Happy birthday Glenda!

Today is Glenda's birthday. It is often that we are reminded of her. Every tax season, football game, gymnastic competition... I was shopping yesterday and asked if I would like to donate one dollar to the American Heart Association... She is around us always. She tends to visit Bruce in his dreams often. It's a mix of emotions in our household today and I've encouraged Bruce to think about how he would like to celebrate the life of his mother on her birthday.

He asked to go shopping for dinner. Maybe get a fresh loaf of bread and throw together some olive oil and balsamic to dip it in. Try out a fancy new cheese, get a nice bottle of red wine, and cook something intimate at home. We will light a fire and some candles and snuggle under a blanket together and toast to Beavis.

Internet dopplegangers

So I get the fact that everyone has probably already googled their own name at some point, but I was still amused by what I found when I looked for some of my friends.

Liz's doppleganger lived a long time ago. Actually, this one might be the original.

Phaedra's doppleganger promotes shoping and travel.

Bruce's double is a film director.

Sara's doppleganger, an author.

Patrick's doppleganger, that's him on the left, is an astronomer and even has his very own Robin!

Tim is himself.

...and finally, I'm not even kidding, I present to you my doppleganger. A CHINCHILLA! My point being, it's hilarious to me that my friends are all astronomers, authors, movie producers and such and I am a furry rodent that likes to bathe in dust.

On the bright side, at least it's not a hooker.

Guilty Pleasures

Ok, I admit it, I'm addicted to VH1 reality shows. OMG top 80 Internet Celebrities of 2008? Hello! Love it! I don't care if I have to be up at 5am and it's already two in the morning and we still have the top 40 to go, I'm sticking toothpicks in my eyelids to see who make number one, damnit!

A new favorite on my junk TV agenda is Tool Academy. A bunch of guys who can in no other way be utterly described as anyting other than a "tool". Mind you they are each a different type of tool: Workout-too-much-tool, vain-beyond-belief-tool, skinny-guy who hides his insecurity by flexing all the time-tool, and so on and so on. All tools nonetheless. This show is not at the top of my list, some parts involve a lot of crying and "therapy" that is really just a woman keeping the couples from fighting too long so the show can keep moving along.

My absolute, guiltiest of the guilty pleasures has to be Rock of Love. That's right, Rock of Love bitches! Brett Michaels just can't stop looking for love in all the wrong places. This season one of those places includes two tour buses full of trampalicious bimbos with a rediculous knack for drama that can only be overshadowed by their ginormous silicon chest sacks. For the life of me, I can't figure out why Brett hasn't figured out you don't find love by dating skanks, but I'm reaping the benefits of watching this hot mess in the meantime!

Weekend with Randy

We love it when our friends come to visit us! We love to cook for people, entertain them, and just have good company in general. Our friend Randy came to stay with us for a few days last weekend. I love it when he comes because he is so easy to be around. He took Bruce shopping for a new TV after having researched the best one we could afford to get with our Christmas money before he came up. He's a good guy.

These are the outfits they put on to wear to the mall with me.

I get a kick out of what a pair he and Bruce are so I decided to document a little bit of their boy-time and share the footage.

Photos, photos, and more photos!

We got our wedding photos back! (Pause for a momentary, 'HOORAY!' Then gasp at the overwhelming project I'm about to take on.)

So, first thing is first, we gotta get some Thank You cards going. Here is a picture of my stacks of items pertaining to that endeavor. Note the telephone for calling to check on names and addresses, the address book, the no-smear pen, the boxes of cards and envelopes, and finally the stack of completed and addressed cards along with the stack of completed but not addressed cards... Yeah, I think I lose a few brain cells each time I sit down to chip away at this one.

Next, we have the photos themselves! I went a little crazy here, folks. Indecisive person that I am, I knew I needed some wiggle room. I purchased probably close to 250 pictures. Note the ruler showing the stack is actually two and a half inches tall!

Last but not least, I need to conjure up something to put all these lovely photos in. Of course, you know a plain old photo album just won't do for me, I've got to make a srapbook! Can't I just stick these pictures into a book and be done with it? Nooooooooo, I've got to save EVERYTHING because I'm a packrat who wears the disguise of a craftsy person. It's not quite a sickness, but it's questionable at this point. Anyway, I went out and found an awesome book and a great deal on paper (7 for a dollar) at Michaels and gathered up all the knick-knacks and whosits and whatsits that I will be hanging onto as keepsakes in my little album and am preparing for launch tomorrow moring. I'll share the finished product if it turns out.

Kitten Calendar

Two very old and dear friends, Katy and Lacey, came to visit me on Wednesday. They accompanied me to Office Max where I purchased a planner for my new job and a 2009 calendar. The calendar choices were slim: Hanna Montana, Psalms, Labrador Retrievers, or Kittens... I went with kittens but deciding that it was just a little too cutesy for even my taste, I modified it slightly.

Mamma got a job

I got a job working for Catholic Community Services. My title will be Community Support Specialist. No, you do not have to be Catholic to work there, nor is any form of Catholicism forced on you other than not being allowed to hand out birth control to the kids I work with. Uhhh, I don't think that's a problem.

Truth be told, I'm happy to have a difinitive answer to the question "what is it you do?" Being unemployed, even by choice, is such an awkward thing.

The easiest way for me to sum up this new position is that I will be mentoring at-risk youth. It's a 'jack-of-all-trades' position that will require a mish-mash of skills, which I just so happen to possess. Mostly, I'll be modeling and shaping effective behaviors, assisting with educational and employment goals, and supervising the occasional court visit. The usual.

I belive in working with kids, I think it makes a difference. Just ask Ralph Macchio, every kid needs a mentor.

2008: The year of inappropriate cleavage

After seeing some of the pictures taken by my friends I've decided my resolution is to harness the girls once and for all! Photo after photo of my inappropriate cleavage appeared on Facebook after the party was all said and done. I thought I had done a pretty good job keeping myself decent, but I guess after my hundredth Crown and Coke, I started letting things slip... literally. I used safety pins to hold my dress up and it worked for the most part. I don't care if I have to use crazy glue, double stick tape, or just a plain stick of gum I WILL CONQUER MY BREASTS in 2009! Mark my words!