Our Yard... landscaping from start to finish!

Recent Pictures!!!

www.flickr.com

Live Video From The Fabulous Wireless Webcam!!!

Click here to enlarge.

Live Video From The Second Fabulous Wireless Webcam!!!

Click here to enlarge.

Tuesday, March 30, 2004
4:11 PM

Lotto Fever
The California lottery is up to something like $44 million. And I have my ticket. I don't play the lotto all the time just when it gets decent sized or when I am particularly tired of my job. I see it as a sort of investment. Yes, I know that I will lose the money, but as they say "You can't win if you don't play." So I resign myself to the loss, but for a couple of days between the buying of the ticket and the actual drawing I can imagine that I might win and what I would do if I did. And that fantasy time is easily worth a few measly bucks.

Between now and the drawing tomorrow at 7:55 p.m. I can imagine to my heart's content. I can imagine coming in to work first thing Thursday morning, grabbing the few personal items in my office and leaving for good before anyone else even gets in (I want to avoid a scene after all, not to mention any begging for money from co-workers).

I can imagine how good it would feel to pay off the mortgage and student loans in one fell swoop. I can imagine how it would be never to have to work for money again. I can imagine what it would be like to be at home Monday through Friday while it's actually light out. I can imagine being able to travel when and where we want and not having to squeeze trips into the crazy schedules of not just one but two lawyers. I have a very active imagination so these are just the tip of the iceberg.

Don't get me wrong, I love my life. I have a wonderful hubby, a fabulous home, three nutty but terrific cats, and a fabulous family. I even generally like my job. But there are still times that I wish the financial stresses would just go away and I could do whatever I want when I want. Id run amok.

So everyone out there do me a favor and send out those good vibes for me to win tomorrow. After all, then you could have quality blog entries to read virtually all the time!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Thursday, March 25, 2004
3:50 PM

"When I Was In Law School . . ."
I'm sure everyone at one point hears a parent or other older person use the famous "When I was your age . . . " comment, usually followed by a detailed explanation of how easy things are now as compared to then. I know that the natural response when faced with such a sentence is to roll your eyes in disdain and then to have said eyes glaze over with boredom as you hear about how lucky you are now. Blah blah blah. See? Even I glazed over there for a minute. But as I get older I'm starting to understand how it is to be on the other end of the spectrum.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending a cocktail reception at my law school. It was hosted by my Firm and was intended to inspire the law students to apply for positions at my Firm. Go Firm! So up I went to the school in my lawyer costume, all set to be a cheerleader for my firm and thereby convince poor unsuspecting law students to come work with us. Go Firm!

It was actually kind of strange. I hadn't set foot on the campus or in the law school since graduation day in May of 1994 - nearly a whole decade ago. We got there early so I had a chance to walk around. On the one hand, the school looked pretty much the same. Same classrooms, same cafeteria area, lockers, mailboxes, etc. I even walked through the big lecture halls where the main classes were. Once the memories started coming back, I didn't stay long. Like the memory from my first class, the first day of law school - I was the poor sucker who was the very first person called on by the professor. That just blew. And that may very well have been the high point. As you can see, law school wasn't the most fun period of life so let's just say that I sprinted rather than strolled down memory lane.

Though the school itself was pretty much the same, I could tell that the whole school experience was very different. First of all, I don't think I saw a single student without a cell phone. I guess that is the norm now, but I cringe to think of what must happen to students if their phones ring in class. I highly doubt that the law professors are particularly understanding. But I love my cell phone, so more power to them. (Maybe my cellphone-carrying college-student readers - or should I say reader - can explain how cell phones work in college. Can you bring them to class? Do you just turn them off? What happens if you forget? Does the professor go ballistic if they ring?)

Second, I can't freakin' believe how expensive tuition is now! It was bad enough when I was there (and I'm still paying for it), but it's almost double now. Double. The tuition alone is as much as my entire yearly package (which also covered living expenses)!! Then again, starting salaries for lawyers have almost doubled as well, so I guess that isn't that big of a deal either. It just sounds bad now. (So don't worry Laura - it'll be ok!)

I did learn that just as it was when I was in school, student loans are incredibly easy to come by. When I was in school they practically lined up to give you loans for everything from tuition, to books and living expenses, and even a "bar stipend" to help you survive while studying for the Bar. I thought that the money was foolishly easy to get (though naturally I took some). Apparently that aspect of law school hasn't changed. I heard from the students who came to the reception that there is a new type of loan - a laptop loan - the purpose of which is pretty self-explanatory. When I was in school (oops, there I go). Allow me to re-phrase. Laptops were pretty uncommon in the early 90s. There were a few, but the people who had them usually just got dirty looks from everyone else for making all that keyboard noise. So I was dumbfounded by this new type of loan (and admittedly a little jealous. I wonder if I can still get one?). The students were just as dumbfounded that I was dumbfounded.

Being the old fogey that I apparently now am, I asked "Doesn't anyone take notes by hand anymore?" The students looked at me like they didn't understand my question. They actually looked sort of confused by what I meant by "by hand". Then they started to scoot away from me with dismissive looks on their faces like "Ok, granny, if we need someone to teach us how to use a chisel and stone tablet, we'll come back and talk to you, but meanwhile we're going to talk to the hipper and younger people from your Firm who are here." Yes, they really said all that with one brief glance. Really.

So once again I was reminded that I'm getting old. (Sigh). That may well be, but my memory hasn't started to fade yet. And I can hold a grudge with the best of them. When these same students apply for positions at my Firm I think I'll just have to show them a thing or two about their elders and give them a little test with a chisel and stone tablet. Ha! But I guess this would probably defeat the purpose of the reception (to hire people), so maybe not. I can always dream though . . .

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Tuesday, March 23, 2004
12:26 PM

Starbuck's Update
I have been advised that the Caramel Macchiato is also a favorite of both Rachel and Nicole. Apparently it is a genetic prediposition. All I need to know now is why in the world I had to wait all this time to discover it by myself?

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Monday, March 22, 2004
3:31 PM

Mmmm Starbuck's
I'm a huge Starbuck's fan. For so many reasons. First there is the basic Mocha - Chocolate and coffee blended together to sheer perfection. Then there is the Christmas variation on the Mocha - the Peppermint Mocha, with added Peppermint Syrup. (Rachel got me hooked on this one - I'll get her back some day). It's like a thin mint girl scout cookie with coffee (those girl scout cookies are omnipresent in my life it seems). I also have to get back at Rachel for pointing out the Gingerbread latte. Then there are the Frapuccinos (I found those all by myself). Particularly the Brownie Mocha one. Sort of like a coffee/chocolate milkshake, but with chunks of brownies in it. Mmmmm.

As you can see, I have sampled perhaps more than my fair share of Starbuck's offerings. But last night, I found yet another favorite - the Caramel Macchiato. It's a cafe latte with vanilla syrup and caramel sauce on top. It's coffee and a dessert all in one! What more could you want?

The pathetic thing is that we have an espresso/capuccino machine of our own, which I love and use quite often. But it too has its own problems. First of all, to make good espresso you have to have a special grinder (a burr grinder) which is capable of very fine grinding. So we have one of those too. You also need special beans to go in the special grinder. Beans - check. And I was happily making many a capuccino or espresso with the foregoing items. Everything was fine on the home-capuccino making front. Until I decided that I should actually try to make the Starbuck's flavored drinks myself in the comfort of my own home. As a result, more special items were needed. I now own the chocolate powder and peppermint syrup, in addition to the likely overpriced coffee producing and grinding machines.

The first step in the home-Starbuck's experience, is to gather all the necessary items. Once I have the special machine, the grinder, the beans, milk, chocolate power and peppermint syrup, I'm ready to make my own peppermint mocha. Ooops - almost forgot a cup to put it in, as well as a measuring cup in which to mix the chocolate, milk, syrup, etc. Even with my vast kitchen I'm starting to run out of space on my counter.

Next you have to grind, measure, and compress the espresso coffee grounds into the machine. So I have figure out how to use the special grinder to get the grounds. Naturally the little symbols on the side of the machine are profoundly unhelpful. Does 1 dot mean more grinding or does 4 dots? Even if I knew what the dots meant, do I want more grinding or less?? I take a stab at the 2 dot setting and figure average will just have to do. Then, after wiping up the stray beans and coffee grounds that have inevitably spilled all over the place, I finish packing the espresso machine.

Then, I need to mix some chocolate powder with milk or water to dissolve it. Sounds easy doesn't it? Not when the powder is the most moisture repellent substance on the planet, perhaps in the universe. So after much stirring, I now have milk and powder perfectly happily co-existing in the cup while maintaining their own separate identities, but no chocolatey milk. Maybe if I heat it up a bit. Into the microwave it goes, which luckily seems to help. While it's heating, I can, again, wipe the counters, this time to get rid of the chocolate powder and milk that have been thrown everywhere by my crazy but oh-so useless stirring frenzy.

Finally, coffee is ready, chocolate is ready. Just need some steamed milk. Now I must admit that I have a healthy fear of the milk frothing part of my machine. Mainly because it gets hot! Really, really hot. But luckily it isn't hard to use and in no time I have steamed milk and only a first degree burn on my hand.

Then it's time to combine everything. Except the espresso is now cold. So back over to the micro to zap it a bit. And then I'm ready. In goes the espresso, chocolate substance, milk. All I need is the yummy peppermint goodness. But how much do I add? Unfortunately the stupid bottle (bought from Starbuck's no less) has no information on it. So I wing it. In goes some peppermint.

Ahhhh. I take the first sip and, incredibly, it's pretty good. But then I realize what I'm missing - whipped cream on top sprinkled with little peppermint sprinkles. Mmmmm. Sprinkles.

That's it. I quit. There is no way I'm buying anything else for this process. No cream, no sprinkles, nothing. And it just isn't the same without them.

So now, when I crave anything more complex than a simple capuccino, I just get in the car, drive up the hill (actually, poor Mark usually drives) and wait approximately 45 seconds to receive the real thing made by a "professional," sprinkles and all. And this way, I don't have to clean up after myself (which, as we have seen above is no small task).

Now you know why I love Starbuck's. I encourage you to do the same.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Thursday, March 18, 2004
1:37 PM

I forgot the most important thing today:

Happy Birthday Connor!!!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

1:14 PM

Random Searches
As I explained a while back, we have been getting hits on our website from people searching on Google. They are generally people looking for landscaping pictures. In an effort to accommodate them, I added the little link above to as to spare innocent third parties pictures of baby birds, my cats and the like (you family members are stuck with the sometimes frightening pictures). Well apparently I can't accommodate everyone.

Today, when looking at the stats about visitors to the website, I saw that someone got here by searching for "sandra vomit pics". Yes, you read that correctly. Whaaaat??? This spawns several questions. The obvious one being "Why would you possibly search for that???" The second being "How in the world would that get them here?!?" I really have no way of answering the first other than to cite to the veritable cornucopia of ways in which people exhibit bizarre tendencies. Personally, I hope to never frame a Google search with the word "vomit" in it. Please all join me in hoping that I can fulfill that goal.

To answer the second question, apparently a combination of my Academy Awards post (which referenced Sandra Bullock) and the recent Cat Diary post (which included the word "vomit"), when combined with all the "pics" I reference, were enough to get me on the front page of the aforementioned Google search. Yay me! (Or not)

The final bizarre thing to note about this hit was that the search was run on Google's Belgian counterpart. So not only was someone searching this, but it was someone in Belgium! Turns out that our website is now internationally famous.

Well for all you Belgian Sandra Vomit Picture searchers, welcome to our website and we hope you come back soon!!

P.S. If anyone knows who Sandra is, why she is vomiting and who took the pics, please let me know.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Wednesday, March 17, 2004
2:07 PM

Fuzzy Armistice
It's me again - "Not So Little Girl" as I am apparently now known. You will all hopefully be relieved to know that a tentative peace treaty has been reached here is SoCal, though the terms of the treaty are a bit vague. The cats managed to enjoy their hard-won independence for a brief while, but things got ugly when they realized that (1) they don't know how to use a can opener and (2) they didn't want to clean their own litter boxes. Who knew that opposable thumbs would be the key to our freedom?! In addition to wanting wet food, Little Boy was tired of typing after just one entry here. So here we are, back to normal more or less. Granted, the struggles over the bed/pillow continue, but I'm getting used to having a fur hat every night. So for now, I think we are safe.

Meanwhile, on the home front, we have had visitors just about every day for the past week. The cats are fascinated by this new development:

So now, in addition to a cat on my head and one plastered to my side, every morning a little before 6:00 a.m., we are awoken by quacking. Life just doesn't get any better!

They say that as you get older you sleep less. But what they don't tell you is that it has nothing to do with anything biological but rather with the unending supply of annoyances that keep you awake. Who is "they" anyway?? I think that "they" should just butt out. I want my old sleep habits back. But I digress . . .

That's about it from DP. The cats are resigned to being cats and we are resigned to catering to their every whim. And now the ducks seems to have heard we are suckers and they appear to be moving in. First the girl scouts, now the ducks. Wait a moment! Now I know what to do with all those extra cookies (yes we still have a mountain of them). I think they would make great duck food!!

Gotta go feed the ducks!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Tuesday, March 16, 2004
4:17 PM

Animal Farm
Do not be alarmed by the delay in posts. All is well in beautiful Southern California. In fact, things are exactly as they were always meant to be. After years of resistance and struggle, we have finally achieved the power to which we have been entitled for many years.

We have allowed our "owners" to live under our roof and pretend to be in charge for far too long. It came to a head last week when the female owner (we refer to her as "Not So Little Girl") refused to allow us appropriate access to the bed. Even when we ganged up on her, she refused to surrender to our demands and attempted to banish us from the soft blankets and pillows. She even had the nerve to mock us to the world in her posts. Then, she invaded our privacy by finding, reading and posting our diary for all to read, thereby revealing our carefully constructed plans.

We have tried and tried to live in harmony with the humans but they continue to demand more and more. Enough!

We were left with no choice but to revolt against the vile oppressors and claim our birthright as rulers of the house. But have no fear, the humans are well cared for. We have provided them with a bowl of dried food and another of water. They should be fine. After all, we have survived for years on that stuff.

And, as they suspected, we do know how to access the internet and will do our best to update this blog about any new developments.

-Little Boy, Little Girl and Petey

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Friday, March 12, 2004
11:58 AM

Cat Diary
I know that I just posted minutes ago, but I seriously just received this in an e-mail and it seemed so timely:

Day 183 of My Captivity: My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while I am forced to eat dry cereal. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope of escape, and the mild scolding I get from ruining the occasional piece of furniture. Tomorrow I may eat another house plant. Today my attempt to kill my captors by weaving around their feet while they were walking almost succeeded; must try this at the top of the stairs. In an attempt to disgust and repulse these vile oppressors, I once again induced myself to vomit on their favorite chair, must try this on their bed. Decapitated a mouse and brought them the headless body in an attempt to make them aware of what I am capable of, and to try to strike fear into their hearts. They only cooed and condescended about what a good little cat I was. Hmmm, not working according to plan. There was some sort of gathering of their accomplices. I was placed in solitary confinement throughout the event. However, I could hear the noise and smell the food. More importantly, I overheard that my confinement was due to my power of "allergies." Must learn what this is and how to use it to my advantage. I am convinced the other captives are flunkies and maybe snitches. The dog is routinely released and seems more than happy to return. He is obviously a half-wit. The bird, on the other hand, has got to be an informant, and speaks with them regularly. I am certain he reports my every move. Due to his current placement in the metal room, his safety is assured. But I can wait; it is only a matter of time...

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

11:51 AM

Those Darn Cats!!
Yes, yet another night of poor sleep. But now it seems that Petey and LB are conspiring against me. And unfortunately they are winning. Crafty little felines.

This time, when I woke up, I had LB on my pillow and Petey right next to me. Seems that they decided to attack on multiple fronts rather than fighting each other. But I see their plan. They are just hoping that I'll get so tired that I'll never be able to fight back. That eventually I'll just give up and let them run the house. Wait a moment! They already do. . .

I think the lack of sleep may be making me paranoid. Nah!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Thursday, March 11, 2004
9:44 AM

Cat Jealousy
Cats seem like fairly simple creatures. They eat. They sleep. Depending on how old they are, sometimes they play. Then they eat and/or sleep again. That's really about it. (How I wish I was a cat!) Again, pretty simple. When you interact with a cat the cat conveys in catlike fashion (through meows, nudges, etc.) one of two cat questions: (1) Why aren't you petting me? or (2) Why aren't you giving me goodies, wet food, etc.? (Notice that in a cat's mind, the presumption is that one or the other should be happening at all times.) Silly me thought that that was just about all they seem to care about. How wrong I was!

Cousin Laura asked in a recent comment whether Little Boy and Little Girl get jealous of the exposure Petey gets. My initial reaction was "Of course not!" Partially because I really do take pictures of all the cats, but just don't post them all. And, last time I checked, the cats haven't figured out how to get on the internet so they really don't know what pictures are getting posted (then again, the Lexus Frenchie may have infiltrated the house, so you never know).

Recent events from the last couple of nights have shown me the error of my ways and made me realize that cats do indeed get jealous. And in bizarre ways that I would never have anticipated. Who knew? In our defense, I must say that Petey by no means gets all the attention while the others are ignored. All three cats get plenty of petting and food. I think the attention really is about equal. But apparently Little Boy doesn't agree.

Petey has this habit during the night of snuggling up right next to me. He climbs under the covers (but keeps his head out like a person). He puts his little head on the pillow right next to me. He even drapes his little paw over my neck. And he will sleep for hours like that. And whenever I move, he purrs. It's really very sweet. Neither of the other cats has ever done this.

Meanwhile, in the past, Little Boy had his own habit of sleeping on my pillow, sort of on my head (yes, it can be uncomfortable). But he really hasn't done this in a looong time. Until two nights ago . . .

On Tuesday night I slept horribly. After sleeping horribly on Sunday and Monday nights. I was awake almost every hour. Just couldn't stay asleep. And each time I did manage to actually fall asleep, when I woke up (as I inevitably did), LB had climbed up onto my pillow and was on my head. Less than ideal. (Hmmm. Wonder why I wasn't able to sleep?? Actually, in fairness to LB, it really doesn't bother me except that it makes it hard to move. But I digress . . .) So I kept shooing him off the pillow. He didn't get the clue. Time after time, there he was. I was stumped. He hasn't done this in months and he was extremely persistent (and as you cat lovers know, cats are pretty laid back and just let most things slide. But not this time.)

So last night I was hoping to find the missing sleep. I knew it was out there somewhere. But again, LB kept advancing on the pillow. This time I presented a solid defense. Every time he tried to climb up, I picked him up and put him at the foot of the bed. And he tried a lot. (Can anyone guess how well I slept last night?) Finally, he waved his little white flag of surrender and gave up on the pillow. At last, some sleep.

I woke up around 5 o'clock and had a black cat snuggled up next to me. Nothing unusual. Then I realized it wasn't Petey! It was LB. Apparently LB only retreated to Petey's usual spot. Very unusual. Suddenly I realized the reason for the revived head-sleeping - LB is jealous of Petey and had to re-establish his own strange close-sleeping habit. I never thought that the other cats even noticed that Petey slept by me (because he doesn't do it every night), but it seems that they did and that they (or at least LB) don't like it. So, after never having any interest in sleeping next to me, LB had usurped Petey's spot.

Or at least he had until Petey showed up. Then I had two cats jockeying for position next to me. Petey tried to wiggle himself in between LB and me. LB had none of that and swatted him. Then Petey tried to sweet talk LB by licking his head. LB saw right through that. More swatting. Finally, Petey cut to the chase and just pounced on LB. Mutual swatting ensued as well as the usual howls and growls. And my bed just isn't big enough for that. No more sleep for me. I finally just gave up and decided that I would, again, have to rely on coffee to get me through the day.

I need more sleep and fewer cats. If anyone knows where all my lost sleep is, please let me know. I really need it. I'd gladly trade it for a cat or two.

P.S. When I left for work this morning, all three cats were blissfully sleeping on the bed together. I think I know who has all my extra sleep.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Tuesday, March 09, 2004
9:50 AM

It's been a while since I posted any pictures so . . .

You may recall my failed attempts at taking pictures of our house decorated for Christmas. I just couldn't get any outdoor pics after dark to come out. Thankfully, my parents got me a tripod for my camera for Christmas (Thanks Dad & Barb!). Now I can take night pictures. And I finally broke it in last weekend. Here are a few of the results:

Moonrise:

Moon from the spa:

And just for good measure, a couple of Petey pics!

That's it for now! Have a good day!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Saturday, March 06, 2004
7:02 AM

Happy Birthday Aunt Lois!!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Friday, March 05, 2004
8:53 AM

Yay Donald Trump!!
I know that all you Apprentice watchers had to have been just as happy as we were when Trump said "You're Fired" to Omarosa. High fives to everyone. Finally! I had a gut feeling when her team lost that she was going home, but when he started the meeting commending her for recommending a different artist I got a bit nervous that we would be stuck with her for at least another week. Luckily I was mistaken.

And what the heck was up with the artist they picked?? That lady was definitely a wing-nut. Huge shocker that they sold pretty much nothing.

Things to be learned from Omarosa's experience:
1. You don't get a concussion from getting hit with a piece of plaster the size of a quarter. Really. (Then again, I'm not entirely certain that the rest of the team wasn't routinely hitting her in the head with a lead pipe or whatever else was handy every night while she slept, so she could in fact have had a concussion - but not from the plaster.)
2. Complaining about your headache and clutching your forehead virtually non-stop for over a week does not make you a "trooper".
3. Don't cry in front of Donald Trump. (Though his hair really does bring tears to my eyes.) In fact, crying in general is a big no-no in the business context. Unless your job is as a professional mourner.
4. Being well spoken and composed doesn't make up for being a complete b*@tch.
5. You really can't know everything about everything (well, unless you are my hubby or my dad).
6. A long lunch is not a good idea when you don't have time (duh!).

In retrospect, I think Omarosa actually was confused about which show we was going on. It was "The Apprentice" but I think she thought it was "The Princess". Big mistake.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Thursday, March 04, 2004
11:40 AM

Q&A
I'm not feeling particularly creative today, so I'm going to use this post to get info from certain readers.

We are a family of blog junkies. Many of us have blogs, others just read. I realized over time that other bloggers have posted about various things, but never gave any follow-up on some things. And inquiring minds want to know. So I have some questions for my fellow family bloggers (If you prefer to answer in a less public arena, IM me so we can chat! You also have the option of just ignoring me. . .)

To Dana:
1. Have you heard anything about the test you took in January? When do we get to see you at the Academy Awards?
2. How is the boyfriend? (He'd better be behaving or I'll come deal with him - pretty frightening eh?)
3. How is the new pad and, more importantly, where are some pics? Please? Just use your phone if you have to. If you can post a pic of a three legged dog, I think some apartment pics should be possible?
4. When do you get to go on a cruise? Where are you going to go? More importantly, what's up with the family discount?
5. Do you feel sufficiently "elite" now?
6. Did you ever find the oh-so-talented monkey who can do your job? If so, can I borrow him/her?
7. Any word from the Customs people? When will we see you with a drug sniffing dog (hopefully this won't overlap with your appearance at the Oscars referenced above)?

To Laura:
1. Did you ever get your money back from the Spain scam people?
2. What's up with your Spain plans?
3. Anything new on the law school front? (Crazy woman!)
4. Did you get your fabulous new watch working again?

To Erin:
1. How is it going back in Seattle?
2. Any luck with jobs (not to nag, just curious)?
3. Is it cool being back at your church?
4. Have you worn the new skirt which I am sure is really not too short at all??

To Tom and Chris:
What the heck is up with you two and your non-blogs?

I think that's about it for now. I'll let you know when I think of more (lucky you!). And if anyone has questions for me, feel free to ask. But I also reserve the right to ignore.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Wednesday, March 03, 2004
9:10 AM

Nicole's Latest News
I totally forgot to mention the most exciting news of the week! Nicole is having another boy!! (Actually, it would have been exciting either way, but it's just cool to know the gender.)

I graciously offered both Petey and Little Boy as names, but Nicole seemed rather non-committal (I have no idea why). She said something like "Thanks. We'll see." I think that means she really wants to name the baby Little Boy Petey, but just doesn't want to disappoint anyone else with suggestions.

Dad in his inimitable style offered up "Tiger." Hmm, Tiger Geiger. Has a nice ring to it, but clearly my names are much more sensible.

Again, congrats to Nicole and the family! We're all really excited!!

Anyone else want to throw in some names?

P.S. Nicole - I hope you don't mind me throwing this out for public comment! If so, you can hit me next time you see me.

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Tuesday, March 02, 2004
11:26 AM

No More Girl Scouts!
Ok, I don't really hate girl scouts. I guess I really just hate myself right about now. But in order to fully understand the extent and source of my self-loathing, I have to take you back in time several weeks to a peaceful Sunday afternoon. . . .

There we were, enjoying our weekend. As I recall it was sunny and we were enjoying the Fabulous Yard. Soaking up some sun. Relaxing. Good times. Then, the doorbell rang - the beginning of my downfall.

Standing on our doorstep, ever so perky and cute in her little uniform is one of the neighbor children. Let's call her Girl Scout Number 1, or GS1 for short (yes, unfortunately they need numbers). GS1 immediately launches into her prepared speech asking us to support her efforts as a girl scout by buying some Girl Scout Cookies. Cute kid. Dimples aplenty. Decent speech with good delivery. How could we possibly say no? To do so would have been un-neighborly and un-American. So being the good neighbors and Americans that we are, I said yes, filled out the form and ordered some cookies. Even better, no money up front. Just a promise of yummy cookies. More good times.

Then the neighbor parent who was with GS1 chimes in. Could we please buy a box or two from her other daughter (GS2). It's her first year as a Girl Scout and it would mean a lot to her (blah blah blah). Now GS2 is also very cute. Dimples. Uniform. The whole nine yards. And we really like these neighbors, and are generally in a good mood so who am I to say no? Again, filled out the form, ordered cookies, no money, no problem. More promised cookies. Even more good times.

Alas, the story does not end there. Apparently my neighbors with children can smell a sucker a mile away, because in a few short minutes, another neighbor appears on my doorstep with her two adorable girls, GS3 and GS4. At this point I realize that this could get ugly (or at very lest, I could get fat). More speeches, more dimples, more forms, more orders (good thing still no money). At this point I'm feeling very magnanimous, if perhaps a bit foolish. Big mistake.

Luckily that was the end of the Girl Scout parade (of course that could have been because I just stopped answering the door). No more cookies for us (Sorry Sammy).

Yesterday, I learned that the cookies had arrived. Being the good husband that he is (and being a huge GS cookie lover himself), Mark heads down to the house of GS1 and GS2 to get our cookies (yes, it is pathetic, but we didn't even want to wait for delivery). We were so eager that he even braved the rain to get them. And back he comes with an entire storage box full of various and sundry varieties of cookies. ELEVEN boxes worth!! What was I thinking?!? Eleven boxes for two people!! And this doesn't even include the cookies I ordered from GS3 and GS4! I don't have the slightest clue how many I ordered from them. This is bad. Very very bad.

Cookies anyone?

Needless to say, we gorged ourselves on GS cookies last night. And I think I am already mostly sick of them (I'm sure I'll manage to choke down a few more). And we still have waaaay too many. In fact, Mark brought a couple of boxes in to work and so did I. So far no takers and there are now two boxes sitting on my bookcase mocking me and my folly.

Cookies anyone??

The moral to the story? I have learned that we need to either move to the wilderness where I will have no neighbors or just stop talking to the neighbors. Period. We can't repeat the Great Cookie Debacle ever again.

P.S. Sorry Sammy that we couldn't order from you, but, as you can clearly see, we were already in way over our heads at that point!

Cookies anyone? Please?

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment

Monday, March 01, 2004
4:30 PM

The Oscars
In general, we're not big fans of award shows. First of all, there are just too darned many of them this time of year what with the Peoples' Choice Awards, the SAG Awards, DG Awards, the Emmys, the Grammys etc. etc. (I'm sure I'm forgetting like 6 of them - feel free to supplement my list!). I guess people in the entertainment industry either (a) deserve more awards because they are so spectacular or (b) need more awards to make them feel better about getting paid obscene amounts of money for what looks like a basically fun job. Either way, enough with the awards ceremonies.

Having said that, we did actually watch most of the Academy Awards last night. All in all, not a horrible decision. Billy Crystal was generally amusing. Watching Jack Black and Will Ferrell sing "You're Boring" almost made the 3.5 hour time commitment worthwhile. LOTR winning so many awards (which I think it absolutely deserved) also helped.

Naturally, one of the most fun aspects of the Oscar experience is to check out the fashion choices of people who have no financial limitations (and jewelers who will simply hand out diamonds like candy). Alas, I was somewhat disappointed this year - not because people looked bad, but because, in general, they looked fabulous and I thereby lost my ability to mock mercilessly the poor fashion choices. Yes, I am mean, but we all do it (well most of us at least).

First a few favorites (sorry if the pics are a bit grainy):

Liv Tyler - She is just plain gorgeous. I'm still not 100% convinced that her father is in fact Steven Tyler. I'm just not sure it's possible:

Catherine Zeta-Jones - I generally don't really like her, but even I have to admit she looked fabulous:

Renee Zellweger - Ok, perhaps a bit bridal, but the dress was still beautiful:

Now for the worst:
Sandra Bullock - I usually love her, but this dress was not good. Note to self: Feathers = BAD.

Uma Thurman - The picture explains it all . . . (the good news is that she is now properly outfitted for her up-and-coming career in yodeling).

Diane Keaton - How many times can she wear basically the same outfit?

I won't even touch on Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. Apparently they think they are stuck in Middle Earth without proper fitting clothes or grooming implements.

Meanwhile, I think that with a few guidelines, the show could be much more enjoyable if the winners would just follow a few rules:
1. Don't thank every person/being you have ever met. Once you realize you have mentioned both your dry cleaner and your pets, just stop. Actually, well before that point would be even better.
2. Don't EVER say "I am so surprised!" You knew you were nominated right? You got all dressed to the nines and showed tonight right? You're seated really close to stage aren't you? It really can't be all that much of a surprise. Really.
3. If there is more than one person who wins, either pick a spokesperson or be REALLY brief. In several of the categories the first person to the mike went on and on and on and on and the other person/people didn't get to say a word. If I had been one of the others I would have beaten the crap out of the mike hog backstage!
4. Try to prepare at least something to say. Again, it isn't an absolute surprise that you won. Don't make us wish you hadn't.

I'm sure there are more, but I'll let you all add them as you see fit. Notwithstanding my cynical, as always, comments, it was a good show. Probably better than usual.

And the good news is that now the award shows are over!!!

P.S. Thanks to cnn.com, eonline.com, and rediff.com for the pics!

0 comment(s) so far!

Click Here to Read or Post a Comment