There really IS a money tree in the backyard!

I like it when I figure something out that's bugging me. (HA! An unintentional pun!!)
Have I mentioned that lately, there's been a small, but persistent, population of little black bugs flying around my house? They're those little plant bugs, and I have dealt with them before, though not regularly. Usually, to take care of them, it's just a quick spray of bug stuff on the house plants, and all is fine. But lately, these bugs have been, like I said, persistent. The plants have been sprayed a couple times. Still, they live to fly around.
A few weeks ago, I realized that the bugs actually arrived shortly after the new indoor tree from Ikea was bought and replanted and put in my bedroom. So I sprayed the tree. Last night, as I blogged and farmed, I killed about three of the little bugs. This morning, I sprayed the tree again. Then, later this afternoon, sprayed it again.
I had noticed a couple days ago that one of the tree's braided trunks was browning. Since it was outside, I thought that I'd just go ahead and trim that portion of the trunk off. I cut it high, then cut it farther down. Once I got to the last portion of the trunk, I easily pulled it out of the soil. On that, I discovered several bugs, baby bugs, and what appeared to be larvae on the root. ICK.
With this, I got a little freaked that this plant had been in my bedroom for the last few weeks. I called Brian, and the decision was made to plant the tree in the backyard, in a shady corner by the patio. There, bugs don't really matter. So, we planted the tree.
Of course, planting a tree outside is probably not the best course of action at the beginning of summer, but there was no way that plant was going back into my house. Hopefully, it will live for a while!
From now, the bugs should die out pretty quickly. All the other plants in the house have been sprayed, and none show any evidence of bug tampering. I'm vigilant though. Those little bastards will not be back.

Someone fix this, PLEASE

Well, this is depressing.

After fix fail, a dispiriting summer of oil, anger
(AP) BOOTHVILLE, La. – There is still a hole in the Earth, crude oil is still spewing from it and there is still, excruciatingly, no end in sight. After trying and trying again, one of the world's largest corporations, backed and pushed by the world's most powerful government, can't stop the runaway gusher.
As desperation grows and ecological misery spreads, the operative word on the ground now is, incredibly, August -- the earliest moment that a real resolution could be at hand. And even then, there's no guarantee of success. For the United States and the people of its beleaguered Gulf Coast, a dispiriting summer of oil and anger lies dead ahead.
Oh ... and the Atlantic hurricane season begins Tuesday.

Is it incredibly awful to wonder what will happen when they fail at all their "solutions"? What the hell happens then? There simply can not be a future where this well is spewing all amok, with no fix. Tell me that isn't possible. Because just sitting here, able to do nothing but read about the worst environmental disaster in United States history, makes me nauseous.

Not good, in my humble opinion

Okay, I'm going to say it: The book, Heat Wave, "written" by Richard Castle, the main male character in the television show, Castle, was not good. Well, actually, the first 15 pages were not good. I couldn't get any farther into it than that. Having never written a mystery myself, I feel awkward saying that it should have been better written, but really, it should have been better written. Honestly, the first several pages tried to set it up, but they failed miserably in reading at all like how a best-selling author's book would read. If we're supposed to think that Castle's books are as good as James Patterson and Stephen King, they should at least make an attempt to be as good as theirs. This is a hard post to write because I love Nathan Fillion, the actor who plays Castle, so much. But this is about writing, people, and I think that if the "real" Castle read the first few pages of Heat Wave, as written by a high school senior, he would be embarrassed. And because I refuse to punish myself by reading something that is not good, I put Heat Wave down.
Having dodged that bullet, I move on to The Lost City of Z.

Good luck with that one, dude

Did you ever think that past presidents must get a weird sense of relief when a disaster happens while they aren't president anymore? Like they might think, "Oh my, I'm glad I don't have to deal with that."
I imagine that Clinton may have thought that on Sept. 11, or during Hurricane Katrina. Or W. Bush thinking that right now while Obama deals with the BP oil spill. Or like Carter when Reagan had the hostages, or Iran Contra. Or any of them when Clinton got busted getting blowjobs in the Oval Office (because you know he wasn't the only president to get serviced there).
It's random, but you've got to think that they have that weird thought process.

Tulips up ... er, thumbs up to tulips

I thought I'd do a little thumbs up-thumbs down on headlines on the USAToday.com we site tonight. You know, I held back tears watching footage of all the oil washing up on Gulf Coast shores today. It's so sad, and it just never should have happened. I feel so helpless. So angry. So stunned that more than a month later, the oil is still pumping into the water of the Gulf. Awful. THUMBS DOWN.
Congress advances repeal of "don't ask, don't tell." Thumbs up. It's a good thing when the discrimination of a group is on its way out of society. The military is a society, and having homosexuals walking among the ranks free to be who they are without the collapse of the whole structure, might just show the rest of the country that it can be done. Oh yeah, and let them be married, too.
BP moves on with "top kill" effort. Thumbs up. They're still working hard at stopping this leak.
More oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico then originally thought. Thumbs down. It is ridiculous that this even occurred. I agree with Jon Stewart when he said that, obviously, BP's got the smartest people in the world working on getting the oil out, but apparently, the shallow end of the intelligence scale working on stopping it.
Willie Nelson cuts off his famous braids. Thumbs up. They just didn't look clean, or healthy.
Porsche to deliver 2011 Cayenne S Hybrid. Thumbs up. Where Porsche goes, BMW soon follows. Here's to hoping there will be a hybrid BMW by the time the Jetta is paid off.
Lakers beat Suns. Thumbs down. I don't like Kobe Bryant, but that's besides the point. It would be cool to see the Suns in the finals.
Facebook simplifies its privacy controls. Thumbs up. Still, it's too crazy keeping all your information from the "others," but this is a step in the right direction.
French strike over plans to raise retirement age. Thumbs down. The government is sloppy with money, and now people have to work longer to earn their retirement? Unfair.
Fierce hurricane season predicted. Thumbs down. That's what the Gulf coast needs now. Jeez, why can't that part of the country catch a frickin' break?
Rising stock price pushes Apple above Microsoft. Thumbs up. Anything that means that Apple is doing well deserves a thumbs up!

It'll be an awesome party!

So that's that: Nicole Scherzinger and Derek Hough won the mirrorball trophy on tonight's final episode of Dancing with the Stars. I felt obligated to make public my opinion on Evan's being robbed on Facebook, but really, I find that I'm not caring all too much right now. In fact, I didn't even watch the show tonight. I watched most of Parenthood, and then flipped over to DWTS at the end. I heard Evan mention that he was happy for Nicole and Derek, and then I sighed, and changed back to the other channel. I was not interested in the victory dance. Weird; I don't have any incredibly emotional reaction, like when Mel B. lost a few seasons ago. Most notably, I'm bummed for Anna, Evan's professional partner, since now, she'll get crappy partners for the next three seasons. And Derek will get a dancer again next time. I'll agree that, yes, Nicole is the better dancer. So, in the grand scheme of things, certainly, she should have won.
I always enjoy it when Oliver discovers something in the house that he simply must have but can't reach, and then voices his frustration by laying in front of it, whining. Tonight, he found a small orange tennis ball underneath the storage tower in Sydney's bathroom. I was enjoying a bath when he found it, so throughout my entire time in the tub, he whined, quietly but persistently, at the ball. Sadly, he couldn't tell me what he had found either, so the actual identity of what had peaked his interest was unknown to me. Brian was a huge help: "It's a mouse." Oliver also likes to whine, and bark, at food on the kitchen counter. He'll hang out in the kitchen, staring at where the food is sitting, and bark, talk, whine, growl and snarf at it, until we either throw it away, put it in the refrigerator, or give it to him. I tell him always that talking to the food will not make it jump off the counter. He is determined that it will, someday, happen.
Sydney and I are in charge of pretzels, cookies and water for her end-of-year preschool class party tomorrow. We stopped at Target after school this afternoon, and bought three boxes of Chips Ahoy, two bags of Rold Gold tiny twists, and two 24-packs of water bottles. What I don't have though, which is bothering me a whole lot, is a large ice chest to transport the water bottles in. I've got my plan for recycling the bottles (two paper bags as disposal containers, and then into my recycler bin for Thursday's pick-up), but as for keeping the water cold, I'm kinda stuck. I wouldn't mind buying the cooler. It's just a matter of storing it once it's purpose is completed tomorrow. I'll come up with something in the morning. The party itself should be fun though. I'm excited!!

Tweets from today

You know what I think I'm going to do for my blog post tonight? I'm going to copy and paste some of my favorite Twitter tweets from today. It'll be fun, and I won't have to come up with anything creative on my own. I'll note who each person is before their Twitter handle.
* Cory Monteith from Glee: frankenteen ~ chicago, we need to talk about how hot and sweaty you are right now. are you feeling ok? drinking enough water? getting enough sleep?
* Greg Grunberg from Heroes: greggrunberg ~ Where's The Grilled Cheese Truck right now???!!! Must know.
* The girls from Go Fug Yourself: fuggirls ~ Thank god Daniel Dae Kim's pilot got picked up. I don't want to live in a world without his cheekbones. - J
* fuggirls ~ Stoked for the two-hour #Chuck season finale tonight. Cruelly, it's up against 24's goodbye episode. Sorry, Kief. I choose Adam Baldwin. -H
* Olympian Apolo Ohno: ApoloOhno ~ Good Luck @EvanLysacek
* Publication Entertainment Weekly: EW ~ Did you enjoy a little Lost with your commercials last night? We counted all those ads so you didn't have to!
* Comedian Conan O'Brien: ConanOBrien ~ Please don't tell me how "Lost" ended last night. I'm up to the part where they discover a hatch.
* Actor Neil Patrick Harris: ActuallyNPH ~ I haven't read the reviews, don't know the consensus. But I watched the @LOST finale last night, and I loved it! Bravo cast/crew/creators!
* Actor Matthew Perry: langfordperry ~ Alright fellow losties.....its over! What did we all think of the finale?

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 4 votes. It's the big time, folks. The finals. It's all or nothing. Even still, for the first time in my history of voting for DWTS, I am splitting up my votes on finals night.
Erin Andrews ~1 vote. Once again, I really like Erin. And Maks is totally my favorite pro. I'd rather not abandon them entirely tonight.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 0 votes. It's a weird feeling of apathy I have toward Derek, Nicole's professional partner. I think he gets preferential treatment when it comes to partner selection, and that, as far as I'm concerned, should not be rewarded. Sorry, Nicole! It's not you, it's him...

And then, I was lost

So ... I think I've got a pretty solid theory on Lost's finale last night, and what it means for the show.
First of all, I've always been a big-picture viewer when it comes to Lost. I don't care too much about the Dharma notebooks; the reasoning behind the 325 heading to leave the island; or any of the other things that have been intriguing to the fanatics out there. I've loved this show for its characters. Sure, the Island itself is a character, but in the grand scheme of things, it is little more than a really cool venue for the character stories. My argument for that is: there was history and questions about the island before the castaways arrived, while they were there, and after. At its heart, Lost is a character-driven story. We only found out what the characters discovered. Anything else is irrelevant to their story.
In that, we have the sixth season, and the revelations of the show's finale last night.
1.) The island is real. The crash was real. The people are real. Their adventures, actions and reactions were actual, real and viable to those involved. The island itself is a real place.
2.) The Sideways world is, in fact, a kind of holding pattern for the castaways' souls after they've died. The interesting part is that the holding pattern was not at all linear. For some souls, the Sideways life may have been years. For the final castaway who died, it may have been mere seconds. But at the end of last night's episode, all the souls were finally reunited, having such a connection that they all yearned to "move on" together. And therein, the white light.
3.) But again, they didn't all die together, in the same time, or in the same place. Charlie and Locke died years earlier. Bernard and Rose had stayed on the island; we don't know when they died. Jack closed his eye in the final scene. Kate and Sawyer escaped the island, and we don't know when they died, or how. But everyone was brought back together, having been enlightened during a series of tear-inducing events in their Sideways "realities" to their island lives. And they were brought back in their castaway form, with their castaway memories, and with a sense of peace for their experiences.
4.) So to be taken away from the series is that the first five seasons were what they seemed: the story of real people (characters) faced with extraordinary circumstances, in an extraordinary place. That the island life was their actual life. Gone are the theories that the island was some kind of purgatory.
5.) I didn't sleep much at all last night, having all this information rolling around through my head, trying to make sense of it. When I woke up this morning, I had it figured in my head. First order of business was to try to explain it to Brian, then to Mom. And finally, to figure it out here on the blog.
6.) All in all, I'll say that I found this to be an extremely well-done, well-acted, well-executed, and well-outlined show. As far as series finales go, I think this may be one of my favorites. I find that the ending of Lost is as emotionally upsetting as the end of Friends and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'll miss it. I've saved the finale though, and will certainly watch it again before I get the final season on DVD ... in August!!

No Facebook = productive day

It's simply amazing how much can get done in a day when one stays away from their computer and Facebook. Yesterday was that day for me. After a cursory check in the morning, I closed the computer for the day. I started a book (The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown), and got about two thirds of the way through it by my bedtime last night. I watched a movie, Daybreakers, which was not too terribly wonderful. I went out during naptime and got myself a wonderful pedicure. By the time I did get back to my computer, it was 12:45 a.m., and I checked in just to make sure that no one did anything too fantastic to wait to hear about until this morning. I feel accomplished from my day yesterday.
This morning, I did the same thing. I checked Facebook, made a couple comments, "liked" a couple things, and then turned off the browser. Once I'm done here, I'll shut the whole computer for the day. Because today, is a big day for me!
Katy is coming over to watch Sydney while Brian and I go see Iron Man 2. (This officially makes Katy the coolest person on the planet for the day!) After the movie, we'll come home, and be back in time for what I am calling "Lost-apalooza!" our final night and episode of Lost. There is a two-hour retrospective, which starts at 6 p.m., before the finale, which starts at 8 p.m. It will be a full night of crazy Lost-ness, and I am so looking forward to it!!

Robot names as bullet points

Bumblebee: For whatever reason, I have not been able to flip away from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ever since it started showing on the Cinemax channels last weekend. It's well documented how much I love watching movies over and over again. It's well documented that I dig random action and adventure movies. This particular movie though, which I did not love at first, has become a bizarre cerebral obsession. If I'm looking for something to watch, and this movie is on, I'm watching it. This has been a serious condition since Saturday night. I would request some kind of medication to take care of it, but as of now, I'm still hanging on. Maybe next week.
Optimus Prime: Did I ever imagine that my ridiculous love of cool handbags would become a saving grace for a thin wallet? No. Has it become so? Most definitely. As with the beginning of every summer, I have been itching for a new summer bag. To be contrary, I don't want to buy a new summer bag, because, well honestly, because I don't buy inexpensive bags, and a new Coach or Kate Spade is simply not a fiscally responsible purchase right now. This is where my big trunk full of bags comes in handy. In filtering through the trunk, I came across a very cute, very summery, white canvas Kate Spade, with pink handles. There's a drawing of a dog being walked by a woman in a skirt on one side, and an angry dog face on the other side. It's totally a "me" bag. I never carried the bag much after I bought it though (I got it in Boston some years ago), because it's got a couple pink leather strings to tie together at the top that I didn't realize would be irritating and difficult to function around. But the last few years have given me a new perspective on annoyances such as these. So I did what I needed to do to make the bag a comfortable carrying accessory: I cut the straps off. Now, the bag is perfect. And off I go, with my "new" summer bag!
Megatron: Also, I did something kind of random with my pant legs today. I folded them up, turning the jeans into denim capri pants. I was pretty surprised at how much cooler (as in temperature, not necessarily attitude) I was just from doing that. I'm not sure if I'll continue the practice, but for today, it certainly served the purpose.
Ironhide: Next week is Sydney's last week at school. I can't believe she's been through a year of preschool already! it's gone by so fast! No more 2s for her! And because I'm still not working, I am her de facto summer camp counselor. I've got plenty of theoretical ideas for the season, but we'll see how they pan out. You will, no doubt, be kept updated on our progress!

Back to the day job

So, next week's finals in Dancing with the Stars, will include Evan Lysacek, Nicole Scherzinger and Erin Andrews. Did I call that result? Honestly, it was a toss-up. I knew it would be either Andrews or Ochocinco going home. Also, there is no way Andrews will win. So, the real competition will be between Lysacek and Scherzinger.
I didn't see the results show. But I know who got kicked off via a different avenue. The positive side to watching the DVR recording of Lost: it catches the last five seconds of DWTS before it. That five seconds is pretty telling, as it usually contains the last portion of the last dance that the star who was voted off is dancing. I saw Ochocinco and his partner, Cheryl Burke, dancing and hugging. This is all I needed to see. Of course, I followed up online to be sure my assumption was correct. It was.

"We were ON A BREAK!"

I do love my television, but I also love when I can turn the television off for the night and know that I'm not missing anything on it. This is the beauty of summer. Sure, I'll have a couple shows that I have to watch, like Burn Notice and True Blood, but on the whole, I'll be free of the television for a few months. And I'm looking forward to this.
It's a bittersweet couple weeks when all the season finales are being rolled out. I like all the good television that comes along with the shows wanting to wow the viewers. I like the cliffhangers. I don't like the months I'll have to wait to see what happens next. But I do like having my nights to myself again. You know, I think I wrote this exact blog post last year at this time.
I suppose this is where I tell you that I've got my "Summer Reading List 2010," and that I'll hope to power through all my books over the next couple months. Sure, that's what I hope! Of my shows, a few are already gone for the season (Life Unexpected, The Vampire Diaries, Human Target), and more will be gone this week (Castle, The Mentalist, 30 Rock), and still more next week (Lost, Chuck, Dancing with the Stars). So, I suppose I'll be "on a break" from my TV for a little while ... at least until June. Like I said, you know, Burn Notice and True Blood.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 3 votes. All right , people, it's crunch time. I want Evan (and Anna) to win this thing, so he's getting a big portion of my vote love tonight.
Erin Andrews ~ 1 vote. I just really like her (and Maks) a lot, and I'd love to see her in the finals.
Chad Ochocinco ~ 1 vote. As much as I like Erin, I also really, really like Chad. He's been so great this season! I'd love to see him make it into the finals, but, as I'm torn by this, they both got the same amount of vote-age.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 0 votes. She's the better dancer, I think, but since I really, really, really want Evan to win, she gets no votes.

Super food for boys, not so much for girls

I just read an interesting article on Yahoo!'s Shine page, about the super foods that treat each gender better than the other. It wouldn't surprise any of you, of course, to learn that some foods are better for men than women, and vice versa. The article names the top five foods for each gender, and spells out why each is better for them. I'll give them to you, with abbreviated information. (Read the full article here.)
For men: 1.) Tomato sauce, because of the red sauce may give them a hedge against prostate cancer. 2.) Oysters, because of the high level of zinc, a mineral critical for normal functioning of the reproductive system. 3.) Broccoli, which may protect against bladder cancer. 4.) Peanut butter, which helps the levels of "good" cholesterol in the body, and lowers the "bad." 5.) Watermelon, which is high in potassium, can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
For women: 1.) Papaya, with its high level of Vitamin C, fights gallbladder disease. 2.) Flaxseed, which is rich in estrogen, is a potential weapon against breast cancer. 3.) Tofu, because it's high in soy protein, can minimize menopausal hot flashes and strengthen bone. 4.) Buffalo meat, with its high level of iron, can help raise levels of iron in the blood, and boost energy levels. 5.) Collard greens, may help fight osteoporosis.
Can any woman reading this list not have a gripe with it? Why is it that we should eat collard greens and tofu, while men are encouraged to enjoy peanut butter and watermelon? How is this fair? I think a man wrote this article so he can have an argument for eating all the pizza or pasta, leaving his wife with nothing but tofu in the refrigerator! This is violently unfair!
Flaxseed? Really??

I'm so GLEE-ful

Katy, Lisa and I saw the opening night of the Glee: Live in Concert tour last night in Phoenix. It's a shame that I'm as tired as I am right now, because I don't feel like I can convey exactly how frickin' awesome the show was in my present state.
All the primary actors were in the show, and perfectly in character: Rachel, Finn, Quinn, Puck, Mercedes, Kurt, Artie, Tina, Santana, Brittany, and I'm sorry to say, the other two guys whose character names I don't remember. They sang a good selection of the songs from the show, with all the proper props, attitude and incredible charisma. They all sounded fantastic.
I got a t-shirt and program, of course. I bought Brian a shirt, too, since he's a fan of the show as well, though not crazy enough to fall into the concert plans last night.
Here's a review of the show on today's USAToday.com: click here to read it.
It was really great!! I am so glad I got to see it!!

A movie is a movie!

My determination to see some movies this summer is already beginning to weaken. So far, two movies that I really want to see are in danger of not being seen. Iron Man 2 and Robin Hood, I hardly knew you. I have a feeling that the only movies I'll catch this summer are those of the G-rated and animation variety. But still, that's better than last year, and certainly better than the year before that!
Tomorrow, I think, Brian, Sydney and I will go see Disney's Oceans. I'm actually pretty excited. As is Sydney, who's main requirement for a pleasant movie experience is popcorn. But still, a movie-going experience is a movie-going experience!

Looking forward to September already!

I LOVE CLIFFHANGERS!
I mean, I don't really love them, love them, because they drive me batty, but in general, I love getting sucker punched by my television shows. And the knowledge that I'll have to wait months to find out what happens next puts a weird little spring in my step. Lost has a tendency to mess with me every year. This year, it's final, shouldn't be an issue. I also remember a particularly crazy Alias cliffhanger.
The show behind tonight's blog post though, is The Vampire Diaries. When I signed up for this show, I knew I'd like it because I've got a random fascination with vampire lore. I had no idea that it would become a small-screen obsession. The best part about this show is that it constantly delivers. Sure, there are mysteries, but so many answers are given, too. And my goodness, so much goes on in every episode! Tonight's made me wish I had someone to text right away, and be like, "HOLY CRAP!! DID YOU SEE THAT??"
I can't wait to find out what happens next. I'm pleased as punch to know that there will be a second season of Vampire Diaries. I don't know what date it begins, but when I find out, I'll mark it on my calendar. I do that. My September calendar is filled to the brim with season premieres. That makes me happy. I'm a simple television addict. I love my shows.

Shuttle launch on Friday that I won't see :(

As someone who is obsessed with being an astronaut, and would really love to see a shuttle launch in person, I find that am remarkably easy going about the upcoming shuttle launch this week, the third to last shuttle launch ever. Tuesday began the official countdown for the Shuttle Atlantis' launch on Friday afternoon. There are only two launches after this, those of shuttles Discovery and Endeavour. I imagine that I will not make it to one of the last two launches, either, which is a total drag.
It's weird to realize that a bizarrely impossible to attain fantasy of mine will actually never, ever come to fruition. I mean the becoming an astronaut part. I actually could go see a shuttle launch. I just haven't ... yet. But really, my "yet" there is silly. I can't picture myself flying cross-country, with my husband and baby, to probably sit on a bit of beach watching what could be one of the coolest things ever to see.
This is beginning to sound quite self-pitying, but really, it's more disappointing and depressing. Blah, blah, blah, sad that I haven't seen it. Hmmmm....

Bye, bye, Niecy Nash. I'll miss you

There's a simple perfection in watching Lost, and then watching Glee. And especially when the DVR accidentally caught the last five seconds of Dancing with the Stars before Lost, so I know who got voted off, and now I don't have to watch the painful results show. In fact, those three things falling in together so well is a trifecta of delicious television.
I'm beginning to fear for my Wednesday (this year though, Tuesday) nights once Lost is gone. There's something to be said for always having something cool to look forward to the next year on television. Like right now, I'm excited for Burn Notice and True Blood, both of which return next month.
And for the last several years, Lost has been one of those shows that I would pine over when it wasn't on, and would obsess over when it was. I can't believe that I've got only two weeks or so of this excellent show. I am getting super sad about that.

But the Grand Canyon is really pretty

So I've been gone for a few days.
I've been in California for the last week, trying to not be embarrassed by Arizona.
My dentist waited until he had his fingers in my mouth before he said, "So, how does it feel living in the most bigoted state in America?" He said it, of course, just to pick a fight with me. I bit, of course, because I knew he was picking a fight with me.
I talked about it over dinner with Jeannine and Andrea on Wednesday night.
I talked about it on Saturday night with Jeff, Steve, Liz and Sue.
I have discussed it several times with Mom.
I touched on it peripherally with Daddy after I got home from the dentist.
I'm really, really, really tired of Arizona being the national punching bag. This is what I'll say about it: I understand the need behind this particular legislation. I get that the law is requiring some stricter enforcement. What I don't agree with is the language, and the implementation of the law. I don't agree with the shady, gray area. I don't agree with anything that Sheriff Joe Arpaio likes. I do agree that action needs to be taken, but again, I don't agree with how this whole situation is shaking out.
And that is all I have to say about that. Except to point out that I am not eligible to vote in Arizona, as I am still, officially, a California resident. Don't hate me for where I live.

My Dancing with the Stars voting (5 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. I think Evan got a bit beat up by the judges tonight, but still, he rocks this competition.
Erin Andrews ~ 1 vote. I like how much she's improved over the last few weeks. There's no way she'll win, but I'd like to see her at least make it into the Final Three.
Chad Ochocinco ~1 vote. After this week, Chad will lose my vote love. I'm sorry to write that.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote. I can't deny it anymore: I don't want Nicole to win because I am not a fan of Derek. I've said it before, I think he gets the good partners because the shows brass likes it when he goes all the way.
Niecy Nash ~ 0 votes. It hurts my heart to not vote for her.

Is he kinda grabbing her boob?

Today, my three kids and I traveled from Arizona to California. I learned a couple things.
* When both my dogs are sitting in the passenger seat of my car, their combined weight sets of the seat belt indicator light and warning siren. Thankfully, the sound was not as loud as my radio.
* People in regular travel lanes look at you all smug-like when they happen to be going faster than you are in the carpool lane.
* When you aren't passing people (which is the case on several stretches of Interstate 1o going through the desert between the hours of 5 a.m. and 8 a.m.) you can't really tell that you're going that fast.
* Just because, theoretically, waking the baby up and then moving her directly into the car seat should be a quick switch of sleeping venues, doesn't make it so. On some occasions, that baby may choose to stay awake for the next six hours, and then only sleep the last 75 minutes of the drive.
* When there's no second adult to corral the dogs into the places they should be for the drive, they tend to just run amok wherever they wish. This is not always comfortable, convenient, or safe.
* A dog will make itself comfortable, however bizarrely contorted it seems to be, if that means it can sleep on your lap.
* It is possible for a mid- to late-30s mom to function off five hours of sleep; 6.5 hours of driving; constant and undeniable attention seeking from three children; and a Carnation breakfast drink.

Dancing with the Stars: I figured it would be Pamela Anderson's night to exit the dance floor, and I'm okay with that. After this though, it'll get tough!

NEW May flowers

As I was filing away my May 2010 avatar, I noticed that the May 2007 avatar was wearing the same dress. This is bad form, in every way. So I've changed her clothes, and I like this better! Sassier!!

Yeah, this'll be me

This summer, I will wear shorts. I'm working out, I'm eating (a bit) better, and I'm gaining more confidence, so this summer, I will wear shorts. Last year, I roasted my butt in capri pants almost every day, with the rare use of skirts or ... gasp! ... jeans. I did buy a couple pairs of the longer, Bermuda-style shorts last summer, but discovered that my calves do not lend themselves to an aesthetically pleasing longer-short ensemble. My legs looked like tree trunks. Having tried on a few pairs of regular-length shorts over the last couple days, and deciding that with more exercise and perhaps a tanning lotion they might look pretty decent, I am eager to be more comfortable over the next several months. I agree that shorts always look better on the size-0 girls with no leg fat, but I also think that sometimes comfort is a priority. And if one can wear the shorts without looking like there are two over-filled sausages coming out from under them, I say, do it. So, this summer, I will wear shorts.

I did not watch the entirety of tonight's episode of Dancing with the Stars. I admit that. I voted for my stars based entirely on who I like to watch.
My Dancing with the Stars voting (6 votes allowed):
Evan Lysacek ~ 2 votes. I like Evan for the win. I want Anna, his partner, to win. This is when voting gets cutthroat.
Erin Andrews ~ 1 vote. Again, I like her and Maks a whole lot.
Chad Ochocinco ~ 1 vote.
Niecy Nash ~ 1 vote.
Nicole Scherzinger ~ 1 vote.
Pamela Anderson ~ 0 votes.

She's so pretty in the garden

Oh yeah, and MAY FLOWERS!

It actually IS complicated!!

I thoroughly enjoy the movie Star Trek. Though I get concerned that Capt. James T. Kirk, in his younger incarnation, spends a lot of time getting beat up, and with blood on his face. That sets a bad precedent, I think. I did check IMDb the last time I watched this movie (which, admittedly, wasn't too long ago) and am pleased to report that there is a sequel in the works for this fantastic film.
Star Trek (which is on play in the DVD player right now) is the second of a double feature marathon for me tonight. The first movie we watched was It's Complicated, starring Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin. Brian and I are not at all the demographic they were looking for when they marketed this movie, but my goodness, we totally loved it. I can't wait for Mom to see this flick. She'll totally dig it.
Anyway, I am watching the double feature because of a darker, more insidious reason: my DVR box in the bedroom has conked out. It started skipping, weirdly, this afternoon while Sydney was napping. I turned it on and off. I rebooted it several, several times. I unplugged and re-plugged it. I left it off, then turned it back on. I put it in time-out and let it think about its misbehavior. Finally, I just turned it off for the last time and chose to walk away for a while. It rested. Brian and I watched a movie. (Of course, when one TV goes out, the other working one MUST be showing Nick, Jr. shows. There is a balance that must be upheld.) Having finished It's Complicated, and put the kid to bed, I decided that I'd best watch a movie and do my farming and blogging before deciding what time I could get this fool box to the Cox store for a replacement tomorrow. But just a minute ago, as I was bitching in my head about the cable box, I gave the box a stink-eye, and noticed that the clock on the box was on! WHAT??!! IT'S WORKING!! Now, I can finish my movie with unstressed glee, because all is right in the world.