My new favorite thing

It's called a Coffee Frappuccino Light Blended Coffee, but I don't think you have to say all of that. In a tall, it has just 90 yummy calories and .5 grams of fat. If you're a real health nut, you will probably stay away, because I'm pretty sure it has artificial sweeteners in it. Mmmm ... artificial ...

But it's creamy and cold and full of coffee goodness. A nice little pick me up after dealing with uncooperative kids or an office full of (boorish, backstabbing, gossipy, whiny) co-workers.

If drinking a Starbucks Frappuccino makes me pretentious or "hoity toity," well, that's fine by me. 'Cause it's delicious, and my taste buds and tummy win out over what other people might think of me.

What I read: "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant

I really want to tell you something about "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant, but I can't seem to think of anything of substance to say about it. I read this book like you would devour an entire bag of potato chips while watching a cheesy movie on the SciFi channel. You're full and you're entertained but you don't have a whole lot to show for it (except greasy fingers).

I didn't get greasy fingers reading "The Red Tent" and, although it was a page turner, I didn't really come away with anything meaningful.

My good friend Lisa told me that when this book first came out about 10 years ago, many women's bible study groups read this book. And while the book uses some characters from the bible -- the main character is a minor player in the Old Testament -- I don't think this is really a book for Christians. Many of the men worship "the God of Isaac and Abram," but the women worship their household gods, the river goddess and others.

Of course, I'm not much of a bible scholar. Mention Goliath and I'm picturing a talking claymation dog. As for the Egyptian gods, I'm probably imagining the system lords from Stargate SG-1. So, I guess I'm a poor judge of what constitutes bible study.

I go back and forth as to whether the book is all about female empowerment or just a study in how women have been controlled. Some women are very powerful, while others are naked slave girls. And all have husbands, fathers or brothers to answer to.

The book made me happy and angry in turns, so I suppose it's more powerful than I am giving it credit for. Then again, it has enough "drama" to be a soap opera. I think if I look at this book as a fun read for a snowy weekend, I really like it. If I try to look at it as a serious study of female empowerment, I don't care for it as much.

Happy Easter from Colorado!

Remember this?

Well, here's what Easter looks like here:

Poor Easter Bunny.

I cook eggplant

Not being much of a gourmet, I don't try a lot of new dishes that contain ingredients I've never worked with. But a recipe on the back of a pasta package caught my eye. No, I don't make pasta from scratch (or sausage, for that matter). It was Barilla Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni (yum) and the recipe is for Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni with cherry tomatoes and eggplant.

At this point I was going to link to the Barilla Web site, so you could get the directions straight from the horse's mouth. But would you believe it's not listed there? Oh well, I made a couple of changes anyway. So, no pretty pictures, but here's the recipe:

Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni with cherry tomatoes and eggplant

Ingredients
1 8 oz. bag Barilla Ricotta & Spinach Tortelloni
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small eggplant, salted, peeled and cubed
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
6 basil leaves, thinly sliced (2 tablespoons) (I used dried basil and it was fine. I know you purists are probably cringing.)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste (I eliminated the salt, deciding there was plenty from salting the eggplant.)

Directions
1. Cook tortelloni according to package directions. (If you're the type to make pasta from scratch, carry on. You know what to do here.)
2. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet.
3. Add garlic and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
4. Add eggplant and saute for approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add tomatoes, 1 1/2 tablespoons of basil, 1/2 cup water (This amount of water made the dish a bit runny. I would cut it by about one third.) and salt to taste. Continue to cook for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and combine with drained pasta.
7. Top with remaining basil and serve with a multi-grain baguette (or whatever tickles your fancy.

The S.O. gave this dish his seal of approval, and I liked it a lot (despite my love/hate relationship with tomatoes). If you try it, change it, improve on it, be sure to let me know.

Beautiful

Watching TV this evening, an ad for Botox came on.

It's tagline is: "Freedom of expression." Immediately following that commercial was this one:



It really struck me as funny to be told I should think about having a toxin injected into my face so that I can somehow fight the aging process, then to see these images of amazing, beautiful, OLD women who are so vibrant and natural. Take that Botox.

When I grow up, I want to be an old woman.

Today's Tip

After a new really hard workout, don't go to your local bakery, thinking you'll walk out with just that loaf of whole wheat bread you went to get. No, you'll be tempted by and give in to a sausage and jalapeno kolache.

I can't imagine they are very good for you, but the kolaches taste so yummy and are fresh and local, so they can't be all bad, right? Right? Oh, who cares? They're scrumptious.

Everything we buy from this bakery is made on site, and the staff is super friendly.

Easy, my Aunt Sally's Sister

I've been working out with kettle bells pretty regularly since Christmas. Mostly, I've been working out with this DVD. But I've also created a workout of my own. I switch off when I get sick of the video or when I feel like I'm not motivating myself enough.

My good friend Kate (the Bootcamp Queen) suggested downloading workouts for my iPod. So I did a quick search and found a free workout at www.liftkettlebells.com: http://www.liftkettlebells.com/Workouts/Easy-Kettlebell-Workout.aspx

Not only was it free, it says "easy." So, I figure I'll give it a go. As you can probably guess from this post's title the workout was free, but it was nowhere near easy. Granted, I tried it with my 20-pound kettle bell. Next time, (and yes, there will be a next time, because I'm a glutton for punishment, as anyone who knows anything about my history with men knows) I'll start out with the 10-pound kettle bell.

This workout is butt-kicking. From 60-second sets of two-arm swings to military presses, it works your whole body in 30 minutes and certainly gets your heart thumping. I downloaded both the 20- and 30-minute workouts (hoping for some variety) with music. The music is fine, probably not something I would listen to on a regular basis but good for this workout.

I will admit that I didn't quite make it all the way through -- I had to skip a couple exercises that are unfamiliar to me. Now I have a goal: Get familiar with all the exercises and make it through this workout without falling over.

My arms still feel shaky as I type this post.

Rock-a-bye Sweet Baby James

A dear friend died 14 years ago today. I think of him often. He was just a few years older than I was -- he was 30 when I was just 25. When he told me I would understand life better once I turned 30, I laughed it off. But he was right, even if it was just because I better understood loss. Fourteen years and many losses and disappointments later, I still think of him. With my 30s behind me, I can tell my younger friends they'll understand better once they turn 40 ... and I can smile.

He also helped me appreciate the songs of James Taylor. So, this is for him. Rest well.

I didn't dream it

Over at Shakesville, they have a little feature they call Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime. Today the video is from "Tales of the Gold Monkey." I was so happy to see it. Despite the fact that it appears on IMDb, I could never find anyone else who remembered it.

It was totally cheesy and a complete rip-off of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." But I loved it.

Another thing no one else seems to remember is Freakies Cereal. But thanks to the magic of YouTube, I can take you back to 1974 (even if you weren't born yet) and show you:


I'm sure the cereal was loaded with sugar and probably tasted terrible. But I had to have my very own Freakie. There are probably still Freakie figures tucked away somewhere at my mom's house. Next time I'm there, I'm totally going on a Freakie treasure hunt.

Yay for firefighters!

Yesterday, as I left my literacy center gig, one of the tutors and I noticed some strange smoke coming from down an alley. A huge pile of junk was on fire, just blazing away. It was right next to a garage and dangerously close to the surrounding houses. The tutor made the 911 call while I stood there rubbernecking. As soon as he hung up, we heard the sirens. The firetruck pulled up moments later, and the firefighters sprung into action. It suddenly occurred to me that I had never actually seen firefighters working on an honest-to-goodness fire. It was quite exciting, with the helmets, jackets and gas masks and the big red truck. Alas, I didn't have a camera with me so I don't have any photo documentation of the event. But I can definitely appreciate why so many women find firemen attractive. Who doesn't love a hero?

If there's something strange in your neighborhood

Today's "Get Fuzzy" gives a nod to "Ghost Hunters" while poking a little fun at the same time.

Here are Jason and Grant from "Ghost Hunters."


A pretty good likeness. But they're from TAPS (not ARSE).

I love both "Get Fuzzy" and "Ghost Hunters." So I was pretty excited by this. Yes, I am quite easily amused. Why do you ask?

Then it came back -- an update

Now, it's snowing and there's thunder and lightning.

Then it came back

I'm sure some areas got hit pretty hard by last week's blizzard. But it kind of fizzled at my house. Although it started out promising. This is what it looked like at 1 p.m. Thursday.


This is what it looked like at 6 p.m.


By Sunday afternoon, the temperatures were back in the 60s and I was hanging out in the sunshine on the deck.

Then, it came back. This is what it looks like at 8:30 a.m. today.

You just have to love springtime in Colorado.

What I read: "The Amazing Advertures of Kavalier & Clay" by Michael Chabon

Despite my aversion to overdue library books -- instilled in me by the librarian of my elementary school (who I loved and admired) -- I took me longer than the allotted three weeks to read and digest "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay."

I was prepared for a boyish romp through comicbookland. A buddy movie wrapped up in a Pulitzer Prize-winning package. What I got was a love story -- love of family, love of art, romantic love, love lost and found and true, deep, abiding friendship -- heart wrenching and heartwarming all at the same time.

"Late that night, Rosa and her father helped Joe from the taxi to the curb and thence along the narrow lane up to the steps of the Harkoo house. His arms were draped across their shoulders and his feet seemed to glide two inches off the ground. He had not touched a drop all night, on orders from the emergency-room doctor at Mt. Sinai, but the morphine painkillers he had been given had finally taken their toll. Of that journey from the taxi to the curb, Joe was later to retain only the faint pleasant memory of Siggy Saks's kolnischwasser smell and of the coolness of Rosa's shoulder against his own abraded cheek. They dragged him up to the study and laid him out on the couch. Rosa unlaced his shoes, unbuttoned his trousers, helped him off with his shirt. She kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his chest, his belly, pulled a blanket up to his chin and then kissed his lips. Rosa's father brushed Joe's hair back from his bandaged brow with a soft motherly hand. Then there was darkness and the sound of their voices draining out of the room."

Joe's story is both tragic and heroic, as are the stories of Rosa and Sammy. They're punished for loving too much or the wrong person. They struggle to live ordinary lives while dreaming of extraordinary things. Art and writing -- albeit in the form of comic books -- sustain them, give them hope and allow them to escape this world.

"Having lost his mother, father, brother, and grandfather, the friends and foes of his youth, his beloved teacher Bernard Kornblum, his city, his history -- his home -- the usual charge leveled against comic books, that they offered merely an easy escape from reality, seemed to Joe actually to be a powerful argument on their behalf."

And who couldn't use an escape from reality now and then?

Not getting it

I recently joined Facebook. Honestly I'm not sure why -- curiosity perhaps. But I don't really get it. I'm not going to blame my age. And it's not that I don't understand computers. I do. And I get the Internet. It's just that Facebook is so strange. And hard to navigate. And counter intuitive. A friend -- who had encouraged me a while back to join -- tells me Facebook was better before they changed it. Maybe that's it. Maybe I'm not social enough. Maybe I just don't get it.

Ominous

A powerful storm is bearing down on the Pikes Peak region and could dump up to 20 inches of snow in higher elevations, the National Weather Service said.

So far we just have these ominous-looking clouds rolling in. What's it doing in your part of the world?

Spring was nice while it lasted

Before and after

Before:


After:
I love our "new" kitchen. The counter tops and backsplash look great, as do the new stainless steel sink and the fancy-schmancy faucet. Don't tell the appliances, but we're thinking of replacing them as well. The fridge first, then possibly the stove.

Because we'll never be done remodeling, we're thinking of finishing our basement and adding another bedroom down there. Stay tuned for the mayhem.

Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria

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So, we're either headed for a disaster of biblical proportions* ... or my pets are just really lazy. I'm guessing it's the latter.

*I'm not giving any extra points for getting the reference, because everyone should know it!

Update: It turns out the S.O. didn't get the reference. I'm so disappointed.
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Spring Break

It's spring break, so naturally it's the chilliest day we've had in a couple weeks and there's a chance of rain. Lucky for me, I don't have any kids at home complaining there's nothing to do.

Spring Break means my week isn't nearly as busy as it normally is; I don't have tutoring or Big Brothers/Big Sisters to go to. So for the first time in nearly 20 years, I looked forward to spring break -- not that I've ever been one to jet off to the beach and hang out in a bikini.

We have no big plans, but I don't have to rush off anywhere just as I'm getting on a roll in my writing and I can plan dinners without having to have everything ready at 3 p.m.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working with the tutors and the kids. It's fulfilling, but it can also be stressful. And the kids can be a handful. I was working with a kid last week who kept falling asleep while reading flash cards! "I had to stay up till 9 o'clock doing dishes all by myself, and everyone else went to bed at 6," he said.

It is nice to think I can relax a little bit this week. It's nice to think that. But I know I really have a bunch of stuff I should be working on and should take advantage of the extra hours to get all that stuff done.

Should. Instead I'm procrastinating on a Monday morning, rambling on about spring break and the gloomy weather, staring a picture of a Saturn Vue Hybrid, wondering what I can say about it that hasn't been said before.

Happy Friday

It's almost 5 o'clock on a gloomy Friday afternoon and I'm done. I had an assignment canceled on me today, and I'm not happy about it. I have a headache, because red wine and board games don't mix. It's still two hours to the big "Battlestar Galactica" series finale. And to top it all off, my motivation took off at 1:30 this afternoon for Spring Break someplace serene, leaving me here to try to accomplish actual work on my own.

So, instead of something productive, I give you Mahna Mahna. ("Whatever that is.")

Being a rock star hurts

Remember way back to my birthday when the S.O. gave me a guitar? Well, I decided I wasn't getting the hang of it on my own, so I started taking lessons.

I'm making progress now, fairly quickly. I practice daily and am starting to get the necessary callouses on my fingers. Not quite though. They get pretty darn painful after I play. Here's a picture that might be kind of gross.

You can click to embiggen it, if you really want to see the indentations in my fingertips and the awesome callouses I'm starting to get.

It's hard to type and forget about sorting paper or turning the pages of a book with those babies.

If sore fingers are the price I must pay to have millions of screaming fans, so be it. Because I'm telling you, people are going to pay big money to go to my concerts. But not you guys. You'll be on the guest list. You can say you're with the band.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Here's some green bears for you!

Wait. What's that? You wanted green BEER. Oh. Well. Nevermind.

May you be in heaven a full half hour
before the devil knows your dead.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Handyman

The tile --mosaic glass in "rainforest" -- for our backsplash finally came in, and yesterday, the S.O. installed it. I love the tile. And I love the S.O. for being so handy.

Here he is applying the thinset mortar.

And putting up the tile.

He even used a wet saw to make teeny tiny cuts for the corners. All his fingers are still intact.

Ripley and I mostly stayed out of the way.

Today the grout goes in. After we touch up some paint, the kitchen will be presentable.

For the record, the S.O. may have done most of the work installing the tile, but I picked it out. That means I should get some credit for how amazing the kitchen looks now. Right?

The folks at Planet Granite (where we bought the granite counter tops and mosaic glass tile) said I have good taste and asked for some photos once we're done. I take that as a compliment.

How lazy are we?

I just realized you guys must think all my dog ever does is sleep. I need to get some pictures of her playing or chasing cats or performing her new "trick" -- that the S.O. "taught" her, and she thinks is so clever but is actually really annoying -- of destroying paper bags and cardboard items set aside for recycling. She's taken to picking up anything made of cardboard and tearing it up, including full cases of diet soda. Well, she tried to pick it up but did manage to chew the corner off.

Of all the pictures I've posted of my dog, there are really only two in which she's doing something somewhat active. This one, of her destroying a Kleenex box (a post that also shows her laying in bed):


And this one of her trying to escape the snow:


My goal is to get some cute pictures of Ripley playing. She's really not all that lazy.
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LOL Ripley

I should be writing a test drive right now. Instead, this is what I'm doing:

And yes, that is my dog, snuggled up against my pink-sweatpant-clad behind. Don't you judge me.

Good news: The zombies are still hiring!

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From today's Cul de Sac:


I discovered this little gem of a comic strip a couple of months ago. It's weird sometimes but it almost always makes me laugh. I think there's a little preschooler in all of us.

The zombie reference is just an added bonus.
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So comfy

I think the time change effects us all. They're so tired they don't even mind sharing a bed.

Nighty night, kids.
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Dammit!

I guess I don't keep up with the news well enough, because I just found out this morning that ABC is canceling "Life on Mars." Apparently because it was fun and quirky and not your average boring cop drama. (Although others felt differently. Stupid TV critic.)

ABC gave "Scrubs" a new lease on life -- why, I'm not sure. I loved it in the beginning but in the last few years it's become just another sitcom. And effing "According to Jim" just keeps barreling along out of control. But shows I really enjoy, like "Life on Mars," "Eli Stone" and "Pushing Daisies," get the ax.

I'm definitely not going to start watching "Castle." I might like it. And as much as I love looking at Nathan Fillion, I'm pretty sure he's death to a series. "Firefly" had one season. He was in six episodes of something called "Miss Match" that lasted one season. And recently, he was in "Drive" which iMDb claims had six episodes, but I think Fox only aired three or four of those.

I need to stop watching television.

What I drove: Subaru Legacy

I never thought much about Subarus. Mostly, when I thought of a Subaru I would remember that my 4th-grade teacher drove a Subaru Brat and there was a car-care commercial way back when that had a lady saying, "Whoopdidoo for my Subaru!" (I think it was for Simonize or some such product. See how well advertising works?)


After driving the Forrester a few months back and the Legacy just last week, I'm thinking about Subarus a lot more -- and in a highly positive light. They're nice looking cars (the exception, in my opinion, is the Tribeca that went from weird looking when it was introduced to bland now) and they're not as pricey as I once thought.

The Legacy I drove came in at $22,960, with some nice options, like a moonroof and an upgraded sound system. There are plenty of cars cheaper than that, but only a few that also offer all-wheel drive and the Subaru reliability. The salesman I talked to told me that 95 percent of the Subarus registered in the past 10 years are still on the road. "You can't kill them," he said.

After being bored with the last few vehicles I've test driven, it was nice to get into a car that offered some excitement. The Legacy I drove was equipped with a 2.5-liter, SOHC, aluminum-alloy, 16-valve, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder Subaru Boxer engine that pumps out 170 horsepower. You can opt instead for a turbocharged 2.5-liter, four-cylinder or a beefy 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine. The six-cylinder will give you an additional 75 horsepower over the test vehicle.

To quote myself:

"The Legacy zips along with a quiet, comfortable ride. It handles twists and turns like a sure-footed Bighorn sheep. The Legacy — like a Bighorn — seems to have been built specifically for Colorado terrain and weather."

In other news

Here's a dose of doggy for your Thursday morning.

Hmmm...

During a moment of panic, in an act of desperation, I sent a resume off to a small newspaper more than 100 miles south of home. I was qualified for the job, but never really thought I'd get it. So I never really considered what I would do if they contacted me. Imagine my surprise when this morning -- nearly nine month later, mind you -- I received an answer:

"If you are still looking for a newspaper reporter position, please let me know."

It seems the newspaper I applied to is part of a much larger parent company, so this person could be looking for reporters for any number of cities. It could be quite an opportunity. However, (being the grumpy skeptic that I am) I have a few problems with the situation.

• I'm not really keen on relocating. The house is almost perfect now, and I like the town where I live.
• I like being a freelancer (even if I need to be more ambitious about it) and working for the Literacy Center part time.
  
• I'm not really a "newspaper reporter" and never really was.*
• It's been nine freaking months since I sent this resume. Do they think I was just sitting around waiting for them to reply to me? I have a lot going on -- this blog, for instance. Do they think I can just drop everything because they call? Well, do they?

I'm thinking of replying, asking what the job is, where, the pay, etc. I can't imagine I'll want to pack up and move for it, but it can't hurt to ask, right?

* I'm more of a writer. And that's not just semantics. The articles I write are more along the lines of feature stories that don't involve tracking down leads or investigative reporting. Interviews I do tend to be with experts in their field. I've never had to talk to a parent who was mourning a lost child or holler at a corrupt politician for a sound bite.

Why I need a hippo

Apparently their arms are quite comforting.

Today's weather: What the heck?

It's freaking March, and I'm not wearing a coat, nor a jacket, not even a long-sleeve t-shirt. To friends and family east of the Mississippi, I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, this warm dry weather means much of the area is under a Red Flag Warning. In fact, I can see the smoke from an area wildfire from here.

Twitterpated

Do you Twitter? Are you on Facebook (or some other networking site)? How out of touch am I?



Just the other night a friend asked if I Twitter. I felt so out of touch admitting that I don't. But hey! I have a blog. I was assured that Twitter is the wave of the future. Also, that I would connect with more people on Facebook. Knowing that less than a dozen people actually read my blog, maybe I should be trying some of these new-fangled thingies. On the other hand, I may just be "(a rotting corpse), grabbing for any glimmer of relevance."

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Twitter Frenzy

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss was born this day in 1904. Here's a goofy little something in honor of his birthday.

Dreams fed from stories told.
Lessons taught to young and old.
Dust specks saved from boiling oil.
Nature's gifts we shouldn't spoil.
A Grinchy heart went up a size.
Your stories still can mesmerize.
Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss.
Imaginations, you set loose.

What I read: "The Beast in the Garden" by David Baron

I read "The Beast in the Garden: A Modern Parable of Man and Nature" by David Baron for a book club I was recently invited to join. It's not a book I would typically read -- I gravitate toward fiction almost exclusively. It was a difficult read. Although the book is only 240 pages long, I took almost two weeks to get through it.

It's difficult in part because the subject matter hits close to home -- quite literally. The book tells the story of Boulder residents in the late 1980s who are besieged by hungry mountain lions -- mountain lions who have become so bold as to grab pets from enclosed pens and off of decks. The tale culminates with the killing of an 18-year-old man by a mountain lion.

The book covers the history of the founding and taming of the Front Range, then goes on to explain the conflicts between the wild world and civilization, between the Old West and the New West. Boulderites suffered inner conflicts over living with wildlife. There are sacrifices to be made in keeping the wilderness wild, and the book makes a good show of covering both sides.

The author obviously cares about nature and mountain lions, and I don't have a problem with that. We moved into the lions' space, removed their natural predators (wolves), encouraged their natural prey (deer) and allowed them to get used to having us around. It's an interesting subject, combined with a rich history of the state of Colorado. However, Baron's almost clinical descriptions of dogs being eaten and humans being stalked and attacked left me cold.

What I watched: Tear jerker edition

An evening with the TV all to myself and I watched "Bridge to Terabithia" because I am apparently a glutton for punishment. I read the book as a kid but somehow only remember that I loved it, and it was the first book that made me cry. That last part is important, because how did I think the first book to ever make me cry would not produce a movie that would make me cry?

I can't even tell you if the movie was any good because the kids in it were so damn cute and the stupid movie made. me. cry. I pride myself on having a stiff upper lip when it comes to movies (books not so much -- "Cold Mountain" and "The Time Traveler's Wife" made me weep openly). I think because I don't like people seeing me cry (books are more private, thus the waterworks).

It's a kids' movie for goodness sake. And it was a kids' book. What the heck was Disney thinking? What the heck was Katherine Paterson thinking? They had to have known that I would find myself alone with my television on a Thursday night watching this movie and falling in love with its characters. They had to know that I loved this book as a kid and my nostalgia and my (somewhat morbid) sense of curiosity would make me watch it and that being alone when I did, I would cry.

I just have to remember to not watch movies like this alone. Had I watched it with someone else I might be able to offer a coherent critique rather than a rambling about how the movie was sweet and sad. Did I mention it made me cry?

Daily Dog: Wimp Edition

Ripley went to the vet today for her geriatric exam. Yep, she's 9 years old -- that's like 60-something to you and me. I only hope I have her kind of energy when I'm in my 60s! She had to fast for her bloodwork, and when you have the metabolism of a fruit fly (or a rat terrier), fasting for 12+ hours is truly torturous. She just didn't understand that she would get fed, she just had to wait an extra hour and a half.

We saw a new vet at the office. I wasn't too worried because I trust Ripley's vet to only hire quality people and I know Ripley will love any vet who gives her cookies. But it's a good thing I'm not a nervous pet parent. When they took her in the back to draw blood, I could hear her crying and yelping. When the vet brought her back into the exam room, she said, "She had to show off."

"Was that her I heard crying?" I asked.

"That was her. She yelped when we wiped the alcohol on her neck with a cotton ball. We hadn't even inserted the needle."

Too bad they've already presented the Academy Awards, I think Ripley would be in the running for best actress. She may not have taken home the Oscar but she got lots of treats and ear scratches and belly rubs. And what starlet doesn't love those?

Shut up, horoscope

Capricorn
(Dec 22 - Jan 19)
Saturday, Feb 21st, 2009 -- It's hard to let go of your grouchiness now, but it really doesn't serve you any purpose. Sometimes it's important for others to know when you are not happy with what's happening, but tough judgments may be out of place today. By allowing others more latitude than usual, you are also giving yourself permission to have some downtime. Anyway, being grumpy takes much more effort than relaxing and enjoying the present moment.

What's the point of being a goat if you can't butt heads?

What I drove: Yawn

I have driven three vehicles that I've yet to post "What I drove" entries about. The biggest reason is that none of them was all that interesting -- two pickups and a cute ute. The first pickup from three weeks ago was the Dodge Ram. They're touting it as all new for 2009, and it has new features, but I drove a 2008 last summer and it was fun. The salesman took me off road and was such a character, I ending up writing one of my best test drives (even my editor said so). I guess that was just too hard to live up to. I'm sure the test drive story was fine and the truck is nice -- as far as full-size pickups go, I just couldn't get excited about it.

Next up was the 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350. It's Merc's small SUV. I think I have a hard time getting excited about SUVs because there are two sitting in my garage right now. Granted, neither have nav or heated seats or a sunroof, but they get me where I need to go -- and for a fraction of the GLK's $45,000 price tag. Yeah, it was nice. But when a car costs more than the first house I bought, it had better be nice. Loaded with extras, it was a fun drive mainly because I got to play with the navigation system and stereo. And heated seats are always nice. My biggest pet peeve with Mercedes-Benz is where they put the cruise control. It's right where you expect the turn signal to be. And even though the salesman says you get used to it, I hit that darn thing every time I drive a Mercedes.

Finally, publishing today, is my test drive for the Suzuki Equator. It's a small pickup that looks almost exactly like the Nissan Frontier (apparently it's built on the same platform). My initial reaction was the Frontier was interesting when it came out -- nine years ago. Today, it's just another truck. If you're a big Suzuki fan, this would be a great truck for you. You can haul all your Suzuki toys around with it. There was nothing horribly wrong with the truck -- although the back end did seem to bounce around a lot on bumpy roads in town -- it was just boring.

Am I jaded from doing two months of test drives nonstop? I don't think so. I still get excited about the new cars. I still find the best thing about every vehicle I drive (quite a feat with some). And I still get a little thrill when I see my byline and tell people I do test drives. I think I just hit a bit of a rut with these three vehicles. If a car had been thrown in there maybe. Not long ago, I drove a Hyundai Sonata and a Mazda3. I wouldn't call either of those cars especially exciting, but they both piqued my interest more than the three I drove recently.

I do miss the rain

When people ask me if I miss living in Illinois, the short answer is "No, but I miss my friends and family."

The longer answer gets a little more complicated and comes to me at random times. The other night, we were watching "Ghost Town" (cute, sweet, funny and worth watching if you're not in a totally cynical mood). In a scene toward the end of the movie, it starts raining. There's thunder and a nice steady rain.

Although, Colorado Springs has really great weather for the most part -- something like 300 days of sunshine a year (I'm not going to look up the exact number) -- we just don't get those steady rains. We get thunderstorms and downpours, but very seldom does it just rain for an entire day.

I must remind myself that not only do you get rain for an entire day in Illinois, you could get rain for an entire week, as well as ice storms. And it's hot and humid in the summer and bitter cold in the winter. One winter, we went a full 60 days without seeing the sun. We learned to live for those few perfect days in spring and fall when you would get a clear blue sky and a high temperature of about 72, with relatively low humidity. In Colorado Springs, we can get days like that any time of the year. I think I've a little blase about them.

So, do I miss living in Illinois? No. But I do miss the rain ... sometimes.

What I read: "Summerland" by Michael Chabon

I began reading "Summerland" without knowing much more about it than the fact that its author, Michael Chabon, is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay." I've been meaning to read that book but can't seem to get it at the library (must remember to request a hold). I picked up "Summerland" because it looked interesting and I'd heard good things about Chabon.

The book is a fantasy -- with giants, fairies and magical moments -- based around the game of baseball. I'm not a huge baseball fan, but was enjoying the story when I got to page 83 (of the hardback edition). A character disagrees with the umpire's call.

"You are blind as a bat, Brody" he was saying. "Always have been! Wandering around half blind in that drugstore, it's a wonder you ain't given rat poison to some poor kid with asthma! How can you say the girl's out when anybody with half an eyeball could see she had it beat by a mile?"

"She stumbled, Albert," Mr. Brody said, his voice a little more controlled than Albert's. But just a little. The two men were standing with their faces less than a foot apart.

"Forget you!" Albert said. "Man, forget you! You are worse than blind, you're stupid!"

It's not as if I need people to use the F word in books I read, but there was something really odd about that last piece of dialogue. "Forget you"? Who talks that way? So, I looked a little closer at the book's dust jacket. There it is, at the very bottom of the inside back cover: Hyperion Books for Children. Oh. I see. Trust me, this book was in the fiction section of the public library -- the regular fiction section. Not the kids' section. Not even the teen shelf (where they did file "The Book Thief," which seems less like a children's book than this one). Now, I don't normally seek out children's books to read. Ok, true, I may have read the entire Harry Potter series (twice) but I don't usually read kids' books for my own enjoyment.

Then again, I did enjoy "Summerland." From an adult perspective, it was light and fun. The team of good guys -- made up of two human (or "reuben") children, a changeling, a giant, a Sasquach, a washed up major league outfielder, a wererat and a fairy(or "ferisher") -- have to defeat the bad guys at a game of baseball to save the world. It has much of what you'd find in this type of book: a young hero and heroine, an absent parent, a journey, a quest, an epic battle (albeit baseball) between good and evil. Adults may find it formulaic, while kids may find it exciting or even scary at times. It was a bit of escape for me. And in this time of economic woes, why the heck not?

When they saw the miraculous ball field that had swirled into existence at their doorstep, the ferishers of Dandelion Hill threw down their tennis rackets and croquet mallets, and left behind the scarred gray patch in the grass where their old field had lain. They dived into the thick, new grass, and swam in it like water, and rolled over onto their back, and floated on it, and sighed.

Lost love

Those of you who don't watch "Lost" may not appreciate the love I have for this crazy show or the love for Hurley -- probably the best TV character. Ever.

Thanks to a post on Cake Wrecks, I have come across Jorge Garcia's blog, and he seems just as sweet and funny as he does as on the show.

Here's a snippet (and tell me this isn't totally cute):

So he called for the manager to open his drawer. And we waited. Now by this time there were people starting to line up behind me. The cashier apologized to them for the delay, but I knew SOMEONE in that group was thinking that the "guy from Lost was haggling over $1.00."

You can read the rest of that post and how he turned a wild pig into a cannibal, at his blog. Try not to fall in love. He may not be the prettiest boy on the island, but he's the most adorable.

Random cute pet photo (plus the S.O.)

Believe it or not, fur did not fly moments after this photo was taken. Everyone watched "Top Gear" then quietly went their separate ways.

I am The Destructor

This is what our kitchen looked like Saturday evening.
This is me, taking out my frustration on the ugly tile counter tops.
Pammy smash! And who says romance is dead? Look how we spent our Saturday evening.

I will post more pictures of our kitchen's transformation when we complete the backsplash and install our fancy schmancy new faucet.

The Shape of things

I subscribe to Shape. But as each new issue comes, and I look at the cover model in her bikini and read the (often contradictory) stories inside, I'm starting to hate the magazine.

February's issue offers up a story titled "How I learned to love my body." The subhead says, "These nine women share a trait we all should have: positive self-image." That's on page 38. Page 150 gives us a spread of naked women of various shapes and sizes and says, "Banish those body issues. These women have and with these surprising yet simple strategies, you too can feel more confident -- inside and out!" The story offers some good thoughts on being good to yourself.

Then page 157 of this same issue tells us, "Drop 10 pounds this month." Because even though you have a positive self-image and you've banished your body issues, you're still 10 pounds too heavy, fat ass. And if you were starting to feel really good about yourself, there's the fashion section with the super skinny model eating a hot dog (riiiight, she eats food) at the back of the mag to bring you back down to your overweight, flabby, self-loathing earth. Seriously, my skeleton is fatter than that model.

The March issue gives this tip: "If you're feeling truly exhausted, it's more beneficial to ditch your workout." It's better to get the sleep you need and not risk injuring yourself, the story says. Yet, once again, in the same issue, "'Even when she's tired, Jaime (Pressly) comes to the gym motivated,' says trainer Mike Jones." See, Jaime Pressly can make it to the gym and be motivated, even when she's tired, so why can't you? Jaime Pressly also has an Emmy, and you don't.

It's not all bad. I take good things from the magazine from time to time. For instance, in this month's "Weight-loss diary" entry, the writer says:

"I was really having trouble putting an end to my mental trash talk. So I asked my life coach, Lauren Zander, for advice on how to nip it in the bud -- for good. ... She devised a three-part plan to help me change my mind-set. The first step: to give my inner critic a name, which would help me differentiate if from the healthier, more nurturing me. I immediately dubbed mine 'Cindy.'"

I too have decided to name my inner critic, which I think is also the voice that wakes me at 3 a.m. to make me freak out about all the things I have to get done before noon Wednesday (which inexplicably doesn't include writing blog entries or playing solitaire). My inner critic is "Doug." Why Doug? Well, K didn't seem to want the name for her iPhone, and it just feels right to say, "Shut up, Doug! I don't want to hear it."

Thanks, Shape!

A year and a day

As most of you know, my mom died a year ago yesterday. Isn't supposed to get easier after a year? Am I supposed to be past the mourning stage by now? Here in Colorado, we've been enjoying a long stretch of spring-like weather -- and lots of sunshine. But yesterday was cold and gloomy, which seemed to be a fitting complement to how I felt. I'm 41 years old and all I could think was, "I want my mommy." It's kind of pathetic, so feel free to stop reading here.

I moved out of my parents' house when I was 20 and moved away from my hometown nine years ago, so I didn't see my mom daily or even monthly. But we talked nearly every Sunday. I would tell her about my week, my ups and downs and the latest developments at work and in my (often rocky) love life. She would tell me about the nieces and nephews and what my brothers had been up to. I always made sure to tell her about things I knew she would find exciting -- we went skiing, there was a fox in our front yard -- as well as the mundane, day-to-day occurrences. It was my Sunday ritual, and I miss it very much.

A few weeks ago, the S.O. and I went to see the Velvet Hills Chorus on a Saturday evening because our neighbor is a member, and it got us out of the house. The barbershop harmony isn't exactly our cup of tea, but as I watched, I kept thinking how much Mom would have loved it. I could hear her saying how neat it was and how she wished she had the guts to get up on stage and sing. It was something I would have told her all about the next day. So, even though it wasn't exactly my thing, I enjoyed it for Mom.

Looking through some pictures yesterday, I came across one of Mom as a young girl. I'm guessing she's somewhere around 7 or 8 years old. She looks happy. And sassy.


I miss her.

What I drove: Infiniti G37 Coupe

I recently drove the Infiniti G37 coupe. Priced way (way, way) out of my range, this is one hot car. It's low slung and attractive, with a more aggressive look than its previous incarnation — the G35. It’s also now has a trim level with all-wheel drive — the G37x.

The G37 is available in a total of four trim levels as a coupe, but you can also get one in a four-door sedan and a convertible. While the trim levels and packages available with the G37 coupe allow you to add lots of different options, you get the same power across the board — 330 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque.

The biggest difference in trim levels includes all-wheel drive on the G37x — the other trim levels come with rear-wheel drive. And while most of the trim levels come standard with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the G37 Sport 6MT gets a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter.

I drove the G37x but certainly didn't need all-wheel drive on the warm, sunny winter day I took it out. The test car had the automatic transmission with a drive sport mode, allowing you to drive the car as if it had a manual transmission. Use it when you want a little extra oomph off the line or for passing. Infiniti literature goes on and on about a driver-adaptive learning algorithm that senses your driving style and adjusts automatic shifting accordingly. What that meant to me were flawless shifts in automatic and a heck of a lot of fun in manual mode.

Base price is $38,700. The test vehicle came in at $46,385 and was loaded with a host of goodies, like a nav system; heated outside mirrors, Infiniti Intelligent Key with push button start; dual-zone automatic temperature control; leather-appointed, eight-way power-adjustable, heated front seats; leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise control and audio system controls; an aluminum and leather-appointed shift knob; XM Satellite Radio and Infiniti Studio on Wheels by Bose.

Procrastinating

You know how there are things you need to do, but you put them off, when, really if you would just do them and get them over with, you would be a lot less stressed out? I have a list of about 10 things I am procrastinating on right now. It's like a disease. I know I'll feel more relaxed once I make these phone calls and write these stories but I just can't seem to make myself do it. It's easy to think I'll do it tomorrow. It doesn't have to be done right this second. But the longer I put these things off, the harder they become and the shorter my deadlines. What a vicious circle I've created for myself. Ok. This is it. I'm going to make these phone calls. I'm going to finish these stories.

Right after I finish my coffee. And this blog entry. And read my friends' blogs. And look at these cute pictures of a koala drinking out of a big ol' tub.

A little fresh air

In my real life job as a writer, I often have to interview people. I wish I could be more like Terry Gross, asking the right questions to elicit deep and meaningful answers. I don't. But I get the job done. On the flip side, I've never really been interviewed myself so when I read this post over at moArdy's A Motivated Notion, I jumped at the chance to be interviewed. moArdy read about it on another friend's site (and so on and so forth).

Want to get in on this interviewing stuff? Here are "The Rules:"

A.) Leave me a comment saying, “Interview Me!”
B.) I’ll respond with five questions of my choice for you to answer (and I promise to try to make them exciting and interesting.)
C.) You update your blog with the answers to the questions
D.) You include “The Rules” and offer to interview other people

Now, without further ado, my interview:
1) If you could make anything socially acceptable for one day - what would it be?
This is the hardest question for me. I kind of feel like a lot of things that are socially unacceptable, probably ought to stay that way. At first I thought I would make saying the "F word" socially acceptable, but I don't think it's that really that far a stretch, and everyone would just run around saying "F***" all day and ruin it as a really great curse word. So, I'm going to go with men wearing dresses or skirts. But only if they want to. In fact, I think it should be socially acceptable (if only for that one day) for clothes to be completely gender neutral, with no one being judged for wearing dresses or pants or pantsuits.

2) What animal at the zoo would you like to make your pet? (without worrying about any logistical issues)
A hippopotamus. Those who know me, know about my odd obsession with hippos. And if I didn't have to worry about the logistics, I would totally have one for a pet. My second choice is a monkey. Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

3) What is the most uncommon color you have ever painted (or wanted to paint) a room?
"Gold Tone" -- a bright golden yellow color. It's actually on just one wall in our TV room, but it's so bright and cheery it always makes me smile.

4) What food(s) can you never seem to leave the grocery store without?
Granola -- we buy it in bulk from Whole Foods. Mixed with plain yogurt, it's our favorite breakfast. We go through it pretty quickly, too. We love breakfast.

5) If you could relive one year - which one would it be and would you change anything?
(Second hardest question to answer!) I would relive the year I graduated from high school and entered college. I would break up with my high-school sweetheart at the beginning of the year, instead of waiting until summer. I would not date the guy I ended up marrying (at a way too young age!). In the fall, I would moved into the dorms and work harder at being sociable while stilling getting good grades. And I would be truer to myself and my beliefs and generally have more fun than I did the first time around. Hmmm... I guess I need to do some of those things now.

Possibly another reason we don't have kids

A conversation:

The S.O.: "I wish the dog could stand up on her back legs all the time." (Because he thinks it's cute.)

Me: "I wish the dog could type and do dishes." (Because that would be awesome!)

The S.O.: "Maybe we shouldn't have kids because I think your expectations for them might be a little high. You'll be trying to have them write stories by the time they're two."

Me: (unspoken) What's the point of having them if I can't try that? I'd have the first baby blog actually written by babies!

Ear worm

I woke this morning with a song stuck in my head -- an insidious ear worm. It was "These Boot Were Made For Walking." It's probably one of the worst songs to get stuck in your head, on par with "It's a Small World."

On the plus side, it allows me to post this Boots Medley video from "Kinky Boots," a British movie we watched recently. IMDb users only give the film a 6.9 rating, but I really liked it. It's uplifting, fun and its ultimate lesson is delivered by drag queens in stilettos.



Fans of "Serenity" might recognize Chiwetel Ejiofor. (Now you have one more reason to love that movie.)

What I read: "The Falls" by Joyce Carol Oates

It's true. I have to admit it now. I definitely have a thing for Joyce Carol Oates. In the past year, I have read three of her books ("The Gravedigger's Daughter," "Missing Mom" and now, "The Falls"). They're all pretty heavy books -- love, dysfunctional families, tragedy. But Oates weaves her sad tales with beautiful images and intriguing characters. There are characters to hate, to love, to love to hate and to hate to love. But there are very few characters you can feel ambivalent about.

"The Falls" begins in June 1950 and spans the next 28 years of the life of Ariah Littrell, who becomes Ariah Erskine, then Ariah Littrell again and Ariah Burnaby in short order. I don't want to give too much away, but this is an Oates book, so you know there will be joy and pain right from the start.

Set in Niagara Falls, New York, "The Falls" paints a picture of the city, from its tourist sites to the infamous Love Canal. "Love Canal" -- words I remember vaguely growing up, words then-president Carter talked about. I'm embarrassed to say I had to look up more information about the controversy while reading this book. (You can find some information here, here and here. And there's plenty more information out there.) The lives of people suffering illness due to toxic dumping melds with the Burnaby family, which suffers its own toxicity.

I think Oates may be a bit of an acquired taste, as I've said, she deals in tragedy and dysfunction. But I have definitely acquired the taste. I have a hard time putting down her books and seek out new ones and old ones I've yet to read.

Words of wisdom

My 13-year-old niece sent me an e-mail yesterday with this little gem: "I hate stuff right now." As the "grown up" in our relationship, I knew that I should be all "Now, you don't really 'hate' anything." But even as I thought it, I knew it was a lie. Instead, I ended up saying, "You know what? I hate stuff sometimes, too. Just don't let it get you down for too long. Being 13 sucks sometimes. It gets better. I promise."

I remember how I hated when I was a kid and an adult would tell me those were the best years of my life. Being 13 was not the best time of my life. It may have been easy in terms of not having a job or bills or debt. But it's such a weird awkward age -- especially, in my humble opinion, for girls. We deal with the crazy changes our bodies are going through, wondering if what we're experiencing is "normal" because even though our friends are going through it too, it's never quite the same for any of us. Am I too big, too small, too short, too tall? What is happening to my skin, my boobs, my hips, my body? Why do I feel like crying all the time and why the hell did I have to be a girl? Ok, maybe not everyone felt exactly like that, which is kind of my point. (I imagine there were girls out there who had all the answers and were sure of themselves and didn't worry about the changes they were going through. If so, they were the freaks, not me.)

At the time, I thought, "If this is the best time of my life, that means it goes downhill from here. Oh that sucks. I hate everything." So, my advice to my niece was to hang in there. Sure, there will be harder times in her life (as in all lives) but that doesn't diminish how hard it is to be a 13-year-old girl. I only hope she knows how amazing she is, how much I love her and that she can always come to me for advice -- even if the best advice I can give her is to grab some chocolate and ride it out.