How You Like Me Now?

Chosen by Just_Lin

I was looking through the TV Guide for the upcoming week and reading a section called "Cheers & Jeers". In that section, they point out things that happened during the previous week of programming which they feel were especially good or especially bad. Well, one of the "Cheers" was for the performance of the British band, The Heavy, on The Late Show with David Letterman. As they put it, the band blew the roof off! Their performance inspired a Late Night first.....David requested an encore. I happened to watch the show that night and I have to agree. I was up and dancing even if it was 12:30 a.m. I love the sound of this band. I hope you enjoy it, too.

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Who me? Complaining?

I will not complain, I will not complain, I will not complain
as you can see in my words
I am trying to convince myself
I am so tried of hearing me

Since the beginning of the year
it has been one thing after a another
and all I do is complain
and whine

So today, there will be none of that
instead I will do what I wanted to
do the other day
Stomp on someone's head

There, I already feel better!

;O)

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~ My Favorite So Far ~

by Tina~in_ut

I usually wait to watch Idol when they are all back in Hollywood. This season I've been watching since Day 1 with my hubby and kids. Wednesday night I watched to see if I could spot DeeDee at the Dallas audition. No such luck...unless that was her in the blue sequined dress at the beginning! :D

When Todrick took his turn in front of the judges and said he had written a special song for them, I thought.....uh-oh! It could go either way~ Here's the song he sang for them:



I thought he was so cute and the song was cheesy, but fun. What did you think and who is your favorite so far?

The Stomp

Do you ever have those days, where you just want to stomp on someones head? I actually envision me doing so. It would be so easy, yet so hard. My stomping envision is usually when I have had enough, so instead of just calmly talking about it, I would truly rather stomp. My brain is usually on overload, so the calmly talking is nowhere in sight. There is just not enough room. But to stomp, no room is needed because it's just an easy thought. You just stomp and walk away. I often wonder what it would feel like after the stomp. I would think freeing. I imagine myself walking about with a smile.

The thing about stomping is, it could be anyone at any given time. They could say one word or hundreds of words, either will set the stomp in motion in my head. And as they speak, I am only thinking of the stomp and how good it would feel.

It is possible that others feel the same as I do? Can I be the only one that would think this way? I hope not. And if so, I would have to say, I just crossed the line from crazy lady to wacko.

:O)

~ Oceans ~

by Tina~in_ut

I went to the movies with my sister a few weekends ago and we saw a trailer for Disney’s new movie, “Oceans.” Apparently, they had a similar movie called “Earth”, but I never saw it because I never heard about it. It comes out on Earth Day, April 22^nd and was made by Disneynature, a subsidiary of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. I’m not big on nature movies, but I love anything about the ocean and its inhabitants. I can’t wait to see this film and if you see it during opening week, Disneynature will make a donation in your honor to save our coral reefs!

See Oceans, Save Oceans

Garbage Day

by Just_Lin

It's Sunday night and I just remembered that I have to get my garbage can out to the curb for early morning pick up. Monday is Garbage Day. Agh! I often feel annoyed at our garbage company. It costs me $92 every two months to have one 45 gallon garbage can emptied. If I put no can out for pick up, I am still charged. If I put an extra can or bag out for pick up, I am then charged extra. For any large items, I must call ahead to make special arrangements for pick up and, you guessed it, I am charged big time for that. Although it will probably be raining in the morning, I don't expect it to be anything like last Monday.

I awoke to the sounds of pounding, heavy rains and the roar of the gusting winds as they tore through the trees on the mountainside. The garbage trucks had already come by and, in spite of all the noise from the storm, I could still hear the dreaded sound of my trash can being blown over and then swept along the asphalt as the winds pushed it up the street. I flew out of bed, throwing on my robe, then an oversized man's fleece jacket on top of that, and jammed my feet into my cowboy boots. The look was only accented by my "bed head", with the overall effect being that I am a woman who doesn't quite have all her faculties. I hurried through the house and into the adjoining garage and pushed open the garage door.

It was raining sheets of water which were being blown sideways. Small tree branches were strewn across the lawn, sidewalk and street. I could see my elderly neighbor, who was using a walker due to knee surgery, very slowly working his way over to his garbage can which was across the street. Fortunately, he only had a few feet to go and his can wasn't moving anymore because it had been blown up against a parked car. I finally spotted my own garbage can. It was across the street and up a couple of houses. The lid was not in sight and I was really hoping the garbage man had stuffed the lid down inside the can, like they sometimes do in good weather. I lowered my head and went into the storm to retrieve my garbage can. It was, literally, like buckets of water were being thrown on me.....hard. If I wasn't fully awake before, I definitely was now. I reached the trash can and pulled it back to the shelter of my garage. Water was dripping off of me as if I'd just stepped out of a pool. I looked inside the can. Damn! There was no lid inside but they did manage to leave one small bag of garbage at the very bottom. I knew immediately what it was.....the body of a dead rat that I had trapped out back a week ago. Crap! Double crap!!

As I stood in the doorway of the garage, the winds intensified even more, really showing their full power. I was surprised that I didn't see any roof shingles flying past me, or the witch from The Wizard of Oz, for that matter. I spotted my trash can lid across the street, trapped between two cars that were parked very close to each other. I ventured out into the storm once again, squeezing between the bumpers of the cars as more buckets of water were being blown into my face. When I got back to the garage with the lid, I briefly thought that I could now get a much needed cup of coffee.....but then I remembered......I was missing a bungee cord I had placed across the top of the can lid to prevent the raccoons from getting into the garbage. I went back out to the curb and just stood in the heavy rain for a moment. What the hell? I couldn't possibly get any more drenched than I already was. I just stood there and scanned the street until I saw it. It was laying next to the rushing water in the gutter in front of my neighbor's house. Once I had that, I could finally come in out of the rain.

Oh, yes, I better go put that garbage can out by the curb now before I forget. Garbage Day! What a pain in the ass!

Another Monday

I totally have the Monday blues,
the weekends go
by so fast
All this excitement for little ole me
has been exhausting

So I leave this day to you
Enjoy!

And

Congrats to the Saints and the Colts!

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Lady Gaga

by Jodi

I missed last Friday's Oprah, but she had Lady Gaga on. I must admit that I have been a bit obsessed with her and her music lately. Last summer when she just hit the music scene....I really thought "what the crap"!!! Kinda catchy tunes, but I was a bit put off by her lyric "I want to take a ride on your disco stick"!!! Of course I'm sure my Mom was just as horrified by the lyric "Afternoon delight" when I was about 12!!!

After catching her Oprah interview on youtube, I really have had a change of heart. She really is selling a message of acceptance....of yourself, no matter how bad you feel about yourself. And she is not being provacative, to be provacative.....but to really make young people think.

My favorite song to shake my ass to right now is "Bad Romance", but the song that really brings me to my knees is "Speechless". A huge thank you to Zona and Mr. Z for burning her CD and sending it to me. I have had it on constantly this week while I've been home.

Get your dancing shoes on and shake it!!!

P.S. Today Lady Gaga is performing in NYC at the Monster Ball and 100% of her proceeds are going to help the victims in Haiti. You can also go to her site LadyGaga.com and any purchase from her site will be donated today only!!!

Where is the Sun?

by Jennifer

Dear Sun,

I am writing this letter to let you know how much I miss you. It has been ten days since the last time I saw you and it looks like you will not come back again for another nine days. Nineteen days without you just breaks my heart.

I remember the last time I saw you. It was nine days ago at recess time. You briefly came out to visit and it was such a joyous moment. I remember putting my face directly into your light soaking up your goodness. I felt like a welted flower that so desperately needed your light to grow.

I will be anxiously waiting for your next visit you are so important to me. Take care and godspeed!

Love,
Jennifer

~ Hope for Haiti Now: Mixed Emotions ~

By Tina-in~ut

My husband is having a telethon this evening to benefit the people devastated by the earthquakes in Haiti. No, not my principal hubby, my other one.....George! I heard about it earlier in the week. George Clooney got on the phone with the people at MTV and together they decided to do the telethon. It will be broadcast on all the MTV stations, all the major networks, and several other stations.

I also heard that Sandra Bullock had donated 1 million dollars to help those in Haiti. I was happy to see these high profile people doing something hugh to help and thought that this would encourage others to give big. Leo DiCaprio donated 1 million dollars yesterday. I excitedly told my real hubby about it and surprisingly, he was disgusted. He thinks that with all the money these stars have, they should be giving way more and the telethon is a joke. They shouldn't be asking people who live paycheck to paycheck to give big. I was stunned.

Then I read some of the comments from online articles about the telethon and most agreed with my hubby. My favorite though was from a girl who was concerned that the season finale of her favorite show would not air!!! So how do you feel about this whole situation? I now have mixed emotions!

Those Four Words!

new beginnings
it is what we all dream of
a young couple
embarking a new journey
together as they go

four simple words
down on one knee
"will you marry me"
and it changes your life forever

may happiness follow them always!

♥♥♥

Is there life out there?

by Mary/Mi

My sister called me the other day and told me something that gave me the chills. She is a nurse and home cares a sweet 17 month old named Logan. He has many disabilities and has a tube inserted in his throat. The other day, my sister was holding Logan when he started to reach out as if wanting someone to pick him up. He was pointing to an empty corner of his room. She asked him what he wanted. He just kept reaching toward the corner. She didn't think much of it because of his mental situation.

The next day, his 4 year old brother was in the same room. He asked my sister and his Mom, "Why don't you wave at the nice lady?" He kept asking them, so they asked him where she was. He said, "Humpht! In the corner, of course." Well, they decided to appease him and they both waved at the empty corner. This happened again the next day, with the 4 yr old talking to the corner as if there was someone there. At this point, his Mom was a little uneasy and curious, so she said, "Ask the lady what her name is." He looked at her with a kind of "what's the matter with you" look. He said, "Okay" and they watched him ask. He turned back to them and said a name that left his Mom speechless. It was the name of her Grandmother, his Great Grandmother, who, of course, had passed many years before!

How does a 4 year old fake that? They have never mentioned her name! Do you believe such things happen?

~ He's wanted: dead or alive & since it's my life & I'm livin' on a prayer, I can always lay on a bed of roses with him if I want! Have a nice day! ~

by Tina~in_ut

Bon Jovi will perform at the Grammy Awards on January 31st. This year, fans can log onto the CBS website to vote for the song they will sing. There are six to choose from: "Livin' on a Prayer," "It's My Life," "Wanted Dead or Alive," "Bed of Roses," "Always," or "Have a Nice Day." On January 25th, the list will be narrowed down to the top 3, and the voting will continue. I can't decide between "Livin' on a Prayer" and "It's My Life." Go to the website and check out the package on my boyfriend. There are 35 second clips of each song. Oh baby~

Hottie Bon Jovi

They Danced

some days my mind is a flutter
so be this day
should I, would I, could I
not sure
was it to be different
maybe
is in the cards
i think perhaps
so you play the cards you are dealt with
and hope for a win
he was suppose to be more
yet he is

my eldest italian stallion
turning 30 on the 25th
where did the time go
how did 30 yrs go so fast
he was just standing on our front
porch at age 7 crying while i moved
all my belongings to begin again
he waved
i could not look at him
i drove away
rear view mirror told the story
still waving
now he is a man
and i wave to him

they danced, he is 85 she is 79
at first his footing was not right
so he asked "can i do it"
"yes dad" I said "you can do it"
wind beneath my wings
was the song
i watched with real tears
my mind talking to me as i watch
"how much time do I have left with them"
he held her in his arms
their hands locked together
they danced as if it was 30 yrs ago
neither skipped a beat
he was proud
"hey not bad for a 85 yr old man, huh"
no, not bad at all

weddings
you never know who you will sit with
this one man so handsome his wife so pretty
a perfect couple
conversation began
you learn so much in 4 hrs
my dad I say was in world war 2
disbelief was on the handsome man's face
he could not see the age in my dad
that has changed him so
he shook the veteran's hand
and thanked him for his service
the veteran was humbled
a conversation for the ride home
memories of germany
flood thru
i listen
no words just his


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~ My Favorite Things ~

by Tina~in_ut

The songs I choose are usually upbeat and fun, so when I ran across this one by Yo-Yo Ma and Mr. Hottie Chris Botti, I thought hey.....let's go peaceful this Sunday morning~ I hope you enjoy the song and the eye candy all in one~

Too much to do, so little time!

When does it end? I attended a Wedding last nite, I have a dinner to go to tonite, next Friday I have a Birthday Party. Top it off with losing my friend, and then my cousin's downfall. All this was crammed into three weeks. I am drained of energy.

But there is always a good side.. It's Saturday. I have a few hours where I can do what I want, when I what.

So off I go to find some yellow, and hopefully spend money at the mall!

:O)

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~ Yo-Yo Ma ~

by Tina~in_ut

My sister isn't the obsessive type, nothing like me in that respect, but if you mention Yo-Yo Ma, she just melts. It's really rather strange because she isn't ga-ga over anyone else, doesn't have to be first or the best (maybe because she usually is in everything she does), and doesn't really have any hobbies, like I do. She is a High School Spanish teacher at an all girls school. In her classes, while the girls are taking their tests, she plays Yo-Yo's music. She makes up practice dialog lessons for her students using their new vocabulary words, verbs, and Yo-Yo. They practice telling him that they love him and he tells them that they make him nervioso (nervous). She give extra credit questions on her tests like:

• Where was Yo-Yo Ma born? or
• Where did Yo-Yo Ma earn his degree from? or
  
• When is Yo-Yo Ma's birthday?

The girls don't know the answers and it drives them nuts. Our entire family knows that Yo-Yo was born in Paris on October 7, 1955 and graduated from Harvard. Why do we know this? My sister asks her neice and nephews these same questions and more, and if they get the answer right, she will give them a stick of gum. All the kids love gum. Do you know what "award" Yo-Yo won in 2001? In People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, he "won" Sexiest Classical Musician. Oh brother! I purposely cal him yo-Yo ma (with emphasis on the second Yo!) and I say that he was born in Perris, CA (we used to go camping there when we were little!) Drives sis batty~ (which is what I'm here for!) Don't worry! She rolls her eyes and calls me an idiot!

All of her students know about her love of Yo-Yo and his music. She has a poster or two of him in her classroom. The girls bring her Yo-Yo related gifts. One year, a group of girls got together to make her a t-shirt and included Yo-Yo on it. A couple of months ago, one of her former students came running into her classroom in between classes to tell her that Yo-Yo was playing at a benefit and since all the tickets were not sold, they were going on sale to the public. It was to be held at a small theater in Irvine, CA and you had to call the theater directly to get the tickets. Now how did this precious girl know this? Her grandmother heard it on the radio and thought of her granddaughter's teacher. She immediately texted said granddaughter with all the information. (I'm rolling my eyes just remembering!) Said granddaughter read her granny's text during class even though it's against school policy to use cell phones during the day, and after class made a mad dash to my sister's classroom! (I'm shaking my head now!)

For Christmas this year, my daughter and I made my sis a Yo-Yo Ma t-shirt. My lovely sister does not do crafty. In fact, I usually make it a point to create some sort of masterpiece to give her every Christmas just because she can't stand crafty! :D But I digress. It was my daughter's idea to make the t-shirt, but of course, I had to do all the work. The picture above is the t-shirt we made her. When we went to CA after Christmas, we gave it to her almost immediately. Neither one of us could wait! She laughed so hard. She actually liked it and planned on wearing it to class. I felt kind of bad because I never asked her about the concert. She loved it and I asked her how many songs he played. Since it wasn't an actual "concert", I wondered how many he'd play. I felt awful for her when she told me that he only played three songs. Then I laughed my head off when she looked at me funny and said, "He played three, but they were each a half hour long and there was an intermission after the second!"

Yo-Yo seems like a sweet man with an extraordinary gift. I had a hard time choosing a video, but I think this one captures the essence of him~

You'll have to click here because this one doesn't allow posting~

Nothing Always Turns to Something!

This was def going to be a nothing blog, I was going to do a quick Happy Thong Thursday blog, but with all the devastation in Haiti, I could not find myself being lighthearted. So sad for all affected. Port au Prince is such a poor country, and then you add a 7. 0 earthquake on top of and it certainly becomes a tragedy. I am in hopes that many countries will help. I read in the comments yesterday that some commentators were not very nice in what they had to say, I do not know what they said, as I did not see them. I will try and catch in on the internet today. I know the United States will def help, as our leaders have already pledged to do what we can.

The pictures that are emerging from Haiti, are horrific. Downed housing, bodies, rumble and much more. I can only wonder how long it will take to rebuild.

I have three Haitian clients that left for their homeland on Tuesday. I can't stop thinking of them, I keep seeing them in my office buying their tickets. We reached out for their families, but they have not heard from them. I hope they are ok. If I find out anything I will keep you all posted.

My thoughts are truly with Port au Prince, and all the folks effected by the earthquake.

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A Foodie Blog....

by Bonacci

I have a menu. I don’t like to go to restaurants, but there’s one at the local mega-mall that has really good marinara sauce, which I like to dip bread in; a habit I picked up in Italy. I was there recently and nicked one of their paper menus whilst picking up the sauce. It’s called Sisley, which sounds to me like a cheap Americanization of Sicilia, or Sicily.

My eating habits are probably strange. Carl’s Jr. has a good BBQ chicken sandwich which isn’t terrible for you. It costs almost $5, but I cut it in half and get two meals out of it.. Even better is the Subway foot-long sandwich. I can make 4 meals out of that and it also costs $5.00. $1.25 for a meal is a good deal to me. We are tossing caution to the wind though, and are going to order a complete Italian meal off this menu.

First is Antipasti. There is Mozzarella-Marinara for $9.25 and Shrimp Scampette for $13.95. I like both these items, but I try to eat healthy, so I’d order the Grilled Vegetables for $9.95. This would normally be more than enough for me. But I’ll go on because Sisley says I should.

Next you have Insalata. I’ll have the Insalata Primi with romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes and peas. It’s also the cheapest salad offered at $6.50. It might cost me an extra $1 to get them to throw some spinach in because it’s good for me.

Now, the Pasta . I like Alfredo, but it’s terrible health-wise, so I don’t eat it. Instead, I’d get the Chicken Penne, which comes with spinach and a white wine/olive oil sauce. It looks light and healthy, adds some protein and costs me $15.45.

By this time, I’d have to fart so bad, I’d be dancing in my chair.

Finally, we arrive at Secondi, or the main entrée. Italians love their meat. Prime Ribeye is offered for $28.95, but I don’t eat red meat. I want to avoid over-carbing, so I look for something without breading or pasta. Grilled Country Herb Chicken for $16.55 looks just fine. It’s marinated in white wine, fruit juices, herbs and spices. Broccoli is thrown in as an added extra for the monster fart that is now inevitable, whether I consent or not. Broccoli farts are almost as bad as Frito farts.

No meal is complete without an espresso and dessert. Sisley doesn’t list their desserts. They just point out that I should have one. Okay. I’ll blow like Krakatau anyway, so I might as well. I have no idea how much one of these desserts costs, so let’s be generous and say espresso and dessert costs $10.00.

I have just eaten a meal that cost me $58.45. Sales tax is 9.25%, add what, 20% for a tip? This meal that I didn’t want has cost me $76.63. That’s insane!! Who does this? That $76.63 would buy me just over 14 Subway sandwiches. At 4 meals per sandwich, 2 meals per day, I could survive happily for 28 days on what that one meal cost.

Do you all eat like this (Carol)? When you do go out, what do you normally order and what do you expect to pay? Sometimes a Chicken sandwich from the Counter Burger at $8.50 a pop is a treat. Special occasions demand halibut from the marina fish market for $15.00. It’s worth every penny. So. Let’s all virtually order our favorite meals today. No shame, no judgments. There’s a money tree in your wallet and you won’t gain an ounce. Cholesterol evaporates and diabetes doesn’t exist. What’ll it be?

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~ Simon ~

by Tina~in_ut

Simon Cowell leaving Idol? Say it ain't so! Simon is leaving American Idol after this season to focus on bringing his popular U.K. talent show, The X Factor, to the U.S. in the Fall of 2011. He will be both executive producer and judge for the show which will air on Fox.

I can't imagine Idol without Simon, can you? I love to hate him. You never know what is going to come out of his mouth. He and I hardly ever agree, but you know if you get a compliment from him, you've done a bang up job! Season 9 starts tonight in Boston. Will you be watching?

Coco And The Chin? (lol)

The late night line up for NBC is changing. It has been all over every entertainment site I frequent.

Yesterday, I read that The Jay Leno Show is being canceled as of Feb 12. I am really not a fan of Jay, so the cancellation of his show does not bother me in the least.

I ran across this clip which had me LMAO. I think it sums it up nicely, as only Conan can do.

A well needed laugh on an oh so dreary Monday!

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~ According To You ~

by Tina~in_ut

This song reminds me of my first boyfriend and something he said to me just before we broke up. When I was 17, he asked me to marry him. I was too young, but I told him that when I was 24, if we still wanted to get married, then sure. Well he was in more of a hurry to get married and was 3 years older than me. He was studying to become a teacher, and although I was nowhere near as crazy then as I am now, he told me that he didn't think I'd make a good teacher's wife! I've never forgotten that.

When I met my hubby, he was studying to become a teacher. I thought of warning him, but then figured I'd never get married~ Everything is okay now, though, cuz I'm married to the Principal! I guess Jeff was right~ :D

~ Lottery ~

by Tina~not_in_ut

Hubby read us this article Wednesday night:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A central Kentucky autoworker is lucky he held on to the $128 million Powerball ticket he bought on Christmas Eve during some last-minute shopping — after all, it was printed by mistake.

Lottery officials said Rob Anderson and his wife, Tuesday, were winners of the largest jackpot in the state's history.

On Wednesday the couple was introduced at the state lottery headquarters in Louisville. The Andersons said they didn't initially believe they had won the $128.6 million jackpot after buying lottery tickets together for 12 years.

"We didn't hit it, that's not us," Rob Anderson said he told his wife after showing her the winning ticket the morning after the Dec. 26 drawing. "Something's not right!"

Rob Anderson, 39, said the winning ticket was a misprint that he decided to keep while buying stocking stuffers at a Georgetown, Ky., gas station.

He wanted to buy $1 lottery tickets for three people, but the clerk goofed.

"The clerk ran the $3 Quick Pick but he put it all on one ticket, and I was like, doggone it, I needed three separate tickets," Anderson said.

The clerk asked him if he wanted to keep the ticket, which had three sets of random numbers.

"Yeah, I got a couple extra dollars," Anderson said, and he bought three more tickets to give as gifts.

When he arrived at home, he tossed the ticket on his dresser and didn't think about it until the Sunday morning after the drawing. When he remembered it, he checked the Powerball numbers and they matched one of the sets of numbers on the botched ticket: 32-36-37-41-53 and Powerball 30.

The couple, who work at a plant building seats for Toyotas, said they were hesitant to go public about the winnings. They declined to say if they had children.

"We're really grounded people," Rob Anderson said. "My wife taught me well, so to speak, to hang on to that dollar and see how far it gets you. We'll still clip coupons and still look for the clearance rack."

He said they would like to go back to school. His proposed major? Finance.

Tuesday Anderson said they have a dream of visiting Hawaii and she wants a new car.

The couple said they haven't decided if they'll return to work and whether they'll take a lump sum payment, which would be worth about $63 million.

Prior to this jackpot, the largest ever won in Kentucky was $89.3 million in 1996.

The article got us talking. What would we do with all that money. Hubby laughed when he read that they'd keep on working. Both of us would quit in a heartbeat. Hubby would buy a place in Hawaii and another in Park City and start his own charitable organization. Me......I just want a huge craft room and to tell my hubby who he could and could not give money to! The twins wanted to know what would happen to them. I suggested a nice boarding school, but really.....our worries about paying for college would be over. My son told hubby he could buy the new car he wants but is not getting until all the kids are out of college. I would also pay for a complete overhaul of my parents' house. It's MUCH needed and I know they wouldn't want to move, so at least I'd know they were comfortable for the rest of their lives. My kids were so funny, and thought on such a small scale. It was nice not to hear that we had to have a ginormous house and a car each and an xbox in every room!

What would you do with all that money?

~ Your Leg or Mine? ~

by Tina~not_in_ut

I had a blog written and ready to post for today, but that was before my plane ride! I'm in California to take dad to the doctor. It's not a huge deal to get on a flight because I normally pick the ones that have a lot of seats left since I fly standby. I would rather have taken a half day off and flown on the 2pm flight, but I had a training class, so I took the 9:30pm flight. Well that turned out great!

I'm the kind of person who will board the aircraft, stow my carry-on, put my seat belt on, grab my book, and start reading. I would not be able to even tell you if I'm sitting next to a man or woman. I don't pay attention and I sure as heck don't talk to them. I can count on one hand the times that I've talked to the person next to me.....and you know how often I fly.

When I got to my seat (exit row middle), it was occupied. The man who was supposed to be sitting in the aisle seat was in my seat. I asked him if he wanted to sit there because I would rather have the aisle. He said it didn't matter, so I took the aisle seat. I am the least observant person in the entire universe, but I noticed how this guy was sitting even before I sat down. You know how guys sit with their legs spread WIDE and it usually isn't noticeable until you're in a confined space? Well that's how he was sitting. He moved a little when I sat down. I thought it would all be okay. THEN he started chatting. Ugh! So I played along and by the time we took off, he was in his space and I was in mine with my book and all was okay with the world again.

I had my book in my lap and, after a few minutes, out of the corner of my eye I noticed movement. It was as if the guys' leg was ever so slightly moving up and down but at the same time, it was flexing. I don't know how else to explain it. And with every little movement, that damn thing got closer and closer to MY leg! I moved my leg away from him when I started feeling him rub against my leg. I figured it was an accident and let it go. Then it continued and that's when it dawned on me that he had a jacket over him. How many guys do you know that will lay their jacket over themselves to keep warm? The first thing my hubby does is throw his jacket in the overhead bin. This guy kept adjusting the damn thing. THAT'S when I realized that I could see one hand, but not the other. I thought "Lord! You did not put me here next to a perve, did you?"

It gets better! I pulled down my tray table when the flight attendants came by with drinks. I think that's about the same time my new boyfriend decided that he needed to rub his knee. Wait, did I say HIS knee? It's one thing to rub your knee, but at one point, I saw him trying to figure out where my leg went.....THAT'S HOW FAR THE ASS WAS REACHING OUT WITH HIS FINGERS! I got my book between my leg and his and the idiot didn't even flinch or move. By the time the flight was over, I was sitting almost sideways with my legs in the aisle. You have no idea how badly I wanted to fart on him! It's about all I could do to him. Since I travel standby, we are supposed to keep a low profile and not make a scene. Today of all days, I pooped three times! I had nothing left~

I bolted out of my seat when we got to the gate. I never looked back at him and got the hell out of dodge. I know it's just my leg, but I've never in my life felt so violated. I don't hang out with sicko's or perves (except for you guys, of course!). I think people are inherently good (even if some are stupid!). This was just nasty! Now DeeDee......stop laughing and send your jet for my return flight! Mkay?!~

Hugs Mom

By Mary/Mi

My Mom

I have been thinking about this since my Birthday in Dec. and from the many comments of late about our parents and their conditions.

I lost my Mother when she was the age that I am now. I wonder if she fulfilled any of her dreams. I know I have been fortunate to have reached many of my dreams and goals. My Mother was active, but was ill a great part of her life. She has been gone 26 yrs, my Father has been gone 16 yrs.

I look in the mirror and don't see anyone that looks like the age my Mother looked at 63. I wonder if I am seeing the same thing others are?
No matter, I feel young and I guess that is good enough to get me through the next 30 yrs! lol!

I visited my Italian neighbor Christmas week. His Mother was visiting. She is 92. She has been a seamstress and sewing teacher forever! She is sharp as a tack. She just quit driving a year ago. I remember her driving from Detroit to her Son's house across from us for many years. I think her keeping busy has kept her going. How lucky he is to have had his Mother so long. I am happy for anyone who can still hug their parents.

I feel sad that some of you are going through tough times with your parents. I pray that you have many more years with them. Love them, hug them and keep in touch with them. I was lucky enough to have been able to give both my parents a final hug as they went on their final journey.

You don't always have to be there physically, but phone calls and a note from you can be just as comforting to them. I was touched when Whabby told us
of his sadness at being so far from his parents. I am sure his visit home, as with Tina with her Dad, Sandi, Jodi, Carol, and others, says a lot about how close and caring you are.

I will keep all of you, and your parents in my prayers.

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Goodbye My Friend...

I have been feeling quite down since the passing of my friend. Last nite while I slept I kept seeing her at every turn. Her face so clear to me, her eyes calling to me, I felt trapped as if I could not help. I think what is bothering me the most is she was alone in her last hours, yes she was tended to by professionals, but her family and friends were not among her. I know some will say, that is how she wanted it. But I feel different, her niece (who lives about 1hr away) knew she had taken a turn for the worse, she could have reached out to anyone of us to go and be with her. Since my friend did not have any children this niece had been watching over her affairs while she was in the nursing home. I don't know this niece very well, as she lived farther out and did not see her Aunt often. It so happen she works at the nursing home my friend was admitted to, so she agreed to help her Aunt. I sometimes think that a family member does not realize the closeness one has with friends. I keep going over in my mind, how I could have been there with her. They had taken her out of the nursing home and admitted her to a hospital that was 10 minutes from my home, it however was not to be.

Tomorrow nite I will be making a collage of pictures (with a few other friends) to be displayed at her service. I know when I see these pictures the memories will flood thru, and the sadness with be front and center. Yet, I am comforted by the thought that she is at peace and with the one she loved.

Her service is on Thursday to be followed on Friday by her burial. I will attend both days, and be with my friend, for its the least I can do, for someone who has done so much for me.

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~ I'd Wish For George ~

by Tina~in_ut

I didn't think it was fair to keep him all to myself. George is so handsome and charming and orgasmic~ In "real life", I wish he'd stick with just one woman (besides me, of course!), but I love how quirky and sexy he is. To hell with Martini.......I'll take George~

Reality has begun.

We are back to the reality of life
Morning is here and we are now
venturing into our new year
work for me begins today, Life is
making its circle, and around the
circle of life I go

I feel as if I have been hit over my
head with one of Shirley's super soakers,
full of water of course, cause without
the water there would be no effect

It is truly hard to shake the holiday cob
webs off my body, Throughout my day
I will be going thru the motions
and as I do, each cob web will drop off,
so I should be able to see things more clearer

And at the end of my day, I should be feeling
better, and by weeks end, I will def be my old self
at least I hope so

I did not make a New Year Resolution, but
after reading what Maxine had to say
I am going with her

So it begins, 2010

:O)

One Day

By Matisyahu

Chosen by Just_Lin

Ever since I heard Matisyahu sing this song, One Day, on David Letterman's show recently, the catchy tune has been running through my head. The lyrics are words of hope for a future of peace, free from war. What better sentiment to bring us into a new year?

Matisyahu is a Hasidic Reggae singer and the first video is of his performance as I saw it the other night. And, hey, who doesn't love a disco dreidle? The second video is just the song with the lyrics written out so you can understand all the words. You may enjoy singing along as I did.

Wishing everyone a wonderful year of blessings in 2010.

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~ It Was Supposed To Be A Joke ~

by Tina~in_ut

Sometimes I make silly videos for DeeDee~ This was going to be one of them. My sister and daughter and I went to the mall on New Years Eve day. Across the freeway is TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network). I thought it would make a great video for DeeDee when it was all lit up.....we had joked about it before. I told my sister that she would need to drive me back that evening. (You have to keep telling her stuff like that so by the 87th time, she will be so browbeaten, that she'll just agree to take you!) So....between Shirley's New Year and Carol's, sis drove me over. I was just going to film it from the mall parking lot and make whitty comments, but the dang gate to the place was open, and low and behold, you can drive thru....like a mini tour~ It was kinda like being at Disneyland with all the lights.....but instead of Mickey, Jesus was everywhere! I kept thinking about all the poor that could be fed with the money from their light bill. It was kinda "over the top" to me. Here's a picture for those who can't watch the video:

Happy New Year!

YAY!
Its Here

2010

Grab a glass of some sparkly and toast this New Year with me.


(my glass is raised)

Here’s to the new year...
May it bring more joy and success
And less grief and regret.

To our dreams...
May we never stop believing in them
And taking the actions that will make them a reality.

To our friends, and loved ones
May we take the time to let them know
How much it means to us
To have them in our lives.

Let us encourage more and criticize less,
Give more and need less.
And whenever we can,
Let us create harmony and peace.

To new beginnings...
Let us start fresh, right now,
To make this the very best year ever.

A very Happy New Year to all of us! ♥♥♥


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