 10 months a year.

11. And better yet! ....Order them from your favorite florist and have them delivered to yourself at work and then don't tell anyone who sent them to you.

12. Order lot of shit from Amazon. I love when i come home and a package is on my doorstep. Every day this week i come home and a package is out there and i get excited and they are not even for me because they are Christmas presents!

I don't want to make this too long so i will end here even though i have more ideas, but i'll wait for yours and post some later in Comments.

Potpourri Blogging

Menu of the Day:

On the iPod: eque yaya's mix (eque there is a song on there is could have sworn was Conor Oberst but it turns out to be some guy named Aaron.???)

In my glass: A mouvedre red blend. By Olsen Hills. Very nice.

What I'm procrastinating about: I was supposed to wrap presents today but i realize i don't know where the To/From cards are so i need to buy more.

What's bugging me: The vote on extending the Bush tax cuts. And the Don't Ask/Don't Tell.

What I'm looking forward to: Christmas! And the time off! And Kylee's graduation. She is the first person in our family to graduate with a bachelor's degree! Yay Kylee. And when she's done she will come back to this blog. And i look forward to that too.

Why i deserve a gold star: i went running on my lunch hour today and the rain could not have come down any harder even as i headed out to do this. I looked like i had fallen in a lake when i was done. It's a good thing i don't have to run again until Sunday, it will take that long for my shoes to dry!

Another reason i deserve a gold star: I think i am done with Christmas shopping!

Photos: My niece Ashley wanted the series of photos i took of her and Brian and Josh Christmas 2008. (This was Josh's last Christmas). She had only seen a couple i had posted on Facebook before. So i put them all up today because i finally found the folder. And then I decided to add a few of them here too.

The Christmas trees are Tree 2009 and Tree 2010. They look the same! What a crack-up. (Next year i think we'll mix it up.) The darker photo is from last year. I came across this photo of my husband in a vest! And that made me laugh too. This is from his post college years i think. He's the one on the far right (wearing the vest!). The foot ornament is Kylee's favorite. Brian actually carved this years ago and we had a running joke. I used to hide it at the back of the tree and he would always move it. Now Kylee makes sure it has a special place in the front.

Current news that's sorta interesting to me : (I'm embarrassed to admit!) I saw the headline on Comcast that Kate (+8 mom) and Sarah Palin didn't get along on their camping trip. I'm waiting for Furline to weigh in on this. And the Zuckerman Facebook dude. He's interesting.

What's not: Prince Charles' car being attacked.

My tentative plans for 2011: I'm going to join the Thursday night Running Club. I'll start bowling in February. (LOVE bowling!), I won't watch American Idol this year so that frees me up alot. I wonder what i'll do. Oh....probably Facebook instead. That's about it. I'm not much of an overachiever.

Feng shui blogging

This means that i am not going to bother putting up a photo.

I will only say this about the Menu of the Day:

I am listening to Dustin Kensrue Christmas songs on the iPod.

I am cooking pasta with jojo's famous spaghetti sauce.

I am procrastinating about Christmas.

I am looking forward to time off during Christmas.

The best thing i have done this week ... i am going TOTALLY green this year on Christmas....at least with Christmas lights. It's about a $275 initial investment for lights, but i have purchased all LED lights for inside and outside this year. I'll let you know how it goes later. With photos, of course.

********************************

Here is my idea for this blog.

i would like to focus again on the nature of this blog being a community blog. Because
this blog got started ONLY because of the Gumbo YaYa-ness from the days when i would post on that board while drinking wine about whatever happened to enter my head and i encouraged others to do the same. And they did. And some of them encouraged this blog which i resisted for awhile until a year ago.

So with this blog i ask that you come here, one and all, even you lurkers....and post what is in your head....

Finish this sentence:

1. I would love to travel to __________

2. I hate the sound of _________________

3. Every time i read the newspaper i think______________

4. I wish that more people would ___________________

5. My biggest fear is __________________

6. If i knew i would be safe i would _____________________

7. The kind of personality that most pisses me off is______________

8. I am attracted to ___________________

9. I wish i was more ______________________

10. One of the biggest injustices is ___________________

11. I wish is wasn't so _______________________

12. Parents only:
If i was not a parent i imagine that i would be doing this more often_____________

13. Non-parents: If i had children i wish they would be ______________________

Menu of the Day & My Thanksgiving Thanks

Menu of the Day:

In my glass: Fresca & cranberry juice (but earlier it was a glass of cabernet)

iTunes: Needtobreathe's "Outsiders" (I really love these guys! I think eque that you first turned me on to them.)

Book: I put the Follett book down for a bit and have torn through two survival books and i am now on my third.

A couple of weeks ago i couldn't sleep and came across the History channel's show on the Andes Mountain survivors. I had read the story back in the 1970's. But the History show was so compelling i stayed up watching until 3:00 am and decided i wanted to read the book again. So i bought Alive and then went back and bought the book written by the Nando hero, Miracle in the Andes. (Nando is the one who led the long trek to get them rescued off those mountains.) After i read those two books, i went back to Barnes and Noble a third time and bought the Shackleton's Endurance book which was written in the 1950's about the Antarctica ship trapped in the ice from the early 1900's. The books are all about leadership and are amazing stories. And today I read the Vanity Fair story in the current Cher issue by the Seabiscuit author about WW2 survivors in the Pacific in a life raft. It is also a riveting read, much like what i've been reading. These books affect me much like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild and Into Thin Air. I LOVE survival stories. (Maybe because never doing anything that seems dangerous. )

Stupid Commercial: OMG, have y'all seen the Snuggies commercial with the whole family wearing these stupid blankets with armholes? The family is around the piano singing. The teen girl is wearing one with peace signs on it. I tried to find the YouTube but i think it's too new to put up. I'll look later. It looks like an SNL parody.

Best Commercial: The little baby in the walker tearing down the roads at 60 miles per hour and alongside the train. What is that commercial? It's hysterical but i forget what it advertises. I've only seen it twice.


What i'm thinking about: The North/South Korea happenings and what might happen in the future. Scary.


On that note, let's get on with with the Thanksgivings.

************************

1. I am thankful that i never had children. I think there is no way to do the job well of parenting and i hate not doing a job well. I would not have been a good parent and i am thankful that i knew that ahead of time.

2. I am thankful that my siblings had children. I love those connections i have with Kylee (and at times her sister Ashley) and my nephew Brian. I learn from them as much as i hope they learn from me.

3. I am thankful for my husband. He is my Nando. I read that book Alive and thought, this is how Brian would behave in a catastrophic event. He would know what to do. And i love that i am married to a man who makes me feel safe.

4. I am thankful for my job. A year ago i thought i needed to quit. Instead i tried to find ways to help change what seemed wrong and that helped. And some things just happened because of some good people who are working with me now. I feel very lucky to be working where i am in such a good job with good benefits. If i ever complain again i want someone to slap me.

5. I am thankful for my health. I know i complain about getting old and the truth is this is the first year i have been reminded i would get old. I feel more tired than i used to at night. I can't read print as well, and driving at night is more difficult, i have terrible night sweats and high blood pressure and have to take pills, but yet i am pretty fit and can still run four miles without stopping and i don't have any aches or pains, even in my knees. And i feel great. I never want to take it for granted.

6. I am thankful for iTunes and all the good music out there for me to explore!

7. I am thankful that i never seem to be out of books to read.

8. I am thankful for snow days! It was great to be off today. I took a two hour nap. Watched a couple of episodes of DVRd Glee and Parenthood, packed for our trip and can't really remember what else. But i was never bored.

9. I am thankful for a warm home and power during this record breaking temperatures which are supposed to be in single digits tonight! It's not even Thanksgiving and we already have three snow days to make up. There is no school tomorrow either!

10. I am thankful for many people. But right now I am most appreciative and in awe of my brother Troy, and his son Brian, and my niece Kylee, who have been working hard to get through some very tough times. My brother with the loss of his son Josh and Kylee with her lupus and being the first in our family to get a bacherlor's degree in between her flares that have put her in the hospital. I don't believe i would have as much grace and perseverance and the same kind of positive forward thinking to keep doing what they are doing to work through it.

So what are y'all thankful for?

And if anyone finds that horrible Snuggies commercial, let me know. I will put it up here.

I Must Be Drunk ...Because...

I must be drunk....because....

1. I must be drunk because....I am listening to Christmas music on my iTunes as i type. And i like it!

2. I must be drunk because i bought a Christmas cd on iTunes just now. I bought Dustin Kensrue's. It almost doesn't sound like a Christmas album, sort of how Bruce Cockburn's doesn't or Ottmar Liebert. You could almost listen to it all year.

3. I must be drunk ....cause i watched George W.'s interview with Matt Lauer the other day and i didn't feel the need to throw anything at the tv while watching it. I didn't even feel my blood pressure rising as i watched.

4. I must be drunk.... because i already bought a Christmas present today. (for my parents)

5. I must be drunk...because i called my mom today too.

6. I must be drunk... because i do not take Sarah Palin seriously when she says she is going to run for President.

7. I must be drunk ... because I was at an all day union meeting for the next 'flavor of the month' on the new union vision and i signed up for one committee and ALMOST signed up for a second one. In the end i backed out, knowing i can only be committed so much. But that i even considered it... makes me feel like i must be drunk.

8. I must be drunk...because i bought 6 books this month alone. I am so worried that i won't have something to read at our beach vacation on Thanksgiving that i keep buying books.

9. I must be drunk...because i keep posting odd contrasty photos of myself. (This photo i posted today is me holding either a bottle of wine and i thought, but then again, it could be a bottle of olive oil. Extra virgin of course. )Just like me! )

10. I must be drunk...because i spent $45 on shampoo and conditioner today.

11. I must be drunk because i have cooked three nights in a row.

12. I must be drunk because i am.

***********************************
What things have you done lately that make you want to blame it on being drunk? (I'm thinking louie, this is right up YOUR alley! LOL.)

Things that Shouldn't Be....

Menu of the Day:

on iTunes: 75 and Sunny by Ryan Montbleau

In my glass: Nothing yet, but i'm having dinner at Primo Grill with Julie, so it will soon be something red!

What I'm reading: I loved Pillars of the Earth so much that i am now reading the second Follett book: World Without End, I like it too.

What I am procrastinating about: NOTHING. I'm caught up. I'm working on that will thing too.

What I'm looking forward to: Tomorrow.

On with the list with things that shouldn't be.
********************************

1. I was watching the Seahawks game last weekend, something i don't normally do, but during the commentary they cut to a shot of a beautiful facility where the Seahawks practice. We care more about the buildings where pro athletes get to practice and play more than we do about the buildings where our children go to school.

2. Do i need to even mention that teachers/educators should make the salaries of pro athletes and vice versa? Why should athletes be paid millions for a talent that comes so easily?...No i don't think i need to mention it... but i do it anyway.

3. Christine O'Donnell should never have been given the time of day. How can people in this country take her seriously? And of course, it goes without saying about Sarah Palin.

4. Kim Kardashian should not be registering on any radar either. What's her claim to fame? Her Dad was an OJ supporter?

5. The prescription you take for your medical ills should not have more side effects than your original affliction.

6. People who vote a rabidly anti-tax ballot should not be able to send their kids to public schools and they should be prohibited from ever calling the fire department or police in the event of a disaster. Nor should they visit a park. (In fact, they should even had children at all! ) and while we're at it, they should not be driving over bridges and on the freeways either. They should just stay home!

7. VHI should not be allowed to re-run Saturday Night Live. I got very excited when on our DVR was a re-run of a 2001 episode with Ryan Adams as the musical guest. VHI cut about an hour of it to make way for their bazillion commercials and cut the music out all together and most of Weekend Update too.

8. Nobody should remake a Janis Joplin song really. I don't care who you are. It can't be done.

9. Democrats should quit being namby pamby. If Obama folds on the Bush tax cuts i will be very disappointed. I do NOT respect pandering. We didn't lose the House because of our ideology so much as we lost it because we are a bunch of lazy fuckers who believe everyone in our party has a good idea that needs to be heard. Plus we're cheap too.

10. My new favorite show Parenthood may get cancelled, but yet Kim Kardashian still remains a household name.

11. OOps, i will have to come back to this because it's almost time for me to get picked up! I have more.

Come and tell me some of yours!

Post Election Random Rants...

Menu of the Day:
Music: "There is So Much More" by Brett Dennen

The best thing: My House Democrat legislators, the ones whose campaigns i had been working on, keep gaining! (They are still too close to call, but i think our guys won!)

The thing i keep procrastinating about: Except for the will, i have actually fulfilled all of my previous procrastinations.

Book: I am reading "Saving Max". It's about a kid with Aspberger's who may or may not have committed a murder. I think i have already figured out the ending.

What i am looking forward to: I have Veteran's Day off and then the next day off because i am meeting a financial planner. I look forward to getting money stuff more organized. Then we will do that will.

OK, on with it.
********************************************

1. I love Election Night and when we get home, directly after work, we make popcorn and channel surf between the news and watch the results. For me, it's like the SuperBowl (only without the cool commercials).

2. Then after having about three glasses of wine i call up my friends from work who are politicos and we talk about how mad we are or how happy we are.

3. What was MOST disheartening to me was the loss of Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. This guy is so solid and principled. When they get a raise, he writes a check for that amount and sends it back to the US Treasury. He refused to engage in negative campaigning and that may be part of why he lost (besides being too liberal and not riding that fence). He voted against the Patriot Act. He crossed party lines to write the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act back in the day, (Which we we sorely need right now. BTW, thank the conservative side of our Supreme Court if you are pissed about all the campaign literature you received this year.)

Talk about a REAL maverick. Feingold was that man, NOT McCain. I used to write about wanting him to run for President. And somebody once said to me that this country would never elect a man with the name Feingold. But look, we elected a man with the name Obama and who would have though that could happen? (the fact that their names and background holding them back is a whole 'nother issue to rant about.)

4. And while i'm on the subject. Negative Ads. Yeah, they piss me off too. But the truth is they do work because people are lazy and they like to vote on a quick sentence with a huge font and provocative shocking message. So if i were to say on this blog right now Jocucina from here on out is going to vote Rebublican you would probably see that and quit reading the rest. Because like Jon Stewart says, people are busy. So yeah, bitch all you want about them, but they are effective. And when someone runs a negative ad against you, you better be ready to fight back.

5. Swift Boat Veterans. Good example.

6. Speaking of Jon Stewart. I watched his rally and loved it and replaced Obama's inauguration speech on my work blackboard with [arts of Jon's Sanity Rally speech, including: "We can have animus without becoming enemies."

7. I wish that were true. But i am not sure it is. And i will play nice ONLY as long as the other side does. I am actually, to tell the truth, rather tired of the namby-pambiness of the Democrats sometimes. Not to mention the laziness and disorganization.

8. BTW, did you see the story where Jon Stewart is the late night leader in TV now, beating both Letterman and Leno. So cool!

9 Democrat campaigns need more people like me helping, but until they get more people like me i can only help so much before i want to tear off someone's face.

10. Like i said, i really want to shoot at something. And i think i would be a good shot too. I might ask for lessons for Christmas. Then when i get really good i might ask for a gun for my birthday.

11. See, i was never THAT liberal on the gun issue.

12. So some folks better watch out. Like anyone, especially a young person, tells me they they don't vote and never will. Cause i will shoot them in the foot just to make them wish they still had health care when the Republicans get it repealed.

13. Anyway, yeah, i am happy that my candidates are doing well finally Patty Murray isre-elected to the U.S. Senate after a close call with Dino Rossi.(The same Dino Rossi who had a recount with our Democratic Governor!) But i am NOT happy that Michelle Bachman is in there. How can this happen that a man like Feingold is out and she is in. How can Feingold be out and McCain still be in? What is up with that? How can a Tea Party dude like Rand Paul win in Kentucky? Thank god i don't live there.

14. I have to say that i am always pretty much proud of our state in spite of how they voted on some of the initiatives. In fact i just interrupted this blog to call my dad to thank him for moving us here.

15. What really makes me mad is all the young voters not voting. There was a story in the news today. About half who voted in the General Election voted this time. I think it's partly because the pollsters and the folks we call when we are doing the GOTV are ignoring them. I keep saying to the political leaders where i work that we need to expand our attention to them.

16. i think read somewhere that Bill Maher said it was an easy message to young voters: (i'm paraphrasing) "Tell them to vote for the party who got them health care until they were 26 years old. Vote for the party who got the troops out of Iraq, a war we never should have been in in the first place!" .... and i think he also said, "Vote for the party who is trying to legalize weed." (But i might have that one wrong! But i actually don't think so, consider it's Bill Maher. LOL.)

What are YOUR random rants and thoughts on Election 2010. (I might come back with more myself, but i realize that these are longer than i meant them to be for one new post.)


Edited to add a photo of this Sunday's starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks because i wrote about him in the comments. This is Charlie Whitehurst and i think i posted about him before because i think he is so cute!

Friday Night Ramblings While Drinking a $25 Viognier

Menu of the Day:

My REAL menu: is a crab cake and stir fried peapods with ham that i bought from Tacoma Boys this afternoon.

Music: This is Pete Yorn week. Right now i'm listening to his version of Elvis's "Suspicious Minds". (I love his song "Rock Crowd")

My last iTunes purchase: Sister Hazel's new cd.

The Best thing that happened this week: shoot, i'm trying to think. It was a very busy week. I've worked late every night except last night. I think the best thing is this viognier i'm drinking.

What i'm looking forward to: Kylee/ms hippie is moving back to Tacoma in about two weeks, 5 minutes away from our place. Saturday walks around Chambers Creek for exercise with Kylee and getting back to our tradition of decorating my Christmas tree and then eating Chinese food while watching a cheesy movie!

OK, enough menu. On with the ramblings.

****************************************************

1. Pete Yorn, if you don't already know is super hot. Having said that i have to admit... he doesn't really do justice to "Suspicious Minds". But i still like it.( I don't really like Elvis Presley AT ALL, but if i had to pick a favorite song, it would be this one. )

2. I am starting to get really irritated with the political system and the culture of the Democrats disorganization and the tenacity and arrogance of the Republican party.

3. Having said that, i still think Patty Murray will still beat Dino Rossi.

4. Not so sure about the candidates i am working for locally. I would bet money that Tami G. will win and that Troy K. will lose to that right wing lawyer. I also think 1098 the state income tax initiative will lose. (I voted yes.) And i hope that folks will be smart enough to turn down the initiatives about privatizing liquor, so i might bet money on that being a NO. ( i just want to be on the record, i know this is boring for those of you outside our state.)

5. Off politics. Let's talk about my possible agoraphobia, which is bound to happen very soon. First we had news that a guy on a bicycle was attacking women walking/running alone in the VERY area that i run. Then it was in the papers that a cougar, yes a wild animal, was running loose somewhere in the area that we live. And tonight i get a newsletter from my condo association that says there have been reports of a peeping Tom in our condo area. I am WTF? I rarely close my drapes when i am home. I'm thinking we need to move. Cause you see, we live in the city where our four police officers were killed in a coffee shop almost a year ago. We live in the area that used to be a favorite of that cable TV show "Cops" .

6. Actually i think i just need to quit watching the news.

7. But just in case, if you don't see me updating my blog for a very long time you might assume i was eaten by a cougar or had acid thrown on me by a wacko dude on a bike. So check with Ms Hippie/Kylee and she'll give you the scoop on my disappearance.

8. I hope the peeping Tom,( if he was looking in our window), got a whole lot of jollies watching ME on the sofa in my man flannel pajamas checking Facebook on my netbook computer!

9. I should mention here that the $25 viognier is well worth the money. But i am too lazy to walk the 32 steps to my kitchen to tell you what it is.

10. This is the year i feel myself getting older. I think i forgot i would get old. I am pissed. I am not ready. What are your random thoughts?

Over Easy... easy reading for hardworking people

I have been writing an easy news piece off and on for the past 18 years for my job. I made up the name and letterhead, which sports the egg as shown above.

I got the idea actually off the back of Bon Appetit back in the early 1990's, though Vanity Fair would inspire me now, but i wasn't reading it back then.

Anyway, over the years the questions had to change. When i first started i asked the question: Who is your favorite Cartwright from Bonanza? then it became Who is your favorite character on The West Wing. And now I ask Who is your favorite Grey's Anatomy character? Or your favorite American Idol judge?

So here are some of the questions. I hope y'all are ready to play: (Note: because blogger gave me some error message at first & depending on the length of your answers, you might want to answer 1-8 on one comment post and then 8-16 on another.)

1. What is the best thing you ever brought to Show and Tell?

2. What is the best present someone ever bought you?

3. If you could change one thing about your appearance (besides your weight) what would you pick?

4. Who do you admire?

5. What three things can always be found in your refrigerator?

6. If you were going to have a dinner party for a few friends, what would you serve/cook?

7. What song makes you want to dance?

8. What song have you ever sang karaoke too?

9. Were you popular in school. Did you win any yearbook Hall of Fame kind of bullshit? What was it?

10. Who was your major celebrity crush when you were in high school?

11. Who is your celebrity crush now?

12. What would you like to have said in your eulogy?

13. What do you avoid?

14. What do you look forward to?

15. When you buy stuff, what do you find yourself buying the most? (Besides regular groceries).

16. What addiction/vice do you wish you could quit?

Closed for Repair

1. RE: my post title: i think that would be a good name for a band. I just wanted a provocative post title today.

2. I am now on Lost Season 4. This is the season where Farady, Miles, Charlotte and Jimmy Buffet pilot were introduced.

3. i like rewatching Lost better than when i saw it the first time. I especially like Jack more and appreciate him in a way i did not in my first viewing.

4. I doorbelled for three hours for house democrat's re-election Troy K. today. He is up against a formidable opponent. He is running against an anti-gay, anti public education, anti labor lawyer who works for a right wing think tank. So my friend Irene and I made feet and knocked doors. It was a beautiful day, so that was a plus.

We had a long list of 80 addresses. I had trepidation at first because the list was long and these were 'persuasion' doorbells where you talk to people. But it was actually fun. She and i decided to split to list so we could get through them. and we did. After you do this for awhile you actually get disappointed when people aren't home.

5. Nobody was mean. A couple of people were semi-rude, but that was it. Most people were really nice.

6. Our next thing to do is easy. Sign waving. I want to make a pool of it: for every person who flips us off somebody has to pay up a quarter. For every honk, somebody has to pay a quarter. We need to divide up what we want to be paid for. I am choosing the honks or thumbs up. (I am negative enough by nature so i have to find the positive somewhere.)

7. Maybe i will wear a short skirt and a low cut blouse. LOL.

8. I will be very glad when Nov. 2 gets here. I got my absentee ballot today and I have already voted. It's a big ballot for us in our state with initiatives. I don't always know about district court judges so i go online for those. A secret is returning your ballot immediately so you won't get all those political phone calls reminding you to vote.

9. i bought the new Sister Hazel cd from iTunes today. i like this band a lot. they are under the radar and not that well known but i have quite a bit of their music. Quite often when i hear a song i like i look at my iPod and it's either a Paste cd song, an equeyaya song, or a Sister Hazel.

10. And surprisingly sometimes a Conor Oberst.

11. I keep thinking that people want to share their opinions and thoughts so i keep trying to engage that with this blog, but it doesn't seem to work. That surprises me. How can people not want to answer a question about their opinion? Especially when they know it can be anonymous? I don't believe i have ever in my life been asked for an opinion and chose not to respond. LOLOL.

12. I hope y'all saw my last post on the other blog about my favorite commercials. I think i will try and find the YouTube for the Allstate commercial and post it here since i don't have a photo to add today.

Menu of the Day & 5 Questions

Menu of the Day:

Weather: Rainy, rainy 60 degree day. I actually welcomed it.

In my glass: a really good $9.99 South African cabernet with a cool name" Arabella".

What's cooking: Bread in my oven. OH, it smells so good!

Music: Big Head Todd & the Monster's acoustic version of "Bittersweet". I never get tired of this song.

What i am procrastinating about: Still haven't sent that sympathy card, but that's only because the former condo board president's wife wouldn't know me at all anyway and sometimes it's nice to still get a card when all the family leaves and you're alone in your grief.

Good thing: Connecting. I like having friends who you don't see very often but when you do, you pick up right where you left off. I don't have lots of friends i see on a regular basis but i do have these friends who i connect with in a real friendship, even if that means we only see each other 4-6 times a year. My friend Karie (who photographed our wedding) was over last night for wine and the 4 hours went by so fast!

Bad thing: My friend Toni's (who worked with me for 22+ years) husband is in the hospital very sick with staph infection. What's amazing is to find out that my friend i've known for so long is such a rock at work and falls apart in a crisis when it comes to her family. (He's going to be okay, but will be sick for a long time.)

What i don't like right now: Someone once told me (was it you louielouie?) that when you turn 50 you become surrounded with sickness and death. We are at the age where our parent's health is failing and we find ourselves going to more funerals than weddings. And to top it off you are menopausal and not in the very best shape to deal with all this shit in the first place.

About my Obama image: I hope this link works if you want to read part of the article. It's a great article. Obama kicks ass. (You Facebookers will know that i have this quote linked. )

"It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election...People need to shake off this lethargy, people need to buck up. Bringing about change is hard and we've got some lumps to show for it. But if people want to take their ball and go home, that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place."

Ok, that's the Menu: how about we all add our own Menu & answer 5 questions?

**************************

1. What would like someone to say about you in your eulogy?

2. What are you looking forward to?

3. Think about a fictional character you really liked. If you could make them a real person, which one would you choose?

4. What TV show is your guilty pleasure?

5. What book are you most likely to read a second time?

Circling the Drain

I don't know why i even came up with that subject line. Except that when i watch the media pundits i worry about the Democrats. And when i read everything that surrounds the new Waiting for Superman documentary by Guggenheim (who did Inconvenient Truth) i worry about the future of unions. And i worry about Obama and i still support him.

You know who should be circling the drain? Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Dick Cheney, Newt Gingrich. Christine O'Donnell. the list goes one and on.

I don't really have much on my mind, so i'll just do a menu and appease louielouie with getting the scary angel photo off.

MENU OF THE DAY:

iPodding to: "Red Umbrella" by Forest Sun

The Best thing that Happened this week: hmmm. i have been sitting here trying to think of something. It's been a crazy week. I'll come back to this.

What i keep procrastinating about: I need to send a sympathy card to the wife of our former condo president. The one president i actually really liked alot.

My favorite commercial this week:It's the Subura commercial with the married couple who go camping on their honeymoon. and a storm comes in and pulls down their white tent. I think the couple is adorable. (And i just now went and found it on YouTube and put it up here since i still don't have a photo. )

Stupid commercial i hate right now: Those bear commercials with the Charmin toilet paper. I guess you remember it's Charmin because of the whole 'bear shit in the woods' saying, but those ads drive me crazy.

In my glass: i know summer is over but i am drinking a glass of South Austrailian viognier. It's very nice because it's not too sweet. It's a 2009 Yalumba.

About that wine: i was at Tacoma Boys and they had two different Yalumba viogniers. One had a price on it of $18 and the other was advertised at $10. But then i noticed that the $10 one was a 2009. the $18 was a 2008. However, this is a pet peeve of mine: the 2009 $10 bottle had a card on it that boasted 92 points on Wine Spectator. Only the vintage was the 2008 (which is the $18 bottle). So i told the girl they needed to put the card on the other vintage instead. And she did.

But secretly i was hoping she would sell me the 92 point $18 viognier for $10 but she didn't offer that. LOL.

so i bought the $10 one instead. And it's actually so good that i'm not sure i would have noticed the difference. I am a sucker for those little cards that talk about the wine. And i wish i had that job.

Book: it's still Pillars of the Earth. Did i mention this book was nearly 1000 pages long? So i've been reading it in between finishing Grey's Anatomy's last season on netflix. Today was my last DVD. That show is still really good. I think i have mentioned before that Christine, Sandra Oh's character is one of my favorites. I also love Alex Kurev, and Torres. But if i had to pick a #1 favorite, i might choose Bailey. I liked this season more because Katherine Heigel/Izzy is barely in it. Anyway, within 3 weeks i finished all of the season on DVD and will tear through Pillars in between working on Lost.

Where is everyone? I am not naming names because i always leave some off. But where are y'all? I wish i could check and see how many people look and don't post. It's that damn Facebook, isn't it?

OK, that's all i got. I'm outta here.

Open for Business

Menu of the Day:

About the photo: One of my first PhotoShop attempts that is why it's not very good. But i just don't have anything to throw up these days.

on iTunes: Friend of the Devil by Counting Crows.

Libation: (I always loved that word!) a nice cabernet i've never had before called "Monogamy".

What i'm looking forward to: watching Grey's Anatomy DVD tomorrow morning. Buying Pete Yorn's new cd on the 28th. Seeing Kylee at her parent's house party tomorrow.

What I'm procrastinating about: Writing my Aunt in Oregon. (this is my favorite part of the Menu because it always makes me do it!)

Book: Pillars of the Earth. This book is almost 1000 pages long. I am 1/3 of the way through it.

What i am proud of this week: I FINALLY completed designing our website at work. I had to do this mostly learning on my own with only 3 hours of training and a book on Joomla and lots of email questions of our techie. But it's all mine and my design and i think it's one of the nicer ones of the council union websites. You can see it at mysoundview.org I tried to keep it feng shui and easy to read. I included photos i took of the staff and presidents. (and i came up with the name on my own too!) I like it alot. And you can click on our Facebook link too! (You probably wouldn't want to friend it though. It's union stuff and boring for most folks.) My next mission is Twitter.

Why this is good: i have made a positive turn in my job. I was ready to quit last winter. But we have some new blood and i have a new challenge. When i get bored i get pissy. This was not easy for me and i needed that.

On with the random stuff.

***************************

1. I hate crowds but if i lived in Wash. DC i would go to Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity.

2. I couldn't sleep last night. I've been dreaming about that website and Facebook stuff. And then i get ideas at 3 am. It was 3 am that i came up with "mysoundview" which is so much better than the suggested soundview.washingtonea.org Ugh.

3. I have this Insomniac Diary that my friend Julie gave me. it works! I find that when i actually get up and write in it and go back to bed, i usually fall asleep within the half hour. I have been awake at times for 3 hours in a row.

4. it was two pager last night. Here are just a few of the actual entries i made:
How much was tequila in the margarita anyway?
I wonder if i should link my Over Easy newsletter to Facebook?
I don't like my pillow. I should have bought the down one from Costco.
I better go take an allergy pill.
I didn't even finish that 2nd margarita, so why do i have a headache?

5. I have been watching last season's Grey's Anatomy on netflix. Izzy still bugs me. Maybe even more so. Meredith not so much. I think the union of Meredith and McDreamy didn't mess up the show, it made it better because i was so tired of that drama.

6. Sandra Oh's character is still my favorite. (Why can't i think of her name?) Also Alex Kurev and McSteamy (the one who looks like Leo di caprio) . I forget his name too. all the bad asses. all my favorites.

Ok, that's all i have for now. I'll come back and edit later. it's time to cook some shrimp pasta with jojo's pesto!

It's FRIDAY. Break out the chardonnay!

Menu of the Day

iPodding to: Brandi Carlile

Drinking: Toasted Head Chardonnay (a staple chardonnay i love.)

The Best thing that Happened: I am nearly ready to launch our website that i've been working on for the past weeks for the union office. And i have to say I'm pretty proud of myself because it's looking good and i mostly had to figure this out myself with only 3 hours of training. (It's Joomla.)

What i am procrastinating about: (I like to include this because i have found that it gets me off my ass when i do.) I need to write my friend in Seattle a note because i've been out of touch.

What i'm looking forward to: I have the first DVD of Grey's Anatomy's last season.

About the photo: I put this up on Facebook and Flickr. I think this photo is so funny. That's my brother Scott. That cake was baked by my mother using the recipe in the magazine that my cousin Todd (originally from California and son to my yaya Aunt Connie) is holding up. (I took this photo over a year ago and when i put it up on Facebook just last night it got some immediate hits from my Louisiana cousins who know my mom's cooking skills, or lack thereof.)

About my mom's cooking: This photo explains why no one, not even my dad as he got older, has ever had a weight issue. My mom, even though she is from Louisiana, is a terrible cook. We never wanted seconds, hell, we never wanted firsts!

That's also funny is my mom loves to cook. She will call me at work and tell me about some recipe she made and the recipe is something that has potato chips on the top or is made with a Campbell's soup (you get the idea).

i remember when i was 11 years old before i took a trip on my first airplane ride from Louisiana to California and then to Japan. I remember LOVING the airplane food. That's how bad my mom's cooking was.

I thought i hated cooking until i branched out on my own in my mid-20's.

I joined Flickr - I need some way to organize my photos other than Facebook. You can see some of my photos at My flickr account . Some y'all have seen here or on Facebook, but i hope to keep updating as i take new ones. I needed a way to put the photos i take in a place where i can look at them or share them right away. Otherwise i load them all up on my external passport and never look at them again.

I 'm no longer in a bad mood. But i still don't have anything to say. (edited to add: i lied ... i actually DO have stuff to say. Add YOUR stuff!

So let me just add this photo. (I forgot where i found this but i knew i wanted it for my blog for days like this when i have nothing else.)

I did not make this pizza, nor did i take the photo.
I just want to eat it.

It's a pizza in a pizza. Isn't it cool? Doesn't it look great?

I'm in a bad mood and i've got nothing to say.

So come here and tell me about your bad mood.

(Disclaimer: the photo is not flipping off any of y'all.)

I'm just going to say this just once. Because i don't even know what i'm going to say.

Menu of the Day:

In my glass: Now it's Sierra Mist. But earlier it was a very fab chardonnay Ferrari Carano.

Music: "Pistol" by Dustin Kensrue, with more Kensrue to follow.

Photo: I took this tonight. I did not PhotoShop out my wrinkles as you can see. But i did bump up the contrast. (It doesn't really help.)

Book: I loved the book "The Corrections". Now i am reading Jonathan Franzen's new one called "Freedom". I love his style.

Product Pimp: I cannot rave enough about these sheets i bought at Costco. Spalena sheets. They are microfiber and boast of comparing to 600 thread count. I was skeptical when i spoke with the rep at Costco. But they aren't lying. Being the sheet snob that i am (and a weirdo who actually travels with her own sheets if i go on a week long fishing trip), I have those very expensive Hotel Collection ones from Macy's and trust me, these are better. Plus, the Spalena sheets are half the price at $99 ! I bought two more sets online today. The best thing is if you are menopausal and have night sweats as i do, these are the best because they don't soak it all up. They are amazing.

What i keep procrastinating about: Going to the mall and buying some new foundation now that my tan is fading. (A fading tan is not a pretty thing when you're over 50, but i really really hate going to the mall.)

*************************************************

1. Gawddamn passwords. how many passwords are we expected to remember? i have one for the work database (that i have to change every 6 weeks because of security reasons); my Facebook password, my work email password, my Sony Vaio laptop, my netbook laptop, my garage door opener password, my Outlook work email login password, My work computer log in, my blog password, my Sonitrol at work password, my online banking password. And i think i have more i am forgetting. It's making me crazy. ESPECIALLY the ones that make me change it up every few weeks.

2. Oh that Arizona Governer. Have you seen the latest on her?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUPKKbmWMZ8&feature=player_embedded

I am sure that Fox News will give her a pass just like they do with Palin. Good God.

3. Seriously, someone has got to get Katy Perry and Lady Gaga off the Internet. I mean it.

4. I think i need to feng shui my Facebook. I have been hiding people more and more because i friended anyone who asked me and that includes lots of people from work i don't really know and some family members too who i have since found out are uber-religious. Not to mention a few Drama Queens who inappropriately post personal shit. (ESPECIALLY those in my family.)

5. i think that means i will be left without about 8 friends. LOL.

6. Cause i really don't have that many real friends in real life when you get down to it.

7. There is all this freaking media talk about how everyone is going to vote out the Democrats and i think it was Eugene Robinson who wrote the column about Americans being brats. What is our problem that we are so freaking impatient that we want results overnight when actually we Americans (well not ME, specifically, but you know who you are , only it is no one who is reading here...) are partially responsible for the fuckup in the first place.

8. I like how i start out being polite with writing 'freaking' and then just come out with fuckup.

9. the F-word being one of my favorites in the language. That one...and the word "home".

10. My brother Troy just called me this second to tell me it's been three days since he has smoked. That is cool. HE has quit for years before. He'll do it. (He has a woman he loves who wants him to be healthy. )

11. Pete Yorn keeps Facebooking me to get his free downloads. I think i have done this three times but i have yet to find out where they are.

12. Speaking of Facebook. If you see my profile photo which i recently changed and you see me with TWO glasses of wine in the photo, they are not both mine. One of them is equeyaya's wineglass. If you look closely you will see her right shoulder in the photo.

13. I accidentally used my husband's bathroom just now. (I rarely go into his bathroom) and i counted 7 towels. Three on the floor. This is the same man whose socks will appear on the floor, inches from his clothes hamper. (I am going to take a photo one day and prove it.)

14. His band is playing a casino in Auburn tonight about 45 min. from here. I am not going because he didn't want to ask anyone to come out and see them and i didn't want to hang out in a casino all alone watching them. Casinos are totally NOT my thing. But they do The Hunger Walk next week and i can catch them there.

I may come back here and think of more random shit to say. But in the meantime....add your own.

Coming Soon. Maybe in Hours. A new post

I'm still working on getting inspired.

Lazy Sunday

Note: I'm updating the video to a more current one: Jimmy Fallon Green Day impersonation with Lost show lyrics from the Emmy's.

Menu of the Day:
iTunes: "Time Waits for No One" by the Stones. (recent purchase from iTunes).


About the photos:This is a crab pasta i made last weekend with real Dungeness that i bought from Costco. It was very good! It has proscuitto, wine sauce and avocado.

In my glass: La Crema chardonnay.

The video: You all know it probably. The SNL video that put them back into play as a great show.

Book: Bad Things Happen. I finished John Irving's Twisted River book. I really liked it. He's gotten back to his style of Owen Meany and Ciderhouse Rules, just like the reviews said.

The Best Thing That Happened: Last night my whole family went to a fabulous wedding last night of the daughter of my brother Troy's best friend (who is like family to all of my family). It was informal and so much fun. The bride did wear a really beautiful wedding dress. But the ceremony was outside where we sat on bales of hay covered in burlap. The altar was made of barkless tree limbs tied together that the groom built. The food was wonderful pulled pork and their flowers were put together by her friends who just went and bought lots of huge bouquets and stuck them in mason jars. They had Christmas lights adorning the covered deck. It was beautiful. And the best part was that it probably cost about $3000. It was one of my favorite weddings i've been to (next to my own, which also cost only about $3000 or $4000.) They had a live blue grass band and we all danced. Kylee's friend Eddy (and my new favorite pick for her husband) was their photographer.

What i keep procrastinating about: dumping some of my clothes out of the closet.
**************************

Randomness.

1. Why do i have to keep reading something about this Katy Perry? Who the hell is Katy Perry anyway? And can someone get her off of the internet? I'm sick of her already and don't even know who she is (I'm sick of her in the same way i am sick of Brangelina stories, Lindsey Lohan stories, and anything Kate Gosselin.

2. I keep trying to get my brother's son Brian, who is a writer wannabee (and he does have talent i believe) to start a blog. Yesterday he was saying something to me at the wedding, just rambling stuff while we were watching the blue grass band. And i must have looked at him puzzled at whatever it was he said (i forget now what he said) and so in his laconic, laid back way he responded with "Sometimes i say stuff.... just to say stuff." And i said. 'That's it! That's your blog name! '

3. Today was the first day i think i've been home and NOBODY has been at the pool. To me that is the first day of fall. I welcome the autumn season. I like running in this season the most. I like serving dinner too because the light isn't bright when you set the table and you can light the candles and maybe even have a fire that illuminates the mood. I sleep better at night. And i can drink red wine more often, which is more my favorite than white.

4. I love watching home TV networks during the weekend. I totally get inspired by the HG channel. Last Friday after watching a bit i got up and washed my windows and started thinking about what else i can get rid of in my closet/garage/drawers. I want to feng shui my life.

I am not very motivated today to do this blog so i'm just going to hit send and hope y'all come here and add whatever is on your mind. I just didn't like seeing that mudflap booby girl on my past blog.