What if everyone drove a VW?

I always thought that Slug Bug was a game that you played whenever you saw a Volkswagen Beetle. What's up with the VW commercials that have people hitting each other when they see any VW car? I mean, don't get me wrong. I love that someone might get the opportunity to slug someone they know just because I happen to drive by them. But I wonder about the generalization of this very specific game. I am concerned that it's gone too mainstream.
And what do the people say when they see the cars? According to the commercial, one only needs to say what the color of the car is when they slug the person. "Red one." "Blue one." "Black one." Bam. Bop. Bam. I think they should have other little crazy rhymes for each model, as there is "slug bug."
"Getta Jetta."
"That's-a Passat-a."
"Futon Routan."
"Rolf Golf."

Never mind. This is kinda stupid. But I do wonder about those commercials, and why it's no longer a Beetle game.

Bye, bye, "Bachelor"

ITEM!: I love it when all is right in my little dancing "stars" universe. I've been bothered by Jake Pavelka quite a bit over the last few weeks, and it is with happiness and contentment that I say goodbye to him on tonight's Dancing with the Stars. The irritating little Tom Cruise lookalike will no longer be gracing the dance floor, and I'm perfectly okay with it.
ITEM!: Is it weird that I get a real charge out of moving stuff around in my house? I had an idea yesterday for moving Sydney's toys (because a good amount of them are in the living room area) into her room. It's hard to enforce quiet time playing in her room when all her good toys are in a different room. So the castle with a cushion has become a toy castle, without a cushion, and with all her stuff in it. I'm really happy with it. This, of course, gets me looking around at what other stuff I can move around. Currently, I'm okay with the rest of the house, but we'll see where this mood pulls me over the next couple days.
ITEM!: I am beyond annoyed about the newest immigration legislation here in Arizona, and I'm bugged by it to the tenth degree. Sadly, there's nothing I can do about the ignorance in this state. I'm still a registered voter in California, and I'm trying to deal with all the ignorance out there. I can't vote for the opposition here. It's a disturbance to see that Arizona has become a punching bag (rightfully so, I totally disagree with the legislation) for the rest of the country. I don't like feeling like I need to defend myself for living here, by saying, "You know, we're not ALL like that. Some of us would LOVE for this state to get a bit bluer and more tolerant."
ITEM!: CNN.com's Quick Vote on its web site asks, "Should humans fear space aliens?" I vote yes, because honestly, what are the odds that some creatures are going to fly across the universe just to sit and drink some tea while watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns with us? They'll want to run experiments on us, just like, sadly, our government would do to them. The poll results are: 64 percent (11,920 votes) said "No." Really people? You do think they'll enjoy the chamomile. Thirty-six percent (6,793 votes) said "Yes." The realists, we'll call them. I thoroughly enjoy the CNN Quick Vote. It's at once ridiculous and weirdly informative.

I'm about to overdose on "happily ever after"

Sydney and I are watching Disney movies lately. I'm trying to open up her horizons beyond Cars. We've experimented a lot with the early Disney stuff, but also have dabbled in the more recent films. Lately, she's a huge fan of Beauty and the Beast, and has confiscated all my Beauty snow globes for her room. Over the last couple days though, she has decided that the Beast is too scary for her.
As I said though, we've experimented with the classics. While I can see that they were earth-shattering and cutting-edge all those years ago, today, through Sydney's eyes (and hell, through mine), there's just not a lot there to entertain.
Dumbo is good, and we both really like that one, but also, we lose interest in the drunk elephants on parade/acid segment. Also, it's nice because it's short. Peter Pan rocks, actually. The only problem is that she doesn't want to watch it that often. Cinderella, also, doesn't bug me too much, though all the mice are a little creepy. Sleeping Beauty was a lot slower than I remembered. And Maleficent? Damn, she's awful! Why so mean? Just over a non-invitation? Also, we kinda fear the little monkey/warthog/pig guys who work for her. Alice in Wonderland also is a weird little Disney acid trip. With minimal music and singing, and less Cheshire Cat than I remembered, Sydney wasn't too into it.
Yesterday, we watched Bambi. Sydney lost interest in it pretty quickly, due to the minimal conversation, and I never held interest in it because the mom dies. I thought though, that she died closer to the beginning of the movie. And why did we miss the entire time that Bambi was with the big buck after his mom had been shot? That seems like it would have been a good bit of story, too! Today's movie was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. You know what? That evil queen is SCARY! I'm so glad Sydney got bored about that time, and went to go play on her own. And why didn't we see Snow White bite the apple? Or see evidence that the queen actually died? Some morbid details, please!! Others we've sampled: Jungle Book and The Great Mouse Detective.
Of course, in addition to Beauty and the Beast, we've watched Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, The Lion King and Tinkerbell. Also, we love the Pixar/Disney films: Cars, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story.
While I enjoy introducing her to the Disney stuff that I loved all those years ago, there is definitely something to be said for the more modern fairy tales. First of all, they have more interesting characters. There's not a bit of good about a girl who needs to be rescued by a man to know who she is or to live "happily ever after." Second, the male characters are more interesting, too. Prince Charming (Snow White), meet the Beast. Prince Eric (Sleeping Beauty) meet Aladdin. Bambi meet Simba. Third, better songs and more singing! Are you kidding me? Snow White singing while her and the forest animals clean, compared to Lumiere's "Be Our Guest"? No contest. Fourth, brighter colors. That probably has a lot to do with technology, but still, did they have no primary, bright colors all those years ago? And fifth, oh yeah, better stories. Sorry, but it's true. Conflict is king, and and the older films don't seem to have any of it.
Having said all that, if Sydney decided that Alice was her favorite movie, and that we had to watch it every day, I'd do it, because of all things that come from watching Disney movies, a kid loving them is paramount.


My Dancing with the Stars voting (7 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. Okay, it's time for this voting thing to get nasty. I want Evan to win, so again, to him goes the majority of my vote love. I honestly can't think of who else I would vote for, if not for him. Next week, I'm bumping him up to a "3 votes." WHOA!!
Erin Andrews ~ 1 vote. I am loving this girl more and more. She's not much of a dancer, I'll admit, but I do think she's getting judged too harshly. Next week, I hope she does better. Though we are getting a little late in the competition for "hope she does better."
Chad Ochocinco ~ 1 vote. I'm glad the footage editors dialed back the awkwardness of Chad's continual dating overtures to Cheryl. Just dance, dude.
Niecy Nash ~ 1 vote. I don't like how the show had devolved into several food and weight jokes about Niecy. She glories in her size, as she should. That spirit does not translate well to other people making jokes about it.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote. Nicole is a great dancer. She's working this competition something fierce. I'll tell you though, I am beginning to dislike Derek, simply because I'm getting a weird feeling that the show's producers really, really, really, really like it when he wins and gets high scores. I fear for Evan and this apparent, and subtle, favoritism towards Derek.
Pamela Anderson ~ 1 vote. I am appreciating the hot mess that is Pamela Anderson, but I'm over the pouty lips and fuck-me eyes she throws at the camera every time it's on her. Another contestant that needs to just dance.
Jake Pavelka ~ 0 votes. Jake is my pick for exiting the show tomorrow night, if I'm to be happy. He kinda whines a lot, and he is kinda full of himself, and he's kinda bugging the hell out of me.

Post-it Notes rock; I prefer the yellow

I can't remember a time before Post-it Notes, can you? Has there been a day in the last 10 years when, if I didn't write a Post-it, I at least referred to a Post-it? I don't think so. And that, my friends, is staying power. Who knew that the little note pads would become so iconic? Remember in that movie, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion, when one of the girls, Romy, I think, claimed to have been the Post-it's inventor? Classic.

Post-it, the little square that changed lives, turns 30
WASHINGTON (AFP) – VHS tapes and walkmans may have been firmly cast into oblivion but another 1980s invention, the Post-it Note, is marking its 30th anniversary this month as popular as ever.
The little yellow square of paper that changed lives was actually the product of an engineering mistake by 3M scientists who accidentally stumbled upon an adhesive like none other that could stick and be repositioned on just about any surface.
It has remained among the top five best-selling office supplies in the United States each year ever since.
The three-by-three-inch (7.6-by-7.6-centimeter) pad has also evolved over time and now comes in eight sizes, 25 shapes and 62 colors, including the original Canary Yellow, sold in 150 countries.
"It's one of those things that can't get any better than it already is," said Syracuse University professor of popular culture Robert Thompson. "Nothing comes close to replace it, a beep on your phone or a digitalized reminder."
The sticky pad's inventors, 3M scientists Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver, were even inducted last month into the National Inventors Hall of Fame alongside the inventors of synthetic diamond and others "responsible for the great technological advances that make human, social and economic progress possible."
"My guess is people will still be using Post-it notes in a hundred years," Thompson told AFP. "It represents some things that were very prominent in the 80s: a much more complex life and the desire to control that complexity."

Some things, a computer will never replace.

Actually, this was posted on Saturday night

So Brian and I finally watched Avatar tonight. Yes, it was good; yes, it was long. Yes, it was visually stunning. Was it the end-all, be-all, of movies? Nope, not so much. I know my opinion of James Cameron completely sullied my thoughts on the film, but honestly, I don't really care. Also, I still think The Hurt Locker was a better movie.
Something else I need to figure out, which I can't believe I didn't know about, or have set up already, is iTunes moving my phones pictures to my computer hard drive whenever I sync up the phone. Brian's has done that from the beginning, and mine never has. This must be remedied. Tomorrow.

I love you, Earth

By the way, Happy Earth Day!
I'm particularly pleased with my Facebook status for today, so I'll post it here for you:

Kimmie G. cares tremendously about Earth. She recycles her magazines, bottles, plastics and boxes. She uses re-usable bags at the grocery store and Target. She buys "green" whenever she can. But, if asked, she'd still elevate to sainthood the person who invented disposable diapers.

Come to Iceland. Our volcano is erupting!

There's a new illness in the world lately: it's volcano voyeurism. USAToday.com mentions on its website today that the eruption of the volcano in Iceland I can't spell has brought volcano tourism to the forefront of worldwide tourism.
Per USAToday.com: To ashen travelers stranded across the globe by belching coming from the depths of an unpronounceable Icelandic glacier, the prospect of communing with an active volcano may be as enticing as spending the night on an airport terminal floor. But to legions of thrill seekers, the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull is the latest advertisement for the greatest show on Earth.
I'm not embarrassed to say that I would TOTALLY go see an erupting volcano! I mean, Mom, Howie and I took a helicopter tour over Mauna Loa in Hawaii one year. It was frickin' cool. Especially when the helicopter hovered over an open lava tube, and we could see the orange glow of the lava, and even feel the heat of the inner earth against the window. (OF COURSE, we did not hover right atop the hole. That would be stupid. We were to the side of the tube, but still close enough to FEEL THE HEAT ON THE WINDOW.)
More from the website: "I suppose it's the same feeling we get when we see an enormous waterfall," says lava lover Simon Winchester, whose book Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 recounts a cataclysmic volcanic blast off the coast of Java that killed 40,000 people, altered weather patterns worldwide and sparked long-term scientific and societal aftershocks.
"We like to be, if it's not too great a pun, brought back to Earth — reminded of the puniness of who we are, and of the majesty of the planet."
When a crater close to long-dormant Eyjafjallajokull started shooting off fireworks about 75 miles from the capital of Reykjavik on March 20, the spectacle drew throngs of intrepid sightseers — including about 1,000 North Americans, says Einar Gustavsson of the Iceland Tourist Board in New York.
The party atmosphere (including helicopter tours and "lobster on the lava" dinners) dissipated when Eyjafjallajokull, about 2½ miles away, cranked up on April 14. But the tourist board's website offered swift reassurance that tourists were safe and sound and "Icelanders' daily life is proceeding quite normally."
Indeed, says Gustavsson, in a country the size of Ohio with some 330,000 residents, 10,000 waterfalls and 130 volcanoes, people "come here for the nature — and in Iceland, it has always been untamed."
I want to see how much a ticket to Iceland costs. The Iceland airport was the only European airport open all those days that the ash cloud covered the continent. Doesn't that trip, barring the possibility of anyone getting hurt, sound like fun? Volcanoes rock! HA!!

Ben & Jerry are nice guys

I read an article this morning about how Ben & Jerry's picks the company's new ice cream flavors. I won't go into much detail on that, but instead, will take this time to share my weird late-in-life developed love with Ben & Jerry's. For so long, I had never been a fan of the ice cream, which I thought only produced the flavors Chunky Monkey and Cherry Garcia.
You know how I've said that you can't live in Boston and not become a fan of the Red Sox? Well, you also can't live in the Northeast and not become a fan of the Vermont-based ice cream. Their farm, including the actual production line, Flavor Graveyard, cows, and gift shop, is the coolest.
Based on the geographical proximity, I felt compelled to try more of the company's flavors. Compelled, I tell you! Of course, with my love of chocolate, most every experiment had to begin with the chocolate ice cream base. I tried a couple vanilla-based flavors, most notably the cookie dough, and enjoyed most of them. I'm still me though, and a bunch of flavors will probably never be tested.
My favorites: BROWNIE BATTER; Chocolate; Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough; Chocolate Fudge Brownie (is there a theme here?); Strawberry Cheesecake; and Strawberry. I was once tricked into tasting Chunky Monkey. It has banana in it. Why would someone poison ice cream with banana flavor? Apparently though, I made a wonderfully disgusted face across the conference table. I'm glad I amuse.
So you'll know that my love knows no bounds, I also have downloaded the Ben & Jerry's app for my phone. It tells me where the shops are, what flavors are available, and even lets me save my own favorites in a "freezer" file. I like it a lot, also, because the icon is a little ice cream cone, and that's cute.

Free Tony? Tony is FREE!!

And sometimes, the ballroom gods give you exactly what you want most. I've never watched an episode of Jon & Kate Plus 8, and I'm glad I haven't. From the minimal and, I'm sure, intentionally unflattering editing of Kate Gosselin, I get the impression that she's quite a bitch. With each contestant though, the show's producers always manage to find one or two redeeming moments of film to make that person seem decent, funny or likable. I gathered from the utter lack of funny, decent or likable moments in Gosselin's footage that she simply didn't have any. This makes for bad television. While I know a bunch of Gosselin's fans are disappointed that she was ejected tonight from Dancing with the Stars, I suggest that those fans follow Gosselin back to reality television, and leave the ballroom competition to the dancers. (WOW! That sounded PRETENTIOUS!!) All the same, now we can get to the business of dance competition.
ALSO: Tonight's episode of Glee was perhaps one of the best hours of musical television ever. I don't think I've actually loved a television show this much since Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and that's saying something. A complete hour dedicated to Madonna though? Pure and total brilliance. The bad part? I missed the last five minutes of the show, because it didn't start until five minutes late due to that ridiculous American Idol show. And in missing that last few minutes, I missed an incredible cast-led rendition of "Like a Prayer." This will be rectified tomorrow morning.
IN ADDITION: I had my first workout with my trainer, Dan, this morning. He kicked my butt by punishing my shoulders, chest and triceps. And by mid-afternoon, my arms were getting heavy, and my shoulders were getting a little achy. I look forward to my pain tomorrow. Jeez, I say stuff like that, and mean it. I must really be motivated! :)
AS WELL: I just noticed that it's midnight, and even though I am frickin' tired and ready for bed, I stopped on Cinemax's showing of the fabulously bad Johnny Dangerously. "Did you know your last name is an adverb?"

Girl weekends rock!

Stuff I learned about myself during my first girls' weekend in several years.
~~ I can no longer go out drinking two nights in a row. Friday night, no problem. Saturday night, stone-sober designated driver.
~~ While my second night was cut short, consumption-wise, I am still able to hold my own with the regular party girls. Shot for shot, and drink for drink, I was there. And still made sense on Facebook all night!
~~ I can still be the bitch when necessary. Hey, drunk guy, do NOT rub up on my friends, and then get in my personal space because you think you may get to ride in the car and come home with us. BACK OFF ME!
~~ In the middle of the club, when I got a voice mail telling me that my baby was suddenly throwing up, I would have jumped in the car and driven home that instant if I really needed to. Mommy instincts will trump club music every time. (She's fine! And much better since her mommy got home!)
~~ My feet don't handle the dancing shoes as well as they used to. By 12:30 a.m., my dogs were barking! Hmmm.... maybe I just need new dancing shoes!!
~~ Moms always talk about their kids. It's what we do. Get three or four moms sitting around the pool, drinking cocktails even, and they will end up discussing potty training, feeding finicky children, and the cost of school. We may have spent the weekend away from the kids, but they were a constant source of conversation.
~~ There is little better than a 90-minute breakfast on a Starbucks patio, discussing the crazy night before with the girls that were there, laughing at all the events again.
~~ Nine women can completely clean up a house in ten minutes. Next time though, a hotel.
~~ Solitary road trips are fantastic, but it's nice having company on the road, too. Thanks, Mommy!

My Dancing with the Stars voting (8 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. Okay, Lysacek is my winner for this competition. He's getting the most of my vote love from now on, and I'm totally hoping that the Olympic boost will benefit him.
Erin Andrews ~ 2 votes. She's not a great dancer, but I am thoroughly enjoying her sparring with Maks, and this is worth a lot to me.
Chad Ochocinco ~ 1 vote. I'm over the "showmance" involving Cheryl and Ochocinco. It's so old. It's making me not like him as much.
Niecy Nash ~ 1 vote. She's awesome. I hope she makes it to the Top 4.
Pamela Anderson ~ 1 vote. Finally, her hair is washed and brushed. And she's dressed.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote. When Brian asked me who "that girl" is, I told him she's one of the Pussycat Dolls. He said, "A ringer? Really?" I agree, and for that, minimal vote love. When it comes down to the heavy voting, she won't get any.
Jake Pavelka, Kate Gosselin ~ 0 votes. Holy crap, this Jake Pavelka guy is BUGGING me. And whoever, in reality or dream, told him he looked like Tom Cruise was either on crack, in bed with him, wanted him to be their Bachelor, or was looking for a free flight somewhere. Most incredible part of that story: he believed her. Even though he denied the likeness, he believed it enough to say it on national television. ... Kate Gosselin needs to be kicked off this show, for one main reason, so Tony, her partner, can be released from the obvious hell he is trapped within.

Catch you Sunday!!

I'm almost ready to head out for the girls' trip, and I just wanted to drop a quick post and remind you that you'll be without my witty banter for a couple days. Sorry. But I am so looking forward to this trip! I've got all my clothes packed; all the towels we may need; the snacks that will be totally required by the spirit of the weekend, but opposed by the spirit of my new dedication to working out; and, yes, tequila. Not a lot of tequila, but the one bottle that Brian was given that we know we'll never drink here, between the two of us. I've taken the car seat out of my vehicle's backseat, and vacuumed out all the food crumbs that accumulated under that seat. I'm all ready, I think. I do need to stop for some margarita mix, and another bottle of tequila. I didn't get that done this morning. Weirdly, I just didn't feel right taking my kid into a liquor store with me. So that'll get done on my way. First stop though, is Starbucks on my way onto the freeway.
Yay mini-vacation!!

Hey there!

I was actually surprised at myself that I didn't blog at all last night. And I sat for a few minutes trying to remember what I did last night that kept me from blogging, and I can't remember. But that is neither here nor there. Let's roll with some happy-faced bullet points, shall we?
:) ... My legs are still super sore, and I still need assistance to get up and down from the seated and squatting positions. I say thank goodness that the shower wall has a convenient handhold right at the best level next to the potty in my bathroom. Here I am, two days later, and I'm still needing to take a breath and exhale when I stand from the sofa, Cozy Chair or potty.
:) ... Even with that, I went to the gym this morning, spent some time on the treadmill, and did the workout for my back and biceps. It is my best intention to go back tomorrow for triceps, chest and shoulders, but I think that, with my list of to-dos for tomorrow, I'll pass on the gym.
:) ... Tomorrow afternoon, I leave for JJ's birthday celebration/girls' weekend in Palm Springs. There will be nine of us girls sharing a three-bedroom house, with a pool. I haven't been on a girls' trip in a very long time. And it'll be the first weekend with Brian completely in charge of Sydney's care, too. A fun time for everyone!!

No pain, no getting stronger!

I spent a good 90 minutes at the gym today getting my ass kicked by a trainer, and it felt fantastic! It's been so long since I've had someone standing over me, being all tough and insensitive to my pain, telling me that I can do another three lifts/lunges/crunches and all that. My legs are, I won't sugarcoat it, in a bit of discomfort right now. Tomorrow, it will be much worse, and I know that. I do not look forward to having to get up and down off chairs, the potty, the car's seat, etc., as it will make me wince, and I'll have to grab supportive things (including Sydney) to get up. But I know the pain and discomfort that goes into starting a new workout routine, and I'm excited about it.
Also, I got told how bad my diet is, which I know, but on the up side, I also was told how to make some changes that wouldn't be too painful to my taste buds and yen for food I like. Key words: whole wheat bagels.
Dancing with the Stars update: Aiden Turner was the "star" asked to leave the ballroom this evening. You see? My non-votes are working!! Still, I can not fathom why Kate Gosselin is still on this show and in this competition. It's like her fans are more interested in making her look awful on the dance floor, and torturing Tony, than seeing some better dancers get a chance at winning. But, more on that next week!

Here's to a better existence! YAY GYM!!

By mutual agreement, I decided to take a look into life with a personal trainer at the gym. And I'm very excited to say that the financial investment was approved to become part of our monthly budget. (From where, I'm not sure.) To get the best deal monthly, I need to sign up for a 12-month commitment. No worries. I'm not going anywhere for at least that amount of time. And, I'm so excited to get going on this! Tomorrow morning, I've got my initial consultation with the trainer supervisor, who will kick my ass, take my measurements (ACK!!), and discuss my goals for the trainer. From there, he'll suggest which trainer would be the best to help me meet my goals. And after that, I get started on a year-long quest to get my energy level up to compare with my daughter's, weigh what my driver's license says I do, shrink my pant size to better accentuate my ASS, and generally, just feel better about myself. Honestly, I am so excited right now, I can hardly sit still! I can't WAIT for tomorrow!! YAY!!

My Dancing with the Stars voting (9 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. Olympic gold medalist = awesome dancer. I've decided I'd like to see him win.
Erin Andrews ~ 2 votes. She is awesome because she is with Maks, and because if the romance rumors are true, that would be awesome, too.
Chad Ochocinco ~ 2 votes. Is it possible to eat a ton of McDonald's and still be fantastic? I think so.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote. I think she got brutalized by the judges. They need to back up off her.
Niecy Nash ~ 1 vote. I totally love her!
Pamela Anderson ~ 1 vote. She is a hot mess, and her eye makeup is the stuff of legends. I can't wait to see what she does, or they do, next week.
Kate Gosselin, Aiden Turner, Jake Pavelka ~ 0 votes. I have no love for the bottom three. There's not a single thing that I am liking about any of them. That sounds harsh, but it's not meant to be. I'm just looking forward to them not being on the show anymore. The show always gets better when the dead weight is gone! :)

The circle of "Life"

I enjoy watching nature documentaries on television. Lately, Brian and I have been huge fans of the series, Life, on Discovery Channel. Honestly, I find it fascinating, amazing, and just ridiculously cool that so many animals have adapted in so many ways, from the beginning of their development to now, in response to man's affect on their environment. While I always am impressed with how an animal gets its food, I don't like the visuals of the food that makes noise when it's killed.
Today, we introduced Sydney to Life. Unfortunately, the episode that was shown today was subtitled, "Hunters & Hunted." And she was totally into it when the bugs were being eaten. But then, she's all, "What's that whale and seal doing?" We say, "They're swimming together." "But what's the whale doing to it?" "Hey, why don't you go check to see if there's any letters in your playhouse's mailbox?"
And so the conversation was repeated during the cheetah/ostrich, lion/zebra, ferret/rabbit, and bear/fish segments. Perhaps it was not the best program choice, but she seemed to roll with it pretty well. I think there are only about four or five segments of Life left. If you have the time or interest, I highly recommend it!!

Bugs bug me

I'm getting really, really tired of the bugs I've got flying around inside my house. I've got random here-and-there flies, what seem to be gnats of some kind, and recently, a couple of those daddy-long-legs. I don't like things flying around my house. It makes my skin crawl, and generally, just pisses me off.
Mom and I concluded that the grassy knoll outside may be the root of all this evil, so when we visited Home Depot this afternoon, we bought an eco-friendly (of course) insect and bug killer that you apply to the grass. I wanted to do it tonight, but the decision was made to do it in the morning when it's even cooler. I'm kinda watching a daddy-long-legs fly around the ceiling of my living room right now. I think it's the one Brian "killed" earlier. He says he killed it, but he refused to dispose of the carcass, so until I get up and check for the body, I'll assume Brian wasn't as lethal as he thought.
Tomorrow morning, the bug killer goes out on the grass. I am hating all these little intruders in my home. So, bug spray on the house plants, too. I will FINISH these little bastards, and they'll be sorry they ever thought that they would live happily ever after in MY house.

UPDATE: Brian and I just went on a killing spree. We have claimed a daddy-long-legs, and a small month-like thing as our victims. A fly swatter was our weapon of choice for this massacre. And an effective weapon it certainly was. BWAAA HAAA HAAA!!!

This idea is all ass

Okay, it's official. It's time to leave this bat-shit crazy state. Check this out, and click HERE. Why ... on earth ... would the government or elected leaders want to have more concealed weapons anywhere? Why allow this? Not a single thing can go well when just anybody can walk anywhere carrying a concealed weapon, minus a permit or a background check. This can not be safe, no matter what.
Idiots.

Blogging late tonight

And now, on to my favorite kind of blog posts ...
ITEM!: Someday, I will make it to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossom trees bloom. I hate the thought of it, but I'd like that to be one of the items on my "Bucket List."
ITEM!: I'm in a random snit about no Target having the right flushable potty wipes for Sydney's bathroom. This is remarkably random to write about tonight, but the whole search is getting ridiculous. Of the three Targets I've been to recently, one didn't have any Pampers Kandoo wipes, and two had the sensitive Kandoo wipes instead of the regular Kandoo wipes. I prefer the regular. I can't tell you specifically why, because I don't have a specific reason, except that I like the cool melon scent. Now, how come that is?? Anyway, I ended up buying the sensitive wipes today because the Target-brand wipes are too wet. You see, there's a whole thing here for me.
ITEM!: I took my car to an official car wash. I won't embarrass myself by telling you how long it's been since the car was officially washed, and not just driven through one of those short washes at a gas station. Suffice it to say, I can't remember what month that might have been. Still, even after having paid $16 to have the car washed and the front floor mats cleaned, I found water spots on the roof, remaining hand prints on Sydney's window, and crumbs around the bottom of her car seat. I do a better job vacuuming with the DustBuster. Disappointing, to say the least.
ITEM!: Mom's coming out for a visit tomorrow. She arrives early enough that she'll be able to be in the car when we pick Sydney up from school in the afternoon. Which is going to make the kid go crazy; she'll be so exited! Mom and I will be able to have an early lunch though, before going to school, and that, I won't lie, is going to be such a treat. Yay yummy lunch minus a toddler!

Enjoy the holiday silence

I think my faith in cheesy reality dancing competition viewers has been restored, the littlest bit, by Buzz Aldrin being given the proverbial (moon) boot tonight on Dancing with the Stars. Honestly, I think the viewing public is fascinated with Kate Gosselin, as they would be a literal train wreck on the dance floor. And that can be the only reason why she is still on this show.

It's getting warmer out here. Our esteemed meteorologists contend that we may see a 90-degree day here pretty soon. And you know what comes after that? Yes, a six-month-long string of frickin' hot days in the desert. You remember when I was so cold a month or so ago? You remember I said, don't mention I was bitching about the cold when I start bitching about the heat? Well, I'm not bitching about the heat ... yet ... All I'm doing is bemoaning the end of the season of actual weather, and lamenting over the upcoming HOT season. Once it gets hot, cool off you'll not! (Random and ridiculous. I forgive you for rolling your eyes when you read that.)
One of my favorite things in life, crazy as it may sound, is taking down and putting away the Easter decorations. It's a treat to see what my house looks like when it's unadorned for any holiday. No more ghosts, goblins and witches; turkeys and pilgrims; Santas, snowmen and candy canes; hearts and angels; shamrocks and leprechauns; and bunnies, eggs and baskets. Now, it's just as it is, which in itself, is something to celebrate.

P-o-p-c-o-r-n

After yesterday's craziness, I wanted nothing more than a quiet day at home. I achieved that, with popcorn. I've been achieving so much lately, with popcorn. That magical air popper is, not only a fabulous visual thing, but it makes some kick-ass popcorn. It's taken several batches, but she's finally starting to eat some with butter. She doesn't like the salt at all, which is a good thing, because the less stuff on popcorn, the better it is for you. But you know, Sydney's mommy likes it doused with butter and salt. The day will come though, when she and I will share yummy, fantastic popcorn together. And I yearn for that.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (10 votes allowed):
Chad Ochocinco ~ 2 votes. I don't know why I continue to throw so many votes his way, except that he's crazy entertaining on Twitter, and has a cute smile.
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. He's my favorite for the win.
Erin Andrews ~ 2 votes. I am throwing the pitty vote to her, because she's got the whole stalker thing going on. But mainly, again, it's all about Maksim.
Pamela Anderson ~ 1 vote. Tonight's vote goes totally and completely to Charo.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote. Against my will, I am beginning to like her. And tonight, she got pummeled by the judges, which is not cool.
Niecy Nash ~ 1 vote. She is crazy funny and entertaining.
Jake Pavelka ~ 1 vote. He can go, and I'd be okay with it. But I don't dislike him as much as the rest.
Buzz Aldrin, Kate Gosselin, Aiden Turner ~ 0 votes. In a perfect world, one of these three will go home tomorrow night.

Gotta love that Easter candy!

Hey, I'm sorry I missed posting to the blog last night ... .... ... as I was too busy playing with my new IPAD!!! YAY me and Brian!! So awesome! We decided at 5 p.m. yesterday to wander down to our local Apple store and see if there were any iPads to take a look at. We had agreed that if the store was too crazy, we wouldn't even bother stopping. But, as if the fates were aligned, the store was decently full but not bursting, with breathing room. The parking structure had plenty of good spots available. There were several, several iPads to try out, and I only had to wait about five minutes to get to one. And when Brian and I had finished perusing the device, and had decided to buy one, the store had plenty, in the size that I wanted. YAY!! I've got it all set up with my iTunes account, so am able to buy my apps. The one big difference with this machine is that, like the laptop, the iPad will be off limits to Sydney. Even though the operation of the machine is very similar, and I know she'd be able to get around on it fine, I'm just not comfortable with a toddler walking around with it, you know? Anyway, I've got all my address book information installed, the calendar is up to date, and I think I like the apps and their activities so far. I'll be spending more time with it over the next several days and weeks, of course, so will soon have it ready to go and indispensable.

I let Sydney have full access to her Easter basket most of the day today. This became an obvious problem about 1 p.m. this afternoon, when she got so wired, hyper and crazy with the chocolate caffeine coursing through her system, that she couldn't sit still, stop talking, or carry on a single cohesive thought for more than a milli-second. I finally moved the basket to higher ground about 4 p.m., but that was too late, for she had, at that point, discovered the solid chocolate eggs and eaten every one of them ... except for the caramel-filled egg, which she spit into my hand after she chewed it and let it melt in her mouth for about three minutes. (By the way, yuck!) I felt awful watching her try to deal with the hyper-activity while I tried to calm her. What's worse is that I knew that this was entirely my fault. The kid has never had so much chocolate in a single time frame, and she clearly was unable to handle it. Right up until she got into bed, she was moving non-stop: running from room to room, grabbing this toy and that, dancing and skipping in front of the television, and singing at the top of her voice. I swear, I thought her little body was just going to pop from all the movement and seemingly pent-up energy running rampant through her veins. It was pretty bad, and I felt like the worst mom ever. So, having dealt with this today, I have a plan of attack for the next several years: less candy, more toys and presents in the basket.

You know what's weird? That I could sit here, rested and calm in my chair, feel an earthquake, acknowledge in my head and my instincts that it is indeed an earthquake, but then talk myself out of that knowledge because, after all, I'm in Arizona, and we don't have earthquakes here. But then, I hop online shortly thereafter, and discover that yes, there was an earthquake, centered in Baja California, that was felt all the way out here in Phoenix. That I ignored my instincts bugs me. Brian was in the shower, and as he put it, "I've never felt one before anyway, so if the room wasn't really swaying, I wouldn't know what it was." Obviously, the same holds true for Sydney. But me, I knew what it was when I felt it. Not that anything big happened. There was hardly a sway in the house, and I trust that if it was more movement, I'd have jumped up and planted myself and Sydney firmly in a door jamb. But my disinclination to believe myself is galling. Random thing I learned today: I need to not ignore what my instincts are screaming just because I'm in the desert.

Fun with hard-boiled eggs

I had to call my mom for instructions on hard-boiling eggs this afternoon.

1.) Pinprick the eggs, then drop them CAREFULLY into a large pot of water.
2.) Bring the water to a gentle, but rolling, boil. This may take longer than you expect it will.
3.) Boil the eggs for 15 minutes.
4.) Remove from heat, allow to cool by running water into pot.

I hard-boiled the eggs earlier, with my Super Helper, and then we waited for Brian to get home. Sydney was beside herself waiting. Every five minutes, "Are we painting eggs soon? When Daddy gets home?" The second that Brian walked through the door, she was running to him, calling out about the eggs, asking him if he was ready to paint them. It was a pretty fantastic experience, showing her how to dye the eggs. But, in putting the child in charge of any process when it came to the eggs, we have two crunched eggs now. But still, it's a very colorful bowl of Easter eggs in my refrigerator right now.
Also, Sydney, Brian and I discussed the activity of the Easter Bunny. "He's like Santa Claus. He comes into the house at night after everyone goes to sleep, and then hides the eggs. He might leave other stuff for you, too. Tomorrow, we'll pick up some carrots for the Easter Bunny, in case he's tired and hungry when he gets to our house."
She was slightly freaked, I think, when considering the visual of the huge Easter Bunny wandering through the home. The excitement of the aftermath, i.e., a frickin' HUGE basket, will totally make up for any concerns over the Bunny in her house. Of course, if it comes up in conversation, we'll tell her, "Mommy and Daddy will be here. No worries, baby girl."

Don't make a Peep

I'm not entirely sure why it took me a good portion of my life before I tried, and consequently fell in love with, Peeps. I think maybe it was college, when I first bit into one. And LOVED it. They're a crutch now, and I happily look forward to Sunday when I introduce my own daughter to the delicious, and very wrong, sugary confection. Here, a tribute, of sorts, to Peeps.
Peeps Fun Facts: 1.) The amount of Peeps eaten each Easter could circle the Earth, and then some. 2.) Peeps have been the best-selling non-chocolate Easter candy for the last decade. 3.) It took 27 hours to make a Peep in the 1950s, now, it takes six minutes. 4.) Peeps come in six colors: yellow (the most popular), pink, lavender, blue, orange and green. 5.) Daddy likes his frozen.
Peeps History: Created in 1953; made by a machine in 1954; other holiday shapes are marketed in the 1960s; demand for Peeps reaches a feverish pitch in the 1980s; lavender Peeps are born in 1995; blue is first sold in 1998; Peeps celebrate 50 years of marshmallow goodness in 2003; in 2005-2006, Peeps can be found inside a chocolate egg; and in 2010, they were tested by Sydney.
Peeps Factory Tour: Peeps are created in six steps: whipping, coloring, depositing, sprinkling, decorating, and finally, packaging. I would like to see this in person. I think it would be both fascinatingly cool, and kinda gross and off-putting.
I'll have you know that I have yet to consume a single Peep so far this Easter season. (I can't say the same for chocolate bunnies, of course.) This will not be the case on Sunday, when I will start and finish the annual Binging on the Peeps event.

Also, here's my April avatar. April showers, yes?