Here we are, once again quickly approaching the end of a year, with the dawning of a new year close on the horizon.
As the saying goes, it's Out with the Old, In with the New.
But this year, I'm twisting it up a tad.
In with the Old!
Out with the New!!
Meaning, Shepard Smith is returning to the Number 1 spot on my list.
His replacement, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs fame, has fallen to #2.
Maybe he just needs to stop posting on his own board...or I need to stop reading it. It seems to me that every time he posts something, it's long winded and difficult to read. And once I'm able to get through it all, I get the impression that it was nothing more than smoke and mirrors...all that bloviating and...nothing. Big words do not a quality post make. Lots and lots of big words don't work either.
I'd much more appreciate a simple sentence with actual meaning than something that goes round and round for 7 or 8 paragraphs and wastes my time.
I'm not a fan of having smoke blown up my butt from anyone, regardless of how beautiful a chest he may have or how much he makes me laugh. Give me a straight answer. And if you don't want to give that straight answer, a simple "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to answer that" will suffice. I'm a simple woman with simple needs.
If you are looking for someone to gush about you, I'm not your girl.
If you are looking for someone to pump up your ego with praise, I'm not your girl.
If you are looking for someone who will give you right in everything, I'm not your girl.
But, if you are looking for someone who will appreciate you for what you are, then that's me.
If you are looking for someone to give you an honest appraisal of something, that's me too.
If you are looking for someone who will keep you grounded, well, that's me too.
Don't try to impress me. Just show me who you are, warts and all.
After all, every frog prince has his warts.
I've seen Shepard Smith's warts. I've seen him, candid and without barriers, laying his soul bare for all to see. I've seen him not making excuses for that nakedness. I've seen clear through to Shepard's heart. No big words. No bloviating. No talking and saying nothing.
Just his true heart.
Maybe Mike needs to start watching Shep...
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
...And So This Is Christmas...
All of the hustle and bustle of the pre~Christmas season has come to an abrupt ending with the dawning of the day this morning.
Christmas is upon us, and fleeting as we speak.
The presents we wrapped so carefully in gilded paper now lie unwrapped and strewn under the tree. The gilded paper in a plastic bag in the trash, destined to find it's way to a recycling plant in the morning. The cookies we devoted so much time to baking are now eatten and stashed in plastic containers.
Tomorrow begins a new phase of the holiday season: The Day After.
It's the day for mega~sales...sales even better than they were during the last couple of shopping days for Christmas. It's the day that this years Christmas decorations go on sale..HALF PRICE!! Don't forget to stock up on that half price wrapping paper!!
We return every year to the malls the day after Christmas, bearing gifts we want to return.
This didn't fit, that's the wrong color, and who the hell thought I'd like THAT?!
We return the things we don't want...take that money...and buy the things we wanted but didn't get.
It's an annual ritual that we repeat every year. It's as much a part of the Christmas holiday as the tree.
And it's one I am proud to say I will NOT be participating in this year...everything I got is just right :)
Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!
Christmas is upon us, and fleeting as we speak.
The presents we wrapped so carefully in gilded paper now lie unwrapped and strewn under the tree. The gilded paper in a plastic bag in the trash, destined to find it's way to a recycling plant in the morning. The cookies we devoted so much time to baking are now eatten and stashed in plastic containers.
Tomorrow begins a new phase of the holiday season: The Day After.
It's the day for mega~sales...sales even better than they were during the last couple of shopping days for Christmas. It's the day that this years Christmas decorations go on sale..HALF PRICE!! Don't forget to stock up on that half price wrapping paper!!
We return every year to the malls the day after Christmas, bearing gifts we want to return.
This didn't fit, that's the wrong color, and who the hell thought I'd like THAT?!
We return the things we don't want...take that money...and buy the things we wanted but didn't get.
It's an annual ritual that we repeat every year. It's as much a part of the Christmas holiday as the tree.
And it's one I am proud to say I will NOT be participating in this year...everything I got is just right :)
Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
**random musing**
Are the voices in the GoPhone gingerbread men commercial those of Steve Buscheme and Adam Carolla?
Just When You've Lost Faith In TV...
So it's no real secret that I watch a lot of TV. Well, I shouldn't say that. I don't exactly watch it. Generally speaking, I'm at my desk, typing on my computer, with the TV on in the background. Unless it was Survivor or LOST, I rarely turned around and devoted all of my attention to any particular show. Even Shepard Smith's newscasts did not garner my full attention, much as I love him.
All of that changed when I discovered two "new" shows this past year. I say "new" because both have been on for a while...it just took me this long to find them.
The first one is Psych on USA. How I missed this gem is beyond me. It's about a fake psychic and his partner who work for the Santa Barbara police. Sean may not be a psychic, but his observation skills make him a great detective. Corbin Bernsen plays his father. I actually find him sexy now in a way I never found his Arnie Becker back on LA LAW. This show is more than a who done it. It's witty and funny and sharp. Kind of how Monk was when it first came on. I'm not saying I don't enjoy Monk anymore, but it's lost some of it's zip over time. Psyche is more like House if Dr House weren't always such a downer. Their Christmas episode was great...fresh and funny and sweet. Can't wait for the new episodes in January!
The second "new" show I discovered was Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe...but if you are a dear Constant Reader, you already knew that. I'd seen bits and pieces of the show over time....like the dog groomer episode where Mike, dressed in a fuscia floral shirt, worked on the pampered pups. At the time I flipped around to it I thought "Wow, that poor guy. He's cute, but...yikes!" I also watched parts of the ostrich farmer and the crew cruise. At the time I found Mike somewhat cute and very funny. Had no idea what the premise of the show was. All I knew is that these men were on a cruise, and the guy in the cap found it very funny that the chubby one took a tumble while ice skating. Then, one night, as fate would have it, I came upon the show as it was just starting. They were in a salt mine, and as Mikes narration pointed out, they were going to show some behind the scenes stuff...how they film the show. I kept it on and was truly fascinated on several levels. First off, the fact that the fucameraman stood there holding that camera for what had to be hours at a time (cameraman turned out to be Doug), the idea that this man, with no training whatsoever in this field, would go down into this mine and do the work in there, and the thought that this Mike Rowe was really quite adorable. I enjoyed the show, and after, went to discovery.com/dirtyjobs like Mike directed me to at the end. The rest, as they say, is history. I like the jobs that Mike does, providing insects aren't involved. He brings to the forefront the men and women who do jobs that are necessary, and that we either don't know about, or are glad we don't do ourselves. I also love the fact that he is quick of wit and can easily make me laugh and smile without having to take his pants off. Then again I love the fact that he's not afraid to take off his clothes and that he really does have a beautiful body for a man of his age. That and I'm just a sucker for a beautiful hairy chest *big smile*
Once we get LOST back, and the new episodes of Psych and Dirty Jobs start up in January, I don't know if I'm going to even have time to blog ;)
All of that changed when I discovered two "new" shows this past year. I say "new" because both have been on for a while...it just took me this long to find them.
The first one is Psych on USA. How I missed this gem is beyond me. It's about a fake psychic and his partner who work for the Santa Barbara police. Sean may not be a psychic, but his observation skills make him a great detective. Corbin Bernsen plays his father. I actually find him sexy now in a way I never found his Arnie Becker back on LA LAW. This show is more than a who done it. It's witty and funny and sharp. Kind of how Monk was when it first came on. I'm not saying I don't enjoy Monk anymore, but it's lost some of it's zip over time. Psyche is more like House if Dr House weren't always such a downer. Their Christmas episode was great...fresh and funny and sweet. Can't wait for the new episodes in January!
The second "new" show I discovered was Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe...but if you are a dear Constant Reader, you already knew that. I'd seen bits and pieces of the show over time....like the dog groomer episode where Mike, dressed in a fuscia floral shirt, worked on the pampered pups. At the time I flipped around to it I thought "Wow, that poor guy. He's cute, but...yikes!" I also watched parts of the ostrich farmer and the crew cruise. At the time I found Mike somewhat cute and very funny. Had no idea what the premise of the show was. All I knew is that these men were on a cruise, and the guy in the cap found it very funny that the chubby one took a tumble while ice skating. Then, one night, as fate would have it, I came upon the show as it was just starting. They were in a salt mine, and as Mikes narration pointed out, they were going to show some behind the scenes stuff...how they film the show. I kept it on and was truly fascinated on several levels. First off, the fact that the fucameraman stood there holding that camera for what had to be hours at a time (cameraman turned out to be Doug), the idea that this man, with no training whatsoever in this field, would go down into this mine and do the work in there, and the thought that this Mike Rowe was really quite adorable. I enjoyed the show, and after, went to discovery.com/dirtyjobs like Mike directed me to at the end. The rest, as they say, is history. I like the jobs that Mike does, providing insects aren't involved. He brings to the forefront the men and women who do jobs that are necessary, and that we either don't know about, or are glad we don't do ourselves. I also love the fact that he is quick of wit and can easily make me laugh and smile without having to take his pants off. Then again I love the fact that he's not afraid to take off his clothes and that he really does have a beautiful body for a man of his age. That and I'm just a sucker for a beautiful hairy chest *big smile*
Once we get LOST back, and the new episodes of Psych and Dirty Jobs start up in January, I don't know if I'm going to even have time to blog ;)
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Fox Bimbo Network
A friend of mine watches the FoxNews late night program Red Eye on a regular basis. The other day, she sent me an email regarding something that happened on it one night. One of the guests was a woman from the newly formed Fox Business Network who apparently has an MBA from Harvard. During an exchange, Andy Levy, who is one of the regular Red Eye panelists apparently had to explain to the Harvard MBA what capitalism was, as she seemed to be confused.
Our entire economy is based on capitalism. How could anyone with a business degree be confused about it?
I do not get Fox Business Network, and it's just as well. As a businesswoman myself, I dare say that if this person is representative of the network, then I am grateful for not getting my business news and analysis from them. As it turned out, the same FBN woman who got confused about capitalism on Red Eye was on StudioB and again appeared to need guidance from Shepard Smith in order to get through the segment.
I have seen photos of the women on FBN. Mostly young women, mid 20s to early 30s. Mostly wearing what one can only conclude to be the required wardrobe of any female on air Newscorp employee: short, tight skirts. Most are the required hair color: blonde, with a smattering of brunettes thrown in just to make sure no cries discrimination. As a person actively involved in the pursuit of capitalism, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I care less about what the person delivering my business news and providing me with business analysis looks like, and more about their ability to comprehend the information they are delivering. I want to know why something is a good or bad investment, why someone filed Chapter 11, how new tax laws will affect my future income. I don't want someone who reads copy, giggles and shrugs.
I am not impressed with the letters MBA attached to a name. Personal experiences have taught me that any monkey with the ability to read, memorize and regurgitate can achieve this distinction. It doesn't necessarily mean they can then apply what they memorized to the real world. There is no real substitute for good old fashioned experience.
For what it's worth, I'd rather watch grizzled old Jack Welch, bald Michael Eisner or oddly coifed Donald Trump discussing business than a 25 year old Harvard MBA with a few months experience at a large brokerage house who decided they too cute and were much better suited for TV than actual application of that MBA.
I've watched and listened to Neil Cavuto for years and always referred to him as the adult version of Alex P. Keaton. His insight and business acumen are well known and respected. So I have to ask: What the heck are you doing over at FBN??
Our entire economy is based on capitalism. How could anyone with a business degree be confused about it?
I do not get Fox Business Network, and it's just as well. As a businesswoman myself, I dare say that if this person is representative of the network, then I am grateful for not getting my business news and analysis from them. As it turned out, the same FBN woman who got confused about capitalism on Red Eye was on StudioB and again appeared to need guidance from Shepard Smith in order to get through the segment.
I have seen photos of the women on FBN. Mostly young women, mid 20s to early 30s. Mostly wearing what one can only conclude to be the required wardrobe of any female on air Newscorp employee: short, tight skirts. Most are the required hair color: blonde, with a smattering of brunettes thrown in just to make sure no cries discrimination. As a person actively involved in the pursuit of capitalism, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that I care less about what the person delivering my business news and providing me with business analysis looks like, and more about their ability to comprehend the information they are delivering. I want to know why something is a good or bad investment, why someone filed Chapter 11, how new tax laws will affect my future income. I don't want someone who reads copy, giggles and shrugs.
I am not impressed with the letters MBA attached to a name. Personal experiences have taught me that any monkey with the ability to read, memorize and regurgitate can achieve this distinction. It doesn't necessarily mean they can then apply what they memorized to the real world. There is no real substitute for good old fashioned experience.
For what it's worth, I'd rather watch grizzled old Jack Welch, bald Michael Eisner or oddly coifed Donald Trump discussing business than a 25 year old Harvard MBA with a few months experience at a large brokerage house who decided they too cute and were much better suited for TV than actual application of that MBA.
I've watched and listened to Neil Cavuto for years and always referred to him as the adult version of Alex P. Keaton. His insight and business acumen are well known and respected. So I have to ask: What the heck are you doing over at FBN??
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Random Musings...
Things have been hectic here of late. Between getting the house ready for Christmas and getting myself ready for Christmas, I haven't had a lot of time for much else.
Sooo...where to begin?
The ville is done! Whoot whoo! The Perfect Mike Rowe~cosm has been duly photographed and documented. Too bad Mike Rowe isn't around...it'd be a perfect Dirty Job for him to take the damn thing down after the holidays. I'm sure he'd love it. I know I do *rolls eyes*
Here are a few more pictures of it:
Of course, there'd be more perks in it for Mike to come take it down than there are for me to take it down. For one, I'd be so appreciative that I'd give the boy an amazing massage...no one's ever given me one of those. I have to pay $10 for 10 minutes at the salon LOL Mike could actually be the lucky recipient of various forms of thanks...ahem...is it warm in here?
The tree is also done. After much trial and tribulation. Here's a pic of that:
The first guests came over on Friday, family friends who had dinner with us. Wine flowed freely and for the first time in a long time, I was a bit tipsy. It wasn't so bad until I woke up the next morning with drunk mouth...bah! I didn't think I drank that much! I was up and out early, stopping by the diner for breakfast and then off to FINALLY do my Christmas shopping at Lord & Taylor. Finished up my father, and he finished up my mother. Since Rosie's old HP has finally outlived its usefulness, I opted to order her a cheap Dell desktop. I just got notification that it shipped today and should arrive on Wednesday. The fun part will be getting it into the house to wrap without her seeing it...need to brainstorm on that one. Of course, I know my Christmas day will basically consist of moi installing the new pc and doing the dishes...ho ho ho.
Weather here has been frightful. Saturday night a nor'easter blew on in, and I do mean BLEW! The winds were horrendous! My bed is in front of the window, and the noise from the ice pellets that were falling being thrust against the window, walls and roof kept me awake until 5am! When I finally fell asleep, the sun was coming up. Of course, I got very little sleep, and after the heavy slushy confection was removed, it was off again for more shopping. I returned home exhausted, and having to install a new plasma tv for my parents. I hit the bed hard and slept well, not wanting to get up this morning for work.
I finally got the ingredients I need for baking. Of course, the almond paste I need was on special this week and they were out of it. Time to go traipsing around looking for it. What fun! Hope to start baking on Wednesday...after I pick up my Secret Santa gift...
Shepard Smith has been looking fine to me of late. I know I have taken him to task here often, but I truly do like the guy. He's funny and witty and smart. It's just that sometimes he's also infuriating and agitating. But then he smiles that impish, crooked little grin, and some days I just want to twist my fingers thru his curly locks. I don't know why. He's just adorable sometimes. Rick Leventhal is back in Iraq now. Now THAT is a man. He's truly beautiful. And hes a great reporter. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Rick, above and beyond the fact that I find him incredibly good looking.
You know, it's not so much that I don't like the holidays, it's the holidays that I think don't much like me. I'm always rushing around...and for what? I spend about 40 man~hours putting up a village that only a handful of people come to see. I bake cookies and no one eats them. I buy presents that get returned. And I'm alone. This is the only time of year that it really bothers me, being alone. A certain person has little to no regard for me, and that hurts...mostly around now. If I were to go POOF! and disappear forever, they wouldn't even notice. It's getting harder and harder. I can sincerely understand why depression and suicide rates increase over the holidays. Compounding it for me, my birthday is a few days after Valentines Day...another celebration I can't participate in.
I've waited for years for my ship to come in. And always, it sails right on by. Everyone else seems to get my ticket to board, and I am forced to stand on the dock, waving my hanky, wishing those others a bon voyage while I stand alone and forgotten.
Ho Ho Ho indeed....
Sooo...where to begin?
The ville is done! Whoot whoo! The Perfect Mike Rowe~cosm has been duly photographed and documented. Too bad Mike Rowe isn't around...it'd be a perfect Dirty Job for him to take the damn thing down after the holidays. I'm sure he'd love it. I know I do *rolls eyes*
Here are a few more pictures of it:
Of course, there'd be more perks in it for Mike to come take it down than there are for me to take it down. For one, I'd be so appreciative that I'd give the boy an amazing massage...no one's ever given me one of those. I have to pay $10 for 10 minutes at the salon LOL Mike could actually be the lucky recipient of various forms of thanks...ahem...is it warm in here?
The tree is also done. After much trial and tribulation. Here's a pic of that:
The first guests came over on Friday, family friends who had dinner with us. Wine flowed freely and for the first time in a long time, I was a bit tipsy. It wasn't so bad until I woke up the next morning with drunk mouth...bah! I didn't think I drank that much! I was up and out early, stopping by the diner for breakfast and then off to FINALLY do my Christmas shopping at Lord & Taylor. Finished up my father, and he finished up my mother. Since Rosie's old HP has finally outlived its usefulness, I opted to order her a cheap Dell desktop. I just got notification that it shipped today and should arrive on Wednesday. The fun part will be getting it into the house to wrap without her seeing it...need to brainstorm on that one. Of course, I know my Christmas day will basically consist of moi installing the new pc and doing the dishes...ho ho ho.
Weather here has been frightful. Saturday night a nor'easter blew on in, and I do mean BLEW! The winds were horrendous! My bed is in front of the window, and the noise from the ice pellets that were falling being thrust against the window, walls and roof kept me awake until 5am! When I finally fell asleep, the sun was coming up. Of course, I got very little sleep, and after the heavy slushy confection was removed, it was off again for more shopping. I returned home exhausted, and having to install a new plasma tv for my parents. I hit the bed hard and slept well, not wanting to get up this morning for work.
I finally got the ingredients I need for baking. Of course, the almond paste I need was on special this week and they were out of it. Time to go traipsing around looking for it. What fun! Hope to start baking on Wednesday...after I pick up my Secret Santa gift...
Shepard Smith has been looking fine to me of late. I know I have taken him to task here often, but I truly do like the guy. He's funny and witty and smart. It's just that sometimes he's also infuriating and agitating. But then he smiles that impish, crooked little grin, and some days I just want to twist my fingers thru his curly locks. I don't know why. He's just adorable sometimes. Rick Leventhal is back in Iraq now. Now THAT is a man. He's truly beautiful. And hes a great reporter. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Rick, above and beyond the fact that I find him incredibly good looking.
You know, it's not so much that I don't like the holidays, it's the holidays that I think don't much like me. I'm always rushing around...and for what? I spend about 40 man~hours putting up a village that only a handful of people come to see. I bake cookies and no one eats them. I buy presents that get returned. And I'm alone. This is the only time of year that it really bothers me, being alone. A certain person has little to no regard for me, and that hurts...mostly around now. If I were to go POOF! and disappear forever, they wouldn't even notice. It's getting harder and harder. I can sincerely understand why depression and suicide rates increase over the holidays. Compounding it for me, my birthday is a few days after Valentines Day...another celebration I can't participate in.
I've waited for years for my ship to come in. And always, it sails right on by. Everyone else seems to get my ticket to board, and I am forced to stand on the dock, waving my hanky, wishing those others a bon voyage while I stand alone and forgotten.
Ho Ho Ho indeed....
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
The Bimbo~fication of FNC
Used to be that when I wanted to know what was going on in the world, I turned on FoxNews.
Used. To. Be.
Now, I hesitate when I have the remote in my hand. Do I really want to watch FNC?
Do I really want to take the chance that if I turn on what used to be on my TV box (thanks, Shep) nearly 24/7, there will be some short skirted, low neckline wearing 20-something bottle blonde stumbling over the TelePrompTer?
I've watched Fox News faithfully for over two years...ever since watching Shepard Smith's emotional reportage from the I-10 overpass in New Orleans. Back then, you could count on GOOD reporting. People like Shepard, Trace Gallagher, Jon Scott, the amazing Rick Leventhal, Phil Keating and Adam Housely. But the list didn't end with the men. Far from it. They also had the likes of Jane Skinner, Julie Banderas, Martha MacCallum, Catherine Herridge and Jennifer Griffin reporting and anchoring. Women who could hold their own with the men.
But now, professionals like these are few and far between on the network.
Now we are over run with sorority girls. Giggly, bubbly princesses wearing micro minis hiked up to show the maximum amount of thigh, unable to read the TelePrompTer, making uninformed comments and laughing inappropriately.
It's no way to start our day when the worlds first Audioanimatronic anchor is sitting alongside Anchorwoman Barbie in her short leather skirt and lingerie top, giggling before turning on their "serious journalist" voices to report a tragic story.
Gone is the previous professionalism of the network, the 'get the story at all costs' feeling that oozed from my TV during Katrina and the conflict in Israel. Or any real news story.
Good, female journalists are relegated to irregular shifts, overnight headlines and rare occasions of covering breaking news. But long live the bimbo on FNC! She will be on both Studio B AND FoxReport, giggling about the story she's reading but knows nothing about...she's just reading what they told her to read, having to be told what to say by the anchor because she's apparently so enthralled by her own image in the monitor she's forgotten what she's talking about but remembers to smush her headshot together with the anchors to pretend they are kissing.
And the bimbos are getting high praise from upper management!
Now, here's the thing. I have nothing against pretty young women with color treated hair (come on...when your dark roots are showing, you seriously cannot expect anyone to believe that's your 'natural color') making good. Lord knows I was once one myself. I was lucky though. I got by in life on my merits. Maybe I got a little extra because I was pretty, but I am still able to get by, and get by in a good way, because I did not rely on my looks when I was younger. I feel bad for the Courtney Friel's of FNC. The Julie B's and ED Hill's will be around for a good long time. Looks, as they say, fade. Brains...those will serve you much better than those little bra inserts that puff up the cleavage ever could...
Used. To. Be.
Now, I hesitate when I have the remote in my hand. Do I really want to watch FNC?
Do I really want to take the chance that if I turn on what used to be on my TV box (thanks, Shep) nearly 24/7, there will be some short skirted, low neckline wearing 20-something bottle blonde stumbling over the TelePrompTer?
I've watched Fox News faithfully for over two years...ever since watching Shepard Smith's emotional reportage from the I-10 overpass in New Orleans. Back then, you could count on GOOD reporting. People like Shepard, Trace Gallagher, Jon Scott, the amazing Rick Leventhal, Phil Keating and Adam Housely. But the list didn't end with the men. Far from it. They also had the likes of Jane Skinner, Julie Banderas, Martha MacCallum, Catherine Herridge and Jennifer Griffin reporting and anchoring. Women who could hold their own with the men.
But now, professionals like these are few and far between on the network.
Now we are over run with sorority girls. Giggly, bubbly princesses wearing micro minis hiked up to show the maximum amount of thigh, unable to read the TelePrompTer, making uninformed comments and laughing inappropriately.
It's no way to start our day when the worlds first Audioanimatronic anchor is sitting alongside Anchorwoman Barbie in her short leather skirt and lingerie top, giggling before turning on their "serious journalist" voices to report a tragic story.
Gone is the previous professionalism of the network, the 'get the story at all costs' feeling that oozed from my TV during Katrina and the conflict in Israel. Or any real news story.
Good, female journalists are relegated to irregular shifts, overnight headlines and rare occasions of covering breaking news. But long live the bimbo on FNC! She will be on both Studio B AND FoxReport, giggling about the story she's reading but knows nothing about...she's just reading what they told her to read, having to be told what to say by the anchor because she's apparently so enthralled by her own image in the monitor she's forgotten what she's talking about but remembers to smush her headshot together with the anchors to pretend they are kissing.
And the bimbos are getting high praise from upper management!
Now, here's the thing. I have nothing against pretty young women with color treated hair (come on...when your dark roots are showing, you seriously cannot expect anyone to believe that's your 'natural color') making good. Lord knows I was once one myself. I was lucky though. I got by in life on my merits. Maybe I got a little extra because I was pretty, but I am still able to get by, and get by in a good way, because I did not rely on my looks when I was younger. I feel bad for the Courtney Friel's of FNC. The Julie B's and ED Hill's will be around for a good long time. Looks, as they say, fade. Brains...those will serve you much better than those little bra inserts that puff up the cleavage ever could...
Monday, December 10, 2007
Picture Perfect Mike Rowe~cosm
Just a quickie...finally finished the 'ville (AND the tree...but more on that after the pic..) and wanted to post a quick picture of it. Here it is (although I'm sure my ineptitude in sizing will cause only a small portion of the picture to show LOL):
Now, on to the tree.
I had picked up a new tree on Halloween...yes, that is how much they rush the seasons these days. I had actually had time to go scope out the tree's and decide which to pick up prior to Halloween and went Halloween night to get one!
Well, Saturday I opened the box. Looked a bit large. It was only supposed to be 7ft, but the circumfrence of the first layer of branches was much bigger than our old Treezilla. There had to be somethign wrong. I continued to assemble it, putting the second section on. That's when I realized this tree was much larger than it was supposed to be. In the store, I was able to touch the top of the tree without a step stool. At home, this was not the case. So I wrestled with the damn thing and finally got it back into the box and into the back of the Sportage.
Back up to Fortunoff!
Picked up a very full 6.5ft tree in its place. Not my original choice, but the results of the Annalee tree are magnificent.
I'll post pictures as soon as I get the ornament boxes out of the way.
In the meantime, I think that right now, all my perfect little Mike Rowe~cosm is lacking is an actual Mike Rowe! ;)
Now, on to the tree.
I had picked up a new tree on Halloween...yes, that is how much they rush the seasons these days. I had actually had time to go scope out the tree's and decide which to pick up prior to Halloween and went Halloween night to get one!
Well, Saturday I opened the box. Looked a bit large. It was only supposed to be 7ft, but the circumfrence of the first layer of branches was much bigger than our old Treezilla. There had to be somethign wrong. I continued to assemble it, putting the second section on. That's when I realized this tree was much larger than it was supposed to be. In the store, I was able to touch the top of the tree without a step stool. At home, this was not the case. So I wrestled with the damn thing and finally got it back into the box and into the back of the Sportage.
Back up to Fortunoff!
Picked up a very full 6.5ft tree in its place. Not my original choice, but the results of the Annalee tree are magnificent.
I'll post pictures as soon as I get the ornament boxes out of the way.
In the meantime, I think that right now, all my perfect little Mike Rowe~cosm is lacking is an actual Mike Rowe! ;)
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Perfect Mike Rowe~cosm
So I have FINALLY finished that @$%&#* village.
It has made me foul of temper and ill of spirit.
But now, it's done.
FINISHED.
almost...
Just have to hook the skirt onto the table, set up the large lit trees that go around the table, and put all the mess away. But that's tomorrow night. For now, I get to breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to setting up the tree on Saturday.
I look at my 'ville as a microcosm...it is a miniature, perfect world. Everything is decorated. The paths don't need shoveling. Children play, adults shop and everyone is happy.
Too bad the real world isn't like my 'ville.
If it were, all of my Christmas decorating would be done. My tree would be up and be perfect~it would be a real tree, but it wouldn't dry out before Christmas and the needles wouldn't fall off when I took it down after the holidays. The boxes for the decorations would retrieve themselves from the attic and likewise return magically. No sets of lights would blow~ever! All the Christmas baking would be done and everything would come out perfect and taste divine. Oh, there would be big Martha Stewart style sugar cookies too. Decorated with great details and actually looking like what they are supposed to be~as if Martha herself had decorated them. All of the shopping would be done and the shimmering wrapping festooned with ribbons. Everyone would get the perfect gift and everyone would simply love everything they got. Of course, there'd be no traditional Christmas debt, because, remember, this is a perfect world. And in this perfect world, I'd be curled up on my sofa, watching the twinkling lights on my perfect tree while drinking mulled wine and nibbling perfect sugar cookies...with my head on Mike Rowe's delectable chest and his strong, loving arms around me...
...now, THAT would be the perfect Mike Rowe~cosm ;)
It has made me foul of temper and ill of spirit.
But now, it's done.
FINISHED.
almost...
Just have to hook the skirt onto the table, set up the large lit trees that go around the table, and put all the mess away. But that's tomorrow night. For now, I get to breathe a sigh of relief and look forward to setting up the tree on Saturday.
I look at my 'ville as a microcosm...it is a miniature, perfect world. Everything is decorated. The paths don't need shoveling. Children play, adults shop and everyone is happy.
Too bad the real world isn't like my 'ville.
If it were, all of my Christmas decorating would be done. My tree would be up and be perfect~it would be a real tree, but it wouldn't dry out before Christmas and the needles wouldn't fall off when I took it down after the holidays. The boxes for the decorations would retrieve themselves from the attic and likewise return magically. No sets of lights would blow~ever! All the Christmas baking would be done and everything would come out perfect and taste divine. Oh, there would be big Martha Stewart style sugar cookies too. Decorated with great details and actually looking like what they are supposed to be~as if Martha herself had decorated them. All of the shopping would be done and the shimmering wrapping festooned with ribbons. Everyone would get the perfect gift and everyone would simply love everything they got. Of course, there'd be no traditional Christmas debt, because, remember, this is a perfect world. And in this perfect world, I'd be curled up on my sofa, watching the twinkling lights on my perfect tree while drinking mulled wine and nibbling perfect sugar cookies...with my head on Mike Rowe's delectable chest and his strong, loving arms around me...
...now, THAT would be the perfect Mike Rowe~cosm ;)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Festival of Lights
Tonite marked the first night of Hannaukah.
Or, as my officemate Sam refers to it, the Jewish Christmas.
Now, I'm not Jewish, but my officemate is. So, I put a little Menorah in our office in honor of Hannaukah...and that was enough to set off the first rant of the season...something about how Hannaukah has become so commercial, even a Christian like myself was celebrating it.
It's no secret around the Wing that Sam is a notorious holiday grinch, and each holiday season, he launches into what we've come to affectionately refer to as "the rant".
Both Christmas and Hannaukah, he argues, are holidays with beautiful sentiments. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, while Hannaukah celebrates the miracle of the oil. We cheapen these holidays with commercialism. Christmas, he says, is not about Santa. Hannaukah is not about 8 gifts. To Sam, these things cheapen what should be meaningful celebrations.
While Sam rages against the holiday machine, garlands and trees and lights go up around him. I'm not innocent here, with my Menorah, Christmas tree, and red basket of candy canes scattered festively all around our office.
But, deep down, I know that Sam is absolutely correct. Hannaukah is not about lighting Menorahs and giving 8 little gifts (or even one big one). It's about celebrating a miracle that happened so long ago. Likewise, Christmas is not about Santa, elves, reindeer and trees. It's also about an ancient miracle.
We seem to have forgotten that. We rush around, looking for just the right gift...something that was requested, something that will elicit squeels of delight. We worry about trees and lights and villages.
We forget the reason for the season.
Maybe, this holiday season, we all need to slow down a bit, put down the garlands and the sale flyers, and step back for a minute.
Step back and think, and try to remember those amazing miracles that happened in a desert land so long, long ago. Miracles who's impact was so profound, we celebrate them to this day.
Remember the reasons for the seasons...
Or, as my officemate Sam refers to it, the Jewish Christmas.
Now, I'm not Jewish, but my officemate is. So, I put a little Menorah in our office in honor of Hannaukah...and that was enough to set off the first rant of the season...something about how Hannaukah has become so commercial, even a Christian like myself was celebrating it.
It's no secret around the Wing that Sam is a notorious holiday grinch, and each holiday season, he launches into what we've come to affectionately refer to as "the rant".
Both Christmas and Hannaukah, he argues, are holidays with beautiful sentiments. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ, while Hannaukah celebrates the miracle of the oil. We cheapen these holidays with commercialism. Christmas, he says, is not about Santa. Hannaukah is not about 8 gifts. To Sam, these things cheapen what should be meaningful celebrations.
While Sam rages against the holiday machine, garlands and trees and lights go up around him. I'm not innocent here, with my Menorah, Christmas tree, and red basket of candy canes scattered festively all around our office.
But, deep down, I know that Sam is absolutely correct. Hannaukah is not about lighting Menorahs and giving 8 little gifts (or even one big one). It's about celebrating a miracle that happened so long ago. Likewise, Christmas is not about Santa, elves, reindeer and trees. It's also about an ancient miracle.
We seem to have forgotten that. We rush around, looking for just the right gift...something that was requested, something that will elicit squeels of delight. We worry about trees and lights and villages.
We forget the reason for the season.
Maybe, this holiday season, we all need to slow down a bit, put down the garlands and the sale flyers, and step back for a minute.
Step back and think, and try to remember those amazing miracles that happened in a desert land so long, long ago. Miracles who's impact was so profound, we celebrate them to this day.
Remember the reasons for the seasons...
Monday, December 3, 2007
Make Me Feel Better...
Blech...I am so sick. I was up most of the night, unable to breathe, and consequently, unable to sleep. When I finally did fall asleep, I woke up a couple of hours later with a migrane, unable to fall asleep again. So I called in sick and went back to bed...where I stayed until 1:30 in the afternoon! I never stay in bed like that, but I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow. I finally did fall asleep, and when I woke up, I was able to eat something and have some coffee, and I felt a bit better.
Then I layed down again, and found out I had a delima. Should I watch Shepard Smith or Mike Rowe? Both were on at 3pm, but who was going to make me smile more and feel better?
The episode of Dirty Jobs contained the infamous geoduck segment...something I'd never seen in its entirity. But Shepard wasn't on Friday, so I opted to tape Mike and watch Shepard.
Turned out Shepard was sick too. Made me sniffle even more. Must be something going around the city LOL
I have to say, I did indeed enjoy Mike and the geoduck more.
There is something just so appealing about a 45 year old man (who happens to have one of the top ten chests in my estimation) acting like a 12 year old boy. He made me laugh and smile :)
And I felt a little bit better, so, thanks, Mike :)
Did I mention I can't wait to get back to bed? Hope I can sleep tonite because I'm out of sick days for the year!
Then I layed down again, and found out I had a delima. Should I watch Shepard Smith or Mike Rowe? Both were on at 3pm, but who was going to make me smile more and feel better?
The episode of Dirty Jobs contained the infamous geoduck segment...something I'd never seen in its entirity. But Shepard wasn't on Friday, so I opted to tape Mike and watch Shepard.
Turned out Shepard was sick too. Made me sniffle even more. Must be something going around the city LOL
I have to say, I did indeed enjoy Mike and the geoduck more.
There is something just so appealing about a 45 year old man (who happens to have one of the top ten chests in my estimation) acting like a 12 year old boy. He made me laugh and smile :)
And I felt a little bit better, so, thanks, Mike :)
Did I mention I can't wait to get back to bed? Hope I can sleep tonite because I'm out of sick days for the year!
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