Friday, November 30, 2007

Friday Fill-in: November 30, 2007



Friday Fill-in #48

1. When my blog is broken, I'm
usually full of great blogging ideas, which i can never remember once it's working again.
2. I saw the most amazing _____ this morning! (ok, how sad is it that i can't think of a single thing to put in here!)
3. National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the new movie I'm most looking forward to seeing. (i know, i know. but the first one fascinated me, watching how they wove all the pieces of the story together, and i want to see if they can do it again.)
4. Work: Necessary and occasionally frustrating.
5. Of all the new tv shows, I enjoy Samantha Who? the most.
6. If only Brett Favre would not have gotten injured during last night's game, maybe i wouldn't be set up to lose all but one of my fantasy football match ups this week.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on some blogging -- both posting & reading/commenting, tomorrow my plans include a possible trip to WDW to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and Sunday, I want to watch football, of course!

and last week's, which i missed while on vacation. i'm going to actually fill it in about last week though!
Friday Fill-in #47

1. I enjoy
spending time with the people i care about more than anything else.
2. Blogging satisfies my need for
having a mental outlet.
3. When I look at a full moon, I feel peaceful, yet amused, because i remember the time Remy & Don were talking about the moon during a Sox game, and Don was convinced that the direction the moon took across the sky had something to do with which way the wind was blowing.
4. If I want a snack, I usually reach for a bowl of ice cream.
5. The most recent movie I saw, Rear Window, made me feel like i should always keep my blinds shut!
6. If only i knew what was wrong with my computer... (turns out, it was... nothing? i don't know. i am still confused, but grateful.)
7. And as for the weekend, [last Friday i was] looking forward to spending some time with Nichole & Daniel, [Saturday] my plans [included] going out to dinner for Nichole's birthday and Sunday, I [wanted] to just feel better -- i felt very uncomfortable & icky. =/

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Friday's Feast: November 30, 2007



Feast One Hundred & Sixty Eight

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

hmmm... this is not easy! i love both Test Track and Soarin' at Epcot, and Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland (which is *way* better than the one here in Florida).

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations
?
it depends on how well i know the other people. if they are good friends, i will try to smooth over whatever made the situation uncomfortable & redirect to something more neutral. if they are people i don't know well, chances are i was quiet to begin with & now i am even more quiet.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?
most of the time about a 5. sometimes, if i am in the right mood & in the right company, i can get into a good deep conversation.

Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

nope. never have. not even when i worked in daycare.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

because i live alone, i often have the tv on for background noise, watching while i do something else. it adds up to a lot of hours, but maybe only five to six hours a week are actually sitting down & *just* watching.

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Friday Fiver: November 30, 2007



Presenting:

1. What do you resent?
people who call me "just the receptionist." i've been just a receptionist before and in this case, "receptionist" is only one of the hats i wear.

2. What is your most recent occupation?
heh. see above.

3. What are you presently wearing?
yoga pants & a red tee.

4. What presents have you bought?
a few Christmas presents. sorry, no hints!

5. Whose presence would you enjoy tonight?
tonight i would think it would be Baby Brother.

i could happily chill out on the couch with a warm snoozing baby. of course, i would spoil him silly by holding him for so long, which would undo all of Heather's hard work, but what are Auntie's for? ;-)

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: November 30, 2007

this little moment, the one when NESN caught Manny petting Julian in the dugout during the game, may be my all-time favorite comedic Sox moment of 2007.

You see a lot of strange things when the TV cameras point into the dugout. Pedro with a Yoda mask. Curt scribbling in his notebook. Tito picking his nose. Timlin performing light taxidermy.

But there's nothing I've ever seen that was quite as weird as Manny "massaging" Tavarez' dome during Sunday's game.

I mean, where they even aware that they were on television? Is this the sort of thing they just do whenever they find themselves seated next to each other on the bench?
(Surviving Grady)

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And I Quote: November 30, 2007

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."
(Henry David Thoreau)

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Sing Along: November 30, 2007

When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

("Iris," Goo Goo Dolls)

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Thursday, November 29, 2007

crazy eights

Nichole posted this on her blog, so i am playing along, because i am slightly brain-mushified, but also because i didn't have piles of work left on my desk for me & i don't have anything else i need to do!

List eight things you're passionate about
1. immersing children in as many social experiences as possible, from a very early age. it is unfair to take children only to "restaurants" like McDonald's for the first six years of their lives, and then bring them to an actual restaurant and expect that they know how to behave without ever being taught. children learn by example & experience. they cannot exhibit appropriate behavior if they are never given the opportunity to learn it.
2. responsibility & accountability.
3. the Red Sox.
4. and the Patriots.
5. making sure the people i love never have a reason to doubt it.
6. that Disney World (or Land) really can fix just about any kind of bad day.
7. not jumping immediately to medications when a natural remedy may be more effective. there is a time & place for medication, absolutely, but it is also very often abused. and now we have things like chemical dependency & antibiotic resistance.
8. slowing down. enjoying the details. not rushing through life at a constant breakneck speed. and the importance of "doing nothing."

Eight things want to do before I die
1. visit all the Disney Parks.
2. see Disneyland at Christmastime.
3. watch the Sox play at Fenway from really good seats.
4. have a child.
5. play with my camera on a Pacific Ocean beach at sunset.
6. rediscover the parts of myself that got lost & redefine the parts that i'm not happy with now.
7. be able to cook like my Gram -- as in, be able to time all the components of my meal to be ready all at the same time, without one ending up slightly overcooked or too cold to be served without reheating.
8. be as debt free as is realistically possible.

Eight things I say often
1. i'm sorry.
2. i'm hungry...
3. seriously./seriously?
4. i don't care. whatever sounds good to you.
5. if you say so.
6. good morning/afternoon, [place of employment].
7. can i help you?
8. good Lord.

Eight songs I could listen to over and over
1. "You and Me," Lifehouse
2. "Chasing Cars," Snow Patrol
3. "Sweet Caroline," Neil Diamond
4. "Collide," Howie Day
5. "Far Away," Nickelback
6. "Here Without You," 3 Doors Down
7. "Smooth," Carlos Santana with Rob Thomas
8. "Teardrops on My Guitar," Taylor Swift

Eight books I've read recently
1. "The Fellowship of the Ring," JRR Tolkien
2. "The Two Towers," JRR Tolkien
3. "Return of the King," JRR Tolkien (currently reading)
4. "The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World"
5. "The Imagineering Field Guide to Epcot at Walt Disney World"
6. "The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World"
7. "An Acceptable Time," Madeleine L'Engle (her books fascinated me when i was a kid, and somehow i had missed this one, so i read it.)
8. "Nighttime is My Time," Mary Higgins Clark

Eight things I've learned this year
1. new good memories really can erase old bad ones.
2. people really can love me for me, even if that me has not been good enough for other people.
3. i really will be ok.
4. See's chocolate can fix almost anything.
5. friends really are the family you make for yourself.
6. i remember how to cook!
7. you have to taste a lot of wines before you know what you like & what you don't, but you can't taste just one & assume that you don't like any.
8. people will surprise you. never say "impossible."

Eight things that attract me to my best friends
1. we laugh.
2. compassion.
3. patience.
4. the desire to share new experiences.
5. their love of football or baseball or Disney or whatever else it is we have in common.
6. being able to have differing opinions, but respect the other's point of view.
7. that they want to fix all the parts of me that got damaged in the past, but they accept that some of those things have to be fixed in my own way & time.
8. that feeling that i've known them forever, even if i haven't, yet no matter how long i've known them, there is always something new to learn about who they are.

Eight people I'd like to tag
not so much with the tagging. feel free to play along though! and let me know if you do!

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even nice people have their limits

the other day, Mr Mega paid me a very generous compliment, saying i was a nice person. i try very hard to be a nice person, and i like to think that most of the time i succeed.

and then situations like these arise:

so last night, i was flying home from my California Thanksgiving vacation. i board the plane & there is this woman in my seat.

let me preface the remainder of the story by saying: i always try to get an aisle seat because when the plane lands, i want *off*. now.

so i tell her, politely, that she is in my seat. she says she's not, that it's *her* seat. well, i know what my boarding pass says & i show it to her & say "that is *my* seat." she starts to kick up a fuss, but then she sees a flight attendant coming toward us to see what's going on, so she moves over into the middle seat.

then she starts whining to me that she *needs* the aisle seat because she gets so dizzy. well, too bad! then you should have picked an aisle seat when you purchased the ticket! *i* picked an aisle seat specifically & *that* is where i am sitting. so she huffs & puffs & rubs her temples & heaves these giant sighs. all the while, muttering under her breath that she gets dizzy. i was reminded of the tactics used by the children i have worked with. so, just like i did then, i tuned her out, because this little drama scene was foolish. i close my eyes & start to fall asleep.

just as i am almost out, she nudges me & says she needs to get out because she's dizzy & needs to use the bathroom.

SIX TIMES she does this. every time i start to drift off.

i am no dummy. i know what she's doing. she's trying to aggravate me to the point that i just give her my seat so she'll leave me alone. well, what she doesn't realize is that i had a glass & a half of wine right before we left for the airport. so, i promptly fall asleep every single time i sit back down. =P

finally she just gives in & leaves me alone. i don't know if she figured her plot to annoy me wasn't going to be successful or if she went to sleep or what. i vaguely remember there being some mild turbulence & the seat belt light coming on, so maybe she was forced to stop disturbing me. but I was asleep, so I don't know why she finally abandoned the bathroom plan.

the flight was scheduled to land at 6:10am. at 5am, i am woken up when she whacks me on the arm & asks "how much longer is this flight?" excuse me?! look at your boarding pass. ring for a flight attendant. ask someone who is awake. LEAVE ME ALONE.

now if you know me at all, you know that i am very non-confrontational. i am soft spoken & will often go out of my way to avoid a conflict. i will grin & bear whatever is inflicted on me. my theory is that working with infants & toddlers for five years developed not only my immune system but my ability to be eternally patient. but i've got to tell you, even i have my limits.

i opened one eye, looked at her & said "please do not touch me again," then went back to sleep. but not before hearing the guy across the aisle from me, who must have been watching this all unfold since i first boarded the plane, totally choke back a laugh when i told her that.

i wish i could understand why some people feel the need to be so inconsiderate. and not only that, but will go to all lengths just to be an annoyance. four-year-olds pester. by *forty*, we should be past that stage. at any rate, i was *not* giving up my seat, and if that makes me a slightly less nice person? i can live with it.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2007

And I Quote: November 28, 2007

"How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward."
(Spanish proverb)

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: November 28, 2007

ah, yes. "vintage" JFL, a reference to A-Gon (oh, how I miss the days of flawless infield defense...) and a dose of our favorite lovable lunatic, Julian. good times are a mere 77 days away from reporting to south Florida...

I actually think Tavarez would have pitched a shut out were it not for the continued existence of Julio Lugo who is, evidently, made of limestone or granite or some such other immovable object and refuses to attempt to field a ball unless it's hit directly at him. At one point, he went over to talk to Mike Lowell during which, I sincerely hope, Lowell gave him what for and said something along the lines of, "You know, most of these people miss Alex Gonzalez. I'd start fielding if I were you."

And it appears the Yankees have already lost for the day. I believe it's Neil Diamond who says, "Good times never seemed so good."
(So good!)
(So good!)
(So good!)

(basegirl)

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Tuesday, November 27, 2007

it's all a bunch of craziness



what we learned on Sunday night
the Patriots can stink -- Asante Samuel & his interceptions aside -- and still win. they can do nothing noteworthy on special teams. they can be relatively unproductive on offense. (wow, does it ever speak volumes to say the offense was unproductive after scoring 24 points... spoiled much?) and they can be downright ineffective on defense -- hello? could we maybe *ever* sit down the Eagles & AJ-freaking-Feeley on a three-and-out?? and yet, they win. i say the test of a team is when it plays poorly & still wins. that being said, i think Monday Night Football better boast a return of the New England Bullies running up the score on the Baltimore Ravens.

my thoughts on Monday Night
are we ready to call the Steelers overrated yet, after losing to the Jets & beating the winless Dolphins 3-0 in the lowest scoring MNF game in history? because to be honest with you, i kind of feel like they're setting the Patriots up for when they meet. "look how much we can't live up to the hype. we lose to the *Jets*. and the Dolphins were thisclose to winning their only game this season against us." and then WHAM. they bring their game faces to Week 14.

how i feel about the NFL Network
O. M. G. how do they justify taking a game like the Packers & the Cowboys, both 10-1, playing for top spot in the NFC, and putting it on some station that not everyone has access to?? seriously. this is a huge game. it would garner worthy ratings if televised nationally. i realize that the NFL wants to convince its fanbase to demand NFL Network be made available on cable networks where it's not already offered (mine is one that does not offer it), but it's not up to me! how can you deny your fans a game of this magnitude?! it's wrong. it's just plain wrong.

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Saturday, November 24, 2007

50 questions... or is it...?

50 questions for the people who are a little older....
(my good friend, Michelle, sent this to me via email but i know you, my faithful few, are suffering Broken Road withdrawals, so i am using this as a blog post instead. don't be intimidated. i don't know where whoever made this survey learned to count, but there are *not* fifty questions here. either that or people have been simply deleting the questions they don't want to answer. either way, still not fifty questions.)

1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
that is a tie. i really hate my student loan payment because i am not using my education for a darn thing. but i also hate my auto insurance payment, because it's highway robbery down here. 

2. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
i don't go on romantic dinners. there are many many things you can do alone. romantic dinners though? that would be a tad weird, don't you think?

4. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be ?
Oh. boy. (this is Michelle's answer. she is very wise. and also? we often think a *lot* alike. i'm gonna just keep it.)

5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Bredehorst. or something like that. listen, it was a long last name & i was in first grade. like i remember how to spell that twenty-five years after the fact?? (OMG... twenty-five years?!)

(see what i mean about not being fifty questions? we just skipped from five to eight.)
8. How many colleges have you attended?
two

9. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now?
because it was one of the shirts i packed & it was a good choice for today since we didn't anything outside that would have required something warmer.

11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you where would it be? 
i am so tired of moving. i think i will just stay put for now.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
i had already been up for quite a while by the time the alarm on my cell went off. i am still on East Coast time.

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night?
i am so slee... zzzzz...

14. Do you miss being a child?
sometimes. i miss my Gram & Gramp. my childhood was pretty good. 

16. What errand/chore do you despise?
errand: filling up my gas tank. chore: cleaning the shower.

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
if i could find the right volunteer position. or i would work a job just for fun. or i would stay home & have a baby or two.

18. Get up early or sleep in?
bright & early! rise & shine!

19. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Eeyore.

20. Favorite thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
be snuggly. (with a guy. in case any of you were going to make a wise or inappropriate comment.)

21. Have you found real love yet?
yeah...

22. When did you first start feeling old?
i refer you back to question five. =P

25. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart?
ummmm... groceries?

26. Beach or lake?
beach. Pacific Ocean, please.

27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
no. unfortunately, i don't think people give it the consideration & respect that they used to though. they tend to jump in without thinking. or they don't grasp that this kind of commitment means "for as long as we both shall live" -- not "til one of us gets bored."

28. Do you own property?
nope. unless a car counts. it did when i lived in Connecticut & had to pay property tax on it.

29. Favorite Guilty pleasure?
fieldside box seats to see the Sox play in Tampa.

30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
::shrugs:: 

31. What's your drink?
great big glass of cold water

34. Who from high school would you like to run in to?
i already have contact with anyone from high school that i would care to see.

38. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Starting several of them!! (ditto what Michelle said. only change the "several" to "most.")

40. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
how long have you been reading this blog? you should know the answer to this is: Mike Lowell. oooo... or Brett Favre.

41. Indoors or Outdoors?
indoors. but can i have the windows open?

42. Have you ever crashed your vehicle?
crashed it? no. but someone hit *me* once. decided to make a left turn after her arrow turned red.

44. Last book you read?
finished "The Two Towers." working on "Return of the King" now.

46. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
i don't know how strange it is, but the airport is probably the strangest place on my list.

48. Do you go to church?
yes. not every Sunday, but most of them.

49. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
hmmm... career. but only because i'm pretty happy with my relationship situation.

50. How old are you...
31 (and i truly had to stop & think about that.)

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Friday, November 23, 2007

Friday Fiver: November 23, 2007



Falling Out of a World of Lies

1. What's the last thing you threw away?
the wrapper to the tissue paper for Nichole's birthday gift

2. Have you ever been to Paris?
nope. and i have no real desire to go unless it solely involves a trip to Disneyland Paris.

3. What do you stare at?
Mike Lowell things that make me happy. and sometimes the tv.

4. What do you hurry for?
very little. i have to feel especially motivated or have somewhere very important to be. otherwise i prefer to move slowly. we miss so much of life, so many details & opportunities, by hurrying everywhere we go.

5. Friday fill-in: I could have been ___.
I could have been at Disney World the day Mike Lowell was the grand marshal of the parade, but i had to stay at work.

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Wednesday, November 21, 2007

over the river & through the woods...

...to Coley and Daniel's i go...

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Randomness: November 21, 2007

brought to you by Randomness

Giving Thanks

With Turkey Day so near, lets blog about it!
1. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving?
the last two years, i have spent it in California with Nichole & Daniel. good food, good company.
2. Do you cook or go out to eat?
well... me, personally? it's kind of a combination of the two. because i am not cooking, and i do go *to* the food. but it is an awesome home cooked meal.
3. What has been the best Thanksgiving for you? The worst?
my favorite Thanksgiving was the last one i spent with my family, before my Gram passed away. my least favorite Thanksgiving was in... ummmm... 1999. i had a full Thanksgiving meal at my grandparents' house at lunchtime. then we went to Michael's sister's house & i had a full Thanksgiving meal there for dinner. did i mention i worked in daycare at that time? and that there was a stomach virus ripping through the infant room, where i happened to work? wanna guess how i spent all of Thanksgiving night -- with two *huge* meals as the ammunition? ugh.
4. What are you thankful for?
all sorts of things. that i have a roof over my head, food in my stomach, my bills are all paid, and i am healthy. that i have people who love me. that this crazy thing called a blog has brought all sorts of wonderful blog buddies into my circle of friends. that Mike Lowell will be back in Boston (what? you actually thought i was kidding about being thankful for this??)
5. Any special traditions you do?
ummmm... not so much. unless eating til i go into a food coma counts as a tradition. =P

an extra sidedish this week:
1. cranberry sauce or gravy?
ummmm... both, please? i am a big fan of cranberry. and mashed potatoes with gravy is one of my favorite comfort foods.
2. white meat or dark?
white for me. yes, i know it's not as moist. that's why we have *gravy*. ;-)
3. yams, with or without marshmallows?
how about none at all? tell you what. i'll trade you all the yams, if i can have both the cranberry sauce *and* the gravy from question one.
4. stuffing or no stuffing?
it depends on the stuffing. i need to taste it first.
5. pumpkin pie or apple pie?
apple! warm & with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

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it's officially official.

officially.

and in case you need several more reasons to love one World Series MVP third baseman, who is nothing if not a class act:

"I really don’t believe everything should be about money," Lowell said. "I just didn’t think my happiness should be bought just by dollars."
(New York Times)

"Lowell is not only a good guy and gentleman, but he is the definition of consistency. He comes to play every day. He takes extra batting practice and extra ground balls when it is allowed."
(Gloucester Daily Times)

"I have financial security so I'd like to believe I'm not all about money," Lowell said. "I feel like I'm more of a baseball player than a businessman. I kind of weighed where I felt comfortable, where I thought I could produce the best with the team that has a chance to win a world championship, and it was Boston. On top of that, we just won and I think I played with a set of teammates that are unparalleled and with a manager the same way and with a fan base that's unbelievable.

"I think all of those came into play. I really don't believe that everything should be about money. I've had teammates in the past that have gone to other places and sometimes they have second thoughts because they took more money elsewhere. I just didn't think my happiness should just be bought by dollars."
---------------------------
...Seth Levinson, one of Lowell's representatives, wrote in an e-mail. "The Sox deal is for less years and less money than had been offered by other teams. This deal was driven solely by Mike's heart and passion for the fans, his teammates, his manager and the team."
---------------------------
In the end, Lowell saw to it that baseball won out over business.
(MLB.com)

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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

angel in my inbox


i'm not sure how it's possible, but Baby Girl just keeps on getting cuter! nothing makes me smile like a visit from The Photo Fairy! =)

(if you click on that link, you'll see that Baby Brother is mighty cute too!)

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see what happens when you have no computer at home?? =P

Sunday was a beautiful day and the parks were destined to be pretty quiet (they usually are the two weeks before & the two right after Thanksgiving weekend), so i ventured out to Animal Kingdom with my camera.

it may be snowing in other parts of the country but here in Florida, the flowers are still happily blooming!


the new restaurant in Asia opened on November 14 -- The Yak & Yeti. it's way bigger than it looks here, but this is the main entrance. and you can see what a gorgeous day it was!


one of the elephants was very close to the truck route through the Safari. he posed.


that little guy to the right is the new baby White Rhino. his name is Tom & he is almost a year old now. the one to the far left is the other baby, Kayla. she's almost two. and we think human babies grow a lot in a year?? ;-)


and *this* is the prize. it was so comfortable outside, that for once the lions weren't sleeping sprawled flat on the (air conditioned) "rocks"! you can almost never get a good view of the lions!

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Monday, November 19, 2007

is it wrong that i want to put this on my list of things to be thankful for on Thursday??

seriously... this speaks volumes for my addiction to the Red Sox, i know.

but happy is the day that Mike Lowell has unofficially accepted Boston's offer!!

let's get this in ink boys!

hmmmm...

i think November 19 shall heretofore be known as Happy Mike Lowell Day.
you don't have to celebrate. i don't mind if it's my own personal holiday.

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in case you were wondering...

...i've been MIA from my blog, as well as from yours, because my computer is sick, so i have had no internet at home since Saturday morning.

...Mike Lowell still has not signed a new contract with Boston. =(

...the Patriots continue to "run up the score" without caring what you, i or anyone else has to say about it. (sorry, Sue.)

...i don't know how much blogging or visiting i will get to do from work over the next couple of days, because i am getting ready to be out of work for a week, so in an effort to avoid as many potential disasters as possible, i am working hard to get ahead of the curve. (how's that for a run-on sentence? =P )

...i should have more time to answer email, check blogs & do a little of my own blogging while i am on vacation, *if* i can figure out how to make Blogger work when accessed from a Mac.

...my computer should hopefully be fixed while i am on vacation so i should be back to normal when i get home on the 29th.

anything else you're wondering about or need to know?

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Friday, November 16, 2007

ack!

i have all the makings for stuffed shells for dinner tonight. i need to make them to use up the ricotta cheese in the refrigerator.

and now Fond of Snape is responsible for giving me *the* *worst* craving for a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon & tomato.

seriously, every time i think about it, my stomach actually growls. very loudly.

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you know how no one really wants to be at work on Friday?

well, just imagine what it is doing to me to be here today, when a short half hour away:

Lowell, the MVP of the World Series, is scheduled to make an appearance at Disney World's Magic Kingdom Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
(Boston Globe)

he's going to be the Grand Marshal of the parade. and i have an Annual Pass burning a hole in my pocket right now.
::sigh::

life is so not fair.

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it's rare that they actually come out with a truly funny commercial anymore

this commercial played during one of the football games i watched this past Sunday. very few commercials make me laugh right out loud. i kind of felt like an idiot cracking up all by myself, but... ::shrugs::

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Thursday, November 15, 2007

embracing my inner dork

we never really leave high school, do we?

it's kind of funny what led me to this post. i joked about it the other day, when i said that there are blogs i visit that i never comment on, because i feel all awkward. like it's high school. when all anyone really wanted was to fit in. but it didn't stop there.

the thing is, it keeps following me around, in a variation of themes.

it was here, on Sarcomical. and then i ran into it again, over here on PeterDeWolf.com. and now it was the central theme of Grey's tonight.

how we never really get past it. we grow up. we're supposed to put all that insecurity behind us, acquire confidence with each passing year. but the more i read, watch, observe... i don't believe we entirely leave behind those four years when we collect our diploma & head out to be adults. we might get a little better at hiding it. we might even successfully shake it off some of the time. but it lurks there. just a little bit. i'm convinced of it. if we *really* shed our insecure adolescent selves, it wouldn't surface all over the place. we wouldn't all still show it.

what i think is the most interesting part is seeing that the people who make me feel all inadequate & foolish, like i'm just pretending i can hang with the cool kids, they feel just as ridiculous as i do. the one thing i don't think occurs to us when we're in high school is that everyone feels that way sometimes. we spend four years feeling like the only dork in the world when everyone else seems to fit in without trying. and that inner dork resurfaces even when we're supposed to have left it behind. because really. does it get much more "high school insecure" than to feel shy leaving a comment (that is still pretty anonymous even when you use your "name") on a stranger's corner of the internet?

so like i said, we never really completely leave high school. we all want to be liked by someone who makes us feel a little like we never finished being fifteen. but the coolest part is that when we grow up, we realize that we're all on the same page. makes it just a little easier to "suck up my inner dork" and just say hi. after all, i look at all the really cool people i've met, people i wouldn't have thought would think i was kinda cool too, and realize i have more confidence than i give myself credit for. and that maybe being real, acknowledging our dorkiness, just makes us a little bit more approachable.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

yumminess

a couple of weeks ago, when i was grocery shopping, i was checking out the ice cream flavors to restock the freezer. i always try to check out the Limite Edition flavors, to see if anything catches my eye. and *this* is what i found!

tastes just like apple pie a la mode. little pieces of real apple & pie crust in the vanilla ice cream. i have been one happy girl with my dessert lately!

anyway, i was telling a couple of friends about it, which led to a discussion of how Edy's on the east coast is the same as Dreyer's on the west coast. to be sure, i was checking out the websites, which are, in fact, identical, other than the name.

which is the long way around of explaining how i happened to stumble on the Vanillaology quiz. being a sucker for goofy quizzes anyway, how could i pass one up that was associated with ice cream? so in case you are wondering, my results:

You are: French Vanilla

Working within the team and behind the scenes, you can be counted on to do the work it takes for the group to succeed, but you don’t crave the spotlight or attention of center stage.

While stability and safety are crucial in your relationships, you like to add a little flair with your choice of vanilla.

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boys have cooties

well, in this case cooties would be germs.

there are a bunch of guys in the office that have nasty colds. they sniffled & hacked & groaned all day. and then they felt the need to come hover around me & touch all the paperwork. and the copier. and the printers.

i swear. i am travelling in a week. if they get me sick for my Thanksgiving vacation, i am not going to be very happy with them. because not only does having a bad cold make flying miserable, but i really do not want to get my gracious hosts sick. not to mention, it would really really suck to not be able to taste that incredible Thanksgiving feast i know is coming.

guess it's time to call in the zinc & the vitamin C for a preemptive strike.

stupid boys.

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::sniffle::

i was emailing with Heather this morning. she just told me:
"last night [Baby Girl] was requesting her auntie dawn to take her to see santa!"

awwww...Auntie Dawn wishes she could!

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Monday, November 12, 2007

Sing Along: November 12, 2007

Yesterday's gone
Now all I want is a smile
("Love on the Rocks," Neil Diamond)

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the dark ages

just to forewarn you all.

when i left the house this morning, i had no internet connection. i have no idea what i am facing when i return. it may have been restored as part of a wider spread problem that was corrected while i -- ahem -- worked all day.

or... it might not.

so... you might all have to make due with what i've already posted today.

if you run out of material, there is a mighty big archives to entertain yourselves with.

my apologies. you can call & complain to Bright House Tampa if you like.

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i cannot feel the joy



yeah, yeah. AL Gold Glove for first base.
yeah, yeah. AL Silver Slugger for DH.
yeah, yeah. AL Rookie of the Year.

you are killing me, Theo!! do you hear me?!
robbing me of the joy i should be feeling for Youk and Papi & Wee Pedroia.
where is Mike Lowell's new contract?
this dragging things out is unnecessarily cruel.

the window of time during which we get sole rights to negotiate is closing quickly. we are down to mere *hours* now, Epstein.

if this turns out to be nothing more than just a slow & painful death, i am warning you all right now: i may never fully recover.

or as papel-blog put it:
...but I can't start snoozing in front of the TV until I know whether or not the Sox are going to re-sign Mike Lowell. Can't we just rip the bandaid off already? At this point I'd rather watch a continuous loop of footage of Tek batting with the bases loaded than try to follow the non-new news cycle of the Mike Lowell negotiations. I mean, if the Red Sox don't re-sign Mike Lowell, I promise that I will move on and eventually be cool about it. Even though I'll probably have to have his time with Boston erased from my memory Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind style.

except that *I* do not promise to move on & eventually be cool with it.
SIGN. MIKE. LOWELL.

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crossing paths

so as i was not really working today (what? i didn't really have anything to do! i was too efficient on Friday! i still answered the phones all day. sheesh.) i started thinking about the various blogs i visit & how i found them.

**some are friends i already had.
**some i found through the memes i participate in.
**some were people i "knew" from a couple of message boards i used to frequent.
**some are the results of long boring days at work when i started visiting my favorite blogger's blogrolls.
**some are bloggers with whom i share a common interest.
**some were discovered because i followed a link in someone else's blog post.
**some are people who leave comments on the blogs i visit regularly & i got curious.
**some, i am ashamed to say, it's been so long, i can't even remember anymore.
**some i read all the time but never comment because i feel like i'm intruding on an inner circle (residual high school insecurities, anyone?)
**and some people actually started commenting on *my* blog first.

makes me wonder how you found my blog, started reading, and maybe started leaving comments.

and then i wonder about the people who visit me silently. the people i don't know. and i wonder if i would enjoy their blogs too.

amazing how this whole "blogging" thing can make the world seem smaller.

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: November 12, 2007

ahhh... JFL. the whole season really *was* spent like this, wasn't it? =P

2) When they said we'd be trading some defense for offense with Julio Lugo, they weren't f--king around. On back-to-back plays in the first, Lugo looked like a guy with 80 pound weights strapped to his onions, costing us a couple runs right out of the gate. "He's an assh-le!" I cried. But then he comes back next inning and strokes a ground rule double and knocks in a few runs of his own. "He's a trooper!" I cried. And that's probably just the way it's gonna go this summer.
(Surviving Grady)

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Sunday, November 11, 2007

how to have a great day of football on the Patriots bye week

is it wrong that i am watching Sunday Night Football in complete amusement, having just watched Poor Peyton throw his career-high fifth interception? maybe we ought to get him one of those shaded visors for his helmet like LaDainian Tomlinson wears. ya know, since he thinks wearing his helmet will keep us from knowing he's crying again. even if the Colts win, which is never far from possible, it's still great entertainment to watch Peyton struggle. (edit to add: the Colts just lost & it really triggers my gag reflex that now we're going to talk about how all Peyton's weapons are injured & he's playing with a pieced together offense. please. how many of their seasons have the Patriots limped to the finish line, with guys like Troy Brown playing offense, defense *and* special teams. no one has ever offered up that excuse for New England, even when they take their bedraggled team all the way to the Lombardi Trophy. no one ever makes the excuse for New England, least of the all the Patriots. way to ruin the ending of the game for me, including a *sixth* Peyton interception and a missed short field goal by Vinatieri that would have given Indy a one-point lead, Al Michaels. you really raise the bar for the title of sportshole.)

my 4pm game was the Cowboys & Giants. i have never been much of a Cowboys fan, but i do really like Tony Romo. match him up against The Younger Manning Spawn & a Cowboys win suddenly is very appealing! if only i didn't have to listen to Joe Buck for three hours. sheesh, the man is like the freaking plague, the way he contaminates my favorite sports. i wonder if Troy Aikman ever wants to just toss him out of the booth. (i don't ask this question about McCarver because he is usually too busy talking to himself & is oblivious to everything else, while Aikam actually has a clue.) he doesn't even pay attention when Troy is talking about things that actually are worth listening to. Buck's too busy glancing over his shoulder, into the camera, because God forbid we aren't all looking at him & listening to his idiocy. ::rolls eyes::

i really thought i was all set for football today. good games all around. my 1pm games were a choice of Jacksonville/Tennessee (looked to be a very good match up but too hard to watch though, too many dark & similar colors in their uniforms) and Green Bay/Minnesota. have you been reading here long enough to know what my choice of games would be?

Favre!! i was contentedly camped on my couch watching the Packers squash Adrian Peterson flat, the newly discovered Green Bay running game emerge via some guy named Ryan Grant (who i picked up for my fantasy team during the week on a hunch!), and Favre spreading out his passes all over the receiving corp. midway through the third quarter though, FOX got this bright idea that no one would want to watch a blow out, so they switched the game over to the Eagles & Redskins. the nerve! i pouted, changed the channel to the CBS game, then took a nap in protest. that'll show 'em.

as my NFC favorite team now sits at 8-1, with the timeless Favre at the helm, defying odds, breaking records, and shutting up the critics who said he should have retired two years ago, i thought now would be the time to share the quotes that moved me when Favre led Green Bay to it's sixth win, two weeks ago on Monday night.

"Many athletes are great, but very few make the needle move. Very few cause you to sit in front of the tv for hours, just because you don't want to miss what they do and the way they do it. We watch Tiger Woods on Sunday in red because every shot he takes carries with it the possibility of something so great that you would hate yourself if you missed it, like that chip end in Augusta and the fist pumps that followed it. We watched Michael Jordan in that same way, because every time he held the ball in his hands, he might deliver something unforgettable, like that jump shot over Craig Elo. Or all those times when Jordan hung gracefully in mid air like a portrait. It's the same with Favre, who at 38 now qualifies as an actual living legend. Nobody -- not even Peyton Manning or Tom Brady -- brings the flair Favre does. Nobody shows more enthusiasm. He doesn't make *all* the crazy throws that he tries, but he'll keep trying them, no matter how many times they're picked off, because nothing ever discourages him. He always thinks that the next one is going for six. And that's why we give him a hall pass for all those ridiculous interceptions, because Brett Favre'll keep slinging, and the next pass he might fit through the eye of a needle and then jump into someone's arms like a teenager. Look. You don't just get to watch Brett Favre. You *have* to watch him." (Tony Kornheiser)


"As the years pass, the downers increase in volume. He's too old. He's lost a step. It's time to go. Pay them no attention, for we are survivors. Legends write their own stories. My Brett. Our Favre." (Deanna Favre)


so many people gag & say they cannot stomach the open love given to Favre. but the way he plays this game is so pure, so filled with passion, so rare to find. i hate to listen to all the sliming & squishing the talking heads blather about Manning & even Brady. that kind of admiration belongs to few. and one of those few is Brett Favre. i could wish for no better season for him than one like this. one that makes the dues he's paid over the last several years so worth it. this game will be less when Favre finally takes off his cleats, pads & helmet for the last time, but until that day, i will enjoy every minute that he stands on that field & does what he does. a Green Bay/New England Super Bowl would be my football nirvana, and i can honestly say that i would be happy no matter how it turned out. i feel like i'm living in a sports dream this year.


(photos from Yahoo! Sports)

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Unconscious Mutterings: November 11, 2007



Week 247

I say ... and you think ... ?

Treadmill :: gym
Stroke :: something that almost stole my dad from me...
Exclusively :: sole rights
Lash :: mascara
Red carpet:: celebrity
Credit card :: to be treated with great care
Points :: exclamation
Domestic :: dispute
21 :: old enough to drink
Inject :: syringe

Week 247

I say ... and you think ... ?

Inaugural :: Ball
Pledge :: of Allegiance
String :: no strings attached
Trot :: Nixon!!
Fitness :: exercise
Cinder :: block
Edge :: teetering on the...
31 :: me!
Blue :: the color of my eyes
Leather :: baseball glove

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my Gram would roll over in her grave if she knew i was willingly eating spinach



Spaghetti with Sausage & Goat Cheese

1 tbsp olive oil
2 links mild Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 cup chopped red onion
8 oz spaghetti
4 cups loosely packed spinach, washed, drained and trimmed of tough stems
2 tomatoes, cored, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup dry red wine
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and onion and cook, stirring 3-4 minutes, until sausafe is brown and onion is translucent. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, reserving one cup of pasta water. Transfer pasta to skillet with sausage and onion. Over medium-high heat, add spinach, tomatoes, wine and enough of the pasta water to make the pasta slippery . Cook, stirring 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted and ingedients are warmed through. Remove from heat; stir in goat cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Serve warm.

the recipe is for 4 servings, but i halved it easily. also, i used the "fresh herbs in a tube" that they sell in my produce section because i can't go through fresh herbs fast enough cooking for one that they don't end up going to waste. i used whole wheat spaghetti & Shiraz for the wine.

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Saturday, November 10, 2007

And I Quote: November 10, 2007

"A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it."
(Jean de La Fontaine)

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Sing Along: November 10, 2007

And like a fool who will never see the truth
I keep thinking something's gonna change
("Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough," Don Henley & Patti Smyth)

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20 questions: November 10, 2007

1. You have $10 and need to buy snacks at a gas station; what do you buy?
bottle of water & a king-size pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. the other $8 can go in my gas tank. for not even a quarter of a tank. =P

2. If you had to be reincarnated as some sort of sea dwelling creature, what would you be?
i really wanna say one of those freaky deep sea dwelling fish with the enormous fangs & the little lantern hanging off its head -- like Marlin & Dory run into when they are out searching for Nemo. but let's face it. who doesn't want to be something cute & lovable like a dolphin? they play & sing. they always look like they're smiling. everyone loves them. and if you tick one off, i'm thinking it could still do some serious damage. but by & large, happy & cute. who doesn't want everyone to think they're cute & lovable?

3. Who’s your favorite redhead?
does auburn count as being a redhead? if so, then Nichole. and not just because i don't know any other redheads.

4. What do you order when you’re at a pancake house?
actually, i don't really care for pancakes. they're too heavy. and they act like sponges with all the syrup. i'd much rather have a waffle.

5. Do you own any naughty toys?
me??? clearly you don't know me that well.

6. Have you made out with anyone on your blog roll?
no, i have not.

7. Describe the last time you were injured.
i managed to cut myself opening my electric bill earlier this week. the edge of the envelope managed to get me right where the nail & the finger meet. bad spot. i kept hitting it & since it's not a place that a cut can close up very easily, it kept bleeding. i know. i'm a danger to myself.

8. Tell me a weird story from your high school years:
what happens in high school stays in high school...

9. What is the wallpaper on your cell phone?
this pic Nichole sent me from Disney's California Adventure


10. Soda?
only some ginger ale when my tummy is upset or a Pepsi if i am seriously so tired that i cannot keep my eyes open one second longer.

11. Flavor of pudding?
vanilla, please.

12. What type of shirt are you wearing?
a tank top. i am in my pjs. (shut up. i *know* it's 9:30 on a Saturday night. i never claimed to be exciting. what's that say for the rest of you who keep coming back here to *read* all this? =P )

13. Prescription medication?
no thanks.

14. If you could use only one form of transportation for the rest of your life what would it be?
i don't care as long as i don't have to drive it. or pay for it. or fill it with gas. or insure it. or maintain it. or fix it.

15. How many people are on your blog roll?
::opens blog in another tab:: that would be 34.

16. How many people on your blog roll do you know in real life?
five of them: my brother, Josh. i've known Heather since nursery school & i am the god mother to her daughter, referred to here as "Baby Girl." Chele is one of my friends from high school. Nichole, whom i am lucky enough to have found thanks to this thing we call blog. and i met Andie when she lived in Florida for a while.

17. What are you listening to right now?
have the playlist on shuffle right now. just changed from "Savin' Me," by Nickelback to "Hold Onto the Night," by Richard Marx. so sue me. i have blasts from the past lurking in my playlist. at least you know i'm telling the truth. because seriously, who would make that up??

18. Most recent movie you watched.
Gone With the Wind. and part of Sleepless in Seattle.

19. Name 5 things you have with you at all times.
driver's license. cell phone. keys. sunglasses. a little cash.

20. Name a teacher you had the hots for.
i didn't have the hots for any teacher i ever had. a lot of people had crushes on my senior year band director. he was young. pretty much right out of college. unfortunately, a few had more than that. nothing like a predator. in fact, the involved students all said they'd do it again if they could when it all came out. more like poor judgment on his part than anything else. and yes, they were all old enough to make that decision. ::shrugs::

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Friday, November 9, 2007

Sing Along: November 9, 2007

We all begin with good intent
Love was raw and young
We believed that we could change ourselves
The past could be undone
("Fallen," Sarah McLachlan)

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we take our sunshine seriously here in The Sunshine State, don't ya know

the other day, i admitted to being curious about the unveiling of the "new" Tampa baseball team. they are no longer the Devil Rays, but the Rays. not the sea creature though. rays. as in, catchin' some. you know... "ok fans, give it up for your Tampa Bay Sunbeams!!" yep, the Tampa Bay Rays. and i was worried i would be losing my chance to poke fun at them... ::snicker::

so... instead of "sting 'em Rays," the new chant will be "burn 'em Rays," do ya think?

i am sad to announce that they gave up their dorky vest-style jerseys when they traded in teal & grey for navy blue & white with powder blue accents. well, mostly sad. those vest tops are vile. they really ought to be banned entirely. it just means I have one less piece of ammunition for making fun of them now that they're gone, that's all.

i do think that it is pretty cool that they aren't completely disowning their (ten year) team heritage though. the new jerseys will sport a patch of a Ray (of the aquatic variety) on the sleeve.


other changes not yet revealed will take place at The Trop, including a new & improved Raymond the Unidentifiable Mascot. i am not sure if this means he will be some new creation of beast or if he'll just get a new wardrobe. i'm almost a little sad about the thought that he might be traded in for something different. as freakish as Raymond was in all his hairy blue glory, his antics were very amusing. we're probably going to get stuck with a pair of walking sunglasses now or something. and by "we," i mean the fans that attend to see the visiting team. ;-)

unfortunately my one wish didn't come true: i can't seem to find any mention whatsoever that they are replacing the tv broadcast crew. ::sigh::

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Friday Fill-in: November 9, 2007



Friday Fill-In #45

1. Plans and schedules
have their time & place, but it is also important to be flexible and open to opportunity .

2. I'm happy when things are drama-free & everyone gets along .

3. The last thing I drank was my requisite glass of cranberry juice .

4. One of the most valuable things in my life is my amazing group of friends .

5. I like mozzarella, fresh tomato slices & basil on my pizza.

6. Dear November, thank you thank you thank you for bringing cooler temperatures with you .

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing on the couch with some tv & a magazine, tomorrow my plans include laundry & possibly a trip to Disney World (yes, *again*!) and Sunday, I want to watch the Packers beat the Vikings -- ya know, since the Patriots aren't playing this week & all!

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Friday's Feast: November 9, 2007



Feast One Hundred & Sixty Eight

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?
i am one of those people who never stops at the snack counter at the movies. don't get me wrong. i love popcorn & Reese's Peanut Butter Cups at *least* as much as the next person. but eating my favorite movie snacks makes me thirsty. and thirsty girls drink. which leads to bathroom breaks. and since they don't give you a pause option on the movie, and i hate to miss even a minute -- because you know if i leave, i will miss the very best part -- i just opt out on the snacks at the movies.

Soup
What year did you start using the internet?

ummm... 1996 maybe? i know it was after high school...

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin?
Awn-day.

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.

underwear. if it's coming in direct contact with delicate parts, it *must* be high quality. no exceptions.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I ________ yesterday and I ________ today.

i made some pork chops with apples & rice for dinner yesterday and i am eating the leftovers for lunch today.

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Thursday, November 8, 2007

your random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote of the day (got all that?): November 8, 2007

vintage Youk. as much as i hate the way he abuses himself for not batting 1.000 every minute of the season, i do so miss even the painful post-out moments with Youk, this being the off-season & all...

And as if we needed any more reasons to love Youk, does anyone get more outraged at his own inability to produce when the chips are down? Last night, when he came up with two out in the tenth and slapped a ball we prayed would make the wall but didn't, he let out this primal scream, tossed his helmet and clenched his fists like a guy about to punch a truck.
(Surviving Grady)

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One-Word Sarcomical Sunday: November 8, 2007

One-Word Sarcomical Sunday #12

You love these, and that's okay. Don't fight it. It's bigger than You and Me.

Here are the ground rules for the newbies:

1. After reading my answers, copy and paste the list into
your comment over at the host site.
2. Change my one-word responses with yours (can I over-emphasize that you may only use ONE WORD to answer no matter how much it makes you want to cry?)
3. Submit your comment.
4. You can always feel free to post your finished list on your blog, too. (Look at that, a post idea, FREE. You're welcome.) A link back here would be nice, of course, but the most important thing is that you enjoy yourself. So go on. Knock yourself out. I'll just be here with a puppy on my lap, with my sweatshirt covering him so it looks like I have a really disgusting irregular growth protruding from my lower stomach.

Hearing: fishtank
On Your Desk/Workspace: paperclips
Outside: invigorating
Your Eyes: blue
You Wish Some People Would: decide
Before This You Were: emailing
On Your Feet: boots
What Makes You Feel Shitty: overlooked
What Soothes You: hug
Color of Your Refrigerator: white
Number of People You Share a Bathroom With: none
Your First Boyfriend/Girlfriend: cheater
Your Favorite Kind of Bread: wheat
On Your Mind: choices
Something You Have to Complete: gift
Your Last Medical Appointment: GYN
You Want To Be: hugged
You Wish You Knew More About: future
The Superpower You'd Choose: invisibility
Your Last Purchase: groceries
You Don't Like to Watch: injections
Your Idea of Relaxing: snuggly
Last Thing You Forgot: watch
After This: paperwork

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Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Sing Along: November 7, 2007

This is how it seems to me
Life is only therapy
Real expensive and no guarantee
So I lie here on the couch
With my heart hanging out
Frozen solid with fear like a rock in the ground

("You Move Me," Garth Brooks)

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ok, i'll admit it. i'm curious.

i talk a lot of smack about my "local" sports teams (the Bucs & the Devil Rays, for those of you who haven't been playing here long enough to know that on your own), partly because i bleed Boston, and partly because i abhor the way the local media represents these teams. they act like they are unquestionable championship contenders every year, and when they lose games, it's not because the team played like poo, but because [insert your choice of whiny excuses here] even though they "played a perfect game" don't you know.

whew. that being said...

when what to my wondering inbox should appear this afternoon, but a message from "my" Tampa Bay Devil Rays. (to clarify, i get emails from them because i buy tickets to games at The Trop when *my* Boston Red Sox come to town.)

i must admit, the contents of this email have me intrigued.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Big things have been brewing behind the scenes for several months now. On Thursday, the Rays finally will raise the curtain on their project, and fans will be privy to a whole new look.

New uniforms. New colors. New logo. New name. Everything is new and Tampa Bay has an all-star weekend planned to unveil their changes to the public.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

new uniforms? does this mean i won't be able to poke fun at their dorky vests anymore??
new colors? new logo? new name???

what does this mean?

and can they also maybe get rid of Staaaaaaaaaaats & Migraine for some new tv announcers too? please?

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because at this blog, it's never really *not* baseball season



so much going on!!

...looks like Sir Schilling will be going out a Red Sock. it only seems fitting after what he did for us in 2004 that he should ride off into the sunset with a Boston B on his cap.

...somehow we still have not re-signed Mike Lowell??? i am baffled as to how this is possible. you're breaking my heart, Epstein!

...YOOOOOOUK has been awarded the AL Gold Glove for his performance at 1B. the man & his face creature deserve some recognition after being overlooked at the All Star Game.

...we are still in possession of JFL. and, thankfully, *not* of any blue-lipped ball-slappers.

...the dismantling of the Evil Empire is releasing new chapters by the hour, it seems. Torre. Mattingly. Slappy McWhippingboy. Pettitte. question marks over Posada & Mariano. never fear, though, Rog-ah would love to come back one more year.

...hmmm... my trusty sources *still* haven't revealed that Mike Lowell has been inked to a shiny new contract...

...The Bedazzler has had his knee surgery & will be a new man come next season. Bionic Bedazzler? works for me!

...the tantalizing possibility of the Sox considering a *six* man starting rotation in 2008?!

never a dull moment.

how about a little flashback to tide us over til pitchers & catchers report? i have some snippets from 2007 that i never got around to posting and i thought maybe they would be fun random blasts to the not-so-distant past during the long months without pine tar & leather:

"3. Twelve stranded base runners? Do these players not realize what Julian Tavarez is capable of? Julian Tavarez doesn't sleep, he waits."
(Papel-blog)

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mmmmmmm....

cooookieeeee...

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Randomness: November 7, 2007

hosted by Randomness

week of Nov4: random questions
Well, let's answer a few of lifes important questions.
Just post whatever comes into your mind first.


1. what's your view on peanut butter? do you like it or is it just plain gross?

mmmm... peanut butter.

2. aerobic exercising: good for you, or a tool of the devil?
can it be both? because i won't dispute its health benefits, but it is *so* the tool of the devil. =P

3. hanging out at the bookstore, is it nerdy or a fun time?
fun! but you may be talking to a nerd so...

4. should your socks always match? should you wear socks at all?
they should match, preferably each other, or at least your outfit. and yes, unless you are in shoes meant to be worn without socks, please wear them. and pick the approriate ones. for example (this is for you, Mega!!): no knee-high black socks with shorts & sandals!

5. is MySpace a great invention or just plain overrated?
eh. i don't get it. but to each his own.

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it's a charmed life


(photo from The Boston Globe)

it only took me two and a half days to recover from, what has been dubbed by all the obnoxious media types as, "Super Bowl 41 & a Half." (gimme a break here! it was still baseball season a week ago! my sports fan self hasn't had to be this conditioned since 2004! errr... i need to stop right there...)

seriously, i think i stopped breathing for about twenty-five minutes. *football* minutes.

early on, even though New England went three-and-out in their first possession for the first time this season, i felt good as i saw the defense actually exhibit something it hadn't much thus far: red-zone defense. two trips into scoring territory netted only three total points for Peyton & the Golden Boys.

i swear the angels sang when Vinatieri missed that first field goal attempt, right after the sportsholes raved how he's never missed here in the (non-crowd-noise-enhanced) RCA dome.

but then things started to get a little... shall we say... *tense* here in the Land of Broken Road. Tom doubled his interceptions on the season, throwing two. the Patriots were getting yellow-flagged every time they so much as blinked, to the point that i cringed every time i saw one hit the ground. there were pass interference calls flying faster than f-bombs in a Josh Beckett post-game press conference. Joseph Addai exposed the glaring holes i kept telling people existed in New England's defense -- you know, the fact that they are old & slow: if they get their big hands on you, you're going down, but if you just zoom past them, they'll all drop dead of heart failure after twelve yards of chasing you while you skip merrily in for a touchdown. the offensive line took a freaking nap & Tom was left looking bewildered up at the big domed ceiling. i'm not sure *what* Matt Light thought he was doing with all the unsportsmanlike conduct & leg-whipping & such.

but most frustrating of all, for me, was watching the Patriots play this game like Peyton. maybe they had to dink & dunk & run the ball a lot to gain yards before. and by "before," i mean pre Brady having his receivers, the likes of Moss, but also Stallworth, and my personal favorite: Wes Welker (who, by the way, was my golden pick for Fantasy Football this year!). i kept pacing, asking my tv, in lieu of being able to shriek at whoever was responsible for this play calling or play execution or whatever was at fault, why on earth we came to Indy playing a different game all of a sudden?? we didn't get to be 8-0 with shovel passes & short yard gains. we throw 55-yard bombs down the field for Randy Moss to pluck out of the air, leaving everyone slack-jawed.

the last eight minutes of the game, when suddenly Tom reverted back to throwing touchdown passes down the field, in vintage Brady fourth-quarter comeback style, i finally sighed with relief & felt some hope. when suddenly our defense wasn't chasing Addai's dust down the field, in futile pursuit, but was pressuring Poor Peyton. and then that glorious moment when Jarvis Green strip-sacked the Golden Boy, and the ball squirted out right into Rosey Colvin's hands... nothing was sweeter than watching Poor Peyton pound the turf with his fists in temper tantrum rage. except for maybe noticing how he put his helmet back on when it came time to do the whole "shake hands with your opponent" thing after all was said & done. someone needs to tell that boy there's no crying in football either.

i am not by any means gloating. i was terrified for at least two-thirds of that game, because Indy *was* the better team. it was one of those games, that until Peyton's fatal turnover with three minutes remaining, had the potential to go either way. and *that* was what made it an exciting game, one almost worthy of all the blathering & hype inflicted upon us since Week Six when the Patriots unseated the Cowboys in Dallas.

which brings us back to all the talking head spouting things we don't talk about as (supremely superstitious with their belief in jinxes) New England/Boston fans. things that include numbers like "sixteen," and even "nineteen." things i won't say here, because *i* don't wanna have fingers pointed at me for being the jinxer! i will say that i'm tired of hearing about it already, and not just because i'm flipping out over superstitions. i think Fire Joe Morgan says it well with: "Is there any more annoying and insufferable group of people in the world than the 1972 Dolphins? We get it. You went 14-0. You were awesome. You're the best. No one else will ever be as good as you. You're the [expletive] 1976 Reds of football. Enough."

i refuse to end on that note though. going into a bye week that the fans may actually need even more than the team, i'm going smilingly (is that a word? eh, it's my blog, so it is now) to quote someone i never thought i would (Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News) about someone i never thought i would admit to liking: "Just so we don't have to go over this every Sunday the rest of the pro football season: Randy Moss is open."

the magic can all come to a tire-squealing halt in a split second. this is a violent sport, and just like that, seasons and even careers can end. don't think i forget that *ever*. and unlike my Sox, there aren't 161 other games to play that can make up for one you drop. every week in the NFL can haunt you. but this has been quite a season to be a Boston Red Sox/New England Patriots fan. what an incredible ride...

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Monday, November 5, 2007

in case you haven't noticed, i have a major weakness for all things tomato & basil



Bruschetta Chicken over Angel Hair
with Sauteed Zucchini
Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette salad dressing
2 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup diced onion (I buy pre-chopped onion & used only about an 1/8 cup because I don't like a lot of onion)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (although I used 2 teaspoons of the fresh basil in a tube that they sell in my produce section)
2 medium zucchini
olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
angel hair pasta
salt & pepper

Preheat over to 375. Put chicken breasts in a plastic bag with enough dressing to coat completely, turning bag several times to make sure all chicken is covered. Refrigerate 10 minutes to marinate. Remove chicken from bag & place in baking dish. I added a little more dressing for moisture while it bakes, cover & bake for 15 minutes. Cut zucchini into 1/2-inch slices. Put half diced tomato in a bowl with onion, half the basil, 1/4 cup mozzarella, and cover with dressing; combine. Flip chicken over, add a little more dressing, cover and cook 15 more minutes or until cooked through. Put on water to boil for angel hair. Put olive in pan, add garlic, remainder of basil, and zucchini; saute over med-high heat, roughly 5 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions. Spoon "bruschetta" mixture over chicken, put back in oven, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove pasta from heat & drain. Add remaining diced tomato to zucchini (I sprinkled a little shredded mozzarella over it too) and let heat for 2 minutes. Remove chicken from oven. Serve over angel hair with zucchini on the side.

[Please excuse the errant angel hair in the photo. Not my best presentation. Or you can consider this "the windblown look." Tee hee.]

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on running up the score



It wasn’t New England’s fault that opponents offered the resistance of tissue paper.
(Deron Snyder for The New-Press)

oh yeah. and does yesterday's win count as defeating a "real team?"

i have more to say about the game, but i'm still recovering from watching it.

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Little Bits of Happy: November 5, 2007

...the little box you can check off to "Email follow-up comments to my Google account address" when you leave a comment on a Blogger blog. i love that if someone replies to a comment i've made, it can be delivered right to my inbox, and i don't have to try to remember where i've been & what i've said! =)

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far be it from me to avoid a direct request

i was reading Melissa's blog just now -- sorry, can't link her up since her blog is password protected -- and she tagged anyone who read her latest entry. so since i read, i am tagged, and here we are.

Yourself: a work in progress. some days there is more progress than others. =P

Your partner: ...in crime you mean? ;-) Alison & Heather are always up for that. it's a wonder we haven't been thrown out of anywhere yet...

Your hair: short. intentionally "messy." easy & quick to style. brown with blonde highlights. or you could just look at my photos in the sidebars. ;-)

Your mother: we sound exactly alike on the phone. we're not really very close. but it's better than it used to be.

Your father: survived a stroke & open heart surgery seven years ago. did (in my opinion) a darn fine job of being a single parent.

Your favorite item: i cannot be forced to choose. i love my camera. i love my cell (which i would have never thought i would say!). i love my computer. i love my DVR. i love my Sox jerseys. i don't have many "items" but the ones i have, i am grateful for.

Your dream last night: i can't remember exactly. i know that it had the character "Charlotte" in it from Sex & the City. and it was raining.

Your favorite drink: water. nice clear cold water.

Your dream car: one that is brand new but paid for in full. and gets good gas mileage. and doesn't cost a small fortune to insure.

Dream home: i don't know what it looks like, but i know that it is located where there are four distinct seasons (and i don't mean hot, HOT!!!, hurricane season and bring along a sweatshirt); there is snow for Christmas, but it never snows on the road or the driveway or your car, just on the lawn, house & trees; there are hills; and Disney World; and there is still orange blossom season.

The room you are in: the office at work. nothing special about that.

Your fear: making the wrong decision.

Where you want to be in 10 years: i don't even know where i want to be next week! part of the fun of being a work in progress. as long as i am happy & healthy where ever i am in ten years, that will be what matters. besides, i've learned the hard way not to plan too far down the path. those detours can pop up on you around the next corner.

Who you hung out with last night: John Madden, Al Michaels, the Cowboys & the Eagles. =P

You’re not: ever going to sky dive. or bungee jump. or ride a roller coaster.

One of your wish list items: that my camera holds out for a while longer...

The last thing you did: paged someone for a phone call before remembering that he's on vacation this week.

You are wearing: my favorite tan pants. my favorite brown boots. a tan tank top. and a navy blue striped, long sleeve, button down shirt. because it's actually starting to feel more like Autumn! hooray!

Your favorite weather: March in Florida. October in New England.

Your favorite book: "Phantom" by Susan Kay

Last thing you ate: pineapple yogurt

Your life: a journey. sometimes an adventure. sometimes feels like a very long walk. but it's not too bad really. i have a lot to be thankful for.

Your mood: relaxed. content. amused that no one is talking to me at work today because the Patriots won.

Your best friend: lucky enough to have that actually be best *friends* and they are, quite simply, the best. i'm a lucky lucky girl.

What are you thinking about right now: Krystyn. Michelle. Thanksgiving dinner. and they have nothing to do with one another. LOL!

Your car: 2002 Mitsubishi Galant. silver. don't get one.

What are you doing at the moment: emailing. answering the phone. dealing with people who come into the office. and answering this survey in between. been almost ninety minutes since i started it!

Relationship status: ::clears throat:: next question?

What is on your t.v: hopefully nothing since it wasn't on when i left the apartment this morning!

When is the last time you laughed: this morning. at a text Nichole sent me.

I am tagging: anyone who feels like playing along. or who hasn't posted on their in a the last few days because clearly they need a kick in the pants the inspiration.

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