An Arizona Cheesehead's Thoughts

I've had the chance to be reminded of a lot of great times this past year due to reviewing photos both for a scrapbook I'm making for my parents and also to decide what to put up on Facebook. I find myself unable to scan quickly through a set of pictures because I want to mentally relive the memories. There were some truly wonderful moments in 2008. I would trade all of them, and more, to have my friend Eric back with us. I think about him every day and I know I'm not alone in that. I'm not one of those people who is into sending those mass emails about "treasure every moment" and "you're special to me" (though I do appreciate people thinking of me when they send them out) but there's something to be said for the sentiment. I'm always so focused on the next task, the next party or the next trip that I don't fully experience or appreciate the moment that I'm currently in. A moment that I'll never get back. A moment spent w...

Northern Arizona - snow and more snow. At least the roads were clear but there was snow everywhere. The power plant in Page, AZ. I liked the steam/smoke pattern. We were freezing - these people weren't even wearing jackets. What was wrong with them? Uh oh, this didn't look good. This is what we drove into at Provo. It just kept looking nastier and nastier. It's hard to tell but this flag was ginormous and the wind was strong enough to completely unfurl it. Can you say, "Glad I'm not driving in this?" Because I said it! Christmas day back home - sure it was a little rainy but no snow! The rainbow was actually quite lovely, the picture doesn't do it complete justice.

OK, back to my tales of Utah from two weekends ago... We headed out from Park City down to Lumpy's in SLC for the party. BTW, we drove Sun City style. For those who don't know what that is, Sun City is a retirement community here and the men ride in the front and the women ride in the back regardless of the relationships of the people. I don't usually go that way - my thought is whomever belongs with the car gets the front but that's just me. Anywho , I was really getting excited about surprising everyone. As we got near the bar, Noel called Lewie because she and Doug were right behind us. I don't think she noticed that Charlotte and I were in the back seat. I hid behind the car as they said hello to Lewie and Charlotte then made my appearance. It was great! They were suitably surprised. We all walked into Lumpy's and headed down to the basement. There was a big exclamation from the folks who were already there. I thought it was for Lewie since he w...

Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris My review rating: 4 of 5 stars Nice collection of short stories/essays by the always witty David Sedaris. My favorite was the one about his time as an Elf at Macy's for Christmas. Nice, quick read before bedtime book. View all my reviews.

At least I always get a story out of my mishaps… I was chatting with my boss in my office and reached for the hand lotion when I noticed that one of my thumb rings was missing. Oh no! I only take it off when I'm putting on lotion or baking (which happens about once or twice a year). It was a ring that I've had for a very long time. I got it back when I was a bookseller and my friend Jeromy gave it to me. He and his wife had gotten matching rings and, for some reason that I can't recall now, he decided to give me his. It wasn't his wedding ring and she didn't mind. I even gave him a chance to take it back but he wanted me to keep it. Before I met with my boss, I'd gone to the restroom and before that I was in our little kitchen area. I retraced my steps and even went through the bathroom trash to see if it had come off when I threw away my paper towel. No luck. The best I could do at that point was tell our receptionist to let me know if someone found it...

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results! I got this from Melissa .

I am so looking forward to my regular TV shows having new episodes though I am catching up on movies and books in their absence. I recorded 27 Dresses on a whim. It looked like a silly chick flick and those can be entertaining and they can also be very bad. This one was entertaining. No Oscar winner but Katherine Heigl was good and I was able to forget that James Marsden plays my least favorite X-Man. Fun, escapist stuff. And, the 27 bridesmaid dresses had some truly awful selections in there.

George loves to sit by the door and watch the world go by. I have to be careful or she'll get out on me and I don't want my baby roaming out in the dangerous streets of Tempe. I decided to let her enjoy some travels though and got her a harness and a leash. Our first trip was just on to the back patio. Get if off, get it off! You can't make me go out there. Oh, what's this? There's even more outside than this! Let's see if I can get tangled up in the cactus garden. I am a wild jungle cat! Stuck back in the house...sigh.

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher My review rating: 3 of 5 stars Another good entry in the Harry Dresden series. This one finds Harry and Michael trying to find out why ghosts are going bonkers all over Chicago and facing down lots of nasty vampires. I really like Harry and Bob is always entertaining. View all my reviews.

Quiver by Peter Leonard My review rating: 3 of 5 stars This was an impulse pickup out of the New Book section of the library. You can definitely see the influence of Peter Leonard's Father, Elmore. The crime story has lots of quirky characters, the women are smarter than most of the men and it has its fair share of violence. This was a good, quick read. View all my reviews.

Steven and I took in Four Christmases on Christmas day. It seemed like a light hearted fun flick and it partially was. It was also emotionally dark in a few places and very slapsticky in others. It felt like they weren't quite sure which way to go. For those who haven't seen the ads or the previews, Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon are a couple who sneak off for the holidays each year but get busted on live TV as being in town so they have to go to each of their parents' respective homes. However, the funny parts were really funny. I actually laughed until I cried. The whole episode with Robert Duvall as Vaughn's Dad and Jon Favreau and Tim McGraw as his brothers was laugh-out-loud material but Vaughn trying to install a roof satellite dish hit my funny bone hard. The movie is never going to make any one's "Best Of" lists but watching it was a very pleasant way to spend some time.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith My review rating: 4 of 5 stars This book lived up to its hype. If its portrayal of the Stalin USSR era is anywhere close to reality, I don't know how anyone survived. The incredible poverty, paranoia, fear and blind obedience described was overwhelmingly depressing. The fact that some people on our planet live today in those same circumstances saddens me. I usually give books about child killings a wide berth because they upset me. Child 44 was no exception to that. The killer was creepy and the murders were horrific. The story of how the main characters continued to pursue the killer while trying to evade the state was quite suspenseful, though, and worth the read. View all my reviews.

After the storm holdup in Provo, we weren't sure how long it would take us to get from Roy to Park City. The mountain route that Gary and I drove last time was clearly out. That road was going to be nasty even if it were actually open. So, we decided to head back to SLC then to Park City right after breakfast. The road was much better than we thought it would be so we got to Park City earlier than planned. I took TRS on a little sightseeing trip. He got to see Gary and my Albertson's , the resort that we stay at, where I saw the cows and we also drove up to Olympic Park. I explained as much as I could remember from our tour and offered that we could go into the visitor center but that would require getting out of the car. TRS said, "Nah, I've seen it." He dislikes the cold as much as I. Our next stop was Lewie and Charlotte's house to drop off our stuff. The Edwards family, TRS and I jumped into Charlotte's vehicle for Lewie's birthday lun...

Filiberto , Meadow, George and Reggie. The four of us who took these kittys home exchanged emails this week to compare how they are doing and what they're like. Looks like the acorns didn't fall too far from each other. Three of them are very chatty. All of them love to play with water or are obsessed with it, don't like to be held and pose like prairie dogs on their back haunches. They all sound a little feisty , too.

I've been wondering where the oodles of toys that I've bought George disappear to. There are a few that hang out in her basket in the living room and on the bedroom floor. However, the vast majority are nowhere to be found. Until today, that is. I was doing my hair and could hear her rolling a ball in the hallway when there was a thunk then a scratching noise. She also did her little chirp sound that means she's frustrated. Upon investigation, I saw her digging behind the mop bucket in my laundry closet. There are folding doors on it but a gap at the bottom. That gap must just be big enough for her toys because I started pulling them out from the nooks and crannies. I tossed all the toys down the hall for her but I imagine they'll be back in the closet again soon. I also found one more spot this morning. I went to slide on my brown loafers and my right foot didn't go all the way in. I tried shaking it but nothing came out. She had one of her possum babies f...

Sugar Daddy's been telling me I should get on Facebook . He's reconnected with several pals from his past and said the social aspect is right up my alley. I was thinking that the last thing I need is another online site to keep updated. But, then Andy asked if I was on there. Gary said he was on there, too. And, Noel told me it was a great way to keep connected with more distant family. The final push came from my buddy Steve who moved back East this year. Who am I to argue with all those people? So, I signed up and started looking for Friends. I also filled out my profile (it still needs some tweaking) and uploaded pictures of George. Oh, and I got some flair. I think I spent three hours out there tonight when I should have been wrapping presents. I finally got those done, though. I had to lock George up in her room to do so. She was being a huge pain in the backside. So, if you're on Facebook, look me up and let's be friends.

The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly My review rating: 3 of 5 stars I really like the Harry Bosch books and he's in this book along with Mickey Haller . I thought I'd read the book that introduced Haller , Lincoln Lawyer, but I hadn't. It wasn't too hard to pick up the story though. Haller is a high-profile defense attorney who inherits a fellow lawyer's cases then said lawyer is murdered. One of the clients is a very rich film studio head accused of shooting his wife and her lover. Lots of twists and turns. Some I saw, some I didn't. I liked Haller and it was good to get a bit of Bosch though he's not the main guy here. View all my reviews.

Tales from Utah continued... Gary and I had a beer while we chatted about our drive up but I was jonesing to go to The Horse. Lewie had thought about joining us there but the nasty storm made him think otherwise. Wisely so as the roads were icky. It was like meeting up with an old friend when I walked through the door of the bar. Michelle was behind the counter playing bartender. Her Dad, Mike, was propped up in his usual corner of the bar in the kitchen door and her Mom, Annette, was sitting with some ladies enjoying a beer. I said hi to everyone and introduced The Rocket Scientist as a couple of the guys made room for us at the bar. Dave was there. We spent some quality time chatting last year. He works at the nice restaurant next door so he pops over to The Horse before and after his shift and during his breaks. Interesting cat. I asked Michelle what was new and she said, "Well, since you were here last I finished my Accounting degree and I'll be looking for a job...

One question kept going through my mind this weekend, "What was I thinking?!?!" The short story (as if I were capable of telling a short story) is that The Rocket Scientist and I drove to and from Utah this weekend to attend the Wasatch Mountain Parrot Head Holiday Party. Can you say freezing? Can you also say insane? OK, that was actually short. Now, here's the long story: Here's how it started. Shannon started working on me to come up a bit ago. I told her that I was on record with my strict "No snow" policy. She countered with Bob Karwin . He was booked to play at the party and I think everyone knows how I feel about Bob. I didn't say anything to Shannon but I did start checking airfares. Wow. Pretty pricey. I couldn't find anything remotely doable for less than $350. That's more change than I have laying around for a weekend trip. So, I was thinking it was a no-go but then Lewie started guilting me. "It's my birthday!...

Most of my TV shows are either canceled or ending their seasons so I have some free viewing time. I gandered through HBO and recorded a couple of movies that I was somewhat interested in seeing. The Simpson's Movie was one of them. The previews of the movie were amusing. Unfortunately, the previews were pretty much the funniest bits of the flick. It wasn't a bad movie, just more like and extended episode of the show. Sure, there was a little profanity and cartoon nudity but that was about all that made it different than the show. So, if you like the show, you'll like the movie. If you don't like the show, the movie won't make you a convert.

My Poker Chicks and I exchange ornaments every year. This year is actually the 10 th Anniversary of that activity. Angela (who is our Sex in the City Charlotte) actually went back to verify that date and got an ornament with that written on it for this year. The ornaments have ranged from very lame (but memorable) to really cool. The pressure to get the "best" one is big. Stacey usually nails it. This year, we had all nice ornaments and enjoyed a lovely evening at Lucy's Wine Cellar drinking vino and sampling appetizers. It was a good time. There was a twist this year, though. Stacey came up with the idea of adding a new activity to our event. All of us have good jobs, homes, disposable income and are doing quite well financially compared to a lot of other people in the U.S. and around the world. She suggested as a way to give back, we each contribute a specific dollar amount (this year was $20 for $120 total) and donate it to a charity. We let Stacey pick this ...

George's idea of doing Christmas cards.

I love sun. I don't love rain. In fact, more than one day of rain in a row is too much. Not that we don't need the water because all of the water going through George's squirt bottles alone is causing a mini-drought. But, it's not that it's depressing or even that it makes it especially cold that I don't like it. It's that no one can frakking drive in this town if it's raining! And, I am amazed, not by that fact, but because I forget it every time. It starts to drizzle and I should immediately add 10 minutes to my drive time but I don't and then I get irritated at both myself and the other drivers. It took me 60 minutes to make my 9 mile drive home on Monday night. Part of that was due to McClintock being closed south of University (that happens to be my corner so it was hard to avoid the mess). But, the 202 was a parking lot until I got to McClintock so that didn't help. Last night, it took me 40 minutes to make the same drive. No ac...

The lights had been turned off last night for only about 5 minutes when I heard, "Thunk". It was clearly something glass which concerned me so I got up to investigate. Fortunately, I have a small home so it didn't take me long to find it. George had knocked over the diffuser in my bathroom and it was steadily dripping scented oil on to the floor. I mopped it up as much as possible with some paper towels and closed the bathroom door so she'd stay away. This morning, it was very strongly "Green Grass" in there. I also yelled at George and I think she knew she was in trouble because she wouldn't come to bed even though I called her a few times. I say "I think" because I suspect what she was actually doing was roaming around looking for something to destroy that wouldn't make any noise. She'd already shredded the tissue paper in a gift bag that I'd gotten ready to give to someone at work today. Fortunately, she's a cat lover/...

I never thought an accessory could be so fun! I bought George a holiday collar Friday night from PetSmart. She was all intrigued when I shook it at her and surprised when I plopped it around her neck. What ensued made me laugh and laugh and laugh... WTF? Get it off! Get it off, I mean it! I am so not amused. You will pay for this...big time! She finally calmed down which ruined my fun. But, I threw it back on her tonight and she's been insane with the jumping around, scratching at her neck and giving me the evil eye. I just laugh and laugh and laugh...

Hard to believe I was running around in a tank top on Saturday... It's frikking freezing here this week. I even had to turn my furnace on last night for the first time this winter. It's only 51 outside, the sky is dark and we're expecting rain. Of course, 51 is far from 0 like Fargo or 7 like Des Moines or even 28 like SLC . But, then I'm not crazy enough to live there, either. Definitely a fireplace night tonight with a blankey and cocoa to keep me warm.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer My review rating: 2 of 5 stars Man, I got really irritated with this book. I already had issues with the melodramatic/obsessive love for Edward that Bella has. I think she's a very poor role model for teenage girls. Hello - there's more to life than a boy! Add into this the fact that the allegedly super smart vampires can't figure out that someone breaking into Bella's room is tied to the vampire murders in Seattle and that maybe those pesky werewolves might come in handy in a vampire war and I was really cranky. Of course, Bella figures it all out. But, she can't seem to figure out that she's in love with Jacob. The kicker was that Edward is convinced they need to get married before turning Bella but she doesn't want to make that commitment. Like ending your human life is less of a commitment than marriage? And, hello, of course the charm Edward gave her is a big frakking diamond. Why was that surprising to her? I think I may ...

Sugar Daddy sent me this link.

It's a well established fact that if I get into the office before 9, I'm early. WELL established. So, what are people doing? Scheduling frakking meetings for me right and left that are before 9. One guy called an 8 AM meeting for Monday. Monday - 8 AM?!?! I called him and said, "Who the hell schedules a meeting at 8 on Monday morning?" Of course, he gets here at 6:30 it's no big deal to him. He did apologize and said it was the only time the calendar showed everyone as available. Then, my boss scheduled an 8:30 meeting for this morning. I left my cozy bed early to get in here and 2 out of the 4 people that were supposed to be there were no-shows. That put me in a great mood as you can imagine. Somehow, I have two more 8:30 meetings next week. I'm only working 4 days and I have to be in early for 3 of those. It's not right. Also not right is the 11 AM meeting I have to go to on Monday. I thought it was an unwritten company policy not to schedule...

My friend Angela sent this to me. It's been around for a while. 1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls. 2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog- aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas! 3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat. 4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made w...

I am the crazy cat lady... You can't see me! Checking out the bows to decide which one to eat first. Attempting to hide again. What? I'm just hanging out, not doing nothing. Blatant disregard for the "no table" rule.

One Costco visit = $100 per person. Sugar Daddy and I went to Costco yesterday at lunch. I usually pick up some books and DVDs for Christmas gifts and we both wanted to get bows and gift tags. Well, $236 later, we were done. Added to our original shopping list was holiday tissue paper (even though I have about 100 sheets of white at home), an extra box of bows for me, my gift exchange item for this weekend's party (a Bailey's set...I might conveniently leave that at home) and assorted gifts for his Mom and my parents. The funny thing is that we were pleasantly surprised at the total. I was expecting it to be much higher.

Based on a compilation of several years at "Fat Camp", school and her family relationships, Moose is quite the story by Stephanie Klein. I would be very interested to know what "thin" people think of it. Having always been one of the fat kids and now fat adults, I could relate to much of the story. Her tales of dieting starting at a young age (nutritionist, Weight Watchers, diuretics, etc.), trying to find attractive clothes, wanting to be one of the cool kids, dealing with helpful comments that sometimes hurt as much as the ones intended to hurt...I've lived through those stories. Klein did lose weight. However, it wasn't the key to happiness that she thought it would be. She found teenage girls can still be incredibly catty, teenage boys insensitive and out for one thing if they can get it and life's issues didn't miraculously disappear with the weight. What made me sad was that I don't think Klein can allow herself to be happy despite the ...

We're limiting expenses at work. Cut out of the budget for year-end were department Holiday parties. Last year, our department went to Dave & Buster's for games and food on a Friday afternoon. I was sorta planning on doing something of the same sort this year (I am the party planner) but, with no money, that was out. Some of the other departments decided to have potlucks. We're not so much the potluck department. Too many "I'll bring chips and soda" types. Our boss very nicely offered to buy lunch for everyone out of his own pocket so we catered in food from Acacia Café. Very good food, too. Trying to find some sort of activity for us, I suggested to my buddy Dave (the other IT Manager) that we buy a selection of small gifts, wrap them and then have a White Elephant like gift exchange. You know, where you can either open a gift or steal one from someone else until everyone's had a turn. He agreed so we did some shopping yesterday. I offered to ...

Check this out.

I decided to make Peanut Butter Kisses tonight. George was underfoot for the whole mixing process but I locked in her in her room for the baking and cooling since I needed to use the counter. Oh, the horror! She was pitiful. The crying was heartbreaking. You would have thought her paws were being help to the flame of a roaring fire. Of course, as soon as I let her out, she ran around in circles then jumped on the counter. That ticked me off so I put her back in her room for some more time out. It didn't help. She was on the counter again in no time.

I was talking to some new( ish ) members, Leslie and Steve, of the club at our Holiday party on Saturday. Steven joined our conversation and I asked them if they'd met my son yet. They were utterly flabbergasted. "No, that can't be your son?" "You can't possibly be old enough!" All that music to my ears. It was awesome! A little later, Steve asked Steven how old he was then said he thought I was in my late 20s. Steven told him to tell me that because I would love it. He did and I did. Not being satisfied with all that, I asked Tracy and Scott to guess how old The Rocket Scientist is. They guessed 48 and 49. For the record, he's 38. I think he looks about his age and I don't necessarily want people to think he's 10 years older than he is. I just want them to think he looks older than I do. I know...call me shallow.

Bonk by Mary Roach My review rating: 4 of 5 stars Bonk is an absolutely fascinating book on the physiology sex (mostly) and the people who study it. Roach has a wonderful writing style. She makes the science simple and you actually feel like you've met the people she interviewed. I especially loved her footnotes that provided trivia related anecdotes and humorous comments. Just some of the subjects and people covered: Kinsey, Masters and Johnson, penile implants, sex toys, turning on and inseminating pigs, monkey sex, why Viagra doesn't work for women, affects of intimacy on the sexual experience. And, a lot on what happens to the male and female body during arousal and orgasm. A word of warning to potential male readers. The description of the implant surgery (think of peeling a banana where the banana skin is, well, the guy's skin) will make you cringe if not make you nauseous and have to repeatedly check on your buddy. View all my reviews.

George was fussing at something under the wine cooler. I investigated and found one of her red mice was under there so I pulled it out for her. What an idiot! As soon as she had it, she lost interest in it and decided to entertain herself by jumping on the dining room table and chewing on every item there.

Stacey suggested we all gather at a new( ish ) restaurant in their neighborhood, Cork, for one of their events called Thirsty Thursday. The deal is a flat rate of $25 for tastings of five wines and a series of appetizers. It's a really nice looking place but it's fracking far, on Alma School and Chandler Heights. Not that far from where I lived with Sugar Daddy but, man, it was a brutal drive. I was more than ready for some vino by the time I got there. Tina was our wine person for the evening and she knew her stuff. We got to pick our five tastings from a selection and the girls all went for reds and I did all white. Tina steered us to some great selections. Stacey bought two bottles and Chris bought one as well so they clearly liked the wines. I missed the first appetizer because traffic held me up. (Man, I think if I still lived out there I would need to be on mood drugs. That drive was so incredibly painful.) The second was a fig wrapped in bacon and stuffed with b...

We had our first weigh in for this round of Biggest Loser today. Sugar Daddy, T and I have been comparing our statuses. Sugar Daddy and I figured that, at best, we had no change from last month. T was pretty sure he gained. Our fourth member, Dave, wouldn't divulge. Sugar Daddy got on the scale and he was flat. T was up three pounds. I was down two and a half. Finally, it was Dave's turn. He wanted to know what each of us did and we wouldn't tell him since he was being so cagey. Turns out, he was flat. I won the side bet! That's $75. I promptly spent $25 + of it tonight on wine with the girls but, hey, it was like found money. I weigh myself every morning. This morning, I was down two pounds from yesterday. I didn't eat especially well yesterday. I had steak for dinner and two glasses of wine and Sugar Daddy and I had Taco Bell for lunch. So, how did I lose two pounds in one night? Clearly, it was a miracle.

If a tree falls down when only the cat is at home, should Mommy get mad?

So, here's the story of the making of the banana bread. I had two bananas that I let get too ripe. So, I got a wild hair and decided to make bread with them. I make an awesome loaf. Very moist and not too dense. There were only a few obstacles in my way. Obstacle One was that I had none of the building materials except for the bananas. So, it was a trip to the grocery store. I got flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, oil, brown sugar, cream of tarter, baking soda, walnuts, frosting and sprinkles. Too much for just banana bread, I know. Some time during the shopping binge, I decided to make sugar cookies, too. Again, I make awesome sugar cookies. Soft, thick and I put cake frosting on them which is creamy good. Obstacle Two was that I couldn't find my banana bread recipe when I got home. I'm pretty sure it's in my recipe box. I have no idea where my recipe box is. I looked through all of the kitchen cupboards and the dining room shelves with no success. Since my sugar...

...the ornaments? They're not so lucky. George is going in for full bore attacks on the ornaments. She jumps on the entertainment center, reaches in and grabs an ornament in her mouth and tries to pull it off the tree. Each time, I squirt her with the water bottle and " Pssst " at her so she jumps down. A minute later, we repeat the cycle. Again and again and again...

Cream of Tartar - Lining the inside of wine caskets after fermentation is a white sediment (tartaric acid). This sediment is removed, purified and then ground to produce a fine white powder which we call cream of tartar. Cream of tartar can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores and should be stored in a cool dry place. Yes, I am baking. Hope you were sitting down when you read that.

I decided not to put up my Christmas tree this year. I didn't think Christmas and demons would mix well together and I'm right. Going completely decoration free isn't for me so I picked up a 2 foot pre-lit tree at Michael's yesterday along with some miniature ornaments. The tree is silver tinsel so it's tacky yet festive. I put most of the ornaments on but left off 10 of the snowflakes because I didn't want to overdo it and I thought they would look cute on packages. I put the tree on my entertainment center, in front of the stereo and next to the TV. George followed my every move as I dropped the extension cord down the back, reached under to plug it in and then finally plugged in the tree. It's actually cute. I'd post a picture but the Pirate Captain has absconded with my camera's memory card. A little bit later, I caught George next to the tree trying to take off one of the snowflakes with her teeth. My instinct was to squirt her but she...

Not only did this make me laugh out loud, it somehow doesn't seem that farfetched.

Apparently, I've been consistently coming in late in the day for too long. This morning, I was in at 7:40 and four people (including my boss) expressed their genuine amazement. I realize 7:40 isn't early for many people but I've been more of a 9ish person for a while now. And, I realize why as it's only 8:45 and I feel like I've been here forever already .

Those of you that had children in their early years can relate. You know when you're on the phone for a long or serious conversation and your kid is quiet and behaving when you start the conversation then they go batshit when you get on the phone? Yeah, my cat does the same thing. She was sleeping all curled up and cute by her scratching post when I called Doona tonight. Five minutes into our conversation, she was on the dining room table. I couldn't yell at her because I was on the phone so I squirted her with the water bottle. A few minutes later, she was on the counter and there was another round of silent squirting. Really, who wants to admit that their kid's a demon? I know I don't. After many rounds of angry but silent faces and squirting, George finally gave up and fell asleep on one of the dining room chairs. That's when I confessed to Doona what a bad girl George had been for most of the time we were talking. George looked like a little angel while s...

The burning question seems to be whether we kept Shorty out of the kitchen on Thanksgiving. The answer is no. But, we tried. Steven and my Mom had things well in hand when I got there around 1. I only needed to do one quick trip to the store for pineapple and green beans so they did a good job at shopping, too. The turkey was in the oven, the sweet potatoes ready to put in the oven and the white potatoes were peeled, cut and ready to cook. Steven and I were snapping the green beans when I declared, "I'm thirsty". That's Shorty's cue to make me a holiday cocktail. To do that, he had to go through the kitchen and Steven yelled at him to get out. I told Steven we needed to give him a cocktail pass so he could make his own drinks (and mine). After he made my first Diet Coke and Brandy which must have had nearly 1/2 ounce of Diet Coke, I decided to make my own drinks and his. The guests arrived. Lots of family, friends from Wisconsin and The Rocket Scientist an...

Executive Privilege by Phillip Margolin My review rating: 3 of 5 stars Margolin does a good whodunit and Executive Privilege is no exception. It's just not Gone, But Not Forgotten which is the first Margolin I read and the best. The story tracks three different people (an FBI Agent, a PI and a lawyer) involved in investigating serial murders of young girls. All paths lead to the killer being in the White House. I did guess the ending about half way through but it was still an interesting read to see how the story got there. View all my reviews.

Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler My review rating: 3 of 5 stars I've had no previous exposure to Chelsea Handler's comedy act or shows. I picked this to read only based on a review I read. This was an amusing collection of real life tales. Some are more fantastic than others so I suspect a little of my modus operandi, "never let the truth get in the way of a good story". View all my reviews.

Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl My review rating: 4 of 5 stars My friend Stacey loaned me this book after raving about it and telling me she thought I would really enjoy it. I approached it with skepticism since I can't trust her judgment since she said Kushiel's Dart was fantastic and I couldn't get past the first 50 pages. I have to give props to her intuition on this one, though. The story revolves around Blue Van Meer and the events of her Senior year in high school. Traumatic events as she discovers a favorite teacher hung in the woods. That's not a spoiler, btw. Raised by a nomadic, academic Dad, Blue is incredibly well read and versed in culture. So much so that she relates to everything that happens as a reference to a book, film and other publications. Told from the first person, Blue provides splendid description with literary references - footnote like entries that further flesh out the story. At 500 pages long, this isn't a quick re...

Everyone has different markers for when it becomes the Christmas Season. For some, it's Black Friday when they start serious shopping. For Shorty and his siblings, it's when the tree gets put up. I think a few of them did that two weeks ago. They are not well people. For the stores, it seems to be the Fourth of July. Or, maybe that's just my cynical view. My season starts when I pull out the Christmas tunes. Last night, I loaded my shuffle with the Christmas playlist and am tuned into White Christmas by Bing Crosby as I'm typing this. Happy Holidays!

I check out the Nielsen ratings every once in a while to see if any of my favorite shows are there. They hardly ever are. Here's last week's results: Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by Nielsen Media Research for Nov. 17-23. Listings include the week's ranking, with viewership for the week and season-to-date rankings in parentheses. An "X" in parentheses denotes a one-time-only presentation. 1. (2) "Dancing With The Stars," ABC, 19.63 million viewers. 2. (1) "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 18.45 million viewers. 3. (3) "NCIS," CBS, 18 million viewers. 4. (6) "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 17.59 million viewers. 5. (7) "Criminal Minds," CBS, 16.33 million viewers. 6. (4) "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 15.91 million viewers. 7. (7) "The Mentalist," CBS, 15.84 million viewers. 8. (11) "CSI: Miami," CBS, 15.46 million viewers. 9. (11) "Two And a Half Men," CBS,...

Ya know, pre -The Rocket Scientist, I actually managed to get around on my own. I roamed all over the place just like I do now with him. Successfully, I might add. This past weekend, he was not available to be my driver. Yet, I was able to drive to and from poker on Friday and to and from Tucson on Sunday. Based on the many comments I got, this was apparently quite surprising to a lot of people. "You drove yourself?" "You didn't get a ride with someone?" "Where's your boyfriend?" (A quickly corrected assumption.) Even TRS commented on it. I quote: "Your drove! Wow! I thought you would have hitched a ride with somebody." The typo is his. Geez. I'm starting to get a complex. It's bad enough that everyone looks past me to see if TRS is with me because they like him so much; now they think I'm incapable of going anywhere at all without him. (Or my backup driver, Steven.) It's almost enough to make me dump him as m...

George's front claws have gotten razor sharp again. I know because she delights in swatting at my legs, hands and arms and they actually catch in my skin. After getting stuck one time too many tonight, I decided it was time to trim them. Oy vey . One would think I was torturing her. I know she tortures me while I'm doing it. She bites and scratches and blocks one paw with the other. It's a struggle. I've tried wrapping her in a towel to do it. Yeah, that doesn't work at all. The whole time, I speak soothingly and tell her that she should be very happy that her Mommy isn't paying the vet to yank her nails out to her knuckle. I don't think she appreciates it. What's my reward for getting it done? She's a maniac. She runs to the scratching post, uses the couch as her scratching post, jumps up on the couch into my face, gets on her back legs and bats at me and generally is insane. The manic periods are broken up by glaring lectures (from afa...

My parents are hosting Thanksgiving this year. They have for most years in the past and there are many family traditions associated with the event. Some of them we haven't had for a while: my Mom clogging up the garbage disposal (an activity that Shorty took over for a few times), the burning of the forgotten rolls in the oven and Grandma yelling at us to turn off the TV. Some are still around: last minute trips to the grocery store, Steven and Shorty yelling at each other in the kitchen about cooking techniques and timing, the fight to get to sit at the kids' table and my battle to get there at the last possible minute to help with dinner but not get trapped there all day. Shorty decided this year (and he did it once before) to cook the turkey on Wednesday, carve it then reheat it on Thursday. Steven and I don't like the idea at all. The house lacks the turkey smell and I think the turkey dries out. Plus, it's fun to pull pieces off the carcass every time you wal...

Cheryl wanted to watch The Incredible Hulk last night while she was doing my hair. Cindy and I didn't object so they ordered it from On Demand for $4.99. I think they got ripped off. This was the Edward Norton version and, while it was better than the Eric Bana flick a while back, it wasn't all that entertaining. First, they went through the whole back story of Banner becoming The Hulk in very quick flashbacks. If you didn't know the story, you would have been lost. Second, there was no explanation of how Banner got around with no money or ID after he becomes The Hulk. He wakes up in another country (actually continent) then somehow makes it from Guatemala to the United States. How? Third, they somehow made everyone into cardboard characters. Despite having read a lot of the comic books, I didn't care about anyone in the story. There was no chemistry between Norton and Liv Tyler. I just pretty much found it boring and disappointing. When I got home from Cindy...