Christine's Blog

Just Getting a Few Things Out There

2009-06-21T09:23:00.005-04:00

Only a little cranky today. Bitching about it (sort of) may prove therapeutic. Or cathartic. Whatever. Pick your adjective.

Bloggers: Avoid designing a blog with black background and white font, because it's very hard on the eyes and difficult to read. Especially when those eyes are suffering the effects of aging (affects?).

Tailgaters: The person in front of you can only go as fast as the car in front of it, asshole.

Writers: Check your spelling or at the very least have someone proofread or edit for you. For example: Deodorizer is not spelled deoderizer. That said...understand that I reserve the right within my own blog to mutilate all the grammar rules as we know them. Don't judge me.

Shoppers: If there is an arrow on the pavement in a parking lot it's a signal that you should be traveling in the direction the arrow is pointing. Go with the flow, friends.

Interstate travelers: When other motorists are attempting to merge onto the interstate and there is nobody in the left lane preventing you from changing lanes in order for the merger to...well...merge, MOVE OVER!!!

Gasoline pumpers: Pay attention to the warnings at the gas station and avoid putting yourself and the rest of us in danger. Talking on your cell phone while pumping gas is now prohibited.

Any customer service professional: The economy is bad. I spend a lot of money with your business. Treat me with a little kindness, courtesy, and respect. Say please once in a while. See? I've lowered my standards even. I would settle for manners even once in a while. The point? And this may be a news flash for you: It will be hard for you to find another job if you get fired, because I complained about the way you treated me!!! That's a fact, Jack. And by the way--it would have been nice to know about that discount before I made my purchase decisions...I might have actually spent MORE money!

Medical professionals: Talk to one another so that you all can avoid giving conflicting medical instructions to the patient!!! Please! And seriously. Lives are literally at stake and some of you don't seem to understand that and it's really no wonder sometimes people die needlessly.

That is all.

Oh, Paula

2009-05-28T17:52:00.005-04:00

Paula Deen using a sieve to make strawberry puree: "Now, y'all, I'm just gonna pour this through the seeeeve that I have here." Seeeeve. I am not kidding.

Generally, I let stuff like this slide. There are some cultural nuances with language, etc. here in the South that just aren't worth making a fuss over or offending someone. But I have never heard someone pronounce "sieve" the way Paula did.

No offense, Paula.

Shoes

2009-05-21T20:53:00.004-04:00

Shoe salesman Overheard in the Dillard's shoe department:

"Now, this one...the soul is inverted..." (imagine an enthusiastic southern drawl...not unlike Andy Griffith's in his pre-Matlock days) "...and when you wear this shoe all day long, you burn 4 times more calories than when you wear a regular shoe! 4 times more calories!!!" I glanced over...the shoe looked to be made with a material similar to Crocs. I think by "inverted," he meant that the soul was made in such a way that it helped with over-pronating. In any event...4 times more calories?!?! Wow. And seriously? I don't think so.

"Now, this one...doctors send their patients to us for these shoes and people who wear them have been able to correct the problems in their knees and then they don't have to have knee surgery." If only it were as easy as a shoe, right?

Woman on cell phone walking very quickly around the area, taking in the clearance shoe view:

"Sherry, you just have to get out of there!" Loudly. But in a very "I'm a supportive friend kind of way."

Shoe saleswoman in reference to a shoe I had in my hand:

"Now, that's a good one." She was very gracious in offering to help me with whatever I wanted to try on. She seemed to be working pretty hard in general. At what I don't know. There was trash all over this shoe department, but I guess I kind of understand since the major shoe clearance at Dillard's is officially underway! I used to live for shoe clearances such as these. Back in the day.

Floodlights in the ceiling:

Making it as hot as ever. As hot as they have ever been. Back to the days that this was Hess's and before that, Miller's. Did I mention hot? Not hot enough to keep me from buying my 4th pair of shoes in 3 weeks, however. No. They were not on clearance. I chose a pair of tried and true loafer-like Sperry's. Not on clearance. But pretty darned comfy.

That is all.

The day is done...or is it?

2009-04-21T23:23:00.004-04:00

The day is almost done according to the clock.

I'm not quite done, however. I'm taking a psychology class called Life Span Development. A few days ago, I was ready to throw in the towel, because the first few chapters of this textbook read like neurobiology. I guess. I don't do biology. That's why I'm not a doctor. (Now you know.)

So, I stepped away from it. Vented to Shalane. Talked with my advisor and my instructor.

Attitude adjusted.

Now, here I sit, enthusiastically working to finish the assignment that got me frustrated in the first place. Until I finish it, however, my day won't really be done.

For once, I agree with O

2009-04-20T18:14:00.003-04:00

O tweeted this morning that she decided to pull her Columbine show for today, because it focused too much on the killers. Good decision. For once, I am on board with her show. Or non-show as it were.

I don't know that this was put out in the mainstream media anywhere. Were I not on Twitter and clicked on Follow Oprah last night, I may have never know this tidbit of info.

This speaks for itself

2009-04-19T16:36:00.001-04:00

It's Crunchy

2009-04-19T09:38:00.006-04:00

From an ad banner for Stacy's Pita Chips on another person's blog:

It's art at it's crunchiest.

Really.

P.S. The point here is that the second "it's" is incorrect. It should be "its"--no apostrophe.

Really?

2009-04-18T20:33:00.006-04:00

My Saturday afternoon: Happily settled at a big corner table in the library forcing myself to do my reading and discussion assignments. (Life Span Development. Blech. So far, it's like Biology to me. Grrr.)

What I don't understand: That the library doesn't seem to be the quiet retreat it once was for serious studying and reading.

Annoyance #1: Crying child. For about 30 minutes.

Annoyance #2: Girl with a bag of chips. A very loud bag of chips.

Annoyance #3: Man strolling throughout the library...up and down each aisle...having a lengthy conversation on his cell phone.

So......um......yeah.....I said something to him. And then I was sorry I did...fearful that he might be waiting for me in the parking lot when I left. So, I immediately texted my sister, Lucy, and let her know that if she never heard from me again it was because this guy probably murdered me--totally pissed off that I asked him to finish his call outside.

Yeah...I asked him to finish his call outside, because I could hear him all over the library. So, he finished his call outside.

And then he came to voice his displeasure with me. Loudly.

Loud Library Talker (whining): If you have something to say to me, I would appreciate it if you could do it quietly instead of dressing me down in front of the whole library. I don't appreciate how rude you were to me. (and then he stomped his foot like a big baby and put his thumb in his mouth)

Intolerant Study Girl: Are you kidding me? And you don't think it was rude that you were disruptive?

Loud Library Talker: I didn't realize that people could hear me. You're nasty. Nanny nanny boo boo, stick your head in doo doo.

He really believed people couldn't hear him and that his behavior was acceptable. No apology. No acknowledgement of any wrongdoing. Not that I expected it or wanted it. Of course, I didn't apologize for "dressing him down", either. So, there. We're even. Ha. Ha.

I just sat there. Sort of shrugged my shoulders. Smirked a little and said, "Really? You really didn't think people could hear you?"

Because common courtesy is no longer expected in this society, there are signs plastered ALL OVER THE LIBRARY kindly asking that cell phone calls be taken outside in consideration of library patrons. In the event that you miss those, self-awareness and common sense are no longer required, either. Just so you know.

Really.

P.S. I later decided this man may have been unhappy that he was forced to wear his little 1970's era jogging shorts today. I just happened to be the target of his aggravation.

Bloggertainment?

2009-04-18T09:31:00.005-04:00

So...

A five month blogging sabbatical isn't bad. Right?

I started to delete this whole blog not too long ago with the thought that it was "done" and with the intent to create a new blog with a different "purpose." Like this one ever really had a "purpose?" (Note URL.) As I was paging through old posts, however, I decided that I can be pretty entertaining. (But not after getting sidetracked with trying to figure how to print the whole thing to save it for posterity.)

I guess I did okay.

I guess I'll keep it.

I guess I'll find my inner bloggertainer and get back to it.

Turkey Day

2008-11-29T11:41:00.006-05:00

What a feast!

We had the pleasure of meeting some of Andrew & Kristi's friends.

We also had the pleasure of eating way too much really really good food. The Adams Chefs served several homemade dishes like a sausage and wild rice dressing, grilled broccoli with olive oil and garlic, mac 'n cheese made with monterey jack & cheddar cheeses, and a perfectly mesquite smoked turkey. Guest contributions to the menu were delicious, too, and included a fabulous ham, a pork loin, green bean casserole, and baked apples. That's certainly not a complete accounting of the extensive menu. Everything was soooooooo good.

Entertainment included Guitar Hero (GH). Hannah and I played the roles of spectators for some of the challenged GH performers. Later, we played a Wii trivia game.

Aside from awesome food and great company, the other highlight of the day was that we didnt' have to call the fire department. When finishing up the sweet potatoes, the marshmallows went up in flames. It was quite the bonfire.

Wine Country and Mud Pits and Andrew's New Girlfriend

2008-11-27T01:09:00.003-05:00

Departure time: 11:15am

Finished getting lost with the help of sophisticated satellite GPS technology: 12:45pm

Understand this: residential location approximately 20 minutes to Firestone Vineyard.

California Wine Country Resident (CWCR) facilitated off-road scenic adventure today. California Tourist (CT) patiently trusted CWCR and Mr. Garmin (manufacturer of said sophisticated GPS device).

CWCR: There is more oil field than vineyard right now.

Mrs. CWCR: Didn't we pass that cow already?

CT's Daughter: I've gotta pee.

CWCR: Hold up. (Reprograms GPS then turns around...following new GPS directions.)

CT: Um. I don't think you're supposed to go up there.

CWCR: Damn GPS says to go there.

CT: Well...Um...I think the GPS is wrong. That's not a road. I'll bet if you get up close, the sign on that gate says, "Turn around or we will shoot you."

CWCR: Hmmm...Maybe I better go back.

The "ground" is awfully soft underneath the car. As CWCR backs up, there are noticeable ruts in the MUD. Wheels start to spin...ruts get deeper...back end is sliding.

CWCR: Engaging traction control.

We are lucky to have gotten out of there. We had no cell phone signals and were afraid some homesteaders might show up with their shotguns to run us off. Even if we had cell coverage, I'm not sure it would have really been helpful. If the GPS didn't know where we were then emergency personnel certainly wouldn't.

CWCR: This concludes the scenic drive portion of our day.

Great experience at Firestone Vineyard. Very personable wine-taster-hostess-person, so we had a really nice visit while learning about the wines we were tasting.

Beckmen Vineyard wine-taster-hostess-person wanted CWCR.

CWCR: Really? I seriously don't notice stuff like that.

CT's daughter: Um, yeah...she wouldn't really talk to us much, but as soon as you walked in she got sparkles in her eyes.

Mrs. CWCR: Yeah, I thought I was gonna have to jump over that counter and stab that tart. (Not the term originally used. Censored for delicate sensibilities.)

CWCR: She was just bein' friendly.

Mrs. CWCR: I will show her friendly.

After a visit to Solvang where we enjoyed some kettle corn and assorted chocolate delights, we headed to Nipomo for an awesome steak dinner at Jocko's.

It was a good day catching up on family news, lots of laughs, great scenery, good wine, and awesome food.

Adventures with Christine & Hannah

2008-11-26T08:27:00.007-05:00

Day 1

1. No sleep. (Okay...I concede that perhaps I "napped" for an hour when I finally finished laundry & packing--the hour before having to get up at 4:30am.)

2. Fun at Starbucks in the Atlanta airport. (I swear it was like the old SNL Belushi & Aykroyd cheeseburger skit. That story can be a whole other post. Suffice to say we had a good laugh.)

3. Longest flight ever. (4+ hours)(Good thing I brought so much reading material with me. Okay, not really...I mean I had plenty of reading material, but I was too sleepy....and there was too much noise...but the time passing was made easier by numerous naps and satellite TV)(And, man were there a lot of kids on that flight.)(And, wow...I hope everyone's coughing and sneezing and hacking wasn't the contagious kind.)

4. Stupid Vegas airport. Had to change airlines here--yes, we knew in advance. The signage to our concourse was practically non-existent, airport security staff was not very helpful (though those other two people were very kind). Even after the train and figuring out where to go, it was a long walk and we had to go through security again. My travel partner was a little disgruntled and we all know how cheerful she normally is. She had to go potty, so was growing a little impatient waiting for the very very careful TSA folks to do their jobs.)(And, no, I didn't play the slots...gambling does not appeal me to at all...okay, except when the lottery jackpot is in the hundreds of millions, then I might buy a ticket...or when I'm contemplating another career change...or when Shalane proposes a bet about how low the Dow will go...or wants to wager on weight loss.)

5. Aaaah...the Santa Barbara airport (if you want to call it that) was a welcome anti-climax to the day. Big warm Andrew & Kristi hugs...so glad to finally wrap my arms these two after waiting so long to finally take this trip.

6. Fresh seafood dinner at Brophy Brothers in Santa Barbara Harbor. I had Seafood Portofino (shrimp & scallops in a creamy sauce served over a 23-person serving of pasta...it was a lot of pasta people...and no, I didn't eat it all). Hannah had Ahi tuna which was also delicious. We all shared a calimari appetizer--most tender calimari on the planet. Deeelish! Afterwards, a nice walk on the jetty (not to be confused with a pier...Andrew seized the teachable moment and explained that a jetty is more like a breakwall, but you can walk on it.).

The weather was drizzly and cloudy, but who noticed? I mean really. We were really just happy to be together.

Today, plans are to sample some wine making efforts in the area, visit Solvang, and then have dinner at Jocko's for steak. Might need rehab by the end of the day.

Bond. James Bond.

2008-11-23T09:02:00.003-05:00

Daniel Craig's portrayal of Bond: cold, edgy, steely, hot.

Normally, I am not the least bit attracted to a blue-eyed blonde-haired man. Daniel Craig has changed all of that for me. This man exudes I-Don't-Know-What on the big screen and I was more than happy to spend 1 hour and 48 minutes admiring his beauty.

At one point, after a long action sequence involving sweat and dirt and more dirt and sweat:

Shalane: He needs a shower.

OO7 Lover: No he doesn't.

There was a plot? Yes, there was a plot. It involved good triumphing over evil and some revenge accompanied by some dry humor and...did I mention the scenery wasn't so bad?

I will have to go see it again, though, because we saw this opening weekend and by the time we got to the theater the "I can see the screen fine from here" seats were mostly taken or saved (perhaps another rant for another time). So, we sat in the third row. It was a little hard to see everything on the screen and take it all in. Still, at such close range, it was easy to see those amazing icey blue eyes...the rock hard abs...and admire the confidence that is OO7.

Dinner wasn't so bad, either. I had prime rib with 14 Hands Cabernet Sauvignon. Mmmm. Mmmm. Good.

Just a Minute...

2008-11-22T20:09:00.004-05:00

The holidays usually hold at least one constant for me: I get sick.

My being sick during the holidays holds a few constants: it is inconvenient and it is difficult to be seen by my own primary care doctor.

My current malady comes with no surprises in these respects. I have had a pain on the right side of my throat since Monday. It's not even a sore throat kind of sore...it has hurt and seems to be deep down inside my ear. My doctor is on medical leave which means I'd have to see another doctor in the group. This is not necessarily a problem--the problem would be in how soon I could have gotten an appointment, whether or not it was convenient for me, and whether or not they would again offer me an appointment with the incompetent nurse practitioner on staff who I refuse to see.

Being seen, diagnosed, treated, and cured must all take place before 7:30am Tuesday morning when our plane takes off. So, in the interest of catering to myself and making my healthcare convenient for me by our Tuesday departure, I decided to go to the CVS Minute Clinic. It's close by and the hours are convenient (open late and open on weekends).

I had a great experience! I was seen by a family nurse practitioner (FNP). Based on my previous experiences with FNPs (I have been misdiagnosed and even had something very serious overlooked.), I typically am not excited about seeing another one. This FNP was wonderful: he listened, he was thorough, he asked lots of questions, he listened some more, and he was not in a hurry. This was, perhaps, the most thorough screening for an ear infection I've ever had: he looked in my ears with the otoscope...he then used the otoscope with the air bulb to see how my ear drums reacted to the air pressure...he did look at my throat--not red at all...gave me a little hearing test...asked me to rate my pain...describe my pain & the pressure I felt in my ear...listened patiently as I repeatedly and in different ways explained my pain. He was very sympathetic to my impending air travel plight. (Would we call that a "flight plight?" Ha. I'm funny.) He finally concluded that, yes, I probably have an ear infection and prescribed an antiobiotic.

I am already feeling a little better. I hope I am significantly better in the morning. My plans for starting to pack (organize, do laundry, clean the house, etc.) have been waylayed with things like resting and napping. You just gotta give in to your body sometimes and let it heal.

I'm glad I tried the Minute Clinic. The quality of care I received today was very good. I'm glad I have a good and convenient alternative when it is difficult to get into my own doctor or whomever may be covering for him. (Plus! They will send a report of the visit to my doctor.)

I had a good customer service experience

2008-11-21T08:57:00.002-05:00

So...I went online to schedule a Citi card payment the other day. First thing I noticed? My due date was 7 days earlier than it has been for the last few months.

Okay...my bad. I should have looked at the statement when I received it. I would have known.

But...how often does a credit card company just change your due date like that. My first thought was, "Hey! What a great way to ensure that I violate my terms so that you can raise my incredibly low interest rate."

Well...though I was hesitant, I called customer service. You see...the last time I called, I spent an inordinate amount of time on the call, because 1) my first customer service rep did not know the answer to my questions and he was not even understanding me and, of course, I was not understanding him. English clearly not his first language. Then, 2) after insisting that I speak with a manager, I spoke with a "Customer Account Manager." Not really a manager, but at least someone who took ownership...of course, the ownership she took was to such an extreme that she refused to transfer me to anyone else. She couldn't answer my question, either, except to read to me what I already knew. I have a Upromise card which pays me to use it and applies a percentage of every purchase to my SallieMae student loan. I received a letter saying that Upromise selected a different bank to be the "card" people. I had a few questions...nobody could answer them. 30 minutes on this call which was full of frustration, bad communication, and no satisfaction. My questions were never really answered.

Anyway...

I called customer service about the due date change. I expressed my concern that I would be penalized with not only a late fee, but an interest rate increase for being late with my payment.

Joe American very quickly and efficiently handled my concerns. He asked if I could hold a moment. I did. He returned and explained that since I'd been paying my account balance in full and early, that the system defaulted to a shorter grace period and an earlier due date. He went on to say that many customers doing the same thing have routinely asked that grace periods and due dates be changed in this way, so the Citi account system was programmed to "just change it" when certain account paying behavior is detected.

He also informed me that he suppressed the late fee, extended my grace period back to what it was, and adjusted my account to the former due date.

Very efficient. Very pleasant. Very friendly and kind this Joe American. Less than 5 minutes. That is good customer service.

What?

2008-11-19T10:29:00.002-05:00

What? It's November 19...already??? And only 2 posts so far this month?

Many things are cooking in my head (as Hannah would say).

First...must report on the Quantum of Solace viewing. I think you know how I feel about Daniel Craig...Stay tuned for that report, because if you don't know or don't remember how I feel about Daniel Craig then this post will make it perfectly clear.

Second...must figure out how to do the mobile blogging thing from my BBerry. Hannah and I are headed west in 6 short days...I figure short blog posts along the way is a good way to document the ensuing fun!

Thanksgiving week will be spent in the Central Coast area of California. We are landing in Santa Barbara...staying in Santa Maria...visiting assorted locations. I wish time would allow for a full tour of the entire west coast as we've got peeps from San Diego to Seattle (about 1300 miles in between those places). Plus, I really would like to visit the Redwood Forest. I've sung about it so many times, I feel like I owe it to the forest to see it...meet it...become its friend. Alas and alack...it will not be possible. It's a big coast and time is short.

More to come, my friends.

Trusting the Vote

2008-11-05T20:36:00.005-05:00

Even though I ranted, I am very cool with the outcome of this election.

I was surprised by the relief I felt when Obama won this election.

Maybe more later.

Happy Election Day!

2008-11-04T21:23:00.002-05:00

Boy, if there isn't a whole lot o' projection goin' on.

I'm turning the TV off in favor of working for a while. I'll find out the results in the morning. Famous last words, I know.

Whatever the result, I'm okay with it.

In 28 days...

2008-10-27T19:50:00.007-04:00

No...I won't be out of rehab.

But, in 28 days, approximately 10 minutes after retrieving my baggage, my lovely daughter and I will be accompanied by two beautiful people to Santa Barbara County Wine Country. (Or at least sometime within those next 24 hours.)

After this vacation, there is a good chance I might have to go to rehab where I would remain for 28 days.

No sympathy

2008-10-25T10:07:00.002-04:00

Woman sues Starbucks: says scalding coffee, unattached lid caused disfigurement.

Okay. Those lids can be tricky. Am I the only one who checks to ensure that the lid is securely attached before I do much with the cup? (whether the beverage is hot or cold) Usually, I rest the cup on the door where the window is down, press all the way around to make sure the lid is secure before I move it to the cup holder or wherever it will rest.

Secondly, she "...balanced the extremely hot cup of coffee on her thigh with her hand on top of the cup as she pulled away from the window and negotiated a turn onto the roadway."? If the extreme heat could be felt through the cardboard sleeve, I would imagine it would also be felt through the bottom of the cup that rested on her thigh. What up?

Though this article draws comparisons to the McDonald's coffee lawsuit and illustrates why this incident is so much worse, I have no sympathy. In my view, it's another frivilous lawsuit, because someone doesn't want to take pesonal responsibility. It sounds like she's a regular customer, so she (like yours truly who is a regular Starbucks guzzler) should be familiar with the coffee temperature. I am willing to concede there could be inconsistencies in coffee temperature from time to time, but I am also doubtful based on my own extensive experience.

No sympathy here.

Trip Planning

2008-10-24T00:38:00.005-04:00

The night before Thanksgiving, everyone (apparently) must have an awesome steak dinner and this is the place we're going to get it in Nipomo, California. I'm really hungry right now, so I thought it would be appropriate to fantasize about food since I have no plans to raid the fridge at this hour.

I Still Miss You

2008-10-22T21:07:00.001-04:00

Today marks one year. It has hit me harder than I expected it would. Late in the day. It creeped up on me. So, I decided to embrace it and have a good cry. If you want to indulge, listen/watch this.

What I really meant was...

2008-10-21T09:38:00.003-04:00

I can't wait to spend a week with these two.

and these two.

On Nov. 25, we're outta here...

2008-10-20T19:57:00.002-04:00

What I really meant is...Wine tastings...here we come.

35 Days and counting...

2008-10-20T19:11:00.003-04:00

...and then it's California....here we (Hannah and I) come!!!

Vacation...Thanksgiving holidays...with Andrew and Kristi.

The Palin Rap

2008-10-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

Guaranteed to make you smile.

Worth watching...if you haven't already

2008-10-09T12:08:00.002-04:00

Probably one of the better McCain/Palin interviews I've seen. They had an opportunity to be real and talk in what seemed like a much more relaxed and non-threatening atmosphere. Check it out.

...and such and such

2008-10-08T17:09:00.003-04:00

"Look..."

"A fundamental difference..."

"It's fundamentally wrong..."

"It's the fair thing to do..."

"...my friends..."

Just a few of the repeatedly used catch phrases.

I heard and learned nothing new last night. Both are so entrenched in the idea that they have to be heard and so intent on getting all of their well-worn campaign "stuff" out of their mouths, that it just doesn't really matter that questions were skirted. Sure...some were answered. But some weren't. Of course, my response to Hannah's same comments was, "And that, my friend...is politics." It's not lost on me. I guess I just harbor some hope that I will be surprised or delighted or at the very least, intrigued, by something communicated differently.

It's wearing on me.

I hope the next one is more exciting.

And, boy, Tom Brokaw had a burr, didn't he?

Of debates and such

2008-10-02T23:22:00.002-04:00

She said, "Nuke-ya-ler."

Repeatedly.

But she done good, I think.

Next debate: Tuesday, October 2. Obama vs. McCain.

Can't wait.

See for yourself.

2008-09-29T17:55:00.002-04:00

Whether or not you have decided who will get your vote in the upcoming Presidential election, Sarah Palin's interview with Katie Couric is a must-see. I encourage you to watch this, especially if you are following a lot of the coverage and have not seen this interview for yourself. Jack Cafferty (CNN) certainly had plenty to say, but only produced a brief clip. You really have to see the whole thing in context. I'm not publicly advocating one candidate or the other. I'm not trying to make light of the race for the Presidency. I am simply encouraging you to be an informed voter.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9YiVXRqBLo

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2kjFn4s4sU&feature=related

Then, once you have viewed the real thing, you owe it to yourself to view the SNL parody of the interview: http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/couric-palin-open/704042/.

Seriously...so not joking around here.

BTW: Don't miss the Vice Presidential debate on Thursday!

Every Time

2008-09-24T17:38:00.002-04:00

If the TV is on close to 4pm, I get sucked in by those Oprah (hereafter referred to as O) commercials...every time.

So...once again...I watched a little of O's show today. I won't bore you with the details, because, clearly, it's not the details that really motivate me to blog after I've watched O.

It never ceases to amaze me that O is so awed by the subject du jour. Never. I am amazed by this...every time.

Inquiring Minds...

2008-09-23T23:01:00.001-04:00

Clay Aiken comes out: ‘Yes, I’m gay.’

Really?

Apparently, it was important for the inquiring minds to know for sure.

Mantastic

2008-09-22T23:53:00.001-04:00

With lots of bare chested male dancers doing their dance floor thing, Dancing With the Stars was advertised today as Mantastic.

Mantastic?

Mantastic.

Really?

Tough Call

2008-09-10T17:55:00.003-04:00

Late night television talk shows have it going on tonight.

I could watch David Letterman whose guest is Barack Obama.

Or...

I could watch Jay Leno (who I can't stand) whose guests are Matthew McConaughey and T. Boone Pickens.

Hmmm...political rehetoric.

Or...

Eye candy and a private citizen's new approach to solving our energy problems (I guess?).

Tough call.

Who is Christine Adams?

2008-09-07T23:31:00.003-04:00

With so much at stake, there is one candidate who may be able to make the difference. Adams has surprised both Democrats and Republicans with a grass roots effort. This candidate has made many wonder: Who is Christine Adams?

Click here to learn more about my campaign.

UPDATE 9/11/08: The link originally took you to a news video which talked about the phenomenon of this "virtual unknown" presidential candidate who has gained popularity at the grass roots level. It is interspersed with a bus ad, a billboard, and even a tattoo in some old lady's "tramp stamp" area. You could customize the video so that all things have your name on those things. Apparently, however, there is some sort of copyright issue with the host of this site, so the video is no longer available. If you got here too late, too bad so sad. You missed the video.

Ramblings

2008-08-28T09:01:00.002-04:00

I was watching the replay of the DNC speeches at 3am this morning.

Barack Obama made a surprise appearance after Joe Biden's official acceptance of he VP nomination. Whatever. There are no surprises. So much in campaigning and conventioning is orchestrated. Right down to the signs waved by delegates as Biden repeatedly said, 'More of the same' when speaking about his good friend, John McCain.

I don't begrudge anyone their campaign excitement, but the media insults me when it reports that this was a surprise. I'm not that insulted, however. You gotta do what you gotta do for an audience...for ratings..for a cause...for a campaign. I guess more than anything I am amused , especially since I'm pretty sure on Tuesday I heard some commentators talking about Obama's expected appearance on stage with Biden after the VP acceptance speech.

It must be delicious!

2008-08-26T21:20:00.004-04:00

I conducted more cupcake research today. Because my review is unfavorable, I will not be naming the bakery; however, I have had other delights from this bakery. They were delightful.

My research was quite purposeful this time. It wasn't just about Christine Must Have Cake. I will be feeding cupcakes to others soon and want to be sure that they are yummy.

I phoned ahead and asked some specifics about cupcakes.

Cupcake Connoisseur: Can you do special decorations on each cupcake?

Bakery Girl: Yes. We can do booties and duckies.

Cupcake Connoisseur: Can I order an assortment of cupcakes -- different flavor cake and different flavor icing -- rather than ordering all of the same?

Bakery Girl: Certainly.

Cupcake Connoisseur: What do you charge per dozen?

Bakery Girl: $1,000/dozen.

Cupcake Connoisseur: (thump)(falling on the floor from sticker shock)
(They aren't really $1,000/dozen, but they are a bit pricey IMHO.)

Cupcake Connoisseur: Okay, I'll probably come by later this afternoon to taste one.

After all...if I'm going to pay too much for cupcakes, this better be some cupcake.

Later this afternoon:

Cupcake Connoisseur: Hi. I spoke with Bakery Girl earlier about a possible cupcake order.

Bakery Girl: I'm Bakery Girl.

Cupcake Connoisseur: I'd like to try a cupcake.
No free samples here, by the way. I had to buy a whole cupcake. ($2.25 for a standard size cupcake compared to $2.75 for a giant size cupcake at the previously discussed Cupcakery in Bearden)

Bakery Girl: Would you like to take it with you or sit down and eat it here? (then explains how cake tastes better at room temp and their cupcakes are refrigerated, so it would be important to allow the cupcakes to reach room temperature before serving)

I never understood why people put cake in the fridge, anyway. I've eaten cake that sits out on the counter without benefit of refrigeration all my life.

Cupcake Connoisseur: I'll have a seat.

While tasting my cupcake, I peruse the catalog to see pictures of the bakery's cake decorating talent. Very bakery-ish. Not bad work.

So, yes, the cupcake was a little cool (unlike the last cupcakes I told you about) and maybe I should have waited til it reached room temp before I tasted it and passed judgment. Then, again, I am a cupcake connoisseur. My palate is delicate enough and discerning enough that I believe I can pass qualified judgment.

The frosting was creamy. No sugary granules. The cake seemed stale. Dry even. There was no fluffy/spongey texture.

End of evaluation.

Cupcake Connoisseur to Bakery Girl: (returning the plate and fork) This seemed stale.

Bakery Girl: These were just baked this morning.

Cupcake Connoissuer: Hmmmm...
With my furrowed brow look.

Bakery Girl: Okay. So you don't like our Devil's Food.

Cupcake Connoisseur: (smiling) Maybe.

I then asked how far in advance I would need to place an order if I decided to do so.

Bakery Girl: By Thursday morning.

Cupcake Connoisseur: Okay. I have another place to visit and more cupcakes to try. If I decide to place my order with you, I will give you a call.
As I made the gesture of picking up a business card.

Bakery Girl: Okay. I understand.

No real further conversation. She didn't thank me for stopping by or considering her bakery. Pretty sure she's not the proprietor, but it doesn't matter. Of course, why should she thank me after I insulted her cupcake? Can't blame her.

After all, it's not as if I'm shopping for someone to bake my wedding cake, for Pete's sake. But as you know, I take cake very seriously. A confection such as this is imporant...everybody always comments about the cake! So, if we're going to have it, then it must be delicious.

Why?

2008-08-23T22:18:00.002-04:00

Why wouldn't a moisturizer have sunscreen in it? In this day and age when every single woman's facial moisturizer on the shelf has sunscreen in it, why does mine happen to be the one exception? Why?

Maybe I should have knocked on wood...harder

2008-08-23T09:31:00.007-04:00

$#it happens in 3's? Did I say that out loud?

Did I mention kitchen appliances that are way older than 8 years old?

Sigh.

First it was the washing machine repair.

Then, I replaced my leaning desk chair. I counted the chair as one of the 3 things in hopes that once I reached 3 that things breaking or needing to replaced would stop there.

Then, Curtis needed tires.

Then, there was Hannah's car repair.

Now, what?

The dishwasher.

I got up from my several hours of researching at the computer (PhD course) last night to find water on the kitchen floor courtesy of my dishwasher. Twas no surprise. This beloved appliance has been making a horrible noise--like chewing on glass or something--for some time. During the last few weeks, I could also tell that the pump inside was struggling. I knew that kicking the bucket was in the cards.

I could say out loud that the 3's thing is just a silly superstition, but I wouldn't believe it and karma would still have its way. If we continue to count the chair in all this, then this is 5 rather notable expenses and I am due one more. If we don't count the chair, then this is 4 and I'm due 2 more. Silly? Maybe. Probably.

When I brought all this up before, maybe I should have knocked on wood...harder.

Superfood

2008-08-22T20:50:00.005-04:00

Among the recently touted superfoods are açai berries.

Have any of you eaten them? Tried anything containing them? Had any adverse reaction?

When I saw Tropicana Pure was making raspberry/açai juice, I couldn't wait to try it. Not because I couldn't wait for the açai berry infusion, but because I love raspberries and figured raspberry juice could be pretty wonderful. So...I finally found it in the store after seeing the advertisements for months. Got it. Drank a little. Only 4 ounces, because that's the equivalent of a fruit on my current meal plan.

I had a rough night. That's one of the few things I did out of the ordinary that day. Açai berry complemented raspberry juice. And then there was that awesome split pea soup. Could have been either wreaking havoc on me. I don't know anything for sure, except that both the juice and the soup tasted really yummy and I'm afraid to try either again. Since I have a positive history with split pea soup, I'm inclined to think it was the superfood.

Let's Dance!

2008-08-22T09:02:00.001-04:00

Maybe this kind of thing is the key to world peace.

Sasquatch Scam

2008-08-22T08:51:00.002-04:00

I am aghast that those two guys would perpetrate such an outrageous hoax on the Bigfoot Believing American Public.

I am hurt and disappointed. You're saying, "Really?"

No.

Not really.

Bisphenol and Bigfoot

2008-08-15T21:31:00.006-04:00

FDA: Chemical found in plastic bottles is safe
Trace amounts of bisphenol A won't harm adults or infants, review finds

Okay, so do we metabolize them? What does do it to our livers? Are those trace amounts being stored somewhere in our bodies? It doesn't matter. We've all been drinking and eating out of plastic now for so long that we're all doomed, anyway.

Trace. Whatever.

In other news, I'm excited to learn that a Bigfoot corpse has been discovered. Sure...there are lots of skeptics doling out their criticism (check out all the news posted just within the last 5 hours--Google "bigfoot press conference"), but you gotta admit that it's pretty thrilling to think that this elusive creative may have finally been found. Now...if these are proven to be big tricksters...hoaxsters...frauds...I will, of course, laugh; however, they do take their bigfootin' pretty seriously. For what is, in my opinion, the best unbiased report of this story, go here. We can count on Investigation Discovery (as in Discover Channel) to follow this story.

So, there's the wrap up of today's news: Bisphenol and Bigfoot.

Très très exciting!!!

2008-08-12T22:28:00.002-04:00

Michael Phelps won another race.

Commercial immediately following (if for a specific product or just a "go Olympics" commercial, I'm not sure) with Morgan Freeman narrating:

Congratulations, Michael, on having one more Olympic gold medal than anyone...ever.

He races again in less than hour. Can't wait!

Très exciting

2008-08-12T20:50:00.004-04:00

Ugh. I may have accidentally sneaked a peak on MSNBC.com at the results from a Michael Phelps swim in Beijing earlier today. Though I know that a medal race I really want to watch will be broadcast live at 10:05pm, I don't think anything was spoiled for me. I hope not. Those Michael Phelps races have been très exciting!

Handy to have

2008-08-11T22:44:00.005-04:00

For a brief few minutes, this afternoon I was a security threat on the loose in the City County Building.

I had to go downtown to get a business license today. The Knox County Clerk's office where you get one is no longer inside the City County Building, for your information, but I didn't figure that out until I had already gone through security: the metal detector for me and the x-ray machine for my purse. Once I realized I was in the wrong place, I went to the right place: the old courthouse next door. These folks were a little more alert. I carry a knife in my purse. They found me out. (Yes, they took it, but they gave it back.)

Makes me wonder the obvious: how careful and consistent are the screeners (Knoxville City Police)? I'm more concerned that my knife was overlooked in a courthouse venue. What else might be slipping through the cracks? I guess guns would be way more obvious than little knives, though.

Granted, my knife is not huge and I'm done for if trying to defend myself against someone with a bigger knife or a gun or even a black belt. I don't really carry it for self-defense, though. I used to think boys were stupid for always having a knife in their pocket. There are lots of times I have needed my knife and it is handy to have.

Your vocabulary lesson for the day

2008-08-10T20:26:00.003-04:00

How do you pronounce undoubtedly? That's what I thought. Many years ago I worked with a girl (whose claim to fame is that she went to high school with Kenny Chesney) who pronounced it "un-dow-buhd-ly." Most of us realize the "b" is silent. She lived by the notion that it is, indeed, the "t" that is silent.

I never thought I would hear anybody pronounce it like that ever again.

Until tonight. Those Chinese gymnasts un-dow-buhd-ly are pretty awesome. Yeah. It was the commentator. Not sure which one, but I know what I heard.

You might be saying, "Okay, what about that word indubitably?" I know what you're thinking. We could cut down on the number of words in the dictionary by taking out indubitably and satisfy those who like that word by allowing pronunciation of the "b" in undoubtedly. Sorry, Charlie. The nuances in meaning are slightly different. Undoubtedly means not doubted. Indubitably means too evident to be doubted.

It's a good thing Curtis doesn't read my blog. We'd all be in for a lengthy etymology lesson including insights on the Latin and Greek roots of the words and what they should mean, what they used to mean and exactly how those words have evolved over time. (Curtis is a Classics major with a Latin concentration.) Not that I don't appreciate those lessons. I proudly smile and listen when he launches into something like this that gives him such joy. I digress...again...this is not why I called.

In any event...that...my friends...was your vocabulary lesson for the day.

Tragic?

2008-08-10T12:40:00.003-04:00

I can see the locations of those who have visited my blog. (I don't see the actual identity of the person...only the geographic location.) Yesterday afternoon there were two hits from a certain Olympic Games Location.

I suppose when a certain communist government finds that I have talked about Badminton with less than the desired enthusiasm, sarcasm even, that my blog will be banned there. That would be tragic.

Badminton...really?

2008-08-10T12:19:00.004-04:00

I probably said this during the last summer Olympics...

Badminton is an Olympic sport?

According to the Kansas City Star, "Badminton is the football of China...it's like tennis with ADD."

We aren't going to see it in prime time on the regular network (NBC). It was relegated to CNBC somewhere around the 1am time slot this morning. I enjoy Badminton. I'm good at Badminton. I never considered it a sport that was worthy of Olympic-level competition, however.

I suppose I can appreciate the enthusiasm many have for this sport. Maybe, though, I'm just jealous, because I never made it as a Badminton player...not knowing that there was actually a future in it. Still...Olympic sport...Badminton...really?

I'd rather be doing something else.

2008-08-07T20:58:00.008-04:00

So, I started a doctoral program on Monday. I have had some angst over it. If I weren't so good at anticipating what's to come and looking at the big picture, I probably wouldn't have panicked over it last night. "What program?" you ask. PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

So, instead of actually working on the writing assignment that's due this evening, thereby possibly eliminating a little of the angst, I am taking pictures of other things that are sources of angst. I know that the folks from my Power of Purpose class are howling right about now. Especially since we spent a good deal of time talking about my angst over these things today. Please understand this is purely for entertainment. I really was paying attention and really did take away some valuable tools.

I will complete my coursework this evening, provided that I am not distracted by my promises of posting pictures of chaos on my blog. So, you see, I'm obligated to take a break and take some pictures and then blog about them.

The chair...dear God...the chair...it just keeps getting worse and after careful examination of its underside, I have determined that it is irreparable. I was going to stop at Staples on my way home this evening to get a new one, but I was so hungry I couldn't think straight. How about this chair? And more of the home office chaos? I have been putting a pillow on the low side of the chair so that I can still sit at the desk in reasonably okay comfort. That's funny, I know. If I sit here too long, it's quite painful.

I suppose I've avoided my academic task long enough. Not that I can't do it. The assignment is to talk about one of the university policies--synthesize and discuss its application. I chose Satisfactory Academic Progress, since the policy is very similar to the one at ITT. I am confident that I explained this policy to no less than 50 students every quarter while I was working there. As such, I feel that I can convey this information rather easily to anyone who will listen. So, what's the hold up? I'd rather be doing something else.

What would it be?

2008-08-07T10:59:00.002-04:00

If you have recently created an online account for anything (like a credit card), then you know that many companies have created additional layers of security beyond just usernames and passwords. Sometimes, one is required to choose some sort of a photo and associate a phrase with that photo. Sometimes, there are several "security questions" to select and answer.

This security question is unique and certainly thought-provoking:

If you needed a new first name, what would it be?

Hmmm...I guess if I were on the lam, I'd need a new first name or if I were avoiding bill collectors, I might need a new first name. (And last name for both of those, by the way.)

I guess this is an opportunity to fantasize about being someone else? Replacing that name you've hated all your life with another one?

When we played "house" in our youth, we always made up names. Mine was always something like "Maxine." I just thought it was sophisticated and different and exciting. Of course, that card hag named Maxine with the cigarette hanging out of her mouth came along later. I would not want my new first name to be Maxine now.

I'm pretty fond of my name, so this is a hard question to answer. So, I ask...if you needed a new first name, what would it be?

The 3rd Thing

2008-08-07T09:39:00.010-04:00

Whew! Maybe we're done.

The 3rd thing: tires for Curtis' car. Don't get excited. No, we did not have body work done on his car. And, no, that is not his car. I hated to put new tires on it, though. That thing with the heat not working is happening again, so the car probably won't be good for another winter--especially if the next Ice Age arrives. Safety first, though. So, until such time as he can buy himself a new car...the Taurus it is.

I know. It seems silly. Washing machine repair. Ruined desk chair. Replacement tires. Hardly equal catastrophes, but "occurrences" of unexpected stuff nonetheless. Karma can rest now, because, in my opinion, the tires were the 3rd thing.

$#it happens in 3's

2008-08-04T21:27:00.007-04:00

My desk chair is leaning. (This pic does look almost exactly like my desk chair.) This is a new development today. As the day has worn on, my chair has leaned more and more and more--perhaps made worse by my leaning to pull something off the printer...thereby distributing more weight in the direction of the lean. I have turned it upside down, shaken it, pushed on the high side...and have been unable to reverse the lean.

My back has been bothering me. Now that I am planning to spend more time at my desk as I take an online class, I certainly cannot use what was once a really comfy leather padded office chair without a lean. It will make my back worse and probably hurt other stuff. This is an ergonomic mess, I tell you.

I guess I'm going to have to call Sears Home Chair Repair or some such thing. Not really, but doesn't that have a catchy ring to it ? I had such great luck with the Sears Home Appliance Repair last week when the washer broke. I'm beginning to get a little nervous, though, now that I digest this situation. The washer was almost 8 years old. The chair is almost 8 years old. What else is almost 8 years old? I have kitchen appliances way older. Ooops...shouldn't have said anything "out loud." Knocking on wood, because we all know that $#it like this happens in 3's.

Strange, but true

2008-08-03T22:21:00.009-04:00

Have you ever really watched and listened to a Mockingbird? They really do mock other birds. One morning while sitting on the deck enjoying the cool of the day (before the scorch set in), a gentle breeze and a luxurious cup of coffee, I watched a Mockingbird doing its thing. It was flying a pattern that included the wires from the telephone pole across the street, the top of the house, the top of the neighbor's house, and the tops of about 3 different trees. I was amazed to see (and hear) that it actually was singing in flight. I didn't realize any bird did that. Of course, since I've only observed the Mockingbird, for all I know this is the only that does sing in flight. Even more fascinating was the repertoire. It sang a few choruses from the Cardinal, the Sparrow and a few other birds I couldn't identify.

Tonight, as the sun was moving behind the trees and allowing my yard to have some shade, I ventured out for some yard work. I have been mowing (little by little) for three days now. Tonight, I picked up the fallen branches in the front yard under the River Birch tree (if you don't know what that is, Shalane, there is one growing outside of your kitchen window), trimmed some branches off the Dogwood tree and whatever that other monster is growing up next to my Japanese Dogwood and mowed some more. Of course, I forgot to spray Off on my exposed legs and arms, so the skeeters got a hold of me. Even after spraying the Off, the skeeters were still biting. Could be that my Off has lost its potency. It's only been sitting in a hot garage for a little over a year. And with the way time gets away from me...it's probably realistically more like two years. I digress...again.

After I put the lawnmower away and took the trash to the curb, I let the dogs out and tried to play fetch with Allie. She gets maniac crazy about me going out in the yard and does a couple of greyhound like laps. She eventually will settle down long enough to sit. I will only throw the ball for her if she sits. Once I throw it, she does a few more laps. She has improved her fetching skills to the point where she will drop the ball about four feet in front of me. She has become a little fatso, so she's only good for about three ball throws and then she's wiped out. In my effort to get her to come back to me and play ball again, I whistle again and again and again. She ignores me.

Sitting on the deck swatting skeeters that were not averse to whatever I sprayed on my legs, I noticed the Mockingbird doing its thing as daylight waned. Unlike Allie, the Mockingbird hadn't been ignoring me, because I swear to God that it was mocking me! Its song sounded just like my whistles for Allie. Strange, but true.

Every July

2008-07-24T22:31:00.001-04:00

Every July, I look at the calendar about this time and wonder, in amazement, how the month could have passed so quickly. Every July.

Oh, Ben Franklin

2008-07-18T19:21:00.005-04:00

While looking at a $100 bill today, it struck me that Ben Franklin looks like quite the smug S.O.B. I then studied other drawings and representations of Ben. Same reaction. Smug Smuggety Smug Smuggerton. Maybe I'd be smug, too, if I accomplished what he did. Maybe I'm being too harsh.

Even if it's a Cupcake

2008-07-02T17:22:00.006-04:00

A new cupcake store (cupcake bakery, if you will) opened here recently.

"What a novel idea for a specialty bakery," you say.

"Perhaps," I say. "But they must deliver on the promise of 'delicious'."

In case you hadn't heard, I love cake. What kind? Cake. Naturally, I had to check out this place. My mission today was food-critic-esque.

What better way to get my cake fix than with just a little cupcake for $2.25? The purpose of just one cupcake is two-fold: 1-portion control and 2-portion control, because if there is a whole cake in the house, I will demolish it...quickly. Many a cake-deprived family member can attest to this.

The allure of this place is talk of its tantalizing butter cream frosting and delicious moist cake. Such delights as double chocolate, mint chocolate butter cream frosting, chocolate butter cream frosting on golden yellow cake, etc. How could one resist?

Bottom line: the cake part really is delicious--very moist and tasty. The frosting part--not so much. I was disappointed. Not very buttery and not very creamy and I could feel the sugar granules on my tongue. Great idea for a specialty shop, however. Wish I'd thought of it...it's actually a sweet little coffee shop where you can have your cake and coffee, too. But they also do big orders (in advance, of course), so would be great for birthday parties and other events.

I know that some of you are thinking, "There is no way she tried just one cupcake." You would be correct. It is vitally important when critiquing something as important as cake that you evaluate the options. And so I did. I thought I would save you the trouble. After all, I know cake. Even it it's a cupcake.

Perhaps I should just get a Roomba.

2008-06-30T21:59:00.007-04:00

I spent a good part of my day doing laundry and cleaning. And by cleaning, I mean the never ending vacuuming of dog hair that is everywhere. And the never ending dusting, wiping and vacuuming of the dust that rides in on the dogs from the back yard. It will never ever ever ever ever end. Ever. Never. Well, unless...(we won't go there, but it doesn't necessarily involve dogs going "to live on farms"...they are, technically, Hannah's dogs.)

Hannah with Allie

When I return to gainful employment and become loaded again, I have decided that I should hire a housekeeper to come in and just vacuum and dust. All the time.

Until such time as I have someone to do my dirty work for me, perhaps I should just get a Roomba? Despite the fact that Consumer Reports says that "robotic vacuums are best for their novelty and low effort between regular vacuuming in uncluttered rooms. But they’re expensive as a group and time-consuming to set up and run. Most also tended to miss edges and corners in our tests. Price $200 to $1,800." Still...the idea of letting something roam around the room vacuuming dog hair is pretty appealing.

I'm silly?

2008-06-27T13:51:00.003-04:00

Check out Groovalicious Fly Team, a band (I think) named Groovalicious, and Urban Dictionary entries defining groovalicious. I'm kinda diggin' this new word. Hadn't heard it before today, but apparently it is quite popular. (Google it and see for yourself.)

And you think I'm silly for creating such terms as "countrylicious"? Well, I think I'm groovalicious for inventing countrylicious.

Free Cat

2008-06-26T18:02:00.002-04:00

This is a "bumper sticker" available on Facebook.

Am I bad person for laughing?

Movies According to Christine

2008-06-21T08:40:00.016-04:00

Yes, I know...I've said it before...I know you can't make your entertainment decisions without knowing what Christine's thoughts are on the movies you want to see. As if I'm a Leonard Maltin or a Roger Ebert. My biggest rule of thumb: Don't pay attention to the critics--especially not that woman who is named after a sandwich garnish.

You can probably skim through this list of the movies I've seen over the last 3-4 months and see somewhat of a pattern. I enjoy some silliness. I enjoy romantic comedies. I also enjoy a good cry sometimes. I like to escape, I need a laugh and I need to feel uplifted in some way when I walk out of that theater.

On the big screen:

The Love Guru--pure Mike Myers silliness. Though the underlying message is actually a serious and important one, Mike Myers never takes himself too seriously. There are parts of this movie during which Shalane and I were laughing so hard, I was in tears and we again asked ourselves, "Are we the only ones laughing?"

Then She Found Me--sweet story about a 39-year old woman whose birth mother finds her and how that relationship evolves (or doesn't at times). It's not as sappy as it sounds. A mom dies in this movie, but it's early on and we hardly have enough time to appreciate the mom or the mother-daughter relationship, so no tears here. That's okay. This is a pretty light movie. The acting is good (Helen Hunt, Colin Firth, Bette Midler and Matthew Broderick). The ending is happy and sweet. I'm a sucker for a happy ending. This was one of my self-indulgent movie-by-myself matinees.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull--Normally I avoid the movie reviews and disregard what others tell me about a movie. I made an exception for this one. I read several reviews prior to seeing this. I needed to know that this was a good investment. There were differing opinions of the movie and they seemed to correlate to the reviewer's generation. Roger Ebert, for example, was pretty okay with it. Other younger reviewers (by my assessment of their young-looking photos) didn't like it so much and called it a disappointment.

My take: This is a continuation of the adventures that began in 1981. It did not open with an action sequence and that was disappointing. It was somewhat predictable and a little over the top with the prairie dogs, monkeys and aliens. Overall, though, I enjoyed it. Good triumphs over evil. Guy gets the girl. Happy family lives happily ever after. At least until the next sequel.

What Happens in Vegas--romantic comedy...happy ending...good message about what is important in life. Hint: it is NOT working all the time.

Sex and the City <-- click here for previously posted comments. In short: great closure.

Smart People--this is one of those dialogue-intensive character studies I am so often drawn to. (Yes, I know I shouldn't end a sentence with a preposition.) This is about finding love and happiness. It's about hope, intimacy, relationships and living happily after ever once you've figured that all out.

Baby Mama--actually pretty good! The trailers are a bit misleading, because this turns out to be a romantic comedy of sorts. It's not all about the Tina Fey and Amy Poehler characters. The main character, it turns out, can get pregnant...has a baby...ends up with the Baby Daddy (Greg Kinnear). The once-a-surrogate character embarks on a path of self-improvement. Everybody lives happily ever after. Appearances by Sigourney Weaver and Steve Martin add a little amusement and more familiar faces.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall--another romantic comedy with a happy ending. Very funny and sweet. Best part is the guy is not sucked back into the relationship with Sarah Marshall after she stomped all over him. He gets happy and gets a great girl.

On DVD:

Grace is Gone--a mom dies. I rented this knowing exactly what I was getting myself into. Young father of two daughters loses his soldier wife in the war and puts off telling them...he instead takes them on a road trip. Not sure what my opinion of this is...I just needed a good cry and it did the trick. Sort of.

August Rush--orphaned kid finds his birth parents. Fairytale-ish, but I don't care. It's a sweet story with a tear-jerker happy ending.

Juno--another movie that got lots of attentions at the Oscars and Sundance. This is another of those movies where I just don't get why people thought it was so fantastic (like Sideways, for example). Teen gets pregnant. Teen chooses to place child for adoption. Miscellaneous not-so-dramatic plot turns that are just enough to keep the viewer's interest. It was okay.

Other recent movie rentals and previously "reviewed-by-me": Atonement and Dan in Real Life. Click on the links in case you missed those posts.

On TV:

This is my list of "You're Still Grieving, So Don't Watch This is if You Don't Want to Cry Real Hard All Over Again." I had forgotten about a few key scenes in the first two and was sort of taken by surprise...especially since I really wasn't watching these from start to finish...I just happened to stop the channel changing at a key moment. The rest I have seen so many times that I know to avoid them.

Hope Floats--a mom dies
Stepmom--a mom dies
Beaches--a mom dies
Terms of Endearment--a mom dies
Steel Magnolias--a mom dies

Sometimes a good cry is great. In fact, sometimes I just feel like there is this huge pot of boiling grief way down in my gut. Eventually, it has to come out (again). And when it does, there will be flailing and wailing and screaming and crying. A little trigger like a "mom dies" movie helps a little, but sometimes I don't expect it and don't want to put myself through it. I sound a little warped, I know...especially since I rented Grace is Gone with just that intention.

End of reviews. Now, you can make informed entertainment decisions based on Movies According to Christine.

I Don't Mind

2008-06-20T18:54:00.005-04:00

I had planned to have lemon garlic tilapia with some vegetables this evening. Curtis and his friend, former YMCA co-worker and potential future roommate, Clyde, decided to go out for food. I don't mind an excuse to have something as simple as a glass of wine* and some pasta covered in olive oil, butter and parmesan. I don't mind at all. Sigh. Mmmmmmm mm good.

*Robert Mondavi Private Selection 2006 Pinot Noir, California. It "unfolds in elegant, silky layers of wild cherries, berries and aromatic spices. Warm oak nuances linger on the finish." Though my choice of food pairing is not consistent with the recommendation, I can tell you my pairing is quite lovely and delicious (wine only $7.99, by the way!).

The Rock by any other name...

2008-06-09T18:09:00.028-04:00

For those of you who don't know: I am in love with The Rock (former professional wrestler, but now a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson--the hot actor).

I have been deeply in love with him for many years. I was secretly thrilled last year when I learned of the demise of his marriage. Now...I can marry him!!!

I love him so much that people want to help me "get" The Rock. My sister, Amy, in her anguish over not being able to accomplish this task (yet), brought me a rock (purple ribbon wrapped) for my birthday last year.

It will forever sit on my deck as a testament to my love.

You may now understand why I was horrified to discover this:

Blasphemy, perhaps? Not even a good homage to the love of my life. Certainly doesn't incite the same sort of thrill of which only The Rock is capable.

And certainly disrespectful of the memory of

The Rock's WWE days when his catch phrase was,

"Do you smelllllll what the Rock is cookin'!?!?"

The Barack tee doesn't even come to close to creating that kind of excitement.

The lesson here:

The Rock by any other name is not The Rock.

Disclaimer: I have tremendous respect for Barack Obama. In general, I don't like to discuss my political opinions and views. This blog post is for fun and was not intended to make any sort of political statement whatsoever...nor is it intended to stimulate political discussion or comment. (Sort of sad given that I am a former Political Science major.)

Just call me "Hey"

2008-06-08T22:06:00.004-04:00

My new name is "Hey."

It used to be "Mommy". It still is according to at least one person who uses "Momma" and "Mommy" interchangeably to address me. I don't think I ever successfully graduated to "Mom", but have been occasionally been called "Mother" by the same person who calls me "Hey".

So...here's my analysis: the man-child to whom I refer is struggling with his role in this household and his role in our relationship. And, of course, we struggle with our mother/man-child relationship. I am under the impression that this is a somewhat normal mother/son dynamic, so I'm not terribly torn up over it. Just a little torn up. The man-child doesn't like it when I provide guidance on such mundane matters as how long he warms his food in the microwave. He has, after all, been warming his food in a microwave without my interference for quite some time. (I was an absentee working mom practically his whole life.) He considers it insulting and feels that I am treating him like he's 8. He has been pretty independent and relatively self-sufficient for quite some time now. He's incredibly intelligent. And there are many things for which he does not need me. Not the least of which is food warming advice.

So...to continue to call me "Mommy" is perhaps a little demoralizing. Maybe makes him feel like a little kid. "Mom" maybe just seems weird to him. "Momma" just doesn't fit well into his ultra-sophisticated vocabulary, either. He is, after all, nearly 20 years old. Other than the woman-child, what other 20-somethings call their female parent "Mommy"? As the man-child becomes more comfortable in his adult skin, he will settle on something other than "Hey". It may take a while, but hey...I'm okay with that.

Really?

2008-06-07T10:07:00.009-04:00

Do women really wear high heels with swimsuits and negligee? Is it really a woman's "favorite" look? Do women really love the stiletto heels half as much as Oprah's guest says they do?

Yesterday on Oprah, I met the people behind the big names: Barbie, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo. I missed most of the Barbie piece, but I'm pretty sure we were introduced to the woman who was the inspiration for the original Barbie doll. Marc Jacobs: blah blah blah...fired from some big design house for his grunge show, the 'mastermind' behind Louis Vuitton, has his own lines, working two jobs, in recovery from drugs/alcohol abuse/addiction, blah blah blah...Oprah was practically slobbering all over him. Tamara Mellon: British genius designer behind Jimmy Choo as in Jimmy Choo shoes. (You can read more about these amazing stories -- said with sarcasm and major Oprah drama -- at Oprah's website. Click on the "people..." link above.)

Yes, I was sucked into another Oprah show totally against my will. The thing that I am stuck on, however, is the shoes.

First: ouch.

Second: As models were parading out on stage wearing various "hot shoes," I couldn't avoid being intrigued by how some were dressed.

Third: Wearing stiletto heels with either negligee or swimsuits, I am left wondering "really???" Particularly because the comment was made that this is a "favorite look" of many women. Now...I concede that the comment may have meant that the shoe itself was the favorite look, but I really don't think so.

Finally: Even at my hot and sexy sveltest a hundred years ago, I would never have been comfortable wearing stiletto heels...any heels for that matter...with a swimsuit. (I tried it once for fun in the privacy of my closed door bedroom. It wasn't for me. It was ridiculous.) And I always figured that it was just too absurd to even think about wearing heels with pajamas, nightgowns, or sexy negligee. How often do we see people dressing like this, anyway? Granted, witnessing a real life heel/swimsuit combo would be the one presenting the public opportunity if it were something that women were doing frequently.

Maybe I'm just living in the wrong town. Maybe this is happening in other hot spots of the country like L.A. and NYC or even the country clubs. Even so...I find it odd that the show opened with Barbie and closed with Jimmy Choo shoes. Barbie's feet are in the permanent pose of a Jimmy Choo shoe. Maybe Barbie is really the genius behind the Jimmy Choo shoe empire--having dictated to women all over the world what a sexy shoe and accompanying "sexy ensemble" should look like...that the only shoe you can and should wear with a swimsuit or negligee is a stiletto heel. (I know...quite a complicated and nearly subversive conspiracy of sorts.)

Don't get me wrong. This is not something I'm looking for. It's not something I want to see. It's something that I find absurd. Unbelievable even. Do women really do it or do designers and the media just want us to think that this is how you dress to attract men? Or do designers really believe people dress like that in real life just because that's how people are dressed on TV?

We may never really know the answers to these timeless questions. And, of course, you may be wondering, "Oprah again, Christine? Really?" Sometimes it's mesmerizing. But I still don't like her and stand by everything I've ever said about her. Really.

Lucy and Christine's Excellent Downtown Adventure

2008-06-06T11:01:00.015-04:00

Saturday was movie night! I'm pretty sure that the last time my younger sister, Lucy, and I went to a movie together it was 1980. We saw The Jazz Singer. (I think...I'm pretty sure about this...and her friend Beth L. was with us. Right, Lucy?)

Generally, Lucy and I don't hang out much and haven't been out in public together since...well...it was about 1984...there was a convertible involved...the top was down...I was throwing up...she was in the back seat. Maybe that's why we stopped hanging out. Can't blame her.

In any event, a new era has dawned and Lucy has remembered that it's fun to hang out with me and do some things with me that she hasn't yet tried in the 21st century. So, we headed to the Regal Riviera theater downtown to get in on the Sex and the City action. The theater itself isn't new to Lucy...It's new to me and Lucy had raved about what a cool place it is. It's closer to where she lives, so when she and her lover take in a movie, this is the spot. The movie satisfied every expectation I had and tied up every loose end that needed tying up. It was probably the most satisfying closure I've ever had. (Watching Sex and the City reruns...even with all its immorality is my dirty little addiction secret.)

After the movie, we strolled down Gay Street and into the Downtown Grill & Brewery where we enjoyed a few beers, some unique shrimp cocktail (sort of a shrimp salsa with chips) and some out of this world burgers. A little text messaging with Andrew was involved--he suggested we try an IPA. We got a sample. It tasted like gasoline to us. We ordered another blonde beer. Andrew called us pussies. It was as if he were there with us. Good times.

Strolling farther down Gay Street, we visited The Mast General Store. The attraction here is that they carry a lot of stuff you don't easily find at other retailers. A lot of it is stuff we haven't seen since our childhood. (Among other things, they carry candy, toys, cookware, Willow Tree figurines, corn meal, clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc...it is, after all, a general store.) Our big purchase was some of our favorite candy...mine being Mallo Cups...that I can never find anywhere. (You know, because the gorging with giant sloppy burgers and beers wasn't enough calorie intake.) The fun of it is that the candy is merchandised in barrels just as you see in the picture. We didn't linger long, because we got there about 10 minutes to close. We'll have to go back on our next big city adventure.

It's pretty exciting to see how alive downtown Knoxville has become. Of course, I later heard on the news that a lot of people went to see the SATC movie at the downtown theater, because it gave them the feeling of being in the big city for the big city movie. Whatever.

The final highlight of the evening was being approached by a young man who asked us to buy his movie tickets. He said, "I'm 19 years old and I can only buy one rated R movie ticket at a time." We smiled and said, "We can't help you." What I really wanted to say was, "Can't you see we're two mid-40s women with joint issues? Do you really think one of us is gonna walk all the way back up to that ticket office for you?" Punk.

Dad: Hedge Project Manager

2008-06-04T19:50:00.007-04:00

Today, Dad and I tackled the beasts that are the out of control hedges in my yard. I am in the process of photographically documenting this monumental task and couldn't resist including a picture of how happy he was about it. Is happy about it. (If it had been up to me, we would still be procrastinating.) We are far from done and probably have another day or two of work. Day of work = 3-4 hours of toiling before the sun hits the side of the house where we are working and before the temp inches towards the 80s and 90s. At this point, then the 20 year olds (Curtis and my nephew, Aaron) took over and did the brush hauling. The forecast is mid-90s for the rest of the week. YIKES. The breeze was fantastic today, however. Blowing across our sweaty skin, it reminded us what nature's air conditioning is and how effective it is.

Mmmmm...Java!

2008-06-04T07:18:00.002-04:00

Just in case you were wondering what a pot of brewed coffee looks like when you press the On button and forget to put the carafe back on the hot plate.

Is our children learning?

2008-06-03T16:59:00.007-04:00

Contrary to what may now seem like popular belief, the term "strategery" was not actually used by President Bush, God love him. Though I can't find the video on YouTube to prove it to you, Will Ferrel used this "term" in a skit where he parodied Bush. Sadly, it wouldn't be shocking if Bush actually had used the term "strategery."

The English language is constantly growing, changing and adapting to our needs. Well...apparently this word is gaining credibility (or maybe just popularity) and before we know it will be in the dictionary. FoxNews was all over the breaking news today about Hillary's comment that she wouldn't rule out running as Obama's VP. The political analysis abounded with Shepard Smith at the helm. At one point, as he segued into a guest political analyst interview, he stated that it might be time for some "strategery" on Obama's part. The guest echoed Shepard's use of the word, not once, but twice. I think Shepard's use of the word was tongue in cheek. The other guy seemed as though he believed this is a really a word.

Is our language so polluted that we can't tell the difference between a real word and a made up word? Am I naïve enough to think that the guest political analyst was serious? Or am I just concerned enough that I believe this is an example of our language being butchered? The trickle down effect of something like this could be very real and could be diluting the education of our children. Who do we have to thank for that? Educators...authority figures...political leaders...news commentators? Am I just full of crap? Am I overly concerned about whether or not our children really is learning and whether or not they is getting a quality education?

Image from Baragona's History of the English Language & General Linguistics Home Page.

(Please click on the God love him link above if you aren't familiar with the "Is our children learning?" reference.)

Weather Forecast

2008-06-02T08:15:00.003-04:00

Today's chance of rain is 15%.

Don't think I've ever seen just a 15% chance of rain.

Catching Up

2008-06-01T10:54:00.005-04:00

I know...I know...it's difficult to make your entertainment decisions without finding out my take on the movies I've seen, the restaurants I've tried and the wine I've been drinking. (There's a big laugh here, folks.)

Be patient for those movie reviews. I've been conservative with my restaurant adventures as I'm pretty stuck on Bonefish Grill, but Barbara and I did go to Peerless for the first time to celebrate our birthdays (you see...the birthday trip wasn't enough). Finally, I haven't been adventurous with the wine, either. Same ole same ole when I've opened a bottle...Oh! I did have a bottle of Pinot Grigio that I'll tell you about--I usually drink reds, so this was different for me.

As you know, May was not without excitement and adventure. The Nashville Excursion is well-documented, of course. The following weekend, I ventured up to Johnson City, picked up my girl (Hannah) and then we went to Emory & Henry College in Emory, VA, to make sure Natalie (Hannah's BFF) graduated. The graduation was lovely and that is an understatement. It was outside on the lawn--the weather was absolutely beautiful (a little chilly at first) with the sun shining and a nice breeze. This was probably the best graduation ceremony I have ever had the pleasure of attending...even better than my brother's Graduation-From-Notre Dame-With-the-President-as-the-Commencement-Speaker. With the exception of the college president mis-pronouncing Danica Patrick's name (as she was pointing out significant historical events that had happened during the students' four years at E&H), this was the perfect graduation...perfect music, perfect weather, perfect speakers (a student and then a guest speaker--some Virginia politician...I don't have this program, either.) who both incorporated perfect stories and perfect humor into their speeches...I could go on, but I think you get that it was sort of...perfect.

Afterwards, Hannah and I headed back to JC to spend the rest of the day together in honor of me since she wouldn't be home on actual Mother's Day (the next day). It doesn't matter how we spend our time...any day with Hannah is a great day. We did have some great burgers with her friend, Robin, visited Robin's home, and hung out at Sears while they fixed Hannah's flat tire. We also checked out some digital cameras at BestBuy where the customer service was terrible and they were out of every camera I was interested in. I got off the interstate on the way home and thought I would see if there was a BestBuy at EastTowne (what old-timers call what is now Knoxville Center Mall). On impulse, I went into Sam's Club and found the perfect digital camera (mentioned in a previous blog as my Happy Mother's Day To Me/Happy Birthday To Me digital camera). Got a great deal on it and now I and my camera are living happily ever after. This was really an exciting day of Independent Momma-ness for me. I was up and out very early and back home probably around 9pm. Never once did I think I would fall asleep at the wheel! (That would be bad, of course.)

The next weekend was Birthday Weekend. Hannah was home. We saw a movie...we ate...we hung out. Her visit was multi-purpose, however, as there was a big graduation celebration for BFF, BFF's best boy, and BFF's brother. I started recognizing the Big 45 with the afore-blogged May 15 dinner with pal Jennifer and enjoyed a few other meals-with-pals-in-honor-of-me in the two weeks following.

May was a good month. I relaxed. I decompressed. I caught up with friends....even setting a record by having lunch with my dear sweet Pierrette not once, but twice! Still, I have other catching up to do. While I chipped away at household neglect tiny bits at a time, there is more work to do. This I know, however: it's not worth it to let a job consume me as much as I let the last one consume me. My goal for the rest of my life: keep my priorities in order and do a better job loving me.

The Heaven That is the Opry

2008-06-01T09:58:00.010-04:00

I never finished "documenting" the big Nashville excursion with the last installment...the Grand Ole Opry! I love country music, so this was a little like what I think Heaven may be for me. I enjoyed every single minute of this. And I want to go back...again and again and again.

This was pretty exciting, to say the least. Prior to the show, we visited the Opry Museum. It was almost like a mini country music hall of fame since a lot of the same things were there...only more Opry-focused. I know...it looks like I got to perform, but this was a little mock-up (I guess...don't think it was every used, anywhere) of an Opry stage. Everybody's gotta have a gimick, so I guess you could call me Bag Lady.

And then...there was the show! The first hour was hosted by Jeannie Sealy. We were treated to performances by Emily West ("Prom Dress Girl"), Phil Vassar ("The Vassar Boy" ...seen to the left here...who incidentally doesn't look like a "Phil," but who is certainly countrylicious), Charlie Daniels, Connie Smith, Whisperin' Bill Anderson and other notable Opry legends & mainstays. (I don't know where the program is or I'd be a little more meticulous here.) In any event, the new talent and a few legends.

An Opry show is not just a concert. It's a radio broadcast, so throughout the show you're hearing (and seeing, of course) the DJ introduce acts, go to commercial break and read ads from the sponsors. There is a lot happening on that stage and we could see a lot of people sort of hanging out in the wings...they weren't made to stay out of sight and seemed to be part of the spectating crowd. Not only was there singing, but there was dancing, too. I don't recall what they called these folks, but they were clogging...square dancin'...whatever...they were having a good time and quite entertaining.

All of the performances were fantastic, but the most exciting was Charlie Daniels (and the Charlie Daniels Band, of course). I have to say that I wasn't too thrilled that he -- as opposed to any of my favorite performers -- was scheduled to appear, but my my my...what an exciting performance it was! Mr. Daniels is 71 years old, but you'd never know it. He is larger than life and full of the most amazing energy and enthusiasm for his craft. If you listened to the radio at all during the '70's, then you, too, probably eventually grew very tired of The Devil Went Down to Georgia. This was the last song they performed and I have a new appreciation for it, for him and for the band. All three of their performances were amazing, but this was one was especially exciting. He is a very physical musician and throws every bit of himself into his performance...swinging his bow around and working that fiddle like nobody's business! His comments before the song humbly included sort of statement saying they have included it in every performance since they first recorded it and he said, "We sure hope you all don't get tired of hearing it, because we never get tired of playing it." Their performance proved that.

Grumble grumble grumble

2008-05-28T09:48:00.004-04:00

Why is it that so many people hear "Christina" when I say my name? [Certainly, this is a rhetorical question as are those that follow below (a question asked merely for effect with no answer expected).]

I will never understand why this happens. This is something that never happened while I was growing up. I, better than anyone, know my own name and I know how to pronounce it. Pretty darn sure I that I don't put the "a" on the end of it. Do people prefer "Christina"? Is this a passive way of protesting my real name? Or is the root of the problem that people just don't hear each other...don't listen...have poor communication skills (of which listening is a key component)...are seriously disengaged from really connecting with others? I put up with a mother-in-law deliberately calling me "Christina" for many many years...in spite of lengthy explanations of how that isn't my name and numerous requests of her to cease. That just wasn't a battle worth fighting with this particular person. BUT!!! This is an ongoing thorn in my side, because it happens frequently and it's hard sometimes to avoid getting upset over what seems to be disrespect of the awesome name that is Christine.

So.........I just wanted to grumble about it a little. Thanks for "listening."

Bangs or No Bangs?

2008-05-17T19:24:00.004-04:00

I noticed that bangs seem to be making a comeback, so I thought I would try them out.

Makes me smile

2008-05-17T09:46:00.019-04:00

Hannah continues to demonstrate her skill of taking pictures of herself with others. She is quite good at it, actually. I can only aspire to such greatness. There are more from this particular photography session, but I am sure that I am much more amused than anyone else. As such, I have resisted the urge to post them all.

I hope this one makes you smile, too.

It's not just me!!!

2008-05-15T22:48:00.005-04:00

Jennifer was telling me a story about dealing with the ticket agent at the airport. The woman kept calling her "sweetie" and "dear." Jennifer finally leaned over to her and asked her to stop doing that, because it is offensive. See??? It's not just me!!!

Jennifer and I were roommates for a few years...a million years ago...when we were students at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She lives in the Denver area now with her awesome four year old daughter and husband. So, you may be wondering, "When did Christine have time to visit Denver?" You're so silly. Jennifer is in town visiting family. We were fortunate enough to be able to have dinner together tonight. As always, we had a great time and I enjoyed her company more than I can say. Good times.

Using my new "Happy Mother's Day To Me/Happy Birthday To Me" digital camera, I took our picture. Not too bad, huh? I would put the "a million years ago" picture up next to this one...I have it handy, in fact...it's on my fridge for entertainment purposes. But, we look like a couple of whores in that picture and I don't particularly want to share that image with the world... you might think less of us. It was the '80s. It was Halloween. We thought we were sexy and cool.

I like the mature and wise women we've become who still have our sense of humor, think alike, hate terms of endearment, like to make fun of people and can finish each others' sentences. Aside from those things, though, this is an enduring friendship for so many other reasons. We have a bond that I can't explain. It could just be, because I'm afraid that if I turn on her she'll tell all my secrets or it could just be that Jennifer is like a sister. She is family. I love it when she comes home and I hate to see her leave.

Oh, Brother?

2008-05-13T21:35:00.003-04:00

Oprah is now fascinated with past life regression. So, hold on to your hats...America will probably follow suit. On the up side, maybe it would be good for the economy in some way for millions of Americans to suddenly start buying books on past life regression and then go to (and pay, of course) therapists who can facilitate the hypnosis process this requires. I watched some of the taped sessions on Oprah today. (Yes, I dislike Oprah, but I was drawn in by this topic...No, this doesn't make me one of her gullible followers.) I felt like Dr. Weiss (a psychiatrist who is an expert on past life regression) was asking leading questions while the patient was in his hypnotic state. Yes...I am ever the skeptic.

Music Appreciation

2008-05-12T11:21:00.009-04:00

Standing across the street and looking at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, I knew there had to be some significance to the design of the building. It wasn't until I was looking at shot glasses in the gift shop, that I saw it. Do you see it? A piano, no? (No, silly...that's not the shot glass.) ...and according to Wikipedia, "more conspicuous images include the diamond-shaped radio mast, which is a miniaturized replica of the WSM tower located a few miles south of Nashville. The round discs surrounding the tower symbolize the different size records and CDs country music has been recorded upon. When viewed from the air, the building is in the shape of a bass clef. The north-west corner of the building juts out like the tail fin of a '57 Chevy." That's pretty darn cool! (Please don't judge me for using Wikipedia. I have often discouraged the use of Wikipedia saying that it's not a good source of quality academic research material...primarily because anybody can add to it and it has had a bad rep for being unmoderated.)

The challenge in describing the experience of touring this facility is in being adequate. I cannot possibly do this museum visit justice.

Most of the music I listen to is country (if you don't count the workout mix on my MP3 player). I enjoy it, because every country music song is a story to which I can often relate and that I can understand (the words, that is). My love for country music could certainly be rooted in the countless Saturdays that we (my siblings and I) were forced to watch Hee Haw on network television...courtesy of my father. I doubt it, though, because I hated it. If we didn't want to spend time doing anything else that was our only choice...we had only one TV in the house and it was controlled by...yep! you guessed it...Dad. What I did not know at the time is that Roy Clark, Buck Owens and many of the cast members were already country music legends in their own right. I had no idea. I thought they were just a bunch o' redneck hillbilly Hee Haw'ers. Well, I was wrong.

One of the major things that the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum does it that it displays/teaches/shows the history of country music (yes, including Hee Haw)...going way back. Country music is rooted in the music of the British Isles and traveled to the New World with them Englishters. The first recordings and radio shows took place in the 1920's. Along the tour, we read and heard more information and trivia about country music artists than we will ever remember, but had a lot of fun listening to the various styles of music and learning about its evolution. LOTS of display cases include stuff that belonged to the artists (like clothes and instruments), pictures, albums, history notes and other memorabilia. And, although I got to see Dwight Yoakam's pants, I did not get to touch them. Darn! There are a couple of mini-theaters in the museum which have films running on a loop. One chronicles how country music has changed into what it currently is today and includes clips from Hee Haw, Dolly Parton's TV show, Glen Campbell's show, country music award shows, etc. The other seemed to be nothing but Hank Williams, Jr. talking about guns and cannons from the Civil War that have been in his family for many years. The topics discussed may have been more varied, but we didn't feel like staying and watching any longer than we did.

Other cool stuff: Elvis' customized Fleetwood limo (24K gold trimmed, paint made of diamond, gold, and pearl dust...I think), Webb Pierce's Silver Dollar Cadillac (trimmed with guns, horses, and decked out on the inside with silver dollars all over the dashboard, riding leather-esque seats & floors, a saddle for the console, and stirrups for the gas & break pedals), a Marty Robbins exhibit (including many of his elaborately embroidered suits with their matching boots), the Williams Family exhibit (as in Hank and Hank, Jr.), and two walls full of gold and platinum record replicas where you can open a the record panel and listen to various recording artists' hit songs. The Williams Family exhibit includes just about anything you'd want to see: family history and pictures, instruments, clothing, furniture, etc. The list goes on. This family really did an amazing job of saving memorabilia relevant to their history, especially as it relates to their place in the history of country music. Unfortunately, this is not a permanent exhibit nor is the Marty Robbins exhibit. They will end at some point to make room for other similar exhibits to honor different artists.

If you are interested in a lot more detail about the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, you should visit the website. It would be silly for me to tell you what is already published about it. What is very difficult, however, is to convey how exciting this is...the history, the memorabilia, and the seemingly trivial information. Yes, it all excites me and I enjoy it enormously. I loved this place and would love to go back to be sure I didn't overlook anything!

A Special Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:31:00.016-04:00

Today, I honor anyone in my life who is a mother...

...single mothers (no need to elaborate...you know your challenges and so do I)
...mothers of only boys (lots of testosterone in the house)
...mothers of only girls (hormones. And proms are expensive)
...mothers of LOTS of kids. (LOTS = 4 or more)
...mothers of cats (even cats named Oscar)
...mothers of dogs (even when one of the dogs is not one you particularly want to keep)
...mothers of Earth (even when an outcome is in conflict with what is desired)
...mothers who have mothered my own children
...mothers of my nieces
...mothers of my nephews
...grandmothers (because you are especially grand)
...mothers of children who have special needs or disabilities
...mothers of my cousins
...mothers who have lost their own mothers
...mothers who have lost a child--through death or even through estrangement

...mothers who gave birth, but who didn't raise that child

...mothers who unconditionally love and support their children even when they silently don't agree with a decision or a path taken
And...
...especially...mothers who have supported me and comforted me since my own mother left this earth.

Because you are a mother, there is no explanation needed for why I honor you. You should know, however, that each of you has something special about you that reminds me of my own mother. She was a strong, wise, intelligent, warm and loving woman. Though a few words can never do her justice, it is because or her that I know you are a good mother and worthy of the special recognition that Mother's Day reminds us is necessary.

I love you all. Happy Mother's Day.

Disclaimer: There is no particular significance to the order in which these are listed; therefore, there is no hidden meaning if your 'category' is not at the top (first on the list doesn't represent importance or ranking).

Art and Architecture

2008-05-08T22:24:00.009-04:00

It was recommended that we take a gander at The Parthenon in Nashville's Centennial Park. So, after the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and before the Grand Ole Opry, we headed over. This is a stunning full scale replica of the original Athenian Parthenon in Athens, Greece. This one serves as Nashville's art museum. We were certainly up for more art, but we arrived after closing time and we missed the recreated 42-foot statue Athena which is housed inside. The Athena statue is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. Though not an artistic statement or a testament to stunning architecture, this Parthenon has chicken wire (or something resembling it) covering the friezes and the tops of the columns, presumably for pigeon protection. If I couldn't get inside to appreciate the works there, then I was at least glad that the Parthenon has a sophisticated Pigeon Poop Protection System. The little tiny person in the picture with the dark top is Barbara. Being deprived of our tour, we cruised through a craft fair on the grounds. There was certainly an impressive variety of local art to be appreciated (and bought) and included all sorts of wooden items (from furniture to sculpture), metal sculpture, stained glass, photography, pottery, jewelry, painting, and more. That was worth the park visit. From there we headed east to check into our hotel and get ready for the Opry.

Art Appreciation

2008-05-06T17:53:00.019-04:00

Longtime pal Barbara and I spent Saturday in Nashville. When I initially pitched the idea of a Nashville trip it was simply to see an art exhibit at the Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville. (We ended up doing lots more...I'll post that stuff later.) I read about the exhibit Monet to Dalí Modern Masters from the Cleveland Museum of Art and suggested a trip. This exhibit includes some works of Cézanne, Dalí, Degas, Gauguin, Matisse, Monet, Picasso, Renoir, Rodin, Seurat and Van Gogh. After only seeing photographs of their work and learning about them in high school Art History, it was quite thrilling to finally see some of their works in person. I was so excited to be able to see some of the work of these artists...in person and up close...the brushstrokes, the textures, the canvas, the cracks in the canvas, the colors, the way that some of the artists so skillfully used light in their paintings.

A photograph will never do any of these paintings justice. Van Gogh's Poplars at St. Remy, for example, is quite vibrant--he used very bold yellows, greens and blues in this painting. And...the paint is slathered on...he layered paint very thickly and it looked like he didn't always use a brush (as occasionally painters don't, of course), but instead frequently used a palette knife. It was disappointing to find reproductions of this painting in the gift shop and see that the poplars were a very pale yellow. Even this photo here doesn't do it justice. It was more bright yellow-orange (heavy on the yellow) than it was this pinky orange that you see here.

It was a bit entertaining for me to read the sign next to each painting. This one, for example, said something about how Van Gogh used bright colors to convey his excitement and enthusiasm for nature or springtime or something like that. A lot of the "insight" for each painting was amusing to me, because I am suspicious of its legitimacy. If I ever paint again (or engage in any type of artistic self-expression), I will also keep a diary so that people can't assume things about what I was thinking or feeling when I composed a particular work. About this one, my mental response was, "How do you know!?!? The man couldn't see!!!" (He suffered from cataracts later in his life.) So, maybe what is "regular" yellow to us needed to be really really really bright yellow for him. In any event, I don't recall the other Van Gogh works at the exhibit (if there were any). I specifically remember this one, because I got a small souvenir of this painting for someone.

After the Frist, we went over to The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Later, we caught the show at the Grand Ole Opry. Stay tuned for those reports.

And now the actresses...

2008-04-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe that Courtney Love is not on the list of Actresses Who Look Like They Smell Bad. In fact, it's a stretch for me to agree with most on the list, though I have thought before that Cameron Diaz might be a little stinky. (And, yes, Courtney Love is an actress...a very good one, in fact.)

Trying to lose weight?

2008-04-05T21:11:00.002-04:00

Among the things I picked up at the store today was a Häagen-Dazs® ice cream bar, a single serving of low-fat chocolate milk and some Cheetos. You know those coupons that automatically print for you based on what you buy? Well, the one I got with this purchase says, "Trying to lose weight? Why not lose more? Save $5.00 on Alli Weight Loss Aid." That was humorous.

If these coupon thingies are so knowledgeable, though, then why didn't they know it rained all day and the only thing I wanted to do was lay on my ass, watch a few movies and have my ham and swiss cheese sandwich with Cheetos and chocolate milk followed by an ice cream bar? Of course, I'm trying to lose weight, but not today.

Movies

2008-04-03T20:49:00.004-04:00

A week ago today, I woke up with a stomach virus and spent much of the day in the bathroom--barfing and you know what-ing. It took me until Tuesday to feel back to normal again. I stayed in bed most of the weekend and boy did I get some movie watching done.

I watched the last 1/2 of A League of Their Own a couple of times...Sleepless in Seattle...some Lifetime movie about a paranoid woman who thought somebody was 'stealing' her life (she was not really paranoid and someone really was stealing her life...really)...Atonement...and Dan in Real Life. Of course, A League of Their Own has become a classic and is always good as is Sleepless in Seattle. The best of the group was Dan in Real Life. I am a sucker for a happy ending and this has the happy ending...widowed Dan with 3 daughters finds him a woman who happens to be dating his philanderer brother. Yadda yadda yadda...blah blah blah...it all works out, they get married and will live happily ever after.

Atonement............big disappointment. Not much atonement going on until the last little bit of the movie...needed more atonement...the time spent on atonement was insignificant compared to rest of the movie. The acting was good, of course, but my opinion is that this got way more acclaim than it deserved. But, then again, I hated the ending...and the ending always colors my opinion of a movie.

Really?

2008-04-02T20:50:00.005-04:00

Sometimes things don't even warrant real questions or comments. Sometimes "really?" is all you want to say. It's almost like saying, "Seriously!?!?"

A pint of ice cream is 4 servings. Really?
Double-dipping spreads bacteria. Really?
Furry boots and short skirts. Again. Really?
Also: leggings and skirts. Again. Really?
Pussycat Dolls: Girlicious. Really?
President Hillary Clinton. Really?
"Caution: Coffee is hot." Really.
To Snoop Dogg: Sexual Eruption? Really? Really!?!?!

P.S. This is one of those times I really wish I could attach little audio files. I would attach one to each "Really," because the full flavor and humor of what I've done here could be lost on some. And really...each "Really" is a little differently expressed. At least I know it won't be lost on Hannah and probably not on Andrew & Kristi. If I have failed to give the rest of my readership due credit, then please accept my apology. Really.

A Happy Birthday

2008-03-30T23:10:00.004-04:00

Mom claimed to have E.S.P., you know. Often, she would "have a feeling" about something even if we were very careful about keeping information from her...especially information that would cause her to worry. Sometimes I deliberately wouldn't tell her that Hannah was en route from Johnson City after dark or in the rain. She "knew" it, anyway.

Because of this extraordinary psychic talent, Mom was really hard to surprise. "Mom" and "surprise" didn't even belong in the same sentence until her birthday last year...exactly one year ago today. At the last minute, the 5 of us conspired to...well...surprise her...with a new TV for her bedroom. She'd been pondering a new one for quite some time, but putting off the decision for some reason. Eventually, everything on the screen had a delightful red tint to it. We couldn't stand it any longer even though she brushed it off. I suppose we had it in our minds that it was adversely affecting her reality television experiences in some way. At the last minute...only days before her birthday...Fred had the brilliant idea of biting the bullet on mom's behalf. He suggested it and the rest is "Mom was actually surprised" history. Everybody was on board...there wasn't time for hints or leaks or a "feeling"...we all (except Andrew & Kristi, of course...and I think maybe Lucy wasn't there) gathered for Mom's birthday and brought in only a simple small gift bag with a remote control inside of it. Once Mom pulled out the remote, I think she was actually more shocked than anything that we pulled one over on her. That, really, was the best part. Of course, she was thrilled with the new TV--without red tint and a slightly bigger screen than the old one. It made us happy to make Mom happy...triumphant to have surprised her. That may have been the only time ever.

She would have been 70 today. Happy Birthday, Mom.

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T08:12:00.006-04:00

Enjoy the celebration and the time you may be fortunate enough to have with family.

My love to all.

A New Dining Adventure

2008-03-16T10:38:00.004-04:00

Ruth's Chris Steak House has come to town. Ruth's Chris fine dining offers steak, seafood and an award-winning wine list. Of course, Barbara and I had to try it...we were due for a steak and any time I'm tempted with steak AND good wine, I'm there.

The website says "prepare to taste the best steak you've ever eaten." It goes on to say "we're...serious about making sure you have a good time. So you won't find the stodgy, uptight attitude you might find at other steak houses."

The restaurant is on the river downtown near the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame where Riverside Tavern used to be...up the Boulevard from Calhoun's on the River...around the corner from the Coliseum. It's a very nice restaurant--comfy chairs, good view, lots of light and relaxing atmosphere.

I cannot say that it's the best steak I've ever had. Seriously...I've had better. I was not impressed by the fact that they use a special customized-for-Ruth's Chris 1800 degree oven, nor was I wowed by the steak being put on a 500 degree plate that comes sizzling to the table so that grease can splatter all over you unless you're warned by the wait staff what's about to happen. I was even somewhat unimpressed by our wait staff (a team of two) who, to me, seemed a bit out of their element (perhaps trying too hard?), but who seemed to forget about us from time to time.

I know Ruth's Chris says "Stay a while.", but there didn't seem to be a good balance of attentive service. Don't get me wrong. I don't want to be constantly bothered, but I would like to be asked if I want dessert while I'm still in the mood...and to be offered coffee instead of having to say, "Excuse me!" while the server runs away to put our dessert order in.

I'm willing to give it another try sometime, but in comparing similar restaurants I'd have to say Fleming's is my preference.

Barbara quickly straightened me out after my negative "I've had better" and reminded me that we stepped outside of our box, tried something new and enjoyed the evening talking and catching up. That's really what dining with good friends is all about...staying in touch and enjoying the company.

By the way...even after paying upscale prices for my meal (everything is a la carte) and buying a nice glass of wine, I was still charged over $2 for a cup of coffee. They didn't get my memo about coffee, did they?

P.S. I had dinner with friends Friday night, too. I'm pretty sure the food was fantastic as was the company, including Jack. I swear somebody slipped me a mickey...I didn't drink any more than usual. Sherry and Shalane made sure I got home safely without getting behind the wheel of my car. It's been a fun weekend!

How much further (farther?) can we sink into the depths of ineptness?

2008-03-15T13:09:00.002-04:00

Is it really so difficult to wrap a hamburger that on the inside of the wrapper it's necessary to print a circle to show the hamburger wrapper-person where to actually place the hamburger so as to have proper burger placement followed by proper burger wrapping?

Is this necessary, because our young workforce struggles that much with such simple tasks?

Is this necessary, because our fast food joints are wasting so many valuable seconds wrapping and rewrapping burgers when the printed burger placement circle is absent?

Is this necessary, because there are really people out there who would wrap a burger any other way? (maybe placing the burger at the edge of the wrapper and then rolling it up like a fajita?)

Hmmm...totally by accidental stream of consciousness rambling, I think I've figured it out.

Actors Who Look Like They Smell Bad

2008-03-11T22:48:00.002-04:00

I guarantee that at least two of the people who immediately come to your mind are on this list...Quick--just for fun, make your mental list and then check it out here. The first person I thought of is at the top. The next person I thought of is on the list, too; however, one person is listed who I think would just smell like good ole sweaty goodness...you can't go wrong with Matthew McConaughey...mm.mmm.good.

What happened to February?

2008-03-06T21:50:00.002-05:00

Surely a month didn't go by without a word from me...

I think of all kinds of interesting tidbits to write about as I drive to and fro...ya think I can remember them when I sit down in front of the computer? Heck no!

Via e-mail, my longtime pal, Jennifer, and I swap all sorts of amusing stuff. Jennifer and I are bonded by the special need to make fun of stuff (and, yes, people...I'm not even really ashamed to admit that). Jennifer knows all my secrets. We were roommates during the time when I was at my worst as a wild child...she knows things I never want anyone to know and I know that she will take them to her grave. Jennifer currently lives in the Denver area and we're on about a once a year visitation...One day she'll come home and we'll live happily ever after. In the meantime, I look forward to our frequent e-mail exchanges and the laughs they inevitably bring.

Okay...so you know a little about Jennifer. Two recent amusing items from Jennifer are sure to amuse you, as well:

How stupid do they think we are?
I just started to fix a frozen pizza Thank God I read the instructions. Did you know I should not eat it unless I cook. "DO NOT EAT UNCOOKED PIZZA" & I was going to eat a frozen uncooked pizza.

E-mail on Wednesday
Knoxnews.com today "Fallen Tree Kills Woman" what happened did she trip over it? If it had already fallen how did it hit her trailer?

One of my notes to Jennifer:

Double Dipping:
It spreads bacteria…no shit. One of these days I want to get lots of grant money to study stuff that’s really obvious from a common sense conclusion standpoint. Wanna help?

Getting on with it

2008-01-20T11:56:00.000-05:00

It's hard to describe our anguish over losing mom, though anguish is a pretty good word. I'm not sure about the word despair. Pain, distress, deep sorrow. Those are good ones. Still...they are just words on a page. I think the most immediate thought I had when I knew mom was dying that night was an overwhelming sense of "Oh, God...what could we/should we have done to keep this from happening?" And, then, the thought of "We have let her down...we could have done something." She was determined to finish chemo and get on with her life. Or was she? Maybe she was tired of it and knew she had a life of anxiety ahead of her...always wondering if cancer was lurking somewhere in her body...and knew she didn't want that nor did she want more chemo after this crap. Some of us think she just knew deep down that she wouldn't make it through...that last hug was telltale for example. I digress... So, after the "We have let her down" thought came the cold reality that death is irreversible...we were faced head on with mortality. The mortality of the woman who gave us life and very often kept us going to be full participants in our lives. The anguish...the sorrow...the distress...the helplessness...the lack of control...the tears...the loss of someone so important, special, loved, significant, strong...she was our anchor. Now, it seemed, we were floating in this sea of...yes...despair...at least for a while.

During the weeks to follow, the sorrow was replaced by a certain joy in knowing that mom was released from this worldly existence and has gone on to her ultimate destination. My memories are certainly comforting. This is not to say there aren't still bad days or bad weeks. There are. I have missed mom terribly over the last several days. But I have to live in this life and take care of my own children and responsibilities and I can often hear her saying, "Shit or get off the dime." Or "Get on with it already!"

One blessing, for me, that has come out of losing mom is a better perspective...about everything, really. Though she allowed us all to use her as a sounding board and she never judged us for what we were feeling, we always knew that she allowed that, because she wanted us to let go, move on, and concentrate on what's important in our lives. Her greatest gift in death is helping me realize that holding on to anger and bitterness and regret has no purpose--I can't change what was...the past is what it is. With that, there are things I have been able to let go of. I don't want to live a life of regret or remorse...wondering how I could have or why I didn't do things differently, regretting decisions I've made and things I've done or haven't done. I cannot change any of those things. I can only live in the present knowing that I can make today the best day possible...my relationships the best relationships possible...the best decisions for today, etc., etc.

I can't change that mom is gone, but I can certainly apply what she taught me during her lifetime. Her strength lives on in all of us...some of us are way stronger than we ever thought we were. Even in death, she is our anchor. Our lives have changed. In that change and with mom's strength, we honor her as we "get on with it already."

What's in a year?

2007-12-31T08:16:00.001-05:00

What exactly are we doing when we "celebrate" on New Year's Eve? Are we celebrating the end of a year? Are we celebrating the arrival of a new one? a fresh start? the hope that the coming year will bring bigger and better things than the last? the accomplishments of the closing year?

In my case, I think I simply hope that the new year will be less crazy than the one to which we bid farewell: worry, fear, cancerX2 (mom and dad), caregiving, chaos, chemo, crises, hospitals, surgeries, death, tragedy, stress, anxiety, new challenges, old challenges...it was a rollercoaster.

For the past few years, I wrote an 'end of the year' letter thinking that I would send it out to those of you who are near and dear to me along with Happy New Year wishes. Mom would proofread it for me and give me some feedback. And then I didn't do anything with it. I came across last year's...it was nice to reflect on 2006 and see how I had summarized the year. Right now I don't have it in me to summarize 2007. It was ridiculous.

A Happy Memory

2007-11-18T08:25:00.000-05:00

On Easter Sunday this year, our family was together. We filled an entire room at the house. Mom & Dad looked at each other at the moment of this photo and said, "Look what we did." They were (and Dad is) both so proud of their family. Every time I hear the Brooks & Dunn song Proud of the House We Built, I think of this moment.

Some days are better than others since mom's been gone. I'm sure there are a lot of these ahead, especially with the upcoming holidays. Happy memories help.

She loved us

2007-11-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

Hannah and I went to mass this morning. Hannah figured we'd better start going again since mom "knows all" now. As soon as we sat down, the prelude hymn began. It was the same one we selected to be sung during the preparation of the gifts at mom's funeral mass. We began crying immediately, but Hannah was quick to look up the rest of the hymns so we'd know if we were in for any more emotional breakdowns during mass. We weren't. Whew...But! Surely, this is not a coincidence and mom was letting us know that she has loved us with an everlasting love. This hymn is a reminder of God's love and, certainly, a reminder of the reflection of that love through mom.

She loved us all unconditionally and unceasingly.

I Have Loved You
Refrain
I have loved you with an everlasting love,
I have called you and you are mine;
I have loved you with an everlasting love,
I have called you and you are mine.

Seek the face of the Lord and long for Him:
He will bring you His light and His peace.
[Refrain]
Seek the face of the Lord and long for Him:
He will bring you His joy and His hope.
[Refrain]
Seek the face of the Lord and long for Him:
He will bring you His care and His love.
[Refrain]

Based on Jeremiah 31:3 and Psalm 24:3
Michael Joncas © 1979, New Dawn Music

The world is being overrun by stinky plastic bags!!!

2007-10-10T23:18:00.000-04:00

My latest order from QVC just arrived. It was packaged in plastic that stunk just like those blasted Target bags!!! What the heck is going on with our plastic bags?

Yes. I admit it. I am a QVC shopper. Generally, it's the occasional pair of Diamonique earrings, but this time I got the Turbie Twist hair towels. Mom ordered them...planning to wear them to conceal her baldness. I thought they were a cool thing so I got some for myself. Now, I think we should all put one on and take a picture. Stay tuned for that, my friends.

Hannah and Christine visit the Mixons

2007-09-29T21:33:00.000-04:00

Baine opened his eyes and looked at me as if to say, "Who the @%&$ are you?!?!" We visited Abby, Sabata, and Baine today in their lovely new home...which, by the way, is quite lovely...an older homey home--many updates with lots of great character.(Abby is my niece...Sabata is her husband, and Baine is their brand new baby--just 10 days old.)

2007-09-17T06:31:00.000-04:00

Even without checking out this photo, you can read the caption and tell me what's wrong with the sentence: Pedestrians wear raincoats and hold an umbrella as they ride their bikes across a main intersection on a rainy day in Chengdu September 11, 2007. (David Gray/Reuters)

Pretty sure you cannot be a pedestrian and a bicyclist at the same time.

Just Because

2007-09-14T22:39:00.000-04:00

Just because we need to smile...
Just because we need to laugh...
Just because we need to be reminded why God gave us babies...

I was reading through old blog entries and found this again.

"Irresistably Winning" ??????

2007-09-03T09:40:00.001-04:00

What do you suppose that means??? I saw it as a movie review comment.