If your an actor, you should be able to act

Today I saw Quantum of Solace.  I really enjoyed it except for the obvious reference to Goldfinger and the stupid Bond Girl name of Strawberry Fields.  I enjoyed stupid Bond girl names when it was Pussy Galore and the movies were infused with humor, but a rougher tougher bond, shouldn't have a girl named Strawberry Fields.  Seriously.  But never in the whole movie did I think Daniel Craig is so awesome, because all I saw was James Bond.  And I love that James Bond.  

Now before the movie they had a preview of Valkyrie.  All I saw was Tom Cruise not Clause von Stauffenburg.  Did you even know that was his character's name?  I didn't I had to look it up.  When was the last time you watched anything with Tom Cruise in it where you lost him in his character?  Risky Business?  I won't ever choose to pay to see a Tom Cruise movie again.  I just don't see point.  Movies are an escape and I'd rather escape that watch him.  

I still have not managed to watch Twilight.  Its on my list, but there was no way The Husband was going to go watch that.  Not that I will complain, having to watch Daniel Craig is never a hardship.  EVER. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I also want to say I am thankful for Turkey, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, mashed potatoes, fresh homemade rolls, etc.  He! He! He!  You know me I had to say something ridiculous.

Seriously I am thankful for my family, friends (this includes all you nuts who read this!), my job (seriously in this economy we should be thankful for our jobs), double ovens that are allowing me to get everything cooked for tomorrow, chocolate chip cookies, cake, wine - can't forget that, cats, truckers - they do bring us lots of stuff even if they screw up the road doing it.  I am thankful that I have a wicked dry sense of humor, because without it my sanity would have left me long ago.  :) 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  

I spent the afternoon with my camera

I worked my usual 6 hours today, and ran to the bank on my way home.  The Husband looked like he needed a break and it was a beautiful day.  So I suggested a trip to the Arboretum for pictures.  YEA!  I had the most pleasant of afternoons with my youngest.  E, the oldest, decided he didn't want to go anywhere.  Check out my favorite pic for the afternoon.  H2 and I took in some much needed fall color.

Then we drove home and I was so at peace with everything.  Everyone who reads this blog knows that doesn't happen often.  I reboot in nature, what can I say I'm a Virgo.  Then I convinced everyone to go over to the lake with me to watch the sunset.  Surprise, my children took on look at the sun picked up a stick and started playing in the mud.  Oh well, maybe one day they will appreciate stuff like this.

Does anyone else see anything wrong with this?

Mario kitty has a new friend. Should I be concerned or proud?

Doesn't this look like fun?

People blog for all kinds of different reasons. Some blog to get their thoughts out in a public diary; others blog to share their expertise with others; many more blog for a dozen other reasons.

Though there may be 100 reasons why people blog, I've yet to meet a blogger who doesn't appreciate comments. For this reason I'm starting Blog Comment Day on December 3, 2008. Here's how it works:

• On December 3, 2008 you will leave one comment on at least 5 different blogs.
• Out of the 5 blogs you comment on, at least 2 of them will be blogs you haven't commented on previously.

That's it. Simple, right?

Where to from here?

1. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me know if you're participating by leaving a comment in this post.
2. Feel free to save and use the banner in this post.
3. Please consider promoting this on your blog. Feel free to copy anything I've written here to promote Blog Comment Day.
4. Encourage others to leave a comment here if they are participating.

Thanks for helping to make the blogosphere a more conversational place!

Dear President Bush, President-Elect Obama, The US House of Representatives, The US Senate and all other elected officials:

I understand your need to help corporations. I do. There are a lot of people who work for these corporations that will lose their jobs if you don’t. But stop for a minute and think about this. For example. You bail out the automakers. Great, most of the people who work there will still have a job. The upper management will get their bonuses. They will continue to make products that are not environmentally sound. But will that solve the problem if the average consumer is suffering so much that they cannot purchase any automobiles? The places that the money was suppose to go when Congress voted on it is not where the money is actually going. My husband has lost about 30% of his retirement in his 401K. Yippee!! The idea of saving more my kids college is not even imaginable due to the money it is taking to just put groceries on the table. Hello - $3 bread is kind of ridiculous. I’m amazed at how anyone can afford meat anymore and remain healthy. Even hamburger meat that is 85% lean – which is 15% fat is still 3.99 a pound and if you want better say 90% you are looking at $5 or better.

PEOPLE need help, not corporations. Forgive debt, or maybe let us get loans from you (if we qualify and only if we qualify) for no interest loans to refinance our debt. We need to stabilize the economy by starting from the ground up not the top down.

Let me make a few suggestions. Just small ideas that might help start you brainstorm to create a better America. First, lets think about what we need.

1. We need to lower unemployment by creating more jobs.
2. We need to create a way to lower debt in this country.
3. We need our corporations to remove waste from their budgets.
4. We need better healthcare.
5. We need to improve the environment.

Ok, so how can we fix it.

1. We need to fix some of the infrastructure. If we fixed the railways, (create jobs) we could get trucks off the road (cleaner environment and less wear & tear on the roads) and lower transport costs (lower grocery/fuel etc). This is a win/win situation in my book.

2. Corporations need to stop bonuses and “special” spa trips to keep their upper management happy. There are enough people out of work that could replace the jerks who want perks to stay in their jobs. CEO’s need to get their bonuses from end-of-year profits and not guarantee them bonuses just because they had a title. Also, make corporations pay a penalty for sending their jobs overseas. Keep the jobs here.

3. Healthcare is a big bummer, because the insurance companies don’t play by the rules, you are the government you fix it. How about limiting the profit margin – or saying that a certain percentage of their profits must go to healthcare cost of those unable to qualify or pay for insurance.

4. Offer tax incentives for all green building. Including insulation or improvements on current houses and REQUIRE builders to make environmentally smart choices like solar panels, or insulation etc. to cut our energy bills.

5. Offer no interest loans to qualified Americans to cut their debt. I realize that this is how companies make their money, how about not allowing credit card companies to charge 20% interest. I mean if I looked hard I could probably find a mobster who would give me a better rate. Ok, that was a joke, but you know what I mean.

Use some common sense. Get out of the money grubbing pockets of these corporations. Yes, they contributed to your campaign, but remember who voted for you. Who is the bigger percentage. The insurance/automaker’s CEO’s or the American People.

While you are at it, how about some term limits, maybe make it a requirement for all Americans to serve the government in some way, shape or form in their lifetime. Whatever it is, get off your butts and do something that will help the people of this country and not pad the pockets of Corporate America.

Happy Anniversary to US!

Today is my 13th wedding anniversary and while we are more like Maude & Walter than Claire & Cliff Huxtable we are very happy. Ok, I can't speak for my husband, but I am very happy, except when he compares my hair to Gene Simmons. Come to think of it, at least he didn't compare it to Richard Simmons.



I love you honey! Happy Anniversary!

I'm cured! Maybe....someday.

I feel like I've had a break-through in the stress department.  I don't know why or how, sometimes it just comes together.  I can stress about maybe running out of eggs three days from now when I have 2 dozen in the fridge.  I am STRESS.  Over the past 10 days I've stressed out over female crap.  I've been waiting on results from a cervical biopsy.  It was the best news I could have gotten under the circumstances.  YEA!  I don't have cancer - not even pre-cancer.  I've got level 1 abnormal cells and we will wait six months and see what happens.  Stress seems to aggravate the condition.  So as soon as I got off of the phone with the doctor I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.  

Does this mean I'm never going to stress again?  NO.  But I was amazingly calm for the rest of the day.  The usual annoyances seemed less of an annoyance and more of life.  Does it mean I'm cured of all my neuroses? That I will never need another Xanax?  NO.  Little steps people, little steps.  But I'm making headway, I can feel it.  

How's this for a quote of the day?

So if you don't remember, I am in charge of coming up with the inspiration quotes for the beginning of the PTA Board Meetings. So in my search for a quote today I ran across this. Who in their right mind would actually thing this was inspirational?

Adults are dead children - Michael Brown

Shocked?

Itshappeningagain.

Imhavinganothernospacebarkindofday.  Itsbeautifuloutsideandallmythoughtsarejustrunningtogetherandmeanprettymuchnothing.  Hugsandkissestoall.

Color me purple....

Normally, I would post this on my photo blog, but I'm VERY proud of this. I have others, but as I am currently in a slight financial bind, my computer currently doesn't have a program to process the RAW pictures I took, so this is only a jpeg. My daddy - the most awesome man on Earth - is letting me play with his "Big Shit Lens". He loaned me his old 1000mm lens. I played with it today. You like?

Seriously......Gene Simmons?

As we all sat down to dinner tonight, my husband looked at me and said "Right now, your hair it looks just like Gene Simmons."  Now any man, woman and child know that is no compliment.  No offense Mr. Simmons, I love you & your show, but admit it your hair could use a little help.

I seriously need some hair therapy.  I know that.  In fact this morning instead of drying it, I just coated it with deep repair conditioner and tied it up in a clip so it could "soak-in".  It usually helps, but I don't usually take it out of the clip until bedtime for the reason stated above.  

I couldn't even come up with a good comeback.  What a schmuck!

I am monumentally bored...

I don’t think in the history of the universe I have ever been so bored. I am currently in the office and we have a ton of stuff to accomplish, but are waiting on either printers or deliveries. I can’t stand to be doing nothing. I have absolutely no desire what-so-ever to do anything that might help me personally. Like search for recipes or books or find something educational to read. I have filed everything, re-organized everything I can find and well am about to scream out loud just to get a reaction out of somebody.

I’ve called my husband, who has absolutely no desire to talk on the phone. He’s not a phone talker, unless of course I am talking about sports, which even though I understand most sports – I could truly care less about stuff like La Cross or Soccer; I’m more of a Hockey, Basketball or Football kind of girl. I’ve been working weekends so long, that now that I’m not, I couldn’t tell you a football players name to save myself, unless they are/have been or might be dating some ridiculous celebrity that shows up on every trashy website on the planet. I can barely keep up with the TV shows I’ve recorded much less learn sports guys names, teams and stats. Now, the only exception is really hockey, because well there is a propensity for blood, it’s the kids’ favorite and well, its fast moving. I also have a texting/tweeting buddy during the game I get easily distracted and all the stops and starts in football tend to make me lose focus and our basketball team falls apart in the 4th period so why bother.

I totally want to change the direction of my life at the moment. I don’t really know how to approach this subject with the rest of my family. Parents, husband etc. I so want to be more creative. I’ve always had a very creative mind, but I’ve always been pushed to use my left brain, be a teacher….be an accountant. Job security, stability, etc. etc. I hate boring jobs like that. I like working Real Estate, because for the most part no two houses are alike and I work with a group of very diverse people with interesting personalities. So professionally I’m happy. Personally, I would like to find the time to write more, maybe dip the toes into writing some short stories. Have the time to research some options with my poetry. I’d love to take pictures all the time, but its hard to balance home, family and hobbies. Since I’m working more, I have less time to keep the house – of course part of the problem is years of pack-ratting stuff. I’m very much in purge mode, which I did in the kids room yesterday. I dumped a 30 gallon bag of trash and got almost all the stuffed animals out of the room. My kids would not allow me to get rid of them, but maybe I can get them to forget about them after a while and “POOF” they are gone. Ooooh, maybe a squirrel could get in the attic and tear them apart. SHHH! Don’t tell.

I’m hoping to work on cleaning out the attic and garage. Having a garage sale, getting some stuff on Craigslist or Ebay. I might even venture further, but need to talk to the hubby first.
I must go plan my organization of closets. Peace out.

Stuff & Things

I feel like I have nothing to blog about.   My world is totally and completely boring.  I have probably 100 loads of laundry to do, instead I'm watching a Hockey game, playing with my cat, TURCO, and freezing hamburger meat I bought in a huge family size package - due to the sucking economy and all.  Speaking of wants, there are about a million things I want right now:

• A full bank account
• A well-healed husband
• A flat iron for my hair (its very scary these days)
• kids that don't throw towels on the floor after their showers
• a maid - I seriously hate cleaning and I never seem to accomplish anything when I do.
• Some new shoes, and new wardrobe.  Mine is seriously in need of some help
• Some, new camera lenses
• Turco to have a shut-out

A few things that would make my life better, more fun, the last one would make unstableblogger happy too.

I need some inspiration, maybe a good nights sleep.  I could care less if I ever drank wine again and I don't even feel like reading, both of which I think are signs of the apocalypse.  The husband wants a lemon cake, but seriously, who likes lemon cake except for my husband.  He wants me to make one for him.  What do you think?  

No more politics! Ok, one more then I'm done.

Yippee!! The election is over. Before you get your panties in a wad, I'm not upset at the outcome of the election. I think that the US spoke and we are going to see some radical changes as the Democrats have a the majority in the House and Senate and with a Democrat in the White House. Talk about being able to pass everything you could ever want. My big concern - Russia is already putting up short range missiles near Poland. I hope that come January, our new administration will not let other countries walk on us, pull one over on us and think we are wimps. We still need to be strong and not go all Greenpeace on the world.

That said, I'm going to be working on some poetry. A girl in my office has introduced me to poems that are questions. MMMM, I'm going to work on this and maybe, catch up on everything I missed over the last few weeks now that The Husband is on the mend.

Last Day

I'm so absolutely excited that after today, I don't have to watch stupid political ads, listen to polls saying who is going to win, who is behind, what so-and-so has promised us today. After tonight - it will be decided and I get to go back to the regular every day occurrences that make me happy.

I don't have to listed to two friends arguing over which candidate is better. I don't have to pick up my kids and watch the left side of the sidewalk wearing Obama shirts and the other half wearing something for McCain.

In case you are wondering, yes, I voted. I'm also soooooooooo happy that after today, this crap will be all over, because I'm sick and tired of hearing about it.

PeePaw update

Pee-Paw, my new nick-name for my walker-wielding husband, has been progressing pretty well.  We changed a bandage, he's already taken a walk and one of the kitties went with him and the boys.  My kids are amazingly protective of him.  I on the other hand jump at the slightest noise because I'm afraid he's fallen and he can't get up.  I couldn't resist that one, but every time he drops the remote I think its him and his walker.   

I'm just thankful that all is well, and I have family and friends who are there at every turn.  Thank you all for everything.