A Many Splendored Thing

Eric Ethington, left, and spouse Doug Okun hold their twin 3-1/2 month old daughters Sophia Rose and Elizabeth Ruby, respectively, as Okun reads the Ketubah, a marriage contract from their commitment ceremony in 2000, at their home in San Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2004. Before a civil servant pronounced them 'spouses for life' on Feb. 13, Okun, 38, and Ethington, 37, already considered themselves married, as the two men had been together eight years and had recently become fathers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Deja You

Me and Overg's cat Thumper - separated at birth?:

I Dream of Teemee

But first, photos of Scuddy! Did I tell you that I found out that Scuddy is a girl? Well, he is. So her name is no longer Sir Frederick Pamplemousse. It is now Lady Beatrix Pamplemousse. Or Scudder. Or, alternatively, Scuddy/Scubby/Scubbins.

Here is Scuddy with her cheeks jammed full of food:

And here's Scuddy having breakfast (a carrot sliver) in bed:

And now, on to my dream about Teem!

I dreamt that I was visiting Teem at her house. Only I don't think this was her real house, because it was in the woods. But anyway, that's where she was living. So I was visiting, and I remember walking up to her house and just going in rather than knocking. The nerve!

Teem was inside futzing around. And here's what was notable about the dream - there were animals EVERYWHERE. Cats and dogs and kittens and puppies and birds and mice and teeny tiny kittens and puppies (much smaller than they ever would be). And the big news was that Teem had just bought a pair of rabbits and was trying to figure out where to put their cage. Because she wasn't going to put it outside, it had to be in the house.

Incidentally, in my dream, I was wearing what I was sleeping in last night (a sleeveless t-shirt and underwear).

So Teem and I go outside by her pool, because her husband is out there cleaning up in anticipation of the big pool party they're having that night. Then I see a teeny tiny kitten drowning in the pool. I scoop it up and press on it's li'l chest to get the water out. It starts spitting and coughing, and I gently pet it on the top of the head. Its eyes aren't even open.

And I say to Teem, "Why do you have kittens drowning in your pool?" But she doesn't answer me. In my dream, she is apparently from Texas. So I continue holding the kitten, and I tell Teem that I think I want to adopt it. Because it's this really pretty shade of cream/gold.

Over the course of the rest of the dream, the kitten keeps changing colors. At the very end it ends up looking like a cross between Felix the Cat and a striped prison shirt.

Towards the end of the dream, Teem and I walk out back into the orchard. The party has started because there are other people milling around. Then some guy asks me where I got my highlights done and how much they cost. I tell him, and he rebukes me for paying so much, because he only paid $15.

And then I leave. Well, I try to leave. Because now I can't figure out where I am. I walked out of Teem's house without saying goodbye (ha-HA, take that you kitten drowner!), and then realized that there were hundreds of people walking around. I couldn't figure out which way to go in order to leave.

Then I heard someone calling my name - it was an older woman, and I recognized her as a coworker of my mom's. I say hello in an overzealous way, trying to cover that I can't remember her name. The woman asks me what I'm doing "up here" and I say that I live not that far away. She asks me where, and I tell her that I can't remember. She tells me I live in Cumberland. Then I say, "No wait, now I remember - I live in Palm Harbor."

And then Caygeon woke me up by jumping on my head.

Alkjdlskd BUSH! askdasdjla

I don't always love Maureen Dowd's columns, but this one, Stations of the Crass, is RIGHTEOUS. Some quotes:

If the president is truly concerned about preserving the sanctity of marriage, as one of my readers suggested, why not make divorce illegal and stone adulterers?

As the Max von Sydow character said in Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters," while watching a TV evangelist appealing for money: "If Jesus came back and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."

Sasquatch

Bigfoot has been spotted in Michigan! Okay, so, basically it's Bigfoot. Or at least something just as rare.

I have to get a cavity filled today. Bleh. I love my dentist, but I don't love his drill.

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

It's Ash Wednesday! I don't even know what that means. My family was so not-god-fearing, and it's left me with a lack of knowledge about mainstream religious traditions. But I should get bonus points for knowing what Ramadan is.

Anyway, HAPPY ASH WEDNESDAY to those that observe it in some way. Wait, is "happy" the right modifier? Should I be wishing people an "introspective" Ash Wednesday, or maybe a "solemn" Ash Wednesday? Does Blue Mountain have e-cards for this holiday?

Why am I so amused that the New York Times' review of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" references The Simpsons? At the beginning AND the end. I just find that precious for some reason.

November can't get here soon enough. I just really wish that Ralph Nader has stayed out of things.

She Works Hard for the Money

So hard for it honey
She works hard for the money
So you bet-ter treat her riiiiiiiiiiiight!

I had my annual review yesterday afternoon. My boss and I ended up talking for over 2.5 hours. So yes, it went well. It was actually a very positive, enlightening conversation - I'd say that a good 50% of it involved the company in general, not specifically my work or my place in the hierarchy (although there was plenty of that, too). It was all positive, nothing negative. I'm going to be getting the opportunity to do much more in the way of system and content development, which is my strength, and much less in the way of database upkeep. So good news!

Oh, and I got the title change I wanted. I am no longer a Web Content Specialist. I am now a ... CONTENT ARCHITECT.

And I did get a raise. But I'm not going to tell you how much, because I know some people from work read this site. *waves at coworkers*

All Hail Me!

You're Spain!

You like rain on the plain, as well as interesting architecture and
a diverse number of races and religions. You like to explore a lot, but sailing, especially in large groups, never really seems to work out for you. Beware of pirates and dictators bearing bombs. And for heavens' sake, stop running around bulls! It's just not safe!

What country are you?

Gonna Get Paid

I have my annual review at work today from 4-5 p.m. Cross your fingers for me (and the possibility of a decent raise).

Noah's Ark

I went to PetsMart for bird seed. I came home with a whole lot more, including this:

I'm not sure if it's a boy or girl, and it doesn't have a name yet. But it was just sooooooo cute that I could not resist it. *raises fist*

Any ideas for a name?

Miscellany

I am outta here in about 10 minutes. I'm getting my hair cut, then going over to the mall(s) in Tampa, then hopefully will get back over here in time to go to the post office, THEN going to Super Target and PetsMart.

Whew!

I got a very nice email from the person who won the auction for my Usual Suspects DVD. Here it is:

Isn't that nice? Now I feel all warm and fuzzy about selling on eBay again. Although I still haven't sold my palette yet.

Oh, and it's my brother's birthday today! Happy Birthday, Rob!

Gimme Five

This "opinion" piece on The Onion is one of the funniest things I've read in a long time. WARNING - It is profane.

Hans Molemel

I forgot the "best" thing about my trip to the dentist - after the cleaning was done and I was at the receptionist's desk, I asked if there was a rest room around. Diane told me it was around the corner, so off I marched. I opened the door and ...

... walked in on an 80 year old man taking a leak.

So I hightailed it back to the front desk and told Diane what had just happened. She said, "Oh, that's just Mel. He won't even remember that happened in an hour."

To which I loudly said, "BUT I WILL!"

Say Ahhhhhh

I love my dentist. How many people can say that without a gun to their head? But I don't, and I do. I especially love my dental hygienist, Diane, because she gives me topical anesthetic, explains everything she's doing, and tells me over and over that I "have such pretty teeth." *blush*

And here's something amazing - I asked about teeth bleaching and my dentist told me I didn't really need it! He told me to try the Crest Whitestrips, and if I wasn't happy with the results that he'd talk to me about professional bleaching then.

Alas, I do have a small cavity. *shame*

My legs are sore from the new mules.

On the way home I stopped by CVS and noticed that Prestige eyeshadows were 75% off. One dollar apiece. So I bought, um, six. But three are for friends!

Madam Shrub

Sociability is a big smile, and a big smile is nothing but teeth.

Jake-at-work sent me this link - A Man In Love. Check out the boy band moves at the end. I especially like the St. Bernard poster and the Mickey Mouse sheets.

So, El Presidenté is in my area of Florida today. Apparently he's going to be touring a window factory that has been in operation for 50 years. No doubt he will try to take credit for that somehow. If only I didn't have to be at work today, I could line the streets in anticipation of seeing the presidential cavalcade ... and mooning it.

But let the mind beware, that though the flesh be bugged, the circumstances of existence are pretty glorious.

I had five eBay auctions end last night ($75 worth of sales!) and two of the four winning bidders have already paid, and one person is pending. Thank god. I also filed the Non-Paying Bidder complaint against the mental midget who won my first auction, and offered the MAC palette to the second high bidder. If she accepts it, that's another $52. If she doesn't, I'll have to relist it.

If the palette sells, after eBay/PayPal fees I will have made $117. Woo!

Are we fallen angels who didn't want to believe that nothing *is* nothing, and so were born to lose our love ones and dear friends one by one, and finally our own life, to see it proved? O gnashing teeth of earth, where would it all lead to but some sweet golden eternity to prove that we've all been wrong, to prove that the proving itself was nil.

I have an appointment with the dentist today at 4 p.m., to get my teeth cleaned. Here's hoping that I get through that without involuntarily kicking the hygienist.

I bought my first pair of mules - it's a style of shoe, okay? - yesterday. They're making me walk like a Nazi stormtrooper, very lock-step and march-y. But they feel weird sliding off my foot! Hopefully I'll get used to it. If not, I need a li'l moustache and some hair pomade to complete the look.

(This journal entry has been assisted by Jack Kerouac and the Internet Anagram Server.)

Happy VD!

Yeah, whatever. I did nothing today, as it has been rainy all afternoon.

Guess what? I collect magnets. Here's my collection.

Come On In, the Pants are Fine

So, tonight I go to Old Navy after work to look at the light blue trench coat that looked so nice in the magazine ad. Well, it was a bust (it is not light as a feather and it's stiff as a board), but I SCORED on a pair of Essential Trousers in a heathered camel color for ...

... wait for it ...

$3.97!!!

Regular price? $32. I love a deal. They're a size under what I currently wear - although I can squeeze into them, they cling a little too lovingly to my thighs - and I usually have a strict policy against purposely buying clothes that are too small because I will "get into them eventually," but for FOUR DOLLARS? I just had to.

But that's not the point of this entry. I also purchased a pair of pajamama pants in a dark slate blue color, in size XL. I didn't try them on. So I get them home and take them off the hanger and OH MY GOD THEY ARE FHUGE!!

FHUGE!

FHUGE!

Remember that party we had in my pants not too long ago? Well everyone can party in these pants as well, and there's enough room for you all to bring a friend. And a watermelon.

They are very comfortable, though. Thank god for the drawstring, otherwise these would fall right off my hips. They'll be good to lounge around in and sleep in. Yes, I sleep in clothes. I have a longstanding aversion to sleeping naked. I'm not one of those people.

You can't sleep naked! What if there's a fire! What if there's a fire and you need to get out of the house and you have to quickly find and grab your cats! You can't be worried about being naked!

So now I'm going to take a poll – What do you wear to bed? And I don't mean the "got a hot date/trying to get some lovin'" times you go to bed. I'm talking about the times when all you care about getting in bed is sleep.

Walk the Dog

Aww, the big black doggie won! Josh the Newfoundland took home Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club championship.

Here he is!

Coco the beloved Nawfuck Terrier, who came into the competition undefeated, suffered her first loss. But she's still super cute:

You Are an Obsession

No, not "Hey Ya." Well, not this second. I'm talking about Jason's Deli, my new favorite place to eat lunch. Jen and I go a lot, and I get either the Club Lite or the Turkey Reuben, and they are FANTASTIC (here is a PDF version of their menu). The frest fruit comes with a li'l bit of yogurt dip that is sooooo yummy.

ETA: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! George Lucas is releasing the original Star Wars trilogy on DVD in September!!!

1973sdnative Is a Non Paying Bidder!

So I decided to take the plunge into the world of selling stuff on eBay. My first auction was for a limited edition MAC eyeshadow palette. It sold on Sunday night for $53.

On Tuesday morning, I got this email from the winning bidder, 1973sdnative:

Yes, sorry. Well, SHE WILL BE.

So I wrote her back and told her that if she wasn't going to pay, I would offer the palette to the next high bidder, but would also have to file a Non Paying Bidder complaint against her in order to get my selling fees back.

And she responds with this:

Heh! So then I replied with this:

Now, understand, at this point I know it is for the best that I don't have to actually send a pricey item to this mental midget. Then, I get this email from her:

Muahahahahaha! This is getting interesting...

Odds and Ends

Just a wee li'l entry to catch up on a lot of loose threads.

First, I am obsessed with the song "Hey Ya" by OutKast. Which Overg will probably never forgive me for, but I'm okay with that. The song is THAT good. I even sing it to my pets.

Here is a funny conversation I had with Roo yesterday:

Have you been watching the Westminster Kennel Club dog show on USA? I hope you have! Coco the Nawfuck Terrier one the God Loves a Terrier group yet again, and my beloved Les the Pekingese won the Toy group. Now it will be a battle royale between those two and Josh, the big black Newfoundland.

To illustrate my obsession with "Hey Ya" here is a bit of a conversation I had with Rappy this morning (Crold is the CRanky and OLD woman she works with)(TM Me):

No-Chop Chili

This is one of the best recipes for chili that I've ever made, and certainly the easiest. It definitely lives up to its name.

I've made this with a variety of ground meats - lean ground beef, ground turkey breast, and today, a combination of ground turkey breast and turkey sausage. You're only limited by your imagination.

Use whatever heat level (mild, medium, hot) of salsa that you're comfortable with. I use medium even though I typically use mild salsa when I'm eating it with tortilla chips. In recipes I can safely go up a level.

NO-CHOP CHILI

Total Time: 45 minutes

3/4 pound ground meat
Cooking spray
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn
1 cup bottled salsa
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, undrained
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1. Cook the ground meat in a Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium high heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in the water and all other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 6 servings (about 1 cup per serving)

Nutritional information (made with ground beef): CALORIES 254 (28% from fat), FAT 8g (2.8g sat), PROTEIN 18g, CARB 30.5g, FIBER 7.2g.

RIP Baby

The two-headed baby died after surgery. Poor little thing. She never really had much of a chance.

I've decided that even though I object to the death penalty for practical, rather than moral, reasons (it is applied unfairly to poor people who are in the racial minority), I hope the guy who killed Carlie Brucia gets a needle in the arm for his troubles. Although I guess in Florida, it'll be getting strapped into the electric chair.

"Needle in the arm" sounds much more poetic.

RIP Sucky

I found Sucky/Stinky/my oto fish dead tonight. I think Otis killed him. So, um, yeah. Guess I have to figure out a different way to get rid of the brown algae.

Two Heads Are Better Than One

Ohgodohgodohgod. That's just ... oh, god. Please don't look at the slideshow.

*buries face in hands*

(And yes I know the title of this entry is probably in really poor taste and puts me on the express train to Hell, but it was the only thing I could think of. Feel free to chastise me accordingly.)

Lethargy

I am so tired. Work is kicking my butt. I'm so exhausted when I get home - physically and mentally - that I don't feel like doing anything. Including update my site, unfortunately.

Plus, do you really want to hear me talk about stupid work stuff? I didn't think so.

But I will give you something worth reading - today's column by Nicholas Krystof in the New York Times. I don't really think I want kids, so maybe I shouldn't care that the next generation would be stuck with the financial fallout from Bush's capricious budget fantasies ... and yet I do.

Oh, and Catie on America's Next Top Model needs to grow up already. I'm pulling for Mercedes to bring it all home.

Brave New World

I finally did it. I finally put my discontinued MAC eyeshadow palette up for auction on eBay. Let the bidding war commence!