Happy New Year

A lame title for a post, eh? Well, I feel like I have to shake the dust off and oil up my rusty blogging skillz because it's been for-damn-ever since I posted. I suppose I could fall back on the fact that it was the Holiday season and people tend to get rather busy at that time... But nearly everyone else found time to post so I can't really get away with that excuse, can I?

It has been a busy time for Muffin and me. First, her birthday was on the 15th and I had to scramble in order to ensure that special occasion was duly made much of despite the fact that we had moved exactly one week earlier and she had no friends. Now, I ask you - what is sadder than a little six year old with no friends? Poor baby. I felt it more than she did and went out of my way to make it up to her - I even promised to have a (gasp) Chucky Cheese play date with her new friends sometime in the Spring. I'm already regretting that promise, but as she is only six there is a small chance she may forget it. Yeah, right!

Ok, so then we had a MASSIVE snow storm on the 19th. My aunt (who lives locally) asked Muffin and I to come and stay with her, make cookies, drink wine and watch the Hallmark channel. Hellz yeah! Muffin and I trooped over Friday evening and by Saturday morning the world was a winter wonderland. The snow fell, and fell and fell some more. We ended up with 26" of snow - which, by the way, is a record setting snowfall for the DC area. It was lovely to watch coming down but quite a bitch to get rid of the next day. I have a whole separate post dedicated to that coming in the future. Suffice it to say, I am worse than useless when it comes to snow and snow related activities.

Of course there was Christmas - and all the traveling that comes with it. Muffin and I made it home in pretty good time despite the traffic. Did I mention how much I love my garmin? I do love it. It directs me around traffic and that is priceless in my eyes. Again, future Christmas post is forthcoming...

And now, I am the only person in my department at work on New Year's Eve. Hence the hasty post - I feel as though I can risk it. Muffin has spent the last week with her dad and is loving it. I had some major retail therapy that resulted in a 250GB Playstation 3 (squeel!!!) and am looking forward to a night with two bottles of champagne, Dragon Age and my old cat. Don't hate - not everyone can be as glamorous as I.

With that thought - please have a very safe and happy New Year! I look forward to reading about your wild and wonderful exploits! See you in 2010!!

Randomness and Spam

First of all – I’ve been getting lots of spam. Spam of the Asian variety – so I can’t even read what it’s saying. However, if it’s anything like the other spam I’ve received it probably has to do with penis size and how to keep it up longer. Not that either of those subjects is ever discussed on my blog, but whatever.

Speaking of penises… The lovely Logical Libby did a post about Tiger Wood’s penis yesterday and it had me in stitches. She basically pointed out that his penis must be something special because why else would national news give it so much coverage? And this got me thinking about other news like Tiger Wood’s penis – you know, Balloon Boy, Jon and Kate, Brittany’s shaved head, Madonna’s adoption etc… Why on earth is this shit “breaking news?”

I have a theory – it’s because most Americans are afraid to discuss the real news. Most Americans would rather discuss the person who was voted off of Survivor (ahem) than the debate on Health Care. Most Americans don’t want to “make waves” and get in heated discussions about relevant news items because it might mean that they won’t fit in. So the networks give us something to talk about that won’t rock the boat. It’s a shame, really. We’re being dumbed down because it’s easier than voicing a different opinion.

Well, that’s my two cents anyway. Not that I watch the news – other than local weather and traffic. Honestly, I had no idea about the Balloon Boy thing, but I did think it was silly for all the news networks to get their panties in a wad over being duped. Yes, I’ll stick with my reality shows and Christmas Specials thank-you-very-much.

As for the spam, sorry – but the word verification must go back up. Hey – if I’m not getting royalties for advertising some awesome Asian penis enlargement medicine, then I’m not going to play. BTW, how many times did I use the word penis in this post? Six, I think. My new record!

Weekend Wrap Up...

Quick update!

I know I’ve been off the grid since at least Thanksgiving. I am finally out of the bat-shit crazy land lady’s house and in my own home. That jewelry that went missing? She miraculously discovered it in her paperwork! Amazing! Like I believe a bit of it – I think it was my threat to call the police that made her cough it up.

I moved all the shit I had been storing at her place and in a storage shed over to the new place this weekend. In the snow. Yes, the snow. How blessed am I to have wonderful parents who would put up with this shit and help me? I know, I owe them BIG – especially since it was Dad’s birthday on Saturday.

Muffin started at her new school today! I’m really impressed with the school and the day care she will be going to. She seems pretty happy too. There is a little girl in her kindergarten class who will be with her in before and after school care as well! Score! Also, there is a little girl Muffin’s age living in the condo above us too! What luck!

Today my furniture is arriving from long storage. Finally! My own things! Mom and Dad are being totally awesome by staying at the condo and accepting the furniture for me. I expect to come home to a big mess – but it will be MY mess and MY stuff! I can’t wait.

So, that’s pretty much it. I will try and catch up with everyone over the next couple of lunch breaks. Hope everyone is as excited about the holidays as I am! Christmas in my new home! Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you are all surrounded by loved ones and eat lots of turkey and pie!

Lolz

Because it's Friday and I have nothing else to talk about...

Yep, been there.

Awww, been there too.

For the Harry Potter fans...

And for the knitting fans...

That is all. Enjoy your weekend!

(Not-So-Wordless) Wednesday - Muffin and Web Cam

The Muffinator loves her computer games. Oh yes, she adores not only the Webkinz site but various "edu-ma-cational" sites that encourage development in reading and mathematics (which may explain the "exceeds expectations" results on her report card. insert smirk).

Turns out, she also loves the computer itself! I came across these images which could only have been taken by Herself while supposedly playing an educational game while I was doing something along the lines of watching TV cooking and cleaning. Let us observe the progression...

First, it's a new button to push! What does that do?

Then, realization dawns - that thing just took a picture of me!

So, if we're gonna take a picture - we need to be properly dressed (which, by the way, coincides with the fact that she inexplicably jumped up, asked to put on her princess dress and crown)

But, every expert has a learning curve - and thus, the final picture is perfection:

Say CHEEZE! My pretty, pretty princess Muffin. What manner of sneaky subterfuge will I discover next. God willing, I'll keep ahead... Yikes!

Autocomplete - Fail

One of my favorite sites, failblog, posted a link to this gem Autocomplete Me. You know how Google tries to read your mind autocomplete your search? Well, this blog has some real winners - here's one that almost made me cry.

And another one - who can honestly say they haven't felt this way!

Anyway - if you're up for a giggle - check it out!

Oh, Grit!

So, I've been buying salad-in-a-bag at the grocery and am frankly appalled at the price. I know that I'm currently going through the "used to buy at the Commissary but must now shop commercially" phase - but it's ugly! Seriously - I'm spending at least a third more on groceries and, I'm sure it's no surprise to everyone else, shopping healthy is freaking expensive!

That being said, I decided to take matters into my own two (non-cooking) hands and buy actual greens, chop them up and put them in little containers for lunch. Sounds pretty easy, but in fact, today - when I took a big bite of my own handiwork - I was supremely disappointed.

I received a mouthful of grit. And this is AFTER I had washed the damn bunch of greens the night before! I mean, I washed, I spun, I wrung, I chopped, I carefully packaged an entire bunch of greens into five individual containers and went to bed feeling quite self-satisfied. ONLY to be disappointed the next day with a nice big bite of grit. And lest you think me faint-hearted, I took several bites. Grit-filled, every one.

It was nearly enough to send me speeding to the nearest fast-food place but thankfully I work in an area of town that precludes those type of establishments. Instead, I sucked it up and ate my tuna salad on crackers. Crackers that probably won't do my waist-line any good but at least aren't equal in calories to the burger and fries I immediately craved in a moment of frustration.

So, what can I do? How do I guarantee "grit-free" greens?!? All suggestions are welcome! Kai Thks!

Let the mocking begin...

Wait, wait - before the mocking can I just say BEST EPISODE OF SURVIVOR EVAH!! Alright, the episode where uber-confident Ozzy got blind-sided was freaking awesome, but did Ozzy find TWO hidden immunity idols without a single clue? No. I mean, damn - Russell is a snake but I love him. Unconditionally. I'm sure that a kitten just died because I said that - but I can live with it.

Ok, on to the mocking... I’m putting myself out there for public humiliation but I simply must share this.

Tuesday evening I was flipping channels and came across a video countdown show on the Fuse channel. Since I am a sucker for any sort of countdown show and since I’d never visited Fuse before and since they were about to show the #1 video – I stuck around. The #1 video is below.



I was riveted. Let me just say that I have never heard of this group before – mostly because I live under a rock. A very un-informed, non-hip kind of rock.

So yeah, at first I was struck by the lead singer – he looks like an anime character come to life! There was a moment of androgynous ambiguity, but I quickly determined that he was a dude. Granted, a heavily made-up dude with super tight pants and outrageous hair who happened to resemble a young Janice Dickinson - but a dude none-the-less. Oh who am I kidding, I love The Cure and Depeche Mode so that kind of get-up is probably what fascinated me in the first place.

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the rest of the band because they got zero face time. Zero! Recent wikipedia investigations (shut. up.) have uncovered the fact that one of the faceless band members is the front guy's TWIN FREAKING BROTHER! Imagine the bitterness... Ah, fame.

Then I was struck by the fact that they made an entire song around one word and maybe three chord changes. Just repeating the same word got them to #1! I need to get in on this racket.

Also, the video was clearly designed to showcase things that guys like – fast cars and transformer type robots. Ok, maybe they were trying to make up for the lead singer's appearance, but still - it was a guy video. It had nothing to do with the song itself – nothing! Not that song made much sense... (perhaps because the band is actually from Germany) But all together it is possibly the most contrived thing I’ve ever come across in my life.

And I like it. Yes, that damn song has been stuck in my head for days. I woke up this morning with words like “automatic,” “systematic,” “diplomatic,” "emblematic," "problematic," and every other word that ends in “matic” running through my head!

So go ahead, mock away. I deserve it. But all the torture in the world will not get me to confess the number of times I listened to that song via youtube. I'm taking that to the grave.

I'm Kreativ!

Amber over at Everybody’s Working For The Weekend tagged me with this bit of bloggy bling a couple of weeks ago and because I’m a lazy good-for-nothing busy single mom I’m just now getting around to posting it!




Anyway, the rules are to write 7-10 facts about myself and then pass on the award to other bloggers. Fair enough, let’s go!

1. I am the world’s laziest cook. Have you ever watched that show “Semi Home Made?” Even that shit is too involved for me. I like “one pot wonders” and things like that. I think part of my laziness stems from the fact that I can never get all the dishes completed at the same time. This means that something is always either too cold or too hot at dinner and it frustrates the hell out of me.

2. I have a TV addiction. There is literally something on every night that I want to watch. Since the loss of my beloved DVR this addiction has morphed into anxiety. Anxiety that I’ll miss something important on one of my shows. Typing this has made me realize that I am pathetic so I will go straight home to throw the damn TV out the window. Just as soon as I watch “America’s Next Top Model.”

3. Living in a more urban area has made me realize that I need to update my style. Time to spiff up the old wardrobe and maybe do something about my hair. I don’t know – I’m on the fence about the hair. None-the-less, I live close to some awesome shopping and there is no excuse for what passes as Calico’s Weekend Wardrobe. It’s just plain awful. My wallet is trembling because it knows what is coming. Oh yes, it knows…

4. Another side effect of moving to the DC area is an unexplained desire to own better electronics. WTF? All that time in Hampton Roads I survived just fine with my little Razr and 16GB ipod, but all of a sudden it’s not good enough. A craving for an iphone and maybe even a 32BG ipod touch has been flung upon me! The PS3 is calling me and so is the little DSi for Muffin. What is wrong with me! (must go knit something and get back to reality)

5. I’m a lefty. Did ya’ll know that? Some of you did – I’m sure. Still, you’d be surprised how many of us there are in the world. I remember taking a class where nearly 50% of the students were lefties! Why are we considered to be so rare? Who knows… Funny thing is that I shoot pool, bowl and throw a ball with my right hand. No explanation for that – but if you guys have one I’d be happy to hear it.

6. I am guilty of leaving clothes in the dryer and then “fluffing” them up when I want to wear something. A throwback from my college days. Sadly, I give myself a big pat on the back whenever I actually fold the laundry and put it where it belongs. Which is usually once a week. *sigh*

7. Let’s see, I’ve talked about my lack of mad cooking, and laundry skillz – perhaps I should stop while I’m ahead? Nah! I’m actually a great cleaner. Seriously, I have been known to comb the carpet. Granted, it was under “altered” circumstances but that carpet had never been cleaner. I dislike schmutz in any shape/form/smell/what-have-you. I like beds made and pillows fluffed. I like dishes put away and floors shiny. I suck at cooking and laundry but you will always find my home clean.

So that’s all I can come up with for now… Again, I’m going to be a loser and ask those of you who were not tagged already to please pick this award up for your own blog. I feel very fortunate to be able to get a peek into all of your Kreativ lives.

Happy Veteran's Day!

To all of our brave men and women in uniform - I salute you!

As a former sailor, I understand your sacrifices and am honored by your dedication.

My family and I are forever grateful for your service. Thank you!!


God Bless!

Subletting Saga

**Warning, this post contains high amounts of bitching, moaning and speculation**

I have mentioned in previous posts my dislike with this subletting gig, right? I mean, the lady seems nice enough but I’m not sure I can trust her. Frankly, I don’t know what is going on with her – so I’m going to post “the low down.”

I found her ad on Craigslist back in September. She had a two bedroom pad in a good area that she wanted to sublease – fully furnished – for a couple of months. The price wasn’t awesome, but it was a lot better than the quotes from corporate housing I had received. I took a chance, gave her a call and we made a deal.

Muffin and I went to see her a few days later to give her the first months rent as well as the security deposit. We toured the apartment – it was nice, clean and the furnishings were lovely. It only had one single bed, but I figured that I could survive on an inflatable mattress. One of the bedrooms was filled from floor to ceiling with books, but the apartment had a loft – so I figured I could use that instead. In other words, it wasn’t exactly as described but I felt like I could make do.

Land lady and I conversed for a bit and it came to light that she had recently been divorced, that her husband was English (which accounts for the antiques), that she was used to living in the more expensive area of town, that her one and only son was in college and that she was going to be traveling a lot for work in the next few months and felt that subletting the apartment was better than paying rent on one that would be empty 90% of the time. Ok, that’s cool. We agreed that I would move my stuff in the following Monday.

On moving day land lady was not quite ready to go. She was trying to get her stuff out at the same time I was trying to get my stuff in. She hadn’t made a key for me and asked if we could meet the next day and get one made then. Which was fine – but I honestly thought that would be the end of our interactions – at least until the rent was due. Not by a long shot.

Since Muffin and I moved in I have heard from her at least twice a week for one thing or another. First, she needed to pick up some things she forgot in her haste to move out. Then, she needed to pick up some more things. Then, she received the electricity bill for October and wanted to drop it off for me. I was all “WTF? I wasn’t here for the majority of the billing cycle!” but figured it was easier to pay the bill up front than try and figure out who owes what when I move out.

She left me the payment stub and I couldn’t help but notice that there was an overdue amount on it. She told me not to worry about that and just pay for the current month. She would pick the money up the next morning from the mailbox. The next morning, Muffin and I came out around 7AM and before I could get to the mailbox – she pounced on me! I was startled to say the least, but I had the envelope in my pocket and gave it to her. Next came the gas bill – this one had an overdue amount of over $400! Then, she wanted money for the cable bill – but didn’t have a paystub for it. The icing on the cake was when she asked for the rent check a WEEK EARLY!

During this time I was actively seeking a new home and there were a couple of times when I thought I might end up renting instead of buying. I researched the apartment complex Muffin and I were staying at and discovered that the rent for our unit was actually $500 less than what she was charging me. Not that I blame the lady for charging a little more – but it got me thinking. When she asked for the rent early I came to a few completely unfounded conclusions.

A) She is flat out of cash. Why else is she subletting her place when she clearly isn’t out of town as much as she said she was going to be. Also, what is up with all those really, really, overdue utility accounts?
B) She is trying to live/maintain a lifestyle that she was accustomed to.
C) She might try and scam me out of my deposit.

Like I said, these assumptions are without any proof. Still, I agreed to pay the rent a week early and told the land lady that I would put it in the mailbox when I got home - some time between 6PM and 6:30. We pulled up that evening around 5:45 and I noticed her car – but she didn’t get out. I walked to the mail boxes, put the envelope in and ushered Muffin upstairs. Then, I spun around and saw her sneaking up to the mailbox not 30 seconds after I had put the envelope in! I waved to her and she gave a sheepish wave back.

Just when I thought the visits might slow down – at least until she received next month’s bills – she calls me last Wednesday because she needed some paperwork that is in the apartment. Of course I said “fine.” Then, I get home and discover that she has actually taken a shower in the apartment! The floor of the bath is damp, there is a towel over the shower rod and a washcloth that has pink lipstick smeared on it. Is it me, or is that a bit intrusive? I mean, I know it’s her place – but technically I’M the one paying rent! That should mean I get a little privacy, right? I was creeped out. Not going to lie.

Since then, she has come into the apartment and taken a shower TWICE while Muffin and I have been at school/work! I am at the point where I feel like I ought to call her and ask what is going on - but I'm afraid of getting kicked out with no where to stay for the rest of the month.

So, that is the saga of subletting from down and out former well-to-do lady who is, in my opinion, probably living out of her car and struggling to make ends meet. I feel for her and whatever situation she is in that is causing her to live this way - but I'll damned if I leave here without my deposit.

Well, guess that's enough whining for the day... :)

Office Space

The lovely Bev invited us to post pictures of our office/desk areas and I'm going to play along... Obviously, my office is pretty bare - I've only worked here for about a month. But don't worry! I'll get it all cluttered up very quickly.


We have some beautiful pictures of the Muffinator (that's for you Amber!), some awesome Aveda hand lotion, requisite water bottle, ipod speakers and ipod as well as my brand new wireless mouse and keyboard! Also brand new? The humongous monitor. I share the office with a co-worker and he's just a teensy bit jealous that the new girl got all new stuff. Bwahh, ha ha ha... Way to make friends on the job, right?

So, meh, not very exciting - but like I said, I'll make it more homey soon. I need one of those posters with a kitten dangling from a branch and the phrase "Hang In There" or some shit - right? Definitely going to have to do something about that blank wall...

Over the Top!

The glorious Ms. Sassy Pants Mommy gifted me with this piece of bloggy bling!

Here are The Rules:

USE ONLY ONE WORD! It’s not as easy as you might think. Copy and change the answers to suit yourself and pass it on. It’s really hard to use only one-word answers so try your best.
Let all of your blogger friends know that you think they are 'Over the Top'!

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2.Your hair? Straight-ish
3. Your mother? Thoughtful
4. Your father? Creative
5. Your favorite food? Mexican
6. Your dream last night? Wierd
7. Your favorite drink? Vodka
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. What room are you in? Office
10. Your hobby? Knitting
11. Your fear? Loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Successful
13. Where were you last night? Couch
14. Something that you aren’t? Fearless
15. Muffins? Please!
16. Wish list item? Shoes!
17. Where did you grow up? South
18. Last thing you did? Work
19. What are you wearing? BOOTS!
20. Your TV? Meh.
21. Your pets? Loving
22. Friends? AWESOME!
23. Your life? hectic
24. Your mood? content
25. Missing someone? Louis
26. Vehicle? Honda
27. Something you’re not wearing? Necklace
28. Your favorite store? Kohls
29. Your favorite color? Purple
30. When was the last time you laughed? Morning
31. Last time you cried? Louis
32. Your best friend? Family
33. One place that I go to over and over? Safeway
34. One person who emails me regularly? Sissy
35. Favorite place to eat? Azteca!

And that's my list. I hope you all grab this piece of bloggy bling - everyone I know has probably been tagged with it before but I especially want Breedale and Kris to pick it up. Come on everyone! We're ALL over the top, aren't we!!

Sunday Classics - Saber Dance

Everyone has heard at least the first 30 seconds of this piece - if not in a commercial, than in a movie or television show. Anyway, here is the rest along with a little blurb about it and the composer.

The "Sabre Dance" is a movement in the final act of the Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian's ballet Gayane, completed in 1942. It evokes a whirling war dance in an Armenian dance, where the dancers display their skill with sabres.



Aram Ilyich Khachaturian was born in Tiflis, Imperial Russia (now Tbilisi, Georgia) to a poor Armenian family. In his youth, he was fascinated by the music he heard around him, but at first he did not study music or learn to read it. In 1921 he travelled to Moscow to join his brother, the stage director of the Second Moscow Art Theatre. Although he had almost no musical education, Khachaturian showed such great talent that he was admitted to the Gnessin Institute where he studied cello.

In the 1930s, he married the composer Nina Makarova, a fellow student from Myaskovsky’s class. In 1951, he became professor at the Gnessin State Musical and Pedagogical Institute (Moscow) and the Moscow Conservatory. He also held important posts at the Composers' Union, which would later severely denounce some of his works as being “formalist” music, along with those of Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich. These three composers became the so called "titans" of Soviet music, enjoying worldwide reputation as some of the leading composers of the 20th century.

Giving Thanks

By now, I'm sure you have all heard about the horrible incident at Fort Hood yesterday.

The scary thing? That's where my brother (aka The Dude) is stationed.

And the shooter was a Psychiatrist.

Did I mention that Dude is a doctor?

Yeah, he worked in the same freaking building as this lunatic.

I managed to get a call through the lock-down and talk to him for a few seconds. He was cool, just busy trying to help out with the casualties.

And, of course, my thoughts and prayers are with the families of Soldiers lost. Losing Soldiers on our own soil is as horrifying as it gets. To see it done by one of our own is even more horrifying. God Bless you all.

I'm so grateful that my brother is well and especially grateful to my Sissy for hearing me vent about all sorts of nonsense in the wake of this tragedy. Thank you, God. Thank you, Sissy. Thank you, Dude for being there for the Soldiers.

RIP Louis

Last week I lost my kitty Louis. He was 15 and it was not unexpected - but it was still sad. I'll miss you Loodle my Lou-burger. Hope you're having a blast at the great cat-nip farm in the sky.

Boo!

Guess who finally found the cord that connects her camera to her computer? Yay!

Muffin's Pre-Zoo picture

Riding the Metro

Crowds of families trick-or-treating.

One of the many displays set up around the zoo.

Muffin's "Metro Ballet" which she performed while waiting for the train. God, I love this girl.

La La Lame

Guess who didn't take their child trick-or-treating this year. Yep, that would be me. Lamest mom ever. I wasn't comfortable taking her around the apartment complex where I'm subletting (though I'm not supposed to be - see below) and I don't know of any nice neighborhoods to go to - seeing as I've lived here all of a month! Also, it was raining and she got to trick-or-treat at the zoo last weekend. So, there it is - my rationale for not manning up and taking my sweetheart out for free candy. I suck.

Another lame thing? The subletting. I'm so ready for it to be over. SO, so ready. The lady that I'm sub-letting from is nice enough, but I'm afraid I'm never going to see my deposit back. Also, she is constantly coming by to pick up various items. I feel like I have to keep the house in tip top shape "just in case" she pops in! Not that I live like a pig or anything - I just can't relax in that kind of environment.

Every time I see her name on the caller id I cringe. Mercifully, she was out of town for a couple of weeks but sure enough, when she came back she called. This time it wasn't to stop by - it was to tell me that there had been FOUR complaints of "crowds" in the apartment.

Wait. What? What kind of complaint? Crowds? I just moved here for crying out loud! I don't even know enough people to constitute a crowd! It's just been me, the Muffinator and the cats! Scouts honor!! She said she didn't believe for one minute that the complaints were legit but she just wanted to call me an ask about it to make certain before she called the management back. She said they wanted to make sure she wasn't subletting the apartment. Because apparently that's against the rules. Great!

When she casually dropped that information I was afraid she was going to then tell me to pack my stuff and go. But no. She doesn't care about the rules. She said she was going to tell them that I was a "dear friend" who just moved here and is staying with her until I close on my new home. So, not only are Muffin and I officially "homeless" we are staying in a place illegally. Yet another reason why I am The Lamest Mom Ever.

Then I told her the good news about the condo and she said to let me know as soon as I can when we'll be out because she'll need to find another subletter. Awesome way to continue your rule-breaking rampage lady! I can not even tell you guys how badly I want to get into my new home. I wish we could have closed on it sooner than the end of the month. Every day is another reason why I am ready to finally get settled.

On a brighter note... I have recently received a few awards and I promise to post them soon and redistribute the wealth! Also - I'm loving all the Halloween posts! The costumes are to die for! What a creative group of bloggy-friends!

Hot Damn!

You Are Betty Grable

The ultimate girl next door You're the perfect girl for most guys Pretty yet approachable. Beautiful yet real.

Sleepy Car Time

This week has been kinda sucky - despite the fact that today is my birthday! Argh. So, I'm posting pictures that make me smile. Muffin. Asleep. In the car. Adorable.

Pictures were taken with my camera phone - and I only recently learned how to email them to myself. My little girl, she can sleep through anything - in any position. Gotta love it.

Weekend Roundup

Wow, when you have to work five days a week the weekend seems WAY too short! Just saying…

This weekend was pretty busy. Muffin and I drove three hours back to Hampton Roads in order to get my hair done. I love my hairdresser and thought “Hey, three hours isn’t THAT bad” but I was wrong. Because, it’s not just three hours. It’s three hours to GET THERE, another two hours for hair dressing and then three hours to get back home. And frankly, that’s insane. I was insane for even thinking it. Needless to say, I told Brenda (my lovely hairdresser) that I probably wouldn’t be making the trip again. She agreed and said she thought it was a little “crazy” to drive so much for a cut and color. Yes, yes it is.

So that pretty much ate up all of Saturday. At least my hair looks awesome. On Sunday Muffin and I laid around the house until about lunch time. Then we went to Target (does anyone else pronounce that store Tar-jay? Kind of with a French accent? Just me? Oh well) because Muffin needed a plastic pumpkin in order to trick or treat at BOO at the Zoo. I tried to tempt her with an environmentally sound eco-bag – but she wasn’t having it. Plastic pumpkin or nothing in her book.

After Target we went to DSW because home girl needed some boots. I have to say, not wearing the uniform anymore is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I’m not restricted to an ugly outfit the color of cat sick. On the other hand, I have to buy all new stuff to wear. Still, it has really forced me to spend some time and money updating my woefully unfashionable wardrobe so I guess it’s a win/win all around. I bought three pairs of boots. They are awesome. I’m going to wear the crap out of them this season.

Finally, it was time to get home and get ready for BOO at the Zoo – which started at 5:30PM. I got Muffin in her costume and managed to get us out the door a little after 5PM. She looked adorable and I guess I was distracted by her loveliness because I plum forgot the tickets. We had to turn around and by the time we were back on the road it was nearly 5:30. We rushed into the Metro station where I was accosted by a man trying to get home. He asked for a dollar and I gave it to him. I’m a sucker for a sob story. Anyway, we hurried to the platform only to discover that the train wasn’t leaving for another ten minutes! Crap.

Once on the train, the Metro ride was pretty uneventful. Muffin attracted some attention – after all, she was the only princess on the train. We had to switch trains and that ate up some more time. Then we had to walk three blocks to the Zoo entrance. By the time we finally got there it was 7PM. And dark. So, we didn’t see any animals but Muffin scored a bunch of candy. Next year, I’m going to budget some “metro” time into the planning phase because I had no idea it would take as long as it did.

In unrelated news, I want to give a special shout out to Safeway. Yesterday after work I stopped by the store for some wine and stuff and when I was trying to tote said wine up to the third floor apartment I am staying in, the bag broke. Probably due to the bottle of Sprite that was sharing the flimsy bag. I am not even kidding when I say that some really colorful language followed this disaster. My wine was now a puddle and I was pissed. Here are some pictures I took with my phone for “evidence.”

I put the rest of the groceries away, packaged up my broken wine and drove right back to the store. The whole time Muffin and I were in the car I was having a mental argument with the store manager. I just KNEW they were not going to replace the wine and I was ready for a fight. Never happened. The lady at the customer service desk could not have been nicer. She took the offending shards away, told me to get another bottle and TRIPLE bagged it! Thanks Customer Service Lady! I hope the universe does her a good turn.

Ok, well - that's it. Hope everyone has some spook-tacular plans for Halloween! Can't wait to read about them!

Sunday Classics - Smetana's Moldau

Ah, the return of Sunday Classics!

I heard this one on the radio last week. It is a fantastic, moving piece composed by Bedrich Smetana back in 1874. He called it a Symphonic Poem - and that's what it sounds like to me. Here is an excerpt from his program notes:

"The composition depicts the course of the river , beginning from its two small sources, one cold the other warm, the joining of both streams into one, then the flow of the Moldau through forests and across meadows, through the countryside where merry feasts are celebrated; water nymphs dance in the moonlight; on nearby rocks can be seen the outline of ruined castles, proudly soaring into the skies. The Mouldau swirls through the St. John Rapids and flows in a broad stream towards Prague. It passes Vysehrad [ where an ancient royal castle once stood ] , and finally the river disappears in the distance as it flows majestically into the Elbe. "

Awesome. Enjoy!!

Of Houses, Tragedy and Weekend Plans...

It looks like I might be a homeowner! I’m so excited! It felt right when I walked through it last weekend but I tried not to get my hopes up because of my recent contract failures. The housing market in this area is pretty tricky. Especially with the first-time-homebuyer tax incentive going on. Most homes in my price range are sold within days of being listed. This one had been on the market for over 50 days. I confess to being a little concerned about that fact. Was there something wrong? Were the neighbors psycho? Was the house in a flood zone or something?

Turns out the house is perfectly sound. It was a combination of things that led the house to stay on the market so long. Ready for some drama? Here it comes.

First off, the owner is retiring from the FBI and would not let her realtor put a lockbox on the door. Wouldn’t let the home be seen unless she was present. Didn’t even let the realtor have a key. This, I can understand to some extent – I mean, that lady has probably seen enough spooky shit to make her reasonably paranoid about having strangers walking around her house and poking through her things. Still, it makes the home extremely difficult to show and if clients can’t see it – they won’t buy it.

Secondly, and tragically, the realty company that listed the condo was a small mother/daughter business and the daughter passed away in August. When my realtor called the listing agent she noticed that the lady was sniffling. She expressed sympathy for a supposed cold and was told that the lady’s daughter had passed away in August and that she just cries sometimes. Well! I can totally understand that!

Turns out, the daughter was bi-polar and had been battling depression that may or may not have had something to do with a bad boyfriend. She couldn’t sleep, had no appetite and resorted to self medicating with wine and OTC pills. She eventually overdosed on a PM pain reliever and was found in her bathroom. Horrifying!!

Naturally, that kind of tragedy can lead to some work related issues. Not only was the mother grieving for her daughter, but she was trying to run the business single-handedly. Also, it turns out that the daughter was the IT brains of the business and the mother couldn’t operate some of the IT equipment. My realtor held her hand and walked her through the process. What woman wouldn’t feel torn up over a story like that!

So that’s the story. I believe the combination of concerned homeowner and grieving realtor led to the house not being able to be seen by many homebuyers. It is a sad tale and I feel kind of mercenary for having something good come out of it. I got the news last night and I hope to be in my new home after Thanksgiving.

In other drama-related news… I spoke with Muffin’s dad last night. He had called to see if we were still on for a Muffin swap this weekend. I said that I would be willing to go through with it - but explained that we would not even be able to meet him until 9PM, at the earliest, on Friday which would put them getting home around midnight.

Then, I offered another option for his consideration. Veterans Day. Four day weekend. No midnight drives. He was a little sad at not being able to see her, but I think relieved to know that there was a viable alternative. I also pointed out that he would be getting her for Thanksgiving this year and that there was almost always a three day weekend each month that we could work around. He bought it.

Then, he told me that he was sitting in an emergency room because his four year old had hit his two year old and now the two year old’s EYEBALL was bleeding!! GEEZ! Does the fun ever stop?

Oh, and speaking of fun… I’m taking Muffin to “Boo at the Zoo” this weekend! (yes, I had an ulterior motive for keeping her this weekend). The national zoo opens its doors to little ghosts and goblins for three days, puts out candy stations and lets the children trick or treat with the animals. How fun is that!! As a Matter Of Fact, I think another Mommy should check it out. *hint, hint*

Ok, I guess that’s enough for now. Ya’ll have a good weekend! I’ll post pictures of my princess and the animals next week!

TV Talk

I’m going through a phase right now. I’m obsessed with home-buying shows. I’m glued to the tv whenever House Hunters or Property Virgins comes on. I am an addict.

I suppose it stems from the fact that I’m house shopping myself. I usually tend to drift towards shows that are paralleling my own life. When I was pregnant I couldn’t get enough of “A Baby’s Story” on TLC. God, it was scary. Scary, but fascinating. When I was selling my house I watched “Designed To Sell” over and over and over. Thank goodness it’s been on so long – there were tons of episodes!

In addition to house hunting shows I have become addicted to the “crime procedural” show. Specifically, NCIS and NCIS LA. When I was in the Navy I shied away from NCIS. Not sure why, maybe I just didn’t want to be reminded of work when I was at home. Now, I have changed my tune. I try and catch both shows on Tuesday night. Have you seen NCIS LA? If not, you should. Especially because of this guy:

And to a lesser extent, this guy:

Yeah. Totally worth watching.

Heck, I even like the psychologist dude (the guy in the middle).

So far, I’m pleased. Now I have something to watch every night of the week. I think I might need to go to Target and pick up a life. Sounds like I could use one.