With that said, I’d like to acknowledge a few absurdities:

How completely ridiculous it feels to be asked for my money, by CELEBRITIES.  These people call what they do “work,” and we all know it is far from comparison to the real work that struggling families do every day.  Some celebrities will and have donated money, I’m sure.  (I hope.)  But seriously, why aren’t these people just held accountable for repairing worldly disasters by default??  In my opinion, if a celebrity brings in over (let’s be generous here…) say, $10 million annually, they should automatically be required to become part of a group that provides funds and outreach to disaster-stricken areas, within the United States as well as Haiti, Indonesia, wherever, whenever needed.   What they should not do is sing a song on TV and expect regular people, who are steadily losing their jobs every day and can’t buy groceries or pay the freaking light bill, to dig up under the couch cushions for $3.00 in change to donate to Haiti; when celebrities can frivolously spend thousands of dollars on god knows what worthless material things on a daily basis.

Not only do we have celebrity factor, but we have the corporations essentially asking the same thing.  How incredibly tacky is it that I have the option to “text” to some number from my cellular device which will then incur a $10 “donation” to Haiti on my phone bill?  Um…

Dear Billion Dollar Phone Company,
How about you take $10 OFF my phone bill that I’ve been paying on time for the last 8 years for once and DONATE it to Haiti in my honor, THANKS.  And while you’re at it, do that for every paying customer.  You’d be helping Americans, Haitians, and you’d look like a really swell service provider instead of over-priced greedy bastards.

Perhaps the most embarassing, insensitive thing of all is these people who are joining facebook groups called something like “We Will Donate $00.01 to Haiti for Every Person That is a Fan.”  Really??  One Cent.  Not five cents, not 10 cents, not a quarter, not a dollar.  Does a penny (that someone else donated!) make you feel glad you could help??    If this page even gets 10,000 fans, that’s $100.  20,000 = $200, and so on.  Why don’t they just donate the freaking $500 or whatever they want to give and FORGET about trying to go viral with fans on facebook???  I bet if your home and entire life was destroyed and there were smelly dead bodies all around you, you wouldn’t want to depend on a .01 cent facebook fan.

It’s disgusting.

That’s all.

Do yourself a favor this season and go see A Christmas Carol in 3-D, and even better, splurge a little and see it on a giant IMAX screen if you can.  Tickets run about $14 each but you will not regret it!

The animation is created with the still developing, constantly improving technology of  motion capture, where the actor’s movements are recorded and put to digital character models for the 3-D process.   In A Christmas Carol, this process is referred to as performance capture, because even the actors’ intricate facial expressions, hand and finger subtleties are recorded and merged with the magic of 3-D animation.  The simple fact that people can make computer programs that create this type of sorcery overwhelms me.

As you know, I adore Jim Carrey as an actor and a human being.  What a special person he is, a remarkable man of unmeasurable talent.  I am so thrilled that this is the second of the greatest classic Christmas stories of all time which he has been selected to star in on the big screen, the first of course being How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I am so thankful that his talent does not go to waste in trying to create some disposable Christmas franchise like Santa Clause I, II, and III, that just rakes in the big bucks but will never measure up or last as long as the classic tales.  Jim’s roles in The Grinch and A Christmas Carol set a whole new standard for modern Christmas films.  Not to mention, he transforms himself not only into the crusty old Ebenezer Scrooge, but also each of the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come; as well as acting/voicing various stages of Scrooge’s life.  Wow!!

The new Christmas Carol has received mixed reviews, some bashing it as a Disney film altogether, saying it’s dark and horrible, garbage, etc.  I guess those critics don’t realize Dickens’ “Christmas Carol” is not a freaking fairy tale.  In my opinion though, the movie really should be rated PG-13 instead of just PG.  It’s is not really kid friendly at all, in the sugary Disney sense.

This version of the movie really plays up the dark, wicked side of Dickens’ tale; with the first 3/4 of the movie (Scrooge experiencing the 4 Ghosts) being quite “scary” – the sound effects are really loud, there’s alot of screaming and terror, the images are all out intense, Scrooge is SO crotchety and hateful, and the whole feel is pretty cold and creepy; then of course the ending climaxes as you would expect it to, happy and Christmasy, and leaves you with that warm fuzzy feeling.   It was beyond super cool; a mind-blowing, suspenseful, exciting, lively film version of the old retold tale… but I just wouldn’t recommend taking your 5 year old.

I left the theater engulfed in amazement, thinking “I don’t want to see another movie that is NOT made in 3-D!” 

Fortunately we did get a 3-D preview of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland  -  starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.  I have been anticipating this movie since I first saw the poster this summer (…in West Virginia of all places) and I will literally be counting down the days until March 5, 2010 when it is released!!

P.S. – Check out Jim Carrey’s new website – also receiving “mixed” reviews.  Apparently some closed-minded, dependent, routine-seeking individuals are insulted by the fact that the site is devoid from conventional logical buttons and tabbing features.  Oh no!  Hmm…if you fail to limit your mind and fingers from the ability to explore, you might just find yourself lost in an uninhibited fantasy world.  The World of Jim Carrey.  It’s quite wonderful.  Bring lots of bandwidth.

In short, the things I’ve done this summer to alleviate the mind from that which we know as LIFE:

• Attended 7 concerts in 28 days.  (Please excuse the crappy photos)

1. Zac Brown Band & Gary Allan:
   
   
2. Matt Nathanson & David Cook:
   
   
3. NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK (that’s right!):
   
4. Paramore & No Doubt:
   
5. George Strait:
6. Lifehouse:
   
7. Kenny Chesney:
   

• Went to some more concerts after that….

Brad Paisley:

Jason Mraz:

….plus: Creed, Boyz II Men, Heart, and The Black Crowes.  (Sorry, no crappy photos!)

• Watched a friend play in a couple of baseball tournaments (well, softball to be technical):
  

• Spent a week camping in West Virginia:

• Grew lots of flowers in my backyard:
  
• Spent a long weekend in the Outer Banks, NC with friends and Freckles:
  

• Bought a new laptop (after about 7 years):
  
• Got a haircut:
  
  
• Got a new kitten!  ….. Meet Cracker Jack:

………………….Welcome Fall.

We don’t have definitive answers, other than she may have had a type of acute illness or cancer. There was no way of knowing beforehand and no realistic way of treating afterwards. X-rays showed no obvious problems but blood work pointed to numerous abnormalities, none of which could be pinpointed to any specific illness or treatment. It was just one of those “things” – one of those painful, difficult, incomprehensible – things.

She had her pesky habits, like chewing shoelaces and other string-like things in half, or urinating by the door and scratching in attempt to cover it as if she were in her litter box. She also had quite the mean streak as she was a feral cat and didn’t like to be held or touched too much and would bite to let you know that. But for every way she was a bad kitty, she redeemed herself by being a cute, crazy, graceful, sweet, precious, fun, peaceful, amusing, amazing, beautiful cat.

She was my little sidekick every day for almost three years since right after I moved out of my parent’s house into my apartment; and then into Phillip’s house – where she was ultimately Queen of the Castle. I’ve been working from home for almost two of those years and although she wasn’t a very social cat, she wanted to be where I was. I had really gotten used to that…

Whichever room I decided to work in, that would be where she curled up and slept the majority of the day, waking from time to time, to stretch, kitty yawn, make a circle, and plop back down again with that tail curled around her body. When I would sing while listening to music at my desk, Twister would wake up and reach over to my chair with her front feet, keeping her back feet on the bed, and she would kind of sniff around and coo at me… and, no lie – she was particularly fond of Jason Mraz tunes.

Freckles loved to try to play with her, and often whined when she wasn’t reacting satisfactorily or wasn’t in the mood. Other times they would dance around in the back room and we would peek in to watch. Twister would also mew at the door if I left it open and she could see me outside playing with Freckles. Then when I would come in, she’d hide around a corner and jump out to smack my ankles as I walked by, as to say, “How dare you?”

She loved to chase bugs and spiders, as she was literally possessed by their movement and very existence. Phillip dubbed her “Dances with Crickets.”

She loved to play hide and seek with us by coming down the hallway checking all the rooms until one of us would jump out at her when she didn’t expect it,chase her down the hall, go hide again, and she’d come right back searching. (You had to move fast because she didn’t bother to count to 100 before she came back.)

We took her to my parent’s house, and buried her under a tree in line of sight from where we originally found her (dirty and crying, in a ditch next to the road).

Being at home without her here invokes such a sad, empty feeling. She’s not here to strike at my ankles when I walk by, or wake us in the night crying at the bedroom door because she’s out of food. She’s not purring while she’s lying on my bed sleeping to dream, or shooting through the house like a ricocheting bullet after she left a tootsie roll in the litter box, as if she’s experiencing the best feeling of freedom. She’s not coming into the kitchen when she hears water running, or trying to sneak droplets out of the aquarium. She’s not coming into the bathroom to watch me when I pee, or laying on the couch next to us while we watch TV. She’s not seducing any of my friends while in heat with her bedroom eyes, rear in the air, cooing sounds, and (totally unattractive) laid-back ears. She doesn’t greet me at the door when I come home, or pop up in her window perch when we come and go. She doesn’t coo and chuff at birds out the window like the natural hunter that she was, or scramble after twist ties tossing them around in her nimble paws. She’s not basking in the warm sunlight in the living room, or doing any of the uniquely wonderful cat-things she used to do.

We certainly weren’t prepared for this, and we miss our little kitty kitty, more than we ever imagined…

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

Little You & I ~ Jason Mraz

You close your eyes

You say goodnight in your own special way

And you, well you rest your head

And you rest, you rest your mind sometime

And there you go

There you go so so so fast asleep

There you go so so so fast away

There you are without a care when or where

But there you are I swear without a care
when or where you lay

Spiraling, spiraling spaces

Tangled up, up in moments of a touching time

Trying to find some somewhere sleeping sideways

Pockets full of nothing

Head exploding from the mind

Too much time for dancing in our hair

Sister don’t be shy between little you and I

Mouths in line, tears beside

And we’re gonna weep in between the sleep

Until we float away into broken promises

Too much too hard to keep

And we would sell our souls to the devil if he promised us hell

It’s something we already know so well

And it’s right on, right on the tip of our tongue

Something big that has already begun

And I’m singing it

Mouths in line, tears beside

And we’re gonna weep in between the sleep

Until we float away
Until we float away into broken promises

Broken promises

Too much too hard to keep

Just little you and I
Oh, my my
I had no way
Oh, my my
I had no idea
>^..^<
- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

At my second job, I work one day a week as church secretary, and I’ve been doing this for about 8 years I think. (Man…) One of my many duties is to produce a bulletin for Sunday service, and on the back of that bulletin, there is an area for announcements, notices, etc. Members often submit information to be printed in this area, as it is a way to reach the entire congregation with important info. I guess after 8 years of deciding what is important and what isn’t, I’ve fallen off my rocker.

Recently the church hosted an area meeting with approximately 150 guests, and served a meal prepared by a local restaurant. Afterwards, I received via email a request to list the following in our bulletin announcements:

“$200 green beans???? Yes, that is what Golden Skillet reimbursed us for failing to include the ordered green beans for the meeting Sunday night. Many, many thanks to (name omitted) who went back to town, to Wal-Mart on a Sunday evening,and bought us the green beans so that we could include those in the already printed, already ordered menu. Also, MANY, MANY thanks to all volunteers who helped with the meeting. Each and everyone helped make the dinner part a complete success. Thanks to the dishwashers. We love you. (Name Omitted), Kitchen chair. Another thank you to (name omitted) for donating the asparagus ferns for the outside planters of the church.”

Now. Some background information on the author of this… you may gather from the sense of urgency and control in her writing, that this person strives for perfection and is not very happy if things do not go exactly as planned. Going to Wal-mart on a Sunday night is apparently likened to slaughtering hogs or something equally despicable.

As secretary, I am entitled to edit things as I see fit in order to get the point across, make it make sense, and maintain brevity for the limited amount of space available for everyone’s announcements and concerns. Words like “already printed, already ordered” in reference to the menu are not necessary; neither is the detail of going to Wal-mart on a Sunday night. I worded it so that all the appropriate people were thanked for the jobs that they completed, and in consultation with the Pastor, we omitted the part about $200 green beans. It was confusing to us and would surely confuse the congregation.

Last night I received a voice mail while I was having dinner, around 6pm. It was the Kitchen Chair calling to ask why her submission was edited, and who left out the reimbursement from Golden Skillet, and why. The voice mail was so long that she got cut off while still speaking. She went on and on about how that was one of the most important parts and she could not understand why it was left out. She repeatedly said that she wasn’t mad at me, but just wanted (demanded) an explanation. (Which in my book, means she is mad.) Apparently, what she meant in the above email was that Golden Skillet gave them a huge chunk of their full payment back, compensating for the beans, PLUS added extra money as an apology for omitting the beans; and she felt that it was good business and the congregation should know that Golden Skillet treated them well. I agree that the congregation should be aware of that – - but if I didn’t gather it on my own from reading her email, then how is the rest of the church going to figure it out? I read it as they got $200 back for the beans. She didn’t say how much the beans actually cost, so how would anyone know what she meant? So the Pastor and I made an executive decision, that the important part was to thank those church members who needed to be thanked. (…Since it is a church bulletin, not an editorial in the business section of the local newspaper.) We left out the issue with the money, we left out the nonsense about going to Walmart, and I even left out “asparagus” referring to the type of ferns. NOT important.

As it was a Sunday night and what we young whippersnappers call a “weekend,” I had plans and did not return her call. Also, I was too irritated to deal with her anyway.

Well, this morning I got up and turned on my cell phone and she had already called and left another message for me, wondering why I didn’t return her call. REALLY? Wow… first of all, I work there on Fridays, so maybe she should take it up with me then instead of harassing me about something so unimportant, like I’m supposed to cater to her every need, and like I can even do anything about it at this point. Secondly, did it ever cross her mind that I have a life and other things to do instead of argue on the phone about some stupid green beans?

After I had breakfast, I got my thoughts together and called her back. She didn’t answer and I was glad, because that was my one and only attempt and I intended to evade any other phone calls she would make to me; and, I didn’t leave a message because I don’t feel like an answering machine is a place for explanations.

Plus, how do you explain to someone in a polite manner that they are rude as hell, pushy, bull-headed, and bossy; AND that they write verbose, incoherent emails?

Instead, I called the Pastor and filled his ear in, this was actually on his answering machine, because I knew he would understand exactly where I was coming from, and not need to call me back. And perhaps he could take it up with her so she could stop calling me night and day.

Well, about an hour later, I guess she saw that I called, and she rang me back. Of course I did not answer, for one – the avoidance thing was totally in play, and two – I got shit to do besides worry about some fuckin green beans. (Like write this blog!) She left another voice mail, but this time, to my surprise, she had slightly changed her tune and told me not to worry about it. What!! She said there was no need to call her back, just forget about it, and she didn’t want to stir any trouble. So I’m already laughing to myself, thinking “You don’t have to tell me twice!” when she also added that she would not be writing anymore announcements for the bulletin. Score again!! I don’t know what came over her, maybe the “Good Lord” intervened or smacked her around a little and told her to stop being so controlling. Praise Jesus!

Phillip and I spent 4 days in Monterey, visiting with Mark, and also traveling to Salinas, San Jose, and San Francisco. Mark’s family was in town also, as he graduated from the Defense Language Institute that week. So he faced the task of becoming quite the chauffeur, getting all of us where we wanted to go using just his one vehicle.

When we arrived and checked in, Mark dropped us off in Monterey near Cannery Row so we could enjoy a walk around town in the beautiful weather. Our first stop was the Thomas Kinkade National Archive, which I was hesitant about, because although he is known as the painter of light, all I’ve ever known of his are those cottages in the woods that are over-marketed and quite honestly just turn me off in so many ways. I was mesmerized to find that Kinkade is actually quite accomplished in many other styles and subject manners. We saw paintings of sports stadiums and racing arenas, city scenes, pieces from his new Disney collection, and even some abstract painting, all invoking his ‘painter of light’ technique. Each piece is displayed under a wall lamp that accentuates the effect. This gallery had what they called a “light show” which was a room of paintings where the museum guide turned the lights up and down on a dimmer… and in Kinkade’s version of Pinocchio (seen here), the painting literally transformed from day to night before our eyes, and the stars popped out in the sky. I was totally blown away and glad that we went inside (and it was free!)

We strolled along Cannery Row, browsing in some of the shops and galleries, and taking lots of photos of all the old and new aspects. It was quiet, laid-back, and there was a historical aspect that remained which I did enjoy, all the while taking in views of the beautiful bay. I was excited to travel to Monterey and Salinas, hoping to find a greater connection to the essence of John Steinbeck after reading many of his novels. I learned that his name is quite ‘celebritized’ in the area, as evident in places like “Steinbeck Jewelers” – totally off track from his detailed descriptions of plight and struggle of working American families. Tasteful banners were displayed along Cannery Row with quotes from characters in the book. Large paintings were done on walls behind some of the building depicting these characters. I also learned that the location was originally called Ocean View Avenue, until Steinbeck wrote the book. I brought Cannery Row with me on the plane to refresh my memory, not knowing beforehand that it would be the first stop I made in Monterey, so it was almost as if I walked off of the plane into the setting of the book! Almost.

We spent several hours of our next morning at Monterey Bay Aquarium where we also enjoyed lunch at their Portola Cafe & Restaurant. First we watched a deep sea video where we learned that there is a huge canyon in the ocean “right” outside of the aquarium, and they have a research team, using state-of-the-art cameras and equipment, studying all of the great things that are living in the dark depths. Based on that and other neat things they participate in, like educating the public about sustainable seafood, I got an impressive feeling from the aquarium about their role in conservation and preservation. They don’t just operate to serve as a form of entertainment – they are doing BIG things. Some of our favorite exhibits included the jellyfish, indoor shoreline, kelp forest, leafy sea dragon, and seeing live baby skates. (Check out my photos!!)

On Saturday we went into Salinas, and I feel like I received a thorough synopsis of the life and times of Mr. John Steinbeck. (First, in keeping up with modern times, every morning we turned on the news, someone else (mexican gang members) had been murdered in Salinas. Yikes.) There we perused a farmer’s market, toured the National Steinbeck Center, had lunch at the Steinbeck house, and then found the Hamilton/Steinbeck family plot in the Garden of Memories Cemetery. I was so pleased with the NSCenter – didn’t know what to expect at a museum dedicated to the life of one man, or how hokey it might be, and was worried that Phillip might be bored out of his mind – but, it was very impressive with large, cutting edge graphics and hands-on interactions. Entertaining for children and not boring for adults. One side was dedicated to the agriculture of Salinas Valley, the migrant workers, life on the farm, etc. The other side laid out Steinbeck’s life, starting with a mock bedroom and dresser – when you opened the drawers there were handwritten manuscripts inside, and the rest of the place took you on a journey through all the books, so even if you hadn’t read them, you got the essence of what they were about. For instance, there was a stable where you could sit on “The Red Pony” (of course I did); you could open the door to the whorehouse (tasteful image inside) on Cannery Row; there were hats hanging on hooks under quotes from Of Mice and Men – when you lifted the hat you saw who made the quote; there was a giant map of the US with a lighted path of the journey made in Travels with Charlie; as well as the restored truck Steinbeck drove, etc, etc, etc. Very, very cool.

That afternoon we managed to squeeze in a brief few hours at Carmel, Clint Eastwood’s town, which was gorgeous – white sand, dog friendly beaches, beautiful landscape and scenic drives up in the hills, everything was green green green. We found to poet Robinson Jeffers’ home via Google and GPS, and by suggestion from my college English professor. Jeffers built his home and a tower overlooking the ocean both out of stone, by hand, and he sat in this tower and wrote his poetry. We missed the tour time but I took a few photos of the house and tower, as you could walk right up to the property. I chose not to trespass over the tiny iron fence. I wish we could have spent more time there and dined in town, but it was the day we had set aside to drive along the coast and Big Sur (“region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean” -wikipedia) and get shots during sunset. What an awesome coastline…

A humorous story took place while we were at Big Sur. Phillip and Mark got the bright idea to hike down the side of a mountain to get out on this large green plateau that resembled something you’d see in Ireland. I stayed at the top because I didn’t feel like mountain climbing in high coastal winds with a heavy camera/300mm lens around my neck. Hiking down a mountain is fairly easy and didn’t take the boys much time at all. I took photos of them along the way, and when they made it out to the point of the green plateau. This plateau dropped off again, down towards the ocean, so they decided to climb down that as well, and I didn’t see them anymore for a while. I must have taken 200 photos of my views from the top while I waited. Then I see motion and get a sense of relief that they are finally headed back. I notice Mark starts to take the lead and Phillip is lagging behind….then Mark is still making his way up and Phillip is just standing there. I thought, maybe he’s just taking in the view and getting pictures. He starts to move again, and Mark is a good way ahead of him. They got to a point directly under me and I couldn’t see either of them, then I saw both their heads. Mark gained the lead again, and this time, Phillip stopped and sat down, clutching his chest. I thought, “ohh… great, we are going to have to get a chopper in here to get this boy off the side of this mountain…” When I shouted to ask if he was okay, he waved his hand in the air as if I were bothering him. Mark made it to the top bragging how his running every morning in the Army paid off. We waited a few minutes and Mark remembered he had a gallon of water in the trunk of his car, which he carabined to his pants and took a little ways down to Phillip. It must have been the magical Deer Park that brought him back to life as he sprang up and eventually made his way to the top, with a look of “This mountain just made me it’s bitch…” And I got photos of all of it.

We spent our last day in San Francisco, and we definitely needed more time (a few days) there as well. It was a two hour drive to get there, and it rained most of the day. We went to the San Francisco Zoo, rode around town enjoying the sights and tightly knit homes, googled a Chinese lounge for dinner in China Town, and journeyed over the Golden Gate Bridge that night. We didn’t ride a trolley car or experience Castro, the gay part of town, which are two things I had wanted to do. I guess we will have to go back.

Let me just say, I don’t know much about this young lady besides the fact that, in Phillip’s words, “She’s unsmart.” I will prove that theory in the following assessments:

For a while it was an everyday occurrence, so the owner resorted to tying the dog out… with a rope long enough to reach the fence………..

So… the dog continued to dig and managed to wriggle under the fence and out of her collar (dangerous) thus off of her chain and free in my yard all day until someone got home to realize she was missing.

After this, she resorted to keeping the dog indoors. Solved the problem temporarily, but then there came the times where she would leave the dog in the yard without supervision or forget to let her back in the house, and what do you know – the dog dug her way into my yard.

So this happened again last night and I called, rather irritated, to let her know.

Upon telling her who I was, she asks, “Is she over there again?” with a tone of “oh, well” instead of expressing apologetic urgency.

… No, I just called to chat…

“Um yeah she’s over here AGAIN, she’s been here for a while, eaten my dog’s food, drank all his water, and trampled him in the mud so he has dirt caked on his ears and white coat; not to mention I just bathed him and put on a shiny new collar only 3 days ago.”

“I’ll come and get her” {click}
…As if I was her free babysitter and wanted her to come get her child and she was disgusted with me for it.

This is like the umpteenth time and I’m reeeeaaaaally tired of it… it’s not like it’s happened twice and I’m exaggerating. It’s happened more than 10 times at least.

So she comes and gets the dog… brings someone with her who waits in the car… I don’t know what that was about…she returns home …but doesn’t fill the hole.

…As she has never filled a hole.

Her solution? Place two bricks in a hole, place the doghouse over a hole, place a cinderblock over another hole, etc. This solves nothing other than preventing the dog from digging the SAME hole and so it only causes the dog to choose another free spot to dig. All the dirt from under our fence is in her yard. Pretty soon we will have a sloped grade where we’ve had to move nearby dirt to fill the holes ourself.

Oh and let’s not forget the time she told me her uncle would be burying chicken wire in the ground to “prevent” the dog from getting out… which …never happened…. but …how about you TRAIN your dog on what behavior is unacceptable????

This doesn’t mean beat your dog, it means teach them good from bad and let them know who’s boss. Her dog is a big, dumb idiot because of her. Or, how about, if you don’t have the time to train your dog you shouldn’t own one??? Or what’s more, if you can’t live without one, how about WATCHING her when you put her in the yard? Not shut the door, close the blinds, and wait for the neighbors to complain! OR how about, if your dog is a nuisance to your neighbors, you get a fucking clue!! Unfathomable, I know.

This girl is truly an irresponsible dim bulb. Not everybody is as nice as us, and some people in this world would have probably SHOT the dog by now; not to mention called animal control and have her taken away. …Which I think is actually my next step. If it happens again, I feel like I have given her enough chances to get her shit straight, and I feel like she is ungrateful that we have been so patient; so sadly it’s time to involve someone else. The only reason we haven’t done this already is because this girl is a cousin to Phillip’s best friend, who knows she is an idiot, but we still hesitate to take drastic measures because, while this guy acts like he is agreeable with us, you never know how someone will react when it comes to family.

Last night, I thought with the utmost reasoning that *maybe* since it was dark at the time, she would fill the hole in the morning. NO! So in order to leave my dog outside for the day while I’m at work, I have to find –something– to shove in the hole… this time wooden boards… in hopes that she’ll SEE the boards and perhaps they will remind her to stop holding our dirt hostage!! Instead I guess her lame brain thinks “Oh good, they fixed it!” …Or, maybe she doesn’t think at all because she’s just THAT slow.

Also, …the bigger the dog the bigger the poop… so I even went so far as to scoop this dog’s gigantor feces off the ground and sling it back into their yard through the hole she didn’t bother to fill. Not that she’ll notice, but it gave me a small amount of satisfaction (and a wonderful lingering shit smell in my nose). So between the wood, the bricks, the doghouse, and the cinderblocks, AND the old counter top from our bathroom remodel; the yard along my fence is starting to look like a trailer park. Oh happy day.

Meanwhile, let’s think about the hazards here. (If she had any sense, we could very well be friendly neighbors and I would allow her dog to come over and play, via phonecall, NOT tunneling under the fence without permission.) This could lead to so many problems…anything can happen. I don’t want to come home to my dog mauled to pieces in his own yard because of someone else’s irresponsibility. I don’t want to come home to find my neighbor’s dog choked to death under the fence because she got her collar stuck or broke her own neck trying to wriggle out. I came home one day not long after her dog had been spayed and instead of limiting her playtime after major surgery, the damn dog still had stitches in her belly, and she neglected to keep the dog in the yard once again. Everyone knows she could bust wide open and spill her guts with the right amount of roughhousing. And what am I supposed to do if something happens to her dog in my yard and she’s not home? Take the dog to the emergency vet?? This is all just crap I shouldn’t even be thinking about being prepared for.

I also have come to the conclusion that the dog is obviously bored and unstimulated. I don’t know what goes on with the dog inside the house, but I have NEVER ever seen or heard anyone playing with the dog outside, ever. I play with Freckles, give him chew toys and bones to occupy his time, give him treats and praise when he exhibits good behavior, etc., therefore he is happy and very rarely gives me any problems. If he does create a problem it is usually due to human error. Another thing is, Freckles doesn’t bark just to hear himself bark; my neighbors dog does and there’s nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy a day outside in your own yard when your neighbor’s dog does nothing but bark at you.

Anyway, the point is, I’m fed up beyond belief. Could you tell??

Color palette: smoky gray, burgundy, black and white; nickel finish hardware.

Since we are bargain shoppers, we were able to make this project a success on a relatively low budget:

Sink: $50 (with Lowe’s coupon)
Cabinet: $80 (Lowe’s clearance)
Faucet: $45 (Ebay)
Molding: $40
Light Fixture: $17 (Lowe’s clearance)
Paint/Spray paint: $17
Toilet Seat: $10
Rug: $14 (on sale at JCPenney – better quality)
Marble-look Floor tiles: $8 (Big Lots)
Pipe/Plumbing/Etc: $40
Frames/Mats: $20 (Michael’s sales)
Photos: FREE, printed at home from internet
Accessories: $20 (all sale or clearance finds)
Medicine cabinet: Instead of busting out more wall to replace the rusty old medicine cabinet as originally intended, I taped off the walls and mirror and spray painted the cabinet shiny black.

Total Ballpark Cost of Bathroom Makeover: $350 – $400
(Pretty nifty considering it could have been twice that, plus the cost of labor if we hired someone.)

I chose a black & white New York theme when selecting my photos for framing, and I intend to
purchase (and perhaps paint) “New York City in a Bag” to place on a small shelf. Also on the hunt for the perfect window treatments… this house has odd, small windows so it’s not always easy to find the right size. We also need to install an appropriate “door” leading to the plumbing in the other bathroom. Other than that, it’s a happy little makeover and so far Phillip’s plumbing job has been a success.

Now onto the rest of the house…

I turned 25 this week – kind of a landmark so to speak, it fell on a Saturday, and I haven’t had a party since I was 10 or 12 in a skating rink, because my birthday is often overshadowed by the Christmas frenzy. So this year I thought, (silly me) that if I gave everyone over a month’s notice, they would put it in their schedules and maybe set in stone or cast in iron, whatever, that unless somebody dies, they’d have plans for my birthday on December 27th at 7:00pm. I thought for some reason, just for this one special occasion, the one real birthday party I’ve ever thrown, all of my “friends” might make a special effort to help me celebrate, just this once. Evidently I’m not as special to some as I would like to think. I am very special to others as they have made it clear continuously. Now, being the Saturday after Christmas there’s already the risk that people are going to create Christmas plans and such. But if I was invited to a friend’s party a month in advance, I would put it on my schedule and know that’s what I’m doing that night… so without being too descriptive… let’s just say I got a lot of excuses that were kind of… avoidable in my opinion. Of the 48 people invited (a lot of couples hence the large number) only about 11 showed up plus some extras… so the rest either gave excuses, stayed on the fence and wouldn’t commit, or didn’t bother to RSVP at all. I am grateful for the people who did come, some of which were out of town several hours away and came back especially for my party, which shows sacrifice, and caring, and does not go unappreciated. We had a fun time, 80′s style; but I think I really did learn some things from the planning of it. Something about myself; and something about others. And 100proof alcohol when you’re already drunk probably isn’t a good idea…

On the same note about learning during the holiday season, I wonder: How do I, the thoughtful gift-giver, end up with less than thoughtful items from others? I try to choose gifts that are not generic, that are geared towards the person’s character or hobbies/interests. And this is the case for each person, no matter how hard to shop for; I shop until I find the gift that, to me, strikes a chord and I know they will like it. Tis always better to give than to receive …unless you’re receiving junk somebody else doesn’t want… I mean chances are, if you got it and didn’t like it, then what makes you think I’ll like it?? Don’t give me your unwanted treasures. I’m not a living breathing yard sale. And in comparison, if I went out and spent the time and BOUGHT your gift with my money, then… I expect something seemingly adequate in exchange. Next year I’m buying everybody something like…socks…. and see how they like it. Or maybe nothing at all. Cutbacks in 2009 for sure.

Phillip and I enjoy and don’t mind having people over often because it’s a cheap way to spend quality time with friends instead of going to some noisy, smoky bar and paying to park, eat, and drink, and going home with an empty wallet, screaming credit card, and a shoes covered in some drunk’s booze. So we open our home often and always have food available. (Definitely not always to 48 people however.) I think it has almost become expected now among our smaller group of friends for some occasions… and it adds up. I think this year we had a Superbowl Party, Memorial Day Cookout, Luau Pool Party, Halloween Party, Christmas Dinner, and finally, my birthday party. So…….cutbacks in 2009 for sure.

I guess I’m tired. Tired of giving and doing and then feeling unappreciated. (You’re only supposed to feel that way when you have teenagers right??) Tired of being the “glue” that holds everyone together… when there seems to be no effort anywhere else. Tired of people that only come over when it’s convenient, or they have nothing “else” or nothing “better” to do. Tired of making a special effort and feeling like no one else does. Tired of excuses. Tired of laziness. Tired of the noncommittal. Tired of being the only car lost on a two-way street.

Perhaps the most shocking in the series of birthday regrets was when someone who I thought to be a pretty high up there on my friend scale promised over a month ago to attend my party since she had 4 days off work that weekend, and she hasn’t made it to any other gatherings we’ve had because of working nights, …only to email me the week of to say someone offered to work Christmas day for her if she worked for them on my birthday, and she took it, because…. she “really didn’t want to work on Christmas Day.” …That was her only reason. And, she knew I would understand. Haaa. …Understand she wants Christmas Day off? Yeah, sure. Understand she purposefully chose work over my birthday when she had a 4 day vacation immediately following Christmas? No. I don’t understand the choice at all. I haven’t seen this friend in months; I never celebrate my birthday party-style; she promised to be there; and what’s more, I would never do that to anyone. After a month of thinking she’d be sharing a special day with me, not only was it a let-down, but the reason was pretty much a slap in the face. She could have lied and made a better excuse than that! “I’d rather have Christmas off than come to your birthday party” is pretty much what it boils down to. Which… is the exact issue with my birthday… Christmas always takes prevalence, always has, always will…duh, I’m no Jesus…. but to make that choice for no distinct reason clearly shows no consideration for my feelings. And then to say “I know you’ll understand” ????? Understand she is selfish? Yes. Understand I’m worth no special sacrifice? Clearly. Would it have been so hard to keep her schedule the way it was, work on Christmas, and have the next 4 days off?? Everyone has to work on Christmas at some point in their lives, and it’s not like they end up working EVERY Christmas…. so…..I just don’t get it……I think it really had something to do with wanting first Christmas with the umpteenth new boyfriend. And, knowing she had all those days off, not only did she decline to attend my party, but I thought she could have at least suggested going to lunch at a later date…or some other friendly gesture to offer to make it up to me in some way. But nothing. Cutbacks in 2009 for sure…

Anyway, onto the positive. Phillip and I had a nice Christmas together and spoiled each other with everything we wanted or needed, I think. (Wait, back to negative… it really burns me up to give a nice surprise for Christmas only to open the box and find that it’s DAMAGED and have to go through the hassle of hauling and returning an 80lb tool cabinet… it would be so nice to be able to rely on packers and shippers to get items to my home in the condition for which I paid, i.e. NEW; not scratched, bent or dented!!!!!) We spent half the day at my parents, then went to his dad’s for dinner, then came home in the evening to finally open our gifts.

My 80′s party brought back some fabulous styles and characters – slouch socks, tights, gaudy jewelry, big hair; Pee-Wee Herman, MacGyver, Indiana Jones, Tom Cruise in Top Gun, Transformers (guess who) and I as Rainbow Brite. We listened to all the hit music and enjoyed rice krispie treats, pop rocks, ring pops, handi snacks, to name a few. We played trivia games like ‘name that TV show theme song’ and I gave away 80′s Hits CDs as prizes. I decorated with some old memorabilia… ViewMaster, Lite Brite, Pound Puppies, Punky Brewster, Transformers, Voltron, Ninja Turtles, Mr. Potato Head, Pee-Wee, Teddy Ruxpin, Cabbage Patch dolls, PacMan, New Kids on the Block tapes, etc. Jenga was a pretty big hit too; no one got around to playing Twister though. (Probably a good thing!) My friend Pete brought me a chocolate/chocolate cake, made from scratch (not Betty Crocker). All-in-all it was a pretty rad time.

Phillip and I are spending New Year’s Eve between two parties, first with some of his friends from work, then we will head to my friend Matt’s house where we’ll ring in 2009.

Here’s hoping 2009 brings world peace, an end to famine in third world countries, yada yada, and I’d like a pay raise so I can buy a big gas-guzzling, environmentally-polluting, noise-producing pick-up truck.

But, although it’s ridiculous to think people haven’t been using common sense until all this talk of global warming – regardless of whether you “believe” in it or not – conserving is still the SMART thing to do to reduce waste, save energy and even money . So even if you’re too blind to care about the polar bears, you could still recycle your garbage, say no to styrofoam, change your light bulbs, and for god’s sake stop littering out of the car window.

∞∞∞ Happy 2009! ∞∞∞

So on one side we’ve got people who think Obama is the answer to all our problems, who will change this country around for the better; and on the other side – those who think he is the Antichrist; or some socialist leader who is going to rip our nation to shreds.

Really.

I’m pretty sure he is neither of those things and he will be an “ok” president, just like most others. There is only but so much the President can do without the votes of his Congress. (Or whoever’s running this joint… I really think the President is just a figure… a placeholder…someone to blame.)

My only problem with the result of this election is that the vast majority of black people continue to create racial issues out of everything – this man is “black” so finally there is some “hope” for black people. No. As long as black people keep using their color as a crutch they will ALWAYS be oppressed. Racial equality means not seeing color at all. And, wanting your race to have “power” is in fact a form of racism. Secondly, everyone seems to overlook the fact that Obama is HALF WHITE, so for those black people rejoicing over our “black” president, it really is about nothing other than the color of his skin. Folks, that is racism.

I understand he has made history by becoming the first black President of the United States. And maybe because I’m not black, I do not see why that is such a big deal. While it is definitely a celebration of equality, …we don’t currently live in a world where black people aren’t granted equal rights. None of the young people who voted in this election know anything about not having equal rights, besides what they’ve read in books and whatever ideas their parents and grandparents have instilled in their minds. No black man has ever been denied the chance to run for presidency. No one ever said a black man could not BE President. So why all the hoopla over his color? I thought racial equality included not seeing color at all.

There were record voter turnouts in this election. A lot of people felt the importance to cast their ballot because this country is indeed in need of change. A lot of other people registered to vote, and went to the polls to vote for Obama, simply because he is “black.” That is racism. If two white men were running for the presidency as they have in the past, voter turnout would not have increased so dramatically.

Statistically speaking, if more black people sought to Obama’s lifestyle as a source of inspiration, this country would be in a better situation. Our children would prosper, our communities would be safer, the economy would be better; and hell, taxes might decrease. It baffles and sickens me to see these young people not striving for success – instead, it is as if they are plagued to be like the others who roam the streets holding their pants up with one hand, hiding a gun with the other; “accepting” that this is the way of life – but yet they made sure to exercise their right to vote, for a ‘black man like themselves’? This culturally accepted behavior was expressed perfectly on a recent episode of Law and Order SVU – the (black) suspect in custody was questioned about his lifestyle and he said, “I could have had a desk job, or I could play the role. So I chose to play the role.” <insert urban, ghetto inflection> ….His role? Gangster/thug/rapper/drug dealer.

All these things… and we are supposed to erradicate racism. How can racism be ignored when the main advocates for its demolition are, at the same time, instigators for it’s survival?? It’s like picking at a scab that should just be left alone, but instead it leaves a nasty scar… that never goes away.

With that said, perhaps Obama can be the solution to the race problem. In a recent interview regarding the acquisition of a presidential puppy, Obama stated although their needs are for a hypoallergenic dog, they are still looking to adopt one from a shelter and therefore it would likely be “a mutt like me.” I thought it was kind of profound that he would refer to himself as a mutt, showing that he has the common sense to admit that he is not just “black” as most people see him; that his color is not his defining quality. That his color should not be the reason he is in office. Unfortunately, of course it is. And somehow, despite his intelligent manner, there will always be people in this country who see the man – the mutt – only as “our black president.”

Hallelujah for a black NEW president! And happy thanksgiving.