Saturday, October 23, 2004

Charitable Causes Indeed!

I'm noticing a very disturbing trend, mass marketing, merchandising and proffiting all in the name of charity. Seems like every magazine I flip through (flip through because I never have any time to read more than one a half pages at a time and generally by the time I get back to the magzine (potty break again) I've either forgotten what I was reading, lost my page or the Little People have decided to reinact the story of Noah in my bathroom thereby rendering all reading material within spashing distance or on the floor utter trash) I notice some thing disguised as charity. Either last month or this month is Breast Cancer Awareness month (I forget which month, I'm damn luck if I am aware of what freaking day it is when I wake up so don't expect me to be aware of "Fill-in-the-blank Awareness month"), a lot of merchandisers are offering cute little pink ribbon things where a portion (usually 1 % or so) will go to some kind of breast cancer fund. Target is not to bad in this area, they say that all of the proceeds from the sales of their Pink line of crap goes to a fund. Yoplait has a save the lid compaign - you save the lids, mail them back and they donate like $.10 a lid donation (up to $1.2 million) . All this bothers me. Not the giving to a charitable cause but the merchandising around it. If Yoplait is willing to donate $1.2 million then why don't they just do it and not have people mail back the nasty lids to their yogurt. And what-the-fuck-ever with the other merchandise. Why should I buy some overpriced running shoes? Because of the cute pink ribbon on them? So everyone will know that a portion of my money went to research ($2 from the $70 price tag)? Can't I just donate directly to the fund and not buy the crappy pink candles from Target? Do I have to become a walking billboard for a cause to show my support? I wonder is THIS the ONLY way people will donate to worthy causes? If there is a cute scarf/shirt/hat/cup/etc. in the exchange? Seems that more and more of the organizations giving to charities are using that to make themselves $$$.

Maybe I'm just being jaded and bitchy - which is entirely possible and probable, I'm tired, I didn't make much in commision today and I can't remember where my family is, no I didn't misplace them or anything, I just can't remember where they are supposed to be right now and I hope I'm not supposed to be picking them up. I need a nap.

Friday, October 22, 2004

Vanilla Syrup, Racing and Fall Is Here

Last night was just me and the Little People. K had to assist Petey on an important mission so he wouldn't be home until the wee hours of this morning.

Fabulous Dinner (According To The Little People)

When it's just me and the kids I usually don't make a big dinner (I had intended to make chicken and eggplant parmesan). A lot of times we'll have sandwiches and salad or they'll have a TV dinner and I'll have a salad. Last night due to my incredible cravings for eggs with cheese and yummy sausage, I made French toast for the little ones (the eggs with cheese and sausage I made for myself). As I rarely ever make things that require syrup, we had none. I don't really like syrup though - real maple syrup is okay (but expensive) but most of the other stuff is just nasty. After commiting to French toast I realized that I would either have to walk to the store (which the kids had already said they didn't want to do) or just make some. Makeing was the easiest thing to do so we had the nummiest vanilla syrup to go with the French toast.

After dinner it was outside to burn off some excess energy (for the kids, not for me, I have no excesses of energy). I had the Little People run up and down the sidewalk. I raced with them when they started to get bored with running. After the races I looked up at the trees over the creek and realized "Oh my, fall really is here." It actually LOOKS like fall is here looking at the trees and all. This really pretty fall look only lasts for about a week around here, so it was a nice surprise. Of course it's still hot here and it's humid so it doesn't feel anything like fall. It would be nice if we had 4 actual seasons here in Texas.
Is This Normal?

I've had two men I previously dated contact me in two weeks. I haven't dated either in about 2 years. Haven't spoke to either in about as long also. Both want to see me and were disapointed that I have a wonderful boyfriend. And they both ended the conversation with something along the lines of 'if you change your mind, let me know, I'd love to see you'. Hmmm... it's been 2 years, I'm not that 'unforgetable'. Is it NORMAL for a guy to just out of the blue contact someone from 2 years ago for a date/sex/etc.? Strikes me as odd, but what do I know?

Anyway, they both said some really nice things to me (yes I know they were just hopeing their lines would lead to sex or whatever, but sometimes it's nice to hear some flattery). Good luck to them on finding someone else. I'm quite happy with XXX in my life.

Thursday, October 21, 2004

Sidewalk Gallery Part II



Tonight I took the Little People out to play outside (to minimize the amount of mess they were making in the house also). We completed more of our sidewalk art gallery with the help of some of the neighborhood kids.


Who would have thought that a bag full of sidewalk chalk and some hoola hoops would make my front step THE place to come play.


How The Charm Me #3458

Put a doll cap on the cat and proclaim "She's a baby!" while giving me a cute look. Cat humiliation is endearing.

Overheard At The Bus Stop...
Or Welfare Mamma Rollcall!


Her: You didn't know she was mine?
Him: Uh-uh.
Her: Nee-Nee! Cedra! Bri! Cedrick! Myron! Get over here!
(*note the one son isn't in the group as he's been suspended from the bus for 30 days)
Her: Bri! Bri! Bri! What is wrong with you???

Me: *thinking, not speaking* What is wrong with YOU not her???

I'm really tripped by this woman - she's the one with the son with discipline issues who's daddy is locked up. I don't know that she IS a welfare mamma but she's got the whole sterotypical welfare mamma look and attitude. She's been at the bus stop in her night gown and slippers. Well I don't know that I've ever seen her in any other foot wear other than slippers honestly. She's a big woman, nothing wrong with that, and she comes off as being rather lazy - she generally drives her kids to the bus stop instead of walking the block to it, and she often remarks that she's going back home to go back to sleep. She perplexes me.
How To Irritate Me #123

Kick your fluffy bedding of pine shavings out of your cage and onto the floor right after I finish vaccuming the area.

How To Charm Me #2034

Stick your cute little gerbil face up against the bars of the cage as I hold the vaccum cleaner hose up to it.

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Why Cats? Why?

WHY does a cat HAVE to get on the clean, fresh from the dryer laundry right after I put it on the sofa to fold? Why????

WHY does a cat have to leap into your seat when you get up to get a glass of water? WHY?? And why do they look so freaking surprised and insulted when they get moved from that spot? It happens EVERY time so why be surprised?

WHY is it that regardless of the temperature in the house a cat will sit on an unattended heating pad as though it's sub zero temperatures in the house?
Seeing Red


I recolored my hair today while Cabbage Patch napped and it's back to the color I prefer. I'm happy.
Report Cards

Today we got Super Girl's report card at her parent teacher meeting. She's doing fine, right on track. The teacher did say she talks to much. heh. I wonder where she got that from? *looking innocent*
Geek Alert!!

Ack! My geek gene has kicked in! Today I saw that Dallas Comicon is this weekend and I'm all excited about going. I am such a geek! I haven't been to a comic convention in over 10 years. It's cheap too! $5 to get in and the kids get in for free! Ohhhh I get to introduce my progeny to comic book geek mecca. *moment of revered silence*

And the guests! The guests! Brent Spiner (Data, Star Trek TNG), Michael Dorn (Worf, ST TNG) he is one hot man, John De Lancie (Q, ST TNG), Wil Wheaton (Wesley, ST TNG), Chase Masterson (Letta, ST DS9), Orli Shoshan (Star Wars E2/E3: Jedi - Shaak Ti), Herb Jefferson Jr. (Battlestar Galactica: Lt. Boomer), Peter Mayhew (Star Wars 3,4,5 & 6: Chewbacca) and the two that I'm really excited about... Kevin Conroy (Batman The Animated Series: Voice of Batman and Bruce Wayne) and Arleen Sorkin (Batman The Animated Series: Voice of Harley Quinn). I love the animated series, Harley is my favorite vilianess. Oh and some people from Buffy, but I have no clue who they are. Isn't that the coolest line up??? (just nod) I mean Chewbacca is gonna be there!!! I'm not a huge Star Wars geek (but my hidden Star Trek geekness is becoming harder to hide) - but damn it's Chewbacca!!!

Okay, deep breath... whew... okay, I'm fine now. I have to work Saturday as usual. I had considered taking the day off to go to a carnival at Super Girl's school but opted not to as I really NEED the money, now I wish I had bailed! Whaaaa! If nothing else I'll be able to go Sunday after work.

This concludes this totally geeked out moment.
Mavs Game


There are a few perks to where K works - just a few. The owners of the company have a suite at the American Airlines center and they often offer up tickets to sporting events to the employees. We've gone to a couple of Stars games and usually it's pretty damn cool to be in the suite. Last night it kind of sucked. The game sucked, for some reason our platinum tickets did not include a parking pass so we had to drive around and find parking that was less than $15 to park and still within walking distance, the suite wasn't catered with food this time so K had to go find food and for some reason buying food on the Platinum level means playing a Platinum price - he spent $40 for 2 hot dogs, a hamburger, a chicken sandwich and two cokes. Yikes. I'm not sure why they didn't cater the event this time, they have all the others - with less people in attendance. I didn't really mind having to buy my food, just kind of shocked at the prices. So it wasn't all that I had hoped for. We left at the beginning of the 4th period as the game was pretty sloppy and the Mavs were still losing. Oh well, it was a night out and it didn't involve being abducted by aliens (ohhh those anal probes are uncomfortable!).

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

Bad MoJo From A Cup Of Joe?

As I sit here looking forward to my third (and final) cup of coffee for the day, I read THIS article that says that moderate to high levels of coffee consuption could be bad. (apparently more than 1 cup a day is considered moderate to high for this study) Hmmm... Something to think about, but I'm still making that cup of coffee.
Political Cartoon

heh... not the best, but John Kerry in drag is funny.
UFO

Seems the woman who started it all with alien abduction stories has passed on. Read the story here.

My favorite line in the whole article is: Hill had gone a bit commercial herself, trying to fight UFO fantasies with a 1995 self-published book, "A Common Sense Approach to UFOs." Bwhahahahahaha! That title is too much! "A Common Sense Approach to UFOs." heh... Say it out loud, it's even funnier. Too bad she didn't come out with a companion book titled "A Common Sense Approach to Alien Abductions." hehe... I'm so tempted to find that book, I'm not sure I could actually read it, maybe my father-in-law (who has claimed to have been abducted himself) would read it though.

Monday, October 18, 2004

Sidewalk Art Gallery


Tonight in a desperate attempt to save my sanity while I awaited K's return home and for the start of his shift of PARENT I let the Tiny Terrorists draw on the sidewalk. Well let me correct myself, in a desperate moment I opened the door in hopes that K would be driving up, Super Girl being keen of eye, saw her opportunity to become covered in colorful chalk dust and grabbed all her chalk and dashed out the door, knowing that I was exhausted mentally and physically and would have more trouble herding her and Cabbage Patch back indoors. I was also hopeing that the fresh air would help release some of the Demons of Chaos and Whining that were inhabiting Cabbage Patch - that did not work.

We did however create some lovely works of art.


Here are Super Girl's lovely house art and Cabbage Patch's abstract work.
Angry Albino Sock Monkey Is Watching YOU!





Gerbil Condo


Thanks to B, Bea now has a new cage. It looks like a swank gerbil condo. She's been running all over the new cage and won't come out at all now. heh. I'm cool with that, one behind the refrigerator incident is enough for me. We now have on happy rodent (and I'm not talking about the one that lives in the Magic Kingdom).
8:30 AM, Looks Like The Start Of A Great Day!


I know you're probably pondering why I'd have a stupid picture of my alarm clock. I took that to commemorate this day as a rare day of sleeping in. I slept in until 8:30 am! The Little People slept in until shortly after that.

Super Girl's school has an inservice day or something today, so she's off - which is not a great thing, as I have gotten quite used to her being gone from 7:45 until 3:45. I'll survive though, I prepared. A quick trip to the library yesterday yielded some books and a couple of DVDs. I have a few errands to run today that should wear out the kids and keep my house in a relatively clean disposition.

Anyway, just had to brag about my sleeping in!