Yeahhh!!!

Youngest sister will be hitting the road soon from Jacksonville for a short visit. We don't get to see her too often so it is a treat. I am sure there will be much fun and frolicking this weekend around the normal work.

Homeownership - Part III

What's cool about having a home of your own? Sitting around the house and noticing the possibilities. What I mean is thinking about the color of paint you would like to use and if you might use a special technique. Or where you might put a flower bed. Or the color of drapes that may look cool.

That's a Sheep?

When I first saw this photo I thought it looked like a rock with a white nose sticking out of it..now a sheep that hadn't been shorn for six years. The freshly cut guy looks much happier although I have to imagine he must feel practically naked. Check it out.
Sheep Photo

Skippy and Britt and Lunch and more Sadness

Went to lunch with Skippy and his better half Dr. Britt today at UT's cafeteria. This cafeteria was WAYY better than I remember at school. First off there was a lovely salad bar with fresh fruit on the other side. Then there was some fresh prepared items, sandwiches, burgers, roasted chicken and desert. And all of this for about $5 and it's all you can eat.

Then off to see Dr. Britt's office at the Sykes College of Business. It was a very serious looking place. And very quiet, but being it's almost finals time, that's not surprising. The doc. collects shot glasses from around the world, specifically Hard Rock Cafes and Planet Hollywood. He's got a windowsill full, a big windowsill full. But that's cool.

We are sadly losing our Assist. Biz editor Katrina...she is transferring departments. I am sad because she is a good neighbor, has taught me tons and brings chocolate and snacks to work. Soon it's only me and the new neighbor who still can't figure out how to use the phone and has computer probs daily.
WAAAAHHHHH!!!!

Cool Part of Home Ownership - The Sequel

Sitting out on your back porch watching you hubby barbecue on the new grill we got for a house warming gift.

I mean the yard isn't anything to look at, well, there's nothing back there, I do mean it, not plants, grass (it's weeds baby) or trees. But that's Ok, cause it was a nice evening and the grilled chicken, corn on the cobb and grilled potatoes were very good.

It was very cool.

It Sucks You In!

Last night I was watching Iron Chef America on Food Network. It is a takeoff of the original Iron Chef out of Japan. If you have never seen Iron Chef this is how it works....Two high-profile chefs battle it out on camera in a set called Kitchen Stadium. They have to make the best dishes they can from a special ingredient that is shown to them at right before the competition. Whoever impresses the judges who taste the food at the end wins. It's really funny, it sucks you in.

Now Food Network is doing an American version. They have three Iron Chefs (all men of course) - Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali and it is hosted by food scientist Alton Brown from Good Eats (I love him by the way...I actually learn stuff from him.)

Well these Iron Chefs are battling Japanese chefs. I started watching the end of the tag-team event last night at about 10:30, watched a re-airing of the intro show and then was sucked into the Flay/Sakai battle with trout which ended at 1 a.m. I just couldn't stop watching! So corny, yet you can't look away. I love it! They will be reshowing the other battles later so I will have to watch.

IRON CHEF!

Who Knew?

Who knew that women's hair pieces were so popular? Out at the flea market today I started to really notice how many womne have fake hair. From the fake pony tails to extentions to bad buns and braids. And often it's on a older woman trying to make their hair big.

What's with that? I guess it it up there with the blue and bright green eye shadow.

Rhino Luuuvvv

Thought this story was really funny. CNN.com - Rhino gets amorous with car - Apr 22, 2004

Oye, I'm Gonna Crash!

It's 12:35 and I'm feelin' OK, for now. But I KNOW that come 2:30-3 p.m. I will be crashin' big time. I can't remember the last time I didn't get to bed before 2:20 in the morning before having to work. Man do I sound old, but it's true!

I'm Buzzin!

Ok, so you notice it's 2 in the freakin' morning on a work night...and here I am typin' to you. We had an old friend of hubby's over from New York tonight and at 9:30 were were drinking cappuchinos and having cake..yowzer! Now anyone who knows me knows that it doesn't take too much caffeine to get me going. Well espresso, which is in cappuchino tends to be full of it. So here it is 2 a.m., they left about 1:15 ish and I am laying in bed with my eyes wide open. How ironic, I drank the coffee tonight and I can't fall asleep, tomorrow around 3-4 p.m. I will have to drink coffee to keep from falling asleep!

The Lord is My Shepherd...

Last night I finally finished Rabbi Harold S. Kushner's The Lord Is My Shepherd: Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-Third Psalm. I received it as a gift from my husband for Christmas and was very glad to have read it.

The book is not big, only 175 pages, so it wasn't the size of the book that took me so long, it was what I was reading. (I am sure moving could play into this too.)

Kushner takes one of the most well known psalms:

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul:
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name' sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: For thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou annointest my head with oil; My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the House of the Lord forever.

from the Bible and delves deep into each part, taking apart each sentence and talking historically about what may have influenced the writer, what others have written about it and then making his own interpretations. In the end it all comes down to that God is with through you valleys and will always be there to walk you into the light and that the light is with him at the end and that is your home.

This is a book for anyone who has been through trying times or are going through them now because it shows there is hope and even though you may not be able to see it at the time of great distress there is hope to being happy. This passages said a lot to me...

"The psalm does not deny the shattering reality of death and loss, nor does it minimize how painful death and loss can be to us. It never asks us to pretend, as some religious teachings do, that death does not change things, that moving from life to death is no different that moving from New York to Chicago. It acknowledges the emotional darkness we find ourselves in when a loved one is dying or has died, the "valley of the shadow of death." But instead of cursing a God who permits our loved ones to die, it introduces us to a God who is with us in our pain, and who leads us through the dark valley back into the light. It summons us to live bravely, to go forward with our lives in the confidence that we are not alone.

For anyone who has lost someone close to them this is an important thing to hear. I know that when my brother Paul died less than two years ago it felt as if there would be no end to the pain. Crying could come at anytime and everything seemed dark. There wasn't a thought that the light was shining at the end of the tunnel. But there is. I still feel a great loss, but the ache is a little less and I can smile more when I talk and think about him.

Kushner is very easy to read and his thoughts are very well laid out. This is a book I will hang onto, because many of the things he says may come in handy later.

Next...a complete 360, Janet Evanovich's Seven Up. From what I gather so far it is a thriller comedy.

Any book that starts:
"For the better part of my childhood, my professional aspirations were simple-I wanted to be an intergalactic princess. I didn't care much about ruling hordes of space people. Mostly I just wanted to wear the cape and the sexy boots and carry a cool weapon.
peaks my interest...it's funny so far. Will let you know.

Things Overheard in the Newsroom

"I'm just tryin' to sex it up." This is one bosses response in fleshing out a story idea. And we are a family newspaper supposedly.

Cakes Everywhere!

Today was a cake-filled day at work. First we had a surprise wedding shower for two ladies getting married next month. So there was a lovely lunch and a lovely cake (I didn't partake of that one knowing that there was more to come. And then later in the afternoon was Ms. Cherizon's (Cherie's) farewell and there was another cake. Wow. You could smell the sugar over wafting in the newsroom.

I am very sad to see Cherie leave. She's a funny lady with a fashion sense that beats most. But she's on to bigger better things and that's awesome for her. But I am still sad...We'll miss ya Cher.

How do you...?

How do you tell the new guy that his bottom two buttons on his shirt have popped open? I mean I have been trying to figure out the nicest way to do it. But I can't. I want it to go away because it isn't like his stomach is nice to look at exactly, just the opposite. And I can't wait to see him in the summer. He's sweating a lot now, what will he look like in August? Ew...

Bill, You're Hired!

After a drawn out 2 hour finale Bill came away the winner of the Apprentice on NBC. He chose to head up a multi-million dollar 90-story building project Trump is building in Chicago rather than taking charge of a new golf coarse in California.

I believe Trump made the right choice. After Kwame made the mistake of letting Omorosa make costly mistakes and not minimizing her role or even better firing her and not becoming more concerned and strong I knew Kwame wasn't the man for the job.

I did think that the ending was cheesy, with the "boardroom" splitting apart revealing an audience and a band. And almost as obnoxious was The Donalds horrible reading ability.

He said that some of the old contestants may be back for the next season and a picture of Troy and Omorosa showed up, I am sad to see that he is giving more credence to her. She is a liar and a bad employee, I know she makes for ratings, but I am tired of her and am ready to move on.

Bring on the next Apprentice! I'm ready!

Little Chocolate Eggs

Another great thing about Easter? Chocolate filled eggs.

The boss who sits next to me brought in a bag of Nestle Easter miniature eggs that are filled with Peanut Butter, Crunch, Butterfinger and Caramel. Yum!!! They were calling my name, I had to have one or two ok, maybe it was one of each. All I know is that they were VERY yummy and I have to work very hard to not listen to those eggs calling my name...they must not win...but it is so hard... mmmm... Little Chocolatey Eggs!

Mixer Memories

I was reading the main article in the Food section in the St. Petersburg Times called Battered, Not Beaten in Wednesday's paper. The author Lane DeGRegory talks about her 40 year-old handmixer that she still uses. It was a wedding present to her parents. She got it when her mom stuck it in her going to college boxes (she says it's because it was an excuse for her mom to get a new one.)

It works, mostly, and it's cord is an old cord from electric hair rollers she used in college and changed it to the mixer when it's detachable cord died.

This mixer represents to her so many family memories. From her and her sister fighting over who gets to lick the beaters to her son who now gets that privilege.

While we don't have a 40-year-old appliance in our family we did have a 15+ year (mom how old was that old girl?) SunBeam stand mixer that we used to mix everything from cake mixes to Christmas cookies and the famous Christmas and Easter tea rings. I used it to comfort myself when my Dad was in the hospital after having an appendectomy. It was Christmas time and instead of buying gifts for friends I baked like a nut. From the famous butter cut-out cookies to soft sugar cookies and everything in between. I decided I wanted to cut down on mixing time so I not only doubled the recipe (which is OK) I tripled the butter cookie one. Man, what a mistake! Before I knew it the dough was coming over the top and up into the mixer. Soon it was smoking. I thought the I had killed the thing. Wrong. Just washed the sucker off, cleaned out the batter and removed some of the dough from the bowl and went to mixing it again!

That was in high school, I was just 16. The mixer was retired about 10 years later when we implored my Dad to buy a brand new Kitchen Aide for Mom, she deserved it. The mixer was getting really hard to use and it jumped around like it could dance off the counter at any time, you had to watch it. The new mixer is great. But it is missing some of the fun. The mangled beaters that I couldn't tell which was the round and which was the square by the end, they clicked together no matter which side they were in.

It was a part of my childhood and young adult life which I look back and always will smile.

Do the Funky Chicken!

At the web site The Subserviant Chicken you can tell the chicken what to do. He dances, shakes his booty...

It's VERY funny. It's a site designed by Burger King to get you into the mood for it's new chicken sandwich. It has 400 prerecorded actions... but it's still funny.

Bread Makes a Come-Back!

I knew that carbo-light lifestyle would not reign forever...

From the Associated Press today:

"The survey by Morgan Stanley analysts estimated that 13 percent of the U.S. population was on the Atkins, South Beach, or other low-carb diet in January. Participation has since trailed off to 11 percent."

We know that people cannot live on bread along...but some bread is not inherently bad, it the bad amounts.

Duhh Moment

The Wall Street Journal devoted an entire article on the fact that coffee from coffee shops, has MUCH higher amounts of caffeine then the stuff you brew at home. Well, WSJ, I could have told you that one. And that coffee can be addictive? New one there too.

Here's some highlights:
In pursuit of a bolder taste, coffeehouses typically brew their blends much stronger than a trusty old cup of Folgers. But a powerful side effect is unusually high levels of caffeine, according to a national test of ready-made coffee run by a laboratory for The Wall Street Journal. House blends at Starbucks Corp., GloriaJean's and other gourmet coffee chains have an average 56 percent more caffeine than samples tested at 7-Eleven Inc. stores and 29 percent more than those at Dunkin" Donuts nationwide.

and

These ill effects are important. Recent research has shown people often choose to maintain their caffeine intake more to avoid the irritable results when they don't get it, than for the positive effects when they do. Caffeine withdrawal usually begins within 12 to 24 hours after the last coffee was drunk, which may neatly explain why people often reach for their mug first thing in the morning.

There are times that my beloved WSJ just is off a little. They need someone like my trusty editor Kitty who told me about the story and went "Duhhh!!!"

Favorite Headline So Far Today

You had to know that poo had a higher purpose:

Yahoo! News - Research: Pig Manure Can Become Crude Oil

Good things About Easter

These are a few of my favorite things about Easter.
Waking up and getting to have my mom's famous cinnamon rolls. The are sooo yummy!
Chocolate eggs, almost any kind.
Getting to spend time with family and friends.
A dressed up dining room table with china, flowers and silver.
Easter dinner. I love the ham and my famous green bean casserole.
Crowding around the dinner table.
Remembering all the Easter traditions and stories of Easter past.

Happy Easter

"Then Jesus approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age."

This is the final chapter of the book of Matthew from the Bible. It is when Jesus has risen and met with his apostles and commands them on what they must do now. Tonight we continued that tradition at St. Matthews Catholic Church in Largo. Six or Seven people came into the church tonight by being baptized at the Easter Vigil Mass. This mass is the oldest in tradition (and the longest, although Fr. John got it to 2 hours and 15 minutes, not too bad, it was 3 hours last year).

We begin outside where a fire is lit and blessed. And then that fire lights the Easter candle which is used for the rest of the year to remind us of that we are a people of Easter, of resurrection. That flame is spread through the attendees, we hold candles. Then we process into a dark church with our candles filling it with this light. Inside we sit in the dark, a reminder of the death of Jesus and the darkness the world had during that time, I also thing it reminds us of the darkness the world was before creation, and we listen to bible selections beginning with the creation of the world and a variety of others. And then the lights come on, we sing the great Alleluia and it is Easter. (Easter is from the evening to the evening of Sunday by the way.) And then we have the rest of the mass. A highlight is also the baptism (it was all adults and 1 young teenager) and then receiving the other sacraments (confirmation - coming into the church fully as an adult) and their first communion.

It is a wonderful mass. Lots of tradition, singing, incense, readings...etc. It is full of sensory experiences.

I just wanted to share how I, my hubby and some friends rang in the Easter holiday.

To all my family and friends, no matter where you are this night and Easter Sunday may you have a blessed day, rejoice in spending quality time with friends and family.

Amen and Alleluia!

Congrats!

Congratulations to friends and new parents Denise and Mark! Their daughter Amy Lynn was born Tuesday night. I don't have many details yet...but mom sounds like she is doing well.

I am SOO happy for you two. I can't wait to meet her. What an Easter gift.

Tiger Goes Worldwide!

Make sure to take a stroll over to Mr. Doodles Dog to read my cat's interview with Joe the Cat and Gimlet. And notice the lovely photos, he is a handsome cat!

Nick and Amy, You're Fired!

Wow! What a show. Within less than 20 minutes Nick got the boot and then Amy was not too far behind. The task was for them to interview with some of the top exec's of Trumps empire, CFO (corporate finance officer) head of the hotels..Etc... Those execs were tough and had some great questions which helped them weed out Amy and Nick. I was a little sad to see Amy go, I was really hoping to see at least one women in the final. But she didn't interview well to say the least.

Now Kwame and Bill are facing off by heading up two different events to see whose is most successful. Kwame is in Atlantic City with a Jessica Simpson concert and Bill is up at one of Trump's golf courses heading a golf tourney. They are given employees, previously fired Apprentice candidates, and started at their tasks. So far the most contentious part has been Omorosa's reappearance. So far she has already screwed up. She took an important phone call from a Trump employee about the task and blew it off and then lied to the women and to Kwame and the others about her involvement.

And on Bill's end, Nick doesn't seem too pleased to be back and being an "employee."

I don't know who is going to win this. At this point I am wondering if it is whose employees will make them look the least bad.

I am pulling for Bill. He seems to be the most down to earth, he is sure of himself and his abilities and seems talented. We will see, next week there's a 2-hour final where Trump will finally say "You're Hired!" to one of them.

Oh the disparity..

Once again I find myself aghast at how reporters describe women. In an article by the New York Times on Condolezza Rice's testimony, reporter Michael Janofsky went on to tell everyone what she was wearing...

"When Ms. Rice arrived, the room fell nearly silent but for cameras clicking like crickets. She strode in erect and sure, wearing a smart tan suit, matching pumps and gold earrings. Throughout questioning, she sat at a sharp angle forward, which seemed to convey a confidence that bordered on brash."

Ok, would any media EVER describe the suite a man was wearing or the tie that he was wearing? No! Just like they did with Martha Stewart, her expensive purse and stole. What about the other executives on trials thousands of dollar suites? Shoes or briefcase? Does anyone really care? No. And it is terrible that these so-called enlightened journalists are continuing to drag out the perceptions that what a powerful women is wearing is worth noting in a story that has nothing to do with fashion. Rice was there to talk about national security, what does her clothing choice have to do with it? It doesn't matter how powerful the woman is, what she has achieved...in the end there is always room for her couture...how sad!

Tiger Interview

Our feline friend who boards with us is soon to be featured at Mr. Dooldes Dog. Tiger tells me he had a wonderful interview with the dogs and his favorite outdoor cat photographer Joe the Cat. Will let you know when the feature runs. Tigers gonna be a star!

Little Changes

More water and getting up to walk around more often. These are the things I am working on integrating into my life right now. I know that I tend to sit at my desk at work and don't drink enough. So this is a challenge for me. I just forget to drink. But I have noticed the more water I drink here the more often I have to get up and walk because I have to walk to the other side of the room to go to the bathroom. It works like this. Finish the cup of water, off the bathroom and then back to full up the cup. Will see how it works on those really busy days when I don't have the chance to get up too much. But I am going to try.

Tiny steps...baby steps to improvement.

Bye-Bye Cherie

A sad day at the office. Gal-pal and shoe aficionado Cherie Jacobs announced she has a new job. She is leaving the type and gripe factory for a lovely PR job in St. Petersburg. No more 6 minute commutes for her. She can feel my pain. We are very sad to see her go though. She is funny, smart and talented. We will miss you, but we know where you live and we know where you will be working...and we will be keeping in touch.

Good things about houses - It's a Good Thing!

Part-1, (I'm sure I'll find more.)

1. Drive ways. You always get to park in front of where you live, not around the corner because the guy downstairs has all of his friends over and they are parking where you usually do.
2. Garages. A wonderful place to put all the things you will need to go through but haven't had the chance. And a place eventually for you to park.
3. Washer and dryer in the garage!! Yes, my washer and dryer are free of the closets. Now I can open my dryer door a full 180 degrees rather than 90 and the washer I can approach from the front rather than from the side. Easier to reach the bottom.
4. A front walk. Something cool about that to me.
5. Windows. Ok, I had windows at the apartment. BUT they were only facing one direction so you rarely got a good breeze. Now air coming from lots of directions. And it feels wonderful.

Very Sad

An article today says that an increasing number of people are blaming the Jews for the death of Jesus. I have to wonder why this increase is happening? Here's an excerpt:

"The percentage of Americans who believe Jews were responsible for killing Jesus has grown in recent years, although it remains a view held by a minority of people, according to a poll released Friday.
The survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found 26 percent of respondents believe Jews were to blame for the Crucifixion, up from 19 percent in ABC News poll in 1997.
The greatest increase was among young people and blacks.
Thirty-four percent of those under age 30 now believe Jews were responsible, compared to 10 percent in 1997, the Pew Center said. And 42 percent of blacks hold that view, compared to 21 percent seven years ago."


I cannot understand this. How can you blame a whole group of people responsible for the actions of so few? And do they fail to see the culpability of the Romans who carried out the act? Do you really think that Pilate, a known brutal man, would seriously take into consideration what a group of people who he hated and put down, what a few might want? If he didn't want it to be Jesus, it wouldn't have been. It would have undermined his authority.

I also see them missing the point. The point is that he died, the reason for that and that, in the Christian, and my belief, rose. That other issue is secondary and even below that. It's the entire message that people are looking past.

How sad. And this is what lead Christians into the holiest time of the year of the Easter season. If the Passion movie has helped fuel this flame, I am ready for it to be put out.

You're Fired Troy!

I have to say I am very sorry to see that Troy got fired last night on the Apprentice. He's a spunky guy who is smart and added a lot of fun to the group. But I can see Trump's concerns. I think with a little more time to help him hone his skills he can become a little less of a loose cannon, which he is. I did like how Trump told him that an education is a good thing. And maybe he might look in picking up some courses here and there. To broaden his thinking. Even if he doesn't, he has shown that you don't have to have a fancy degree to be successful in business, which is very true.

I do think that Kwame is lucky he is still in the game. Yes he has an MBA from Harvard and works for Goldman Sacks in a great job. But I don't see him as a star in the group. I still see the quiet Bill as a contender. And between Amy and Nick, that's a tough one. They are both smart. But Nick now knows that Amy is only really playing him and I think he is clearer that she can't be trusted. Next week, two get fired. And then we are off to the finally. Who do you think will win?

A Yummy Review

I had the chance to eat an inside-out Reeses Peanut Butter cup today. That means that instead of chocolate on the outside with the yummy filling of peanut butter on the inside it is the opposite. Now as I always say, nothing with both chocolate AND peanut butter can be inherently bad. It's just not possible. Those two flavors were created to be together.
Now with that said...I have to say I was a little disappointed. See the problem is that the sweetened peanut butter is just that sweet and it overpowers the creamy chocolate inside. The regular way just is perfect the way it is. You are able to experience both equally. I do give it to them for trying to experiment with their product, but next time I will be go for the original. And I hear they have made a king Sized cup..now I am all for that one.

This is for you Karen

I saw this on the Side Salad this morning. It's The Flying Cow, you fling a cow and try to get it in the Bulls Eye for points. I can see why this could be addicting. So Karen, my cow-loving sister, this ones for you!

And while your at the Side Salad, link on the left, check out the String Cheese Photos. Very funny!