Got your pumpkin carved??

If you are running behind and feel the need to carve one - here you go!! (Just FYI - it's a tad adictive...)

And found over at Tammi's place...

You Are A Vampire

You have a real thirst for bliss, and you consider yourself a true hedonist. And you're not afraid to walk alone in life, if it means getting what you truly crave. You truly enjoy entrancing people. Not to mention the ensuing pleasures of the flesh. Your tastes have been called decadent and bizarre. You usually give in to your temptations, no matter how primal Your greatest power: Your flawless ability to seduce and charm Your greatest weakness: Human flesh You play well with: Werewolves

What Kind of Monster Are You?

Sounds about right. Happy Halloween, y'all. : )

It's not like I don't have stuff to do...

But this is pretty dang fun.

And with the girls at school (and WxMan at work) I don't have to share.

Gotta love that. : )

Well, that doesn't happen very often...

I ran the girls to school this morning, and returned home famished. WxMan was up and about and hungry too, so I proceeded to try to come up with a yummy idea for breakfast.

We agreed on a little something something and I got to cooking. I discovered about half way through that I was missing a key ingredient and some spices - no worries, I thought... I could just wing it.

WRONG. Wrongetty, wrong, wrong, wrong...

It was in-frickin-edible. I threw it out. Good lord.

I don't remember the last time I F.U.B.A.R.ed something so bad in the kitchen that I had to throw it away!!

I hope that I haven't lost my touch... And damn it, I'm still hungry.

Went to my final...

....PARTY.

All is well.

I didn't kill anyone... Or go all Ninja on their ass...

I.was.nice. I bought a basket. I am nice....

As nice as pie - I can DO that. But...

Yes, doing THAT for any length of time makes my eyes bleed. But it CAN. BE. DONE.

And I am that...

DONE.

No more "parties."

I think that is a good thing... : )

One more day....

...of Fall "break." The " " indicate the fact that I think it is ridiculous that the girls are out of school for a week every year right before Halloween. It makes no sense to me! Why not the week of Thanksgiving?? More time at Christmas?? After Easter??

But whatever.... They didn't ask me.

It's been a glorious weekend. Fun, laughter, great food, good friends, all the stuff... Company is headed out today - I am cleaning up.

How was your weekend?

Company's coming!

'Nuff said. I have plenty to keep me busy today...

Thanks to the help of Ms. Christina, I am planning a spring roll/ homemade won-ton feast tonight. Whoohoo!

Tomorrow?? Surf and turf - thanks in part to my good friend Oddybobo. (Your housewarming gifts ROCK my friend!).

Sunday after a super fun Pumpkin Festival - Chicken Tortilla Soup. Mmmmmmm....

Otherwise it will be movies, shooting pool in the man room, and great conversation. A weekend with friends - what could be better!

Happy Friday, y'all...

So right - it's Thursday!

Whoohoo! And par usual I have probably over scheduled myself a bit, but what's new about that. Right?

First thing this morning I have a date with my doctor to get a little something something removed that has been causing me a bit of concern. The good news is that he can do it in an office visit so WxMan doesn't have to worry about how he is going to entertain himself while I am under the knife. The bad news tough part ( it's not bad news yet...) will be waiting for the pathology report.

I hate that... Even when I am confident that I will get a good report. Either way, it is what it is... And there's no *not* knowing. So there's that.

Later, the girls have a hair appointment - can't wait to see how that all comes out this time. Heh.

Then we have a bit of shopping to do - company arrives tomorrow from St. Louis and Halloween is right around the corner! Yay!

Not so "yay" was the call I got for the Principal of the girls school. **sniff** They have decided to go with another candidate for the job I applied for. Ah well... It wasn't meant to be. No laminating for me and no gooey cake for them - I think I got the better deal on that one...

And then there is potential for another trip to the Humane Society. I know... I know... We'll see. This is WxMan's deal.

So here's hoping that the weather is good and all is well in your neck of the woods! I am going to go cowboy up for my day... : )

Update 10:37 40 minutes and 5 stitches later - it all looks good. And I made my grocery run before the lidocaine wore off! I's smart... ; )

You know....

...if WxMan really just wants the Man Room to himself, all he needs to do is say so.

Turning the channel to Porky's 2 - The Next Day and bouncing between that and Sports Center is a big enough hint.

Or maybe it's just a Y chromosome thing... Who knows...

Play Ball!

This gives all new meaning to the phrase. Check it out....



According to the email:

This incredible machine was built as a collaborative effort between The Robert M. Trammell Music Conservatory and the Sharon Wick School of Engineering at the University of Iowa.

Amazingly, 97% of the machines' components came from John Deere Industries and Irrigation Equipment of Bancroft, Iowa. Right first time - Farm Equipment!

It took the team a combined 13,029 hours of set-up, alignment, calibration, and tuning before filming this video but as you can see it was well worth the effort.

It is now on display in the Matthew Gerhard Alumni Hall at the University and is already slated to be donated to the Smithsonian.

And for no good reason I want one - I have no idea where I would put it though. Huh... Somehow I don't think I could convince WxMan to give up the Man Room. Do you?

Hat tip to my Dad. Way cool, Dude...

Update: CalTech Girl graciously pointed out in the comments that this thing doesn't really exist. Boo... Somehow I should have known it was too good to be true.

Fall Color?

(A post fueled by sarcasm, hormones, and snark...)

The other day, Teresa blogged about the sad lack of fall foliage they were experiencing due apparently to the horrors of climate change.

"Climate Change Blamed for Fading Foliage"

And she included her own pictorial evidence to further illustrate the severity of the "problem" in her area. Tsk, tsk, tsk...

Yesterday, WxMan and I took a little drive, and found more of the same damning evidence...

Though I must admit - I was very attracted to these pretty leaves all along the sides of the road.
Sumac, I am told. Heh. No wonder I was attracted to them...

Oh look! A Wisconsin traffic jam...


Followed by a winding road...

Too bad about the lack of fall color, eh? It could have been so much prettier.



Today on our way to have a yummy, yummy lunch - there was more colorless evidence...
Note the crappy shade of blue the sky is in the picture below...

(All snark aside - the sky really *is* that blue here in the fall. So, so beautiful. So blue it almost hurts to look at it. Gorgeous...)

And in *my* yard - further proof of the lack of fall color...

Not.

It's gonna be a bright... briiiiight.. sunshiny day!

And I have a TON of stuff to do. I even have a Honey Do list for WxMan - all I have to accomplish first is getting his lazy no... tired nuh uh... super uber comfortable behind out of bed.

Oh, and I should feed him too...

Here is my list (in no particular order). Let's see how I do, shall we??

• Finish up the paying of the bills
• Take Molly to the vet for a booster shot
• Remember to take the tray of goodies and thank you note to the vet
• Dishes (there are always dishes)
• Slick up the laundry room
• Vacuum upstairs and down
• Clean up, paint and re-grout the Mosaic tiled tables (that I made) so they can take their rightful place in the Man Room
• Clean out the window wells and get 'em covered

So there you go. I hope to get lunch in there somewhere too. If I get enough done we can go play tomorrow! We all have the day off together, for no good reason. Why not go have a good time!

Oh! And I still haven't heard anything from my interview - maybe they just didn't like me! Oh well... It's not like I don't have anything else to do, right??

Still blah - with a side of blah sauce...

...and I have yet another "party" to go to tonight.

**sigh**

The good/bad news? It's a Longaberger Basket Party. And I will admit, I looooves me some baskets. Love.them.

But I truly love them on clearance - say at ShopKo or Target or Ikea. I have many many baskets - and I use them all the time...

But Longaberger baskets?? Thems some expensive assed baskets. Well made? Oh yes... Beautiful?? You betcha... Collectible??? Yup...

But expensive.

Damn expensive.

Maybe I should leave my checkbook at home this time...

Update: Heh - Got a call from the governeighbor this time. The party is "postponed"... Gotta love it. : )

The Monday Blahs...

You know the drill. Play catch up after the weekend, pay some bills, start a load of clothes, remember that the kids are out of school come Wednesday for 6 days....

Say what?? How did that sneak up on me!! Holy cow!

Now I really need to get stuff done today. Grrrr.... But it is what it is. I would imagine that carving pumpkins will be in order sooner than later. That's always fun...

Also fun were the movies we watched over the weekend. We saw Transformers and it was absolute eye-candy. Funny in parts, too - and the battle scenes were pretty cool... But eye-candy is still the best description.

My favorite movie this weekend by far was Surf's Up. Holy cow, I laughed and laughed at this flick. It was MUCH better than I had envisioned. My favorite character? Chicken Joe. Hands down.

Especially his interactions with the "pen-gooins" as he puts it. Heheheheheheee!!

So, that's it for me. Are there any other movies I have missed out on that I should see?? After all, I now know how to work WxMan's TV, and I am going to be inundated with kids this week - I could use an arsenal of sorts...

Hey Y'all...

My good friend Roses has had quite a family scare.

A tornado ripped through her family's property and her hometown the other day. And while no one (in her family) was hurt - she could definitely use some kind words...

Your family has my prayers, Roses. As do you. Tornadoes are freeking scary, my friend. Peace be with you all...

Confession time...

Oh nothing major, people. But still...

So, how do YOU choose your dish soap? Hmmmm??? Because you like a particular brand? It's on sale? By scent?? 'Cuz you have a coupon?? How???

Me? I choose my dish soap by color.

Yup, that's right. I want my dish soap to be a pretty color. That's really all I am looking at.

Price? Meh - they're all about the same. Performance? Dude - it's soap. All works about the same. Scent?? Mountain citrus breeze mango linen cotton blossom yadda yadda yadda... Same, same, same. It's soap.

I just want a pretty color.

When we moved into the new house, I had asked WxMan to pick up some dish soap on one of his many "holy crap we just moved" runs to Wally World. What I neglected to mention, however, was what what color I wanted... Oops.

And he came home with a large bottle of Orange dish soap. Crap. Orange. Not my favorite...

But I finally got it dang near used up and the other day I spent some time perusing the colors in the dish soap isle. Pretty jeweled reds, lemony friendly yellows, fresh and verdant greens, even a few purples... But me? I went with a lovely cerulean blue. Or so I thought...


I feel so gypped.

Prepared...

After a fun trip to Tarzshay yesterday, I think I'm ready...


Even picked up a new hat for myself, heh...

Of Course *I* am dressing up too! Aren't you?

What the...

It's Wednesday already?? Good grief!

I guess time flies when you are running with your hair on fire having fun, right?? Right. So let's see, what been going on?

Well, everything! And at the same time nothing! It's a strange dichotomy at best. In the "good news" department - I have a job interview tomorrow. No great shakes, but I think it will be a good fit for me.

I have long said that all I needed to be happy working was a gig that ran from 10-2 with all of the girl's Holidays, Snow Days, and Vacations off. Ha! Like that would ever happen!! Until it did...

That exact sort of position just opened up at their school. So I figured what the hell, dusted off the old resume and got a call last night from the Principal. Heh. I have been called in to the Principals' office for the first time in my life. That's kind of funny now that I am dang near 40...

Otherwise, life moves on - for no good reason at breakneck speed this month. Somebody slip Father Time a Valium, would ya? We need to slow down a bit...

I am not above asking for help....

And with the girls merging onto the Hormone Superhighway (meaning that the rules and their behavior is changing... Uh... DAILY) there are a few simple lessons that either, I am teaching badly OR in a language they can no longer understand.

Either way.

Simple things like - How to hang up a towel after use so you can use it again. (Novel thought, that...)

And...

How to (please!!!) keep the water IN the shower rather than all over the floor, walls, etc....

Oh, and... Use shampoo. Every.time.

Can you help a girl Mom out?? Gah...

Update: The blogosphere is a strange and interesting place. I have learned that it could be much worse... Good luck, Contagion! Good grief...

Balloons are evil!!

I never suspected - they can look deceptively friendly. ( And yes - I am slacking off today - thought you might like to come along...)

Who knew?? Good lord...

Oh wait - my mother *hates* balloons. Maybe this is why?? I should ask.

Update: They say the video is no longer available. I'll see if I can find another, dang it! Meanwhile, here is a link.

Update 2: Oh nevermind - it's not working, and not working shouldn't be so damn hard.... Here is Office Space in 30 seconds re-enacted by bunnies. That'll do...

Puttering...

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon.

It's rainy and dreary outside - and warm and cozy inside. A perfect time to get things ready for the up-coming week. And there's plenty coming up - nothing new there.

Took the girls to finalize their Halloweenage this afternoon. Sporta is planning to be some sort of bloody, scary Jason knockoff thingy (who would have thought *those* movies had longevity?!?!). And Computa is going with a more "traditional" vampiress costume. Well, if She-Vampires auditioned for American Idol, maybe. It's interesting... Now with hair color!

I for one am waiting to get candy and whatnot until the 29th or 30th - I have learned the hard way in the past. Though I did pick up some eyeball gum today. Heh - eyeball gum in WxMan's favorite. I'd better hide it...

And I have an interesting idea for a Ghoulish confection to create, we'll see. Halloween is pretty dang fun. Provided it doesn't snow, of course. And even then we'll still have candy...

So now it's just time to finish up the laundry, make my list for the week and update my brain my big family events calendar. Maybe I will bake some pumpkin bread too. That sounds good.... Though really, curling up with a good book sounds good too - though it won't smell as nice.

Mmmmmm..... Pumpkin Bread....

It's Saturday...

The first Saturday in an absolute AGE where we have nothing scheduled - no where that we have to be. All.day.long.

Blissful, that.

So, I have a pan of cinnamon rolls in the oven, jammie pants on, and I have finally begun to re-read Harry Potter 7.

It's going to be a great day. Now I just have to decide on something yummy to have for dinner - any suggestions?

Happy Friday!

And though I have been busy as all get out, I have to point out that CalTechGirl has knocked one out of the park today. Head on over and read her open letter to the AlGoricle. Heh.

Of course, that accomplishment would be so much more meaningful if the award hadn't become synonymous with the "Annual Best Politically Correct Jerkwad" award, which the Nobel Committee seems to have merged their award with. I suppose, however, that sharing this honor with the last American to win the prize, former President Jimmy Carter, gives you a real sense of just what this honor means, and how your legacy will cherished in your decline.

"Annual Best Politically Correct Jerkwad." So so very true...

And Teresa has something to say as well. Cracks me up!

This is going to get interesting. Draft Gore? Go for it... I would love to see a Thompson / Gore debate any topic of substance.

Crazy is as Crazy does...

And good gray grief - the crazy people were out and about en masse today and they ALL wanted to talk to me.

Gah...

My poker face got a workout you would not believe as I just kept working to get the frick away from them. At the grocery store. At the furniture place (and that's a story too...), at the Wal-Mart.

Good God, the Wal-Mart... Holy Crap. Mecca for crazy.

And what is it about me that makes perfect strangers want to tell me intimate and often completely inappropriate details of their lives?? I mean, I used to deal with that a lot back in the old bar tending days - but that's part of the job! And people are drinking fer cryin' out loud!!

But in the bird seed isle at Farm and Fleet?? Gimmee a break!

I think I am going to stay home for a while. Maybe have some cards printed up. Something along the lines of:

Really - I don't care. Buh-bye now.

That could help.

Fall...

...has landed right in the middle of us with both feet. Over the weekend we were still seeing temps in the mid to upper 80's with lots of sunshine and humidity. Gah... This week, however, is completely different.

I don't think I am going to get any argument from Computa and Sporta about wearing a jacket this morning. And between you and me? That's saying something...

High today of 53 - tomorrow 56. Man, I love this time of year....

There's no such thing...

...as too much love.

In the past week, there has been such a palpable hole in our hearts and in our home. WxMan wanted to start looking for new (to us) canine family members right away, and though my heart wasn't in that place yet, I know waaaaay better than to send him off to animal shelters by himself.

Gah.

Lord only knows what he would have come home with. Seriously.

And then I started looking on my own...

I have always been partial to Corgi's, and you would be amazed at the number of dogs out there looking for a home! All I did was google corgi rescue wisconsin and BAM - I saw this little face.

Meet Ms. Molly.

She is a five year old corgi/spaniel mix and was rescued from a high kill shelter in Indiana. We drove to Chicago yesterday to "meet" her at her foster home and she immediately... Well... Just look at her! How can you not love a sweet little face like that. Huh?





Computa and Sporta are in love with her. And I think she likes them okay too... (Understatement of the century.)

And me?? I think Buddy would be pleased. After all, he knew what being adopted into our family was all about. He lived it.

P.S. - I should probably mention that our other dog Taylor likes her too. She is 14 and still gets to be the boss - what's not to love?

Must.stop.procrastinating...

But it's a nice day out, and I just want to play! Or hang shelves! Or fill bird feeders! Anything!

But the @#$!#$! church newsletter* needs to be finished once again... Late - but hey. It hasn't been the easiest of weeks. Of course part of me just wants to shout -

"Hey y'all, if you attended services regularly you'd KNOW what was going on and you wouldn't need a newsletter!"

But that's not my job - so, whatever.

Last night I got to take some time to play. The illustrious Tammi graced us with not only her presence, but also with a pan of her famed Mexican Manicotti! All I can say is YUM!! And thanks so much for the dinner and conversation. The patio feels broken in now...

So back to the grindstone for me. I hope the rest of you are having more fun than I am...

*Just for the record, I don't hate doing the newsletter. Okay, well sometimes I do. I am just happy to have a place to vent about it occasionally. Some months it is a real pain in the a$$ to put together... Like this one.

Uh oh....

A well intentioned friend sent me this today...

Anyone interested in a black lab puppy?!? Contact Beth XXXX at
[insert email address here] A friend of ours rescued 6 black lab (mix) puppies out of the middle of the road on Saturday. PLEASE help find them homes - otherwise, it's Animal Control - which means they only have 5 days. We've bathed them, sprayed them for fleas and wormed them....but we can't keep them. They are currently in a kennel in my basement since I don't have a fence. I've lost count of the number of rescue groups that I've contacted, only to be turned down due to no room. Please check with every dog person you know to see if they need a puppy.

I may be in trouble...

Update: Snopes is my friend (scroll down) - I should use it more often. This *was* a legitimate email a few months ago - but not today. Heh. The good news is that all of the puppies have good homes. Just not necessarily *my* home.

It's funny, isn't it??

How life goes on, even when you're sad.

How you still answer "Fine." when strangers ask "How are you today?"

How around every corner perspective waits to teach you a little something. Everybody has a story. Tragedy and grief are universal - as are love and joy. It's what makes us human. Resilience is what keeps us sane.

The new neighbors behind us just got a new puppy. Cute little bugger. But their joy has been tempered because the day they moved into their new home, the lady of the house had a stroke. She is 27 years old and though they hope for a complete recovery, today she is walking around missing a significant part of her skull while reveling in the adoration of a new pup.

Perspective.

Other friends have been going through and dealing with situations far more dire than my own. Some things so sad, I can barely imagine what their pain is like. And yet they too have reached out to console me in my grief.

And that humbles me.

Today I am going to count my blessings and be thankful. Life is pretty dang good - even when we can't quite see our way clear of the "downs" that invariably follow the "ups."

And when the next stranger asks me, "How are you today?" I will answer, "Fine." And mean it.

I am not at all surprised...

Via Tammi. Heh. All I can say is thank goodness I didn't score as "Pretty Princess" - I might have to shoot someone.

Wait - I think that's the point...

You scored as Mafia Boss, Welcome to the seedy underworld of organized crime. You're brutal, loyal, and need to be a wiseguy instead of whatever you're doing now!! Mafia Boss 80% Drug Lord 70% Ninja Assassin 60% Cowboy Outlaw 60% Pirate Captain 53% Break-dancing Machine 35% An Old Prospector 25% Pretty Princess 18% What should you be doing for a living?! created with QuizFarm.com

Yeah, I could get into that.... The Godfather is one of my all time favorites. And the Law of Omerta has always held some appeal. Justice will find it's way to you if you mess with The Family. Just sayin'...

Distraction...

I think I need some...

Sorry for being so morose, y'all. It's just been a tough couple of weeks. Peaking for the past 36 hours or so.

I'll cowboy up here soon...

Wrung out...

I am tired, and sad.

And I have a lot that needs to be attended to. Just like always.

It sucks feeling this way. And I hate that he's not here to greet me when I walk in the door.

I keep looking for him, damnit. And he's not here.

And I am sick of being heart sick...

I need to find a cure.

In Memory of a Good Boy...

Buddy 1995 - 2007

Ten days ago, WxMan and I were stunned to discover that our good boy Buddy was stricken with a belly full of tumors. The day before - he had been fine. The following day. Not fine. We got him into the Vet right away - her prognosis was grim, at best. We were heartbroken.

After deciding to at least sleep on a decision, the Doc gave us some meds to help keep Buddy comfortable and we brought him home. For the past week he has had many more good days than bad. His discomfort could be measured in hours.

He had a spring in his step, a wag in his tail, and was loving us, his yard and his treats. Yesterday was a particularly good day. We were hoping to keep him with us for a bit longer yet. Apparently that was not a part of the plan... Buddy died in his sleep last night. We are hoping that is was peaceful and without pain. I only wish I had been with him, and comforting him. I hope that he wasn't afraid...

Buddy was a good boy. He will be cremated and buried with one of our trees - hell, he already has marked them all as *his* anyway. He was the master of the "Buddy Lean" and the only thing bigger than his bark was his heart.

He will be missed...