Random Mindlessness

Does anyone else think that, at some point, Oprah had a classic Scarlett O'Hara "As God is my witness, I'll never go hungry again." moment? You know, just before she sold her soul to the devil. (Oh, come on, you KNOW you've thought that is the only way she got to where she is!)

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Our city is looking to make talking on a cell phone while driving illegal. Of course they are! Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think it is particularly safe to use a cell while driving--and I CERTAINLY don't do it very often myself. The thing is, the city isn't doing it for safety reasons--IMHO--they are doing it to make money. See, this town will do anything to make money. It is so bad here that we think the 'Welcome to...' sign should have the slogan 'Anything For A Buck' printed under the city name. It would be more than appropriate.

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K once told me that he heard a superior say, "If the Navy wanted you to have a wife, you would have been issued one in your seabag." Is it any wonder I never quite made it as a 'Navy wife?'

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Whenever I watch a hockey game on Versus, I miss the TV show 24--and can't wait till the next season comes on early in 2009. What does hockey and 24 have in common? Keifer Sutherland. Before every broadcast, this announcement comes on: "The following is a presentation of the National Hockey League." It is Keifer Sutherland's voice that is heard. I miss 24.

About House and The Police Log

POSSIBLE SPOILERS?

So, House was new on Monday night. YIPPEE!! I'm still very annoyed by Cutthroat Bitch--I REALLY wish she would go away. However, she WAS partly responsible for a subplot in the episode. House decided that Amber and he should divide Wilson--House missed being able to spend time with him and he also thought spending time with Wilson could help him find a way to break Amber and Wilson up. Of course, House and Amber couldn't come to an agreement, so they went to Cuddy to make a decision. At one point, Cuddy told Wilson to say something. Wilson replied, "I'm going to piss off one of them and they BOTH scare me!"* One of only many great lines in the episode. I only wish there were going to be more than three more episodes for the year. I REALLY enjoy this show.

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It is time, once again, to see what our city police logs have to say. There have been some weird calls again.


--11:30 AM, car parked on street for a few days

I REALLY don't understand this. I mean, why can't a car be parked on the street? The winter parking bans are over for the year, so I am perplexed by this one.


--1:33 PM, large boulder placed in roadway struck by taxi

Um, did the taxi strike the boulder on purpose? I guess I understand what is meant, it just is written very strangely.


--2:50 PM, reports of subject in yard late at night playing guitar

Okay, so the guy next door bothers you late at night with his guitar playing. Fine. WHY do you wait till the following afternoon to report it? Can the cops actually do anything if he is no longer causing a nuisance?


--6:35 PM, two dead birds found in apartment, one missing

WHAT? First, why are you calling the cops about dead birds in your apartment and second, were there supposed to be more? How many birds, total, were in this apartment? Again, written very strangely.


--5:32 AM, vehicle parked on road with very loud music

So, WHAT had the very loud music? The car or the road?


--3:50 PM, kids climbing on building, eating pizza

Is it really relevant that the kids are eating pizza?


--8:03, large truck tire in yard
and
--9:53 AM, dispute over tire

I really would like to know if it is the same tire.


-6:09 PM, strong suspicious smell

I'm assuming the smell is outside. Just how strong and how suspicious must it have been for someone to call the cops?!


*You REALLY had to see it in order to appreciate how really funny that line was.

One Step Closer

The win tonight was a definite relief. Colorado had Forsberg playing tonight and Theodore didn't do quite as badly as the last two games, PLUS they were at home. They were desperate and it showed.

I knew the Avs would really play physically tonight and they did. Forsberg got a double minor for high-sticking Samuelsson--two minutes for the high stick and two minutes because he drew blood. Shortly after Sammy sat down, a linesman skated over to the bench and handed over the tooth they found on the ice--it was Sammy's. I guess that's why the blood. :) It was lucky that the Wings brought their dentist along to Denver--maybe Sammy's tooth can be saved. But, I would be surprised if this is the first tooth he had knocked out while playing hockey.

While I am not ready to say 'sweep,' the Wings CAN do it if they win on Thursday. It would be nice for them to get rid of the Avs, but then they will have too many days till they have to play again. It would be good for them to rest, but they also could get very rusty, so... Two of the four other series are on the verge of sweeping, also--only one of the series has both teams winning at least one game. A very interesting round, to say the least.

A Little Sad

The finalists were announced for the Hart trophy today and Lidstrom is not one of them. I feel a little sad. Oh, well. I guess 'they' decided that he will (probably) win the Norris for the sixth time in seven years, so he doesn't NEED the Hart. (There are some who have suggested renaming the Norris the Nick Lidstrom Award, as he has won or been nominated so many times. :) He still hasn't set the record for number of wins, though--that goes to Orr with eight.) Also, he will get so many accolades if the Wings win the Cup. He will be the first European to captain a Cup winner--something that many say will NEVER happen. I certainly hope he proves them wrong.

While Lidstrom gets his share of praise, I don't think a lot of people realize just how good he actually is. The man does his job with such ease and perfection, that he makes it look easy. (And the same can be said of Datsyuk!) If he had to struggle to put up the numbers he gets, maybe he would be acknowledged more. He comes by the nickname of 'The Most Perfect Human' that his teammates have given him, honestly.

More...

With C's birthday this Sunday, I've been making more bracelets. The first one I made for her is one with her birthstones. I used emerald green and clear Swarovski crystals and liquid silver spacers.




Considering the amount of kids she has, it is not very easy to find Mother's rings/necklaces/bracelets, so I decided to make her a bracelet myself. The pendants are her and her husband's birthstones. The colored birthstones are Swarovski crystals and I used silver beads, silver rondelle and daisy spacers, and Swarovski pearls to complete it.



I think she will like them. (By the way, I REALLY admire jewelry photographers. It is not an easy task, at all. ALL of the pics I take seem to be a bit fuzzy. Oh, well.)

The gem stone and color for 'serenity' is amethyst. Considering I long for serenity constantly, I made myself bracelets to invoke the concept. These I wear all of the time.

This bracelet is made of amethyst beads, amethyst colored Swarovski crystals, and silver round beads. The large bead is silver and says 'serenity' on it. (Just in case it isn't easily readable.)



And this one is made of ametyst beads, clear Swarovski crystals, and silver round beads.



(These last two photographed MUCH darker than they actually are.)

As you can see, I have WAY too much time on my hands! But, I enjoy making them and it isn't anything that taxes my brain too much. :)

A Wedding To Remember

When K and I got married, it was decided that the ceremony would be held in the church that my great-grandparents helped build/found. (Yes, it was ME that made the decision, but K was so much in love he would have gone along with just about anything! :)) It was a tiny church in one of the small towns that I grew up in--cozy, not elegant or elaborate in decor. So many people squeezed into the sanctuary that the basement door wouldn't close--the floor sagged under the weight. (We found THIS out several days later.)

The pastor who married us had a long history with both of our families. He was a student of my great-grandfather, a lay preacher. He married my parents and K's parents. He baptized me. He confirmed both of us. (There were many other family events he had a part in, also, but you get my drift.) So, we decided he should officiate at our wedding as well. At the end of the rehearsal, he made a point of saying that the ceremony will begin at 7:00 PM SHARP! We understood completely and vowed we would be there and ready on time.

On the day of our wedding, I was very aware of the time. I didn't want to disappoint the pastor in any way, so I KNEW I would be at the church early. As it turned out, I was at least an hour early. As the time crept closer to 7:00, I could hear all of the people filing into the sanctuary. I sent someone--perhaps my maid-of-honor--to make sure K was there. Once I was sure he wasn't about to bolt, I relaxed a bit and waited to walk down the aisle.

At precisely 7:00, word was sent to the organist to begin. My father and I climbed the stairs and made our way down the aisle. Of course, the only person I saw was K standing in front of the altar. Slowly I made my way to him, gave him my hand, and together we faced the altar. And that is ALL we saw--the altar. The pastor was not there. As a matter of fact, he was nowhere to be found. We started the wedding before the pastor got to the church.

So, what to do? At first, I panicked. Was I supposed to go back downstairs and begin again when Pastor got there? Were we supposed to stand there and wait for him to show up? The buzz behind us got louder and louder as the seconds ticked by. After what seemed like HOURS--it actually was only about a minute and a half, according to the tape--the pastor came running down the aisle. As he passed K and me, he pointed to his watch and said, "I told you 7:00!" And then he smiled at us. Everything went fine after that. Except for the fact that he called me by the wrong name when he pronounced us husband and wife. :D

(As it turned out, the pastor was halfway to the church when he realized that he forgot the marriage license, so he went back home to get it. It was a lucky thing he drove as fast as he did--scary man on the road--otherwise we would have waited much, much longer for him to get to the church.)

Celebrate

Here are the celebrations for this week:

27 April
National Prime Rib Day
Write An Old Friend Today Day

28 April
National Blueberry Pie Day
Bulldogs Are Beautiful Day
Cubicle Day

29 April
National Shrimp Scampi Day
National Hairball Awareness Day
Sense of Smell Day
National Dance Day

30 April
National Oatmeal Cookie Day
Hairstylists Appreciation Day

1 May
Save a Rhino Day
Frequent Flyer Day
Mother Goose Day
Stepmother's Day

2 May
National Truffles Day
No Pants Day

3 May
National Raspberry Popover Day
Lumpy Rug Day
International Pilates Day
National Scrapbooking Day

Six Down, Ten To Go

The Wings went on a kind of tear today and beat the Avs 5-1. This was the best they played during the playoffs so far AND was the second game in a row that the Avs goalie was replaced. Hmmmm. Franzen got his first career hat trick--how cool to do that during the playoffs?!--Baby Boy got his second goal of the playoffs, and Z got a goal. Even McCarty got in on the action and had a fight. All in all, a very, very good game.

Tuesday the series goes to Colorado. I think things will be a bit more difficult for the Wings in the next two games. Keeping my fingers crossed.

No Comment

I STILL don't believe this.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

The Lion Cut

There is a hair (fur) cut that some people do to their cats. It is called the Lion Cut. While I understand it--it REALLY would make taking care of a long-haired cat so much easier--it is just so wrong in so many ways. This picture is NOT a pic of my cat, but this is what she would look like if she had a Lion Cut:



Poor kitteh!

The Newest

We took a trip up north to bring some stuff to C today. As usual, they were running late for something, so we just stayed a couple of minutes. I guess she would want a longer visit if we weren't in the habit of just dropping in. No problem.

After we left C's, we went to The Parent's house. yippee. The Mother's birthday is next week, so this was the perfect time for me to bring her gift. I made her a really pretty bracelet with emerald green (her birthstone color) Swarovski crystals, which I thought she would rave about. She didn't. It's not as if she didn't like it, she just didn't like it as much as I thought she would. Here's what it looks like: (the pic doesn't really do it justice)


Also, for a kick, I got a set of retro kitchen canisters and matching salt and pepper shakers. She had a set of the exact same canisters in her kitchen for most of my childhood and when I saw them, I thought she would think they were fun. WRONG! She LOVED them and can't wait to use them. Obviously, I don't know the woman at all.

Here are the shakers: (The canisters look exactly like this, only they are different sizes and have flour, sugar, coffee, and tea written on them.)


The Mother was a little strange. Her mood was a bit weird, but I suppose it is due to the fact that she isn't feeling all that well. (She had rotator-cuff surgery about a month ago and it has been a long rehabilitation. I think she is getting discouraged.) She made a couple of 'off' remarks--she commented about how VERY THIN my hair is, as if it is something I can control--and it reminded me how grateful I am to not be involved with her anymore. (You have to know The Mother to understand her tone of voice, words, and look on her face when she made her remarks. I know what she meant--someone else might not have heard the disapproval in her tone. The hair-thing was a criticism of me having long hair--she doesn't approve.) AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

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On our way up north, K woke me up rather abruptly at one point. He had to point out the coyote crossing the road--quite cool. I still would rather see a wolf, though. I didn't see an eagle today, but I did see a swan--neat.

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When we got back into town, we decided to pick up dinner, so we went through a drive-through. As we were leaving the parking lot, K noticed that the brakes on the Jimmy didn't feel right and the 'check brakes now' light was on. GREAT! Thankfully, we were only about a block away from where we bring the Jimmy for repairs, so we went directly there. After a short look-see, it was determined that one of the brake lines broke. GREAT! At least we weren't driving 70 down the highway when the line went. We left the Jimmy there and they said they would get to it when they could, but they were completely booked at the moment. Not too much trouble, as we still have the truck. They called about 10:00 PM and said it was all taken care of. Amazing--I didn't think we would get it back till tomorrow.

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Before the game tonight, Versus showed a guy run to the edge of the ice and throw an octopus. They then showed the refs cleaning the octopus off of the ice--using a shovel and scraper. It took them five minutes. It takes Al less than a minute to go onto the ice, pick up the octopus, swing it over his head, and leave the ice. What a bunch of idiots. Obviously, Al didn't get the octopus and take the fine. I'm sad. It just isn't right.

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The Avs and the Wings came together tonight for the first game of round two. The Wings won 4-3. I want this series to be over. Eleven more wins and the Wings can drink out of Lord Stanley's Cup. Do it!

Leave Al Alone, Please!

On April 15, 1952, the first octopus hit the ice during a Red Wings game. Al Sobotka wasn't even born. Al is the buildings operation manager of Joe Louis Arena, where the Red Wings play today. He has been with the Red Wings for 37 years. Al takes care of the ice for the games and he drives the Zamboni. He is also in charge of picking up the octopi that are tossed onto the ice. When one makes it to the ice surface, he goes and picks it up--WITHOUT gloves, mind you--and swings the octopus over his head while leaving the ice. It is a tradition and it makes the crowd go wild. Everyone loves Al and the Red Wing mascot is named 'Al' in his honor. The NHL has decided that Al can't swing octopi any longer.

The Wings were told by the NHL last Friday that Al--or anyone else--is NOT allowed to swing an octopus over the head while removing it from the ice. If this is not adhered to, the person doing the swinging will be fined $10,000. When asked for a reason to the ban, the answer was, "Because matter flies off of the octopus and gets on the ice when he does it." Ah, excuse me? Have the powers-that-be even WATCHED a hockey game? With the amount of nose-blowing and spitting done by the players, octopus guck is nothing! Add blood--which we may see during the Colorado series--and I'm sure most people would be able to overlook a little octopus 'matter.'

This is one of the STUPIDEST things that have come from the powers-that-be. With all of the rule changes, name changes, expansions, and taking away of traditions, this is no longer your daddy's NHL. I'm waiting till they decide to stop the playing of the Canadian national anthem before games because it is annoying to the majority of the teams/fans--simply because the majority are in the US. I can't wait till the game tonight to see if Al follows the 'rules.' Or, has he been told that the fine will be paid for him? ;)




--Joe Louis Arena building manager Al Sobotka twirls an octopus that was thrown on this ice during the singing of the national anthem before the Red Wings-Blackhawks game in Detroit on April 7. The Wings went on to a 7-2 victory. (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/DFP)--

Just Saying

I don't get too political on this blog--or at least I haven't for a while--but this has just crawled up under my skin and is irritating the hell out of me. Hence, the post.

I know politicians have always 'kissed babies' and mingled with the 'little people' as if to say they are just like the rest of us. They try to make themselves appear more human and humble. What I don't understand is, when did this change and candidates become total idiots? Frankly, I WANT my leader--the most powerful person in the US, which makes him/her the most powerful person in the world--to be above me. I WANT my leader to know more than me. I WANT my leader to be better than 90% of the people in this country. I WANT my leader to be a LEADER!

We are NOT seeing this type of attitude anymore. What we get to see are candidates being 'human.' They bowl and fish and down shots of whiskey and tell jokes on late-night shows and dance with Ellen. In my opinion, this does not show them being human, just like the rest of us. I find it condescending and insulting. Like I would ever believe that one of these candidates would be sitting in my local pub on a Friday, having a beer with the 'guys' before going to the bowling alley to bowl a few frames. And then wake up on Saturday morning and go to the ol' fishing hole to catch dinner before mowing the lawn. All the while discussing nothing more important than the crabgrass or how the Wings will do in the playoffs. RIIIIIGGGGGHHHHHHTTTTTTT.

These people SHOULD have more important things on their minds than the Red Wings. They SHOULD be thinking about and discussing the life-and-death issues that face each of us every day. They should NOT worry about making it look good for the camera and trying to be like the rest of us. They SHOULD be better. Enough with the foolishness--get serious and get REAL! And when the candidate emerges--at whatever point in time in the future--that can be like this, he/she will have my vote AND voice. Completely.

It's Done and Done

I spent the day getting everything scheduled for my LASIK surgery. The big day is 22 May and we will be traveling to Green Bay for the procedure. I am having all of the pre- and post-sugical appointments done locally--much easier that way. I'm really excited about the whole thing!

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It took until after midnight--less than two hours ago--to find out which team Detroit plays in the second round of the playoffs. Calgary just kind of melted, so San Jose won their series. This means that Colorado and Detroit go at it in the second round. I'm not too sure how I feel about this. But then, I'm not too sure I wanted the Wings to play the Flames, so...

This series is going to be ANOTHER excuse to bring out everything having to do with The Great Rivalry. All I know is that halfway through the second game I will want to drop kick the TVs out of the front window because I will be tired of hearing the name of Peter Forsberg being praised over and over and over and over... Oh, well, I guess he IS the only European good enough to be praised by Canadian/ North American announcers. Yeah, right.

Once again, I am cautiously optimistic about the Wings chances in the second round. If they play to their ability, they can win. If they let their guard down for an instant, they will lose. Here's hoping they play their best! Thursday, round two begins--guess where I will be?

Spring Has Sprung?

We just MIGHT be experiencing the start of spring.

The tulips are coming up:




The neighbor's magnolia tree is budding:




And there is some new, green grass growing:




Yup, we just might get summer this year.

Adieu, Ducks, Adieu

I hope this doesn't come back and bit me in the ass--which it probably will--and I'm trying not to be TOO happy--which is very hard for me--but, the Anaheim Ducks have been eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. They WILL NOT REPEAT as champions. I'm trying not to cry for them--as if I could EVER feel sorry for them. They have the dirtiest player in the NHL--even The Hockey News says so--and they manipulated and skirted the rules by having two of their top players 'retire' for half the year and come back rested and they STILL were not able to get the job done. The only down side to this? Detroit will not be able to humiliate them for the dirty way the Ducks eliminated the Wings last year. Get out your golf clubs boys, tee time is early for you!

Four Down, Twelve To Go

Today the Wings defeated Nashville and won round one of the playoffs. Thank goodness that is over. I feel as if the first round and the last round are the hardest on the players and this series was no exception. The Nashville goalie was fantastic and that is why the scores were as close as they were. Now the Wings have a few days off and then will go on to round two against either Calgary or Colorado. Either team is going to be hard for them to play, so it doesn't matter which one they get. For a couple of days, anyway, the knot in the pit of my stomach will be eased. :)

One of the greatest things about hockey is the post-game handshake at the end of a playoff series--no other sport does the same thing. Hockey players are a class act, in many ways, as opposed to a lot of other athletes.



--NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 20: The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Nashville Predators to move to the next playoff round on April 20, 2008 during game six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2008 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Sommet Center in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)--

Celebrate

A little late, but here are the celebrations for this week:

20 April
National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day

21 April
Kindergarten Day
National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day

22 April
National Jelly Bean Day

23 April
National Cherry Cheesecake Day
Administrative Professionals Day or Secretary's Day

24 April
Plumber's Day
Take Our Daughters & Sons To Work Day

25 April
National Zucchini Bread Day
Red Hat Society Day

26 April
National Pretzel Day
Shuffleboard Day
Hug An Australian Day

I Can See Clearly...Soon

The only thing that has been decided since my eye appointment on Friday is, I WILL be having surgery. After the evaluation, I was told I am an 'excellent' candidate. Then, I was given all of my options. Great.

I have three surgery options. I can have straight LASIK done. This would give me excellent, crisp, clear, vision--nothing more. Mono-vision surgery would correct my nearsightedness and astigmatism problem AND would correct for reading. I also could have the lenses in my eyes replaced with artificial ones--this would correct all of my problems permanently. Each option has its pros as well as cons.

The straight LASIK would correct my vision the best. I probably have NEVER seen as well as I would with this option. The downside is that it will not correct my reading vision, at all, so I would still need to wear reading glasses. I never went into this because I hate glasses, so this option wouldn't be a problem for me. And knowing how anal I am, I KNOW I would have reading glasses in every room of the house, so having to look for my glasses wouldn't be an issue. This also WOULD correct both my nearsightedness AND my astigmatism. Astigmatism used to be a problem with this surgery, but they now have THAT obstacle cleared.

Mono-vision is a viable option. My right eye would be corrected for distance and my left eye would be corrected for reading. The tech put a pair of glasses on me to show what it would be like and it was interesting to say the least. I really loved how well I could READ--with all the pairs of bifocals I have had over the years (I've worn them since around the age of thirty), this was the clearest the words have EVER been for me. The downside is that my distance vision wouldn't be as good. There also is a few days worth of getting used to the vision--there is a lot of 'ghosting,' at first, until your brain figures out how to 'see.' Also, it doesn't seem as if the reading correction is permanent--tweaking is needed a few years down the road.

The third option is the artificial lens. They would replace the natural lens in both eyes with a lens that is similar to a no-line bifocal. This is a permanent solution and would negate the necessity of EVER needing cataract surgery. It also is a much more invasive surgery. AND it takes longer to get vision back--there is a bit of a 'learning curve' with this one. Having LASIK doesn't mean that this couldn't be done some time in the future, so a decision about this isn't needed right now.

I believe I WILL have the straight LASIK. As I said, I went into this JUST wanting to be able to see better and this is the best option for that. I can wear reading glasses, no problem, and I think I will even be able to see to read better than I do now. So, first decision made. (I think.)

Of course, I have many more decisions to make. I have to figure out WHERE I want to have the surgery. I can go to either of two different cities, but both require a minimum of a two hour drive for us. I can have all of my pre- and post-surgery appointments taken care of here in my own town--OR I can travel and have everything done where the surgery takes place. I just CAN'T have my own doctor do them. (The surgeons work with a doctor in another office here in town.) Bummer. There are three levels of aftercare that have to be decided on--of course, the higher the level, the more expensive. And, we have to figure out when to do this. As of Friday, the soonest I could have this done in Appleton is the 22nd of May. Don't know if I could have it done earlier if I go to Green Bay.

Tonight I have to finish figuring everything out so that I can call tomorrow. As of this moment, the only thing I am absolutely sure of is that I WILL be having surgery within the next month or so. Other than that, I'm not sure. I HATE having too many options. :)

Memories

One evening at the end of my junior year in high school, The Family was sitting around the table eating dinner. The Brother, looking at me--with a 'nanner, nanner' look on his face--announced, "I am going to Camp Wayoutinthewoods with my class! I will NOT have to deal with YOU for an ENTIRE week!" I looked at him with an extremely evil and malevolent look of my own and answered, "Don't be so sure. I was just asked to be the coordinator for the girl's counselor's at Camp Wayoutinthewoods--the week YOU will be there!"

That night I learned the meaning of crestfallen--the exact look on The Brother's face. (I also learned the word 'blanched.') :D

Damn

After the loss tonight, I AM beginning to worry. But, there are three potential games left to this series, so they can still pull it off--and two of the games are at the Joe. I will NOT be like the Nashville fans/management and whine about the bad/non-existent calls and the bad luck. (The Wings management is the classiest in the NHL--THEY don't blame the refs, etc, either--unlike too many other teams do.) The Wings didn't play the way they can for a full 60 minutes--as they didn't WAY too often during the season--and that is the only reason they lost. Now, they have to pull themselves up, wipe their noses, and come out fighting from the opening puck drop on Friday. Enough said.

Life Goes On

Right now, our thermometers are showing 69 degrees. And yes, that IS outside. All of the snow we got with the last storm is pretty much gone from our yard. That is NOT to say that we don't still have snow--I'm looking at another week or so before it is all gone. I guess there still is some cold air in Canada that needs to be watched, so we are not totally out of the woods in terms of getting more snow. Never say never here.

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We are doing a road trip on Friday. It will be nice to get out of here for the night--we haven't done an overnighter since January, so we're due. The major reason for the trip is an appointment with an eye doctor. I'm going to be evaluated to see if I am a candidate for LASIK surgery. The more I read, however, the more I'm afraid it won't be an option for me. Oh, well, the evaluation is free, so I won't be out anything but a little time. I'm still hopeful, though.

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I'm having a real problem trying to get C to write up a guest list for her birthday party. I don't know what gives. I know she is looking forward to the party, but she would be just as happy with a small dinner party. I think she is a little embarrassed about the fuss. She will just have to suck it up, though--I've already sent in the deposit, so the party WILL happen. I will need the list before the week is out--I need to talk to the caterer about the menu and I have to get the invitations out before the postage goes up.

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Game number four is on tonight--I just hope there is ONLY one more after this. If they get their shit together, they can finish off the series in five games.

Our Central Division Champion T-shirts were delivered the other day. I'm hoping to get two more shirts this year: Western Conference Champions and Stanley Cup Champions! If not this year, then another.

We won't be able to watch game five as we will be out of town. Hmmm. I watched a part of ALL of the regular season games and now will miss a possible series-ending game. Unbelievable! :) I will be wearing my newest jersey--a blank one that I just got--on Friday when we go out to eat. Hey, the boys will be playing, so I HAVE to wear the colors! :D

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I'm having some computer issues. There seems to be some problems with Firefox--I am getting error messages. The trouble is, nothing is consistent, so I couldn't re-create the problem and ask any tech support about what might be going on. I also am having a problem that crops up saying there is a network/IP problem--again, not consistent. ARRRRGGGGHHHH! I SO want to get a new computer, but I can't even think about it until Microsoft fixes Vista--or decides they will continue to sell XP. They have announced that the new OS will be out in 2010, but we all know how right-on-the-money Microsoft is with getting their products to market on time! UGH! Unfortunately, I think the only thing I will be able to do is re-format my hard drive and start with a clean slate. I don't want to do it. (And I DON'T want to hear it, Meleah! I KNOW you are hooked on Apple. :))

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And, for a little laugh:



I LOVE the smile on her face--as well as the hanging-down boobs!

Ha Ha!!

Great Truths That Little Children Have Learned

1) No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.

2) When your Mom is mad at your Dad, don't let her brush your hair.

3) If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person.

4) Never ask your 3-year-old brother to hold a tomato.

5) You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

6) Don't sneeze when someone is cutting your hair.

7) Never hold a Dust-Buster and a cat at the same time.

8) You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

9) Don't wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.

10) The best place to be when you're sad is Grandpa's lap.

Next...

Even though the Wings lost tonight, I really am not concerned. From the beginning, this didn't feel like a sweep to me. And I expected them to lose at least one in Nashville. Nashville is a very difficult place for teams to play in--the fans don't seem to cheer FOR the Predators as much as they cheer AGAINST the visiting team. It can be a little disconcerting, to say the least. Although, I think Dom and Cheli actually thrive on the fans being against them. All I can say about the game is "Next!"

It was good to see Datsyuk score tonight. Baby Boy still hasn't gotten a goal, but there still is time. Babcock has separated the Euro-Twins--at least for tonight--so VF should have a better chance at some goals while on Datsyuk's line. I still would rather see Holmstrom on Z's line and Cleary or Franzen with VF and Datsyuk--but then, I'm not the coach and I trust that Babcock knows what he's doing.

WTF?!?!?!

I now present my annual 'WTF are we thinking in this country' post. Parade magazine has a yearly article that lists what people in America earn. After reading the article, all I can think is WTF are we thinking in this country?!

Salaries of some celebrities:

Leona Helmsley's dog---$12 million
Miley Cyrus, 15, singer/actress---$18.2 million
Meredith Vieira, 54, television anchor---$10 million
Timothy Janus, 31, competitive eater---$25,000 (excuse me? competitive eater?)
Mary-Kate Olsen, 21, actress/entrepreneur---$17 million
Gisele Bundchen, 27, model---$33 million
'Dr'Phil McGraw, 57, TV host---$90 million
Steven Spielberg, 61, movie director---$110 million
50 cent, 32, rapper---$33 million
Oprah Winfrey, 54, TV personality---$260 million
Eli Manning, 27, football player---$11.5 million

Now for what REAL people earn:

Dean McIlvane, 50, farmer---$30,000
Yordana Rodriguez, 25, pharmacy technician---$23,000
Paula Daigle, 35, Spanish teacher---$38,000
Shetal Amin, 31, speech pathologist---$85,000
Mike Crawford, 31, deputy sheriff---$35,000
Capt. Richard Barnett, 34, Air Force fire chief---$70,000
Eileen Welsh, 44, preschool teacher---$15,000
Allen Kite, 48, firefighter/paramedic---$53,000
Lisa Summers, 41, VA clinic coordinator---$46,600
Bruce Hossler, 53, truck driver---$45,000
Tiffany Todd, 34, 911 supervisor---$54,500
Grace Jones, 45, dental assistant---$41,000
Lt jg Brendan Blain, 26, Coast Guard pilot---$66,000
Russell Farmer, 28, high school teacher---$42,000
Joshua Shelton, 25, police detective---$40,000
Lynn Hosford, 57, home daycare provider---$56,000
Steven Drews, 46, social worker---$43,700

It is sad that we are more than willing to give 'entertainers' millions of dollars and don't pay those who watch over our children, watch over our safety, watch our health, help provide us with what we need, a living wage. Just what does this say about us as a nation? WTF are we thinking? Is it a wonder a lot of people around the world have no respect for us?

A Couple of Pictures

With all of the talk I've been doing about the snow we got recently, I thought I should post a picture I took today. This was taken in the parking lot of the local mall. All of this was cleared from the lot after the most recent snow storm. It made for a nice snowbank! :)





I also do a lot of talking about my cat, so I thought I would post the last picture I took of her. Here she is, my fat cat:



(She's not FAT, she's FLUFFY!)

Celebrate

Celebrations for the week:

13 April
National Peach Cobbler Day
International Plant Appreciation Day

14 April
National Pecan Day

15 April
Rubber Eraser Day
Take A Wild Guess Day
That Sucks Day

16 April
National Eggs Benedict Day (YAY!!!)
International Moment of Laughter Day
International Stress Awareness Day
National Wear Your Pajamas To Work Day

17 April
National Cheeseball Day
Blah! Blah! Blah! Day
Ford Mustang Day
Get To Know Your Customers Day
High Five Day

18 April
Look-Alike Day
International Juggler's Day
National Animal Crackers Day
Pet Owners Independence Day

19 April
Garlic Day
Husband Appreciation Day
National Hanging Out Day
World Cow Chip Day

Next Stop, Nashville

On Monday night the third game of the first round will be played. And Detroit will go into the game with a 2-0 lead in the series, after winning 4-2 today. I'm not expecting the Wings to sweep the series, but at least ONE win in Nashville would be nice.

In both of the games so far, Detroit has had some lucky breaks. LAST year, they had some UNlucky ones. I don't know if it is harder to LOSE to questionable calls or WIN because of them. But, this is what playoff hockey is all about. Only 14 more wins and the Cup is theirs!

glitter-graphics.com

Giggling and Blushing

If I had any talented whatsoever, I would be an actress. That is because I am an attention whore. Meleah has so kindly fed my addiction, once again, and gave me more awards. YAY!!!



AND:

Awarded by
Meleah Rebeccah
to CMK

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Updating the Storm

There is no telling how much snow anyone here in the UP got. Anywhere from a couple of inches to almost 12 fell--BUT, it wasn't as much as was predicted. Everything that fell was dense, heavy, and wet--lots of slush. Some places lost power, but not many. Basically, all of the schools closed for the day. The roads had warmed enough in the past days/weeks, so by this afternoon most were just wet--at least the ones that had been plowed. At 10:00 AM, I looked outside--it was still snowing--and decided to cancel the appointment I had scheduled for this afternoon. I didn't need to. I'm not sure I would have made it out of our driveway, though--the plow pushed a ton of snow into the mouth and I would never have been able to shovel it. Oh, well, that is life here.

The forecast says we are not done with this particular storm. It has started snowing again and should continue overnight and tomorrow. We still are under a storm warning calling for 7 more inches with high, gusty winds. A NSW meteorologist was interviewed on the local news and she said this should be the last of our big storms for the year. However, she also said it isn't unusual for us to get storms all of the way into May. In 1990, we got 20 inches from May 9-10. :)

Clearing My Mind

I LOVE how women connect. It is as if we have one mind. For example: When talking to another married woman, all I have to say to explain why I am mad at my husband is, "MEN!" EVERY married woman knows what I am talking about. Of course, it isn't only about men where we connect so wonderfully, but it is one example. We women are quite great, aren't we?

**********

So, we had about six inches of snow fall again this past Monday into Tuesday. The second week we had a storm. Tonight we are under another storm/blizzard warning for all of Friday and into late Saturday. This storm is supposed to dump up to 24 inches up the road from us. In the city we could be looking at 10 inches or more. All of this snow will, once again, be wet and heavy. Add the blizzard-strength winds and we could have one hell of a mess to get through. yay. To top it all off, we could possibly get a thunderstorm tonight. Just what I need, thundersnow! (Yes, it is called that. And yes, we have had it before.)

**********

I mentioned to Meleah the other day that you won't find anything on Canadian TV in the evenings for the foreseeable future. This is because the Stanley Cup playoffs have begun. I don't know if she actually believed me, but it is absolutely true. At 7:00 PM each and every night through the first round, at least, the first game of the night begins. Then, at 10:00 PM, the second game begins. IF the first game ends early enough, they MIGHT show the news. And the news WILL fit in the time between games. If the first game should happen to go into overtime, or just run a little long, the news program will be shortened. In Canada, NOTHING is more important than hockey. The rest of the world be damned!

**********

As you can imagine, I am caught up in the playoffs. If Detroit isn't playing, I am watching two games at once. I find, though, that the playoffs for me are like our political elections: When trying to pick who I want to win, I wind up looking at the lesser of two evils. The ONLY teams I will ALWAYS want to lose are Anaheim and Pittsburgh. Anaheim because they have the dirtiest players in the NHL. Pittsburgh because I am so damned sick and tired of hearing about Sidney Crosby. My worst nightmare? Anaheim and Pittsburgh playing in the finals! That will be the day that Lord Stanley rolls over in his grave. (He probably did last year when Anaheim won the Cup.)

**********

Has anyone seen the new $5? I don't know, but every time I see any of the new currency, I can't help but think, "FAKE!" For those who haven't seen one, here is what the new fives look like:

First One Is Done!

I am so very embarrassed to say this, but my stomach is so tied up in knots right now I'm afraid I'm about to develop an ulcer! And why is that? Because I was so worked up over tonight's game. STILL two more months to go before the end of the playoffs...at least I HOPE the Wings are still around in June!

Anyway, the Wings won 3-1 tonight. The last goal was an empty-netter, so it was a much closer game than the score indicates. Detroit was playing quite well, but so was Nashville. It was a fight right down to the finish and the Wings managed to grind out a win. Don't know how many more of these close games I will be able to handle.

The first octopus--at least the first that they showed on TV*--went onto the ice before the game even started. The next one that we were shown was after Z scored the last goal at the end of the game. Neither octopus came anywhere close to the record-setting 50 pound one that made it to the ice during the 1995 playoffs! :)

*Officially, nothing is supposed to be thrown onto the ice during a game. So says the NHL. (Actually, I believe a penalty can be called against the team if the refs think it is warranted.) Unofficially, EVERYONE wants to see an octopus.



--Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood (30) congratulates goalie Dominik Hasek (39), of the Czech Republic, after Detroit's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators in Game 1 of the NHL Western Conference quarterfinal hockey playoff series in Detroit, Thursday, April 10, 2008. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)--

Only In This Town

CITY POLICE LOG

--2:01 PM:
Man went into medical center with bear cub on his shoulder.



WHAT can I say?

Are You In?

10 April 2008

Joe Louis Arena
Detroit, Michigan

7:00 PM

Detroit Red Wings
vs
Nashville Predators

Round 1
Stanley Cup Playoffs

Broadcast Nationally
on Versus

Are You In?


--'Al' the octopus, the Red Wing mascot--

Husbands create 7 hours of extra housework a week: study

This is one of those 'DUH!!!' stories. Any married woman could have made these observations without any 'studies' done.

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - For married women who can't figure out why they always have so much housework researchers may have the answer -- husbands.

A new study from the University of Michigan shows that having a husband creates an extra seven hours of extra housework a week for women. But a wife saves her husband from an hour of chores around the house each week.

"It's a well-known pattern. There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage -- men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor," said Frank Stafford, of the university's Institute for Social Research (ISR), who directed the study.

"And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," he added in a statement.

Stafford's findings are based on 2005 time-diary data from a study on income dynamics that has been conducted since 1968 at ISR.

The researchers studied diaries to assess how people spent their time and questioned men and women about how much time they spend cooking, cleaning and doing basic work around the house.

They found that young single women did the least amount of housework, at about 12 hours a week. Married women in their 60 and 70s did nearly twice that amount, while women with more than three children spent 28 hours a week cleaning, cooking and washing.

But it's not as bad as it used to be. In 1976 women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, while men did about six, according to the study,

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

I'm Feeling Much Better Now...

There is nothing like getting some sleep and having the sewer guys fix what's wrong to change a person's mood--so things are getting better. :)

Today when the guys came in, they not only cleaned out the pipe but they put a camera in to see what the problem is. They found a tree root ball which is making things go all funky. So, they put Rid-X in the pipe and we are waiting for the appropriate three hours to see if all is well. They could only estimate as to how far away from the house the root ball is, so we can't be certain if it is on our property or not. If it is on city property, we could possibly have the city come in and fix the mess--if it is on our property, well...

This is so maddening to me for several different reasons. Of course, it is just not right to not be able to use water/toilet/shower. This doesn't make for a happy person. I HATE having to pay for the same thing over and over again. It isn't the drain-guys' fault, but I wish things could be taken care of ONCE instead of having to do the same thing over and over again.

The biggest reason this pisses me off is that our sewer reliability has always been phenomenal. I am sure I could flush a full-grown elephant with no problems! We have lived in this house almost thirty years and before this run of problems, we have only had to have the pipes taken care of three times previously. I could live with once every ten years, but having to have work done every couple of months, no. K said he is going to start using Rid-X routinely so we don't have to do this again. I hope it works.

NOT In A Good Mood...):

So I'm doing laundry this evening and went in the basement to switch loads. What do I see? The damn sewer is backing up...AGAIN!!!!! We just had the guys here about six weeks ago because it was backing up! I KNOW it is someone's fault and when I find out who, I WILL take action. SOMEONE'S balls--I assume it is a man responsible--WILL be nailed to the wall. I don't dare take my blood pressure because I'm sure it is high enough to make me feel I need to go to the hospital. This is just fricking ridiculous, having to have someone here again so soon.

That is all...you can now go back to your day.

glitter-graphics.com

Lord Stanley's Cup

So, I did Red Wing trivia yesterday, today I will do Stanley Cup trivia--pretty much the same as I posted last year (there are some changes), but still interesting. (At least to some of us. :))

--The Stanley Cup was first presented in 1893.

--And it is the oldest trophy competed for by professional athletes.

--Has logged more than 400,000 miles in travel during the past five years.

--Weighs 35 pounds and stands just under three feet in height.

--Is the only trophy that is passed along from player to player the summer their team wins it. Each player and team management member of the winning team gets to take it home for a day.

--Has visited the White House (several times), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and the David Letterman Show.

--Made a guest appearance on 'Boston Legal' last season. Denny Crane was trying to engrave his name on the Cup. He felt he deserved it because he helped the Bruins win the Cup by lending Bobby Orr his lucky jockstrap for the winning game. (Of course, it probably WASN'T the REAL Cup, but still...)

--Players have used /abused the Cup in many ways. Among them: It has been used as a baptismal font. It was 'forgotten' on the side of the road by a group of players when they stopped to fix their flat tire--it was still there when they went back to get it. Has been used as a cooler at parties. Has had cereal eaten out of it. Several players have tried to see if the Cup 'will float' by throwing it in a swimming pool or lake. (I guess it doesn't.)

--Is the only trophy in professional sports to have names of all players, coaches, management, and club staff of a winning team engraved on it.

--There are 10 women's names engraved on the Cup.

--There are several misspellings on the Cup. Jacques Plante's name has been misspelled five times.

--One name was put on it--and shouldn't have been--and was later "x'd" out.

--Henri Richard won the Cup 11 times.

--Jean Beliveau's name is on the Cup the most times: 17. Ten times as a player, 7 as management.

--It takes 13 years to fill a ring of the Stanley Cup with names.

--In the space for the 2004-2005 season, it is engraved "2004-2005 Season Not Played." That was the year the season was canceled due to a labor dispute.

--Montreal has won the Cup a record 24 times. Toronto comes in second with 13 wins.

--Detroit has won the Cup more times than any other US team. At 10 wins, they are number 3 on the list behind Montreal and Toronto.

--The first US citizen to have his name engraved on the Cup is John Sherf of Calumet, MI. (That is here in the UP!) He played with the Red Wings in 1936.

--To have one's name inscribed on the Cup, a player must have played at least 41 games for the championship team during the regular season, or played at least one game in the finals. There are exceptions--of course--and are looked at in a case-by-case basis.

--It is a tradition that, after winning the Cup, each member of the team takes a lap around the ice while holding the Cup above his head.

--When the Cup travels, it is always accompanied by at least one representative of the Hockey Hall of Fame. When the reps touch the Cup, they always wear white gloves.

--In 1997, the Wings won the Cup for the first time in 42 years. The last time they won was in 2002.

--Last season, the Cup was won by a team named after a Disney movie--they shall be NAMELESS for now. (I'm still bitter.)

About The Red Wings

I just HAD to do this trivia post. Deal with it! :D

--The team was founded in 1926.
--Before they were the Red Wings, the team was known as the Cougars and as the Falcons.
--The Wings play at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
--Mike Ilitch, the owner of Little Caesar's Pizza, owns the Red Wings.
--The team roster consists of four Americans, eleven Canadians, eight Swedes, two Czechs, one Slovak, one Russian, and one Finn.
--The oldest player in the NHL (age 46), Chris Chelios, plays for the Wings.
--The Wings are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Montreal Canadiens, the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Boston Bruins, The Chicago Black Hawks, and the New York Rangers. The NHL doubled in size in 1967 when 6 more teams were added.
--Detroit is nicknamed 'Hockeytown' because of the Wings.
--The Wings have won 10 Stanley Cups--the most of any US team. They are third behind the Canadiens and Maple Leafs.
--Gordie Howe (Mr. Hockey), is one of the greatest to ever play hockey. He was a Wing.
--From 1967-83, the Wings went into a funk. This was the period of time when they were known as the 'Dead Wings.'
--The Stanly Cup win in 1997 was the first time the Wings won in 42 years.
--Fans of the Red Wings have a tradition of throwing octopi on the ice after goals are scored--especially during home play-off games. This is for good luck.
--The Wings have retired 6 numbers that former players wore. One other number has been retired league-wide: Number 99, which Gretzky wore.
--As a team and individually, the Red Wings have won more honors, trophies, and awards than can be mentioned here.
--Steve Yzerman was captain of the Wings from 1983 to 2006. This was the longest tenure of a captain in NHL history.
--33 former Red Wings are now in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
--The Wings' minor league team is the Grand Rapids Griffins.
--The colors of the Red Wings are red and white.

glitter-graphics.com

Bits of My Life

The trial K was a juror for came to an end today. They found the woman guilty. The case was this: A woman was a manager of a gas station. During one of her shifts, some money came up missing. She couldn't explain what happened to it. K isn't 100% sure she took the money, but he thinks she may be covering for someone else. He doesn't think she had adequate representation, either. He is convinced she would have been found not guilty with a better lawyer. But, the jury had to work with what they had, so they had to find her guilty. K is just happy it is over with.

**********

My newest, favorite snack is Ritz Toasted Chips--garlic and mozzarella flavor. Damn but they are good. Once I start eating them, I can't stop! Nummy.

**********

I guess I called it too soon. We are NOT getting spring yet. And this, despite the fact I saw my first robin this evening! Anyway, we are under a winter storm watch for tomorrow night and there is the possibility (probability?) of an even worse storm coming for the weekend. I don't mind having storms, I just hate getting the wet, heavy snow that is being predicted. I worry too much that we will be without power. Not fun in the least.

And It Is Done...And It Begins

Today was the last day of the 2007-08 NHL hockey season. The play-off season begins on Wednesday. The last possible day for it all to be over for the year is 9 June. A long season.

The Wings ended the season in fine style, by showing the Blackhawks who was in charge. After last week's embarrassing loss, Detroit won 4-1 today. And they looked as if they were in play-off mode. Good to see. Hudler managed a goal today to end his dry spell--hopefully it will follow into the play-offs. My biggest disappointment was that Baby Boy didn't get his 20th for the year--that time off with the injuries kept him from achieving the mark. Well, there is always next year.

With today's win, the Wings' goaltenders won the Jennings Trophy. It is given to the goaltenders of the team with the fewest goals scored against them for the season. Hasek and Osgood did very well this year and deserve the recognition. Hope Hasek can keep himself healthy through the play-offs.



--William M. Jennings Trophy--

Before the game today, the Wings were presented with the Presidents' Trophy. It is awarded to the team with the best overall record for the year and Detroit won it with 115 points--7 points ahead of the next team. But, as has happened most years, it means nothing during the play-offs. In 2002, the Wings won the Presidents' and then won the Cup--a team hasn't won both in the same year since.

In hockey--as in most sports--there are many traditions and superstitions. As the superstition goes, when being awarded the Presidents' Trophy, the captain of the team--or ANY member of the team--cannot touch the trophy at all. Big time bad luck to touch the Presidents' before winning the Cup. As the pictures show, Lidstrom couldn't stand far enough away from the Trophy today. (The captain accepts the award for the team.) It is rather amusing.



--Detroit Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom stands next to the 2007-08 President's Trophy as the National Hockey League's regular season champion before the start of their NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks in Detroit, Michigan April 6, 2008. Reuters--

More Links

Since doing the meme the other day, I found a few more links that I HAD to pass along.

Urban Dictionary--There are many times--partly because I'm older than dirt and partly because I live where I do--that I don't have a clue as to what a young or urban person is saying. This site has it all--or at least everything I have wanted to know! (I didn't put this in with my favs in the meme because there weren't supposed to be any R-rated sites. This would qualify as an R site, at least. Or maybe I only look up R-rated words/phrases. ;))

Lab Tests Online--Unfortunately, I have needed to use this site more times than I care to think about. But, it has been invaluable in many ways. Any time lab tests have been ordered for me, I go here and find out just what the doctor is looking for with the ordered test. I have saved myself a lot of worrying by going here and getting the info.

Rockabye Baby!--This site I just found and I'm still not sure what I think of it. This company takes music--ROCK music--and transforms it into lullabies for babies. Think of the music of AC/DC, Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, Nine Inch Nails, and others, as instrumentals, slowed down to a lullaby. It is really rather surreal. When you click on 'Albums' at the top of the page, you can listen to short clips of each song on the albums shown. Quite unbelievable.

KissThisGuy.com--If you have never been to this site, be prepared. Before you start reading, go to the bathroom and don't have a mouthful of coffee--you don't want to wet yourself OR spray your monitor screen. This site is simply the best place to go for a laugh. An example: The Canadian national anthem starts with these words: "Oh Canada, we stand on guard for thee..." and the child heard the lyrics as: "Oh Canada, we stand on cars and freeze..."

GIANTmicrobes--So you have a bug. And you want to know what it looks like. And you would like to HUG it. Here is the place for you. Someone--I think the person was a genius--decided to make stuffed toys that look like common microbes. Not only are these funny, but they also can be very informative and educational. My youngest was going to see about getting some of these for the vet clinic she works at as a way to remind people to get their pets immunized. MRSA and Toxic Mold make me chuckle--the toys, not the real thing! :)

Celebrate

Holidays for the week:

6 April
National Caramel Popcorn Day
Drowsy Driver Awareness Day
Teflon Day

7 April
National Coffee Cake Day
No Housework Day

8 April
National Empanada Day

9 April
National Chinese Almond Cookie Day
National Cherish An Antique Day

10 April
National Cinnamon Crescent Day
National Sibling Day

11 April
National Cheese Fondue Day
Dandelion Day
Barbershop Quartet Day
International "Louie, Louie" Day

12 April
National Licorice Day
Walk On Your Wild Side Day

On Being Old and Out of Shape

Just minutes after waking up yesterday, I moved in an awkward way and felt a 'POP' in my left shoulder blade. And that was the end of my day. I could barely move my left arm without experiencing a lot of discomfort and had to hold my bent arm close to my body to feel halfway decent. I tried aspirin first to see if that would make things better, and it didn't. Before I went to bed I sucked down three Advil and woke up today with the shoulder and back feeling much, much better. However, the longer I am up and doing things, the stiffer my left side is getting. Damn. I guess this is one of those 'have to work itself out' kind of deals. As long as it doesn't get any worse, I won't be going to the doctor. I really think it is a matter of being old and out of shape. yay.

Bits 'n' Pieces

K reported for jury duty today and was chosen to sit. He has to go back on Monday and maybe Tuesday. I don't know what the case is, as he wouldn't tell me. He said the judge told them they could go to jail if they discuss the case, so he won't. The only thing he said was that accountants were involved--and that he has never been as bored in his life! I'm sure he'll tell me what the case is after it is all over, but I may not want to know then. :)

**********

Early in the trial process, K said the judge called out the number of a juror and told him to leave. No explanation, nothing. K found out later that the judge was given a note saying that alcohol had been smelled on the juror's breath. When the rest of the jury went into the jury room, the first thing someone said was, "Okay, who has a bottle. We can ALL get out of here!"

**********

I should know better than to ask him any 'secrets.' I ran into this when he was in the Navy. The boat he was on had a designation of being nuclear capable. When asked if they had nuclear anything on board, he repeated the company line: "I can neither confirm or deny whether there is anything nuclear on board." To me he CLAIMED not to know the real answer, but I don't know. If he DID know, I am sure he wouldn't have said.

**********

It has been announced that the Wii Fit will be available in the US on 21 May. Some sites seem to be taking pre-orders, but I will wait and take my chances. I think it will be as hard to find the Fit as it was to find the Wii system. I can wait, though. To find out more about the Wii Fit, go here.

As of now, Nintendo hasn't said what the Fit will be priced at. I have read/seen prices ranging from $80-250. I think it will be around $100. I don't think they can sell it for $250--that is what the Wii system costs!

**********

The Wings DID sign Abdelkader to a three year contract today. He really isn't expected to be in the regular line-up next year--he will go to Grand Rapids to learn the game. But, he just might be in the play-offs THIS year because of injuries. Kopecky left last night's game with an injury and he is out for the rest of the season. He suffered a torn ACL and sprained MCL in his knee and will need surgery. He won't be playing for 4-6 months. Hopefully he'll be ready to go to training camp next year. Damn--and he was just coming into his own, too.

After tonight's games, it is decided that Detroit will face Nashville in the first round of the play-offs. It is good because the travel time is almost negligible, but Nashville is on a roll right now and that is dangerous. However, there are bad things about playing ANY of the teams in the play-offs, so...

FINALLY!!

The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up the President's Trophy tonight--FINALLY! After last night's loss and the slow start to tonight's game, it seemed as if they weren't going to win it at all. But, they came back, played a better second period and a much better third, winning it all with Z's goal with 11 seconds left in the game. It now doesn't matter if they beat the Blackhawks on Sunday--win or lose, next year will be interesting when the two teams meet! I think we may have a rivalry brewing.

Two more players are now injured. Maltby got hurt last night and Kopecky got it tonight. No injured came back tonight, but most should be back on Sunday or early in the first round.

Detroit had a new player in the line up tonight. Justin Abdelkader, a junior from Michigan State, was given an amateur tryout--and did very well. They hope to sign him to a three-year contract before Saturday so that he is eligible for the play-offs. Abdelkater is 6-2, 203 pounds and was named the MVP of the Frozen Four in 2007. He scored the winning goal to help MSU win the 2007 NCAA title. He made his presence known in the game tonight--he made some fine hits. He will be a fine addition.


Just look at these smiles--they say it all!



--Detroit Red Wings' Henrik Zetterberg, of Sweden, celebrates his game-winning goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets with teammate Pavel Datsyuk (13), of Russia, in the third period of an NHL hockey game in Detroit, Thursday, April 3, 2008. Detroit won 3-2. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)--

The Links Meme

Burg over at Sweet Insanity tagged me for this meme--this should be a lot of fun!


THE LINKS MEME

ALL are invited to join in The Links Meme fun!


PLEASE follow the rules!

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:


I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen!

They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…


There are some rules, as usual:

1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.

2. Only FIVE links.

3. MUST tell 5 people.

4. A link back to the person who tagged you

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1. I Can Has Cheezburger--I love a good laugh and have several sites where I get my fill every day. It was hard to pick just one, but this site NEVER fails to make me chuckle!

2. Artbeads--At best, I am an amateur at making jewelry. I make bracelets for friends and relatives and personalize each one in some way. (I just made C an autism awareness bracelet, for example.) My favorite beads to use are Swarovski crystals and this site is the best place I have found to get beads of all kinds--especially Swarovski of every shape and color imaginable. And better still, they don't charge for shipping! WOOT!

3. mental_floss--Anyone who has read my blog for a while knows how much I enjoy this site. I can spend HOURS surfing the site and still not be finished. This is the only place on the net for trivia buffs, by far!

4. Wikipedia--I know this site gets a lot of negative comments, but where else can you get so much information in one place? Wikipedia is usually the first place I go to find out about something. (I went here when I wanted to have an idea about chaos theory--I know I'm not going to have to read anything too incomprehensible when I come here first.) If there is a question about whether the info is correct, there usually is a note that states the fact. I still find it a one stop shopping place for information.

5. PostSecret--This site is one of the most interesting I have ever found. New 'secrets' are posted every Sunday and it is something I look forward to every week. The idea behind this site is this: People send anonymous postcards to the man behind PostSecret. The postcards have peoples' deepest, darkest, ridiculous, never been mentioned secrets on them. These postcards are then posted on the site. There have been heart-wrenching secrets, some that are maddening, some that are laughable. Many, many times I have marveled over the fact that another person feels the way I do. It certainly makes one feel a lot less lonely in this world.


Here are the people I am tagging:

Sue at The Torn Pages--I would like to see where she goes on the information super highway. She has an interesting life, so her links must be interesting, also!

Janet at Janet's Ordinary Life--Janet is deaf as a result of contracting spinal meningitis at the age of six. What are her favorite sites? Is her deafness a factor in where she surfs? I doubt it, but I will be interested to see.

Meleah at Momma Mia, Mea Culpa--What a life this woman has lived! I can't imagine she has an uninteresting site that she frequents. Come on Mel, surprise me!

Jan at Down Yonder Green Valley--Jan lives in Wales! (Beautiful country--at least from the pictures she posts!) Jan is the only non-US resident I read every day, so I would like to see what interests her.

Ann(ie) over at Life is short. Partake in happy hour!-- Okay, Ann(ie), show us you don't only surf adult beverage sites! :D

Just WHO Are They Kidding?

K and I went to our favorite Italian restaurant tonight for dinner. (And, no, it was NOT Olive Garden--we don't have one in our town. :)) I sat with my back toward the wall and faced the rest of the restaurant, which I usually do. Right in my line of vision was an elderly man--he was in his 60s or 70s. The man was balding--badly. He also had the mother of all comb-overs--with a swirl to top it all off. It was very, very sad. He wore his hair rather short--except for the comb-over--and parted it less than one inch from the top of his ear. I think a very ill-fitting toupee would have been less noticeable. Just WHO do these men think they are fooling? Don't they see what the rest of us see when they look in mirrors? Or, are they completely in a state of denial? Thank goodness he and his party left before my food arrived. The comb-over kind of put me off my feed. :/

Forgetting

Tonight's game was so embarrassing, it doesn't deserve to be commented on. I'm going to forget it was ever played.

GRRRRR!!!!!

Just a short note. If I should happen to go MIA, it is because I have been having some internet problems. Probably after effects from the storm, so... Couldn't connect at all earlier and I'm not comfortable thinking that everything is fine. Time will tell--if all is okay, I will post later tonight.

Bits and Pieces

We got a letter today announcing The Father's family reunion this summer. Oh, yay. As I have always said, I certainly wouldn't be friends with most of my family. I have to be around these people ONLY because they are family, so... The day of the reunion, K will be in the middle of a night-shift stretch. This means he will have to take time off so that we can attend--something HE has to decide if he wants or not. He hasn't told me what he has decided yet.

I never was very close to any of The Father's family, but that is mainly The Mother's fault. She didn't like them, so we didn't spend time around them. (She said THEY didn't like her, so it is hard as to where to place blame on this one.) There are a couple of my cousins who I would like to be friends with, but it is way too late for that--too much water under the bridge. AND too much family drama. I will go to the thing and I will enjoy myself, but I won't cry if we stay home.

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I posted as to how much snow we got during the storm, but I didn't mention how much of an impact this had. All of the schools in the area were closed, including the university. You know the weather is bad when the university closes. After all, most of the students don't need to commute, so there isn't that much of a concern over commuting safety. If there were any business closings, I don't know. Surprisingly, our mail got here before noon--and we don't usually get it till after 2:00 PM! A mystery.

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Our new freezer was delivered on Monday. For five years, at least, I have been telling K that there was something very wrong with the old one. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of the guys K works with, so I didn't know what the hell I was talking about. A couple of months ago he asked around at work and, lo and behold, my assessment of the situation was confirmed--so we ordered a new one. I did all of the research to find a replacement, but when the new one got here, it almost didn't fit through the door--turns out it is bigger than my old one! Oops. Well, I guess I'll have a lot of fun filling the darn thing.

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Several more teams clinched play-off spots again tonight--but there still are several spots that won't be decided till the last game of the season. It still isn't decided who Detroit will play. The President's Cup winner hasn't been decided yet, either--tomorrow night, maybe.

I watched two games tonight--both could have a definite impact on who the Wings play in the first round. I really don't know who I want them to be up against--there are good and bad things about each team. It will be nice when all is decided, though. One more week and the play-offs begin--can't wait!

Holmstrom could be playing tomorrow night. He got a cortisone injection in the groin to help with the pain he has been experiencing. Ick and ouch! It will be interesting to see whether he can play up to his capabilities. Draper is out--probably through the end of the year--with HIS groin problem. Stuart has been skating with the team and is hoping the finger is fine for the first round of the play-offs. He said he can't shoot very well, yet. And Samuelsson should be back, as well, before the play-offs.

Three games left in the regular season and Baby Boy has only one more goal to reach twenty. When it happens, he will be the sixth Wing to reach at least twenty goals for the year--not too shabby.