Random Thoughts: January 9, 2008

** the old route i used to take to work when i lived in Davenport a couple of years ago is a mess this morning. a combination of smoke & fog caused zero-visibility on I-4 in Polk County. there is now a 14-mile stretch of the highway that is shut down due to the visibility issues causing a pile-up of between forty and seventy vehicles (can't be sure yet because emergency officials can't see well enough to count them), at least three fatalities, multiple injuries, many vehicles burned or still burning, people trapped inside cars, and two Medivac helicopters that could not land because they could not see the ground.
(photo from The Ledger)
what i don't understand is why on earth anyone thought that "controlled burning" was a good plan during the driest months in Central Florida. but more than that, i am thankful that i no longer need to travel this route to and from work every day.

** i am all about the learning of random information the last few days. these lessons brought to you by the Hollywood Writers Strike. =P

** while watching Dirty Jobs last night, did you know that when male llamas fight over mating rights, they ummm... try to bite off each other's ::ahem:: piece of the anatomy no man wants to be kicked in?! that's one way to prevent someone from stealing your intended mate: castrate him. with your teeth.

** good Lord... i don't even want to know the searches that will result in hits on my blog for *that* little tidbit.

** Dirty Jobs also taught me that life pretty much sucks if you're born a tilapia.

** while doing some reading, i also learned that "the Balinese believe that babies come to the earth as gods and do not become human until they reach the age of six months, at which time they honor them with a formal ceremony that includes touching their feet to the earth for the first time." while it's not something *i* believe, i find it very very interesting that they hold their infants in such high regard.

** i also learned something that made me a little annoyed with my playlist. apparently some of the songs only come through as 30-second clips when i embed it in my blog. the thing is, you can't tell which songs will do this. when you're logged into the site (the account is free), all of the songs on my playlist work fine. there are some songs that are still only available in 30-second clips, at the artist's or label's request, but those are clearly marked as such. you get *no* warning that a song is only available in full-length if you are logged into your imeem account until you embed it & then try to listen. grrrr...

** i have discovered a few new blogs that i'm really enjoying. i think it may be time to give the ol' Blogroll in the left sidebar an update!

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it only *looks* like i haven't blogged yet today

in actuality, after giving my blog its "Go Patriots!" makeover for the duration of their appearance in the playoffs, i started doing a little housekeeping.

i changed up my wish list (though i am still not sure i like it's present location, so we shall see... it doesn't really fit anywhere else as a slideshow though...)

i reinstalled my playlist now that imeem got itself back in order. some of you missed it. and for those of you that didn't, you will be happy to know that it is not on autoplay. anyone who wants to listen will just have to push the little play button. ;-)

and now over there in the right sidebar, for those of you who just can't live without knowing what i might be doing at any given moment, i present to you: Twitter.

keep a lookout. you never know what else might appear before i'm done...

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And I Quote: January 7, 2008

"I think I'd miss you even if we'd never met."
(Dermot Mulroney as Nick Mercer in "The Wedding Date")

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there's (almost) always room for Jello

i know people have very.... mixed feelings on Jello. having been raised on its presence on my Gram's table, i'm ok with Jello. there were big bowls of it in cherry or strawberry or raspberry for dessert during the hot Summer months. and tiny bowls of it when there were upset tummies. always the red flavors.

on the holidays, the Jello molds would come out. Easter and Thanksgiving brought orange Jello with shredded carrot & pineapple. (i know, but it was surprisingly good! or maybe an acquired taste. ::shrugs::) for Christmas, we had lime with pear slices & maraschino cherries, which was ok, but not really my favorite, truth be told.

in my late teens & early twenties, i was introduced to the shockingly yummy Strawberry Pretzel Salad that my then boyfriend's sisters would make. i remember tasting it tentatively once, to be polite, and then promptly understood why there were *never* any leftovers.

about the same time, i asked my Gram if i could try a new Jello mold for Thanksgiving, just to change things up a little. it was a variation of this Sparkling Fruit Mold (except that i used regular ginger ale instead of diet, and the flavor of Jello i used -- Sparkling White Grape -- is apparently not sold anymore). it was such a hit that my family never let a Thanksgiving go by without it again.

in principle, i can see why some people are not fond of Jello. it's a strange consistency. and it quivers independently. it's mildly alarming, trying to wrap your mind around eating something that actually looks like it's afraid of you. ;-) but having grown accustomed to this "culinary" oddity, i'm not intimidated.

i do think, however, that i've finally met my match with the discovery of Scott's Holiday Salad. i have officially joined the ranks of those who are afraid to eat something made of Jello.

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outside the box

someone who was part of the scrapbooking message boards i used to frequent once upon a time would to refer to our little online group of friends as her "friends in the box" -- the box being her computer, of course. we would all laugh at how a bunch of people from so many different places, who had never laid eyes on each other, could be friends.

it's true though. how we infiltrate each other's lives, become part of each other's days, learn about each other through the posts we leave on our blogs. we crack jokes, swap emails, tease like we've known each other for years. and in some ways, we have, because we read stories & memories from each other's histories.

but if you really want the rock solid proof of the way we become pieces of each other's lives, i present to you:

just before i woke this morning, i dreamt about Dan Mega. i dreamt that he lived down the road from where my grandparents used to live. i walked down the road from their house to his (which is weird, because there was no house that i ever recall being in that location!) in the middle of the night (also weird because it was a really rural area & i never would have been out walking alone at night since you had to worry about wild animals). i got all the way to his front door & realized that i was in my pajamas, so i decided to leave instead of knocking. i guess he must have seen me though, because he shouted after me to wait a second, but i started to run... and then i woke up.

LOL. i have *no* idea where on earth my brain came up with any of that! least of all how i managed to have a dream about someone i've literally never seen (Mega is very mysterious, keeping his identity entirely unknown to his bloggy buddies) but there you have it. you, my "friends in the box," have managed to escape the humming black & grey Dell just to the left of my feet & have taken my subconscious hostage. =P

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And I Quote: January 6, 2008

"This grand show is eternal. It is always sunrise somewhere; the dew is never all dried at once; a shower is forever falling; vapor ever rising. Eternal sunrise, eternal sunset, eternal dawn and gloaming, on seas and continents and islands, each in its turn, as the round earth rolls."
(John Muir)

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til next time...

today is Epiphany. the end of Christmas for another year. it's time for my tree to come down & my blog to switch over to a football theme for as long as the Patriots playoff hopes stay alive. everything seems so much less... cheerful. ::sigh::

i know that it will be Christmas & i will get to enjoy the season all over again, but there is still that adjustment from everything being shiny & sparkly to just going back to normal. as time passes, the house feels less empty. there are some things that we won't get to enjoy again though, some emptinesses that, though the initial absence eases, never entirely feel... normal.

today is also the fifth anniversary of my Gramp's passing.

Me & my Gramp (Oct 1993)


my Gramp was an amazing man. i think i always knew it, on a very basic level, but i didn't realize the degree to which he was until i was much older... and it was too late. too late to really tell him. to really appreciate him.

you see... we lost Gramp long before January 6, 2003. he was lost in his own mind, held prisoner by Alzheimer's disease for several years before he passed away.

but i don't want to remember Gramp that way. that isn't who he was.

he was strong.
he was quiet.
he was generous.
he was honest.
he was filled with faith.
he was hard-working.
he was a loving husband. father. brother. uncle. grandfather.

he was my Gramp.

he was all the things a good man should be.

when i remember my Gramp...
i remember the man who would drive me to school because i didn't like taking the bus.
i remember the man who taught me good work ethic.
i remember the man who would make little quizzes for me to teach me spelling & math.
i remember the man who taught me all the state capitals.
i remember the man whose laugh would boom joyfully, such an abberation from his otherwise quiet demeanor, but so infectiously merry.
merry... like the happy tree that sparkled in the corner of my living room.

i remember him every day... and i wish that, like Christmas, i could just tell myself that i will see him again in a little while...

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thoughts on Wildcard Weekend

1. that Redskins game was a real heartbreaker. not only am i not much of a Seahawks fan (sorry Rev!), but i really wanted to see the Redskins be this year's feel-good playoff story. i felt terrible for that kid at QB. that was a tough game. nothing went right. it made that upswing Washington had late in the game feel like a tease. i was pulling for your 'Skins though, Marianne & Ted! and i really think Joe Gibbs is one classy man. far more than i can say for the head coach of *my* team.

2. i felt like the most exciting game this weekend was going to be the Steelers-Jaguars game. after a quick score each, though, man did that game drag. until mid way through the third quarter. then suddenly all this crazy stuff started happening. interceptions -- including *two* for Garrard, who had only three all season! Hines Ward getting up in people's faces -- which is not the norm for the usually classy player i've seen, although to be honest, it was warranted. the refs were disagreeing. there were some crazy catches. lots of fire, just the way a playoff game should be. i picked Jacksonville to win the game, but i was pulling for Pittsburgh, because, quite frankly, i am a little scared of the Jaguars right now.

3. OMG... Joe Buck announcing the Bucs game. on top of not knowing who to root against: Tampa or Lesser Manning Doofus Spawn. i think announcing with Joe Buck has worn Troy Aikman down. as the game started, we heard him say he didn't understand how Philly didn't show more interest in Jeff Garcia, after he got them into the playoffs last season & that he's surprised he's been passed around to so many different teams over the course of his career. then during the second quarter, he said he didn't know how Garcia has lasted in the NFL this long. poor Troy. i would go insane having to work with Joe Buck every week too. (hmmm... maybe *that's* what happened to Tim McCarver...)

4. while i tend to enjoy when former players & coaches become analysts, i think there needs to be some consideration given to who is allowed into these positions. for instance: on the CBS halftime show during the Titans-Chargers game, Shannon Sharpe said "he need to focus on the players he do have." ::cringe::

5. i was kind of hoping that the Chargers would have chosen their powder blue jerseys for the game. how often do you get to see two pro sports teams playing each other in pastels? i was also kind of hoping the Titans would win this game so that the Patriots would get to play them instead of the Jaguars on Saturday.

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View From Along the Broken Road: January 5, 2008

thinking that the holidays crowds would have dispersed, i decided to go over to Epcot this morning. starting the weekend after New Years, the parks are typically pretty empty now until mid-March. apparently people took a few extra vacation days though. there were so many people! 140 minutes wait for Soarin'. 80 minute wait for test Track. even the single-rider line for Test Track, which is never more than 20 minutes long, was almost an hour. so i wandered around World Showcase for a bit enjoying the Christmas decorations one last time for this season, saw a cool mariachi band i've never seen before, rode the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico, and then decided to brave the 45 minute (!!!) line for Space Ship Earth. it was on soft-opening, after most of the refurb work on it was completed. it kind of bugged me to wait so long for this attraction though, having never waited more than ten minutes for it in the almost six years that i have lived here & been an Annual Passholder. my thoughts on the changes: i like most of the visual changes done to the first half of the ride, but those done to the second half really screwed with my eyes. and i really don't like the new narration. the new touch screens are kind of a cool feature, but i see people being abusive to them, causing them to malfunction or need frequent replacement. just my humble opinion. how about some photos now? you knew that was coming, didn't you? ;-)

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Sing Along: January 4, 2008

She only reveals what she wants you to see
("She's Always a Woman to Me," Billy Joel)

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i missed it!

December 26 was my third blogiversary! 2200+ posts later...

whoa... maybe i talk too much.
=P

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blah blah steroids in baseball blah blah Clemens blah Barry Bonds blah blah blah

i am so thoroughly over hearing about steroids in baseball, and really all sports, at this point, that it really isn't even funny anymore. we get it. we all know it's a problem. and not just in baseball, but in sports across the board. yes, i think we should put a stop to it as best we can, but it's a problem that was generated, in large part, by the media & was embraced, even if indirectly, by the fanbase.

to say that it has so badly smudged the reputation of the game, and blemished its integrity to the point that it will so irreversible damage, is ludicrous. that just implies baseball's reputation was pristine before that. hello, Pete Rose gambling? and Black Sox? and substances being found on bats & balls? i really think PAPEL-BLOG nailed my feelings on it with this statement:
You really think the same players who threw spitballs and corked their bats and stole signals and bet on their teams wouldn't have taken HGH if they'd had the chance?

there have been issues & scandals throughout every era of sports. as far as i can tell, people are still watching baseball & football & even basketball (sorry... i know some of you are fans) in droves. the ::cue ominous music:: Steroid Era is only going to be beaten like a dead horse discussed ad nauseum until the media drums up the next Big Scandal.

i think there is so much we don't know & won't ever know, because we can't go back in time, that we just need to consider this a wake-up call, clean up the mess that's been made, and move forward. as the wise PAPEL-BLOG has stated:
if the steroid controversy has proved anything, it's that most of the time they don't even work that well and when they do work, it's only for a little while and then you suffer a bunch of painful and ultimately career ending injuries and the league should dedicate itself to reducing future use of steroids through an independent testing program as well as prevention education (perhaps by hanging a poster of Jason Giambi in every clubhouse, with the caption "Do you really want to end up looking like this?")...

seriously. that part about Greasy McSquarehead being the poster child for "this is your body on steroids"? freaking hilarious. and probably the most effective deterrent possible. because, really, who wants to look like *that*.

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remember how worried i was that Lowell wouldn't be back in Boston?

well i am equally relieved to learn that Matt Clement will be in St Louis in 2008. i wish him well, but to say i feel relieved that he won't be back is a wee bit of an understatement. i feel like we dodged a bullet. oh... maybe *that* wasn't the best choice of analogy in this case? heh.

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Random Thoughts: January 3, 2007

** yesterday's 39* was charming. nice & brisk. made it feel like Winter. this morning, 26* on the thermometer & a windchill of 17*? that's taking it too far. i realize that many of you have it colder. i am not saying this is extreme cold by any means. i grew up in Connecticut, spent 25 years there in fact. i know how bitterly cold it can get. my point is: it is *supposed* to be that cold in the Winter there. here? not so much.

** FYI: there is no longer a Disney-MGM Studios. it is now known as:

for now. rumor has it we are in for another name change before all is said & done. which is why Michelle & i have just resorted to calling it The Park With The Hat.

** the little Troll has struck again. here we are, January 3, and i already want to kill him in 2008. i was chatting with Daniel about it over email. if you use or are familiar with Gmail, you know that they put little ads in the sidebar of each conversation pertaining to what it thinks you are talking about. Daniel just pointed out to me that the following ad was at the top of our list:
The AntiChrist: Free Book
Discover What John's Disciples Knew About His Book of Revelation
VoiceOfElijah.org/Daniel
i about just peed my pants laughing at that one.

** this photo on the FOX Sports baseball page totally cracked me up. i know that it was photo-shopped, but doesn't it look like Cheerio Mouth is terrorizing Captain Intangibles? ::snort::


** i really need one of these for my apartment. the problem is, i don't want to put holes in my walls & eventually lose the security deposit. but i still wish i had something like this though.


** what a fantastic idea the Doorganizer is, huh??

as my grandparents would have said: someone was using the ol' bean.

** do you know what i spent a good portion of yesterday doing? making sure all my photos were uploaded (a third form of back up for my photos, after saving them on an external drive & having them burned to cd) & all the albums organized properly in my Picasa Web Albums. yes, i am that big of a nerd that this makes me exceedingly happy.

** just a little sunshine for Colleen who lives in Seattle. ;-) and for the other Colleen too, who also happens to live in Seattle.

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Random Thoughts: January 2, 2008

** i really don't want to be at work today. working only one day since December 21 has made me very lazy.

** i did not want to get out of my cozy nest of flannel sheets & soft fuzzy blanket this morning. i rarely get woken up by my alarm clock going off but i did today.

** it was 41* when i got up at 6am. now it's 39*. i ask you: what good is the freaking sun if it does not make things get warmer??

** i have spent the last hour or so looking at recipes. now i am starving. there are angry animal noises coming from my stomach. i could really go for a big plate of lasagna.

** ugh. my posture has been atrocious lately. i am feeling it in my neck & shoulders like you wouldn't believe. let's all do ourselves a favor & sit up a little straighter.

** i am so behind on my blog reading & replying to email. if you've been neglected, i apologize right now. i am trying to motivate myself. i promise.

** anyone else ready for a long Winter's nap?

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And I Quote: January 1, 2008

You know how when you were a little kid and you believed in fairy tales? That fantasy of what your life would be. White dress. Prince Charming who'd carry you away to a castle on a hill. You'd lie in bed at night and close your eyes, and you had complete & utter faith. Santa Claus. Tooth Fairy. Prince Charming. They were so close you could taste them. But eventually you grow up. One day you open your eyes and the fairy tale disappears. Most people turn to things & people they can trust. But the thing is -- it's hard to let go of that fairy tale entirely, 'cause almost everyone still has that smallest bit of hope in Fate that one day they will open their eyes and it will all come true.
(Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, "Save Me")

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Snapshot From Along the Broken Road: December 2007

hooray! we rememebered to take a photo of me this time!


1) a gift i gave: so many! one of them was a Fisher-Price Little People Nativity set to Baby Girl. i thought it was an appropriate gift from her god mother.

2) something i apologized for: making Daniel drive all the way to LA to pick me up at 3am when my flight was delayed in Houston.

3) the last person i thanked: my dad for the Christmas gifts he sent

4)the last movie i watched: last night, i watched Mystic River. i also watched The Nativity Story for the first time while i was in California for Christmas. *fantastic* movie.

5) the best meal i cooked this month: these Golden Crusted Pork Chops with Green Beans have totally hit the spot.

6) the last place i ate out: Macaroni Grill

7) something that made me cry: freaking goodbyes at the airport. i almost kept it together this time. *almost*.

8) something that made me laugh: the Kiss Cam they did on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

9) the last person i talked to on the phone: my Dad

10) someone i'm thinking about today: lots of someones. i have a buttload of email to reply to. well, i know what *i'll* be doing tomorrow!

11) something i want to remember about this month: how awesome it is to spend time with the people i love.

12) a photo i took this month:

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::singing to self::

Maybe it's much too early in the game
Aah, but I thought I'd ask you just the same
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night
Welcoming in the New Year
New Year's Eve

Maybe I'm crazy to suppose
I'd ever be the one you chose
Out of a thousand invitations
You received

Aah, but in case I stand one little chance
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:
What are you doing New Year's
New Year's Eve?

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in honor of counting down the final moments of 2007

Ten things I did today:
1. took a shower
2. organized my music playlist
3. uploaded some more of my photos to my Picasa Web Album
4. did three loads of laundry
5. cleaned the bathroom
6. tidied up my apartment
7. made a grilled cheese sandwich & some tomato soup for lunch
8. took out the garbage to the dumpster
9. packaged the pork, beef & chicken i bought yesterday into proper serving sizes & then into the freezer
10. put away some of my Christmas gifts

Nine people I talked with today:
1. my brother
2. Daniel
3. Michelle
4. and that's it. LOL! for now anyway.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Eight things I was grateful for today:
1. that my cold is almost gone, i can finally breathe again & i don't seem to be getting a cough
2. that Christmas doesn't end on December 25th for me
3. that the Patriots have a bye week this coming weekend so i can take a little mental break
4. that today is a paid holiday for me
5. and so is tomorrow
6. that so many people spoiled me silly for Christmas
7. that my neighbors have been quiet
8. that my cupboards, refrigerator & freezer are so full, i had to really think about what i want for dinner

Seven things I ate today:
1. a maple star cookie
2. a bowl of tomato soup
3. grilled cheese sandwich
4. water
5. cranberry juice
6. apple cider
7. a piece of chocolate

Six things I said today:
1. i can't believe i spent $7.50 to do three loads of laundry today
2. i feel better, thank you
3. OMG Wednesday's low is predicted to be 25*!!
4. is it baseball season yet?
5. (singing) Sweet Caroline, good times never seemed so good...
6. did i just see a little chocolate leftover from *Easter* in my pantry?!

Five things I should have done today that I didn’t get to yet:
1. wash my dishes from lunch
2. put away my clean laundry
3. put away my suitcases
4. answer some email
5. catch up on blogs from being away (you can see i have real pressing things on my to-do list today, huh? LOL! i was very productive already though, if you look at the ten things i did today though!)

Four things said to me today:
1. do you suppose he's eating his heart out? (about one of the fantasy football leagues i am in)
2. what are you doing tonight?
3. are your neighbors being quiet now?
4. you people do more laundry than anyone i know. (totally unwarranted! i haven't done laundry in two weeks!)

Three things that shocked me today:
1. it rained!
2. $7.50 on three loads of laundry. ::shaking my head::
3. i knew we had a cold front moving through tomorrow night, but a low of 25*?!

Two things that I’ve GOT to do tomorrow:
1. shower
2. eat

One thing I want to remember about this day:
how pretty my tree looks all lit up. it won't be up for much longer now. =(

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today's random Red Sox off-season coping strategy quote: December 31, 2007

it was just an avulsion...

I have to hand it to the offense, though, the comeback in the ninth inning may have been the only thing that could have distracted me from rocking like Francona, muttering not a blister, not a blister, not a blister for the next four days.
(papel-blog)

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