29 November 2006

Cute...

My friend Jil's housewarming party...first pic is Jil with her step-daughter Delaney, next three are Axel and Megan.
Axel is 11 weeks and Megan is about 5 months or so...check out the chunky boy compared to the delicate flower!! :-)




Ah, Colorado weather...

We were supposed to get 2- 4 inches. I'm stuck at home and Spencer is bored. On the bright side, I brought work home with me last night and I'm getting loads done!!



28 November 2006

Dream -- all about ME

I was in a house with all of these people whom I kind of knew...one of them was sort of weird and poor and said that the only thing he wanted from the house was this weird sculpture that looked like a glacier. The "leader" guy, who was the boyfriend of someone I knew, said that the sculpture was magic...he said a sort of chant, and **POOF**, we were all standing in the middle of an enormous mansion that was still being built on the interior. It was a the coolest house ever, with lots of big rooms and secret pathways and groovy fixtures. The boyfriend guy told everyone that there would be a big party that night, and he had bought clothes for all of us. Apparently I am headed straight toward an eating disorder, because even in my sleep I panicked that the gorgeous sage green outfit (skirt, cute jacket with glass beads) he had for me would be too small and that I would look like a stuffed sausage in it. EVEN WHILE ASLEEP, I freaked out about what else I could wear. Anyway, after I took a shower, I gathered up some of the kids to take them to a nearby deli for sandwiches. In the deli, I ran into all of these college-aged guys who asked me if I was going to be at the party later...and I felt like a fat dork when I said yes. When we gotr back to the house, I walked up the curved staircase and thought all about how sad it is that my friends have successul rich boyfriends and there just don't seem to be any left for me. I have a real problem if I can't even muster some self-esteem during periods of unconciousness. My hair looked ugly throughout the whole dream and I kept washing it, or at least intending to wash it again, in the hopes that it would look better.

I believe that this dream came about as a direct result of watching "16 Kids and Moving In" right before I fell asleep. This show is a documentary series about a freaky couple who are not even 40 and have a bajillion kids and just keep popping them out, one or two every year. They've built their dreamhouse, which is enormous at 7000 square feet and has all this cool stuff in it. I'm not sure what religion they are, but it has to be something creepy because they have a lot of money even with all those kids, and the mom has the most awful hairstyle. ANyhoo, while I was watching this show, I thought to myself that it must be nice to have all that space. It didn't even enter my mind that the mom is a subservient weirdo with bajillion kids, and the dad is some sort of religious freak, and those are the only reasons that she has that specific husband who can afford that nice house.

The hair thing entered the picture because I had the most icky stringy hair yesterday, the direct of using a free sample of a shitty Pantene moisturizer that was like oil.

22 November 2006

Rosie is Stupid

Why is Rosie O'Donnell being SUCH A FREAK? I do understand that homophobia is rampant, but Kelly Ripa is NOT guilty of practicing it on Gayken (heehee). I mean, how far is Rosie going to take it? "Kelly Ripa is a homophobe because she doesn't like Calvin Klein wife-beater t-shirts -- and everyone knows that gay men wear them in the gym -- so therefore KELLY RIPA HATES GAY PEOPLE!!"
Shit, if someone -- ANYONE -- stuck their hand in my face on national TV (or anywhere else, for that matter), I would rip them a new one no matter who they were or what their point was.

16 November 2006

Seen on the back of a dumptruck this am:

"Hell Hath No Fury Like A Sow Protecting Her Cubs"

????????????????

We're here, we're queer, we don't want any more bears!!
~Homer SImpson

I have always wanted to be known as "Bert"




You Are Bert



Extremely serious and a little eccentric, people find you loveable - even if you don't love them!



You are usually feeling: Logical - you rarely let your emotions rule you



You are famous for: Being smart, a total neat freak, and maybe just a little evil



How you life your life: With passion, even if your odd passions (like bottle caps and pigeons) are baffling to others

15 November 2006

Yum!

One of these days, perhaps over Thanksgiving "break" (I never consider a holiday to be a vacation), I will learn how to create folders or whatever they're called in blogspeak and sort some of this stuff into categories. I'm usually all about categorizing, so this hodge-podge makes me insane. Also, I need to find HTML for Dummies and bone up on changing fonts and generally making my life seem more interesting than it really is. [Note: read previous entry and you will know what I mean. I'm like the newest poster child for AA and all the rest of the 12-step groups, well, except for, like, meth heads and heroin addicts and whatnot -- I wonder if there is a support group for Diet Coke addicts...]

Anyway, I have another recipe and I'm going to try it on Friday for Will's birthday party. He will hate it because it has green stuff and also brie, so there will be more for me and anyone else of discerning taste!

Hot Pesto Brie Dip

8 oz cream cheese, cubed
8 oz brie, cubed
2 Tbsp pesto
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 oz sweet white wine (they used Muscat Canelli, I used a Reisling)
Combine all ingredients in an oven-safe bowl and bake for 20 minutes at 375°. Serve with a sliced baguette or water crackers.

Note to self

(and anyone else who cares to know):

Detoxing the body from a number of things at once (alcohol, nicotine, sugar, and formaldehyde -- aka Diet Coke), while suffering through Lymphadema of the neck, should probably be done while in a hospital. YUCK. and OW. and EW. It feels worse than a hangover OR a caffeine overdose.
Perhaps I should grab a bottle of wine, some Diet Coke to wash it down with, a box of Fudge Stripes and a pack of smokes, and let 'er rip.
Nah, I'm sure that suffering is the best way to go in the long run....

09 November 2006

Gobble Gobble

I know you all don’t care, and will have your store-bought turkey on Thanksgiving Day (they’re probably all dead by now, anyway)...but I wanted to post this because I know for a fact that turkeys can be a lot like dogs, and it kinda grosses me out the way they are “processed” for this one gluttonous day in the US. I mean, it’s more than a little historically outdated to stuff ourselves to show that we’re thankful for having food on the table. Shouldn’t Thanksgiving Day be about being nicer to everyone, maybe even including the turkeys??! Pardon me as I rant.

Cheers,

Cyn


Another View of Turkey Day
November 2006

by Delisa Renideo
He felt almost cat-like, rubbing up against the back of my legs. And he followed me around the yard like a devoted dog. And like my cats and dogs, he even bumped his head up against my hand as he stood beside me, requesting that I pet him. And all this affection after only meeting that afternoon.
As I walked around the grounds, I could tell he was still following me because I could hear his labored breathing. He was only a year old, but he wheezed and limped painfully because of his extreme overweight. No, he wasn’t a glutton, out of control of his appetite. His size was the result of genetic manipulation. I was told that he would probably die of a sudden heart attack before his second birthday.
I had never met a turkey in person before, except in cages at the State Fair. But I will never forget the day I spent with him and others like him at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, outside Denver.
Like the other 300 million turkeys that are killed in the U.S. each year, my new friend had had part of his beak and some of his toes cut off when he was only hours old, without any anesthesia. He was conceived by artificial insemination, as all turkeys are these days, because mating is physically impossible. Human appetite for white meat has led to the genetic engineering of turkeys with huge breasts that make it impossible for them to get close enough to mate. They are also created to grow abnormally fast, as well as very large, leading to lameness and stress on their immature skeletons, hearts and lungs. Thus, the limping and wheezing of my special new friend as he tried to balance his over-sized body on his mutilated feet as he followed me affectionately around.
We generally don’t think much about the centerpiece on our Thanksgiving table. If we think about the turkey as a real animal at all, it’s probably to assume that he doesn’t really have feelings or a personality. Certainly not the way our dogs and cats do. But after my experience at Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary, I know without a shadow of a doubt that isn’t true. Not only do these affectionate animals have personalities, but they wear their feelings where all can see them. The color of their heads changes from blue to pink and red as their emotions change.
It used to bother me to hear people say, “Happy Turkey Day” instead of “Happy Thanksgiving.” I was saddened to think that we had lost the whole point of Thanksgiving, which is to remember to be grateful for all we have, and instead we have focused on stuffing ourselves as well as a turkey.
But now I have another idea. If we could truly celebrate Turkey Day, maybe it would be like celebrating Mother’s Day or Father’s Day or Veteran’s Day or President’s Day. We don’t eat our mothers, fathers, veterans, or president. We honor them, appreciating them for who they are and what they have done for us. We set aside a day to remember them, respect them, and be grateful for them.
I envision the day when we will look back upon the slaughter of 45 million turkeys for Thanksgiving alone – that’s 675 million pounds of animal flesh in one day – with regret. I’d like to think that when that day comes, we might have a real “Turkey Day” to honor the lives of these sensitive, affectionate beings that we harmed so much before we awakened to a reverence for all life. And when that day comes, not only will we have peace on our plates, but we’ll be on our way to peace in the world.

Delisa Renideo resides in Wasilla. You can reach her at 907-373-1526 for suggestions for a delicious, turkey-free, plant-based Thanksgiving dinner.

I am LMAO right now...

Check out THIS BLOG RESPONSE EXCHANGE...

Pongin'

THIS is why I am SO FRICKKIN GLAD that I got out of my home town! It's a beautiful place, but COME ON...a packed City Council meeting, and the main item on the agenda is BEER PONG??!??!? WTF?? GET A LIFE!!!

08 November 2006

Email exchange based upon announcement pasted below...just wanted to save it for posterity (if there is such a thing in blog world!)

Cynthia:
It sounds like Gates is just the lesser of two evils...

Cory:
Yeah, I agree. He might not be much better but these election results are certainly a wake-up call to Washington!

Cynthia:
Hopefully Washington isn’t in a coma at this point...I am ever the cynic. Still, it was fun to watch the news — most of it, anyway -- last night!

Cory:
Agreed. I’m watching Bush’s news conference right now. It’s absolutely amazing how inept he is...

Cynthia:
Well, it’s hard to train a monkey.

Cory:
Hahahaha!

__________________________________________________________

On 11/8/06 11:27 AM, "Cory Lowe" wrote:

Rumsfeld Resigns as Defense Secretary After Big Election Gains for Democrats

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/washington/wire-rumsfeld.html?hp&ex=1163048400&en=350d55fe1c0ba5c8&ei=5094&partner=homepage

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 8, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, architect of an unpopular war in Iraq, intends to resign after six stormy years at the Pentagon, Republican officials said Wednesday.

Officials said Robert Gates, former head of the CIA, would replace Rumsfeld.

The development occurred one day after midterm elections that cost Republicans control of the House, and possibly the Senate, as well. Surveys of voters at polling places said opposition to the war was a significant contributor to the Democratic victory.

President Bush was expected to announce Rumsfeld's departure and Gates' nomination at an afternoon news conference. Administration officials notified congressional officials in advance.

Last week, as he campaigned to save the Republican majority, Bush declared that Rumsfeld would remain at the Pentagon through the end of his term.

Rumsfeld, 74, was in his second tour of duty as defense chief. He first held the job a generation ago, when he was appointed by President Ford.

Gates is the president of Texas A&M University and a close friend of the Bush family. He served as CIA director for Bush's father from 1991 until 1993.

Gates first joined the CIA in 1966 and served in the intelligence community for more than a quarter century, under six presidents.

His nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

Psycho Boulder Weather

5 Day Forecast:

WEDNESDAY
High: 80 Low: 46
Partly Cloudy

THURSDAY
High: 59 Low: 39
Partly Cloudy

FRIDAY
High: 45 Low: 32
Rain / Snow Mix

SATURDAY
High: 51 Low: 26
Partly Cloudy

SUNDAY
High: 46 Low: 28
Partly Cloudy / Showers

Nice how the weekend SUCKS. Oh well, sometimes they're wrong! 11/13 Update: Nope, they weren't wrong.

07 November 2006

Sunset 5:10 pm

This is what I drove into tonight. It didn't last very long, but WOW!!



Single Mom

SHE is not as stupid as she was when she married him, it seems!! What a loser that guy is!! Yuck.

Spencer's Dream



Apparently, he takes after me in more ways than just looks...

He said in the car this morning, "I had a dream last night where I had 80's rock star hair. It was a mullet and there was lots of it, and I looked really stupid. AND THEN, I was in a hllaway sitting outside the door of a room that turned into a mansion..."

And he went on and on, giving specific little details and cracking me up. I'm going to encourage him to write them down!

06 November 2006

Oh No He Di'int!!

I am in heaven. Sheer and utter unadulterated (heehee) HEAVEN. I may be going to hell on the express bus for the amount of joy that I'm getting from this whole affair (heehee again), but it's SO worth it!!

GO HERE

02 November 2006

Icky dream

Very briefly...I'm just putting it here so I don't forget it...I was in a rental house, trying desperately to get ahold of the property manager because there were dead animal bodies in various states of decay all over the lawn, which was in bad condition to begin with. I didn't worry too much about the squirrels and cats, but then noticed a horse on the side of the lawn and started to worry. People kept walking through the yard and yelling to me that there were dead things in it, but I had bare feet and would only go out the back door a little ways because I didn't want to step on anything. Oddly, they didn't smell. Then some huge deer appeared and a mountain lion was ripping at them and I couldn't do anything about it. When no one showed up to remove the carcasses, I left out the front door and started driving, but I came to a bridge that was a big curving arc, most of which was essentially free-standing and it was very very very high up and I was afraid to go on it. I had to use the bathroom so I stopped and went into this sort of castle-y place, following two women. I heard one of them scream and I looked up and a mountain lion was running at her, prepared to jump. The second woman fell on the ground out of fear, and I ran into the bathroom and pulled the heavy door shut and leaned on it so nothing could get in. When I opened it again, one of the women was dead I guess, and the other was rolling around screaming in pain. I didn't stop to help, just ran to a house and asked to be let in. It turned out to be my house and the person who let me in was a the property manager, who told that she just couldn't help with the dead animals in the yard. I was upset, and then I woke up in a panic.

I wonder if this dream was a result of a) stress over the messy condition of my house, b) too many horror films over the past week, or c) a premonition that a mountain lion is going to attack me.

Spencer's Wish List

Another post that will be ever-changing...well, at least until Christmas is over!

What he wants:
Anything Star Wars-related and very expensive -- Legos, games, etc
GameCube games
iPod and/or PSP (as if)

What he needs:
Gloves (not mittens)
Math-related software
A good map of the world for his bedroom wall

What he already has a'comin to him:
A leather portfolio notebook for sketching
Two board games
A Star Wars figurine
A desk-sized refrigerator (for all of the entertaining he does up there, natch) -- I couldn't resist, it's red and SO cute (see below)

01 November 2006

Halloween, a few days late...

Here are some festive holiday photos from Halloween. The dark ones are from a party that we went to on Saturday night at our former neighbors' house. The Raderstorfs throw this party every year and it's bitchin. At the start of the party, everyone carves a pumpkin, and then the men (who are rather tipsy by this point) and the kids (who had better NOT be tipsy at this point -- we get them drunk later) climb all over the top two stories of the house and situate the pumpkins on the ledges. After dark, they all go back up there (no, we haven't lost anyone yet!) and light the pumpkins, and then the whole block goes dark and it's just so cool. It's hard to get a picture, though. Click on the photos for a better view. It's worth mentioning that I wore my bar wench costume and was propositioned by a group (eek) of old people. Oy.




Now, here is Spencer carving his pumpkin...yes, it WAS warm enough for shorts...it was downright hot, actually, until nighttime.




And, the school party on Tuesday...check out "Global Warming" (I guessed it right away and he loved me for that) and also the Old Lady. Too funny.