Week 4 of The Bachelor

Okay, I admit it. My guilty pleasure is watching The Bachelor. It is just so ridiculous that you cant help but watch it! The girls are crying when they are kicked off after only knowing the guy a few hours, some of them are a brick short of a load, and others are just plain crazy. In other words, its perfect television! This week Im thinking Tessa will make it to the end. But Ive been wrong before. Tune in!!

Flat Stanley is on the Move!

Check out the adventures of Flat Stanley! Have you sent in your picture yet??

http://whereisflatstanley.blogspot.com/

Santa Cruzin'

Last week Bryce, Wolfie, Lexi and myself took off for the beach in Santa Cruz. Karen and Brett joined us the following day and we hit the Boardwalk for some crazy rides.

Even Aunt Karen went on the Pirate Ship with Lex, Wolf and Bryce (back row). Note Aunt Karen ducking behind the children on the log ride!
Room Service and Robes are fun!

I highly recommend the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel which is right on the beach. Great service and lots of fun for the kids!

Flat Stanley

Stanley loves to travel!

Download Lexi's Flat Stanley (nice job coloring your Stanley Lex!), take his picture somewhere cool and email it back to us. Then we'll post all the pics we get from locations all over (the world??). Anything is possible!

Follow Stanley's adventures and download a Stanley at : http://whereisflatstanley.blogspot.com/

Now, what are you waiting for?! Get going!

Gentlemen Start Your Engines

Don and Bob visited me on Saturday while their mom and dad were at a Home and Garden show. We went to Malibu Grand Prix so they could do a few laps and play some video games. That is all teenagers want to do...play video games! It was a fun day hanging with the nephews. They actually seem to enjoy each others company now that they are older.

Okay, Bob, what is your iPod worth to you??? ;)

Happy Birthday Lexi!

It's little Lulu's birthday today (Thurs)! Every year she just gets more and more precious. You are an awesome girl. Have a great day Lex!!

Welcome Stanley

I had a visitor arrive yesterday. Flat Stanley. Lexi sent Flat Stanley to me and I am supposed to show him around my town. After he arrived we sat around and had a juice box and watched some TV. He went to work with me today. It's fun to have FS around. Maybe we will go visit the Firehouse in my town tomorrow! ;)

Smashing Pumpkins

Today was mammogram day. There has got to be a better way to take x-rays of the boob. Putting them in a vice really seems like it might do more harm than good...you know? Ouch! I mean, they can fit a bazillion songs into an iPod the size of a matchbook but when it comes to health we have to submit ourselves to machinery from the 18th century! Whats up with that?!

Movie Reviews

Over the last week or so I've seen three movies...
The Departed

Zodiac

Breach

The Departed has the usual Mafioso type violence in it and Zodiac, being a movie about a serial killer, has a few scenes that are a bit violent. That being said, these two movies were great. The Departed holds your attention through the entire movie and keeps you on the edge of your seat--you never know what is going to happen next. (the hunky cast doesnt hurt either ;) It would be my #1 pick. Rent it now!

Zodiac's main characters are great and even funny at times but revisiting the Bay Area in the early seventies brings back some memories which makes it even more interesting. Even though the movie is pretty long, it didnt fel like it at all.

Breach on the other hand is a snoozer. I expected it to be more dramatic and intense because it is about an FBI agent giving away US secrets to the Soviets. But no, you dont feel any ups and downs or real feel any connection to any of the characters. Save your money on this one.

After Taxes...

...And this is what you do after you get your taxes done!

I Got My Taxes Done Today

Need I say more??

Daylight Saving

Its happening early this year! Be sure to TURN YOUR CLOCKS FORWARD THIS SATURDAY when you go to bed! Spring Forward. Because of the early time of daylight saving this year you should check all of you appliances that run on timers or clocks to reset them. See this MSNBC article.

According to one website: "The official spelling is Daylight Saving Time, not Daylight SavingS Time. Saving is used here as a verbal adjective (a participle). It modifies time and tells us more about its nature; namely, that it is characterized by the activity of saving daylight. It is a saving daylight kind of time. Similar examples would be a mind expanding book or a man eating tiger. Saving is used in the same way as saving a ball game, rather than as a savings account."

So there you have it!

I'm A Scanner!

Finally there is a word for my inability to stick to one thing or complete projects! I'm a Scanner. According to the author, " she identifies someone she calls The Scanner, someone who frequently has a multiplicity of interests, but finds it hard to create a successful life he or she loves because their passions and abilities are taking them in so many different directions. Sher identifies 7 types of Scanners ranging from the Serial Specialist (someone who learns all about one subject, only to get bored and need to move on to the next) to Sybil (a person with so many areas of interest, she cant finish a thing). Contrary to popular wisdom, Sher tells Scanners that theirs is a unique ability, not a liability. She also states that they must do everything they love, not zero in on one pursuit at the expense of all others. With dozens of powerful techniques Sher has developed to free people from goal paralysis, readers will stop thinking of themselves as dabblers or dilettantes, and find innovative ways to live lives of variety, challenge, and joy. "

Yep, that's me. I'm sure there are many others of you out there who have a book you've been meaning to read, a scrapbook waiting to be finished, photos waiting to be organized, a class you've been meaning to take, etc.. You get the point. Are you a scanner???

Gulp!

Steph, Rob and gang, it was nice hanging with you guys last weekend...sitting around shooting the breeze and drinking our coffee and tea in the morning. I just learned something very disturbing....I just watched Wolfies Video #3 about his hognose snake. It seems, in order to feed his snake, he has to thaw a frozen baby mouse in a MUG OF WARM WATER. Now, tell me, he has a special mug to defrost in, right? Probably keeps it under the sink or something, right? :/

Off to Rehab

The media have been talking about it for months. It seems that the situation has worsened. While most of us are avoiding the cameras, Stephanie cant stop jumping in front of them. We have asked her to seek treatment but she is so far gone she may have to hit rock bottom before she can get better. Right now, only she has the power to recognize that she has a problem.

"We just can't help her anymore," says a friend. "We try aiming the camera in another direction but she just starts taking pictures of HERSELF!"

It started out innocently enough; she started taking color pictures and now she is experimenting with black-and-white, sepia, and other effects.

I'll admit it, I was an enabler for a while. I said to myself, you really do have to take a lot of photos to get one good one that you really like. I almost had myself convinced that that was what was going on but then...I visited her Flicker photo site. It may be too late!

Exhibit A

February Madness

Saturday was basketball day. I watched Wolfie and Lexi play in the morning and then saw Bryce play in the afternoon. Wolfie even filled in for another team who was short on players and ended up playing two games that day. It was great to see all of the games. Everyone played really well.
I was really proud of them all!

Wolfie's Game - 8:30am

Lexi's Game - 9:45am

Bryce's Game - 2:45pm

I must say that on this particular day Bryce was ON FIRE! He must have scored 8 baskets. The game was a nail biter but they ended up winning it! Way to go everyone!

LATER THAT EVENING....

Bryce celebrated his birthday at Pizza Guys...what a great day!

MUCH LATER THAT EVENING...

We went to see the 10:20pm IMAX movie about sea life. Very cool!

Happy Birthday Goose!

It's Bryce's birthday. He's a great kid - full of enthusiasm! Here is a picture of him as a baby. Where did the years go?? Have a fantastic day buddy!

Random Acts of Kindness

It is Random Acts of Kindness Week from Feb. 12-18. You still have a few more days! There is even a site out there actsofkindness.org to give you inspiration. So get out there and help someone with their groceries, feed a meter, take someone flowers for no reason....go, go, go!! It might change someone's life.

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope you all have a fantastic Valentines Day. If you are into sarcasm, check out this site of valentines. Click here.

A Sip In Time Saves Nine

Ann, Rob, Jamie & Chris @ Saddleback Cellars

It's Ann's birthday--Happy Birthday Ann!--and she really wanted to go play nine holes at the golf course but, alas, it rained all day. So, we went with her second choice, winetasting. First we went by La Taquiza to grab some tasty morsels (you have to check this place out for its fish tacos.) Then Chris hooked us up with some tasty wine at Saddleback. Yeah baby! You are our Rock Star! We picked up some bubbly at Mumm, stopped at Paraduxx and finished up at Steltzner. But I think Rob wants to lay some of his wines down for a while before he drinks them...isnt that right Rob? It was a great day... Ann, you are like a fine wine...you just keep getting better with age! Cheers!

Ann- you share your birthday with Miss Sheryl Crow and Ginger from Gilligans Island! Interesting...they both have redish hair like you!

Bad News

According to sources at NY Fashion Week we have a problem...

Short skirts are back! Aaagghhh! As if it isnt hard enough to disguise the few extra pounds under full length clothes. Thanks Donna Karan! :(

It Is The Cold & Flu Season

Over the last week I have been wondering a lot about this topic while I was recovering from a cold. Here is a little nugget from the Kidshealth.org site:

Believe it or not, your nose makes a cup full of snot every day!
For something kind of gross, mucus does a lot of good. It keeps germs, dirt, pollen, and bacteria from getting into your lungs by stopping them in your nose. But sometimes mucus doesn't stay put.
Reasons for Running
If your nose is running, there are several possible explanations:
You have a cold or the flu - When you have either one of these, your nose goes into mucus-making overdrive to keep the germ invaders out of your lungs and the rest of your body, where they might make you even sicker than you already are. You know what happens then: The mucus runs down your throat, out your nose, or into a tissue when you blow your nose. Or it can fill your sinuses, which is why you get that stuffy feeling.

So, that explains that!

Bueller? Bueller?

Okay, I know Steph mentioned Lurkers in one of her blogs and told everyone to stop lurching and start posting. Did I miss a blog that told everyone to to STOP posting?? I mean, come on, I posted stuff on basketball, ice cream and even squirrel food. Where is everyone? And I know Steph must be reading because the moment I posted hints to send me basketball schedules I recieved them in an email. I know you're out there!!

B-ball

Here is my bud Remy (#3) during his basketball game against Windsor. They ruled the court! I'm still waiting for a schedule to hit my inbox from my niece and nephews so I can schedule in time to see them play!! (hint, hint!)

Not only is he a dynamo on the basketball court but he is the reigning champ of Connect Four. The kid is a master at board games! It is ON man!

Tastes Like Chicken?

Okay, I started doing Weight Watchers (not very well I might add). As you may know you have to look up everything you eat in a "points book" and add up the number of points it is worth. Well, I dont know if I somehow got the Applachian version of the book or what but, in case you wanted to know, 1 oz. of Squirrel is only worth 1 point! That's right, I said Squirrel! Who the heck eats Squirrel?!! Maybe there is a recipe for that for the crockpot!

Quirkyalone

Have you heard of this site? My friend just mentioned it to me yesterday. This must be what I am. Here is the definition from their site:
"Who are the quirkyalones? There are many definitions, but we'll start with this one. Quirkyalones are people who resist the tyranny of coupledom. Oddly enough, we quirkyalones also tend to be romantics. We resist the tyranny of coupledom because we would prefer to be open to the possibilities that life has to offer than be in an unsatisfying relationship. That is, to date for the sake of dating, or be in a relationship for the sake of being part of a couple. .... "
Check it out! http://www.quirkyalone.net
Are there "Married and Loving It" sites out there??

Midnight Train to Georgia

...or maybe just the 12:00 plane to Atlanta! My old college roomy Brenda and her daughter Ava were in town from Atlanta for work so we got to hang out for a day or two. I got to watch Ava while Brenda worked on Saturday and then we went to SF to meet up with another friend Ariane for a walk around Chrissy Field and then dinner. We ate a little place called Rose's Cafe in Cows Hollow. Delicious!Yum! Isnt ice cream the best! They just took off for home. It was a lot of fun but much too short! Bye y'all!

Is the Cup Half Empty or Half Full?

Tonight I had a little craving for ice cream and drove down to local Baskin-Robbins for my fix. So, now my confession....I ordered a 3 scoop sunday. I guess I could say that was the only way I could satisfy my craving for 3 different flavors but I really wanted 3 scoops! So the guy scoops my ice cream a puts some whipped cream on it...and at this point the cup is only half filled and I think he is going to add the rest of the ice cream on top of the whipped cream. But no! That was it! He handed me the sunday and I said, "is this a 3 scoop sunday"? And the kid says, "yes". I mean, shouldnt they at least try to fake it by pouring on the whipped cream to hide the fact they didnt put any ice cream in the bowl?? Im not sure if a higher power was involved in this to keep me from eating too much ice cream or if Baskin-Robbins is getting totally cheap and only serving golf ball sized scoops but I am boycotting B-R. Who's with me??!!

...and One More Thing...

Remember when you use to wear your pants pulled up to your chest with your sweatshirt tucked in? You've come a long way baby! (speaking of fashion...your dad use to adjust your socks so they were on your foot just perfectly so the seam didnt dig into your little toes.)

My Son is Turning 12!

Dear Son,
I remember when you were just a young sailor home on leave.

And how can I forget our old Vaudville act where you were my Charlie McCarthy.

You were so talented and could do so many things. How many people can eat their toes?!

And, you do a great impression of the Sand people in Star Wars. Remember how obsessed you were??

And here you are... my smiley, funny, smart little guy already turning 12! Where did the time go? HAPPY BIRTHDAY W!

Weeds

My friend convinced me to rent the first season of Showtime's series "Weeds". Its the story of a woman whose husband had a heart attack and left her with two kids and no job. To support her family she starts selling weed discreetly in their little stepford suburban town. It took me a couple of episodes to really get into it but now Im hooked. Especially when her brother-in-law comes to town--it gets pretty funny. Try it...you'll like it!
Im still waiting to get my hands on the Third season of Entourage too!

That's Hot!

I'm sure that most of you have been using crock pots for a while. But, I had this image of the crock pot from the '70s which was really difficult to clean and way too bulky. My friends, who Im sure are tired of hearing how I never cook and eat so poorly, bought me one for Christmas. Well, let me tell you...it's the best! Throw a few things in it in the morning, go to work, get home, have a nice hot meal. I wish I had discovered it sooner! If you have forgotten about yours I suggest you get it out now! It's crock-a-licious!

Happy New Year!

Last night I spent New Year's Eve as I do every year--at the Troussieux's fabulous New Year's Eve party! This year's theme was James Bond 007 (for the year 2007 of course!). Everyone was in their tuxes or in their Bond girl outfits. We were treated to a 6 course meal which was fantastic and the wine and drink selection was incredible. Of course, one of the best things about the evening was the great old and new friends.

Thanks to Ann and Chris for another awesome evening!!

Here is 007 and Bond Girl #1 making martinis--shaken....not stirred!

Thanks to Greg we were able to project one of the Sean Connery "Bond" movies across the wall. A great time was had by all!