Rambling Pam

Random thoughts on something I overheard

2010-11-01T17:09:00.003-06:00

I recently overheard a mom say to her kid(s), "OMG." My first thought is, do people -- people that aren't just trying to seem cool -- really actually say, "OMG"? And if they do, why? I sort of understand the use of OMG as textspeak to save time and a few characters, but in an actual conversation, you don't save anything. OMG = three syllables. Oh my god = three syllables.

Maybe she just doesn't like to use the word "god." I can respect that, but the G definitely implies "god." Besides that, she could have just as easily (and quickly) said, "Oh my gosh." That's still three syllables. (All of which makes me wonder if implied swear words are really that much better than actual swear words when it comes to what we're teaching kids. Is saying "fudge" or "effing" really a better alternative to dropping the F-bomb?)

I've never heard people use other textspeak in real conversations. I've never heard someone say, "WTF" or "LOL." (Although, the S.O. and I have taken to sometimes saying, "Why the face." We picked it up from an episode of "Modern Family." The dad is explaining textspeak: LOL is laugh out loud. OMG is oh my god, WTF is why the face.) So why would someone say OMG? I just didn't get it. I have to wonder if I'm that out of touch or if that mom is.

Then again, I didn't hear the entire conversation. Maybe she said it because someone asked her how to say oh my god in textspeak. IDK*

*That's "I don't know" for us non-textspeakers.

We're free! ... of cable

2010-10-12T08:08:00.003-06:00

In an attempt to save some money and try to be more productive, the S.O. and I canceled cable TV and returned the DVR yesterday. Of course, we still have our Netflix account and the Internet (we actually have to have Internet access because we both work from home most of the time) so there's still plenty of "television" for us to watch. But we're hoping that when we sit down to watch, we watch something worth watching and don't just spend two hours flipping channels through mindless drivel.

That's not to say we won't end up watching some mindless drivel. Netflix has plenty of (really bad) reality shows available -- many to watch instantly. I'm going to fight to keep the worst of them off my queue, though.

Considering the good track record Netflix has suggesting movies for me, I expect to be watching a lot of British television programs, foreign films (especially foreign horror films), claymation and anime.

Foxy!

2010-10-09T12:17:00.004-06:00

Holy crap, you guys! A fox just jumped our 6-foot fence and strolled through the back yard. Right in the middle of the day. I didn't get a picture because I was too busy grabbing the dog and falling on the floor, trying to keep her from running out and picking a fight. I don't think she'd come out on top of that battle.

It looked just like this. Cute, right? But foxes "feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game." I'm pretty sure Ripley would look like a rodent to a hungry fox.

She can tear up a sunbeam though.

In case I didn't mention it

2010-10-08T13:39:00.002-06:00

I'm trying the Mommy blogger thing over at 40-Something First Timer. I'm going to try to post periodically on both. But if you're interested in following my ups and downs in regards to being pregnant (sometimes I still don't believe it myself), you can head over there.

Check out my new blog

2010-09-26T16:50:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm a mommy-to-be, I've started a new blog of that nature. I plan to still post here about random crap -- like always -- but will talk about my adventure to mommyhood over at 40-Something First Timer.

The Joke's On Me or The Long Con

2010-09-25T13:09:00.005-06:00

Hello Internet! Remember back in April when I said I thought the universe might be trying to pull a long con on me? Well, for those of you not already in on the joke, I was right. Just a few days after the S.O. and I had a conversation about how it's probably all for the best for us to not have a baby, I find out that I just might be after all.

That's right Internet, I am pregnant, in the family way, knocked up, preggers, expecting, have a bun in the oven. And no, we didn't plan it to happen this way. It just did. In fact, the so-called fertility specialists told us we had about a 1 percent chance of getting pregnant "the natural way." (Those specialists can kiss my ass, by the way).

It's all quite scary and exciting at the same time, like a really good zombie movie or a roller coaster. In fact, it's almost exactly like those things, I'm scared, but having a good time and completely nauseous most of the time.

Don't try to tell me all the things that can go wrong. And I don't want to hear anyone's horror stories. I've heard enough of them anyway -- from the scary one-in-a-million birth defects they feature on TLC to the former co-worker who told my pregnant friend that the air in Colorado could cause a miscarriage (sorry, I have to breathe!) to all the things that can happen to my body during and after pregnancy. At this point, I kind of figure the universe will have it's joke and I will have a baby at 43. Hey, if the celebrities can do it, I can do it.

With all that said, I promise to try to not talk about it all the time. But once the baby is born, expect plenty of photos and stories about the adorable (and maddening) things that happen around our house.

Here's the first of the photos. Although I'm pretty sure that's a panda.

I guest blog!

2010-09-21T19:48:00.002-06:00

Head over to Grandma's Briefs (if you're not already a regular reader of Lisa's truly wonderful blog) and read my guest review of "A Small Death in the Great Glen." Even if you're not into mysteries, this book is an enjoyable read.

Update: I got a comment from the author on my review. So cool. Another cool thing is the book came out just 12 days before the author's 64th birthday. So, there's still time for all us aspiring writers.

What I watched: "American Zombie"

2010-09-10T09:11:00.003-06:00

In case I haven't said this a hundred times already, I love the Netflix watch instantly feature. I have watched many movies and TV shows -- good and bad -- that I would have never rented or put on my queue. Case in point is the movie I watched last night. It's a "mockumentary" called "American Zombie."

From the film's media Web site:

Filmmakers Grace Lee (“The Grace Lee Project”) and John Solomon (“Nonsense Man”) team up to shoot a documentary about high-functioning zombies living in Los Angeles and their struggles to gain acceptance in human society.

Now, anyone who has read even a little of this blog is well aware of my love for all things zombie. And I know I'm not alone in my love. Vampires may be the hot new thing and sexy as hell, but zombies will always be the top monster in my book. The scariest thing about zombies is their complete lack of humanity. They have no regard for family or friends. They kill and eat indiscriminately.

In "American Zombie," those particular zombies are known as "feral zombies." They have lost all humanity. But there are two other types: zombies who have retained enough humanity to do manual labor and "high-functioning zombies" who seem to be just like any other human -- except for their decaying flesh, of course. And none of them seem to have a taste for human flesh -- or do they? (Cue ominous music.)

The film follows four high-functioning zombies through their day-t0-day lives. We see them at their jobs, interacting with girlfriends and co-workers and preparing to attend Live Dead (a kind of Burning Man festival for zombies only). The film makers finally get permission to attend -- despite being living humans -- and film Live Dead, resulting in dire consequences.

It's an interesting take on the zombie genre. Though it wasn't as funny as I'd hoped it would be, I still enjoyed watching the film. For a die-hard zombie fan, like myself, it was a good movie. For everyone else, I'd probably say give it a pass. It starts out slow and has a pretty predictable ending.

All in all, I'd give it a better rating than the 4.9 stars out of 10 IMDb users give it. But, as I said, I have a love for all things zombie, from the super cheesy to the classic.

It's National Dog Day!

2010-08-26T09:06:00.003-06:00

And Ripley is jumping for joy!

National Dog Day is celebrated August 26 annually and serves to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year, and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.

Thanks to Mayzie for helping us remember the date!

Catching up on the classics

2010-08-23T10:02:00.003-06:00

I spent most of the summer reading science fiction and fantasy. I read the entire Thursday Next series: "The Eyre Affair," "Thursday Next: First Among Sequels," "Lost in a Good Book," "The Well of Lost Plots" and "Something Rotten." (They're all available from the library.) They are literary-geek, time-travel-twisty, science-fictiony fun.

I also read (on my niece's recommendation) "The Hunger Games." It's a YA book, a quick read and a lot of fun. Then I read "Small Favors," a Dresden Files book (I do love my Harry Dresden). Which, in case you don't know, are kind of noir detective novels with a wizard as a private investigator -- more geeky fun.

So, after all that geekery, I figured I should build up my brain with some classics. Over the weekend I read "Animal Farm" and finished "Jane Eyre." I do hate to admit to never having read "Jane Eyre" before but I have a good excuse. I always mixed it up with Jane Austen and I really don't care for Austen. OK. Not a good excuse, but it's an excuse.

I also downloaded some classics for the Kindle app on my iPod touch (there are a lot of classics available for the Kindle free from Amazon): "The Age of Innocence," "The Wizard of Oz," "Howard's End" and "Middlemarch." What I really like about the Kindle app is I can just sort of keep those books laying around, but they don't take up much space, I can take them all wherever I go, and -- best of all -- they were free.

To cap off the weekend, I watched a couple episodes of "The Angry Beavers" on Netflix. That's a classic, right?

Dee-sgust-ting

2010-08-22T19:09:00.005-06:00

You know what really, really sucks? When you think your significant other has canceled your home milk delivery -- which comes Thursday mornings -- only to discover Sunday evening that he hadn't. Sunday evening -- after four near-90-degree days -- you find that not only does milk not keep in a non-iced cooler, it will actually turn to cheese and blow the top off the jug.

WARNING: If you are drinking milk or eating cheese right now, look away!

The orange juice wasn't disgusting, just an additional loss.

The whole thing smelled like feet.

Because this deserves a post

2010-08-21T16:04:00.003-06:00

I don't try to hide the fact that I have some geeky tendencies. In fact, just recently it occurred to me that I'm probably a bigger geek than my video-game-playing, computer-center-occupation-having S.O. I'm the one that recommend "Ender's Game" to him, after all.

However, he is the one who introduced me to "Stargate: SG1." And he is the reason I own all 10 seasons of that show and all five seasons of "Stargate: Atlantis."

Recently, an innocent visit to Michael's to find parts to repair necklace, inspired a trip to Etsy.com, where I came across the shop Take It to the Moon and promptly proceeded to buy this:
For the uninitiated that is the symbol for Earth in the Stargate world. And it's awesome!

And yes, I am also wearing a Captain America T-shirt. Shut up.

Shout outs

2010-08-04T09:13:00.002-06:00

Now that I'm back to my as-normal-as-it-gets routine, I really need to get back to blogging more. I know you two or three that come here to read of my many and varied adventures and the random crap that occurs to me out of the blue have been missing my ramblings.

I haven't been writing here much but I have been writing at My Boot Camp Diary. And I have been reading others' blogs, even if I don't always comment. I'm pretty sure you all read each others' blogs already. But in case you don't, or if you're looking for something else to read, here are some of my favorites (in no particular order):

Mayzie's Dog Blog - the most glorious adventures of one brindle dog (I think Mayzie's owner actually does the typing, though.)

Grandma's Briefs - bits and bytes of life's second act (It's not just for grandma's.)

Jackodilloprincess - a mommy blog that doesn't make you want to choke a mommy (That's not her tag line, by the way!)

Won't You Be My Cubemate? - more ramblings from a freelance writer with a snarky attitude (Which is why we're friends.)

Local Dish - recipes and more from a foodie

A Motivated Notion - A fellow blogger I met through NaBloPoMo, who motivated me to run my first (and sadly, only) 5k.

Neil Gaiman's Journal - The author of some of my favorite book's and stories talks about his day-to-day life, his work, his pets. It's like I know him (but not in an internet stalker sort of way, I promise).

The Official Pearls Before Swine Blog - Snarky, irreverent, ridiculous (I'm in love!).

What are your favorite blogs? I'm always looking for something different to check out.

I didn't fall off the face of the earth

2010-08-02T11:26:00.003-06:00

Although I might have come close.I spent the past three weeks entertaining my 14-year-old niece. We did a lot of fun stuff -- like driving to the top of Pikes Peak with the S.O., watching a professional soccer game in Denver and visiting the zoo.

Look out! It's coming right for us!

We also did some relaxing stuff, like painting ceramics at Puttin' on the Paint, shopping, watching movies and completing the "World's Smallest 1,000-Piece Puzzle."

It was really hard to send her home -- although I know she and her dad were ready to see each other again -- and I think even the dog misses her.

I sure hope she doesn't outgrow her aunt in the next year. I'd like to make her summer visits an annual thing.

Country music remembrances

2010-07-09T16:39:00.005-06:00

In which part of an e-mail exchange poses as a blog post, and I show my age and nerdity.

Me: (in response to a link to "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy" by Chris LeDoux) Yeee haw!

He: Among my many musical oddities: I like country music that sounds like older country and western -- like that. Country song popular in the 1960s or 1970s? I probably know all the words.

Me: I grew up listening to (or being forced to listen to) the likes of Freddy Fender, Tom T. Hall, Conway Twitty and others. I can still listen to Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, but most of the new country just sounds like twangy pop to me. So I can understand your "musical oddities."

He: So you... you remember the year that Clayton Delaney died?? (/arcane test)

Me: No. But I do remember the night that the lights went out in Georgia. And that day Billy Joe McAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge.

He: He jumped because ROBBY BENSON DIDN'T GET THE OSCAR FOR THAT ROLE!! Ahem. The preceding microrant was gayer than a sequined handbag full of rainbows.

Me: Robby Benson WAS dreamy.

My apologies to those of you too young and/or hip to get the references. And even more apologies to those of you old enough and/or nerdy enough to get the references -- your ear worm of the day.

What a view

2010-07-03T19:45:00.007-06:00

I went with the S.O. today on his flight lesson. It was very cool. Here I am pre-flight.

I took some cool pictures.

(Do you think aliens made the smiley face in the field?)

We flew over Garden of the Gods.

The S.O. performed a "touch and go" at the Colorado Springs, and we hit some turbulence.

Then I threw up.

Yes, it was awesome.

What I watched: "The Orphanage"

2010-07-02T10:35:00.006-06:00

Let me say this first: What the hell took me so long to discover that Netflix had this "watch instantly" feature?!?

The S.O. and I use Blockbuster Online because he can get coupons for free games and we can return our movies to the store to exchange them for other movies. So we will probably keep that. But Netflix has already been worth the $10 I spend on it. I have watched the entire first season of "Better Off Ted" (If you haven't watched it, do. It's been canceled but it's hilarious.), a couple episodes of other series and several movies -- all instantly. (Plus a couple of DVDs.)

Last night, while the S.O. was at ground school, I watched "The Orphanage," a 2007 Spanish ghost story. It's dark and tense and doesn't rely on cheap tricks to scare you.

I sat alone in the dark, clutching my pillow, watching this suspenseful story of a mother's search for her child, never really sure if it was a ghost story or a story of her descent into madness. If you enjoy foreign films or movies like "The Others," I recommend "The Orphanage."

On the other hand, if you hate reading subtitles or find yourself constantly questioning why a character would go into that room alone, this might not be the film for you.

Yeah, I missed it

2010-07-01T15:02:00.005-06:00

I was totally going to post something on my Fourth Anniversary of Blogging. But I missed it. I posted the two days after and mentioned nothing of the actual anniversary.
As I'm trying to be really productive today, I thought I would post something here -- something PROFOUND. But trying to be productive doesn't equal actually being productive. So, I give you:Monkey. This is the very first picture I posted on this blog. Monkey sits at the top of the Space Needle, and at one time, Monkey was going to travel the globe and post pictures of his *ramblings* (ala Flat Stanley). Unfortunately, Monkey got laid off from his full-time job and can't afford to travel. In fact, I'm pretty sure Monkey is living in a storage unit at the moment.

Gee, now I feel bad that Monkey didn't get to go to England with me, and he's never been skiing. I should probably figure out where the heck Monkey is. Or I could take Monkeey with me next time I travel. She's a bit more compact.Plus, she's waving and smiling, instead of sitting there with a dumb look on her face. I think it was the job Monkey had. I think it sucked the life out of him. I know it did me.

Here's to another four years of Rambling -- be it the kind of rambling I did here in this post or some actual rambling around the world. I hope you'll join me.

Me = Happy

2010-06-24T09:35:00.005-06:00

This person

(who is awesome, by the way)
is going to spend three weeks with me next month. Yay!

Worry Wart

2010-06-23T09:05:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, my wonderful, talented friend Lisa of Grandma's Briefs asked, "What's one thing you used to worry about that you no longer do?"

My response (in the comments) was, "Does there really come a time when I can stop worrying about something? I look forward to that day. I'm a chronic worrier. I even worry that I worry too much."

Which brings us to this "Heart of the City" comic strip:

Click to enlarge

I'm beginning to think every aspect of my life can be related to one of three things: (1) comic strips, (2) reruns of "Friends" or (3) an episode of "The Simpsons."

And you know, it worries me.

But dammit he is so cute

2010-06-19T16:36:00.004-06:00

Last month, I told you about Jason Lee's new television project, "Memphis Beat." I also told you I was intrigued, yet skeptical.

Today, one of those big ol' banner ads for the show displayed on a totally unrelated Web site (I was looking for an article about fruits and vegetables on wholeliving.com!).

I'm pretty sure it's a sign from the Television Gods, telling me to watch this program and maybe give Jason Lee another chance. After all, I don't have to personally watch those chipmunk travesties. And I did love him in "Chasing Amy," "Mallrats" and "My Name is Earl."

OK, sure, it could be that TNT is just really pushing this show, but I prefer to believe in the Television Gods theory. After all, who else has always been there for me, if not the warm, loving glow of TV.

And he is looking awfully damn cute, I must admit.

Don't you judge me.

I'm sure you have your obsessions.

It's time again for ...

2010-06-16T09:22:00.002-06:00

Fun with Spam!

Starring: the 2010 Edition of Presidential Who's Who

Dear Pam,

You were recently chosen as a potential candidate to represent your professional community in the 2010 Edition of Presidential Who's Who.

We are pleased to inform you that your candidacy was formally approved June 3rd, 2010. Congratulations. The Publishing Committee selected you as a potential candidate based not only upon your current standing, but focusing as well on criteria from executive and professional directories, associations, and trade journals. Given your background, the Director believes your profile makes a fitting addition to our publication.

I'll stop there because you get the picture. I have been "formally approved" as a candidate for the 2010 Edition of Presidential Who's Who. Ooh. Prestigiousy. I, who work part-time and do freelance work, have a profile that makes "a fitting addition" their publication. And they're basing it on my "current standing" -- you know, my standing as a part-time employee, a failed writer and a sort-of student -- and on criteria "executive and professional" blah blah blah.

I've been getting different "Who's Who" e-mails delivered to my "work" address over the past few months. I mark each one spam and do not click the unsubscribe link. Which, by the way, has "moneymaker" in its address. Sheesh.

Cheesy TV and me

2010-06-15T08:06:00.004-06:00

I have a confession to make. Last night I spent nearly three hours watching "Ghost Whisperer" reruns on SyFy. I'm not sure how it happened. The remote was right next to me. I have a library of DVDs I can watch. I have both a Blockbuster Online and a Netflix subscription. I even have a bunch of (quality) movies recorded on the DVR.

Maybe it was the fact that I was working on a writing project at the same time (I will have to go re-read that to make sure it's coherent). Maybe I just needed some mindless entertainment in the background while I worked (I didn't seem to be getting much done sitting at my desk).

The most disturbing part was that I kinda, sorta liked it. I know! Don't judge me. It's not like I'll be seeking it out or anything. It's not as if I checked and found out that SyFy plays four-hour blocks of "Ghost Whisperer" every Monday. Or that it's on every weeknight on Ion Television (Comcast channel 26).

OK, so maybe I need a Cheesy TV intervention.

From the in-case-I-didn't-mention-it file

2010-06-09T10:20:00.003-06:00

The S.O. has decided to take flying lessons.

Which I fully support because he's excited about it. But look at that tiny little plane. Scary. The only downside is that the weather has been pretty uncooperative for him -- high winds, fog -- and he hasn't gotten as many hours logged as he'd like. Still, I like to think one day he'll get his pilot's license and jet us off to some exotic locale for a romantic getaway.

Shut up. A girl can dream.

Vaguey McVaguerson and her opinion

2010-06-08T17:02:00.004-06:00

I know I have a really -- no, I mean, Really -- terrible track record when it comes to marriage and relationships, but it seems to me if you're hacking into your husband's e-mail to see who his contacts are, you may have trust issues. And your marital problems are bigger than you may realize.

I also know the person I'm talking about doesn't read my Blog, but just in case: I have my own shit to deal with, honey. I don't want your husband.

Thanks. I feel better now.

OK, Mother Nature, just stop it

2010-06-07T09:15:00.008-06:00

You know, I hate to be one of those people who always bitches about the weather. But I can't help it. Seriously, it was snowing here just three weeks ago, and today, the weather forecasters are saying the temperature is going to be near 100 degrees.

Maybe I wouldn't complain if we had air conditioning. Wait. No. This is me we're talking about. Of course I'd complain. It's what I do. I'll just have to think cool thoughts today. Or find a nice WiFi spot with a/c.

In the meantime, check out this nest on our house. It's not a very good picture, because I had to zoom in from my office window. But it's the coolest looking thing. It's perfectly round. At first I thought it was some kind of light the S.O. put up. It's that symmetrical.The S.O. knocked it down from the eaves. No one was home in the nest, so he didn't get stung -- except by the deck chair that ripped the skin off his shin. Don't worry, no pics of that. But here's a closer look at the nest.
Not sure who it belonged to exactly. We have had paper wasps' nests, mud dauber nests and yellow jacket nests and none of them have looked quite like this.

Any ideas? Also, any ideas on how to keep all these critters from nesting in our eaves? Because these nests look really cool, but I really, really, really hate flying stinging things.

Am I the only person who thinks nouns should stay nouns?

2010-06-04T10:50:00.003-06:00

Surely not. However, I came across this little gem today:

The Associated Press has just informed our editorial department that "unfriend" is officially a word.

So, not only is "unfriend" officially a word, it's OK to use it as a verb? I don't accept "friend" as a verb. I don't really like "text" used as a verb.

But then again, I'm a word nerd and a grammar Nazi. So maybe my opinion is that of an old curmudgeon.

What I made for dinner: Paprika Shrimp and Green Bean Saute

2010-06-02T18:18:00.004-06:00

(From EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry)

Ingredients

4 cups green beans, trimmed (about 12 ounces)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 16-ounce cans large butter beans, or cannellini beans, rinsed
1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put green beans in a steamer basket, place in the pan, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until just fragrant but not browned, about 20 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in beans, vinegar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley.
3. Divide the green beans among 4 plates. Top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup parsley.

Makes 4 servings (but I cut it all in half for the S.O. and me).

This dish was super easy (I bought shrimp that was already de-veined!) and really delicious -- for those out there who like shrimp and green beans, of course.

Behind the red door

2010-06-01T12:18:00.002-06:00

Or what I did with my three-day weekend

The S.O. and I have talked about moving out of our current house for a few years now. At one time, we thought we were moving to Oregon. When that didn't happen (for which I'm very glad now), we thought we'd still like to live in another part of town.

Slowly, we made upgrades and changes to the house -- things we thought would make it more marketable and at the same time, things we would be able to enjoy.

The front door was one of those things that wasn't a big deal, but something we thought would look nice if we fixed it up. Originally, the door was a plain wood door -- well "wood" might be more appropriate. But it was very faded and just kind of blah.

Now, it's red -- technically "borscht" -- and quite striking, if I do say so myself.

And it had better, because despite the fact that we spent the extra money to get the supposedly high-quality paint AND primer, it took three coats to get the coverage we wanted. So, what were we doing at 10 p.m. Sunday evening? We were waiting for paint to dry so we could rehang the door and go to bed ... just so we could take it back down Monday to add one more coat. All in all, it took us something like 15+ hours to paint one door. Ugh.

OK, sure we also attended a barbecue and watched UFC at a friend's house over the weekend. But the biggest part of the long weekend was spent watching paint dry. And it's just as exciting as it sounds.

Animal tales

2010-05-25T08:21:00.004-06:00

My dear and talented friend Lisa over at Grandma's Briefs is sending her grandson a tortoise -- no not a real tortoise -- a very cute plastic tortoise. It's in honor of World Turtle Day and ... oh just go read her post (if you haven't already). Her post led her to ask: "Did you or anyone you know have a turtle when you were a kid?"

Which got me to thinking about the animals we did have as kids. Because with three boys in the house, it seemed someone was always bringing home some kind of orphaned animal (and by "someone" I mean "Joe.")

I have vague memories of baby rabbits and snapping turtles and squirrels, but the most memorable was JoJo the Raccoon. He was orphaned (don't ask me to tell you how he was "orphaned," please) at our friend's farm and came home with us. It was like something straight off Wild Kingdom. And he was the cutest damn thing. Look.

Yep. That's me -- cuddling a wild freaking animal. And before you think my parents were irresponsible, he was actually quite tame. We fed him grapes and scrambled eggs. And somewhere in my old photos, I have a picture of him inside my Barbie camper. (It was quite traumatic for Barbie and Ken. Ken lost an arm in the attack.)

Unfortunately, as raccoons reach sexual maturity, they become more and more aggressive. Knowing this, we took him to a local petting zoo well before that day came. Technically, it's a turn-of-the-century replica farm and it's still operating today. And technically, no one was actually allowed to pet JoJo or his buddy Ricky. But we were able to go and visit him a few more times before he was released into the wild.

Well, that's what I was told. And that's what I still choose to believe. If you have other theories about "released into the wild," I'd prefer you keep them to yourself.

Mutant strawberry

2010-05-21T09:36:00.006-06:00

I baked a cake last weekend for the S.O.'s birthday. It was a lemon cake with vanilla frosting, and I sliced fresh strawberries to put on top.

It was not a beautiful cake but it was quite tasty.

You can't tell from the picture of the cake, but there were a few strawberries in the batch that were huge. They weren't just kind of big; they were seriously, massively, monstrously giant.

Look:

Lest you think that's Photoshopped (which I don't have, by the way), here's another for perspective.

The strawberry on the left is still larger than average and it's dwarfed by the mutant strawberry.

That big old thing tasted just like any other strawberry though. And since consuming it, I have not developed any special powers.

And yet, I know he'll just break my heart again

2010-05-20T13:28:00.003-06:00

There is something oh-so-charming about Jason Lee in this promo.

Still, I don't know if I can ever fully forgive him for "Alvin and the F'ing Chipmunks."

Hello, everybody!

2010-05-19T10:19:00.005-06:00

Don't you just hate it when people don't update their blog? Yeah, me too.

So, to update:

I am studying away to become a personal trainer, as well as working out more so I can be a good example to clients.
I am still writing test drives but am feeling kind of burned out on them and am (still) seriously considering not doing any more after the summer. However, that means the only writing I'll be doing will be on blogs. But that counts, right?
The S.O. and I are trying to decide if we want to return to my home town in a couple weeks for my niece's 8th grade graduation. We don't want to stay at my dad's house -- for a variety of reasons -- but also don't feel like having to explain that to him. Any ideas?
Ripley is almost completely back to normal. Her hair has mostly grown back, and she's up to her old shenanigans.
Saturday marks the six-year anniversary of my first date with the S.O. Time is scary.

OK, I think that brings us up to date. When I can think of something more profound -- or at least funny -- to write about, I will. But at least I'm not a total blog slacker.

UPDATE: Oh, and I'm playing with the blogs layout because I was tired of the generic template. if you like it, let me know. If you hate it, you can shut the hell up. (Oh, I'm kidding. Let me know if you hate it. It's a work in progress.)

Fun with Spam!

2010-05-11T17:23:00.005-06:00

Today in Fun with Spam, I share a "Privet!" e-mail I received (It was sent to me and two other people! Very "privet" indeed.):

Good day, my dear friend

Don't put your heart in someone's hands until you're sure that they know how to hold it… That is why I think, that two persons have to become friends first of all. I guess one letter isn't enough to know person well enough but I will try. I don't like noisy parties at the restaurants. I like to cook and do it not bad. I'm happy to meet good people. I like to dance, visit dance studio. I like flowers. I live in house with a small garden. There are many flowers in my garden and that is the place where I have a rest in spring and summer. In my sole I am a romantic person. I am also attractive woman and I do everything to be in a good form. Here (link redacted) I am looking for my second part for to share my life with.

While I am also happy to meet good people. I think I'll pass.

Volunteers Rock

2010-05-07T09:06:00.003-06:00

Yesterday marked the end of our spring tutoring session (the cookies were a hit, once again). And as I thanked all of my volunteer tutors, I realized how much they do and how hard it is to really express a true thanks to them.

They give their time -- two (or more) hours a week, plus their travel time -- to work with a kid they don't know, simply out of the goodness of their heart. I tutored for a few months before taking on my paid position, and while it was fulfilling, it was also a lot of hard work. The kids don't always want to read. They don't always want to cooperate. But my volunteers were patient and worked hard to get the kids to pay attention. Some of them really struggled with kids who were hyper or distracted -- or distracting. But they persevered. And I saw big changes in a lot of the kids. And a bookmark and a thank-you note seem like such a small token for such a big job.

I know none of my volunteers read my blog (well, a former one does, and she definitely rocks!) but I still wanted to honor them here, because they do rock, as does anyone who gives their time to help others -- in whatever capacity.

But they tasted good

2010-05-06T09:22:00.005-06:00

The Boot Tracks turned out to be a big hit, and not one person said they looked like poo. And not one person knew they were made with whole-wheat pastry flour, raw sugar, organic cocoa powder and cage-free eggs.

Shhh. Don't tell anyone I've turned into such a hippy.

Baking cookies

2010-05-05T13:34:00.008-06:00

Tonight and tomorrow night we celebrate the end of our spring tutoring session. I got it in my head to bake cookies for the little nippers because I hate all the processed crap out there and plan to force my healthier ways on the kids, whether they know it or not.

So, I headed over to EatingWell.com and found this recipe: Boot Tracks. Cute, right? Plus, they actually kind of fit, because the theme of our curriculum is Pikes Peak and hiking and climbing the mountain, etc. (This replaces my original idea of making sugar cookies shaped like the Cat in the Hat's hat. I couldn't find a hat cookie cutter and I know my limitations.)

However, being the bad planner that I am, I barely had enough sugar to make one batch, even though I'd planned to make at least two. And they are not dusted with confectioners' sugar, because the bag I had in the pantry had a "best by" date from more than a year ago. And I only have a Belgian waffle iron. Which the recipe specifically says not to use.

So, although my Boot Tracks cookies taste yummy. They look more like something you might scrape off your boot at the end of a hike than a boot track.

Bet you wish you could have one now, don't you?

This is a horoscope I can get behind

2010-05-01T11:12:00.001-06:00

Capricorn
Saturday, May 1st, 2010 -- You might want to escape for a while today and it's actually a good idea. You spend enough time handling business and being responsible in your day-to-day life. Now, if you dream about taking time for yourself or going off to play with friends, don't judge yourself harshly. All work and no play isn't a smart way to live; it's healthier to acknowledge your desires and give yourself permission to relax and unwind.

And Now for a Big Finish

2010-04-30T11:50:00.003-06:00

It's the last day of April, and I managed to post an entry on my blog every single day this month. I wonder if I can keep up with it (try to suppress your derisive laughter, dear reader).

With April over (almost), summer must be right around the corner. Right? Well, we did have a big snowstorm last week, and the forecast for the weekend is showing highs around 50. So, Spring, maybe. But we are wrapping up our tutoring session for the Spring and my calendar looks a little more open. What will I do with my free time?

Study my 735-page Fitness text book and take quizzes. Try out some new healthy recipes. Squeeze in a few more workouts (I've been trying yoga). And just get my head together so I don't feel like I'm burned out by the work I've been doing the past few years. (I'm seriously considering not doing test drives after this year.)

This morning, I went to my Boot Camp Fitness workout, then zoomed home, had a quick protein smoothie, then zoomed to a park, where I did a mini workout with Kettle bells. We recorded a video that I should be able to post (or link to) soon. And I took a whole bunch of pictures of the instructor, Beth. She's the one on the left.
It was about 40 degrees and windy, but we managed to look like we were having a good time. I'm really looking forward to getting certified and starting to kick some butt into shape -- including my own.

I just have to figure out how I'm going to get my brain to remember all the Latin terms for the muscles. Ugh.

Thanks for tuning in for my NaBloPoMo this April. It's been fun.

Two Big Days Left

2010-04-29T08:21:00.005-06:00

I'm thisclose to finishing an entire month of posting every single day. I feel like tomorrow has to be the Big Finale. So today, you're getting a Big ... giggle (from "F Minus").

Well, it made me giggle anyway.

Biggest Loser and Big Bad Trends

2010-04-28T09:23:00.003-06:00

I've noticed that one of the new fitness trends is for trainers to scream at and belittle their clients ala "The Biggest Loser." The lovely and talented Moardy over at A Motivated Notion has even seen this phenomenon in yoga classes. (Go read her account of this yoga experience. It's freaking scary.)

And maybe it works for some people. As Moardy says, "The class was packed and the studio continues to bring in new students with the promise of helping them lose weight."

But for me, not so much. If my trainer talked to me the way the trainers on "The Biggest Loser" talk to those people, he'd be drinking his Power Bars through a straw. And I'm not the only one in my workout group who would give him whatfor.

I don't find yelling motivating. If you're yelling how hot I look, OK, sure, that's motivating. But I don't want my Boot Camp fitness workout to feel and sound like a real Boot Camp. I've joked about my trainer being an "evil drill sergeant" but I wouldn't have stuck with this workout program for nearly a year if he ever made me feel bad about myself.

You know, I can belittle myself just fine without having to pay someone else to do it. I want my trainer (and especially my yoga instructor) to tell me I'm doing a great job and encourage me to push myself a little harder. Tell me I'm lazy or weak or that what I'm doing should hurt, and I'm out the door.

A Big F-U from Our Government

2010-04-27T07:39:00.003-06:00

I don't usually get political here at Rambling Pam. I just don't think this is the forum for it. But I felt compelled to share this little tidbit, especially because Earth Day was just last week.

The S.O., feeling politically and environmentally responsible, sent a letter to our local representative, expressing his support for pursuing alternative energy sources. Yesterday, he received a (form) letter from said representative. Below are parts of that letter.

Dear Mr. S.O.,
Thank you for contacting me with your thoughts regarding alternative and renewable energy development in the United States. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter, and I share your interest in developing alternative and renewable energy for the future.

So far, so good.

I support domestic energy development legislation that will lower prices today, while producing alternative energy for tomorrow. I also would consider legislation that takes federal revenues from oil and gas leasing and puts it into research and development of alternative and renewable energy.

Hmmm. Why am I starting to suspect this is political doublespeak?

I am a strong supporter of increasing our own domestic energy production through drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf of the United States. Additionally, exploration and development of other rich oil and natural gas reserves can take place in our public lands.

Wait. What? Finding alternative places to drill for oil does NOT equal finding alternative energy sources.

He goes on to say that "drilling in this small reserve of land (in Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain) can be both environmentally sound and provide Americans with 10.4 billion barrels of oil." I'm not so sure about the "environmentally sound" part. But I'm not a big ol' politician either. I'm also not a creature who lives on that coastal plain ... and neither is he.

I appreciate that this proposed idea would "provide unprecedented levels of funding for development of renewable energy at no cost to the taxpayer" but at what cost to future generations? The whole letter smacks of "Thanks for writing, but I'm going to do whatever the hell I want to do, regardless of you as a voter want."

Eh. Maybe I'm too much of a liberal because I don't mind paying for alternative and renewable energy research. I also wouldn't mind paying for street lights and garbage cans. But that's just me.

Big Ben

2010-04-26T09:02:00.004-06:00

A few years ago, the S.O. and I went to the U.K. We were only in London for three days so we crammed a ton of sight-seeing into that time. We hit all the big ones (although some we only saw from the outside): Big Ben and the houses of parliament, the London Eye, the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park. We spent a rainy day in the Albert and Victoria museum, where I got a guard to say to me, "Ohh! You sound just like Monica ... from Friends." This was in response to me saying, "I know!"

We even went to Westminster Abbey to see the burial place of such luminaries as Charles Darwin, George Frederic Handel, Rudyard Kipling and Charles Dickens (as a literature geek, the writers and poets were a really big deal to me).

From London, we visited Lincoln, where the S.O. had a friend and we saw leftover set pieces from "The DaVinci Code" in Lincoln Cathedral. If I remember the movie correctly -- and I wish I could forget it -- the scenes that supposedly took place in Westminster Abbey were actually film in Lincoln Cathedral. Kinda cool. Too bad I hated the movie (especially Tom Hanks' hair).

After a couple days in Lincoln, we took the train to Edinburgh, Scotland. We visited castles and museums and strolled along the beach of the Firth of Forth. We spent some time hanging out with the S.O. aunt and uncle, who was teaching at a college there. We strolled through a forest that called to mind fairies and robber barons and cutthroats. We didn't make it to the highlands on that trip, but I'd like to go back some day.

It's been a while since we took a really big vacation like this one. So maybe I'd just like to go somewhere.

Big Night Out

2010-04-25T10:55:00.002-06:00

Thanks to my part-time gig, the S.O. and I got to go to a fancy schmancy fund-raiser event last night. We got dressed up and ate and drank too much. It was a lot of fun.

It was the American Culinary Federation Pikes Peak Chapter Presents Simply Colorado, and the menu looked like this:
Reception
Chef Mark Painter C.E.C., Pikes Peak Community College
Reception Platters
Artesian Rolls
Chef Pete Aiello C.E.C., C.E.P.C., Alpine Chef
Artesian Rolls with Sweet Cream Butter
Fish
Chef Gary Hino C.E.C., Pikes Peak Community College
Sea Bass and Asian Medley En Paupiette with Green Tea Beurreblanc
Soup
Chef Walter Lofton, Springs Rescue Mission
Five Onion Soup with Scallion and Gruyere Croutons
Salad
Chef Bill Poulin, Cheyenne Mountain Resort
Roasted Chili Apple Bouquet with Candied Pecans and Spiced Yogurt Dressing
Intermezzo
Chef Richard Carpenter C.E.P.C., Harvest Mountain Foods
Wild Strawberry Yuzu Sorbet
Fowl
Chef Eric Viedt, The Margarita at Pine Creek
Southwest Duck ala Orange
Meat
Chef Tyler Peoples, Briarhurst Manor
Split Rack of Lamb Crepinette with Smoked Lamb Belly Duxelle
Dessert
Megan Walter, Sweet Daphne
Lemon Chevre Cheese Strudel, Black Berry Port Syrup with Cardamom Cream
Coffee Service
Jewels Burdick, Colorado Coffee Merchants
Mignardise
Richard Carpenter C.E.P.C, Harvest Mountain Foods
French Cinnamon Macaroons
Matcha Green Tea Mousseline
Coconut and Guava Pata de Fruit
Single Origin Chocolate Truffles

And because I had no idea what "mignardise" meant, I looked it up. This Web site says:

Mignardise are the tiny, bite-sized desserts that often follow a meal at high-end restaurants. They frequently include tiny cookies or chocolates, as well as other edible delights.

It also tells me that the word translates from French to mean "delicate fondling." Gotta admire the French for their love of food.

And now back to my regularly scheduled diet that excludes eight-course meals and wine pairings.

Big Punch

2010-04-24T08:18:00.002-06:00

That's for the woman with the big mouth. Don't I look like a big bad ass?

Big Pivotal Pics

2010-04-23T07:55:00.000-06:00

I am borrowing an idea from my good friend Lisa over at Grandma's Briefs for this post. She wrote about 12 movies that had an impact on her life so far. At the end of her post she asks for our pivotal pics. Because I thought the subject deserved a bit of thought, I decided to post here rather than just comment there. (But please do visit Grandma's Briefs if you don't already.)

Without further ado, here are my:

10 Pivotal Pics

1. Grease (1978) -- I had no idea I could love a musical. Before this movie, I thought all musicals were in Technicolor with lots of old people dancing to songs that were oh-so boring.

2. and 3. Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) (but not the others in the franchise) -- These movies have a tough chick as the main character, thrust into a situation beyond her control, totally kicking ass. They inspire me to be tough.

4. The Breakfast Club (1985) -- This movie helped me realize the "cool" kids don't have the answers either.

5. Say Anything (1989) -- Although pivotal, I'd have to say pivotal in a negative way. Why can't every man be Lloyd Dobler?

6. Chasing Amy (1997) -- This movie helped me get over a bad break up and made me fall in love with Jason Lee and help my friend write a song.

7. Dawn of the Dead (2004) -- In the past, movies about the undead gave me nightmares -- yes, even the silly ones. This movie kicked off a spree (for me) of zombie movies that helped me put that fear to rest.

8. Shaun of the Dead (2004) -- This one completely eliminated the fear and sealed my love for all things zombie.

9. Roman Holiday (1953) -- I'm embarrassed to say I saw this for the first time just a few short years ago. Suddenly, I wanted to be Audrey Hepburn. I wanted to be a princess in disguise flitting around Rome with Gregory Peck. The movie is fun and romantic and sad and really beautiful.

10. Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) -- I saw this movie on PBS in 2002 or 2003. I didn't have cable so I watched what I could. This movie awoke my love for classic films. It's hilarious. Also, they don't make Hollywood movie stars like Cary Grant anymore.

Big Mouth - A Rant

2010-04-22T07:56:00.005-06:00

I work with a woman who is an obnoxious know-it-all. The one good thing is I only have to see her about once a month, but in that hour or so, I really want to punch her in the face. Yes, I know how violent that sounds, but she is horrible -- and totally disrespectful.

Yesterday, during our monthly meeting, she interrupted people, put in her two-cents worth whether it was wanted or needed, rolled her eyes at other people's suggestions and told her bosses their idea was a waste of her time.

One of the things she loves to do is going to stop, and she is not happy about it. The funny thing is she somehow thinks this thing that's actually a totally separate thing and takes extra time is better than the new thing that will be integrated into our daily schedule. She actually said she doesn't have time to do anything extra, yet that's exactly what she's doing now. And I happen to know that the thing she's doing is totally stressful for the other people who have to do it.

Our bosses asked us to have some thank-you cards made for donors. It's a nice thing to do and shouldn't take more than a few minutes, and it's not even something she herself has to do. That was when she did the most appalling thing, she said to our boss, "When I saw that come through my e-mail, I said, 'Screw that. I don't have time for that.'"

My jaw almost hit the floor. You don't have time to ask someone to make a thank-you card for the people who essentially pay your salary? Holy crap! I seriously almost came out of my chair and I can't believe she wasn't asked to leave. She must be really good at her job otherwise. She sort of changed her tune when pretty much everyone there berated her for her attitude. Yet, even then I don't think she thought we were right.

Thank goodness I don't have to see her for another month. In the meantime, I know whose face I'll picture next time I take a boxing class.

Kind of a Big Deal

2010-04-21T08:50:00.002-06:00

So, my new guitar teacher told me he heard from my old guitar teacher, and my old guitar teacher is playing with a band that opened for Willie Nelson over the weekend. My six degrees of Willie Nelson just got smaller.

And even though I'm not really a big country fan, I do love Willie Nelson. So, just because I do, here's a video. Which has nothing at all to do with my old guitar teacher.

One More Big Brother

2010-04-20T08:45:00.001-06:00

I have one more big brother to tell you about. Joe was the middle brother of the three. And I think he watched one too many episodes of the Brady Bunch and took that whole middle child thing to heart. He always thought he got the short end of the stick. But he was also the trouble maker.

"Santa" had to start wrapping the presents he left under the tree or Joe would wake up early and announce to everyone what they got. Joe would find everyone's Easter basket and tell us where they were hidden. Joe would pick fights with Jim who was bigger and wasn't allowed to fight back -- until Mom finally had enough and said go for it. Then Joe moved on to Mike, who fought like the Tasmanian Devil and could inflict damage. So it was on to me who was too small to fight back and just cried to Mom or yelled, "Quit it!" a million times.

But Joe was also the star, earning Athlete-of-the-Week honors from our local paper for his pitching skills. I remember hearing how his fast ball was on par with professionals. And he and his beautiful wife produced the first grandchild of the family. (And yes, I do love his wife. She's been in the family longer than not and probably deserves her own blog post. And I'm not just saying that to suck up in case she reads this. I mean it!)

This photo (taken many, many years ago) shows four generations of our family: My maternal grandmother, Mom, Joe and his daughter, Heather.

It's true we fought a lot. A lot. But I think I'm tough because of it. With three older brothers I learned not to take crap from anyone.

Big Nap

2010-04-19T08:45:00.000-06:00

Irrefutable proof that I am not -- as originally believed -- queen of my castle.

Big Butts

2010-04-18T10:30:00.009-06:00

Last summer, when my niece came to visit, we went to the zoo -- twice. As we looked through the photos, we found that many animals did not want their picture taken. So we ended up with a lot of pictures of critter rear ends. Then, it became our goal to photograph as many animal behinds as possible.

We got zebra butts:

And elephant butts:

And, of course, hippo butts:

Big-Ass Spider

2010-04-17T17:47:00.003-06:00

I have been pretty good lately about cooking more. And for the most part, I cook healthy meals, with fresh, whole ingredients.

Tonight's dinner was Vietnamese-style beef and noodle broth. It's kind of like pho, traditional Vietnamese soup. I thought it tasted pretty good, but the S.O. thought it needed some tweaking. I think I can accommodate him and keep it fairly healthy.

But the real reason for this post isn't to share the recipe, it's to tell you about what I found in the basil. Because I don't have any kind of green-thumb whatsoever, I buy fresh herbs in these flat plastic packages. They're pretty convenient, and I don't usually waste too much that way. Tonight, I opened the package to pull out some basil for the soup and found a big-ass black spider.

I'm not usually terribly squeamish about spiders, but this one was sitting in my basil. And I freaked a bit. And by a bit, I mean I pretty much lost it, slamming the package closed and calling the S.O. to deal with it. (He washed it down the sink.)

I put the basil in a colander to rinse it and assure myself that Charlotte didn't leave any babies behind. I was thisclose to just throwing the entire package into the garbage -- the outdoor garbage. But I know that would have been really wasteful.

Still, I have to admit my skin is kind of still crawling.

Big Fraidy Cat

2010-04-16T08:43:00.003-06:00

Yesterday's weather produced nothing more than a small cloud burst and lots of rumbling. Ripley doesn't like thunder.As you can probably tell.

Hi ya, Big Boy

2010-04-15T08:01:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I went to my friend's house so she could cut my hair and make it look like a color that actually exists in nature (yes, they call in "Natural Instincts" but it doesn't look all that natural when you put it over pre-existing dyed blond hair, but that's probably a story for another entry). She recently had a baby boy, and this is the first time I got to see him -- other than a picture on Facebook, in which he looked oddly spray tanned. (He's not.)

During the course of the afternoon, I got to hold the boy a few times. He's quite cute and seems so tiny. I held him and walked around with him for a bit while my friend made us some lunch. During that time, he decided it would be a really good idea to pee and let some leak out the diaper -- just a couple of drops, but still it's pee. I have to wonder if I should be flattered.

It turns out that having a kid is kind of a big job. And my friend, who recently turned 40, isn't so sure she wants to try for a second one. I don't judge -- OK, yeah, I'm Judgey McJudgerson, but I don't judge my friends in regards to their parenting choices and styles -- but she did seem to be pretty darn tired and was obviously feeling like she was nothing more than a dairy for this little man.

Don't get me wrong, she's deliriously happy with this baby. She was just exhausted and realizing (as I'm sure all new parents do, no matter how prepared) that having a kid is way more work than they thought.

I have accepted the fact that the universe doesn't want me to have a baby. But there is a part of me that thinks the universe has a grand scheme to lull me into a false sense of security, then years from now, when I'm contentedly settled into my mid-40s -- BAM! -- pregnant. Is it wrong that I think the universe is trying to pull a long con on me?

Another Big Brother

2010-04-14T08:53:00.005-06:00

A couple days ago, I told you about the oldest of my three older brothers. Now, let me tell you a little about the youngest of my three older brothers.

My niece and brother, high above the zoo.

We're separated in age by almost four years but were close enough in age growing up to have gone to elementary school together for a bit, walking to school together. And close enough to actually play together some. He might not remember -- or might not like to admit -- that he helped me set up a doll house at the top of the stairwell so my "Sunshine Family" could live next to a waterfall.

Me and Mike at our aunt's wedding. I didn't get to be a flower girl, thus the pout.

We were also close enough in age to have fights and arguments, but I must be getting old because I don't remember them ever being that bad. (Not like some of the other fights in our house that involved hammers and broomsticks. But I digress.)

Mike was always the handy one. He built end tables and lamps and other wooden items that are still in use today -- and that didn't look like they were built by a "kid." I wouldn't have admitted then how much I admired his skill.

Today, I admire him for his incredible parenting skills. He has raised my niece and nephew on his own and done a damn fine job, too. They're both smart and well-adjusted kids and somehow tolerate their aunt and her silliness. Their visit last year was the highlight of the summer -- strike that -- it was the highlight of the year.

Big Red Nose

2010-04-13T09:18:00.002-06:00

Allergies suck.

Apparently, the entire country is experiencing record high pollen counts. I guess I'm selfish because I don't really care about the rest of the country. I just care about my raw nose.

For me the worst part is that I never even had allergies until I was in my late 20s. Now I never know what might trigger them. Dust? Definitely. Animals? Some. A dog with any amount of Lab in its blood will set me off like nothing else. Even my own dog (who is certainly Lab free) will sometimes cause me to break out on my arms.

I never really thought pollen was my problem. And around these parts, it might not be pollen. With the high winds, it might just be dirt and dust blowing around. All I know -- and I don't need a doctor or some other expert to tell me this -- is allergies suck.

Big time.

Big Movie Night

2010-04-12T12:18:00.004-06:00

Over the weekend, the S.O. and I watched two movies out on DVD right now. We don't go to the theater very much any more, mostly because I'm a curmudgeon who doesn't like crowds or talking during movies or crying babies or sticky floors. And I like to make my own popcorn and watch movies in my jammies.

We'd heard a lot of good things about both the movies we watched (on DVD because we're not that high-tech yet) . They weren't super hyped up, which can be the downfall of a movie. But they got good press and even received some awards. And they both definitely lived up to my high expectations of them.

The first one was "The Blind Side." Sandra Bullock won an Oscar for her role -- in case you missed that with all the news of her cheating husband -- and she, along with the rest of the cast really do turn in great performances.

It's heartwarming without being cloying, and kind of restores my faith in humans. And don't worry if you're not a huge football fan. Football plays second fiddle to the real story here.

The second movie we watched was "Fantastic Mr. Fox." I loved this movie for its unabashed playfulness.

Where "The Blind Side" was uplifting for it's rags-to-riches story and help-your-fellow-man message, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is funny, laugh-out-loud, release-your-inner-child pure fun. George Clooney voices Mr. Fox, bringing all his old Hollywood type of charm to the character. Meryl Streep voices his wife, and Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Michael Gambon (Dumbledore!), Willem Dafoe and other lend their talent.

Based on the book by Roald Dahl, "Fantastic Mr. Fox" is fantastic, with talking wild animals (should I be bothered that all the mammals can talk, but the fowls are food?) who get themselves into crazy situations that are only partly due to their being wild animals.

These two movies, while wildly different, made a great double feature. Add in some homemade popcorn and the dog curled up on my lap and you really shouldn't wonder why I prefer my movie nights at home.

Big Brother

2010-04-11T13:39:00.003-06:00

No, not the giant talking face from "1984," but my actual big brother -- the oldest of the three. We keep in touch through (extremely) sporadic phone calls, but mostly through Facebook. We exchange comments and chat sometimes. I often think Facebook is evil, but in this case it's been great.

Jim and me and our dog, Herkimer.

We're separated in age by nearly seven years, so we didn't always do kid things together, but I can remember him taking me to see "The Rescuers" at the movie theater. And he was the epitome of what a big brother should be to a baby sister. He was protective. He looked out for me. And while he sometimes teased me (and still does!), it was always good-natured teasing and he was never ever mean to me.

With him living in Michigan and me in Colorado, we don't see each other often enough, but I know he's always there for me. He's the first person I wanted to talk to after Mom died.

He's been feeling a bit under the weather lately, so I've been thinking about him a lot and hoping my happy thoughts reach him and make him feel a tiny bit -- or a whole helluva lot -- better.

Big Video Saturday

2010-04-10T08:13:00.002-06:00

One of my new favorite things is "The Rotten Tomatoes Show" on Current TV. The hosts, along with viewers like you and me, critique new movies and present some how-to videos of their own. Like this one.

Because it features a clip from the movie "Big," I think it fulfills my daily Big quota. It's also quite funny, and Brett Erlich is a cutie pie.

My Big Snow Day

2010-04-09T08:26:00.004-06:00

We had big plans this week to ski Wednesday and Thursday. Alas, the universe had other plans. Thanks to a spring snowstorm Wednesday morning, the roads were a bit treacherous, so we decided to head out a little later than originally planned. Then, thanks to a truck driver who reportedly was just not paying attention to traffic, the interstate was backed up. It took us an hour to go just a couple miles. Finally, we got around the accident and hit the open road and got to Frisco by about 3:45 p.m. -- just in time to check in to the bed and breakfast.

We stayed at the Galena Street Mountain Inn, and I highly recommend it. It's quiet and comfortable, and the owners are great hosts. They set out wine and cheese in the evening and cook a delicious breakfast in the morning -- homemade granola, fresh fruit, eggs to order, as well as fresh-brewed coffee -- and it cost less than staying at one of the chain motels near the interstate. It also cost half the price of staying in Copper Mountain and was way nicer.

After our wonderful breakfast Thursday morning, we headed out to Copper Mountain (just a few minutes down the road) for our day of skiing. It was a perfect day for it. The temperature reached the low 40s. The sky was so blue it was almost purple. The snow was fresh and fluffy. And the crowds were nonexistent.I skied blue runs the whole day while the S.O. took on one black. I don't know what was different about the day but it was the best day of skiing I think I've ever had. I felt strong and confident and had a ton of fun. We'd like to get one more day in before the end of the season, but I can't imagine it'll beat yesterday.

Big Picture Show

2010-04-08T09:12:00.004-06:00

What I watched: "Penelope"

Every once in a while I am left to my own devices with the television. When that happens, I usually watch something I know the S.O. would scoff at or just wouldn't care about. Sometimes, it's a foreign film, sometimes a golden oldie.

This week, it was "Penelope," a film from 2006 that must have had zero publicity (because I'd never heard of it) and that I really enjoyed. It stars Christina Ricci and James McAvoy and it's a sweet little twist on "Beauty and the Beast."

Peter Dinklage is also in it as a rabid reporter, looking for a big scoop. And if you haven't seen Dinklage in "The Station Agent," stop reading right now and go to Blockbuster or Netflix and add it to the top of your queue immediately. I'll wait.

(Files nails, whistles ... ) Oh! You're back. Hi.

Is "Penelope" a romantic comedy? Maybe. I'd call it a fairy tale that appealed to even my cynical nature. It's romantic and sweet and cute. And you can probably guess the end before it comes, but none of that stopped me from smiling. And none of that stopped me from loving the characters I was supposed to love and hating the characters I was supposed to hate.

If you're going to spend 90 minutes watching something that's supposed to be romantic, that's supposed to make you laugh, that's supposed to make you root for the leading lady and man, you may as well spend it watching Christina Ricci and James McAvoy in "Penelope."

Big Obsession Confession

2010-04-07T08:55:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make. I have a bit of an obsession with coffee cups -- travel mugs, cups with pictures, cups with funny sayings, cups from far away places. My latest find is this one.

I found it at World Market (If I'm completely honest, I have a bit of an obsession with that store, too). And it's a really cute cup. It looks like a take-away cup from a coffee shop, complete with the little sleeve to keep you from burning your hands and the white lid. But the cup is ceramic, and the lid and sleeve are silicone.

The S.O. has told me I need to get rid of some of the coffee cups. But I can't get rid of the one with Inky on it or the one from London with Paddington Bear on it or any of the travel mugs because I have to be able to take my coffee with me or the set of red ones that match the plates and bowls.

OK, maybe I have a problem. But I promise you won't see me on "Hoarders" or "Hoarding: Buried Alive" or even "Clean House" any time soon -- well, ever. I promise.

Although ... I did see a really cute coffee cup yesterday ...

Big Step

2010-04-06T08:13:00.001-06:00

I finally took a big first step and applied for a personal trainer certification course. Soon, I will not only be your go-to girl for rants, ramblings and stories about my dog, I will also be your go-to girl for fitness know-how.

I promise not to question your choice of menu items or hound you about working out ... unless you ask me to, of course.

This is something I've been thinking about doing for a while. I've just been -- as I always am -- a terrible procrastinator. I'm told most people finish in three or four months but also that I have up to two whole years to complete the program. I really want to be finished by the end of the summer.

Wish me luck.

Big Oops - or not

2010-04-05T08:44:00.002-06:00

This is my horoscope today:

Capricorn - You are provoked to express your passionate perspective every chance you get as the Moon joins ruthless Pluto in your 1st House of Personality today. You could go out of your way to make sure that someone knows exactly where you stand on a controversial social issue. But a volcano derives its strength from the intense heat that it holds beneath the surface. Likewise, you have a chance to increase your power by choosing what to say on your own terms. Carefully controlling your message gives you the career endurance that you desire.

I read this after shooting an e-mail off to the guy who coordinates my freelance work with the paper. A week or so ago, I told him I needed to have all the information for my stories by the Friday before my deadline (which still cuts it close). He passed that along to the powers that be and they agreed. This morning, I get an e-mail saying here's the info for this week's story. So, I forward it to him, saying, "What part of Friday deadline do they not understand?"

Maybe I should have read my horoscope first -- or maybe not. I've been looking for a reason to stop doing these stories. Maybe this is it. I complain about the assignments. I complain about the people who won't call me back or completely blow me off. I complain about the last minute BS. Maybe it's time to step away. It's a lot of stupid stress for not a lot of money.

I don't really think I can burn bridges with this guy or even with the paper. I was kind of a bitch when I left and I still got freelance assignments. Maybe rather than a big oops, this is a big wait and see.

Big Picture

2010-04-04T10:22:00.004-06:00

Happy Easter!

I took this photo -- and crafted the eggs in the basket -- back when I still wrote for a local parenting magazine. Ripley was mostly interested in the hard-boiled eggs in the basket. The other eggs were wooden.

Easter isn't really a big deal around here. We're not really religious and we don't have kids. And we're not pagan enough to celebrate the coming of spring. But it seemed like a good excuse to post this picture of Ripley -- like I need an excuse to post a picture of my dog.

Yeah, it's probably a little pathetic. Don't judge.

Big Plans

2010-04-03T11:40:00.003-06:00

No. I don't actually have any big plans. I need to make big plans but I find that I'm a person who plans to plan. I'll say, "I need to plan meals better" or "I need to plan my career move." I'm great at planning to plan. I need to follow through better.

I want to be better about planning meals. I hate waiting until it's dinner time to think about what to fix. I try to eat healthy, and planning ahead is a really important aspect of that.

I want to start a new career. It shouldn't even be that difficult for me to do what I need to do. I've asked the right people the right questions. I just need to sit down and make a plan to get it done.

So, once again, I'm planning to plan but have yet to actually make a plan.

I'm even planning to plan to blog every day for a month. I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of "bigs" I wanted to write about. What do I actually have? A sticky note with "Blog - Big" written on it, stuck to my desk.

So, OK. Big list:
Big brothers
Big changes
Big mouths
Big powder (from our upcoming ski trip, I hope)
Big dogs
Big kids
Something about books, movies, songs with "Big" in the title

OK, short list. But at least I have the start of a plan. Baby steps to my big plans.

Big Kid Ideas

2010-04-02T08:08:00.005-06:00

I have mentioned before my love for the comic strip "Cul de Sac." It's cute but not too cutesy. And I'm pretty sure the little girl in it is the child I should have had.

Click comic to enlarge.

A kid that likes the sound of a post-apocalyptic landscape is my kind of kid. I also like to think I'd be like the mom here -- just taking it all in stride.

A Big Push

2010-04-01T09:40:00.006-06:00

It's been a while since I've been out here blogging. Little updates on Facebook? Sure. But nothing big. So, when I got the e-mail from NaBloPoMo that April's theme is BIG, I thought I should go for it.

Last time I tried to blog every day for a month, I made it. That was back in November. Since then, you've gotten to read about my dog's run-in with a vicious wild feline and her recovery, but little else. Speaking of which, she's doing much better.You can see her wounds are healed and the hair is growing back. She's wearing her normal collar again. But still likes to lay as close to me as she can get. To paraphrase Groucho Marx, if she were any closer, she'd be in back of me.

For a few weeks after the incident, Ripley didn't want to go outside by herself. She was pretty gun shy -- or cat shy. But now, she's back to her old self, barking at the neighbors and the neighbors' dogs. She even managed to give me a big bruise while we played together. She grabbed for her toy but got my fleece-covered arm instead. Little dog has a big bite.

She's back to thinking she's a big dog again, and nothing can defeat her. And that's fine with me.

Yes, she's spoiled. Why do you ask?

2010-03-08T10:59:00.003-07:00

My butt is almost on the seat here.

It's hard not to spoil her when she's been hurting. She's much better now but still not 100 percent.

What I watched: "Julie & Julia"

2010-02-26T21:21:00.003-07:00

I just finished watching "Julie & Julia." No, really, just five minutes ago, I finished watching the movie. And now, I don't know if I'm inspired to write or cook or crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head because I'm never going to get a book deal out of this blog!

The movie is cute and sweet and funny and inspiring but not cloying and has just a dash of spice. Meryl Streep is brilliant -- but how can you not love Meryl Streep -- as Julia Child. Stanley Tucci is her amazingly sweet and loving husband. Jane Lynch shows up in a small scene as Julia's sister and, as Jane Lynch is wont to do, steals my heart.

Amy Adams is Julie Powell, a government worker who takes on the challenge of cooking every single recipe in Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" in one year -- and blogs about it. (The bitch gets a book deal and a movie out of it! Yes, of course I'm envious. Why didn't I think of that? Well, except for the fact that I know I could never boil a lobster alive or bone a duck. But I could write the hell out of reading about it! And I did make beef and barley soup for dinner tonight. Yes, I know it's not French. Shut up.)

I loved this movie. There's not much more I can say about it. I have no objective critiques. I just loved it. It made me happy. It was like a really great dinner, with a really great wine and really great friends.

You shoulda seen the other guy

2010-02-24T16:06:00.005-07:00

Poor Ripley. She cornered a cat in the back yard this morning. For some reason effing little cat couldn't jump the fence. Which leads me to wonder, how the hell did it get in the yard in the first place.

A trip to our truly wonderful vet and $350 later, Ripley is home, resting, looking a bit like Frankenripley, with her stitches and drain tubes. A slightly, possibly disturbing picture below.

And just like that I'm no longer thinking I want another cat. Grrr.

Guilty Pleasures Friday

2010-02-12T16:09:00.003-07:00

After spending a good portion of the day setting up body work for my car, I allowed myself a small indulgence this afternoon. What's my guilty pleasure? "The Pretender" on Hulu* and dry cereal.

You know, it's the little things.

*I can't help myself. Surveillance videos that zoom in and have multiple angles, a good guy who's a genius, bad guys who are pure evil, shifty eyes, knowing looks. All it's missing is a villain twirling his mustache and tying a girl to railroad tracks. It's so cheesy, and I love it so much I'm going to marry it.

What I watched: "Drag Me To Hell"

2010-02-06T08:36:00.006-07:00

"Drag Me To Hell" is a prime example of what happens when a movie is built up by friends and critics: I was disappointed. If I hadn't had high expectations, I probably would have loved the movie. But with the build up and the hype, the movie fell flat for me. It didn't have enough humor and cheesiness, and the effects were too good for it to be a classic B movie. And even though I thought the ending was cool -- no spoilers -- I also thought it was kind of predictable.
That said, this is probably a movie I will watch again some day. And it is worth watching. Just don't pop it in the DVD player expecting one of the all-time great horror flicks. It was fun and offered up some good gross-out moments and laugh-0ut-loud scenes and even made me jump a few times. Still, it's not scary enough to compete with "Night of the Living Dead" or even "Jeepers Creepers" for straight-up horror and it doesn't begin to measure up to the likes of "Zombieland" or "Shaun of the Dead" for horror humor.

Maybe a cameo by Bruce Campbell (or *that guy* who made an appearance in "Zombieland") would have helped. And Justin Long didn't get have to die or get hit in the junk, so I guess that's something.

I'm like fricking Snow White over here

2010-01-20T16:15:00.007-07:00

The birds have suddenly discovered my back yard. Earlier today, there were several juncos in the yard. They look like this:

Not my photography!

They were hanging out around the feeder and bird bath.

A little while later, a pair of what I think are thrushes showed up. Not being a professional photographer -- or birder, for that matter -- I didn't get a picture. And now, I can't seem to find a picture on the great big Web. Whatever they were, they were too big for my wee bird feeder, pulling it all askew and askance. And they kept landing on the bird bath, looking for the water that wasn't there.

I can take a hint. I went out and filled the bird bath (despite the temp being just at freezing) and added some seed to the feeder.

Now, I have five robins in my back yard, enjoying the hell out of the birdbath. I took some pictures, but you may not be able to tell what it is.

There's one on the bird bath, one on the ground to the right of the bath and one on the rock in front of the bath. Really! Robins! In January. Silly birds.

This is me today. It's actually really cool to sit and watch the birds -- even if it is keeping me from doing actual work.

UPDATE: The unidentified bird returned today, and with the help of binoculars and WhatBird.com, I can safely say it is the Red-Shafted Northern Flicker. This wav file helped, as well.

I can also safely say I have just become my mother.

In which I contemplate a chicken/egg scenario

2010-01-15T17:47:00.003-07:00

A couple days ago, I received a catalog from Colorado Cyclist in the mail. It is addressed to me, and I get it because I have purchased bike stuff from them in the past -- bike stuff for me. Remember that. It will be important in a second.

Flipping through the catalog this evening, I noticed something odd. There are six pages of women's clothing and 30 (three zero!) pages of men's clothing. And one half of the six pages of women's clothing is bike shoes -- the only women's shoes in the catalog, mind you.

I know men are -- in general -- more into cycling than women. But that's a very, very, very large generalization. And I wonder, are there so few pages of women's clothes because women really don't cycle as much as guys OR do women not cycle as much because there is so little out there in the way of cycling clothes, equipment, etc. designed specifically for us.

Chicken? Egg?

Speaking of nostalgia

2010-01-13T14:19:00.005-07:00

The car I test drove this week was equipped with XM Satellite Radio, and whenever I drive a car with satellite radio, I immediately tune in to First Wave ("classic alternative"). While tooling around town -- and out on some country roads -- I heard "Forever Young" by Alphaville.

This song came out way back in 1984, so I'm totally dating myself with it. But didn't I think the lyrics were profound? Didn't I think they were written just for my angst-ridden teen life?

Let's dance in style, lets dance for a while
Heaven can wait we're only watching the skies
Hoping for the best but expecting the worst
Are you going to drop the bomb or not?

This song reminds me of my days working at the movie theater and the huge crush I had on the cute college boy with the red hair. Ah, memories.

I hate cooking

2010-01-12T15:22:00.005-07:00

But Mom tried to get me to like it. One of the things that made me want to cook was this book:Published in 1965, the book was around before I was, so Mom must have bought it for my older brothers. And it was marketed to both girls and boys, which seems pretty progressive for 1965. The book sits on my shelf now. I brought it from Mom's house for the nostalgia -- and because it's actually kinda fun.

The "Bunny Salad" (made with pear "bunnies") was my favorite recipe. I honestly can't remember actually making it, but look how cute.

And pay no attention to that "Rocket Salad" in the upper right-hand corner. I never noticed it as a kid but my (perverted) adult mind doesn't exactly see a "rocket" there.

Bonus:
I just found this cookbook, tucked inside the kids' cookbook: It's Betty Crocker's "Piggy Bank Casseroles; A Special Collection of Penny-Wise Recipes," copyright 1970. Betty writes, "Dear Friend, Feeling the squeeze from the high cost of feeding a family? (Who isn't these days!)"

Betty Crocker has always been relevant, hasn't she. With recipes like Bologna Biscuits with Vegetable, Frank-Bean Casserole and Bean and Wiener Bake (yep, two beans and wienie recipes!), she'll show you how to save money, because "Whatever the reason, when your budget cries 'Help,' it's casseroles to the rescue."

Awful songs

2010-01-07T15:33:00.004-07:00

It's taken me two days to come up with it, but I finally have my answer to Lisa's question from "If ... (Questions for the Game of Life)": If you had to choose the worst song ever composed, which one would you pick?

For me it has to be "MacArthur Park." According to Wikipedia: "In 1992, humorist Dave Barry conducted a poll among his readers (as recorded in Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs) of the worst songs ever. Barry's readers selected Harris's version of 'MacArthur Park' as the worst song ever recorded, both in terms of Worst Lyrics and Worst Overall Song.

So, I'm not alone.

And with lyrics like those below, don't you think it's a perfect song to be stuck in my head on my birthday?

MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down...
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
'cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

Jan.1, Jan. 4, same difference

2010-01-04T09:48:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year! Yeah, I know it's already Jan. 4, and I'm just now getting around to my first post of the new decade (Ack! How did that happen?!?). But I've been posting over at my Boot Camp Diary (you can read about my workout antics here). And I've been trying to de-clutter my home, which I'm finding to be a losing battle. How many boxes of books can one woman have? I've also spent some time with friends I don't get to see as often as I'd like, watched some Ultimate fighting (nothing brings out my violent side quite like watching guys beat the living hell out of each other), watched almost the entire second season of "Flight of the Conchords," (which is fun and weird and just plain awesome) and watched several movies, including "District 9" (meh), "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (squee!), "The Last Picture Show" (classic) and "Terminator Salvation" (bleh). I finished reading "Anansi Boys"by Neil Gaiman, which lead to me reading his online journal and deciding I love him even more than I did after hearing him read "The Graveyard Book."

So, you see, it's been a busy year so far (OK, not really) and that's why I'm just now getting to my first post of 2010. Which, I read is to be pronounced "twenty-ten" and I plan to say "two thousand ten" just to be contrary.

Thank you, Lisa

2009-12-27T08:05:00.004-07:00

A few weeks ago, my good friend Lisa -- over at Grandma's Briefs -- posted a clip from "Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas)." I promptly put it on my queue. Then waited, hoping to watch it for Christmas.

It arrived in the mail the day after Christmas, but it was still a perfect way to wrap up my holiday.

Based on actual events during World War I, "Joyeux Noel" tells the story of a spontaneous truce declared by Scottish, French and German troops in the trenches on Christmas Eve 1914.

Click over to Lisa's site to watch the video. Then immediately add it to your Netflix or Blockbuster queue. Even if you are a bit Grinchy about holidays, this movie just might make you believe in Christmas miracles. And if you have any interest in history, make sure you watch the interview with the film's maker.

Thanks for turning me on to this movie, Lisa. I loved it. Two thumbs up.

To sleep, perchance to dream

2009-12-24T16:18:00.002-07:00

Lately, I've been feeling pretty tired and run down. I went to the doctor. She ran a bevy of blood tests and came up with nothing. I figured it was my thyroid, because it goes crazy every now and again. But it wasn't that. I'm still waiting on the results of one of the blood tests. Maybe it will hold some answers.

In the meantime, based on all the information I gave her, my doctor prescribed a sleep study. If you've never had to do one, I suggest trying not to. Even though I've been so tired I feel like I could fall asleep anywhere, I had a lot of trouble sleeping there. For one thing, I was covered with electrodes. Plus, there was a camera on me all night, and they asked me to sleep on my back. Which isn't all that comfy. I ended up taking a sleep aid so when they woke me this morning, I felt really groggy. The S.O. drove me there, so he picked me up and took me for coffee. Still, it wasn't until after lunch I started feeling somewhat myself again. Just a few hours later, and I'm already starting to fade.

The rest of the evening will be spent watching movies and relaxing. Tomorrow, we are cooking Korean food, playing video games and watching movies. I know I won't hear anything until next week, so -- despite my inclination to worry about everything all the time -- I'm going to try not to think about it. I'm actually more worried that they'll say there's nothing wrong. I know that sounds silly, but at least when they find something, you can work toward fixing it.

I found that when I'm lying awake in a strange place, my mind works hard to entertain me. In my head, I am one awesome guitar player. But then, I bet you knew that.

My thoughts exactly

2009-12-23T07:54:00.003-07:00

Mutts by Patrick McDonnell

Although it does look like we might get an actual, honest-to-goodness, real white Christmas for once, so maybe it's not such a bad thing. I can stay in, drink hot cocoa, read, have some of the chili I made yesterday. Maybe not a bad thing at all ....

until I have to go out in it later. Please don't make me go out in it later.

Merry Christmas to me!

2009-12-21T07:36:00.009-07:00

I bought myself another guitar. It's slightly used -- but just slightly. Mostly, it was played by my guitar teacher. It's a Washburn, and I really like it.

I know that it won't magically turn me into a great guitar player. But I know it will help me play better. It's not just the tools we use, but good tools can help.

Isn't it pretty?

How cute is this?

2009-12-18T13:07:00.003-07:00

Last year at this time, I whined about not getting a care package from my mom. My lovely sister-in-law took that as a challenge and sent me a box of goodies. Being the amazing people they are, my brother and sister-in-law once again sent a Christmas care package, stuffed with the World's Best Sugar Cookies, among other items. Tucked in the box was an ornament just for me.

Check out this guy, decked out in a top hat and Christmas scarf. He's like a little Bob Cratchit hippo rushing home to Tiny Tim.

Here he rushes to the Gingerbread Bakery for treats for his hippo kids at home.

You might notice my favorite book, peeking into the frame back there!

We haven't put a tree up yet (and may not), but Bob here will have a place of honor for Christmas regardless. He's so goshdarn cute. I can't stand it. And my family is so goshdarn good to me. I can't stand that either.

In which I love the snow

2009-12-17T08:58:00.004-07:00

The S.O. and I headed for the hills this week for some skiing and much needed R&R. Unfortunately the S.O. didn't get much rest, as I'll discuss shortly.

We went to Copper Mountain for an early ski outing. I say early because as of yesterday, the mountain only had seven of 23 lifts open and 30 of their more than 100 trails open. But it was the middle of the week, early in the season, so we didn't have to deal with a zillion and a half people.

The trip ended up being a more expensive outing than originally planned. Here's why. My first run down the mountain I couldn't feel my left foot -- at all. It was totally numb. Obviously, there was a problem with my boots. I decided to buy ski boots a couple years ago, thinking I would be so much more comfortable in MY own boots, rather than rentals. Turns out, I was wrong, at first anyway. Apparently, the first pair was sold to me by the newbie in the shop, and he sold me boots that were about two sizes to big. The best part of that was I could have lost my toenails! Yay!

A more experienced salesman helped me find the proper fit and exchanged the boots for me. I think we only managed to ski in those boots once or twice and they seemed fine. It's been a couple years since we skied, mostly because life has a tendency to sometimes get in the way. So, did my feet change in the intervening seasons? Did my calves get even bigger? I don't really know. But I did know I couldn't ski like that. We asked around and ended up at SureFoot. They suggested orthotics to put my foot in a neutral position. The S.O. was suspicious of the sales pitch, but I went for it anyway. More than $200 later, I have custom orthotics and a much more comfortable skiing experience.

I also took a private lesson at $75 (but hey that was half price, so it's a bargain). Nearly 10 years ago, when I first came to live in Colorado, I took a group ski lesson. It was a miserable experience. Two of the women could ski and needed little help. One woman could barely stand on her skis and demanded all of the instructors attention. Apparently the instructor assumed I was with the first two women and basically ignored me the entire time. Add to that it was April and icy and you'll wonder why I ever went back to a mountain.

Cut to yesterday. After just a few minutes with my instructor, Mike, I was skiing more efficiently and confidently and having more fun than ever before.

So, it was more money than I'd planned to spend, but I'm skiing better and more comfortably, and we're just two days into the season. So it's worth it.

On the downside of money spending, the windshield has a nasty crack that started from the most wee little star ever. It's too big to have repaired, so there's another expense added to the trip.

And the S.O.'s company cannot function without him, so he spent most of our two days away troubleshooting -- even though he was on vacation. They knew he'd be gone. Either they really can't function without him or they really hate the fact someone may be having a good time. Maybe they should ban cell phones from the mountain. I threatened to throw his phone out the window of our moving car, but it wouldn't really have solved anything. And he would have ended up having to buy a new one and added to our expenses.

All in all, though, it was a great little getaway. Our room was cozy and quiet. The snow wasn't great, but it was great fun. I'm ready for more.

Looking for the Ghost of Christmas Present

2009-12-14T10:55:00.003-07:00

I'm having a hard time finding the holiday spirit this year. And it's not for lack of trying. I'm learning to play a Christmas song. I've been listening to Christmas music. I've donated to my favorite charities. I've wrapped gifts and drank egg nog.

I listened to Tim Curry read "A Christmas Carol." And really, if hearing/reading/watching "A Christmas Carol" doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, what will? (He realizes the error of his ways! He connects with his nephew! He gives Bob Cratchit a raise! He saves Tiny Tim! "God bless us, everyone!")

I've sent out some cards -- along with "gifts" to nieces and nephews. Maybe it's not seeing them open presents, even though they're all teenagers now and probably are too cool to get excited about Christmas. Maybe it's the lack of family gatherings.

Anybody have any ideas of how to find my Christmas Mojo this year?

In which I once again talk about the weather

2009-12-09T21:10:00.002-07:00

Dear Colorado,

If I wanted to live somewhere with sub-zero temperatures and snow-packed roads, I would have stayed in Illinois. Yes, you have those lovely mountains, but what am I supposed to do with them if I (1) can't get to them because you've made the roads treacherous with your snow and ice and such and (2) can't stand to be outside for more than a few seconds at a time?

I know tomorrow is supposed to be a balmy 27 degrees, but at the moment the thermometer is sitting quite firmly just below zero. That's quite enough of this silliness, Colorado. It's time to get serious and raise that temp up to the 30s or 40s. The mountains will still have their snow, and I'll be able to drive to it and enjoy it -- without freezing my butt off.

Thank you and have a nice (I mean it!) day,
Pam

Ha. Ha. You can stop now

2009-12-08T08:21:00.002-07:00

When I moved to Colorado nearly 10 years ago (!) I was told how temperate the weather is here, how cool the summers and how mild the winters. "Oh, yes, it snows," they told me, "but it melts off the very next day." Something like 300-plus days of sunshine, they told me. It's mostly warm and dry, they told me.

They forgot to add, "Unless, of course, it isn't." They forgot to mention that the weather will do whatever the hell it wants, whenever it wants, just like every other part of the nation. And it will do it on the days you really need to get stuff done. Yeah, they forgot to tell me that part.

Granted, I wouldn't want to still be living in Central Illinois, where you can go a full month without seeing the sun. But promises were made, people. I expected sunshine. Where's my effing sunshine?

Just get on with it, would you

2009-12-02T14:47:00.003-07:00

Come on, weather. Snow or don't snow. This half-hearted stuff is just not cutting it.

I see snow in the air but I think it's just blowing around. And does it really need to be this cold? 18 degrees? Really?

The worst part is I have to go out in it in about 10 minutes. Yuck.

Puppy went home

2009-12-01T12:42:00.004-07:00

Ripley was never really sure what to make of the stubby-legged Corgi puppy. In the end, she tolerated him. And after he left, she seemed worried that we had gotten rid of another pet. There's just no reasoning with her.

"I'm going to pretend to not care, but when you're gone, I'll miss you!"
_

Final day

2009-11-30T08:49:00.002-07:00

Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo, and I made it. Granted, I posted plenty of photos and random crap. But then, isn't that why you visit my blog?

Don't worry, today will be no exception.

It's also the last day of our adventures in puppy sitting, and I've reached a couple of conclusions. I am not cut out for puppies or babies. I'm too old and impatient. What do you mean you have to go outside at 2 a.m.? What do you mean you can't hold it as long as my 9-year-old dog? Ack! You had an accident! What is wrong with you? (Yes, I have unreasonable expectations. I also expect my own dog to be able to understand why she shouldn't bark at people outside on the street and to speak English.)

Just imagine how I'd be with a human baby. Don't you have a job yet? When do you start school so I can go back to blogging and chatting online?

Now, this isn't to make my dear friend feel bad, because I volunteered freely and with no pressure. I know it would have been easier if I hadn't felt so crappy off and on all weekend. Because despite the pooping and peeing -- and one pretty big (smelly) accident -- I have to admit. He's awfully damn cute.

And, puppy-sitting has not put me off the idea of getting a kitten. Go figure.

Christmas is coming

2009-11-29T11:20:00.003-07:00

And I have just two ideas for gifts for the S.O. One is totally practical but fairly pricey. The other is more reasonably priced but not all that practical (although I think it's something he wants). He is nearly impossible to buy for and very rarely gives me good ideas. Strike that. He often gives me good ideas, but one of two things usually happens when he gives me good ideas: (1) The item is so far out of my price range as to be impossible to buy or (2) he buys the item himself two days after giving me the idea. (Do all guys do that?)

If he reads this -- which I doubt he will -- maybe he'll give me some good ideas for Christmas gifts for him. If any of you have any brilliant ideas, let me know.

The title of this post refers to the following poem/nursery rhyme. Mom used to sing it to me as Christmas grew near.

Christmas is coming
The goose is getting fat
Please put a penny in the old man's hat
If you haven't got a penny,
Then a ha'penny will do
If you haven't got a ha'penny,
Then God bless you

Look! Pie!

2009-11-28T12:03:00.004-07:00

For the past few minutes, I was working on a post about how I didn't feel good and WebMD can turn me into a hypochondriac with every condition from the flu to lyme disease. But that post felt whiny and boring. But I have just a few days left of NaBloPoMo and I'm not about to fail now. So look at my beautiful Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie and enjoy the recipe below.

Ingredients

Crust

30 small gingersnap cookies (about 7 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon canola oil

Filling

1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 pints (4 cups) frozen low-fat vanilla yogurt, softened (see Tip)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan with cooking spray.
To prepare crust: Combine gingersnaps and raisins in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add oil and pulse until blended. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan.
Bake the crust until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To prepare filling: Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl and mix well. Add ice cream and stir until blended. Spoon the mixture into the cooled pie crust. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. Let the pie soften slightly in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Tip: To soften ice cream quickly, microwave on Medium-Low for 30 to 60 seconds.

Two things

2009-11-27T08:07:00.006-07:00

1. Thanksgiving dinner was wonderful. I highly recommend all three of the recipes I tried from EatingWell.com.

2. While Ripley still has no social graces and doesn't really appreciate the wee one visiting, both dogs enjoy our back yard. See? Pictures!

She might not notice if I stay way back here.

Oops! She noticed.

Please be my friend.

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T10:56:00.005-07:00

After yesterday's miserable failure at trying to cook chestnuts, I took a giant chance and bought a new batch from a different store. This morning, I roasted them (cut an X on the flat side of each nut, spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes). I'm guessing I got bad nuts the last time because these came out beautifully. Really, this picture doesn't do them justice.

Chestnuts are odd. They taste a bit like bacon, so they should taste good in the Brussels Sprouts. My pumpkin mousse pie also looks lovely. If nothing else, our table will look great. And even if the food ends up tasting less beautiful than it looks, I will still have plenty to be thankful for today.

Things like:
my friends (furry and otherwise)
my family
the S.O. (who counts as both -- friend and family, but not furry)
cheesy SciFi shows
silly video games
laughter
my health
the S.O.'s job
and a beautiful sunny day in which to enjoy the little things in life.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chestnuts roasting on an open FAIL!

2009-11-25T15:01:00.003-07:00

I guess I thought I was Martha Stewart, imagining that I could cook my own chestnuts for my Thanksgiving dinner. Silly girl. I followed directions (from a recipe Web site) for roasting them in the oven -- to no avail. I followed the S.O.'s experience with steaming chestnuts -- nope. They are hard little rocks. Not something that will evoke thoughts of home.

So, despite my best efforts to have everything I need for tomorrow's dinner, I have to run back out to the store.

What's on the menu

2009-11-25T08:47:00.004-07:00

I'm trying to include some healthier side dishes in our Thanksgiving dinner this year. In addition to turkey and stuffing -- which the S.O. makes and are delicious -- I am making:

(All from EatingWell.com) I'll let you know how they turn out. But they sure sound yummy. No Tofurkey in this house!

Activities on the menu are playing with the S.O.'s new Playstation 3, board games, several episodes of Farscape and playing with Ripley and my dear friend's puppy.

It promises to be a fun day.

Vanity, thy name is Pammeey

2009-11-24T08:30:00.002-07:00

For some reason, I got it in my head that I need to whiten my teeth. Honestly, I think it's television and the movies. Have you seen how blindingly white actors' teeth are these days? Whatever the reason, I picked up some teeth whitening strips. (Don't judge me.) Because I'm all about trying to save a buck or two, I bought the Target brand equivalent of the Listerine Whitening Quick Dissolving Strips. I doubt there's much difference and I'm not planning to find out.

I have to wonder if vanity is worth it. The strips are quite sticky, and you aren't careful (and yes, I speak from experience) you will end up with your jaw stuck shut for several minutes while the strips dissolve. And the dissolving process is kind of gross. You'll look a bit like a mad dog for a few minutes.

But once they've dissolved, your mouth will feel minty, then it will feel normal. I'm only on my first day of trying the strips so I can speak to their actual effectiveness. But they're kind of weird.

And it's all for the sake of vanity.

Ripley gets new food

2009-11-23T08:58:00.005-07:00

I suppose it's an age thing, but Ripley has recently developed bad doggy gas. Sometimes, she'll run up the stairs and toot. It's kind of cute, because she'll stop and look around, as if to say, "What the heck was that." Not so cute is when she's curled up in my lap (as she is while I type this) and passes gas. At those times, she tries to play it off like nothing happened.

So, in the interest of her well-being and not having to smell dog farts, the S.O. and I took a trip to the pet store to look for a different food. She's been eating Iam's as long as I've had her, but lately it obviously isn't agreeing with her. The new food is a lamb and rice formula that contains no corn or soy. Apparently those two ingredients can mess with doggy digestion. We have to slowly introduce the new food, mixing it with the old, so it'll be at least a week before we know if the new food makes any difference. Let's hope it does.

While at the pet store, I replaced Ripley's old tag with a stylish new one. I usually try to go with more tough stuff, but this was so cute -- and the S.O. picked it out.
I know I've been posting about the dog a lot, but I don't have kids. This is all I have, people.

Ripley helps with laundry

2009-11-22T15:54:00.002-07:00

Maybe that should be "helps" with laundry -- and maybe I should also say this isn't voluntary. But it's pretty darn cute.