Wednesday, January 31, 2007

What A Game!

I was all ready to give up on tonight's game and they actually won it! The Islanders were winning 3-0 as the third period began. Then, out of nowhere, the Wings managed 3 goals to end with a 3-3 tie! One more goal was scored during overtime to win 4-3. Detroit played an amazing 20 minutes of hockey tonight--too bad a game is 60 minutes long. If they could consistently play good, solid hockey for 60 minutes, there would be no team around that could beat them. Unfortunately, they can't keep it going for an entire game. All in all, though, they are playing a lot better than any of the experts thought they would be this year. I guess it just proves one thing: if you have a lot of decent players, then your team doesn't need to suffer if you lose one or two stars.

We are off on a road trip in the morning and won't be back till some time on Thursday. It will be good to be away from home for a night, again. We haven't been anywhere since October--that is when K started having the health issues. I'll catch up with everyone in a few days.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Sunday Trivia

For those who would like to ease their way into the Monday routine, I present another installment of trivia. Thanks, again, goes to mental_floss.

--John Lennon and his son Sean were both born on October 9.

--In the year 2000, the number of US households with computers reached the 50% threshold. In 1984 only 8.4% of homes had computers.

--Sardine oil is more costly than the fish, so canners attempt to package as many sardines in each can as possible.

--On October 31, 1926, Harry Houdini died of peritonitis caused by a ruptured appendix.

--The Crescent wrench is not a type of wrench, but a brand name.

--Groundhog, woodchuck, and whistle-pig are all names for the same animal.

--On TV and in films, Lassie was always played by a male--even though Lassie was supposed to be female. This was for two reasons: 1) males tend to shed less than females, so the dog wouldn't look so ragged during the warm weather, and 2) male collies are several pounds larger than females, thus making it easier for the dog to do some of the stunts required.

--American Sign Language is the third most-used language in the US.

--Elwood Edwards is the name of the man who says "You've got mail." on AOL.

--Anna Edson Taylor, a 63-year-old widow, was the first person to survive going over Niagara Falls in a barrel.

--A 'blue moon' is the second full moon in a month. The next blue moon will be on June 30, 2007.

--The Bayer company once sold heroin as a cough remedy.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

And They Won

I really was worried about how the Wings would do today--after all, they have injuries and illness galore. All three of the goalies had problems: one with a broken finger, two with the flu. Hasek must have felt a whole lot better, because he played. Even though the announcers weren't too high on the game, I thought it was quite good. It wasn't a high scoring game--3-1--but there was good hockey to be seen. We even got to see a couple of slight shoving matches, but nothing more. I'm still waiting to see a good, old-fashioned fight--wonder if it will happen? The Wings dominated the entire game--the Avs really didn't do much to talk about. Next game is on Tuesday when they play the Islanders.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Something Else That's Boring

With nothing interesting to say, I decided to post a list of some of the movies I have never seen. What can I say, it's been a slow news day! :)

--Casablanca
--Goodfellas
--Chinatown
--L A Confidential
--The Maltese Falcon
--Singin' In The Rain
--On The Waterfront
--Annie Hall
--any Marx Brothers' movies
--40 Year Old Virgin*
--Titanic*
--Scarface
--Rebel Without A Cause
--Shane
--anything by Michael Moore*
--Halloween (any number)*

So, am I depriving myself by never having seen any of these? Are any of the movies on the list your favorite? Feedback will be welcome.


*Don't ever plan on seeing.

Friday, January 26, 2007

Didn't Quite Get It Together

The Wings lost in overtime to St. Louis, 2-1 tonight. It just seemed as if the players were like a bunch of kids coming back after spring break: just not quite with it. It was not a good game. As a matter of fact, I did my filing while the game was on--not something I would normally do during a well-played game. While it isn't an excuse, the Wings were playing without a number of their regular players: 3 had the flu, one has a bad knee, one is out with a broken collarbone, and one has a broken foot. Two or three players had to be called up from Grand Rapids, so they didn't play too badly, all things considered. It WAS a low scoring game, after all. I just hope they play a better game when they meet the Avs on Sunday.

Horrible Nightmares

I really don't know when I will be back to what I laughingly call normal. Last night I had horrible nightmares and I'm just trying to get over them. Of course, if I use the term 'horrible nightmares,' it must mean the main characters in my dreams were The Family--and that is true. Every single hurt, slight, yell, etc, that they have done to me in the past was in this particular nightmare--and my mind even made up a few for good measure! I still have to stop myself from shaking every once in awhile--it just was too, too real. Hopefully the memories will fade fast.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

NHL All Star Game

I watched the All Star game last night--albeit, with the volume off while I was on the phone with A. :) It really turned out to be a goal-fest with the West winning 12-9 over the East. I was kind of pleased that the young upstarts (Sidney Crosby) didn't run away with the game as predicted. Experience DOES count for something--and the youngsters need to sit back and watch the veterans do what they have been doing so well for so long. It also was nice to see the West win because the best players--statistically speaking--are in the East. Just because you are an individual high scorer doesn't always mean your team is going to win--there IS something to be said for having a lot of very good players on a team as opposed to having one superstar player with a bunch of semi-good ones. All in all, I'm happy the break is over and we can get back to the second half of the season. I will be interested to see if Detroit will be getting any new players before the trade deadline in February. Rumor has it that they might look to get Peter Forsberg--hmmm, an enemy (ex-Av) and an old guy (33) and has injury problems (right foot.) Can't wait to see how this is going to play out.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

The Web, Politics, 'Excuse Me?!' and Trivia

--Blogger was having some issues earlier today and it seems as if they might be fixed. But, then, who really knows. On a related matter: I have been having serious slowness problems with Sitemeter for the past several days. It is as if I was using dial-up AND every person in the world was trying for Sitemeter at the same time. Slow doesn't even come close to describing the problem. Actually, the entire Web has been just a scooch off for a few days. Hmm.

--Watched a few of the 'highlight' clips from the State of the Union address today and one thought kept running through my mind: the Brady Bunch episode when Marcia and Greg were both running for student body president. How sad is that when the behavior of our elected officials can be compared to The Brady Bunch!

--Does anyone else think this is just getting out of hand? (Or does anyone else even WATCH Grey's Anatomy?) This whole deal with Isaiah Washington and his use of the word 'faggot' is what I am talking about. NOW it is being reported that he has been sent to a residential treatment facility for rehab because of his use of the word. I don't like it when people use 'bad' words to describe or disparage another person, but hasn't this whole thing gone from a non-story to completely ludicrous? Is the show falling in the ratings and they need publicity to keep it on the air? As for me, I am very close to taking it off of my 'to be watched' list. This is getting ridiculous.

--And now, for those who actually have stayed and read through this entire post, some trivia from mental_floss. (Does anyone see how much I LOVE this site/magazine?)

* John Adams spoke with a lisp because he stubbornly refused to wear dentures.

* John Tyler holds the presidential paternity record. He had 14 children live to maturity, the last one born when Tyler was 70.

* James Buchanan had one eye set higher in his head than the other, so he walked around with his neck cocked to one side.

* Chester A. Arthur owned over 80 pairs of pants and insisted on changing several times a day.

* Benjamin Harrison had the first electric lights in the White House, but was scared to turn them on or off for fear of electrocution. Instead, he made the servants do it.

* Calvin Coolidge, while president, enjoyed riding on a mechanical horse and whooping like a cowboy. He also thought it was great fun to hit the buzzer for the servants and then hide.

* Richard M. Nixon loved football. As president, he'd occasionally call up NFL coaches to chat and offer strategic advice.

* Bill Clinton was eight years old when he was mauled by a sheep. That was the day, according to his biography, that he learned he could take a hard hit.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Hockey Players and Elected Officials

Even though I am not getting to see the Red Wings play this week, I did watch the YoungStars game and the SkillsCompetition. Actually, the game didn't hold my interest too well. The last time I realized what the score was, it was somewhere around 9-8 or so. This was, of course, the best of the best young players, so it wasn't that much of a competition. I found the SkillsCompetition to be quite good. It always is amazing to watch a player shoot the puck into the net at 100+ mph. THAT is why it hurts so much when a player gets hit with one! (Granted, ALL of the players don't hit the puck that hard, but do you want to be hit by a puck ONLY going 80 mph?) Tomorrow night is the AllStar game and I will have that on, too. We'll see how interested I am when it is all said and done.

Obviously, I didn't watch the State of the Union address tonight. I really have given up on watching those--I would rather just read the transcript and watch the highlights on the news. This all comes down to one reason: the observers at the speech. Now, I'm not talking just one party here, but ALL of the people involved. I find it very disgusting and juvenile when every minute or so the President's party members jump up and applaud as if he is giving the Sermon on the Mount. And, of course, the opposing party members just sit and--at the most--politely applaud with looks on their faces as if they have something extremely uncomfortable shoved up their respective asses! I don't care who is President, this is the way it is with each of the parties. It is really too bad that we have to observe such ill manners--and people wonder WHY we have bad-mannered sports fans (for example)! If our elected officials, the people who we are to respect and have voted in to run our country, act like this, how can we expect any more from the 'common' man? I guess good manners are something that have gone away.

And We Think WE Have Restrictive Rules

From mental_floss:

Naming your baby Brooklynn, America, or Lindsee might be acceptable (if mockable) in the good ol’ US of A, but don’t try a stunt like that in Denmark. Of all the European laws regulating baby names, Denmark’s are the strictest. Danish parents must choose from a state-approved list of 7,000 names, which seems like a lot, until you fall in love with a name that isn’t on there. And bucking the system means months of slogging through a bureaucratic process to get your chosen moniker individually approved by the Names Investigation Department and the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs. Each year, those organizations reject 15 to 20 percent of the names they review—all in the, uh, “name” of protecting the baby’s dignity.

A Tuesday Funny

I'm sure this has been passed around far and wide, but it still gives me a chuckle. Hope you enjoy.


20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity



1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point your Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Smuggling Diamonds."

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. With a serious face, order a diet water whenever you go out to eat.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme.

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Coworkers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity......
Share this with someone to make them smile :-)

Monday, January 22, 2007

Monday Ramblings

--I never would have believed it, but I am having withdrawal symptoms because the Wings won't be playing again till Friday. What will I do when the season is over?

--K saw the PCP today. While his blood pressure and cholesterol are pretty good--for someone who is otherwise healthy--the nephrologist wants the numbers much lower. So, he came home with two more prescriptions. He now will be taking Lipitor and another blood pressure med. If he keeps this up, he'll catch up to the amount of pills I take every day! (prescription AND supplements on my part)

--I don't now, or ever have, understood the appeal of American Idol. And after hearing about how mean the judges have been to these people, I don't understand it even more. (And, yes, those people 'ask for it' by putting themselves out there, but still...)

--It is not for me to judge, but I can't really believe that the parents of Shawn Hornbeck allowed him to be interviewed on TV this soon after his return. Despite their assurances that he wanted to do it, I think he shouldn't be making these kinds of decisions until he is an adult--they should be protecting him from all of this. And Oprah--the media whore herself--should be ashamed of herself that she would do this interview. (And, I have not seen the interview--I don't watch Oprah. I have read about this, though--take my opinion for what it is worth: NOTHING!)

--K really bummed me out when he revealed that he had been to the Big Boy restaurant for breakfast this morning! I was quite pissed--we were supposed to go together after the crowds died down. (The old restaurant burned down about three years or so ago and it just was rebuilt.)

--While all politicians are very good at talking without saying anything, I think Barak Obama has to be the best person EVER at this. He 'talks real purty,' but I can't find one bit of substance in what he has to say.

--I am soooo close to trying to put Linux on my computer. I would have done it already, but I am too dependent on programs that will only run on Windows. (As well as peripherals.) Doing a dual-boot WOULD solve the problem, though.

--I am getting new computer fever, the closer it gets to the day that Vista is put on the shelves.

--I think my next bigger purchase is going to be a Wii. I can't stand the thought that I don't have one already.

--'Heroes' returns tonight after many weeks--I can't wait! I will also be watching 'Prison Break'--hooray!!--and '24.' A good night of TV. Tomorrow night: 'Gilmore Girls' and 'Veronica Mars.' AND the YoungStars game and SuperSkills competition will be on Versus. (This is hockey. :)) Be still my heart!

--The AllStar game is on Versus on Wednesday night--can't decide if I will be cheering or booing. Too many players I don't like will be playing.

--I have to get in touch with a close friend this week. We usually try to get together for dinner every 4 to 6 weeks and haven't really even talked since the end of November! Way too long for us not to visit. A friendship is really like a marriage: you have to work at keeping it alive!

--I really must be in a horrible slump--I have been thinking WAAAAY too much about things I want to buy. NOT things I need, just want to buy.

--K starts night shift tonight. Then he is off for three days, works another four days and THEN it will be long weekend. I REALLY hope we can go on a road trip--I REALLY need it!

--There are times--as when I'm cleaning up litter or hacked-up hairballs--that I would like my cat to not be here. As in dead. Then I feel very bad, because I love her so much.

--I'm so over the Hollywood award shows. I used to LIVE for them, but I now find them just so useless.

--Today is the 34th anniversary of the Supreme Courts decision to legalize abortion. It is a very sad day.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Sunday Trivia

As my life is just about as boring as it can get, I don't have anything to write about. So, with that in mind, I hope you enjoy some trivia. Thanks to the January/February issue of mental_floss magazine for all of these facts.

--Both Neil Diamond and Giorgio Armani trained to be doctors but never finished med school.

--The actual name of the character in the board game 'Operation' is Cavity Sam.

--In India, starting 4000+ years ago and continuing as recently as the early years of British colonization, execution by elephant was done. This consisted of the (trained) elephant crushing the person's skull with its foot.

--The Iditarod dog sled race commemorates a 1925 emergency trip to get medical supplies from Nenana to Nome during a deadly diphtheria outbreak.

--A composer by the name of John Cage wrote a piece called "4'33"," which consists of 4 minutes and 33 minutes of silence. This is the most famous work of music to feature no music at all. (Personally, I don't understand this one!)

--In 1996, Betty Rubble replaced the stone-age car as one of the Flintstone vitamin shapes.

--In New Jersey and Oregon it is illegal to have self-service gas stations.

--Because Harper Lee never published anything after 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' some people think that Truman Capote (her close friend) actually wrote it.

--The Ken doll was re-released in February 2006--this, after he was 'dumped' by Barbie in 2004.

--Thalidomide is being used to treat cachexia (the severe weight loss often seen in AIDS and cancer patients) and skin conditions associated with leprosy.

--'The Scream' by Edvard Munch was stolen in 2004 from the Munch Museum in Norway. It was found two years later. To protect it from being stolen again, visitors and their belongings have to pass through a baggage scanner and metal detector before being allowed to see the painting. Also, two inches of bullet-proof glass protects the painting and it is bolted to the wall.

--Not only are there extreme security measures in place to protect the 45.5-carat Hope Diamond from being stolen, nobody knows for sure whether the one on display at the Smithsonian is the original.

--To gain entry into the vault at Fort Knox where the US gold reserve is, several staff members are required to enter their part of the combination. No single person knows the entire code.

--All of the Beatles were born in Liverpool, England.

--Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII's second wife, had six fingers on her left hand.

--Bibendum is the actual name of the Michelin Man.

--A 'liger' is the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger. A 'tigon' is the cub of a male tiger and female lion. The males of each of these creations are believed to be sterile.

Very Sad

The Wings lost their second in a row--I'm sad. At least tonight's game was better played than last night's--but it still did no good. Hopefully, with the week off, they will get well rested and be back in good form when they play again on Friday.

Only one of the Detroit players--Lidstrom--will be playing in the All-Star game. Zetterberg took himself out of the game because he has tendinitis in his wrist and will probably need a cortisone shot before they play again. Good grief, they don't need another player that can't play! Tonight Kronwall had to leave the game because he got a cut from a skate across the bridge of his nose--they think he should be able to play next week. It is definitely okay that more Wings are not playing with the All-Stars--no need to put them out there and risk getting hurt.

'My boy,' Valterri Filppula, scored the only goal for Detroit tonight. Way to go!

Thursday, January 18, 2007

I Attract Craziness

I must be on the 'strangest magazine' subscription offer list. Got another one in the mail today: Obit magazine. From what I can tell, it is going to be about dead people--famous and not so--and what their lives can tell us about our own. They will do in-depth obituaries and use them as a starting place for introspection. Oooookay!

But, this got me to thinking (not good)--am I ever going to be one who will not only 'never speak ill of the dead,' but a person who puts the dead on a pedestal? For example: K's identical twin died when they were 21. I liked b-i-l, we were good friends throughout high school, but I saw him for what he was: someone who was young, sometimes foolish, with great potential, but without direction. The family has idealized him to the point of absurdity--as if he could never do anything wrong. I really wonder how this makes K feel--after all, who knows a twin better than a twin? I'm sure K remembers his brother's faults better than anyone.

Some could say that I WILL be kinder to the dead when it is a close family member of mine who dies. Maybe. Another example I find extremely strange, though, comes from my own family. I was molested by an uncle when I was young. A cousin was another member who was molested by this same uncle. While I remember him as a drunk--NOT an alcoholic, a drunk--and a many-generation child molester, she only sees his potential for genius (which he had.) She acknowledges the abuse he did, just seems to put that aside and focuses on his intellect and what he could have been. Which one of us is the 'better' person? Her for trying to focus on the good and not the bad, or me--the one who cannot get over the true nature of the person? (And, no, I am not harboring any unresolved feelings about my abuse--I worked through that in therapy.)

The Mother had an absentee father--yet she cannot come out and say how mad and hurt she was by him. If she could only say that she hated him--as well as loved him--I think she could be a more whole individual. But heaven forbid you actually say a mean thing about someone who is dead! I don't understand it.

My, my, aren't we getting a little heavy for a Thursday! I think I have a headache now--must go.

And Furthermore...

While I realize with my last post that I explained the reasons for not liking football, I neglected to say why I think I HATE it. One reason and one reason only: Packer fans. I'm sure there are many who are NOT complete idiots, I just haven't found any. (And if any non-idiotic Packer fan happens to read this, I apologize.) And the biggest, most idiotic Packer fan I know: The Brother. Enough said.

I Hate Football

Now, from the title of this post, you would think I hate football. You just don't understand. See, I REALLY HATE FOOTBALL!!!!! That might bring across my message a little better. I have actually been know to cry when a football game--that is EVERY game ever played--has gone over its allotted time and caused a program I want to watch NOT to start at its scheduled time. (Don't worry, I am getting MUCH better about this--I haven't acted like that for at least two or three weeks!) I have tried to like the game. For crying out loud, when I was in high school and going with the 'love of my life,' I tried to understand and like the game just to be able to watch with him. Didn't happen.

In trying to understand a little bit more about my aversion to football, I can only come up with two possible reasons for why I don't like it: football was not watched by anyone--that means The Father--in the house while I was growing up and we didn't have a football team in the school I attended.

There was only one television set in the house while I was growing up and NO ONE dictated what was to be watched, but The Father. After all, he worked hard and it was his right to watch whatever he wanted when he relaxed. So, I had a very good education in westerns--'Gunsmoke', 'Have Gun Will Travel', and 'Rawhide' are just some of what we watched. I also got a real good education on a lot of country singers--if it was 'Hee Haw' or any other show that featured country music, it was watched. As for sports, we watched boxing--still a fav of mine--some baseball, and hockey. NEVER did a football game get played on the set. I attribute my love of hockey and boxing to those early, growing up years. ( I think I always wanted to be 'Daddy's girl'--never happened.)

The school district I attended was small. Our graduating class had about 35 people. We went from kindergarten through 5th grade in the school in the town I lived, and went from 6th through 12th in the school 3 miles away. We had a basketball team and a track team. We had a swimming pool--the only high school in the area (at that time) WITH a pool--and I'm not really sure whether there was a swim team or not. We didn't have a tennis team, despite the fact we had tennis courts. (The tennis courts were condemned because of the mine shafts under them--they were becoming hazardous because of the unused shafts beginning to cave in.) The high school hockey team didn't come about till after I had graduated. AND we had no football team--probably the only school in the area without one. For some reason or another, nobody questioned this. We had a trophy case with an old football in it--not sure why it was there--so it was understood that at some point in time there HAD been a team in the school. I believe the last team the school had was in the 1930s or 40s--and it could have been earlier. One time I questioned The Mother about this--she went to the same school--and she told me the reason football was discontinued had to do with a player who died. It is my understanding that this was the direct result of a football injury--whether he died during the game or after, I'm not sure. I have no idea where to go to find the story, either--I looked on the web, but it was no help. (Yoopergirl, maybe YOU would know where to find the answer!) Over the years, I have found it very strange that I never heard of anyone bringing up the possibility of starting a football program at the school again.

If The Father would have been a football nut--and with me wanting to please Daddy--I probably would have become a fan. If the school would have had a team, I would have had to, at the very least, TOLERATE football, because I was in the band and would have had to attend the games. But because neither of those things happened, I guess I will have to stick with hockey. Oh, I am sooooo sad! ;)

GO WINGS!

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Been Tired Lately, Haven't Had Much To Say, EXCEPT...

The Wings won against Nashville tonight, 5-3. WHOO HOO!! This puts them just 2 points behing Nashville in the run for first in the division. The game definitely started off slow, but became very good as time went on. Only two more games till the All-Star break. Halfway through the year--lots more hockey to go!

I really have been in quite a slump lately. Don't know if it's the time of year or if my thyroid is off-whack again. I just think I can WILL myself out of this, but it isn't happening. I have to do something, though.

From the "And This Is Something We Didn't See Coming?" news:
Lindsay Lohan is in rehab. Here is the story. Now I'm just waiting for the story telling of Paula Abdul going in! (If you haven't seen the tape of her disastrous interview, you can find it here.)

Don't know how many of you know about 'Veggie Tales,' but I love them. 'Veggie Tales' are a series of cartoons and products that teach values and Bible stories in a unique and fun way--by using 'vegetables' as the actors. The company behind this very successful product has been around for at least 13 years. I liken 'Veggie Tales' to 'The Muppet Show' as it appeals to both children and adults, but 'Veggie Tales' are more 'message-based' shows. The humor is fantastic--silly enough for children and sophisticated enough for adults. One of my favorite parts of any 'Veggie Tales' CD is 'Silly Songs With Larry.' Here is one of my favs:



And if ALL school lessons were this much fun, we wouldn't be able to keep kids away from school! Enjoy:

Monday, January 15, 2007

Another Shutout!

The Wings won 2-0 over Montreal tonight, giving Hasek his 74th career shutout. This puts the 'Dominator' in the top 10 on the career shutout list! And the man is in good company with Tony Esposito, Jacques Plante, Martin Brodeur, and Terry Sawchuk. Surprisingly, he was passed over for the All-Star game next week--and at a league-leading 1.98 goals-against average! He seemed quite disappointed--as he should be--but it probably is a good thing. His injuries have historically come during the second half of the year, and he doesn't need to be taking any unnecessary risks. The longer he can go without an injury, the better the chances he will be healthy for the play-offs--when he really will be needed.

We Have Winter

Anyone who has read this blog for awhile knows that I really don't mind winter--I don't even mind the snow all that much. What I DO mind is getting winter all at once! Yes, it has been snowing and doesn't look as if it will stop for a few more hours at least. K has to get the ol' snowblower out and start taking care of the driveway--hopefully not much more snow will come after he's done. It looks as if we will have 6" to 12" here in the city when it is all said and done. While that isn't a LOT of snow for us, it just isn't fun for it to come down all in one day.

I am just grateful we aren't experiencing the ice storms that Oklahoma, etc, are having. That's some nasty stuff! (Hope you are doing well, burg!)

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Sunday Evening (Can't Have a Better Title Than This, Right?)

Burg in Oklahoma wrote all about their ice storm on Friday--nasty stuff. While we had freezing rain, we didn't get as much as they had--and ours was more of the 'black ice' variety. Of course, this kept ME home! Since the drizzle stopped, we have been getting snow--looks as if winter has arrived. We are now under a lake effect snow warning through tomorrow night. While we here in the city don't (usually) have as much to worry about, the out-lying areas may be getting up to 12" of the white stuff. I guess we may not have to worry about the dog-sled races being canceled for lack of snow!

I am closing in on 500 posts with this blog and 4000 hits--and not one of the hits has come by way of searching for 'Harry Potter.' Hmmm, I'm still wondering whether the 'Harry Potter' experiment was a bust? Yesterday and today my hits have dropped off dramatically from what they were all during the week--is it just because it's the weekend? Don't know. I do find it all fascinating, though--I'd love to find out what the sociologists are saying about all of this. I'm sure I could find an article online if I REALLY was that interested--but I'm too lazy to search for one now.

With football winding down, NBC has now put hockey on its schedule. Yesterday I watched the Flyers and Penguins play. I really enjoyed seeing two Eastern conference teams play--not something I can see too often. I now have several players in the East in my sights of 'players I can't stand.' :)

Yesterday was 'hockey day in Canada.' I don't exactly know WHAT that means--I thought EVERY day was hockey day in Canada! Anyway, after the Red Wings game last night--which they won 6-3 (YAY!!!)--I could have watched at least two more games (on our 'local' Canadian station) AND a taped replay during the early morning hours. I decided that watching two games in one day was more than enough--don't need to overdose on hockey!

Hockey is the only sport I watch, so I don't get to see too many of the commercials that are geared toward sports' fans. However, I HAVE been seeing a few that are making me gag already and a couple that make me laugh each time I see them. I am SOOOO sick of hearing the 'American Pie' song being played for the Chevy commercials. ENOUGH ALREADY!! So you payed too much for the rights to use the song --suck it up and admit you made a mistake and DUMP IT! The other one that makes me want to switch channels--which I usually do--is the country singer singing about 'built Ford tough.' It isn't ONLY that I dislike country music, but it is more the OVERUSE of the damn song. Let's move on, PLEASE! My favorite commercial of the moment is the lizard versus Jeep one--makes me laugh every time I see it! Another one that I LOVE is quite old--don't think it is playing on TV anymore--and it is the crab and Honda Element one. HYSTERICAL!

I haven't gotten to watch too many movies lately, but did manage to see a couple. Cinderella Man, I thought, was very good. Quite understated, but well done. I thought the acting was good--Zellweger was actually okay--and the story was interesting. I was not aware of the story of Jim Braddock, even though I am a boxing fan. (Obviously, not a big enough fan! :)) I also got to see Walk the Line. I thought the performances were amazing--Phoenix and Witherspoon were unbelievable with their singing abilities--but I just was not happy with the script. I thought the story could have been told better--I never quite knew how much time passed between scenes. Sometimes it seemed as if only a day or two had passed, sometimes it was months--but it just was not EXPLAINED. For example: one day Cash 'tried' pills and in the next scene he was strung out on all sorts of things--but there was no indication as to how long of a time there was between the two scenes. I found it a bit confusing. And the reason I wasn't too thrilled with the movie has absolutely NO relationship to my dislike of country music--I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like it. I grew up being 'forced' to listen to country music--that's all that was ever played around our house--so that is where the dislike comes from. Also, I practically knew every detail of Johnny Cash's life because The Mother pretty much worshiped the man, so the movie just didn't do it for me. While I would recommend it, I just wouldn't want to build it up too much--as had been done before its release.

24 begins the new season tonight. And, yes, it is being broadcast as I am sitting here typing. I am taping it so that I can savor EVERY minute of it later tonight. I hope it is a good season--can't get enough of Jack Bauer!

Saturday, January 13, 2007

A New Meme

While I was surfing tonight, I found a few interesting memes--and I will post them over the next several days. Here is the first one:

Do a Google search for "[your name] needs" and list what the Internet thinks you need!

Here are some of the things I need:

...some lovin' (don't we all?)
...to stop looking at clothes (and the point is?)
...you! (always)
...her (depends?!)
...a bone marrow transplant (hope not)
...your help! (at some later date)
...parents who will be able to be patient (won't go there)
...her head examined (and this is surprising, WHY?)
...to stand up to them (ah, YES!)
...a bit more hop (excuse me?)
...relevant information (of course)
...a new fashion template (is this a slam at the way I dress?)
...to rely less on Richard (who exactly is Richard?)
...some sort of female support system (more than I already have?)
...her own reality show (it WOULD be a hit!)
...to put that big girl down (depends on which big girl we're talking about)
...some solid home cooking (no, I think I have had TOO MUCH solid home cooking!)
...to begin digging to find the murderer (I don't think so)
...for him to focus on the accident or else they are dead in the water (???)
...money (this goes without saying!)
...crit pack positioning (???)
...to get out more (depends on where we are going)
...to balance the lifetime memberships (ooookay)
...to be on it (on 'it,' NOT on 'who'?)
...to get a grip (on reality?)
...a photo to post (not happening)
...stuff (YES!)
...something more than just fast sex and a roll in the hay (exactly!)

(When I did my search, there were quite a few people with my name that have already done this, so I ignored their lists when I came up with my own.)

I am not going to tag anyone personally, but if you are reading this, consider yourself tagged! Let me know when you post your list--can't wait to read them!

Harry Potter Experiment Update

Since doing my Harry Potter posts yesterday, I haven't had anyone come to this blog through a 'Harry Potter' search. Now, I don't know if this means that the experiment failed, but...I guess I can only wait and monitor my hit counters.

I must say, though, for the past several days I have had more traffic here than usual--and none of it has anything to do with Harry Potter. The main searches (historically) that bring people to this blog are 'garters and stockings' and 'spanked brats.' To tell the truth, I DON'T want to know the people who search for these terms--a bit scary. :) For the last several days, though, people have come here through very strange searches. Here are some that have lead people here since Monday:

--most overplayed song in hockey (searcher from Massachusetts)
--looks males prefer, larger eyes (searcher from Washington)
--depression 'paranoid tendencies' (searcher from Massachusetts)
--copy of legitimate fake dentist excuse for work (unknown location)
--malware yay yay yay (Illinois location)
--sunshine tattoos (Ohio)
--sedated diaper (California)
--movies of dogs peeing in owner's house (New York)
--staph infection welts (Sun Health Corporation, Arizona)
--dental problems caused by underbite in dogs (unknown)
--jennifer granholm marilyn monroe (this puzzles me--WHAT does Michigan's governor and a dead movie star have in common?) (Vancouver British Columbia)
--no more noise or smell (Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, Idaho)
--kevorkian's release date (Minnesota)
--deathclock lyrics (Washington)
--of men say prefer women to shave (Florida)
--should i wait till my water breaks to go to the hospital (Texas--and I HOPE she DIDN'T wait to go to the hospital!)
--with a broken leg i'm quite inactive and lazy (Germany)
--older pissy (Pennsylvania)

And these were just some of the more interesting searches! Absolutely unbelievable. And completely fascinating!

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Holmstrom's Hat Trick

Tomas Holmstrom--along with the Eurotwins (Zetterberg and Datsyuk)--helped the Wings to a 5-1 win over Phoenix. It really was great to see the Wings play as well as they did--after all, this was the last game of their longest road trip for the year. Holmstrom got his second hat trick of his NHL career--always an exciting thing.

On Saturday we get to see Detroit against Chicago--always a thrill to watch two of the original six play.

Harry Potter...But Not Hockey

A lot of people are beginning to think I write too much about hockey, but not with this post. This is a part of the Harry Potter search/hit experiment. I know, I posted for the experiment already, but I figured I would up the possibility of getting hits if I put the term 'Harry Potter' in the title of the post. Will it work? We'll see. I haven't had anyone come to this blog by searching for Harry Potter yet, so this will tell if it matters if the term is in the title or not.

As you can tell, I'm trying to write quite a bit of drivel--hoping that writing a little more might make the experiment more of a success. (Does that make any sense? I don't think so.) So, once again, Harry Potter! :)

I'm Following The Crowd!

Dazd over at Dazd and Confuzed From Here posted about an experiment to see how many hits a blog could get if Harry Potter was mentioned. Because Harry Potter is a term that is searched for numerous times a day, mentioning Harry Potter should increase the hits a blog gets. So, I am following the crowd and joining in on the experiment--we'll see if this blog gets more hits just by mentioning Harry Potter.

Dazd also mentioned the possibility of getting more hits by talking about the Rosie O'Donnell/Donald Trump feud. I don't like either of those two sleaze balls, so I haven't mentioned either Rosie O'Donnell OR Donald Trump in any of my last posts. Could mentioning them bring more people to this blog? Rosie O'Donnell, Donald Trump. Rosie O'Donnell, Donald Trump. Ick--I feel so dirty now. I really need to go and bathe!

Weather Report, My Life, & Some Interesting Stuff

Our weather here hasn't even been close to normal this winter--but, then, whose has? We STILL don't have snow--just a light dusting--and the temp is in the 30s tonight. They keep telling us that we are getting snow, but it never amounts to much. However, the temps are supposed to go down to around zero the beginning of next week. This, of course, will cause an endless amount of problems. We have no snow to insulate the ground + the temps plunge = frozen water pipes. The local plumbers should be making good money next week! If the snow doesn't get here soon, I don't know what will happen to the local economy--it is so tied up in the tourist industry. Skiing, snowmobiling, winter carnivals, dog sled races, etc, are all a big part of the winter months and snow is NEEDED for these things to take place. Well, we are ALMOST to the halfway point of winter, so there is still hope--we have AT LEAST 3 more months before we can stop expecting snow to come. ;)

Life here has been rather quiet. K went for his stress test last week and the cardiologist just gave a preliminary exam/consult. When he found out that K doesn't have any chest pains, he canceled the stress test and has scheduled a treadmill test instead. If that is okay, then there will be no stress test, otherwise, the test will happen later.

Today is the last day of K's seven-day long weekend and he worked 5 of those days! I'm not too sure if any overtime will be available next week when he gets off of night-shift. Of course, the overtime is what we have to work around in order for us to do a road trip.

A couple of weeks ago my Palm crashed. For the last few days, I have been restoring all the info I had on it. Thankfully, I DID have back-ups of most of my information, so things weren't QUITE as bad as they could have been.

I finally bought an external hard drive to use as a back-up for my PC. The night I got it, I plugged it in and my wireless keyboard refused to work! I unplugged the hard drive and the keyboard worked fine. A quick search on Google didn't give me any help as to what the problem is, so I left the damn thing and haven't looked at it again. I guess I have to try and see if I can find the problem. Computers are SO much fun.

It's been a while since I have posted any links, so I thought I would do a few today. I am not sure if I have posted these before, but here they are--someone might find them interesting!

Abebooks is a VERY cool place to browse. On this site, you can find and buy used books--as well as new ones. Now, I know there are MANY places where you can get used books, but this site is SO much more. I find the 'Community' (the forums) to be fantastic! You can post a question asking for recommendations if you need a gift for someone, or recommendations for books for yourself, and there is always someone willing to help. There also is a place where you can describe the plot of a book you don't remember the name of, and people will help you find it! I have purchased used books from this site--had good results--and have read book recommendations, and have been well pleased.

I am sure most of us don't think much about the money we handle every day--except for thinking we don't have enough! But, if you WANT to know more about your money, then Where's George is the site for you. When you go to this site and sign up, you can post the serial number of your $1, $5, $10, etc, bills and this site will track them for you after you spend them. (That is, as long as someone goes back to the site and reports your bill.) I have received bills from the other side of the country--unfortunately, most of the ones I have entered don't go very far from home. It is fascinating, nonetheless.

The third site I will highlight today is BookCrossing. The idea behind BookCrossing is to spread books throughout the world--one person at a time. Here is how it works: You have a book that you would like to 'pass on.' You register said book at BookCrossing. You place a note in the book stating that it is free for whomever finds it. You leave the book in a public place and hope someone takes it and reports the find at BookCrossing. This is another fascinating site--especially if your books are picked up by people willing to report their 'catching' your 'released' book.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

I Was Beginning To Get Scared

The Wings won tonight 4-3 in a shootout over Colorado. Now, a three game losing streak isn't really ALL that bad, but I was really starting to wonder if the team could get their shit together and play a good game again! Maybe they'll have a winning streak now.

I don't really know why those of us that are fans are having such a hard time with the Wings this year--after all, they aren't THAT far behind where they were at this same time last year. (Just a couple of points different.) We ALL knew the team would be far different from what we were used to--you can't just replace Stevie Y or Shanahan and expect things to stay the same. I am just as bad as the next person, but I don't think we give the players enough credit--they are trying to come together and build a new team. I guess we should accept a less than stellar year for them to get together and start making magic again. But again, I must say, THEY ARE NOT HAVING A REALLY BAD YEAR!!!

As a long-time hockey fan, a lot of my frustrations are with the division Detroit had been placed in. It is hard for us, as fans, to have to be 'up' for a game that starts at 10:30 local time (as was the case with the San Jose and LA games,) so I can just imagine how hard it is for the players to be beginning a game at a time when they are used to ENDING one. I definitely hope there will be a change in the way the divisions and conferences are made up next year--the rumors are flying and we can only wait to see what happens.

I was glad to see Chris Chelios back on the ice--he was missed. At the age of 45, he is still doing things during a game that much younger players could only WISH to do.

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

When Is The Retraction?

Angelina Jolie gave an interview to Elle UK magazine. She is quoted as saying this:

“I think I feel so much more for Madd and Zee because they’re survivors, they came through so much. Shiloh seemed so privileged from the moment she was born. I have less inclination to feel for her...I met my other kids when they were 6 months old, they came with a personality. A newborn really is this...Yes, a blob! But now she’s starting to have a personality...I’m conscious that I have to make sure I don’t ignore her needs, just because I think the others are more vulnerable.”

Excuse me! Calling your child 'a blob?' Saying you have 'less inclination to feel for her' when you are speaking about your newborn child? Saying you 'feel so much more' for some of your children over others? Saying you have to be 'conscious' to not 'ignore her needs' when you are speaking about your newborn? WHO would say things like this?

Do these people even THINK before they speak? Do they have ANY concept of how absolutely disgusting they sound? I don't understand WHY these people even speak. I am truly disgusted.

I LOVE Anonymous Commentators!

Today I got a 'beat-down' by a commentator about my post Some People Shouldn't Reproduce. Here is what the anonymous one said:

"A simple Google search for "Merv Grazinski" gives you the straight dope. Among the top 10 Google hits:

http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/lawsuits.html

http://www.stellaawards.com/bogus.html

People who buy these unsourced, quite obvious urban legends and use them as a basis for editorializing about the decline of our civilization are the ones who "should (...) not be allowed to reproduce", as this blogger so tastefully puts it."

Now, I have been lambasted at different times by commentators, but I usually ignore them. However, I AM going to comment about this for a couple of reasons.

The first is: The VERY NEXT POST that I did, I corrected myself. I was VERY embarrassed that I posted this in the first place, because I usually am SO cautious about passing on these things before checking whether or not they are real or urban legends. If this person would have looked a little bit further into my blog, he/she would have found my correction.

The second reason for my commenting on this: The person who lambasted me actually SEARCHED for this post. Not that he/she was searching for mine in particular, but any that mistakenly posted this as fact, not fiction. I would imagine the only reason for doing the search would be to try and belittle the writer of whatever blog happened to post this erroneous information.

So, whoever you are, anonymous commentator, I expect your apology in a swift and timely fashion. I don't EVER expect to get an apology, though--you are most likely the kind of person who just wants to be mean and will NEVER admit to making mistakes. (See, I can make generalized, nasty, comments, too.)

Friday, January 05, 2007

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

They Won One For 'The Captain'

As a wonderful ending to a great night, the Wings won 2-1 against the Anaheim Ducks. While it wasn't the greatest game ever played--someone watching hockey for the first time would wonder what all the hype was about--they didn't disappoint Yzerman on his night.

Hopefully this win will be the boost the Wings need to help them on their road trip which starts on Thursday. With Datsyuk hurt--especially since he had been playing quite well lately--they need all the help they can get.

#19 Is Retired


Steve Yzerman
"The Captain"

22 year NHL career--all with the Red Wings
Youngest player to be named 'Captain' of the Wings
Won 3 Stanley Cups
Played 1514 regular season games
With 1755 points, is #6 on the list of NHL career point leaders
Played 10 times as an All-Star
Won numerous trophies, including the Conn Smythe and the Lester Pearson Award

I, along with hockey fans across North America, watched tonight as Steve Yzerman's jersey was retired. With all of his accomplishments, Yzerman is one of the classiest and least egotistic athletes I have ever heard speak. Tonight was HIS night--tonight everyone came to praise HIM. And yet, he praised his coaches, teammates, and the fans for all of his success. There won't be another like Stevie Y. God bless.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

How You Liking 2007 So Far?

I spent an exciting New Year's Eve night! (heavy sarcasm) I watched the Wings win their traditional New Year's Eve game and then I put the SciFi channel on and watched the Twilight Zone marathon--while I transferred birthdays, etc. to the 2007 calendars. I didn't even know that it had turned 12:00--OR that K had gone to bed--until C and her family called to wish me a Happy New Year. I lead SUCH an exciting life!

I was a little late this year, but I finally got all of the Christmas decorations down on Saturday. It is a good feeling. I put it off far too long--for me--and it was nice to have the house back to normal.

K goes in for his stress test on Thursday--his birthday! What a wonderful present. I still haven't figured out what to get him as a gift--I think I just may do some baking and cook a special meal. What more could a person want? :)

We got a few inches of wet, heavy, slushy snow last night. That, combined with high winds, caused the lights to dim a few times, but nothing more. Thank goodness. The sun was out today and turned all of the snow into clear ice on the tree branches--it was a beautiful sight. Just wish I would have thought to take pictures. I don't think the snow will stay, though, as we are supposed to have temps in the 40s by Wednesday. Unless things begin to change, I just might have to start believing in global warming! (Fat chance.)

Looks as if K will begin overtime shifts within the next week or so--there is an outage coming. Don't know how long this will last, but I think we will have to make time for a road trip. For one thing, it has been WAY too long since we have been out of town. We also seem to be getting on each other's nerves, so we need a change of scenery. I'm sure part of the reason we aren't fond of each other right now is the tension we have been going through with K's medical stuff. So, a road trip would go a long way toward making us friends again! :) (And, no, we are not having problems--we just get sick of each other day in and day out when there is nothing new going on! This can happen when you have been married for more years than God is old! :D)

Interesting: An Internet monitoring company called Netcraft revealed that there are now more than 100 million websites on the Internet. The first survey that they conducted was in 1995 and they concluded that there were 18,000+ sites at that time. Unbelievable that it has boomed like that in such a short time! Also unbelievable: 1995 was around the time I first went on the Internet--we connected by using AOL. Can't remember the exact year, but it was around then. So, I have been on the web for around 12 years and I have been using a computer for about 14 years--amazing! (Still wondering how many of the sites are porn--a good percentage, I'm sure.)

Now, I will conclude this post with a public service announcement: THERE WILL BE NO MAIL DELIVERED ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2007. It has been declared a national day of mourning for President Ford. So, no Christmas bills for one more day--YAY!!!

Monday, January 01, 2007

A New Year's Eve Tradition

I watched the Red Wings play their traditional New Year's Eve game and they won. The score was 6-2 against the Kings. While they played rather well, they started slacking off again late in the second period. If they played 60 minutes of full-out hockey, there wouldn't be a team able to beat them!

Filppula scored his first at-home goal--YAY! While what he WANTED to do would have made for an absolutely amazing goal, he couldn't quite pull it off and there was an element of luck to it. All in all, it was a goal and I'm sure he has no problem with however it happened.

I'm gearing up for the game tomorrow night. It will be bittersweet to watch them retire "The Captain's" number. If only he could have held out for a couple of more years--but he couldn't. He is missed.

Disquis

Being In a Funk

I'm still having a bit of a funk going on in my life. To be expected, I guess. But, it REALLY is affecting me to see my best friend ...