Ramblings

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!

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?

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

$#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

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!

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

Sasquatch Scam

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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?

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?

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.

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?

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

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

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

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.