First of many Santa pics this month!

I gave myself today to get my house, head and affairs in order before the insanity of December descends on my life. This strategy, while valid, did not play out the way I wanted. I'm not sure what I expected, or how I thought this plan would solidify, but here I am, ready as I'll ever be for December.
All the traveling stuff from last weekend is put away. All the random things are put where they should be put. All the little things that are bugging me are re-organized. Jeez, I even figured out the travel mug/plastic cup/extra mugs cabinet and shelves. As I look around, I'm pretty happy with the state of my pre-Christmas home. Tomorrow, bring it on.
I just noticed that there is Christmas decor in the background of my favorite local newscast. I guess I'm really ready for it all if I'm immediately envious of other people that have it done already. Like my mom. Mom has all her Christmas decor up already. She did it in November. This is an egregious wrinkle in Owens Girls Holiday Protocol, but since she's Mom, I'll let it go.
I'm interested to see how long the decorating will take me tomorrow. It has, over the last few years, taken me close to six hours or so to get it done. This year, as we are in a new place and I get to find new spots to put stuff, the decorating, I fear, will take quite a bit more time than six hours. I expect a good day's worth of time to take care of it.

Could I ramble anymore? Ridiculous. I'm preoccupied.

All the yummy you can eat

It's sad to me that there is only a select few people in my life who can appreciate the wonderfulness of my lunch today. Picture it: Pancho's, a delicious, yet kinda sketchy, but family-friendly Mexican buffet restaurant in the suburban Phoenix city of Mesa.
I was a freshman in college the first time I went there. I had been "kidnapped" by my boyfriend, Brian, and our friends/random dorm roommates, Herb and Julian, was thrown into the back seat of my car, and driven to this place to do little more than watch three college boys load up on an all-you-can-eat Mexican buffet. Little did I know when we drove up to the restaurant, that I was about to eat some of the best cheap Mexican food in town. And oh my goodness, if you should have seen Mom, Grandma and Auntie Donna's faces the first time I took them there! The restaurant itself does its food no favors by being a bit dark and dinghy.
Anyway, Brian, Sydney and I had an errand in Mesa this morning, and on driving through town, we passed Pancho's' "new" location (I have no idea how long they've been there, but since it's a different location since the last time I'd been there ... who knows how long ago ... it's new to me). Upon finishing our errand, I noticed that the time had struck noon, and that I could therefore make Brian stop for lunch somewhere.
Pancho's looked nice outside and inside, was roomier than the last location, and lighter and cleaner. I am so excited to tell you that the food itself was just as good as it was when we were in college! I ate a lot. So did Brian. Rice, chimichangas, enchiladas, tamales, taquitos, flautas, tacos, and the dessert, sopapillas, gave us big tummies, but also satisfied ones. My Auntie Donna would have loved to have been with us today, and that breaks my heart. And Mom has put Pancho's back on her list of restaurants to visit when next she comes out for a visit.
Best part: still cheap. A hundred years ago, the buffet was five dollars and change. Brian and I had a bet on how much the buffet would be today. I won: $7.50 for all the food you can eat.

"New Moon" and "Star Trek" were good

I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving!
My weekend, so far, has been lovely. We had a perfectly yummy Thanksgiving feast, and even better left-overs last night for dinner. I make no secret that I prefer a turkey sandwich to the slices of turkey usually offered on the big night, so the left-over nights are usually my favorite meals. Thankfully, we were offered plenty of turkey to bring home from Brian's parents' house. Now, I just need to get some more mayonnaise for my house.
I imagine you're wondering about Movie Mission: Thanksgiving '09. I declare it, so far, rather successful. I did get to see both Star Trek and New Moon, on Thursday and Friday, respectively. Happily, I can report that I thoroughly enjoyed both films. In fact, I can't wait to watch them both again. I can watch Star Trek tomorrow if I want, but New Moon will have to wait a few months until the DVD comes out.
All in all, a successful holiday. Tomorrow, I'll take down the turkeys and return my home to normal for a few days before the Christmas settles in.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
All my love to my followers.
Your support, love, encouragement and inspiration is what I am thankful for.
You rock!!



p.s. I am not cooking today, but the avatar sure looks good in a kitchen, right?

Full of hope, I tell you!

I've got a plan for the weekend. We'll call it Movie Mission: Thanksgiving '09. I'm looking at four days, and three movies I'd like to see. One is in the theater (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), and two are DVDs (Star Trek and The Proposal). I'm full of hope that I'll catch all of them.
We're bringing the DVDs with us to Brian's parents' house for the weekend, and also, Sydney's grandma and grandpa don't know it yet, but they'll be babysitting her for a couple hours while I drag Brian to the Twilight movie. (He's already seen it, but I'm short on movie partners, so he's going to have to sit through it again.) So really, it's a valid plan. I think it's got some real potential to be an actual goal. And maybe even an accomplishment!

Turkeys can be heroes, too

I think that, as this is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I'll wear the turkey outfit today. I wouldn't want to be mistaken for a turkey tomorrow!!

I'm watching last week's Heroes on the DVR right now. That show is a weird little thing for me. It's definitely gone downhill since the first season, though I can't help but watch it. The story lines this season are either ridiculous or overwhelming. (And I honestly can't believe that Hiro has a brain tumor. He used to be such a fun character! Now, he's all sad, and hurting, and incapable of using his power, and not having a good time. It's disappointing.) We record every episode, and they hang out on the DVR for a while. I'll say that Brian is the more faithful watcher. I watch them when I get to them. They sometimes sit for weeks before I get to them. So, I'm keeping up with the show. And again, I'm sad that it's going in weird places. But I'm inexplicably drawn to see how this hot mess of a show is going to end.

No songs for Thanksgiving?

She's gone for a week, and all of a sudden, there are a ton of posts in one night.
Appreciate the Thanksgiving avatars.
There will be three: tonight, tomorrow and Thursday.
Look! She's holding a turkey leg!!

Donny's got the crazy, and the trophy

Donny Osmond takes home the mirrorball trophy!
What a great finish to this season's Dancing with the Stars!
I missed quite a bit of the first half of the show, but ... ... ... Wait. What? Why, you ask? ... Because apparently, when the DVR is full up of Gossip Girl and The Good Wife and runs out of space, it just stops recording entirely. What the hell??!! (Thus, no recording of last night's competition show. And, it just dawned on me that the DVR also didn't record Castle last night! Argh!! Now, I'm even more pissy!!) ...
Anyway ...
I'll admit to this being the first time I've watched the DWTS finale and preferred the more popular contestant over the more competent contestant. Yes, Mya had the chops and talent to walk away with this show, but she lacked the accessibility to the audience, and humility, to get the votes she needed to win tonight. Donny had the fan base (like me), that's for certain, and they voted for their favorite, rather than the better dancer. I voted thrice for Donny myself, because I wanted to see him win, yes, but also, because I wanted to see Kym Johnson (his pro partner) win, too. She's been on the show since the first season, and only made it into the finals once before. She deserved the win as much as anyone.
This evening's finale also opens up quite a bit of time on my Monday and Tuesday nights. I always get this weird feeling of emptiness the night and day and week after DWTS ends. What do I do now?

A quick recap of the last few days

Okay, it's been a long week. I wonder if I can go through it, day by day, in random bullet points (so it isn't too crazy on you reading through it).
Thursday, November 19: Sydney and I drove out to Anaheim to meet Mom at Disneyland for a two-day adventure in Mickey Mouse awesomeness. The drive was cool, as going to Anaheim takes about two hours less than the drive to Mom's house. At the park, we rode the Finding Nemo submarines; met, hugged and had our picture taken with Tinkerbell; watched the holiday parade; and saw some fireworks. Sydney and I slept in bunk beds. She was far more comfortable than I.
Friday, November 20: Perhaps the best day at Disneyland ever, if not, it was certainly the best in a very long time. Lines were minimal, people were minimal, and we loved every minute of it. We were there at 8 a.m., and left the park at about 3 p.m. We got on the road about 4 p.m. Long day! Plenty of traffic on the way home, too. Yummy pizza for dinner!
Saturday, November 21: Lunch with Daddy! (My first experiment with Facebook used as a peer pressure tool.) Chillin' in the afternoon. Some shopping. Tasty Mexican food for dinner.
Sunday, November 22: Doughnuts for breakfast and a visit to Build-a-Bear with Lizzy to get a Christmas doll for Sydney. Having invited myself and my entourage to Lydia's birthday party, we all made our way down to the "Un-Birthday-est" party for Lydia (Alice) who turned six. And it was wonderful! I love the best how Andrea (Cheshire Cat), Ryan (Mad Hatter), Chris (Queen of Hearts), Ody (White Rabbit), and Ryan's parents (Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum) dressed up in the proper attire to fit in the theme. I had a lovely visit with Jeannine, too, and got to cuddle a bit with Eli. Dinner with Lisa, a requirement for every trip back to Cali, was delicious, as was the conversation.
Monday, November 23: The drive home yesterday felt so much longer than it has in a while. The time change does me no favors, as no matter how early (or late) I leave Mom's house, it'll be one hour later than it should be when I get back home. I was tired last night!!

Next week, big Finals show!

Also, Joanna Krupa was eliminated from Dancing with the Stars last night. I missed the actual show, but caught up on the coverage this morning. Apparently, Krupa and Derek Hough didn't seem too surprised by their elimination, which leads me to believe that no one is ever really surprised to go home (excepting the Sabrina Bryan incident). Again though, I'll say that either Krupa or Mya leaving last night would have been okay with me. So long as Kelly Osbourne makes it into the finals ... which she has. Dare I dream that she wins, too? Go Kelly!

p.s. This is the first Finals in five seasons in which neither a Hough (Julianne or Derek), nor Mark Ballas, is competing. How exciting to have new blood in the BIG show!

The elusive Eggo

Via CNN ~
Leggo Your Eggo: There's a Waffle Shortage
Kellogg is rationing its Eggo products due to flooding and equipment problems at two bakeries. The shortfall could last through mid-2010
Better hoard your Eggos!
Grocery stores will be experiencing a shortage of the waffles until mid-2010 due to problems at two bakeries, a Kellogg's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
Flooding at an Atlanta bakery during heavy rains in October forced Kellogg, which makes Eggo products, to shut down production temporarily, said company spokesman Kris Charles. Plus, equipment at Kellogg's largest waffle facility, based in Rossville, Tenn., needs extensive repairs.
"We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible," Charles said in an e-mail. Remaining inventory will be rationed to stores across the country "based on historical percentage of business."
Production figures are confidential, Charles said, but Charles added that all lines are operational except for several lines at the Rossville plant.
Chad, a grocery manager at King Soopers in Denver who declined to give his last name, said his store is "seeing some shortage, but not much." A Kroger in Jackson, Miss., was also experiencing shortages, according to a manager in the frozen foods sections.
At Fairway in New York City, Eggos were in full supply, however, according to a manager at the Red Hook location.
The production problems will also affect other Eggo products, including pancakes, syrup and other breakfast food. To alert customers, Kellogg has placed a warning to customers on top of its Eggo Web site and placed notices in some grocery stores.

My Albertson's is one of those stores that has no Eggo products right now, and hasn't for several weeks. There was a time in my life when this wouldn't affect me at all, and I couldn't care less. But right now, I have a baby who likes only the Eggo blueberry waffles. Only the Eggo blueberry waffles. Regular Eggo waffles? No. Blueberry Albertson's waffles? No. Eggo blueberry pancakes? No.
ONLY Eggo blueberry waffles.
Mom just bought two boxes of Eggo blueberry waffles for us, because her store had plenty. (Of course, in California! They have everything there!) So beginning next week, we'll have the elusive waffles in our freezer again. And then we'll be able to get back to life as usual.

Seacrest snubbed again!

I'm going to roll this entire post based on, 1.) a single sentence on the Yahoo! homepage, and 2.) my general dislike for personality Ryan Seacrest. I did not watch the footage of this, not did I do any more research other than read this single sentence.
Yahoo! homepage sentence: Robert Pattinson awkwardly leaves an interview when Ryan Seacrest asks him about costar Kristen Stewart.
Kimmie's random tangent: I am completely and utterly bugged by Ryan Seacrest. I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed the moment I learned about Angelina Jolie snubbing him on some award show's red carpet entry. So, the fact that he got dissed by Robert Pattinson, an actor with some talent but a huge following, for asking a tabloid question is awesome. The fervor around these Twilight actors is huge, and the interest in any off-screen relationships between Pattinson and Stewart is, apparently, news. So, I can see why Seacrest would ask about this. He's only one of the thousands of reporters, if he can be called that, to ask about it. Why Pattinson chose to turn on him on this night is intriguing, since he and Stewart have played coy with everyone else.
But the circumstances behind this are not as interesting to me. It's the act itself. I derive irrational enjoyment from Seacrest being left hanging by a celebrity that he probably thought would be a "buddy" to him, and would give him some kind of scoop because he's "Ryan Seacrest," and because he's on American Idol.

Autumn can be so pretty

I remember back when one's television life was dealt with via VCR (that's Video Cassette Recorder, for all you whippersnappers). Whenever we would go on vacation, I would spend a good 30 minutes or so setting up my VCR to record all my favorite shows. I'd have to scroll through the days, the dates, the times and the length of the shows, ensuring that each show was recorded properly. And back then, I certainly had to be sure to have the days right, because there was no show menu to refer to when setting it up. And then, of course, sometimes I'd have to choose between a show or two because each video tape could only record six or eight hours of television. And definitely, the VCR could only record one show at a time: no double recordings for that little machine. You know that it wouldn't always work exactly how I wanted all the time, too. Inevitably, something would get timed wrong, or I'd have the day wrong, or something equally irritating and my fault.
You won't believe what brought this into my brain.
I saw a commercial with Megan Mullally, the actress who played Karen in Will & Grace, on TV tonight. I thought about the first time I saw her, in the first episode of Will & Grace, and how I loved that show. And then I thought about how I watched that episode on a video tape because I was gone the night it premiered. And then I thought about what a production is was to tape a television show all those years ago ... before the wonderfulness that is DVR.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kelly Osbourne ~ 2 votes. I'd love to see her in the finals next week, and I think she deserves to be there. She's just so cute!
Mya ~ 1 vote. She's a fantastic dancer, and I think she will end up taking this competition, but still, I just don't love her. She's not pulling the devotion from me like Kelly Osbourne does. I'm bothered, because I like her story, but I'm not attached. Still, I think she'll be one of the final two.
Joanna Krupa ~ 1 vote. She's beautiful, and kind of blank. I hate it when I feel apathetic towards a competitor on this show, but it's not unprecedented.
Donny Osmond ~ 1 vote. He did so great on all of his dances, regardless of the first disaster. I can see his crazy, little fan base giving him the trophy at the end of next week.
Honestly, any one of these people could win it next week. I'm intrigued, but not obsessed with how this ends. My gut instinct tells me that Kelly gets booted tomorrow, or early next week. We'll see tomorrow night!!

Also, new blinds for the living room

~ Happily, I'm feeling a bit better today, though any day is always a better one when Brian brings home a hot chocolate from Dunkin' for me in the morning. Yummy!
~ Also, it's kinda cold in my house. I feel silly saying that, since it's not even close to being as cold as my weather has been in the last several years. Still, I'm wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, and am covered up in an afghan. It would be perfect if there was a hot chocolate for me to sip on the table next to me.
~ Sydney and I made popcorn this afternoon, and per usual, the adventure ended up being the bane of my dental existence since then. Thankfully, I have a fully functioning dentist in my home, and was able to make him get that one crazy, difficult-to-get corn bit in my back tooth. He told me he'd charge me $112. I told him I'd write him a check. But, I think I just found another one. However, he's sleeping now.
~ Can you believe how the Patriots just choked that game? Dude. Belichick has got some explaining to do. Thank goodness I wasn't watching it, otherwise I'd be really irritated.
~ It's 10:15 p.m., and my goal was to be in bed by 10:30 p.m. I'm out-ee.

Feel better soon, PLEASE!! *sigh*

I can't remember the last time one of my colds manifested into such an awful, awful mood. Almost every single thing that happened today managed to irritate me in a huge way. And between my sick irritability, and Sydney's sick whining, it's a wonder that Brian didn't run screaming from the house at least three times today. Syd and I played off each other's issues, and Brian was just kind of a spectator, who neither wanted to play the mediator, nor become the object of our "affection." In that, he just stayed out of our way, gently condescending whenever we talked to him, whined at him, bitched at him, or cried to him. Really, he was a bit of a saint, now that I really look at how his day rolled. Add to that the knowledge that he'll probably catch this cold, too, and today, as a Saturday, must have sucked right out loud for him. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a better day for everyone.
We did manage to watch a movie tonight though. It was Up. We missed it in the theaters, so when we saw it at Best Buy this morning, we decided to pick it up for an afternoon flight of fancy. The movie itself was wonderful, and the story was as heart-wrenching and -warming as you'd heard. Very good movie, and once again, Pixar amazes us all.
The best part of the film though, was that the dogs in it had collars on that translated their thoughts into words that were heard via the collars' speakers. Um, fantastic! There isn't a dog lover/owner/parent out there who wouldn't give practically anything to have such a great little gadget! It was fascinating mainly because the dogs' thoughts rolled in such a stream of consciousness, exactly how you would expect a dog to be thinking. ... SQUIRREL! ... Like, right now, I imagine Oliver's collar would be saying, "I lie next to you because you let me, and you're warm, and I love you." *Yawn* "Rub my tummy."

The sickness invades

The sickness has entered my house. And it'll be an unwelcome guest for at least a week.
Sydney came home from school yesterday with a very definite runny nose. I felt a little something in my nose as well, and Brian had a scratchy throat. This morning, while Brian and I were somewhat able to fake healthiness, Sydney had a snotty nose that wouldn't stop running, and the distinct sound of a plugged nose in her speech. She's a real trooper though, and didn't let it slow her down much. I did need some additional cold-relief fire power for the home though, so, armed with a list and one very cool suggestion from Josh, Sydney and I traveled over to Target for some medicines.
Our sickroom purchases:
1.) Any kind of medication that she can take now that she's three. However, there is no cold medication that she can consume at her age. The Pedia Care that I thought said "three" in Target, said "four" at home, so it sits unopened on the bathroom counter. Funny side note: I was ID'd at the register for buying the stuff. Apparently, "these ASU students are drinking the stuff," so the store is scanning every ID that buys any cold medication. Honestly, she couldn't look at the toddler-sized snot monster in the cart and just let me buy the medicine with no hassle?
2.) Children's Tylenol in "Very Berry Strawberry." If I can't drug her into feeling better by tackling her cold symptoms themselves, I'll give her some pain reliever medicine that'll just make everything feel a bit better. She chose the flavor herself, and seemed to enjoy it when she drank down her 1 tsp. tonight. Please, let it be a bit of a sleep inducer.
3.) Kleenex with super soft aloe and lotion. The Puffs just weren't doing it for us. We'd only been dealing with this runny nose for 24 hours, and already she was telling me that her nose hurt. Bad sign for the current tissues, I say. Two boxes of softer Kleenex strategically placed in obvious spots so they'll be available for any evidence of snot? Check!
4.) Vick's nighttime, waterless menthol- and eucalyptus-spewing air diffuser and nightlight. This was Josh's suggestion, and oh my, is it a good one! I got the machine all heated up for about an hour before Sydney's nap, and by the time she crashed, the room was a pleasant Vick's-ish heaven. And when I got her up about two and-a-half hours later, the room cleared my nose the second I opened the door. She slept well with it. That's my goal!
Hopefully, with the Vick's, Tylenol and tired body, she'll get a decent night's sleep!

This one seems a bit ... much

In my quest to make this home absolutely perfect ... just in time for us to move out ... I tackled another one of my peeves about the house. There's no way of prettily setting this one up for you, so I'll just throw the facts out there, and you can put them together: The house has a side access to the backyard that is ungated and unsecured.
Hmm... I guess it didn't require a lot to set it up. What good is a backyard that just anybody can wander into? Mine is cleverly blocked with an old baby gate, which does absolutely nothing but keep my dogs in the yard. True, a very important task, but again, it doesn't do much for security. In wandering through the neighborhood, I've noticed that a majority of the houses have, conveniently, gates blocking access to the backyard. So! They DO exist!!
My quandary: I've asked the owner and property manager for a couple things since we moved in, and all I've gotten permission for is the grass. Honestly, I didn't think that they would allow me to have the gate installed, so had planned on having it put in without telling them. However, the $626 bid for the gate this morning made me nervous. I knew I'd be able to handle half that, but the whole amount was a bit much. After listening to some whining on my part, my "Better Advice Fairy" suggested I go ahead and ask the owners to split the cost with us, as the fence was a permanent improvement to the home.
Happily, the owner and property manager got back to me quickly with some good news! They're splitting the cost of the gate! Exciting!
Tomorrow, I'll call and tell the gate company to move forward with my job, and commence the waiting game. They tell me it'll be three to four weeks, but I'll hope for sooner.

I miss Buffy ... I really do

My television-viewing schedule is getting a little lighter. Sadly, two of the shows I'm liking this season are going away: Dollhouse, starring Eliza Dushku, and Eastwick, starring Rebecca Romijn, Lindsay Price and Paul Gross. Dollhouse was my Friday night on Fox, and Eastwick perfectly topped off my Wednesdays on ABC.
But did you notice that up there? Both these shows are centered around strong female characters. I tend to gravitate towards those kinds of shows, as evidenced by my incredible love of Buffy. And it breaks my heart when enough people don't appreciate them, or watch them, or thoroughly enjoy them as they should be enjoyed. There simply are not enough strong female characters on television, and it's so wrong when the shows get canceled.
But, on the flip side, now I can get to bed a bit earlier on Wednesday.

Happy 18-year anniversary, my dear!

Here's something for you:
Today is the 18-year anniversary of Brian and I becoming "Brian and I." I don't profess to hold this anniversary in as high a category as our wedding anniversary, but it is a date that I certainly remember every year. When I tell Brian, he always says to me, "Do I really have to remember this one anymore? I remember the wedding one." I agree with him, because like I said, this day isn't as big a deal as the coolest wedding ever. But still, I think this day should continue to be an important one. I mean, damn! We've been together as old as a voter! Or a legal adult! That's a LONG time!
Jeez, 1991 was a long time ago. Sure, a lot should happen in 18 years, but when you look at it as far as time spent together, and progress that's been made, it's amazing what we've managed to accomplish, tackle, create and learn in that time.
And hey, we can still make each other laugh!

That's a weird pose, isn't it?

Well, I did it. I finally got through that stack of magazines and catalogs. And now, I've got a substantially thinner stack of magazine and catalog pages, upon which are Christmas gift ideas. I'm starting to feel kind of good about the ideas, though the actual shopping has yet to commence. But it's all about creating the gift shopping list, right? Once that's done, it's nothing but hitting the mall and other stores. So really, a lot of the hard part is over. ... Er, who am I kidding, all of it is a bitch and a half to get through.
Randoms: 1.) I had to re-pot one of my spider plants this evening, as it had gotten all root-bound and unhappy. The only bag of potting soil around the house was an older bag that was in the backyard when we moved in. It wasn't the best, but neither was the soil the plant was in originally, so it should move along just fine now. 2.) After reading last night's tangent, the judge dealing with the Jennifer Lopez case obviously took my advice and barred Ojani Noa from selling the tape ... for now. 3.) Let's all say goodbye to Aaron Carter, who left the dance floor tonight, fifth in line for the mirrorball trophy. The kid was likable enough, I guess. He kinda creeped me out through, and there's no room for creepiness on a ballroom dance floor. I will be heartbroken if Kelly Osbourne doesn't win this competition. In all honesty, I don't think she will, but it'll really upset me when she's asked to leave. 4.) Is it 11 p.m. yet? I'm tired and ready to go to bed.

Why can't he be arrested for this?

I feel for Jennifer Lopez. Her ex-husband is trying to sell a video about their lives together, featuring home videos of many social situations, but also some footage of her in sexual situations, notably from their own honeymoon. Lopez has been fighting against this guy, Ojani Noa, over the last several years, trying to keep him from cashing in on their history together. His first attempt was a ghost-written tell-all book a couple years ago, that he tried to get her to pay $5 million to keep from being published. Today, Lopez won a court order to keep the video from being sold. Until tomorrow anyway, when a hearing will decide whether the video will stay under wraps, or Noa will be allowed to sell it.
I come down firmly on the side of this being a totally trashy thing for this dickhead guy to do to her. Dude, you messed up, and you're not married to the girl anymore. Get over it. And leave her alone.
And on what planet is it, in any way, okay to sell personal and private video of anyone without their specific and written permission? I mean, these are intimate and personal pieces of her life, and she (or anyone, for that matter) should never, ever have to worry about such a thing making its way into the commercial marketplace. I absolutely hate these aspects of our celebrity culture. That there is a market for this is ridiculous. If no one cared, or would buy it, then no one would try to sell it. Cheers to Lopez and her attorneys; give him hell!

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Kelly Osbourne ~ 2 votes. Osbourne's personality is going a long way with me with this season's competition. I am loving her! And the fact that her dancing is improving, makes it all the better. I hope she makes it into the finals. And wouldn't it be lovely if she won? She'll be getting all my votes.
Donny Osmond ~ 1 vote. I'm not a huge fan, but I love that he has very little modesty. And Kym is rocking his world with her choreography. I'd love to see her win!
Mya ~ 1 vote. Mya's personality is a bit off-putting, and she doesn't seem to connect with the audience (or me) much. But she's, technically, a very good dancer.
Aaron Carter ~ 1 vote. I'm not sure what it is about Carter that I'm not liking, but to his credit, I like him better than I do Joanna Krupa.
Joanna Krupa ~ 0 votes. I'm sorry, but this girl does absolutely nothing for me. And if she wins, I'll declare shenanigans on what is obviously some kind of conspiracy in favor of anyone who doesn't have the last name "Hough."

That's how much I move when she's sleeping

I have a stack of catalogs about eight inches tall sitting on my reading shelf right now. And yet, while this collection is a preemptive strike on my Christmas shopping, I sit here staring at the pile, having not made a move to look at any of the catalogs in it. I've got my list of people, my tentative budget, and some basic ideas for which catalogs for whom as well as actual gift ideas. What I don't have is the patience and motivation to dig into the, let's face it, monumental task of Christmas shopping right now.
I'm actually a huge fan of avoidance lately. Not so much a fan, more like a practicing avoider. You may think I'm sounding kinda proud about that. On the contrary, I'm pretty embarrassed. My Facebook status today, at one point, was, "Kimberly would like to be less lazy, please. Will someone take care of that?" The question, of course, made the status more of a joke, but the general feeling behind it is truth. I am lazy lately, in every way possible: mentally, emotionally, physically, motivationally. Again, not at all proud. Not even sarcastically. Instead, I'm struggling with finding my, let's call it a "Fourth-Quarter Catalyst," for getting through the next couple months, and building the strength to attack the beginning of next year. I am getting excited about our plans as they develop, but in day-to-day getting up and doing, my head just doesn't seem to be in the game.
Is it that I haven't been getting enough sleep? I think I'm just too easily distracted. I also think I enjoy sitting on my ass in front of the television with this devil computer on my lap more than anything else ... while Sydney's asleep, of course.
When she's awake, I enjoy playing Memory. I'm getting better at it.

p.s. Let's play a different game! I invented two (2) words in tonight's post! What are they?

Shampoo and underwear in the same post?

I don't like it when I try something new and it ends up being inferior to something I know I already like. It's why I eat a lot of the same things in restaurants. I fear the disappointment of the unknown, and how bad it might taste. When I go out, I want to know that it'll taste good and that I will want to eat it all. But that's restaurants. I've been struggling with two new changes in my life, and neither is working out as well as I'd like.
1. Since I'm officially coloring my hair more than ever before, it's been suggested that I use a color-friendly shampoo. Mom gave me her Enjoy stuff, and while it worked well, it wasn't my Paul Mitchell, so I went about finding the color-friendly Paul Mitchell. In using it, I discovered something off-putting. In my head, it smells very distinctly like something I dislike immensely. Yes, my shampoo stinks of tanning salon and its after effects.
Do I deal with this and use up the shampoo until it's done? Do I go out and buy some more of Mom's Enjoy shampoo and just pitch the Paul Mitchell? Do I not bother with the color-friendly stuff and go back to my normal stuff? How important can specific color-friendly stuff be anyway?
"Yes" to the second one, maybe.
2. I need some new underwear -- the plain, boring, cotton variety. In my search for some panties that are a bit less expensive than my Jockeys, I found my way into the underwear section of Target. In my research, I bought a package of Fruit of the Loom and a package of Hanes. Judgment of the Fruit of the Loom: cotton is too thin; elastic waistband is too thin, too, and is scratchy. Judgment of Hanes: sure, like the commercial says, there are no wedgies, but the lack of staying up ability is a huge negative; the waistband is comfortable, but would be more so if the panties would STAY UP; cotton thickness is perfect.
Do I live with these uncomfortable panties? Do I trash them and go buy the brand I prefer?
"Yes" to the second one. As now I am, apparently, a proponent for Jockey.

Ugh. Yuck. Bleck.

And once again, the joy of being a Red Sox fan takes on the despair of being a Yankees non-fan, as in a situation like tonight, when you can only sit back and hope for another team to send the team you really don't like back home with their tail between their legs. It's disconcerting to put your faith in a team you really care little about, in the vague hopes that that team can beat the Yankees. If it were the Red Sox, well, we know that they can beat the Yankees in a high-stakes game or two. Depending on the Phillies to embarrass the Yankees makes a Red Sox fan feel so ... well ... impotent. Ugh.
And now we have to deal with the Yankees being world champions all year. Crap.

More pictures for the box in the closet!

I've been in a weird anti-photo printing phase lately, and for those of you who know me best, you'll appreciate how difficult this has been for me. Confession: I haven't printed out any photos since June.
Oh, I've got a ton in my iPhoto, and have taken just as many as normal over the last few months, it's just that I've been averse to "wasting" the paper to print them, or spending the money to buy them. I've got nothing but a pile of photos, unorganized as well, waiting to be put into a photo album. They're at least piled in a photo box, if that counts for anything.
Of course, Sydney's birthday and Halloween change everything, also, the fact that Mom didn't use her camera once for those two occasions, and the incredibly effective whining she's been throwing my way over her lack of good Sydney pictures to carry around with her.
So, tonight, I spent the hour online with Walgreens uploading the 300 (!) photos that have sat languid on my computer's hard drive for the past several months. I placed my order for myself, and, since she's crazy impatient, I placed a separate order for Mom to pick up at her own local Walgreens.
... ... ... ... Ah. ... ... ... ... [crickets chirping]
... ... ... Can you hear that? ... ... ... [more crickets chirping]
That's the sound of my mom trying to find something new to bug me about!!
I LOVE YOU, MOMMY!! Crazy chick!!

p.s. ~ I didn't vote on Dancing with the Stars last night, and can therefore not rejoice or complain about tonight's eliminations. Though I will certainly comment. I'm glad that Michael Irvin (left) was asked to leave simply because I was getting so tired of listening to the judge's be mean to him. He had such a good attitude about the competition, and was such a great sport. It's a shame that they (the judges) took such pleasure in making him out to be a jackass on the dance floor. Now, as for Mark Dacascos (above), you might remember that he was one of my early favorites for the show's finals. I like him a lot, and wish that he was able to do better. I'm going to sport a little blasphemy right here and say that I think he may have done better with a different partner. I dig Lacey, I really do, but a pro with more experience on the show would have showcased him better. How's that for making excuses for someone? Only five more contestants to go! And if Mya or Joanna Krupa win this whole thing, I may boycott next season!

"What's your damage, Heather?"

~ Um. It's November already. Dude. This year has flown by wicked fast.
~ You know how I know that I am a true-blooded Red Sox fan? I am HATING the Yankees in the World Series right now! Why can't they just LOSE? Isn't it bad enough that I have to cheer for another team, not the Red Sox, in the World Series, simply because I want the Yankees to lose? Brian and I did a very real and heartfelt high-five over the Phillies' tying run tonight, only to be crushed by that damn team and their scoring runs in the later innings. Why is the world so wrong for us Boston fans? Ack!!
~ I read an article on how to make my bob a "sexy" hairstyle, and in so doing, I realized that, once again, I'm just a lazy person when it comes to hair. Barrettes and random hair ties are the extent of my styling on any given day. This, sometimes, makes me feel like less of a girlie girl. What I need is for someone to take some time and show me some cool "do's" that will only take a couple minutes in the morning. I can not spend time with a hair dryer or curling iron. These styles must be completed with accessories of some kind and minimal arm lifting. And they have to be comfortable, thereby removing any desire I may have to run my hands through my hair, or fuss with the pins and whatnot. Someone please fix this for me.
~ I hate, hate, hate it when the clocks move back in the fall. Mainly, because Arizona doesn't change their clocks, and ... seemingly ... the rest of the world does. Now I'm an hour ahead of the Californians. The Daily Show will now be shown at midnight on Comedy Central, instead of 11 p.m., because the channel refuses to accommodate us (as does Noggin ...er, Nick, Jr.), making it impossible for me to catch even a glimpse of before I go to bed. And, well, I just hate being on a "different time zone."
~ It's forecasted to be 89 degrees tomorrow, and 92 degrees on Tuesday. Where the hell is November weather?
~ And I'm playing croquet this month, too. You know what I think of now every time I see croquet? The movie, Heathers. I wish my avatar's ball was red.