Monday, May 31, 2010

Remembering

The National Moment of Remembrance encourages all Americans to take a break from their festivities on Memorial Day at 3 pm, and for sixty seconds observe a moment of silence, honoring all service men and women who have died for our freedom.

Before dusting off the grill or the inaugural belly flop into the public pool, remember. This Memorial Day, pause to honor our fallen heroes, thanking God for their sacrifice and for allowing us to live in the greatest nation on earth.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Duty, Honor, Country

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I won't forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me. -Lee Greenwood

Thursday, May 27, 2010

This-n-That Thursday

Things to be happy about now that my babies are home:
  • Augie was able to connect a new wireless router in about 5 minutes.
  • I went to see Babies with my Baby Bird. (It's awesome.)
  • I get to buy lots of fruits and veggies to feed them.
  • We have two additional dog walkers now.
  • I have my fashion consultant back.
  • They are entertaining.
  • The Bird drove me to the beach.
  • They are very smart as well. I am learning things.
  • The laundry is even fun. Sorta....
I just love the feeling that they are sleeping under the same roof as I am. For the time being....What are you happy about today?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Sixty Two?

Happy Birthday Stevie Nicks.
But, 62? I feel older than dirt with this news.
62?
Where has the time gone?

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 36

Are you kidding me?
You can get a live feed of this disaster and you cannot stop it?
36 Days.
Ruining my favorite body of water on the planet.
Murdering the wildlife.
Destroying the lives of countless families who make a living on that water.
Are you kidding me?
Somebody?

Monday, May 24, 2010

Wake Me Tomorrow

AQUARIUS

Jan 20 - Feb 18

http://www.homepagers.com/daily/aquar.jpg


Monday, May 24, 2010
Disputes over work, career, professional reputation, and long-range personal goals are indicated. Premature action, showing your cards too soon, or inability to rely on co-workers or suppliers can cause much aggravation. You may somehow threaten your superiors or others who are influential in helping you gain your objectives. Biding your time would be better in the long run, though right now it may rile you.

This is the best horoscope I could find for myself this morning. And, believe me, I have been searching for one I can tolerate for quite a while. Pretty ugly, isn't it? And, "bide my time?" I am not known for my biding abilities. Not in the least. What to do with myself....
What does yours say?

Friday, May 21, 2010

♣♣♣Lucky♣♣♣

Big Hair Envy posted about this puppy on Wednesday.
My heart sank.
She was born with a misshaped paw.
And she was going to be put down.
Her hopeful little smile made me cry.
And cry.
Enter the Blogosphere, the Facebooksphere and the tweetiesphere:
Tomorrow, Lucky is going to her new Forever Home!
And Bubblewench and her husband Scott are my heroes.
Please go pay her a visit and thank them both.
I think I may even start a collection to help them.
This makes my day month.
I love my Blisters* and this community.
Now go out there and Pay it Forward.
And have a wonderful weekend.
*Blister= Blog Sister. It's a Blogfest thing

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

This-n-That Thursday...

Today's ramblings are courtesy of The Bird who sent me this link. It is sure to put a smile on the face of even the surliest curmudgeon. Here is a sampling of the Karma Cabin:

  • be a role model for a younger person
  • savor life's small moments
  • send a love letter
  • commit to orderliness
  • be gentle in your criticism and encouraging in your praise
  • make Thanksgiving dinner for your in-laws
  • write your resolutions down
  • enjoy your eccentricities and those of other people
  • make a photo calendar to give grandparents for the new year
  • every minute counts
  • don't mistake pleasure for happiness
  • let your upset mind settle
  • the path is reward enough
  • buy a disposable camera for a child about to go on vacation

Tar Balls?

Oopf.
I think maybe silicone balls...
Corrupting little boys for more than ten years now.
Have mercy.
And she won't get tan lines with those pole dancing shoes, either.
I wonder how many pairs of those things she has.
And does she line them all up neatly in her closet?
If you need me today, I'll be here--
Thinking these really deep thoughts.
What are you doing?

Pictures of Shauna and friends from here

Monday, May 17, 2010

Happy Birthday Squazz!

One cool, incognito narc....
c 1987

You haven't changed a bit!
Well, not much.
xoxoxoxo

Yikes

Aquarius Horoscope
For The Week Starting May 17, 2010
- You should not commit yourself to any contract, extra work or a second job. Even though the opportunities are there, you are doing enough as it is. Too much of a work load could now affect your health. Your blood pressure should be checked periodically by a professional. This week you are feeling nervous, stressed and on edge but it is only temporary and passes quickly. Even so, get that BP checked.

Nervous, stressed and on edge? And I am looking for a job. Better see what my BP is....

What does your week look like?

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Handicapped?

Hardly.
Designated parking at St. Paul's on the Green, Norwalk, CT.
All persons who enter this sacred place enter with the promise
that they will be free to be who they are.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Cute! Shoes!

Check out these golf shoes!
So cute I almost want to go get my clubs and start playing again.
Almost.
But not enough.
Seriously...
Aren't they to die for????

Friday, May 14, 2010

Friday Funday

Let's gear up for a rollicking weekend Mental P style...
  • Teeth scraping and gum gouging dentist appointment.
  • Eat a sensible egg white omelet.
  • Happily chop away at put on hazmat suit and brave more of Augie's laundry pile.
  • Tweezer time.
  • Order these. Hey, they're free....
  • More laundry.
  • Check what's going on with Facebook and the owlets.
  • See what the neighbors are doing.
  • Squats.
  • Eat a healthy salad.
  • Check what's going on with Facebook and the hummingbird nest.
  • Back in Augie's room, discover what that smell is.
  • Eat a pound of dark chocolate. It's good for your circulation.
  • Do more squats.
  • Fortified, go back in Augie's room. Give up after a few minutes.
  • Check in magnifying mirror for new arrivals to attack with tweezers.
  • Open red wine. Hey, it's good for your circulation.
  • Declare day over.
What are you doing today?

Thursday, May 13, 2010

This-n-That Thursday...

Things that annoyed me for more than 30 seconds this morning:
  • Waking up to news that SC Governor Sanford is trying to work on his relationship with his Argentine mistress. Can we have a collective GAH?
  • My left eye keeps watering.
  • I found a hair behind my left knee that has successfully evaded all razors for at least a year. Gah.
  • A blister on the tip of my tongue.
  • My hair.
  • The fact that I don't have a personal chef.
  • My chipped nail polish.
  • The laundry room.
And I wouldn't trade my life for anything! Except for that knee hair....How 'bout you?

UPDATE: 9:51 AM--Annoying knee hair has been dispatched. As you were....

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Dora-Vision™

Life in the complex.
A sneak peek at the neighbors.
My mommy cannot get enough plants between us and them...
Stay tuned....
I am watching everything around here.
Everything.
But I am just one dog....

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Tuesday Text: Parentexting™

Since Augie is home and all snuggled in his 100 pounds of laundry bed, I got to spend some face time with him on Mother's Day. It was wonderful, and I now have new Villanova pj's and a new coffee mug;) But my Bird is still in Virginia. So we had our first Mother's Day apart.

This coming weekend, I get to have another Mother's Day with this baby:
I cannot wait.

Monday, May 10, 2010

Really?

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Must-See Owl TV

Sorry. My owl fixation is becoming an issue for me as well as my family. But you MUST watch this clip. It is a pair of barn owls in England who successfully raised a clutch of 8. Yes, EIGHT owlets during one of the rainiest summers in history. If you don't know, barn owls cannot fly in rain. Which means that they cannot hunt and feed their babies. That these owls were able to succeed in that weather is, basically, a miracle. This is such a sweet tribute to the pair, and the music is hauntingly perfect. Enjoy! And if you need more owlet action, you can always pop in on Molly and McGee's brood. Happy Saturday my friends.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Writing What You Know

Is anybody looking for a new project? Because I am always up for a new project if it means I can stop doing the other 200 projects I've started and become bored with my chores and stretch my mind a bit. Anyway, there is a FREE memoir writing class here. Marion Roach Smith is an accomplished writer, and with her latest, Writing What You Know: Realia, she guides the reader through all the steps necessary to get it all down:

    "The great writer, Flannery O'Connor, said that anyone who survived childhood has enough material to write for the rest of his or her life. She's right, of course. But how do you get to that material? And how to choose which story to write first, which truth to tell, and in which order do you write those tales?
    If you are blogging, journaling, scrapbooking or scribbling notes about your life, you are writing memoir. I will help you dig among your stuff and get your story written in interesting, enlightening, readable and possibly sale-able ways.
    Along the way you will be amazed to learn what all memoirists discover--that writing what you know is the single greatest portal to self discovery."

    So, does anyone want to do this? I think it would be a great exercise, and, who knows, maybe we all can go on book tour together;)

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Nashville on my Mind

There is so much horror out there in the world that I just want to power down sometimes. And then you come across an article like this one. It reaffirms my faith in our ability to do the right thing, and it makes me ever so proud to be a product of this environment:

We Are Nashville

We Are Nashville

Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website.

What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.

If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.

The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.

Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.

But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.

Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.

Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.

And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.

Because we are Nashville.

source

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Cannot Stop...

...thinking about Yeardley Love, UVa, every parent's baby, and every parent's nightmare.


My Twitter obsession is not helping me, either:

@jeffrossen: To give you an idea how disturbing the details are ...in my interview with police chief today, he began to cry.

I love #UVa RT @UVA: Lawn residents at #UVa will light candles outside their rooms tonight in memory of Yeardley Love.

Reports saying that Huguely admitted to kicking through the door and shaking Love such that her head banged repeatedly against the wall.

This is terrifying. I am really, really sad.

"After the hearing, defense lawyer Fran Lawrence told reporters that Love's death was 'not intended but an accident with a tragic outcome.'"

RIP Yeardley Love. My thoughts are with her family, Huguely, his family, the teams and the entire #UVa and Charlottesville communities

The more I keep reading about today's news at #UVa, the sadder I get. :(

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Tuesday Text: Parentexting™

Wherein I am dissed....Many times over by two children.


See how I so adroitly change the subject?

Then we have the boy:
Sigh.
I really need to get a job.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Gah

Aquarius: Today's Free Daily Horoscope
Aquarius
January 20 - February 18