Busy Busy Busy!

Photos Galore: Trip to NY with family, Christmas morning...and WHITE CHRISTMAS!! (in reverse order)
I'm simply loading the pictures now...will come back later and edit to include captions and delete anything that makes anyone look fat or ugly. LOL
Cheers and Merry Christmas!!

TAGGED - wow, a first!

I'm late to the game so everyone I know has probably already been tagged. Oh well. Do it if you like. So here we go:

The Rules:

1) Put your iTunes/ music player on Shuffle
2) For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3) YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER WHAT(this is in capital letters, so it is very serious. No hiding your showtunes, folks!)

After you’ve answered all of the questions, tag 5 other people and then let them know they’ve been tagged to do the meme themselves!

1) IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Financial Leprosy - Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

2) WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Operation Ardent - Buju Banton

3) WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? pure pretty gal - Beenie Man (yikes, I didn't know that about myself)

4) HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Ghetto Scandalous - Zola (seriously! I'm stone cold ghetto scandalous!)

5) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Go Back Home - Half Pint (wow)

6) WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Funky Nassau - Baja Men (that's about right)

7) WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Eve of Reality - Arrested Development (I might be on the eve of reality, but I'm certain not there yet)

8) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Father and Son - Cat Stevens (uncanny, but why is the gender always wrong??)

9) WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? No Respect - Buju Banton (NO SHIT. WOW. This is actually right on the money)

10) WHAT IS 2+2? Door Peep - Sinead O' Connor (huh?)

11) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Two Fine People - Cat Stevens

12) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Three-Minute Rule - Beastie Boys (BWAHAHAHAAAAA, chew on that, Suckah!)

13) WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY? Gin and Coconut Water - Baja Men (also about right)

14) WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? Do Ya Love - Spearhead

15) WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE? THE FART GAME - Eddie Murphy (I am not kidding, this is what came up!)

16) WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Super Disco Breakin' - Beastie Boys

17) WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? You Have Caught Me - Barrington Levy (yowza)

18) WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Lonely Afternoon - Bob Mould (awwww)

19) WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Stay Human - Spearhead

20) WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Searching - Buju Banton (it's not such a secret now)

21) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? Phony Rappers - A Tribe Called Quest (too funny)

OK, there's some strange shit in there. Yes, the music is weird because it's all stuff that I downloaded, not from my home music collection. But some of it is just uncanny, man.

Now I've Gone and Done It!

Last Friday, I slipped on the stairs and broke my tailbone, aka COCCYX.
I didn't realize how bad it was until Saturday afternoon, while standing at a wedding in beautful snowy Breckenridge. OW! It was so bad that at one point I had to leave the reception to go lay down, thus missing dinner. Very sad. The drive home Sunday, on bumpy ice-packed roads (bald tires + icy roads + broken tailbone + driving phobia = one MISERABLE, LONG RIDE). By Monday it was so awful that I took Spencer to school, and then went back to bed. I literally couldn't get out of bed until noon, at which point I took a deep breath, flopped out of the bed onto all fours on the floor, and pulled myself up on the love chest. I went to the doctor, who informed me, as I well know from experiencing this in the past, that there is nothing that can be done except to wait it out until it heals. She did give me some Ambien so that I can sleep. I have been crying a lot from the pain. Being in the car is the worst...and when the muscle around the bone spasms, it makes me almost throw up.

Good times.

Only the Classiest Chicks go to BGSU!

Wednesday

1:55 a.m.
Catherine R. Gumina, 20, of Bowling Green, was cited for underage drinking at a restaurant on East Wooster Street. Police had gone to the restaurant to investigate a verbal argument between Gumina and another woman who was not cited. When officers detected the odor of alcohol on Gumina and asked her if she had been drinking, she responded by saying, "Duh."


(photo compliments of mulletsgalore.com, which I highly recommend as one of the most hilarious things ever)

Yowza. I am almost at a loss for words

But not quite...

THIS ARTICLE is par for the course for hillbillies, but check these chicks out. Did they grow to look alike as partners in the same way that normal people do with their pets??? [And NO, by "normal" I am NOT referring to their sexual preference!!] Or maybe they participated in a ritualistic Poor White Trash tooth-pulling ceremony. Either way, it's uncanny.

Thanks, BGSU, for another laugh..

SUNDAY

12:31 a.m.
A pizza delivery man showed up to make a delivery to a home on Seventh street. He was greeted by a man with a gun in his hand. Afterwards the pizza delivery man called the police. Officers spoke with the resident who said it was only a BB gun. Police advised the resident that this was not the best way to answer the door.

Not a Typo

Denver:

Monday - sunny and 78 degrees

Tuesday - partly cloudy and 52 degrees

Wednesday - snowing and 25 degrees

Shit. Well, at least it's easing in, as opposed to dropping 50+ degrees in one day. Which is not unheard of in this neck o' the weeds, by the way.

Turkeys - no thanky!

At Theresa's request, I am re-posting my "poor turkeys!" letter from last year. I'm not just making a link because no one would read it (damn you). I'm grossed out by Thanksgiving, really. Can't we show our thanks for each other by doing something like going to see the latest Halloween movie, instead of indulging in a mass consumption of WAY too much food??? I say, movie theater popcorn should become the next trend in Thanksgiving mascots!


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.

Man, How I LOVE My Alma Mater's Police Blotter

(alma mater police blotter...I'm a poet!)

"Thursday

2:24 a.m.

Phillip C. Seas, 20, of Piqua, Ohio, was cited for underage drinking and prohibited acts. Officers saw Seas drop an empty bottle on the ground. As he walked away he dropped his pants in order to moon his friends. Police stopped Seas and found a fake ID on him and found he had been drinking."

Amazing deduction, Watson!! Duh.

Photos

Not sure how valid they are now, seeing as how I decided last night that we're on a "break" for a while, -- at least until he gets back from vacation after Thanksgiving -- but they're pretty good pictures, so here ya go:




More to follow soon, from our debaucherous Friday night in Denver!

My new niece...

Grace, Adelaide, Libby

Adelaide Wilde Jay, born yesterday. Spencer's cousin Atticus was born Saturday night (congrats, Kathy and Pete!) and they called me at 11 pm to tell me, right after it happened...and I'm not even technically related to them any more!!

OMG - SBD!

Someone in my office just made a silent, very very stinky, diarrhea fart. His face turned all red, and he booked to the bathroom. This was about 10 minutes ago, and as of right now he has not come back. Should I send him THIS???

Flip That House

Isn’t it funny how when you're sick and laying in bed or on the couch at home, you just stare at the walls and then your inner Christopher Lowell pops out and you’ve got the whole place redecorated in your head...my living room is FABULOUS when I’m half comatose!

Photos

These are crappy, but at least you can tell that we had a fun night at Jil's bachelorette party! The videos are hilarious, but I didn't bother to upload them because there's no sound. Plus, Jil is dancing around in lingerie, so they might end up on YouTube, and we CAN'T HAVE THAT!!

Tanya Does The Tea Room

Jilio

Leslye

The tattoo that Liz so loving constructed for me out of various other tattoos. This photo doesn't show the big sparkly "SEXY" that she pasted on above the kitty.

Another Quote

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world."

Paul Dudley White (whoever he is!)

Anne Lamott

"Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up."

"When hope is not pinned wriggling onto a shiny image or expectation, it sometimes floats forth and opens."

"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."

"Any willingness to let go inevitably comes from pain; and the desire to change changes you, and jiggles the spirit, gets to it somehow, to the deepest, hardest, most ruined parts."

~all Anne Lamott

Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged...

I have been hasty in my decision to accept no blame. So, let it be stated that, compliments of my son (wise at 10), I know that I had a lot to do with my recent break-up. I often took W for granted, I was too lax in my insistence that we seek help as a couple, I drank too much and said things I didn't mean (oh, wait, I did that the other day, too...shit), etc etc. I tried to change him and that was wrong; it would have been more acceptable, and might have even worked, if I explained WHY I was doing it. Instead, starting about last January, I sat alone in the other living room on the nights that he was home, and ignored what was going on between us (nothing).

I was very passive-aggressive, saying things like, "well, I was HOPING that you would want to stay home and talk with me instead of going to that damned bar to play pool with your buddies." I told him often -- and I stil believe this, actually -- that the bar and his drinking friends (oh, and the college pootie that apparently he is loving on these days) were more important than our relationship, and more worthy in his mind of his time. Boy howdy, he proved me right on that one! But still, I could have and should have handled it (and most other things) a lot differently.

I wish that now he would just grab his balls in his hand and agree to meet me to talk. I think that he would be surprised that I have a lot of negative things to say about myself, too. It takes two to fuck up a relationship, although it really only takes one to decide that it's over.

And I have positive things to say: he's funny, smart, kind, friendly, people like him, he's handsome, good with kids, willing to help always, he drives at night and in the snow, he's a hard worker, good in the sack, and loving. Just to name a few things. I won't go too far on the negative side because this is a public forum and there's no reason to be intentionally nasty. Buuuuut, he is immature, an alcoholic, unwilling to face certain truths and work to make them better, and generally lazy about making himself a better person. Please note that I myself identify way too closely with all but the immature part!

(Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22)
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls...So then each of us will give an account of himself to God...So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.

From MSN.com Today

This is from an article about how to be a happier person. Other things you should do: practice random acts of kindness, talk to friends often, express gratitude (THANK YOU, FRIENDS!!! -- look, I just did two in one!), and this, reappraise history:

"Yes, you can rewrite history—and feel better about yourself in the bargain. Set aside a little time each week to write about or record—or even just mentally revisit—an important event in your past. Reflecting on the experience can reshape your perception of it, as well as your expectations for the future, says Robert N. Butler, MD, president of the International Longevity Center-USA in New York City. When creating this "life review," you get to list all your accomplishments—an instant self-esteem booster. Organize your historical review by epochs: your postcollege years, early marriage, career, motherhood. Subdivide each section into triumphs, missteps, and lessons for the future.

It's helpful to look at the bad times as well as the good. Perhaps now that a few years have passed, you'll be able to see how that breakup or failed job opportunity opened other doors and finally forgive yourself—and your ex-boyfriend or would-be boss. "Even if a memory is painful, it's good to work through it," says Butler. "If you can come to terms with past events, you'll be better able to handle tough times down the road." So be honest, but also go easy on yourself. Remember: You are the heroine in this tale."

A Little Humility is Good for Everyone

I think that THIS is a perfectly fitting punishment for an obnoxious teenaged thief. Kudos to her parents!

Still Crying, But Not So Much (the update)

1. Will is gone and I am feeling lonely and a little more hopeful that I will meet someone who deserves me, and vice versa.
1.5 I am only slightly pathetic.
2. Spencer is seeing a shrink (not related to #1). It is going well and I'm hoping that he can stay with me instead of moving in with his dad.
3. My house is now almost completely clean. Furniture is in place and I have begun throwing things out with a fervor.
4. The toilet broke and is now fixed.
5. The ominous "CHECK ENGINE" light on my car is glowing brightly, even after a large repair bill. It is replacing the "CHECK OIL" light, which went out when I got the oil changed. Broken engine mount is fixed.
6. The black circles under my eyes are getting lighter. I'm remembering to take my vitamins since I am basically not eating. 15 pounds and counting since September 14.
7. The carpet has been replaced and, while it is ugly Berber stuff, it certainly looks much better now. The carpet guy was a crazy person.
8. It is getting cold at night. And colder still, which means that I can have fires at night.
9. I can't eat! Remains the same.
10. I am hating my job only a little these days.
11. I am too lazy to look for a new job. Remains the same.
12. My self-esteem is shot but I am in high hopes that I can repair it. Some day I will talk privately with Will about what went wrong, and I believe that this will help me move forward and do it right next time.
13. My cell phone is broken. Remains the same, though I found an old one and am using that for the time being.
14. I have no social life. Remains the same.
15. I am angry with ME for allowing all this shit into my life and for letting it all bug me so much.