Random Holiday Questiones

1. Have you now or ever "let yourself go?"
I gained some weight a couple of years ago that surprised me when I got on a scale but I've since shed it. I don't know if that's letting myself go because I didn't do it on purpose.

2. What do you struggle with daily?
Not procrastinating. The noise in my neighborhood.

3. Is the money in your wallet organized by denomination stuffed in randomly?
I think it's the old waitress in me because I have to have my money organized and facing the same way. Waitress or OCD.

4. Have you ever been seasick or airsick?
I used to get sickly on planes, but not enough to puke. I used to get sickly enough in cars to puke, though. Never been seasick.

5. Is there presently chocolate in your house?
Ja.

6. What location in your body do you store your anger?
In my powerful fist of fury.

7. Do you have a secret or news that you are dying to tell?
Not really. I can't keep secrets.

8. What present would you be thrilled to get this holiday?
A week off in a clean house with a stack of books I want to read.

9. What is your definition of a redneck?
Someone who's last words are likely to be "Hey ya'll, watch this!"
Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

10. Who is your most unlikely friend?
I'm not sure . . .

Happy Holidays to everyone!!

Jingle bell time is a swell time

No time to blog really--two projects to finish before the 23rd. Not to mention the shopping, Christmas cards that are going to go out late, cookies, dinner planning, present wrapping, and Sea World. So, there are the Snowmens for your viewing pleasure. Hope everyone is having a nice holiday season!

Quick Questions = Quickstions

1. Have you ever been suckered into buying something?
Nothing too expensive, but lots of little things.

2. Do you wash your hair or body first when taking a shower?
It depends on if I'm deep conditioning the hair. Which is almost never. So, body first and then hair.

3. When was the last time you were vituperative?
It's rare.

4. What are your most common food cravings?
Cheese, olives, hummus, pita, onions, garlic, mushrooms . . . I'm hungry. Carraba's with Steve and his mom tonight--risotto di mare, here I come!

5. How much money is in your wallet at this moment?
I opened it to check and a couple of those little cartoon moths came fluttering out. I can't believe I spent my last three bucks on cartoon moths! And why do I keep them in my wallet?

6. What is your least favorite bill that you pay each month?
Rentski.

7. When was the last time you felt inadequate?
Whenever I try to do any heavy lifting.

8. What foods make you poop?
I'll go with whoever said, technically, all of them.

9. Do you ever fear for your safety?
In an irrational way if I'm home alone in the middle of the night. Or when I'm flying on a plane.

10. What age do you expect to live to?
I hope to live to at least 100.

~Bonus Question~What should George Bush do in his retirement?
Concentrate on the family's baked beans business.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

I was getting tired of that Happy Halloween post so I thought I'd provide something a little different. I did go swimming with dolphins on Sunday and I do have a rash from my wetsuit. It was really a great experience so I'll deal with the rash. We also snorkeled with tropical fish and sting rays much bigger than me. The sting rays, not the fish. It was simultaneously the coolest and scariest thing ever. Southern Sting Rays = Huge. It was a great day. And afterwards we stopped at Universal's City Walk and had dinner at Bubba Gump's. I didn't realize it was such a theme restaurant and that the waitstaff has to be so annoying. I would be the world's worst Bubba Gump waitress. I was almost the worst patron--I was really tired and it is a relentlessly cheerful place. I think Keri was worse than me, though, because she was feeling sick on top of the tiredness. Probably fun if you're a little kid. "Or a kid at heart!" some would argue. To that I say, "No, not really." I am working on my second Harlequin project now, must finish that sucker today and send it off tomorrow. Then I have two more projects to do before we leave for Thanksgiving in Richmond. I'm feeling a little swamped. So, back to it, I say! TTFN!

Happy Halloween!!

Chilly Willy

It's a little cold out there, and I love it! I got Junior a sweater for his morning walks and I think he looks quite smart. Also, apparently he lettered in something, but he's not saying what. I finished a project last night (up until 2 am) and should get started on another today. I will! But first, a blog and then I have to go to the store. And then I'll get started. Oh, I'll probably have some soup first. Fake chicken noodle soup that is good for the soul. And I have to go to the store to get ingredients for a fake beef stew I'm making tonight. Is nothing in my life real? I have a Halloween party on Saturday and I still don't know what to dress up as. The theme is 1980s TV shows. Suggestions (that can be put together fast and cheap) are welcome! Well . . . I thought this was going to be longer, but I should really get going. Go Rays!

Busy Bee

The lull between projects is over with a vengeance. I just got my first Harlequin project, am finishing up another project, and have two more on the backburner competing for my attention. I am going to be reading like a mo-fo for quite a while. Try to get on with your lives.

Happy Autumn!

Well, well, well! Things look a little different around here, huh? I decided to be seasonal. And I just love it. I'm waiting for Keri to get home from work so I can pop over her house for some coffee talk. So, I decided to post a little blogeroon-toonski while I wait.

I got another copyediting job last week and it's a pretty big one, so I'm happy about that. And a proofreading job should arrive tomorrow. I like to do the hardcopy proofreading--it's a nice change from all the computer copyediting I do. Plus the little symbols are fun and could be the reason I got into this business in the first place.

Steve is very excited about the Tampa Bay Rays playing postseason; there is a game on now, in fact, so--Go Rays!

It's been kind of a slow week, I suppose . . . not a lot to report.

Questions? Well, sure.

1. What cause or condition could you be the poster child for?
Weeeeelllll . . . I can't really think of anything. I tend not to get too excited about causes and I don't have a condition (that I know of). Maybe animal rights? But then I don't think I could be a "poster child" because I don't really do anything to further the cause besides not eating animals. And playing with Junior Mints! He's the best.

2. Do you know CPR?
No, but I think I could fake it.

3. How happy are you in general?
In general, pretty happy.

4. Have you ever been swindled out of money?
Well, I never knew about it until a couple of weeks ago, but apparently my siblings and I were swindled out of some money by some mysterious "business partner" of my grandfather's late second wife.

5. Are you into the whole anime craze?
No. And I really dislike the tears or sweat or whatever comes flying off Japanese-animated cartoon characters and the fact that they yell. All the time.

6. Do you have a secret life that few are aware of?
No! Why do you keep asking this question, Janet??

7. Have you ever witnessed or experienced smegma?
As far as I know, smegma has something to do with the peen and I don't think I've ever "witnessed" it. Somebody used to call the white smears on the tablecloths (from the whipped cream we put on the daquiris and pina coladas) at the comedy club "smegma" but I can't remember who.

8. When was the last time you did something illegal?
It's been a while.

9. Have you ever had a bad reaction to a medication?
No.

10. If you could say one thing to Sarah Palin, what would it be?
I would probably imitate her accent, because I love to do that. And then I'd knock her glasses off and run out of the room making Daffy Duck noises. WoohooWOoHOO!

I think Keri's home! So long, suckahs!

Highly Unlikely

You folks are in for a treat! A double whammy of random questions--one set from mediabistro and one set from Cory who was concerned because I had no questions for my previous post. Wunderbar, I say. But first, a little updating. I am back in business with projects. I was getting worried as I had about a week with no work. I should have just enjoyed the time off, but that's not how I roll.
I have a bustling social calender this week, with three nights slated for different dinners on the town and one night for rockstar karaoke. Tuesday is the Tampa Bay Vegetarian's dinner at a raw foods place on the beach, Wednesday is a dinner with female relatives, and Saturday is dinner at a Japanese place to celebrate the Coles' birthday. Good stuff. And then Friday we're supposed to go to the club.
We watched the movie There Will Be Blood last night. I'm not sure how I feel about it. What happened? That's what I want to know. And what was that guy's problem?
Also, I'm sending in my voter registration application today! Yay!!
I am CRAzy for "rueben" sandwiches lately. Fake bologna, swiss, marble rye, sauerkraut, and thousand island, grill that sucker for a minute or two and you're in sandwich heaven.
Okay, I think that about covers it. On to double question madness!
From Mediabistro:
1. Do you know anyone who is morbidly obese?
No. I used to but I haven't seen them for quite awhile so they could have lost weight.
2. What are some of the most beautiful songs you have ever heard?
Pachebel's canon, lots of Beethoven, many Christmas songs, Amazing Grace (especially on bagpipes), the songs Keri and I wrote in Italy. When I hear "beautiful" I tend to think classical or churchly.
3. Are you generally likeable?
Ja.
4. How often do you feel left behind or forgotten?
Whenever somebody leaves me behind or forgets me.
5. Overall, how well do you think your parents did in raising you?
Overall, pretty well. They made some mistakes, but I think I turned out okay.
6. Do you think you're weird?
Ja.
7. Would you ever participate in a new or experimental drug trial?
Maybe so.
8. Do you intimidate people (intentionally or not)?
I doubt it.
9. What are some hurtful or stinging remarks that relatives have made to you?
My relatives are pretty nice people. That's not the remark, just a general statement.
10. How much emotional baggage do you really carry?
A smart little bag that fits neatly in the overhead compartment.
~Bonus Question~What makes you irresistible?
I think I'm fairly resistible.

From Cory:
1. Your personal favorite attack move?
I first read this as favorite attack movie and I was going to go with the killer tomatoes. Now that I see it's move, I would have to say when I used to fight with my brother I wasn't afraid to use my nails.
2. What was the last thing you stole?
Maybe some makeup from the grocery store? It's been awhile.
3. Have you read about DMT? If so, would you ever try it?
I had to look it up. This is part of what I found: At about minute two of a DMT trip, according to McKenna, you burst through a chrysanthemum-like mandala, and find that
There's a whole bunch of entities waiting on the other side, saying "How wonderful that you're here! You come so rarely! We're so delighted to see you!" They're like jewelled self-dribbling basketballs and there are many of them and they come pounding toward you and they will stop in front of you and vibrate, but then they do a very disconcerting thing, which is they jump into your body and then they jump back out again and the whole thing is going on in a high-speed mode where you're being presented with thousands of details per second and you can't get a hold on [them ...] and these things are saying "Don't give in to astonishment", which is exactly what you want to do. You want to go nuts with how crazy this is, and they say "Don't do that. Pay attention to what we're doing".
I don't think I'll be trying DMT anytime soon.
4. Why come you got no tattoo?
Um, I do.
5. Which Golden Girl would be the best First Lady and why?
I've always been partial to Dorothy because I think she's the smartest and funniest.
6. What would you call an animal that was part unicorn and part cat?
Charlie.
7. When's the best time to use the phrase "highly unlikely"?
In the title of a blog post.
8. Your all time favorite comedian?
Probably Brett Leake is my favorite for his act out of people I know (but I have a lot of favorites) and I always liked George Carlin's act out of people I don't know. And Dave Chapelle. And Dave Attell. And people named Dave in general.
9. Would you rather climb or jump?
I like climbing.
10. If you had a robot assistant, what would you make it do?
Dance like a human.

Now I should get cracking on my new project. Thanks for the questions, Cory!

Soooooooo. . . . . .

. . . I don't have any proofreading or copyediting projects right now and I don't know what to do with myself! I actually do know what to do and it involves writing articles and researching stuff for my upcoming website, I just don't feel like doing it. So I thought a little blahgging would inspire me and keep me sitting at the computer when all I really want to do is take a nap. It is hot outside and that always makes me lazy and sleepy. I hope "fall" comes soon to Florida; 70 degree weather would be nice. But that kind of thing doesn't usually happen until late October or November. There were no Random Thursday Questions last week; the mediabistro lady didn't feel like doing them and Keri hasn't come through with her own yet. So, sorry if anyone was looking forward to them. What else? Junior Mints got his autumn haircut and looks smaller than ever.

On a more serious note, a good friend got through a scary surgery and is recovering nicely, which is wonderful. Another good friend is in town to help said good friend after previously mentioned surgery. So, I'll get to hang out with the both of them and that's always a good time, surgery or not. I have no reading to do right now, as I mentioned, so things like laundry and housecleaning have been getting done with greater frequency. And now I think I'll go ahead and take that nap. I'll get to you soon enough, website!

Long and Lazy Weekend Edition

Yay for long weekends and when you actually don't have to work during them. That seems to be the case for me, and it also appears that I will spend this nonworking weekend around the ol' house. Not jet-setting around the country. So, I plan to clean the house, which is very exciting. And tonight we're going to Spring Hill to have dinner with Steve's mom and tomorrow maybe up to the club to see a comic we know and like. Sunday I think we're going to invite some people over for a little bbq action (I'm going to make herb-rubbed grilled scallops--with fake scallops! Vegetarianism has come a long way. We'll probably have burgers, too, for the nonadventureous among us). Speaking of vegetarians, Steve and I went to the monthly dinner with the Tampa Bay Vegetarians on Tuesday. They do it every month on the last Tuesday of the month, patronizing different vegetarian-friendly restaurants around the bay area. It was our first dinner with the group and it was pretty fun. It helps that it was at one of our favorite restaurants, but the people were really nice and we had a good time. We'll probably go to the next one. Last night we saw The Dark Knight, finally, because I like to be a good month behind the rest of the country. I thought it was good; very well done. It's been quite a while since I've seen a movie in the theater. Saturday the garbagemen are coming around the neighborhood and picking up big garbage, so everyone has got their shit out on the curb, including us. We got the garage cleaned up pretty well, and I even threw away some stuff I've been holding onto since the 1990s. And I think that's it for exciting news from me! So, here are the Random Thursday Questions and I hope everyone has a lovely weekend!!

1. Have you ever knowingly used someone to get something you want?

Not really in an soap opera evil twin kind of way, but yes, I'm sure I've used someone on some level to get something I want.

2. In your opinion, is there a particular part of the world that produces exceptionally engaging or interesting people?

I like the Irish in general. But I think engaging and interesting people can be found all over the world.

3. What is an instant buzz kill for you?

The po-po.

4. Are there any general assumptions you find have some truth to them?

Nobody likes a whiner.

5. If you had a personal assistant, what tasks would you delegate to him/her?

Watering the plants, some light housekeeping, I'd have them write down the names of people I didn't like in a little book and then strike a line through them.

6. What would your ideal personal assistant look like?

Alfred.

7. Have you ever seriously choked on a piece of food?

I think when I was a kid I choked on a piece of steak and maybe I got the old upside-down treatment with a whack to the back. I might be making it up, though. Keri? Do you remember this?

8. What sayings or colloquialisms are unique to your geographic area?

There are so many different types of people in Florida, I don't think there's one saying or colloquialism that sums up the whole area.

9. Is there the contact information/address of a deceased person in your email address book or cell phone roster?

No.

10. In what ways are you inept?

I'm not very good at small talk or most kinds of advanced math (however, trig--loved it). I'm not great at keeping secrets.

~Bonus Question~Who; what; when; where; and why?

Who: Me.

What: Done working for today.

When: Now.

Where: My house.

Why: TOO lazy!!

California, ssp, ssp. (just for you, Kers)

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen (is there a single dude who reads this blog? Identify yourself). I am back, bitches, from a quick jaunt to San Francisco. I truly am a jet-setter. Jetsetter? I have to question every word now, one of the perks of being a proofreading copyeditor. I guess I always did, though, and so the career is a good fit. Anyway, back to my jet-setting ways . . . Steve and I flew out to the west side for my good friend Cory's wedding. We left early Saturday morning, got in that afternoon and were picked up at the airport by these fine people:

Good friend from high school Natalie and her husband Richard. We went to the Fisherman's Wharf and did a little sightseeing, shopping, and one-beer drinking. Then it was back to the hotel to check in and meet up with these fine people for dinner:
Good friend from high school Marigold, her husband Steve, and their little boys Huck and Milo. We went to P.F. Chang's (where we had to wait an hour and a half for a table! For reals.) and had a lovely dinner with some lovely wine and laughs. Then it was back to the hotel for some cigars and good times with Cory's sister Megan, her husband, their cousin, Natalie, and Richard. The wedding was at 10:3o am the next morning so we didn't go too crazy. Although Steve did get a little drunk (I think it was the scotchski). We made it to the wedding, up a very tall and winding mountain in Berkeley; it was a really beautiful location, even though I kind of wanted to throw up a little of last night's wine on the way up there. The wedding was very pretty, the food was excellent, and we hung out there talking, laughing, and enjoying the day until about 3 pm. Here's me at the wedding, looking quite stylish:
Afterwards, we headed to Cory and Natalie's (also the bride's name) apartment for more hanging out, drinking, and laughing. It was great. I got to see Cory and finally meet Cory's bride Natalie, and she was very sweet. And I got to see Cory's family, another friend from high school (Matt Davis) and his wife, meet Richard, laugh my ass off with high school friends Natalie and Marigold, see high school friend and best man Courtney, meet his wife Brianna (also very sweet and also very pregnant), hang out a little with Marigold's Steve, knock bottles of beer off tables and watch them crash to the floor in a sudsy mess, see my Steve interact with my high school friends, and meet and hang out with possibly the cutest kid in the world, Huck:

Then it was back to the hotel for a second, grab the train to the airport, and head on back to Tampa. We got in Monday morning. So, a whirlwind, but definitely worth the trip. I would like to get back to San Francisco and check that city out a little more thoroughly--it was a cool place. So, this week has been work, work, work. Saturday Mandy's coming to Tampa to do a little recon on the wedding dress, so that should be fun and girly. AND, it is Thursday, so I'll throw some Randoms at ya.

1. In what ways are you naughty?

Naughty by nature.

2. What do you continuously find yourself justifying?

The cost of a haircut. That's not true since it's not continuous, only recent.

3. Other than you, who know you the best?

Keri, Steve, Cosmo.

4. In your opinion, is there a particular part of the world that produces exceptionally odd or strange people?

The part the O'Dells hail from.

5. How spiritually evolved do you think you are?

I think I'm at level 4.

6. When was the last time you were awestruck by the attractiveness of a stranger?

I'm rarely awestruck by anything.

7. Do you have a secret bank account or money stash that no one knows about?

No, but I have a secret best friend.

8. In what ways are you a survivor?

I don't have time for this question.

9. Is there someone that you just don't like, despite your best efforts?

If I just don't like someone, I generally don't make an effort to like them.

10. If you were in a plane that was plummeting to the ground, what would be your final thoughts?

First of all, I'm glad wasn't a question last week, right before I took a plane to California. Second of all, I don't know what my final thoughts would be. If I was alone, it would be about all the people who weren't with me, probably. And a general "damn it!"

~Bonus Question~When was the last time you were naked in front of someone other than your partner or spouse?

I can't remember. Gynecologist last year?

All right, folks, Steve's back from his double feature at the movies and making fake hot dogs and I gots to get me some of those. Peace out.

"Live in danger. Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius."

I googled "funny quotes"--I was bored--and first a website with a bunch of dumb homemade "funny" quotes came up. Along the lines of "Girls are like phones, we like to be held and talked to but push the wrong button and we disconnect." Needless to say, I kept looking. And I found famous funny quotes, which was more my style. Then I saw you could click on the famous person's name and get a bunch of quotes from them. There were people like Woody Allen, Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, Friedrich Nietzsche, and W.C. Fields. Wait, what? Nietzsche? For some reason, I always thought he was a rather somber fellow. Well, he's got a million of 'em. Maybe not a million, but a page. And I don't really think he was aiming for funny exactly, but if you read them and in your head think of him delivering the lines like a stand-up comic, the quotes do come across as one-liners. This: "Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity" certainly sounds like the beginning of a bit to me. Anyway, that's it. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Also, put this picture of me, my hair, and Keri in your brain and try and forget it.

Parsimonious Persimmons!

Wuz up or down? That's how I used to start many a middle school note to a friend. I sent this picture of my leetle dog to the paper and hopefully they'll publish it in one of the Wednesday issues:

Isn't he the cutest? I just love that Junior Mints. So, today is a workday, tomorrow is a work morning and then a shopping afternoon (I need some shoes for the wedding I'm going to next weekend), and then a work evening. Sunday more workski. I seem to do a lot of it. Except right now. Oh, and we might have the book club meeting on Saturday afternoon, too. Actually at the mall (maybe P.F. Changs?) so as to save some time and kill two birds with one stone and all that other mothajazz. The book was my pick this time, The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. I'll tell you guys, if you're looking for a feel-good novel, this is the one! Full of hope and happiness. Wait . . . that was another book entirely. The Road is not full of hope and happiness, but it is definitely worth a read. And I see that they are in post-production of the film based on the book which I find quite interesting. I didn't think "they" (Hollywood, not Bernie Horowitz) would want to make a movie out of this bleak, bleak tale. But they did and we'll just have to see how it worked out. Okey dokes. On to the Random Thursday Questions because I feel I've wasted enough of everyone's precious time. (Is that passive-aggression?)

1. How would the person who likes you the least describe you?

Annoying? Obnoxious? I don't know who this person is, but they had it coming.

2. How would the person who loves you the most describe you?

Funny, kind, smart. Annoying and obnoxious.

3. How would you describe you?

Overworked.

4. What is your favorite song at the moment?

I don't like to play favorites.

5. When was the last time you displayed false humility?

I don't know. Sometimes I think the lady who writes these has a really specific event that happened to her in mind when she asks certain questions.

6. Do you have any hypochondriac tendencies?

Many, many, many. I always think something's wrong with me.

7. Do you have a shit list, and if so, how many people are on it?

No, I don't. But I think it would be really funny and creepy if someone had an actual list entitled "Shit List" and wrote the names of people they didn't like on it.

8. Have you ever accepted an invitation to an event and then canceled because something better came up?

No, I don't think so. I've canceled for other lame reasons, though.

9. Do you have any obsessive compulsive traits?

Many, many, many. Locks, stoves, little weird rituals for things--I'm getting worse as I get older, so my friends and family have that to look forward to.

10. Have you ever slept with someone on a first date?

What?

~Bonus Question~Have you ever had a hemorrhoid?

Maybe. I'm not sure and I think if I did, I would know it. Once I had 'roid rage.

All right, then! I'm off to read more about gendered liberalization and you're off to do whatever it is that you do.

I should be working . . .

. . but I'm having trouble concentrating. Perhaps the high-jinks we got up to last night are to blame, perhaps the general burnout I'm experiencing after busting serious ass the past couple of weeks could have something to do with it. We hit the town to celebrate Steve's birthday last night. Bar-hopping around the South Tampa and Ybor scenes. Some nice appetizers (flatbread pizza--highly recommend it) at Timpano's in Hyde Park, the Corner Bar (a little disappointing), then down to Ybor for a cigar at King Corona's, a jager-bomb at Reservoir, and a nightcap at Fuma Bella's. We met up with Keri and a friend of hers from work and a good time was had by all. That's me and Keri at the Corner Bar at the relative beginning of the evening. She curled my hair for me and I was feeling pretty cutesy. There's Keri and Steve at the King Corona stage of the night. I think Keri was being an assassin. That's a weird word to write--assassin. Kind of silly, really. So, yes, it was a fun night and today I don't feel like reading. I didn't feel like reading yesterday either so I'm getting a little behind as I like to do. Which means I'll be working overtime this week to make up for it. Eh, who cares, I say. I did finish the Africa book on time; it was a good one. And I'd like to send the author a thank-you note for already using the en dash instead of the hyphen between page number ranges, thusly saving me oodles of time. Oodles, I tell you. Well, I punked out on the Random Thursday Questions this past week and Kers stepped in to save the day again. So, I'll get to those blokes and then I'll have to bid you all a fond adieu.

1. When showering- in what order do you wash and clean yourself, including hair? Were you taught or did you perfect your own strategy??

Usually I lather up and then shampoo, put conditioner in, shave, rinse conditioner, then get the f out of the shower because I don't like it in there. Self-taught.

2. Who is the biggest gossip in your family?

I think we all like to talk a little trash. I know I do.

3. Who is the most influential person in your life right now?

I don't know.

4. Have you ever been constipated, and if so what did you do?

As a little kid, I remember an incident after I went to Girl Scouts camp for a weekend and apparently just held it the whole time. I don't remember what was done for it. And Keri seems to remember another time when she was babysitting me and I was in some pain and she had to call around for remedies but I don't remember that.

5. What reality TV Show would you want to be on right now?

I agree with you, Keri, and go with the Dog Whisperer. Also maybe one of the home shows where I'm moving on up to a bigger house with more than one bathroom.

6. Do you have a certain word or phrase you always use that you are aware of? If not- ask your friends/ family for the answer...

I'm not sure--what do you think, Keri?

7. What video game would you challenge your friends to for a $1,000,000 prize.

Certain friends--Mortal Combat. Mario Kart minus Coley/Toad.

8. Out of all the people you know- who would you vote for President?

Steve or Keri.

9. If you were President- what would be you number 1 change? And who would be your VP??

I'm going to take a pass on this one because I don't have time to come up with a good answer right now. VP--PM.

10. What is your favorite- cheeseiest- movie of all times?

Back to the Beach comes to mind. Big Trouble in Little China was kind of cheesy but a pretty awesome movie with some good quotes.

~Bonus Question~ What is the weirdest game you ever made up to play when you were a child, an original home-made that makes you laugh to this day?

Lost Kitten. Enough said.

Thanks for the questions, Keri! Back to work . . .

180 pages to go . . .

For all of you (that means you, Keri) who are sick of my drunk mug, I give you the baobab tree: I'm copyediting a book about traveling in Africa so I decided to see what one of these suckers looks like and I love it. So, that's all for now. Hopefully I'll check in once I'm out of Africa.

Bitte ein Bit!

Here's what I was doing about a year ago:























And today? Well, I worked for about ten thousand hours. So, a quick blogster before I collapse into my bed and hopefully dream about having supernatural powers again. Let's see, let's see. Well, Richmond was a whirl. Long drive up, funny times with Coley, Mandy, Bridgette, and South of thee Border. Long night of drinking by the pool with my dad, Mands, Keri, Sarah, and her sister. Then over to my grandparents' house on Saturday, which was really great and really sad. My grandma is not doing so hot and it was hard to see her like that. But it was wonderful to be around that side of the family again and see relatives that I love that I haven't seen in years. And my dad announced his and Sarah's engagement. This is on top of Mandy announcing her and Frank's engagement. What the hell is going on, I say! Love is in the air. Speaking of love, I booked my flight and hotel to San Fran for Cory's wedding today. That should be fun. Steve-o is coming with me and he's already found a cigar bar we can go to Saturday night. He is nuts-o for cigars-o. And as long as we're on the love subject, I just got a new client--Harlequin, Ltd. Yes, yes, I'm going to be copyediting romance novels! It should be fairly steady and they pay decently and it will be a loverly break from reading books with notes and bibliographies. Although, I should still be reading those, just also reading romance novels. I'm excited. If it all comes through the way it should, it will be time to drop my 5 hours a week (pretty chintzy) at my other job and just be a freelance copyeditor/proofreader. It will be fun and strange to just work for myself (and my editors, obviously), but always making my own schedule and being large Marge in charge. Good stuff.
OK, OK, I'll get to the Random Thursday Questions. I have a lot more to say, but I am quite tired. And I have a bibliography to do tomorrow and it looks like a dooooozy.
1. When was the last time you lost your dignity?
I drink a bit so it happens all the time.

2. If you were forced to sing a karaoke song, what would you sing?
You probably wouldn't have to force me (see Question 1) and I like to sing "Thunder Road."

3. Do you own any fake or knock-off items that you pass off as the real deal?
Besides my fake boobs? My knock-off knockers, as I like to call them.

4. Other than family, who are you most happy to see each day?
Steve-o-rino.

5. What have you learned by just hanging back and observing?
Most of what I know.

6. What item(s) must you buy every week?
Trashy tabloid magazines.

7. What are you presently on a quest for?
Buried treasure.

8. Do you know any bimbos?
Maybe.

9. Do you have any true enemies?
I have an arch nemesis.

10. What do you need to get rid of but just can't bring yourself to part with it?
Lots of clothes. A bad attitude.

~Bonus Question~Have you ever been alarmed at the smell of your own body?
Not alarmed, no. Fascinated? Maybe. Kind of proud of myself? Sure.

And I'm off to sleep! Gute nacht! Tschuesssssss!!

Road Rage

We leave for Richmond tonight! From what I understand, quite late. Midnight? Later? I'm not sure. I plan on getting a little shut-eye on the road, so hopefully Coley and Mandy won't bug me too much. I'm fairly sure I won't be driving. If you wait until you're 23 to get your license, for some reason people don't think you're a good driver. So I'll be working all day and then hitting the road tonight. It will be fabulous to have three days off! Although I'm a little behind so that means next week will be a little nutsy. And for some reason when I was calling my other job this morning to leave a message saying I wouldn't be coming in today, I panicked and said something about maybe working some extra hours next week to try and get these Pinellas records in the system. (I know that means nothing to you people, but try to keep up.) Why did I say that? I don't plan on working extra hours next week! I have too much reading to do. This is why I don't like to leave messages when I haven't thought them through first. Hopefully they won't notice.
Last night we went up to the comedy club and watched some painful open-mike crapola. I don't even really like to watch good comics on stage anymore, so this was hard to sit through. But then Coley went up and did his 5 minutes (the reason we were there) and he was great! A whole new 5 minutes, good stuff. A completely unexpected Irish accent opened his set. I didn't know Coley could do an Irish accent.
What else is new? Steve had fun at his reunion. I found some time to clean the house and the floors are already a mess again. This morning one of our outdoor kitties was curled up on the chaise lounge in the backyard. The dogs were out for their walk. I had to relocate him out front; we don't need a Chester-kitty confrontation. A little later, after Steve and the dogs were back, I was checking out the tomato plant and suddenly there was another of the outdoor kitties, hiding behind a flower pot! This one won't let me pick him up so I just kind of herded him to the fence and he jumped over. Chester didn't see him until he was over the fence, and then he didn't even really do anything so maybe now he loves cats. Probably not.
The Random Thursday Question lady is back in action this week. However, I like Keri's questions from last week better, so I'd rather do those.
1. Can you walk by a mirror, window, what have you- and not look at your reflection to check yourself out?
No. It's the worst if I go to a restaurant and get seated across from a mirror.

2. Do you pick or blow your nose?
Snot rockets all the way.

3. Do you possess the "spitting" talent?
Unfortunately no. It's a disaster when I try.

4. What is something you ate regularly as a kid, but no longer eat?
I'll agree with Keri and say bologna sandwiches. I used to love them. No longer. By the way, Keri, Steve loves fake bologna and if he ate meat he'd eat the real stuff, so some adults do still eat it.

5. Why did the deaf blonde sit on the newspaper?Answer to follow to those who leave comments- I want to know what you think may be the answer.
I have no idea and as you know, I don't like jokes. Especially deaf blonde jokes.

6. Fundraisers, do you think all the money raised really goes to the cause?
In one way or another, I think so. If it doesn't you usually hear about it.

7. What is your highest bowling score?
223? Something like that. Ususally I hover around 100-130.

8. Thoughts about manners, are they necessary or are they for conformists?
I don't think they are necessary, but I do think they make things a lot more pleasant.

9. Now a days, are there really "accidental" pregnancies?
Well, I think I see what you're getting at, Keri, but I would have to say yes, I think there are plenty of people who get pregnant and don't plan on it and so it is an "accident." I don't think that's changed with the times. There's always been ways to take precautions (down to just not doing it) and women still manage to get knocked up.

10. Out of the 20 people you know personally, and you were on Survivor- who would be the first to be voted off? and who would you keep till the end??
This question makes me laugh because it sounds so specific "out of the 20 people you know personally"--how do you know I only know 20 people? :) Anyway--first voted off: I have to agree again and go with Aaron. Keep: Cosmo. (and Keri and Steve).

~Bonus Question~ Please list your 6 favorite numbers, 1-59- I'm playing lotto this week.
Can you even have 6 favorite numbers? After two or three, they don't seem like favorites anymore. Are you still playing lotto? 11-12-3-7-4-8.

And back to work for me!! Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Confidential to my younger sister readers: Congratulations!!!!!!! Lots to talk about on the road trip!

A Random Thursday Mystery

Hallo. I'm home alone tonight! Steve went to his high school reunion and so I have the house to myself for two days. Well, to myself and one big nasty spider that I tried to catch in the kitchen, who then proceeded to "disappear" into the living room so who knows where it is now. Right behind me, you say? I put Cosmo on the case but she seems to prefer sitting in my lap. You can't train cats, I say. I worked all day--until almost 9--PM!!--this is not the Robin I know and love. She was much lazier. So now I'm drinking some Pinot Noir and catching up on some internet fun time. I'm queer for red wine lately, used to be I'd only drink white unless red was all that was left in the wee hours after the beer was gone. But now I love it! I don't know how it happened. I want to blame my dad and Sarah but they are clearly not the culprits. Although they do love them some red, red wine. Last night Steve and I went to a cigar bar and got a pitcher of Sangria and there must've been 12 glasses hidden in that sucker. It was quite a good deal. And a lovely Spanish-style pitcher that I wanted to steal, but it was far too cumbersome. So, what else did I want to tell you? Oh, this morning I was thinking about how at the 4th of July party my aunt was asking (I almost went with aksing--I see how that can happen now) if Steve and I were going to get married. And I foresee a lot of that line of questioning since we've been together for 5+ years now. And I don't have an answer for that. So, I was workshopping some responses, other than my typical "No, not anytime soon, maybe someday, blah, blah, blah" go-to. And I think I've settled on--well, it'll work better if I set it up for you:
Relative: So, are you and Steve going to get married?
Me: Oh, we've decided to let Brangelina make the first move.
Relative:
Me (firmly): The ball is in their court.
Well, on to the title of this post--the Random Thursday Mystery! For over a year now, this lady on mediabistro has been posting Random Thursday Questions every Thursday without fail. Not today. And no one knows why! No one is panicking yet, but there have been some concerned queries. And no response! What happened, Janet? What will I blog about without your quirky questions? I'm sure me and my Pinot Noir will come up with something. First, I'm going to do a quick bedcheck on the animals. ***** Everyone is where they should be. I brought Chester in for the night because, let's face it, a girl like me could use a little muscle in the house in this neighborhood. And Chester will bite your ass.
Today I got a message from an author whose book I proofread. I put most of the books I proofread or copyedit on my goodreads profile and this author stumbled across it and sent me a message. So it's a good thing I always give my books five stars. This particular book was a pleasure to read and I told them so. I like something about all the books I read (probably why I'm in this line of work). You know what I don't like? Bibliographies. References. Works Cited. Foot- and/or endnotes. I say leave them out of it and plagiarism be damned.
Next weekend I'm going to Richmond for a family reunion of sorts. It's my grandmother's birthday and her health is not the best so my grandpa put the word out and we're all going up to see them. It should be fun (except the not-the-best-health part); I can't wait to see everybody. We got to see a lot of family for Coley and Bridgette's wedding last November but there are a few who couldn't make it (grandparents included) who it will be really nice to hang out with for the weekend. Then in August my friend Cory is getting married and I'll get to see all kinds of high school friends I haven't seen in years. I'm looking forward to that, too.
Weeellll, I guess that'll do it. Oh! There was a story in the paper today about a woman who got the tip of her finger bitten off in a fight in line at the butcher shop. Some misunderstanding about whose number should go first sort of thing gone horribly wrong. The best part of the story was--this is the second time the tip of her finger has gotten bitten off in a fight. The first time they were able to reattach the tip. Not this time. (By the way, she's been arrested over 30 times; she gets in fights a lot.) She might want to rethink her fish-hook fight move. My favorite part of the story was her quote: "Why my finger? I don't know who's going to put a ring on a nub." I think I'll leave you with that.
Confidential to my older sister readers: Hope you feel better, Kers!

Jeez Louise!

WELL, my dear friends, I'm back after rather an extended absence. Did anyone notice? Shame on you if not. First my computer caught a couple of rather nasty little viruses that put me out of business for a couple days and cost me some stinkin' money. Then I had to make up for lost time so I've been copyediting like a sonuvabitch for days now. On top of that one of my clients is giving me project after project, which is great, but keeps me really busy and a little frazzled. No time for blogs! Or cleaning the house. Or doing laundry. But I'll work, work, work for the next month or so and then maybe I'll take a small break. Probably not but I like to pretend.

Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July! We went to a party at my cousins' house. The 4th is their son's birthday so they have a fun party with pinatas, games, booze, food, and fireworks every year. Keri, Theresa, and I were the last to leave for the second year in a row, thank you very much. And we sang some patriotic songs that I'm sure the extended family enjoyed. Saturday was a lazy day, some red wine and stogirillos on the deck, and today has been a work and get organized day. And now I think I'll have some of Steve's award-winning chili and watch some Curb Your Enthusiasm. Which reminds me, I think it would be funny if every time you said something rude, or the situation got really awkward for some reason, you waited until it was quiet and then started humming the Curb Your Enthusiasm theme song. And then I think you should hold out your hand and say, "Friends?" Because everyone loves that.

Oh!--here are Thursday's Random Questions, coming to you on a Sunday evening.
1. What sounds do you hear at this very moment?
Rain, an airplane, the TV in the living room where Steve is watching it.

2. When was the last time you lost your temper?
It's been awhile since I've gotten really mad. I get irritated a lot but I'm not a big temper loser, in general.

3. Does your resume contain a little/a lot/or no embellishment?
None anymore.

4. What cliche or phrase makes you cringe?
Last call!

5. What is an instant mood booster for you?
The animals, rainbows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme music, Super Mario Bros., the ocean, stogies and red wine on the deck. Instant downers? Big spiders, and mysterious ailments (frinstance, I think my left leg is caving in).

6. What is the worst thing you have ever been called?
I've been called lots of things, I can't think of the worst. It would upset me a lot if someone called me "stupid" and really thought I was stupid, but I can think of no corresponding life experience right now.

7. In your opinion, who or what is "the next big thing?"
Your nose, after I punch it.

8. In what way(s) could you be considered rude?
The way I arbitrarily punch people in the nose.

9. What do you find unbelievably sexy?
Talent and confidence.

10. What areas of your life need a complete overhaul?
Time management.

No bonus question this week, I didn't like it. Gotta gooooo!

Leapin' Lizards!

One morning when my brother and I were waiting for the manager to show up to unlock the door at the comedy club where we worked, a lizard jumped off the roof, sort of floated/glided to the ground between us, then took off running. Coley and I just looked at each other in delight, but I always wish I had thought to say "Leapin' Lizards!" because when else is it that appropriate?

We're back from a very nice relaxing beach mini-vacation. It was great--good food, beautiful beach, bloody marys at noon, fun company, and even one rainy day to go shopping. I enjoyed. And today I mailed off one proofreading project, leaving me with three copyediting projects to finish; one by Wednesday, the other two in mid to late July. Bing bang boom. And I got a check today that was really two copyediting jobs merged onto one check so it's nice and juicy. On the boo side, I will be working both Saturday and Sunday.

This morning I went in to my partest of part-time jobs to stuff some envelopes for two hours. As I was stuffing, my mind got to wandering and I realized something: Parody songs really went out of style, didn't they? For awhile they were quite popular and everyone knew the same ones, but then it seems as though we as a nation decided, "That'll do, Mr. Yankovic, that'll do. Just stick to VH1's I Love the Fillintheblank with Juliette Lewis and Hal Sparks." I guess some comics still write them, but they don't seem to be getting too much exposure.

You guys know what Thursday means!! That's right, rrrandom questiones. Let's get right to it, shall we?

1. What do you miss the most about your childhood?

My family being all together, moving around all over the place, my orange stuffed cat Sparkles, all my books I don't know what happened to, the best Christmases.

2. How many books would you estimate you own?

You mean besides the ones I had in childhood that have disappeared? A lot. Maybe hundreds. I can't get rid of books, I like to collect them and read them again and again.

3. Do you know any true visionaries?

No.

4. Who is the neediest person you know?

Hmmm, Peter Martin?

5. What is your nighttime routine before tucking into bed?

Depends on the night. Usually, reading or TV and then sleepy time. Sometimes, it's a cigar and some drinks and then sleepy time.

6. Last week Bleak found someone's head. What's the most disgusting thing you've ever found?

(Just so you guys know, "Bleak" didn't find anyone's head. It was a joke gone horribly wrong.) I once found a decapitated squirrel in a parking lot. It was disturbing.

7. What scents or odors do you associate with bad memories?

Bacardi. Hospital scents.

8. Have you ever flirted with a teacher or professor to get better grades?

No.

9. Have you ever been sued?

No. So sue me!

10. Do you have an unrequited love?

No.

~Bonus Question~What has the past year been like for you?

A whirlwind of activity. I went to Germany for a month, I graduated, I started a new career--it's been pretty good.

So, there you have it, folks. I need to get back to work now so I'll just take off, if that's cool with you. OK. I'll leave you with a picture of the beautiful beach of Anna Maria Island:

Beach Blanket BinGO

I am very happy to report that I am finished working for the week and tomorrow morning will be on my way to a weekend of relaxing fun. I've been working pretty long days for a couple of weeks now with a day off here and there so I'm ready for three days of no work. And only reading for fun. (Except there is pressure to finish the book for my book club--400 pages in two days? Why not, I say. The book is Lamb, by Christopher Moore, by the way, if anyone gives a flying frick.) We're going to Anna Maria Island to stay with Steve's aunt and uncle (the best hosts in the world) in the house they rent every summer near the beach. I will miss my little Junior Mints, but there will be two little girls (Steve's cousin's kids) there and they always make me laugh and are almost as cute as Junior. We will be back on Sunday in time for the book club meeting I may or may not have to wing my way through. Fortunately, having majored in English Literature, I am an old hand at winging my way through classes without actually having read the material. Just kidding, book club members, I'll read the book. I don't really like the Random Thursday Questions this week, but I've run out of things to say to you mothafuckas. Plus, it is a long-standing tradition.

1. When you Google yourself, what is the first result that comes up?
Some actress who is not very well known.

2. Are you presently the subject of any rumors?
I certainly hope so.

3. Have you ever given or received a "Dutch Oven?" (You might have to Google this one).
No.

4.What makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up?
Dutch Ovens.

5. How many of your ducks are in a row?
I like to keep my ducks in a V-shape; I find they're more comfortable that way.

6. What phrase or sentence will never come out of your mouth?
No more beer for me, thank you.

7. Have you ever been homeless or close to homeless?
Not homeless like a bum on the mean streets, but I did have to stay with my sister for about a month until I got an apartment a few years ago. A month of cigarettes and Super Nintendo.

8. What is intoxicating to you?
This question bugs me.

9. Do you have a will?
Where there's a will, there's an A

10. What is your absolute truth?
This question bugs me even more.

~Bonus Question~ Do you have a trademark--either physically, professionally or otherwise?
I'm always changing up the color and style of my hair, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a trademark. And I haven't trademarked the name of my business yet, so I'm going no on this one.

And that'll do it. Hope everyone has a good weekend, but not as good as mine!

Butt-Scratchah? Butt-Scratchah.

That, my fine-feathered friends, is my magic ring. Useful for zapping my enemies into oblivion with a single movement of my index finger. So, stay on my good side if you value your present oblivionlessness. This is going to be ubershort because I have to start proofreading my newest project. Looks pretty interesting so far and it doesn't have a bibliography or endnotes or footnotes so I am half in love with it already. So, briefly, my friend Marigold and her husband Steve have welcomed the newest addition to their family after what seemed like weeks of labor (just to me, I can't imagine how it felt to her!)--Yay for them! I am swampity swamped with work--a Yayish-boo for me! Keri started a blog--Yay! But her car is giving her trouble--Boo! We're going to the beach this weekend--Yay! I have to get back to work now--Boo!

TTFN suckas!

Linguistics, shminguistics

I am copyediting a book on linguistics and it is quite tricksy. It's well written and the author knows their stuff, but I have no idea what is happening in the pages I'm reading. Linguisticspeak makes my head spin. It's a pretty big project, and I will appreciate the pretty big paycheck, but I am earning every penny with this one. Well, it's Friday and my new favorite thing ever is a feature on Jezebel called Fine Lines. They reread and talk about YA books they loved as young gals and this week the book was Judy Blume's Deenie. I remember loving this book and also being terrified that I would get scoliosis and have to wear a horrible brace that would spell certain doom for my social life. I was probably 8 or 9. When I was in high school, I was told that I had "mild scoliosis" and I instantly flashed back to this book and freaked out until they told me it was no big deal and nothing would have to be done about it. Also in the book, Deenie has a "special place" that she rubs when she wants to relax and I never knew until reading this week's Fine Lines that she was actually masturbating. I thought it might just be some random place (elbow, forearm, who knows?) that she rubbed and for some reason it made her feel good. I think I missed a lot of things in the books I read when I was a kid. I also think I may have been reading some age-inappropriate material. Steve should be home soon with some wine and trashy tabloid magazines for me so it's time to go get my relax on. We here at Bandersnatch would like to leave you with a little something we like to call "Best Part/Worst Part" (completely stolen from my friend Cory's family--and I can't believe you don't do something like this on your blog or whatever it is you have, Cory) where we sum up the week thusly:
Best Part: A toss-up between getting a big copyediting project and Steve telling me "You can't just go stinking your way through life" when I didn't want to take a shower.
Worst Part: Some strange funk (or "creeping crud"--thanks Deenie!) on my elbow. The worst of it seems to have passed, fortunately.

Have a good weekend and take care of your "special place"!

Quickster

Well, hello there, and welcome back. This will be fairly brief as I need to get to work on a copyediting project. No, no, don't try and stop me--I need to make a living somehow. Since it is Thursday, we'll just dive right into Random Thursday Questions. (And by the way, my sister Mandy wins the *grand prize of the secret contest I had going for best answer to last week's random rant. Asked if she had anything she wanted to get off her chest, she replied, "Mouth-breathers, this is your final warning." and I laughed and laughed.) O.K., here we go!!

1. How often per day do you feel ugly?
Well, let me just consult my personal "Ugly Feelings Per Day" journal and tally up . . . I don't really think about it too much.

2. Have you ever sucked the toes of another person?
Grody to the max.

3. Have you ever witnessed "what goes around comes around" in action?
There was a story about a guy trying to shoot some puppies and somehow one of the puppies ended up shooting him, but I didn't personally witness it.

4. In what ways are you parsimonious?
I've always been kind of a cheapo.

5. Are there any parts of your body that you are ashamed of?
At the gym sometimes I am ashamed of the spaghetti-stick weakness of my arms. And in some lights, I think I might have a slight moustache.

6. Was there a teacher or professor that changed your life?
I really liked my second grade teacher, Miss Moore. She was great. And I had a teacher in college, Andrea Greenbaum, that really inspired me.

7. What is the most ironic thing that has happened to you recently?
I was at a picnic and all I really needed was a knife, but all I found were, like, ten thousand spoons.

8. Has someone ever saved your life, either figuratively or literally?
Not dramatically.

9. What is your biggest time waster?
Perez Hilton and mediabistro probably.

10. At this moment, how many people are you mad at?
No one. But I am mad about violins.

~Bonus Question~Do you ever blow your nose while in the shower?
I'm not sure how this would work. Like snot rockets?

In other news, I completed and sent off a copyediting test for a big publisher today, and it would be great if I get the gig. And last night while Steve was standing in the (fenced-in) backyard, a stranger came running through, jumped over the fence, and took off down the street. Chester didn't get the chance to bite him, unfortunately. And that's that! I'll leave you with these pictures of my cats, indoor and the neighborhood scavengers we feed:







*there is no grand prize, Mandy.

To me, you look like number two. If you know what I mean.

Aaaaaannnnnd we're back.


Happy Friday, everyone! Except for people that work on the weekends. Oh, wait, that's me. I take it back then--hope your weekend sucks it! Today, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to do a little something a poster on mediabistro likes to call "Random Thursday Questions." She posts them every Thursday in the Off Topic forum and everyone answers them and it's SO much fun I can hardly stand it. These little beauties will hopefully entertain you and maybe you'll even learn something. And feel free to answer them yourselves. Do it, it's fun. (Oh, and I realize it's not Thursday, but what's a gal to do?) Hold on to your hats!!


1. Do you know any true misanthropes?
Oh, I don't think so.

2. What has been your rock bottom?
I don't think I've hit "rock bottom" and I don't like your tone.

3. Has a spouse or partner of a friend ever hit on you, and if so, how did you handle it?
Nothing too scandalous to report. There may be some drunken moments out there, but nothing springs to mind, so then again, there may not.

4. Have you ever questioned your sexuality?
No. I gave it a stern talking-to in the late 90s but it just flipped me the bird.

5. In what ways to you live "green?"
Well, I don't drive very much. We take our own reusable bags to the store. Vegetarian. We have a rain barrel and we just started to compost, too. (I have a kind of funny story about the compost class we went to and perhaps I'll share it sometime.) We recycle.

6. Have you ever seen something in the sky such as a UFO, that you just couldn't explain?
Nah.

7. In what ways are you a freak?
I have some OCD issues. Checking and rechecking locked doors, I have to tear toilet paper off the roll in a straight line or it really bugs me.

8. What is the biggest risk you have taken this week?
It's been a slow week as far as risks go.

9. Do you think there someone at this very moment thinking about you?
Probably Steve. And he's probably thinking, "When is she going to get off the computer?" We have plans for lunch.

10. Are you presently keeping a juicy secret?
I can't keep a secret; I hate myself.

~Bonus Question~Time for our random rant. What would you like to get off your chest?
Besides this uncomfortable bra? Ha ha, I kid, but ladies, for real, right? Huh? Am I right??
Random rant--where my mothafuckin economic stimulus package at?

So, that was great, eh? I thought so, too. Well, I'm off to eat fajitas (or maybe enchiladas, I haven't decided) so I'll leave you with a photo of my leetle dog. He's going for a haircut today and he needs it! Maybe I'll post his after picture--won't that be fun!! And here is the after photo! Yay Junior!

Day One Stuff

Well, here we go again. I had a blog about four years ago and it was going along fine and then out of the blue my boyfriend broke up with me and that was the end of that (I actually didn't have my own computer four years ago). Well, don't worry, we got back together shortly thereafter. But I never started a new blog. And now since I'm really busy and have lots of things I should be doing today, I think it's time. And if my boyfriend breaks up with me again, I'm going to be pissed. The lovely picture is of a peach hibiscus that bloomed today from our plant in the backyard. This post isn't going to be anything too special (because I do have many things I should be doing) but I wanted to get something up here as an inspiration to myself. Perhaps I'll return after my work is done and really get this party started.