Verdict is in....ooh, the suspense!

....30 days to go....

I'm spending time each day trying to tie up loose ends. I had to send payments/deposits off for the wedding site and the photographer, and have sent the programs to the printer. The first wedding gift arrived this week (very exciting!). I'm going to lunch tomorrow with a girlfriend, and we're stopping at a local florist to look at some of my options. My mother found a wholesale flower guy who will put together whatever we want, we just need to let him know what varieties. I know sh*t about flowers, so I have to go wander around and see what appeals.

My mother and I visited a furniture rental place to see about tables, chairs and a bar - but it was all crap and would have cost a few hundred dollars. There's a church near my mother's house that sometimes loans furniture to congregation members, so she's looking into that instead. I also posted a flyer in the breakroom at my local pub, looking for someone to tend bar at the reception.

Despite having a laundry list of things yet to do, I feel okay. I know so many people who got so stressed before their weddings, about what was not yet done, or about who couldn't make it, or whatever - I'm really not feeling that. I get the occasional, momentary flash of panic when I remember something that had been tucked away in the back of my mind - but it's all doable, and I have so many friends and family who have offered to help me get everything done. I'm so grateful for that.

On an unrelated note, my deepest sympathies go out to Mel Brooks and his son, on the death of Anne Bancroft. She was a class act.

....36 days to go....

I woke up early this morning (it's a wash-the-hair day, which means an extra forty-five minutes to get ready) and as I was showering, it suddenly hit me that the wedding is in just over a month, and I still don't have a florist or furniture for the party. What if the party rents place doesn't have anything available for me? I only have 3 weekends in town left before the wedding, and one of them is booked with a garage sale - how the hell am I going to get everything done? Will it be okay with you if my blog turns into a WedZILLA panic station?

I've been working on registry items, after reading on an etiquette list somewhere that you need to have registered for as many items as you have guests invited. Hah! I think I had 35 items on two different registries, but have invited 40 people to the wedding and another 60 are invited to the reception. The article suggested treating the registry like winning a shopping spree, and to register for the things you'd love to give yourself if money wasn't an option. So I went back and registered for a few more things, things that are more "love to have" than "need to have".

Wedding planning continues. Have received the contract from the photographer and I'm currently trying to chase down the musician and get a list of what she intends to play. My mother and I need to pay a visit to the furniture rental place that will provide tables for the reception. We still haven't pinned down exactly what we're feeding people. I need to order wine & champagne. I need to arrange for a hotel room for wedding night. WedZILLA is born.

Falling under the heading, "Well, duh..."

"Sith" Fans Maimed in Lightsaber Mishap"

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been a while. I blame work this time. Last week was five full days of training in a software platform & programming language behind one of our work sites. I did that and nothing else. Didn't go out to lunch once. Didn't go to training or do any staffing at the squad. Nothing.

This past weekend was my first weekend at home in a month. After going to a friend's baby's 1st birthday party, I spent Saturday afternoon outside weeding (dandelions in full bloom around here, baby) and transplanting some herbs and other plants that I'd been nurturing inside. Sunday was my girls day with Joni - shopping, lunch and more shopping. I love Tuesday Morning. Yesterday was the last day of a special sale, where you get an extra 25% off anything that's already on clearance - score! Got a runner for the upstairs hallway, a really beautiful folding wooden chair with a padded seat to tuck away in my guest room, some gorgeous silky sheets, and a ton of other goodies.

Last but not least, wedding invites finally went out last week. WHEW! So don't say that my time away hasn't been productive....

...and the other side (both quizzes via Julia):

Your Political Profile

Overall: 10% Conservative, 90% Liberal

Social Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Personal Responsibility: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal

Fiscal Issues: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

Defense and Crime: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal

How Liberal / Conservative Are You?

Yeah, yeah...

I am: 14% Republican.

"You're a tax-and-spend liberal democrat. People like you are the reason everyone else votes for guys like Reagan or George W."

Are You A Republican?

Ruthlessly stolen from Julia:

1. What is your name? mags (but not really)
2. What color underwear are you wearing now? blue
3. What are you listening to right now? CNN HD feed
4. What are the last 2 digits of your phone number? 44
5. What was the last thing you ate? homemade pasta & sauce w/ turkey
6. If you were a crayon what color would you be? purple
7. How is the weather right now? clear, sunny blue skies
8. Who was the last person talked to on the phone? the FedEx guy
9. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? length of his pants
10. Favorite Food? red bell peppers
11. Favorite Drink? ice water with lemon
12. Favorite Alcoholic drink? Heineken
13. Favorite place to shop? the internet
14. Hair Color? dark blonde, but soon to be brunette
15. Eye Color? brown
16. Do you wear contacts? nope
17. Top or bottom? top
18. Favorite Month? october
19. Favorite Fast Food? qdoba
20. Last Movie you Watched? "De Lovely"
21. Favorite Day of the Year? some Saturday in the fall
22. Are you too shy to ask someone out? nope - been there, done that
23. Summer or Winter? winter
24. Hugs or Kisses? kisses, but hugs would be good, too
25. Chocolate or vanilla? vanilla
26. What books are you reading? Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith
27. What's on your mouse pad? a picture of some stones
28. Favorite Board Game? Scrabble
29. What did you do last night? drove (ok, was driven) from Topeka, KS to Denver
30. Who inspires you? Anne Lamott
31. Butter, Plain, or salted popcorn? butter AND salt
38. Favorite Flower? red gerbera daisy
39. What do you say when you wake up in the A.M? sh*t
40. Do you still talk to your best friend from middle school? didn't have one
41. What's on your desk? bottle of sparking water, two programming books, inches of paper, spindle of 100 CD-RWs, printer, coffee cups, giant water glass, bottle of hand sanitizer, dictionary, jade plant
42. Rock Concert or Symphony? symphony
43. Play or Opera? opera
44. Have you ever fired a gun? you betcha
45. Do you like to travel by plane? it beats walking
46. Right-handed or Left-handed? right
47. Smooth or Chunky Peanut Butter? CHUNKY
48. How many pillows do you sleep with? 2
49. City and State you were born in? winter park, fl
50. Ever hitchhiked? no

I feel like I'm acting out a stereotype - I skipped out of work and am sitting at tiny little coffeehouse, listening to public radio and typing away on my laptop in this friendly little wi-fi environment. I have IM open, so work can still ping me, but otherwise....I figured, what the f*ck. Everyone in my group has taken to "working from home" - which used to be absolutely verboten, but now seems to be the norm.

Anyway, I've been sitting here working on the hellish doc that is my "2005 Personal Goals", which feeds into the larger doc known as "2005 (Department name here) Team Goals", which in turn must support the big enchilada, "2005 (Company name here) Goals". My friend Joe, sitting beside me at the coffee house (also "working"), pointed out that it was awfully late in '05 for me to be coming up with my goals, but since no one has come around askin', I haven't been wasting my time up until now. Unfortunately, I have to actually discuss said goals w/ my boss over lunch tomorrow, so must hustle and get them done.

Back now from a long trip to Brainerd, MN for a combo race weekend/track day. We ended up canceling the track day due to farking cold weather. I spent four days bundled up in my best fleece, layers, etc. and was still cold. The only time I wasn't cold was when standing in front of the lovely propane-powered heater/blower, or when hiding inside the living quarters of the trailer. Quite the lap of luxury there - kitchen, TV (w/ Dish!), DVD player...makes a big difference in the quality of our lives at these events. Thank you, D&K.

Trying to get caught up at work, more later.

Ironically, my mother was born in Hawaii.

Via Ali:

You're Hawaii!

When they first meet you, few people can tell whether you want to say
hello or goodbye. Either way, most of them will end up saying that you're their favorite person to visit, if only they could afford the trip. But your soft and warm image is belied by an explosive undercurrent in your personality than can leave you drenched with tears or boiling with anger for days on end. You are rather fond of using plants as clothing.


Take the State Quiz at the Blue Pyramid.

It's Friday, glorious Friday. I have nothing to write about at the moment, so I'll borrow an idea from Amber and tell you what's in my lovely black Nine West saddle bag:

1. little, scratched, soon-to-be-replaced cell phone
2. security badge for office building
3. big honkin' pager for rescue squad
4. car keys on giant carabiner
5. credit card/cash wallet
6. change purse
7. business card holder
8. Orbit White gum
9. Kiehl's Lip Balm w/ spf 15 (hue 30G, baby!)
10. wide tooth comb for annoying Shirley Temple-esque hair
11. butterfly hair clip
12. house keys on chain with bent silverware
13. rescue squad roster, Gap coupons, Nuggets ticket stubs
14. handkerchief embroidered with my mother's initial
15. post-it notes
16. cool business card-type cards that say "Call My Cell"
17. hand lotion (Vaseline Healthy Hand & Nail)
18. dental floss
19. check book, nail file, elastic bands, and like 5 more lip glosses
20. other miscellaneous crap

What does Spring mean to you? Does it summon thoughts of flowers in bloom? Green leaves returning to the trees? Emerald lawns and afternoons sitting on them? While I do associate all of those things with spring, mostly (for me) Spring is about my hair.

Every year, in fact twice a year (Spring and Fall), I feel the urge to radically change my hair. It's a physical need that I have, the kind that causes you physical pain when you ignore the craving. Usually it's that my hair is too long, or too blond, and I have a nearly irresistible urge to have short dark brown hair. Photos of me taken over the last 17 years or so will display a wide variety of lengths and colors - but I think I looked best with my hair very short (maybe 2.5" long) and close to my natural brown, maybe a bit darker. Couple of problems with that now:

1. A doesn't like my hair that short (surprise, surprise).
2. Many more grays now, much easier to spot when hair is dark.

So this is my dilemma right now. My wedding is 10 weeks away, so I'm hesitant to do anything radical that I'll hate - but I also don't think I look like the real me. I'm seeing my wizard of a hair stylist, the lovely and talented Miss Shira, next week for a cut, and the week after for color. What to do, what to do...

Having a farking devil of a time finishing wedding invites. I've had to e some of our out-of-town guests for their snail-mail addresses so that I can get stupid invites out -- but that contact of course prompts questions about where, when, where shall I stay, etc. There is precious little room at the Inn - just enough for my best friend Vic, and the friend of A's who will perform the ceremony. Okay, maybe I can squeeze four or so more people in here....we'll have to wait and see.

I've got a simple page ready with hotel info, etc. Just have to carve out some time tonight to get that finished, then write the rest of the invites and get them addressed. The only other hold up is the little cards to go in the invites that tell people where and when is the reception. Gaaahh! No wonder people elope! Had I known....

I tried on my dress. It almost zips closed over my oversized bust. Damn it, I just can't get away from these things. I have now officially decided that it's crash diet time, because you know the tits is the first place you lose it. My great-grandmother was a lovely woman, but these are her boobs and this is her fault.

Spotted while browsing over at Snowball's.

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

20% Yankee

15% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

I'm so glad I stopped by Amber's today, because I've had a blah day and have nothing to say. I was much relieved to see Blog It Forward being passed around. Here's my part for BIF:


Go Fug Yourself. Why do I love these girls so much? Maybe because it reminds me of life in Hollywood/LA and I'm just homesick all of the time. Or, maybe it's because they take one look at Britney Spears and instinctively react the same way I do - with venom, sarcasm and (hopefully) wit.


Dooce. What can I say? I wish she lived in Boulder so we could walk our dogs and go out drinking together. Rube even looks a little like Chuck.


Gringa Diaries. I don't even know how I first visited this blog, but I've been checking in for a while now, while the Gringa tries desperately to become pregnant. About 10 days ago, she learned that she's finally there - and announced today that she's having twins. I'm not one of those women who's totally into babies or kids or anything - but when I read the Gringa's good news, I cried. I still cry every time I think about her.

There's a whole bunch of other good ones listed to the right, and a zillion more that I haven't found yet. Go read!

I've just learned that one of my academy instructors was killed in the line of duty on Saturday. A former Douglas County Sheriff's officer, he and his family had returned to his hometown in Kansas, where he was a sheriff's officer.

Rest in peace, Kurt Ford.

Go check out the new Burton comic - it's fantastic.

Link via Beancounter.

Talk about stating the obvious...it was either that, or she was putting on weight as fast as she could for her "before" photos as the next Trim Spa spokes-girl....

She's preggers.

**Beware, the site takes forever to load and is clogged up with gobs of flash - no plain vanilla html version that I could find.

Our first track event of the season came off without any major hitches - we ran two riding schools (one for new racers and one for new riders), plus the regular track day events. Kim was so organized and well prepared - everything was ready for the customers, and she even fed all of us for the weekend - prepared everything in CO, packed it up and drove it all out to IA. I need someone that organized to plan the wedding for me!

A's father joined us for the weekend, and I think they both had a fantastic time. Unfortunately, he was supposed to fly back to the west coast on Sunday, with a connecting flight through Denver - and anyone who was watching the news on Sunday or read a newspaper on Monday probably knows, Colorado got hit hard by a blizzard on Sunday, which shut down Denver International Airport. We ended up having to fly him through Chicago early Monday morning in order to get him out of IA - but that wasn't too bad, we got to have another evening all together. The other bad news was that we weren't able to leave early Monday as scheduled...we were on standby and of course got bumped for all of the ppl who were supposed to have flown on Sunday. Another day at work missed. You can imagine how distraught I was.

The boy started TiVoing "MXC" a while back, and whenever we have a night home together where he's not glued to the computer (once a month, maybe?), we watch episodes of "MXC" (unless it's Friday, which is all about "Battlestar Gallactica"). Last night we watched 3 in a row, skipping over commercials, so about an hour - that show makes us laugh so hard! For those not acquainted with it, "MXC" airs on SpikeTV, and it's a Japanese program that has voice-overs in English - the contestants have to do a series of somewhat hazardous physical challenges which are themselves kind of funny (c'mon, it's funny when someone falls down!!), but the voice-overs are the best part - totally off-the-wall comments, and they make up ridiculous names and professions for everyone.

Today's meme suggested by Amber:

Accent: none, except southern when liquored up
Bra size: wouldn't you like to know
Chore I hate: weeding. spiders and crawly things everywhere
Dad’s name: jan
Essential makeup: powder with spf, lip balm, black mascara
Favourite perfume: it varies with the season - i use vanilla in the winter, a peppery chocolate scent in fall and winter, and Allure or Layla in the spring and summer
Gold or silver: never gold, unless it's white
Hometown: winter park, fl
Interesting Fact: the high chair i used as a baby also held the infant Teddy Roosevelt
Job Title: websitter, marketing wench
Kids: does a deaf, one-eyed dog count? if so, one
Living arrangements: hubby-to-be and i live in a house he bought 2 years ago - a big, drafty place in Boulder, with open space and a creek behind us
Mom’s birthplace: honolulu, hawaii
Number of apples eaten last week: 3? maybe 4
Overnight hospital stays: besides my own birth, one - knee surgery
Phobias: runny eggs, spiders, rooms with low ceilings (hey, i'm 6' tall!)
Question you ask yourself a lot: where the hell are my shoes?
Religious affiliation: yes, i have one
Siblings: one sister, one brother, both younger
Time I wake up: 6am - you wouldn't know that's daytime for how dark it is!
Unnatural hair color: blonde/auburn highlights
Natural hair color: light brown
Vegetable I refuse to eat: mushrooms
Worst habit: recovering nail biter
X-rays: teeth, right elbow (sprained), right shoulder (broken), most fingers (one broken), toes (2 broken), right hip (dislocated), knees(both ACLs torn), ankles (only sprained)...did i mention that i'm an unprofessional stuntwoman?
Yummy food I make: gooey pasta w/ melted mozarella & filet mignon
Zodiac sign: scorpio

Just got to work after a site tour and breakfast at a new hotel in Boulder, the St. Julien Hotel and Spa. What a beautiful place. Visit the website if you have a chance - the "model" room on their website is identical to the one we toured. While the breakfast left a bit to be desired, the hotel itself was worth the trip. I'm considering it for our wedding night, something that I wouldn't have considered except that we'll have houseguests for our wedding weekend....

I went to CompUSA yesterday, took a deep breath, and bought a PowerBook. Butterflies the entire time - I wasn't that nervous buying a car! Why does it feel like such an extravagance? It's a totally functional, necessary purchase (yeah, I'll keep telling myself that), which has already enabled me to be so productive - I worked on a wedding page yesterday in my spare time at work, and it's nearly done! Besides being a write-off for the business, it really wasn't that much when I considered how much I've spent over the years on less-worthy computers, and how many computers in the last couple of years have just come our way, for little or no cost. Anyway, I'm through justifying myself. I bought it, I love it. Now we can move on.

Hint: It's no longer on my wish list.

What's small, shiny and fast? What's sleek, beautiful, expensive and precious? No, it's not a new car. Guess again.

Today's meme suggested by Pam:

You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be? Erm, it's been so long (high school? Hello? Seventeen years ago??). I guess I don't care/know, as long as I'm one of the books that Montag keeps hidden and refuses to burn.

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character? A couple leap to mind, but they're not from books - Troy Dyer from "Reality Bites" and Parker Stevenson as the elder brother on "The Hardy Boys". I did/do have a very powerful, non-romantic crush on Atticus Finch. I wish I'd known that my father was that good a man.

The last book you bought is: An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire by Arundhati Roy. I loved The God of Small Things, and although this new one is non-fiction, I'm hoping I'll enjoy it as well.

The last book you read: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I loved it.

What are you currently reading? Struggling through Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Magurire. So far, it's not floating my boat.

Five books you would take to a deserted island: Tough one, to choose just five. Here goes: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, e by Matthew Beaumont, The Eiger Sanction by Trevanian, and Blue Shoe by Anne Lamott.

Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 people) and why? None of my friends blog. However, I'm passing Middlesex on to a friend today, and am gifting a copy of Blue Shoe to a friend this weekend. I'll come up with a third...

After a few days of snow and rain, the weather has finally taken a turn for the better. Things in the yard are starting to bloom (purple and yellow crocus, buds on the lilac tree), and the grass is emerald green. Today it's supposed to be up around 50 degrees.

We're doing a family dinner tonight, and have invited some of my mother's new friends to join us. It'll be like old times - big meal, big group, lots of talking and getting to know each other. It's one of the things I've missed the most about having my family be scattered around so much.

Wedding plans are moving right along. My mom's friend Jan has offered to help by organizing food for the wedding and reception, and she'll help my mom with flowers as well. I want to start looking for fun stuff for the yard - lights and cool stuff to hang from the trees and to decorate the fence that runs the length of the backyard, funky old tableclothes to throw over the tables, stuff like that.

I like a Friday where you don't really have to work. I went in for a meeting and finished some paperwork, and was out of there by 1pm. I went over to the squad and met one of the other members, who walked me through rigging a Tyrolean - something we had done at training earlier this week, but I was a little lost on the setup. Amazing what 20 minutes of one-on-one time does for your understanding.

**Kim, here's a link to photos from WoW.

Feels good to be home. I loved spending time with my friend Kim, but you can't beat sleeping in your own bed. Plus, my dog missed me. Okay, I think the boy missed me, too.

We have the beautiful and talented Miss Mare visiting for two weeks. I look forward to movies, dinners, pedicure parties, hikes, and knitting together. We also have VIP tickets to the Nuggets/Lakers game on Thursday night, and the Nuggets/Sonics game on Saturday night. Woo hoo!

I REALLY don't like Omaha. The only food available after 10pm is at Old Chicago, and even they close at 12:30am. It's mostly flat, grey, filled with homes all built using the same cookie cutter. While the Old Market district is quaint, it's also filled with rowdy teenagers from one of the two local college campuses (like I don't get enough of that in Boulder!). Also, WHAT KIND OF A MORONIC CITY/COUNTY STILL ALLOWS SMOKING IN RESTAURANTS? That's so 10 years ago. That must be why all the movies at the one movie theater that I drove past opened a YEAR AGO. It also explains all of the gigantic hospital complexes that we drove past - they need all that space to treat their citizens for the host of respiratory ailments that they will surely have. I kid you not, every single thing that I have with me now reeks of smoke.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Omaha I go.

Leaving tonight to help out in a booth at the World of Wheels tradeshow. There's not really much about motorcycles going on at that show, but we hope to lure a few potential customers over.

At least they have good steak in Omaha, right?

Made a trek out to Lafayette today for the best Mexican food I've found in Colorado, Efrain's (ignore that review at the top that trashes their service, it's always been great). I have mixed feelings every time I eat there - love the food, love the service, love the space, but it makes me so homesick for LA, where great Mexican food can be found around just about every corner.

You've gotta love Colorado. We had a forecast for mid to high 60s today, and it's snowing. Granted, the snow is not sticking, but it's flying around fiercely after skies that looked like tornadoes were a'comin'.

I'm supposed to be working on a new Twiki site, and I haven't had 5 minutes to spare for this in a couple of weeks. I have a status update on the site tomorrow, so I have to carve out some time to at least take a look.

I visited a site yesterday for the first time, and loved the information there. It's called Stumptuous (via Erin). Check out the site, especially the links for Eating --> Basic Nutrition. I started reading late yesterday afternoon, and actually stayed late at work because I was so absorbed. I especially dig the links to info specifically about fats, proteins, and a great one called "Dieting 101". It's very much in tune with the information from my nutritionist and from several books that I've read lately. Give it a whirl.

Today's post suggested by Amber:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don’t you dare dig for that “cool” or “intellectual” book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.


In this example, I'm using the get function on the request object. If the incoming request to the page has the message variable, then the first value will be used, which of course is change. If the message variable isn't present, then the second value, default, will be used.
--The Definitive Guide to Plone by Andy McKay

Every once in a while, you have the opportunity to do something really wonderful for another person. I'm having one of those days, so I thought I'd share it.

I have a friend at work who I'll call Connie. Connie has only worked here for about 10 months, but it's been an eventful 10 months. Last summer, she lost both of her sisters on the same day - one to breast cancer, and one killed in a car accident. This was devastating to both Connie and her family, especially since Connie's mother was also killed in an accident, many years before. Within a month of losing her sisters, Connie learned that she too has cancer. Connie's cancer was advanced enough to require immediate surgery, which placed her on sick leave from work for many weeks. My company was amazing throughout Connie's illness - a fund was set up to assist with her medical bills, co-workers volunteered to clean her house, look after her dogs, rake the leaves in her yard, drive her to and from doctor appointments - the works. Connie was able to return to work last fall and resume much of her normal life, albeit without an appetite and having lost a pretty dramatic amount of weight. Still, she seemed in good spirits.

It's Connie's birthday today. Birthdays for her are special, magical days, and she's never worked on her birthday before. Due to circumstances around the office, it was necessary that she come in today, and work more than her normal shift - she'll actually be here for 12 hours today. She's been pretty depressed lately, both at the news that she needs yet more treatment for her illness, and that she had to spend this most special day at the office.

A couple of us at work who are close to Connie got together and planned a birthday for her. We decorated her cube with a "birthday balloon chandelier" and confetti, and left a couple of little gifts. Last night, I picked up two dozen roses, and we've arranged for 24 different people to randomly visit her today and each hand her a rose. It's not a lot, but it seems to have made her feel really good today. She told me that she's considering always working on her birthday in the future, because otherwise she would have missed out on being made to feel so special.

I know it sounds like bragging, but damn! We did good.

Via Daisy:

You Are 60% Left Brained, 40% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

Feel a little ripped off by the Oscars last night - BORRRING. Who here didn't know who was going to win in almost every category? I thought the musical numbers were a bad choice - Beyonce singing three out the four songs, including one in French? We couldn't find a French person out there to sing at least that song? And how about Antonio Banderas singing the song from "The Motorcycle Diaries" - why oh why would they do that to us? All of this has just given A further ammo to throw at me whenever an awards show comes along - he stayed out of the room all evening, but came back at the end with a smirk a mile wide.

There is a conference this week for work, taking place at a nearby hotel - there are about 5 people in the building. It's been amazing - I've gotten more work done in 4 hours today than I got done all of last week. The real beauty is the quiet - no phones ringing, no shouted conference calls on speakerphone, no one popping in to my cube just to distract me - I love this.

The flu bug that's been going around at work bit me, but luckily I am pumping so many vitamins into my body each day that instead of the flu it was only a cold. However, said cold lasted for 5 days, and I still sound congested. I went home sick from work on Thursday, stayed home Friday, Monday was a holiday, stayed home Tuesday, and am just now back among the worker bees. The one thought that I take away from the last 5 days is THANK GOD FOR TIVO. I mean, I was up and around on Sunday and Monday, but Friday - it was all TiVo, all the time. I watched probably 4 hours worth of "Everyday Italian" (LOVE Giada de Laurentiis), several episodes of "CSI" and "South Park", plus "Battlestar Galactica" with A when he go home from work. A is, by the way, a man who doesn't understand why there is television programming beyond Speedvision, the History Channel, and Mythbusters, but he absolutely loves "Battlestar Galactica". Could it be because of the blond who usually isn't fully dressed?

Yeah, I know, I'm a slacker. 'Scuse me for having a life and not making time to write on my blog every day. I guiltily visit my own blog each day so I can check in with all of the Blogs I Browse (much easier than having them bookmarked), and each day I think about how many days it's been since I posted, and how there's so much I want to write about...but then I don't, and on it goes.

I am sick like a dog, and at work. I have no business being upright, as my nose, cheekbones, eyes and forehead feel like one solid fuzzy mass. I want to go home and sleep, but have meetings until 4pm. I think I may have to just blow them off and leave. No one wants to be sitting next to someone in a meeting, watching that person's nose drip onto the conference table.

It's been so crazy busy lately that I haven't been able to much blogging or writing or reading or any other thing that helps maintain my sanity. I've managed to make plans or commit to projects nearly every night of the week for the past two weeks. I am now committed to doing absolutely nothing this Saturday. I will sleep in, I will play computer games, I will read magazines, I will knit, I will drink copious amounts of alcohol. Those were not listed in the order of preference or priority.

Yesterday I bought the book for which I've been searching (couldn't remember the exact title): French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating For Pleasure, by Mireille Guiliano. I read a review of it back around Christmas, and it sounded so much like the advice A's father had already given me - eat quality, ignore fad diets, avoid processed & prepared foods, savor the flavors, and indulge once in a while. I haven't had a chance to read through the book yet, but it seems to be practical advice - plus, there are some recipes in there that are supposed to be wonderful. Lo and behold, when I was reading the news today on nytimes.com, there was a review listed - read it here.

The facial was amazing. It was a peel, so there was some stinging, and my skin felt really tight the next day, but I'm so smooth and soft now! Wow. I had no idea what I was missing. This is definitely going to be a regular thing from now on.

I also went back the next day and had my eyelashes dyed. I had always thought that was over the top, like "how lazy are you that you can't put on mascara in the morning?", but believe me, I'm singing a different tune now. I don't have to wear any eye makeup now. It has made my routine so much easier. I also don't have to worry about running mascara when I go to the gym and hit the steam room (my favorite part of gymming).

Under the heading of "So What If I'm In Debt, I Deserve It" comes today's after-work activity......A FACIAL! My like 3rd ever facial. It's actually a peel, I think. I'm sort of worried, but trying hard to picture the smooth, soft, un-lined, pretty face of my facial/wax person, Elise, who swears she has one every month. Besides, her sister does my hair, so I know she won't want me mad at BOTH OF THEM....

I had my second meeting with my nutritionist tonight - we met at Whole Foods, and she helped me shop for things that she's recommending, things that are specifically beneficial for me and my body type. My current type is far, far different from what I started out with - from thin as a rail, to busty, to just big. Not fat exactly - strong, muscular, heavy. Too heavy for my tastes.

It sort of makes me unhappy to even need to seek help, but I've come to the awful realization that everything changes as we age, most especially our bodies and our metabolisms. My metabolism seems to have come to a screeching halt of late, so even though I eat well and work out 2-3 times per week, it's not enough anymore. I actually have to rethink the foods I eat, even though they were pretty healthy to begin with. I'm having blood work done to make sure that my cholesterol is where it ought to be, and that all my kidney and adrenal functions are normal - I tend to drink tons of water, but still generally feel thirsty.

The nutritionist has put me on some supplements - one for electrolytes (for the thirst/dehydration thing), and one for EFA (essential fatty acids), because I don't eat fish and she feels that I'm pretty deficient in those EFAs. I'm working on my own sort of "Lose the Buddha" kind of thing.

Would you rather:



1. be abducted by aliens OR be abducted by the government?

abducted by the government. i have _slightly_ more faith in them.


2. be a united states senator OR a mafia kingpin?

us senator! channel the power of the people!


3. only wear lime green clothes OR wear any color you want but only with combat boots?

i already wear lots of stuff w/ combat boots, so nothing new here...


4. be mistaken as someone who did a hit-and-run accident OR a kidnapper?

i was mistaken (today!) for a hit-and-run driver. easier to explain than kidnapping.

We celebrated my mother's birthday today - it was actually last Wednesday, but my brother couldn't make it up for dinner then, so we got together tonight. As usual, my mother cooked, which I felt badly about, but then again no one would want to eat my cooking, so it's better this way. We had steaks, asparagus, portobello mushrooms and red bell peppers (all on the bbq), plus beets & green, twice-baked potatoes and a Mediterranean bean salad with garlic. Yum. Everything was incredible. My mother was happy to have us there, I think she's been a little sad lately.

I hate cleaning my house - that is to say, I hate the actual work, hauling supplies around and up and down the stairs, leaning over to vacuum the floorboards, etc. However, I love having a clean house, and the feeling of satisfaction that only comes when I've done the work myself. Then I walk around the house like a nag for days, telling A to clean up after himself, insisting that he take off his shoes at the front door (a rule in our house that he mostly ignores)...I've just finished cleaning, and I used my mother's new vacuum, a Dyson. It's the most amazing vac I've ever used. I couldn't believe all the dog hair it collected, and how it left clean tracks in my low-pile carpet. I think I need me one of them.

I'm so tired that I can hardly hold my head up, and it's only Tuesday. How am I supposed to get through the week? I have an extraordinary amount of work right now, and am stumped by the problem of how to get my squad's website back up and running - a very long story and not fit for my blog. Here we're all about sweetness and light, baby.

Crazy dreams are becoming the norm. I'm not sure why that is (could be that they switched me to different levels on my b.c. pills). I'm sleeping well, but having the most whacked dreams, strange and then gone completely from my mind in short order. Oh well, what do you expect from a girl educated at a school that saw nothing wrong with my showing up for 3rd grade class photos wearing a t-shirt advertising rum that read "I've Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts"?

Busy weekend - besides training, I also met up with my friend Kim, did a little shopping, dinner and a movie on Saturday. Sunday I met up with another friend, Tamara, at Cherry Creek and we shopped in the afternoon, then met my mother at my house for dinner. We did beef ribs on the BBQ, brown rice & spinach salad. Yum. Tamara brought a bottle of Spanish wine that she had received as a gift, which was the same type that A and I had picked up in LA over the holidays. We had that after we polished off the bottle of pinot that I picked up last week. Did you know that ever since "Sideways" came out, my local wine dudes have been selling out of pinot?

Sorry to have missed a couple of days, Blogger site was on the blink for a while.

Today was Ice Rescue - we did our practical evals at the Boulder Reservoir. It was a beautiful day, but because it's been so warm, there wasn't a whole lot of thick ice. As the instructors pointed out, that actually makes it better for training, because people don't fall through the ice when it's 8" thick and you could park a semi on it. They fall through after a warm spell when the ice is weakest, so that's how we should train. I spent half the day in a "gumby" (really thick neoprene) suit, laying on my belly on the ice, dragging myself along with my arms and two ice prongs. Can I just tell you how sore my arms are? Plus, I think I cracked a rib again - at one point, I had to get in a hole and be "rescued" by one of the other members - this involved a rope around the chest, and then they yank from shore and pull you in. Plus, when they pull hard, you get jammed against the edge of the ice shelf that you've been clinging to. Gives me a whole new perspective on patient management.

Don't pay any attention to my whining. I had a blast.

Would you rather:
1. be the world's best dodgeball player OR the world's best chess player?
   best dodgeball player (even though i thought that movie was incredibly stupid) - a life of chess would give me too many grey hairs


2. be allergic to egg products OR wheat products?
   wheat - i have already mostly given it up, but i likes my eggs


3. be able to go back in time to when JFK was assassinated OR abraham lincoln?
   much as i would love to experience lincoln's time, it kinda scares me - probably kennedy


4. be able to do complex math equations instantly OR sing professionally?
   totally want to do the math

Had a busy weekend - lots of laundry and football. How about those Patriots?!?! My friend Kat was probably turning cartwheels in her living room during that game.

Tonight is Ice Rescue training, and then on Saturday we'll do our practical out at the Boulder Reservoir. I'm not sure how that works - I know we get in the mustang suit, and may even get wet, but who's playing the part of the person that fell throught the ice and has to be rescued??? Not me!

My friend Ray picked the Falcons to go all the way this year, Super Bowl and all. All I can say to that is


GO PATS!

There is a "buddha" theme going on for me this week. First it was a blurb I read in "In Style" on Monday night about music being played on a photo shoot - Buddha-Bar VI, which I bought last night at B&N and am listening to as I write this. Very cool, especially to be seeping out from my cube at work. The second was today, when I stumbled on a great blog, Lose the Buddha, a very funny, well written blog about dieting, exercise and struggling with weight and torturing yourself (or not, maybe that was just me)...check out Lose the Buddha, it's up for a BoB award.

Would you rather:
1. have all your body hair fall out and take a year to grow back OR have a really bad rash between your thighs for a month?

if i knew it was just for a month & didn't affect anything else, i'd go with the rash


2. have people shout to you because they think you're hard of hearing OR have people make funny faces at you because they think you're blind?

shout at me - i sometime have trouble hearing them anyway


3. be tortured with bamboo shoots under your finger nails OR with thumb screws?

ouch! thumb screws sound a little less terrifying


4. have your car stolen OR your wallet?

have to go with the car - at least it's insured. i'd feel weird if someone else had access to everything in my wallet

I got a page today to respond to 3 dogs that had fallen through the ice at a frozen pond - while we obviously don't want the dogs hurt, we respond to these calls in "emergency" mode because there is typically a person who will go in and try to rescue a dog in that situation - so then our scenario becomes a person in trouble. Luckily, everyone waited patiently for us to arrive (they didn't have to wait long, it was just a few minutes before the first trucks arrived), and I'm pleased to report that all three doggies were rescued and were just fine. I wasn't able to respond because it happened in the middle of the day and I had a meeting at 11:30 that I couldn't miss - this is why I need to be self-employed! More time to respond to rescue calls!

Question to you all - what is your experience with either Cingular or T-Mobile? I really want to know. I was a Cingular customer in LA (after they acquired Pac Bell Wireless) and would have stayed with them when I moved to CO, except that they didn't offer service out here. I switched to AT&T, who I hated, and finally moved to T-Mobile this year. T-Mobile is reasonably priced, but the coverage isn't great, especially once you leave Denver/Boulder proper. Now that Cingular has acquired AT&T, the coverage is supposed to be much better out here. Is it worth paying the early termination fee w/ T-Mobile??? A hates his phone and wants a better one (he does get really lousy reception), but I hesitate to upgrade his phone if we'll be switching plans anytime soon...

Via Daisy.

My dear friend Paulett has been visiting from LA, and we've been celebrating her 60th birthday for several days. Dinner last night was at Da Gabi Cucina, a wonderful, quiet little Italian place tucked away in North Boulder. I had butternut squash and yam soup and then pasta. Breakfast this morning was at Lucile's, this tiny little cottage in Boulder that is home to the best Cajun food outside of Mississippi & Louisiana. I had eggs, grits and a biscuit for breakfast with chicory coffee - YUM. Paulett flies home this afternoon, full but happy.

Happy New Year to everyone! Sorry for the long break, but I've been on vacation for almost 3 weeks, and it's been incredible - I've hardly even seen a computer in all of that time.

Spent Christmas in CO with the family, had a lovely time. My sister and the kids came out for 10 days, and I was able to spend a lot of time with them. We went to movies and dinners and ice skating and made snowmen and played pool - really had a wonderful time with them. A and I went to LA for New Years to be with his family, also a very nice time. This was the first time we'd seen any of them since we were affianced (isn't that a great word?!), and there was much talk of things to do around the time of the wedding.

So, the wedding. Wow. The date is set for July 8, a small ceremony with our families and closest friends. The party (not a reception, a full-blown party!) is on July 9, and will be a much bigger, more festive event. I'm beginning to look into invitations and food and bands, all of that. I'll be setting up a website shortly for our out-of-town guests, hotel info and the like. I'm still at the stage when I'm really looking forward to it - I don't yet feel overwhelmed by details. My friends assure me that time is coming.

Would you rather:

1. work at a company that regularly tests hair care products on animals OR regularly buries toxic waste illegally?

as deep as my love for critters goes, i just couldn't bury toxic waste


2. for an entire month, eat everything through a straw OR deep fried?

through a straw! smoothies every day!


3. invent the next popular kids toy OR sex toy?

probably make way more money on the sex toy


4. find out your neighbor is a spy for an enemy nation OR a black ops assassin for your government?

i'd rather know they were on our side

When a friend of mine recently became ill with cancer and required surgery and extensive rest, a bunch of us from work got together and took up a collection. We used the money to pay for things like a housekeeper and a window washer, etc. We also bought her a month's worth of dinners from Supper Solutions. They have a list of entrees available, and you choose either 6 (for about $90) or 12 (for about $175). Then you go to their store, and all of the ingredients are there for you, along with a step-by-step list of instructions for preparing each entree. They go into zippered freezer bags, and get labels with the cooking instructions (all are for the oven or stove-top). Then you take them home, stick them in the freezer, and use them as you need them. Since each entree serves a family of four, it works out to be about $2.50/person for each meal. Plus, they'll let you divide up the entree into a few packages (for those of us only feeding two people at a time) at no extra charge.

My friend Tara and I are going over tonight after work to put together some entrees for our families - my mother and I are splitting 6 of them to try it out. So basically, for $45, I'm getting dinner for A and I for about a week. The choices look pretty good - orange chicken, a pork loin with orange marmalade, and stuffed pork chops. Yummm.

Would you rather be:
1. A garbage collector OR a fry cook at a greasy spoon restaurant?
   
   fry cook - i would like to shout "order up" all day long


2. The person who repairs downed power lines OR the person who cleans the shark tanks (while they're still in it) at aquariums?
   
   clean the shark tanks - i've met those power guys, that's not a fun job


3. The person who does makeup on dead people for open casket services OR the person who who has to scoop the ashes of a dead person into an urn?
   
   makeup on a dead person. i think you just get used to it.


4. A beat cop in new york OR a navy SEAL on a covert mission?
   
   beat cop. it's not all bad out there.

What's the worst possible thing that can happen to your diet? A "Cookie Exchange" at work. Good lord, I didn't even know there were that many varieties of cookies. While the meringues with chocolate chips kind of freaked me out (they were pink and green), there was peanut butter & chocolate fudge....and that was it for me. Goodbye good habits, hello one-size-up-in-my-jeans.

I know that the holidays are a busy time for most everyone, but I really don't remember my own time being quite so jam-packed in recent years. I was supposed to go to Canada this weekend to see Vic, but I just can't do it - I'm exhausted, and the thought of heading to the airport and going up there, even to visit my dearest friend, just wears me out. So I called Vic and we talked and decided that now was not a great time for either of us, and we'll do it after the new year, when we've both had a chance to rest up from the holidays.

My project at work launched on Monday, to virtually zero problems. I can hardly believe it. While I did put in an enormous effort, I really think that's not the reason it went so smoothly - I truly think I just got lucky, because I sure didn't feel particularly well organized or prepared last week. Anyway, the site looks great, hundreds of customers hit it on Monday with no difficulty, so for all of that, I'm thankful.

Today is World AIDS Day. Each year on December 1, nations around the world participate in awareness campaigns and activism in support of AIDS research and education.

As some of you know, this hits particulary close to home for me - it's been 12 years since I lost my dear dad to AIDS. I want to tell each of you that this disease is every bit as painful and hideous as the worst stories that you've heard but didn't want to believe. My dad died at 45, and he looked 90. He was blind and suffered from hallucinations that made him claw at his own skin. He had to be tied to his bed in the end to keep him from hurting himself.

I think that activism in any form says that we're glad to be here, and we're willing to fight for the things that matter to us personally. I wish that I had 10 times as much time and energy as I currently possess, because there are so many causes that are near and dear to my heart, and it makes me feel fulfilled as a person to give my time (and sometimes my money) to help validate the work being done to fight this disease, or support that cause.

It's been a long time since I gave any money for AIDS research, perhaps because it always felt like such a drop in the ocean in terms of what was actually needed. For me, it's about setting the little examples whenever I can - volunteer work, campaigning, fundraising, and just being willing to talk to people about why I do what I do. That's the difference that I can make. It's one of my greatest sources of pride in myself.

UNAIDS: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS

World AIDS Day website

Would you rather:

1. have every driver but you be a "student driver" OR have every driver but you be over 75 years old?
   
   oooh, tough one - i'll take students - they're slow, too, but at least they're predictable



2. be dating someone who insists that every electric device in both of your homes be controlled by those "clap on, clap off" devices OR that every piece of furniture have plastic covers?
   
   i'd rather be not dating them



3. have regular encounters with aliens and not have any proof OR have your best friend be invisible?
   
   i kind of like the idea of an invisible best friend



4. stick your hand into a sealed box of rattlesnakes OR stick your hand into a box filled with unknown contents that are making a mechanical buzzing sound?
   
   given my tremendous fear of snakes, i'll take the scary mechanical box

Best laugh I've had in a while - The Lion Sleeps Tonight

Via Beancounter

Glorious peace and quiet in the office today. Of the 25 people in my department, there are about 9 of us here this week. I was going to take the three days off, but then I figured, why burn up the vacation days when I can come to work and leave when I like and get tons of stuff done? I'm sitting here, getting caught up on paperwork from my vacation, listening to "Morning Becomes Eclectic" on KCRW, via the Internet. I also learned this week that I can listen to the iTunes folder of anyone at work, if they're logged onto the network. Unfortunately, some of the music that my coworkers listen to is not exactly my taste - none of them have Crystal Method or Outkast or Beyonce or Lyle Lovett or U2 or any of the stuff I like to listen to during the day...

There's a project at work that I'm on, which is the specification and implementation of a new document management system - online, password-protected, etc. We've had one piece of software that my company has used for years, but it's clunky and not user-friendly, plus the 150+ seat licenses have become incredibly expensive. We're replacing it with an open-source (read: no documentation, do-it-all-yourself) solution, so I've been asked to help administer the new site, and learn the software and programming language behind it. Yikes. It's proving to be a brand-new, full-time job, for which I receive exactly $0. I'm trying to angle for a new job next year where I do this exclusively, but my company is of the mind that you have to actually do the two jobs for a year before they let you have just the better one. There's not even any guarantee that they'll let me move to the new role, because it would be considered a promotion, and you have to be on the "promotion track" with all of the appropriate approvals, etc. already in place. Totally screwy. Ah well, who cares. It's Friday, and next week I'll be pretty much the only person in my department who actually comes in to the office - plenty of time to myself to work on new projects and test new toys.

Birthday cube

It's hard to be back at work!! All I want to do is go home, sit with my dog, and knit. Luckily, there's just today and tomorrow until the weekend, and then next week will only be a couple of days. I walked into this office today to find my cube covered with birthday streamers, balloons, confetti - my friend Tara has been a busy girl! I haven't stopped laughing all day.

While I didn't get to do everything that I had planned for Chicago (missed the Sears tower, Trader Joe's and the knitting store), I did take a trip with A to a little jeweler in the Water Tower...and picked out an engagement ring! Oh my gosh, I can hardly believe it. We're talking about a date next summer, when my niece and nephew will be visiting, and it'll be a little easier to try and corral both sets of family.

As soon as I can get my camera to focus on my hand, I'll post a picture.

Greetings from Chi-town. It's my birthday, and we're celebrating with dinner at a tapas bar downtown. The trip has been great. I went to the Art Institute and shopped at Filene's Basement and H&M (the best store in the whole world, by the way). I've just returned from the hotel gym, and am getting cleaned up and headed back downtown again - have to pick up my birthday present by 6pm. More on that later.

Apologies to the world, from those who didn't vote for Shrub:

sorryeverybody.com

And now, for a bit of outrage....

I am sickened that I live in a country where ELEVEN states voted for constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. I am angry that there are millions of people in my own country who think it is their right, much less their business, to tell anyone whom they can love. I am ashamed that more than 20 years after we first began to worry about AIDS, it's still a taboo subject, money for research is still scarce, and people of all races and both sexes continue to die.

I am the daughter of a gay man. My dad was a really good guy. He had a smile that made me feel like I was the center of his world. He was easy going, liked his scotch and listening to opera, and watching college football. He loved animals. He was kind to everyone. He lived happily with another man for the last 12 years of his life. I had the privilege of being part of their lives, and witnessing how much they cared for each other, how much kindness they showed each other. We should all be so lucky.

My dad has been gone for 12 years. My heart aches as I write those words. Twelve years, and not much closer to recognizing the good, loving family that he had made for himself.

My sister and my brother and I are all straight. My brother is engaged, my sister was married, and I am in a long-term, committed relationship with a man who fears marriage, otherwise we would have already done it. We all have principles and morals and values that we got from both of our parents, and from the other people that they brought to our lives. We didn't turn out warped. We weren't tainted by our exposure to a home inhabited by two gay men.

So I guess my question is, to those who would vote for such a hideous intrusion into another person's private life, what are you so afraid of? Are your own values and principles so shaky? Do you honestly think that you are making the world a better place? Are you really instilling in your children the values that you think will earn you the e-ticket to Heaven?

"Ding dong, the witch is dead..." (well, one of them at least)

Ashcroft Quits Top Justice Post...

Would you rather:
1. join a band of rebel fighters in some south american country for three months OR a tibetan monastery for a year?
   quiet, peaceful Buddhist leanings


2. wake up and find your name tattooed on your bicep OR find all your body hair shaved?
   yikes. shaved i think, at least it'll grow back


3. find a time machine that only goes back to ancient egypt OR only goes back to 1920?
   take me to the Roaring Twenties


4. have the ability to smell as well as a dog does OR see as good as an eagle does?
   i think there are some things i don't want to smell any better than i already can. definitely the sight

I have lots of dogs again this weekend - Thor and Daisy are wrestling on the floor next to me, a normal early-morning ritual, according to my mother. They've been really good, not too clingy. Daisy still has to bring me every toy that she finds, and keeps swatting my legs with her enormous paw to get my attention. She's such a happy dog, so easy to look after. Thor is a little bit more work, he's pretty depressed when my mom leaves (especially after losing his master this year). Thor follows me everywhere. He would come into the shower with me, if I let him. Ruby doesn't quite know what to make of it all, but she gets insanely jealous if the other dogs are close to me - she'll race over, hurtle herself into my lap, and start growling at the others.

This is what happens when two fat dogs come to stay with my little sprinter of a Ruby...they get worn out.

Nappers

I'm babysitting Kasey this afternoon while Tara goes to get a massage (lucky girl). We'll see how Kasey likes football and three crazy dogs.

A and I needed a nice meal out tonight, so we went to DaGabi Cucina in north Boulder - a little hole-in-the-wall place that is Boulder's best kept secret. We got there at 6:40, were seated immediately, and had a lovely meal. Unfortunately, I ordered the salad special, which was supposed to be spinach, strawberries, slivered almonds and gorgonzola. What I got was a huge plate of spinach, one strawberry (thinly sliced), one small pinch of almond slivers, and two pieces of gorgonzola. Grrr. Should have ordered the penne with grilled chicken and spinach. However, my squash soup was divine, and I had a nice glass of wine. For the two of us to have a nice, quiet meal in a nice restaurant and still be within Boulder city limits, you can't beat a $34 dollar tab.

Then we came home and found dogs where dogs are not meant to be...

What kids do when Mom's away

Oooohhh, their mom will be mad when she sees this...

The dogs woke me at 6am, needing to pee. The light in my bedroom was red - at first I thought there must be a fire close by, but then I saw the sky...

Sunrise

Three days post-election, my heart is healing and I feel like there is still reason to have hope that things can improve. I've read several great letters, stories, commentaries in the past two days, and I'll post them slowly. This one is from Salon.com, by my hero, Anne Lamott, in response to the question "What Do We Do Now?":

I don't have a clue what we're going to do, outside of what we always do when we are crushed -- when, say, a close friend dies suddenly, which is sort of how this leaves me feeling. We'll feel like shit for a while, together. We'll let some time pass, together. We'll take care of each other.

Read more

I'm so heartbroken, and so angry today. The following article made me feel a little bit better -

Wallow In Chaos, And Laugh
A pro-Bush outcome and one enormous bitter pill and you without your vodka

By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist

Oh dear God please not again.

Oh dear God please don't let it be all convoluted and depressing and messy and stupid and please don't let it all embarrass us on an international level all over again even more than it already has and even more than it already is and even more than we've endured lo these past four debilitating and soul-crushing years. Hello? Please? Is it already too late?

Why yes, yes it is.

Read more

Via a comment on Squoogy.

Would you rather:
1. find out you had your fly unzipped all day OR sat in wet paint which left a mark on your butt?
   wet paint on my butt, because it's happened before


2. assuming you could get all the nutrients you need, eat nothing but canned cat food OR nothing but spam?
   ewwww. i guess SPAM wins


3. sweat green liquid OR pee blue?
   i'd be slightly less afraid of blue pee


4. walk in on a couple engaging in sexual relations in a public bathroom OR walk in on your doctor masturbating?
   strangers having sex!

On my way to plastered...taken at the office holiday party last year.

Would you rather:

1. get a wedgie OR get a swirlie?
oh, I think the wedgie wins that contest


2. have to kiss ryan seacrest OR simon cowell?
I have to choose Ryan, because I wouldn't be able to resist the urge to slap Simon


3. have an ingrown toenail OR a carbuncle?
umm, definitely the toenail


4. vote for john kerry OR george w bush?
Up with Kerry, down with Shrub

Via Amber.

I'm once again in the position of more homework than I can complete in the amount of time available. Last week I made it, by the skin of my teeth. I still don't know how well I did, but dammit, at least I turned it in on time.

I'm looking forward to having some down time for the next couple of weeks - light training schedule with the squad, no house guests, no races or other travel. Would like to do some knitting, some reading, go to the movies with Joni, go up to the mountains and see what's left of the fall foliage. It's getting cold now, frost on the car the last two mornings.

As some of you know, I recently began a love affair with my new camera, a Nikon D70. I have been taking a ton of photos lately, and will eventually create an area of this site to post them. Prepare yourselves for lots of pictures of a small red dog with one eye.

It has been a Feast of Food all weekend. I can't remember when I ate so well. Lunch at the Med on Saturday was divine, as usual. Dinner at my mother's tonight was even better. My mothers Sunday dinner menu this week was:

- Grilled pork loin, marinated in soy sauce and honey
- Sweet potato biscuits (made w/ yams)
- Hoisin salad (cabbage, red bell peppers, bean spouts, mushrooms, caraway seeds)
- Homemade applesauce (with apples from the tree in the yard)
- Apple and cranberry cobbler w/ whipped cream

Oh my.

A and his father have had a really nice visit, hanging out around Boulder and taking a road trip up to Coeur d'Alene to look at properties. We headed for the airport this afternoon after a lovely lunch at The Med. Unfortunately, we took a new route, missed the airport exit, and missed the cutoff for checking luggage on American (who knew they stopped taking luggage an hour before the flight?). Anyway, A's dad missed the flight, so we were all able to spend another night together. We vegged out in front of the TV and watched the World Series. We'll be heading to the airport before dawn tomorrow to make sure he makes this flight.

How 'bout those SOX?

More later.

I saw this meme today, and while I like it, it's awfully long - the idea is, there is a list of 200 things (complete list here), and you're supposed to highlight the things that you've done. Since that would take up the entire page, I've just cut out the ones I've done.

Via Snowball.

3. Climbed a mountain
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said 'I love you' and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
12. Visited Paris
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
16. Gone to a huge sports game
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (Snowball calls them "mental health days" - I agree)
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
41. Ridden a roller coaster
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
50. Loved your job for all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit-faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
58. Taken a road trip
59. Gone rock climbing
61. Midnight walk on the beach
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
74. Gone scuba diving
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
96. Had sex at the office
98. Made cookies from scratch
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don't remember anything
110. Been to Las Vegas
113. Had a one-night stand
116. Bought a house
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
123. Bounced a cheque
125. Read—and understood—your credit report -
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congressman/Member of Parliament
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. —More than once? —More than thrice?
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
145. Broken someone's heart
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
149. Broken a bone
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
175. Gone back to school
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
196. Dyed your hair - hello? doesn't everyone?

And if there's one famously disenfranchised and alienated and apathetic voting bloc that needs to get off its collective yoga butt and stand up and make itself known this election lest it lose an even larger chunk of its basic human rights than it even realizes, it's youngish women.

From SFGate.com, via my sis.

It was a good, calm weekend for the most part. I staffed at the rescue squad on Saturday night, and spend Sunday finishing up some projects around the house. Joni came over at 11:30, and our plan was to go to Tuesday Morning, and then a movie. We allowed ourselves an hour to browse at TM before needing to head back to Boulder for the movie. Well, that didn't work...we spent 3 hours shopping. After that, we needed sustenance, so we headed to Southern Sun Brew Pub for snacks and drinks.

Later on Sunday, my brother headed up to Boulder to join my mother and me for dinner. He had promised to do some reorg on my mom's home theater setup, plus we hadn't seen him in a while. My mother was heading home from the airport, so Turtle and I hit Munson Farms for some produce - I got winter and butternut squash, green beans, pumpkins and peaches & cream corn. Yum. I can taste the squash soup already.

A and his father left this morning on their road trip to Coeur d'Alene, ID. A's father wants to buy a second home there, now that he's retired, so they've gone to look at property, with assorted fishing stops along the way. It's a bit too long in the car for my taste (about a 17 hour drive from Boulder), but I am a little jealous at missing the fishing in Montana - something I will definitely be trying one day.

The dogs and I have a full day ahead. Following my renovation of the bedroom/bathroom last weekend, I now have tons of returns to do at Home Depot. Other assorted errands around town (hardware store for African violet pots, pet supply store for enzyme cleaner, etc.) will keep me busy for most of the day, but I'm hoping for a while to sit on the couch, knit and watch college football.

A's father is visiting us this week, and they're both thrilled with the chance to spend time together. My mother is in LA working, so we've got both of her dogs, plus Ruby roaming around the house. Isn't strange how three dogs isn't the same as one dog times three, it's more like one dog times ten? They all get along really well, and they're very well-behaved, but I feel like the center of the universe when they're all here. I stand up, they stand up. I go to the bathroom, they all want to come to the bathroom. I sit on the couch, they all want to be on the couch, in my lap, all together. Not such a big deal if you have Pomeranians or some other type of small, puntable dog. A bit of a problem when the smallest of them is 55lbs, and the largest is pushing 90lbs.

What kind of girl am I?

I am the:
Progressive Girl

Click on the picture below to read more:

Take the 'What Kind of Girl Are You?' quiz at CookingToHookup.com

Via Len.

I tried to keep busy all weekend so that I wouldn't think about Maggie and having to bury her in the yard. That was one of the harder things I've ever had to do. My girl just didn't have it in her anymore - the diabetes was wrecking her body and the vet assured me that she wasn't likely to ever improve. So I did what I think I had to do. I cried and I kissed her head and I told her I was sorry, and then I wrapped her in a shawl and buried her. I confess that I rubbed her toes after she was gone, something that she would have never let me do while she was alive.

The rest of the weekend involved renovating both the master bedroom and the guest bath - new paint, new light fixtures, new curtains, new shelves and hardware in the bathroom , new sink and shower fixtures, the works. It really does look amazing. My mother helped with the whole thing (thank the Lord), otherwise not only would it not be finished, but I probably wouldn't have even started the job.

I've been quiet on the blog this week because I'm dealing with a lot at home - mainly that I have to put my cat to sleep. My poor girl isn't getting any better since being diagnosed with diabetes a few months ago, and her symptoms keep getting worse. I can't watch her deteriorate like that, so the vet is coming over today and will give her a shot at home. More later.

I wish there were another day in the week (a weekend day, of course). I have so much to do that I find myself prioritizing absolutely everything - when it becomes a tradeoff between eating lunch and studying, you know you've got too much on your plate. The early part of the week is the hardest, because I have rescue squad on Monday evenings and homework due each Tuesday night.

I'm getting up in the wee hours of the morning so that I can work out before heading to the office. Knowing myself as well as I do, I can safely assume that I won't be properly motivated to work out in the evenings after dragging myself home after a long day. I am really enjoying my early morning time with the Bowflex, and I like being wide awake when I get to work. It's tough to get up at 5:30am when you don't get home the night before until 10pm, but I'm doing it, and I'll keep doing it. They say it takes 21 days of repetitive behavior to create a habit, so that's my goal - make it through 21 days, and hopefully I'll have developed my workout pattern.

The scavenger hunt on Friday was a blast. It was rainy and cold, and we were wandering around downtown Denver, gathering items from the Denver Mint, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the State Capitol, etc. We had about 25 people show up, and it was just the right amount of time - we had two and a half hours to get everything done before meeting up for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe downtown. Lunch ended up getting pretty rowdy, I kept expecting the staff to come and ask us to leave.

We're headed up to the mountains today to spend the evening with Dean & Kim, and then the four of us will go to the races tomorrow. This will be the first time (I think) that A has just been a spectator. It's the last race of the season, and the last race forever at this particular track, as it's being closed down due to complaints from neighboring subdivisions about the noise (bastards!).