10 opinions, no more, no less

I'm just going to throw some opinions out there, like you know I love to do:
1.) I agree with all the fashionistas who think that Angelina Jolie isn't dressing fancy enough this awards season. Boring gold, boring blue, boring angles, and boring dresses. Angelina, please, please, please wear something to the Oscars that will awe and amaze me!
2.) Rock on to the Illinois State Senate for throwing Rod Blagojavich out of office. Finally! Someone being held accountable for their actions instead of being given tons of money to help fix their mistakes. The guy was an egotistical, greedy dude who totally deserved to get fired ... allegedly!
3.) Yay President Obama for calling Wall Street and their frickin' irresponsibility was it is: shameful. It's about time someone besides Jon Stewart said it. Who do these guys think they are to be giving out million-dollar bonuses and then begging for help from the government? They should make them all pay the money back.
4.) There's a survey out there showing that at least half of Americans wish they lived somewhere else. I'm one of them, and it sucks being lumped into a survey like that!
5.) I'm somewhat ambivalent to the post office maybe cutting back service to five days a week. I think the idea was to not deliver on Wednesday, or something? I'm down with that, but I also can appreciate how most people would be up in arms about it.
6.) Jessica Simpson looks fine, and it's nobody's business but hers about the size of her butt, hips and stomach. All the power to her for however she looks, and f*ck the news outlets and tabloids making a big deal out of it.
7.) Speaking of Jon Stewart, I'm now obsessed with a stimulus plan that he popped off during one of his shows this week. Idea: Give the money to the people, to pay off their debts only. Banks would get the money, people would get out of debt (and therefore spend more), and everyone would be happy. I think it's brilliant. And would save me so much in interest!
8.) This may be the first Super Bowl halftime show that I purposefully ignore. I go on record right now: I do not like Bruce Springsteen the singer. I think he yells a lot, and has a scratchy throat all the time.
9.) The Grammys though, did manage to attract my attention by announcing that U2 will be performing on the telecast. They'll probably sing their new song (something about boots), and I'm eager to see the band perform it!
10.) I'm totally at sea with this whole peanut recall. The guy in Georgia, who's in charge of the department in charge of checking for dirty stuff in food processing plants, said that he was satisfied with the work his department had done over the last few years when checking out the suspected peanut plant. Really? Really? Are you satisfied? Will you eat some peanuts from that place and then answer that question again?

22. Satellite radio is ambrosia

There's this chain letter thing going around Facebook right now, called "My 25 Things." The point of it is to list 25 things about yourself that few people, if any, know about you. Honestly, I had a hard time coming up with some of them. In reading through the list again tonight, I could tell that I was feeling a bit headachy and melancholy when I wrote it.
That's not to say that they aren't true, because they totally are, but I would have liked to have a more lighthearted list. Fun stuff, like perhaps listing a few of my favorite neuroses. -- 1. Refrigerator magnets must be lined up in a grid; 2. bedroom toys in the bedroom, living room toys in the living room ... every night before bedtime; 3. all 26 alphabet blocks constantly and repeatedly accounted for; 4. living room television volume no louder than 10, or I can tell, and can't fall asleep. -- Those kinds of things would have been more fun, but perhaps too personal? Even Brian is only privy to a few of my internal issues. So many of them I just do and handle on my own, without him even knowing.
And this weekend, with Brian out of town at a dental convention, I intend to let my, shall we say, compulsiveness be free of all restrictions. I'm really looking forward to taking care of a few shady corners of my apartment, and cleaning stuff out. It's always easier when I don't have to worry about someone looking over my shoulder. I see a hallway full of garbage bags in my future, and I like it! Stealth cleaning, yeah, that's it. I think it's fair to call that one of my neuroses. Definitely.

Ollie, ollie, oxen free!

Congratulations, and Happy New Year, for this is the Year of the Ox!
According to Yahoo!'s homepage on the subject: The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.
Ox people need peace and quiet to work through their ideas, and when they have set their mind on something it is hard for them to be convinced otherwise. An Ox person has a very logical mind and is extremely systematic in whatever they do, though they have a tremendous imagination and an unparalleled appreciation for beauty. These people speak little but are extremely intelligent. When necessary, they are articulate and eloquent.
I was not born in a Year of the Ox, but I'll go ahead and celebrate it anyway.

It's mine, and now it's also full of my stuff

I loaded all my stuff into the new car this afternoon. It's an interesting thing, moving all the clutter from one car into another. All those little nooks and crannies that housed random hats, water bottles, Altoid tins, and change? Not quite available in the new car. How do I live without a change catcher? There's no ashtray in this car, if you can believe that. I've got the lighter charger still, but no little catcher for my stray dimes, nickels and quarters. Also, no nets above the backseats for the hats and good-karma dolls: Malificent and Cruella De Evil. It's fun finding new places to house all those things!
So we get home from dinner tonight, and find that Daisy has powered through one of Sydney's stuffed toys, devouring the entire top two inches of the toy's pointed hat and spreading stuffing all over the baby's room. This annoys me. Now, I'm just sitting here waiting for the frickin' dog to vomit up all that yarn and fabric onto my carpet. Lovely.
I'm not watching the Screen Actors Guild award show tonight. I'm not sure why, since you all know how much I love the awards shows. I'm all, dinner, baby, dog eating toy, cheesy movie, computer, blah, blah, blah. I just didn't feel the need for it, I guess. But yay for Kate Winslet again!

Yes, yes, yes, it HAS to be red

Well, my dears! There is one less thing in this world for Kimmie to bitch about now! Yay new car! Sydney and I are now rolling a Volkswagen Jetta. It's bright red, as I'm sure you all would figure it would have to be for me to drive it, and it's got a turbo engine, which makes it super quick. There's plenty of room in the back seat and in the trunk, and I can't wait to get all my stuff inside to clutter it all up. I can see a bit of a learning curve for me to learn its dimensions: I took a slow and steady approach to my parking spot tonight. I really can't wait to drive it tomorrow!
So, I've got to say, I'm moving really well through my list of "Big Things I Wanted to Accomplish, 2009" so far this year. (New computer? CHECK. New car? CHECK.) Irritations, frustrations and fears were large on my mind every time I would get into the Land Rover, and now, I'm feeling more confident about the new car. But don't get me wrong ... I proudly admit that I cried my eyes out as we drove away from that car.

I don't remember ... how many wives?

What is with me lately, and this pathological need to stay up way past my bedtime? You know, there was a time when I was in bed about 10 p.m. every night. Just because that was my bedtime. The last few weeks though, the witching hour has been a bit later, and I'm not closing my eyes until closer to midnight. Every night has a good reason, as tonight, I watched the first three episodes of season one of the Showtime show The Tudors.
Opinion: I actually quite liked it, and am looking forward to getting the second disc of the season. What I don't like is all the females getting married off so Henry can forge political alliances. The most disturbing is the betrothal of his daughter, Mary, to the king of Spain, at the age of ... oh, I don't know ... six, to be carried out upon her twelfth birthday. Twelve?! I was hoping it would be 16 or even 18 or something. But 12?! Beyond that unpleasantness, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is frickin' awesome. I can't tell if I would enjoy the show better if I was either much more knowledgeable of that time, or if I knew absolutely nothing. Because my vague recollections of stuff that I may be remembering right is bugging me.
But back to topic, it's 15 minutes to 12 a.m., and I'm still awake, computer on my lap, and wearing my sweats, not my pajamas.
I'm test-driving a VW Jetta tomorrow! I'm excited!!

Frustration, thy source is car

It looks like Kimmie will be getting a new car soon! I don't think I said yet that I had more troubles with the Land Rover, and it spent the day at the dealership today. The problem was minimal -- the negative battery cable had to be better secured (you were right, Daddy) -- and didn't cost a whole lot, but it did nothing but stress me out about the car again. I mean, really, I've been so lucky that all these ridiculous issues have happened when I've been home. How pissed would I be about being stuck at the grocery store, or play class, and have the car be all kaput? Very. That fear used to be something that worried me, but now, thinking about that happening with Sydney in the car just infuriates me. So the decision has been made and Kimmie's looking around for a new car. I've actually got one in mind, and I'm really excited about test-driving in Saturday. And, of course, it must be available in red.
Here's my hiccup for the thing: For whatever reason, the electronic title for the car is in Massachusetts. I said that all simple and quick, but it's still true. As far as Arizona is concerned, the car is here, but not owned here. I'm like, "That's stupid. I bought the car here in 2002. I paid off the car here in 2007. How is the four years in the middle, when it was in Boston, meaning anything at all?" They don't know. Well, this is an issue for Bank of America, and believe me, they will be hearing from me first thing tomorrow morning so they can take care of this. Because I can't trade in the car without the "title" (It's not a pink slip in Arizona, the lady condescends to me, it's called a title. I said, "Well, then I need a copy of the title"), this situation is currently pissing me off a whole lot. It feels like things are kind of conspiring against me, you know?

Throwing "you know" at the end of that sentence reminds me of Caroline Kennedy and her pulling herself out of contention for New York's vacated seat in the Senate. They say that some issues with a housekeeper and taxes may be the reason, but I'm inclined to agree with the gossips that suggest that part of it has to do with the disastrous interviews she did during her "campaign." Her insanely overwhelming repetition of "you know" was enough to make this editor's ears bleed, you know?

It was on my calendar: LOST returns!

Alright, kids, it's that time of year again! Lost is back! The show's fifth season premiered on ABC tonight, and Brian and I were ready and willing to spend the two-hour sofa time watching it. I did not give myself any kind of a primer on the show, like I could have, so instead dove into the program blind and somewhat forgetful of the stuff that had us floored when the show ended last year. Example: "Oh yeah! The island disappeared! And Sawyer jumped! That's right, Jack had that awful beard again!" Well, I'm proud to report that I was able to snuggle right in to the hanging plots, dangling subplots and careening loops fairly well, and could even answer the stray question from my sofa partner along the way.
Still, I will admit to being a bit overwhelmed by two hours of Lost. (So many time jumps and plot twists and turns!) There is so much information in a single-hour episode, and so much to piece together, that honestly, two hours of it made my head hurt. Lost rocks, but for me, seems to be best in a shorter, more powerful sucker punch to the gut. I'm so excited for next week!

Obama overdose

Well, I totally enjoyed it, and bought into the hype, and dug every minute of it, but now, at the end of this January 20, I'm over it. I think I overdosed on Obama today. I even watched the Nightline special, after watching the special Nightly News, after watching all day's coverage. I was very monogamous too, only staying with NBC, because CBS, Fox and ABC bug me. I actually really like Brian Williams and Tom Brokaw, mainly because I know that they can be funny, as evidenced by their visits to The Daily Show. (One reason why I don't like ABC is strictly because, even though they have their nightly World News on the HD channel, the actual show is not done in HD. That's irresponsible, I think. Rude, too, to those of us who pay for HD.)
So, in sticking with NBC, I saw a lot of the same stuff, over and over again, but the commentary was good, so I'm not complaining in the least. I actually thought all the coverage was fantastic. It's just that I took in a lot of it throughout my day, and I just might bleed a little from the ears if I see another part of the speech, or Michelle's bold green/gold dress, or Aretha Franklin's bow hat, or the schematics of the new limousine. However, I'll totally admit to love, love, loving Sasha Obama's pink and orange coat, scarf and gloves ensemble. I heard it was from J.Crew's Crewcuts, the kids' line. I wonder if it comes in grown-up sizes.
At any rate, I'm pleased to say that I've restricted anymore news viewings for tonight. Right now, I'm watching Burn Notice, which is much more entertaining anyway. And once the show is over, I'll be turning the TV off entirely and going to bed. It's been a long day of staring at that glowing screen, and I'm ready to move on to tomorrow.

Inauguration Day, 2009

Can you believe all the pomp and circumstance going on today? How awesome is all this? I'm watching the final steps of the inauguration parade, and smiling at Al Roker's obviously giddy reaction to getting a couple words out of President Obama as the president walked by him. What an amazing event we all witnessed on television today. I'm sorry that Sydney is too young to understand everything that's going on, because first, she can't appreciate the history and exhilaration of the day, but also because she's bugging me to watch Yo Gabba Gabba and Toot & Puddle. I mean, the shows are on in the bedroom; why does she have to watch it out in the living room? At any rate, for today, Mommy pulls rank, and we watch what Mommy wants to watch.
Without going in to too much of the day, I'll say that I was awed with the display by the government and its citizens; impressed by the president's speech; amazed that everyone seemed so happy; and touched by the genuine show of patriotism. What a great day.
Well, kids, let's raise a glass to hope, change and the beginning of a new era of American politics.

"Can it be small? And purple?"

There is, I'm not kidding, a tattoo shop in Phoenix giving out free Cardinals logo tattoos to the first 50 customers to walk through the shop's door every day until Super Bowl Sunday. Everyone who comes in after that can get the same tattoo for only $21. Wow. That's a deal. Of course, for the news story, they actually were able to broadcast some video of a guy getting one. It was ... sexy? It really just looked painful. Blood and all that.
You've got to appreciate all the Cardinals love going on out here right now. The team is the lead story for the news, in so many ways. They're trying to scare the little Cards fans.
1.) Be careful of the tickets you buy; beware! Dozens of people were screwed, and pissed about it, when they brought their tickets, bought off Craigslist, to the stadium gate only to discover that they were counterfeit.
2.) There is a lot of fake Cardinals gear out there; beware! Customers are already getting tapped by people faking t-shirts, hats, keychains, all that stuff. Per the NFL: People should only buy the stuff sanctioned by the NFL.
3.) Don't get too excited; beware! As almost every sports outlet (national and local) are very fond of telling anyone who will listen, the Cardinals are underdogs, and are not considered even a chance to win this game. "So don't get too psyched about them being champions, people," they seem to be saying. "You'll only be disappointed; they are, after all, the Cardinals."

36 is, after all, only a number. Ugh ... 36

As far as birthdays go, this one was pretty good. I mean, well, 36 is 36. But beyond that, it was a nice day! My lunch plans went awry because the P.F. Chang's Rock n Roll Marathon had us penned in a 10-square block area surrounding our apartment. My options were Taco Bell, McD's, Red Lobster and Olive Garden. My goodness, the lesser of four evils. Olive Garden, it was. But after lunch, and once we got Sydney down for her nap, Brian and I settled in to the sofa and the first football game of the day, well, that's when the world went all topsy-turvy.
Did you all see that game? Do you all even believe that the Cardinals are going to the Super Bowl? CRAZY! It's like we live in an alternate universe! It just looks all weird to have the Cardinals bird sitting in the graphics promoting the Big Game. Weird. But, like I told Josh on Facebook, we're compelled to cheer for the Cardinals now, simply because it gets really hot here during the summer, and the people here need something to be happy about.
Anyway, I got all kinds of birthday wishes throughout the day from all my favorite people (To Daddy: Sydney made me replay that animated dog card about a hundred times! She loved it!), which aways makes me happy! Except for the numbers increasing, birthdays are really very good days for me. I like them. Sadly, I didn't have any official birthday cake (which was fine), nor did I have any cupcakes (which also was fine), but I did finish all the bundlets and had one of Brian's pomegranate/dark chocolate Haagen Dazs confections from the freezer (not fine, but they tasted really good!). Add to that all the wishes from all of you, and my day was not a neglected one! That's the best kind of birthday!

A new Mac makes for a happy girl!

So I'm blogging to you right now on my brand new computer! Mom and her American Express points rock the house!! It's got a different kind of keyboard, so that'll take some getting used to, and just the whole thing is super new, so the entire thing is a bit of a learning curve for me. I mean, really, my laptop is nine years old. I imagine that there's been quite a bit of improvement done to the machines since then. I'm figuring that all out right now. Oh, don't think I'm not thoroughly enjoying the discovery of all the new and different bits and pieces.
Did you know that with the purchase of a new computer, you can transfer all the information on the old machine to the new one? And that the new computer is totally in charge of the entire operation is even better. Just sit back, chill for about an hour, then get rolling on updating the stuff, and all is good!
At any rate, this post is sucking bad because I'm so distracted by the computer, as well as The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Top 10 Goodnesses for Friday

I'm going to go ahead and bullet point the 10 happy things that we saw today while we were out and about:
1.) A little boy leaving play class as Mom, Sydney and I arrived. His name was Howie. It was right there, written on his name sticker, and it was frickin' adorable. Howie.
2.) Sydney catching bubbles on her fingers in class. Her motor skills are improving and expanding through the roof, and I'm so proud of her for growing up so well.
3.) We didn't have to wait for lunch today. Mom and I love a local pizza joint around the corner, and the place usually has a monster wait. Not today.
4.) New jeans with a pink shamrock on the stitching.
5.) Gymbucks, Gymbucks, Gymbucks.
6.) The very cool keychain that I denied myself months ago, is currently on hold, under my name, at another store, and will be picked up tomorrow.
7.) Mom's pilfering one of my Christmas presents, and I'm okay with it, because she likes it so much.
8.) We've made the tentative plans for our next trip to Disneyland.
9.) Dinner with the Edgar sisters; yummy Mexican food; and "It's a sad face."
10.) Chocolate chocolate chip and lemon bundt cakes.

Steel birds that float

Wow. If you're going to be in an airplane crash, this is the kind of crash you should be in. Not to belittle the actual fear, shock and trauma of the passengers on this US Airways flight from LaGuardia to Charlotte, N.C. at all (because really, the shit must have been terrifying), but since they all survived with only a couple broken legs and some cold limbs, it's easy to look at this with an eye towards irony instead of tragedy. You can say it: These people are set for life on an airplane. They'll never have to worry about being in another plane crash, because the odds are so far against it ever happening to them again, that they can frickin' roll onto Oceanic 815 with no concerns. That being said, they are so lucky that their pilot is a rock star, with Air Force fighter jet piloting on his resume, and was able to miraculously get them out of the air and on the ground (or in the water) without getting hurt.
And who knew that a bird could bring down a plane? The scuttlebutt on that on CNN this afternoon is that jet engines are designed to be able to inhale a bird or two up to a certain weight. So, say, a pigeon, doesn't give a jet pause, but a Canadian goose, which they suspect was the culprit today, can shut the whole engine down.
Raise a glass, and let's toast a pilot with nerves of steel, who will now be able to retire with full benefits and a shitload of money as his monthly income, because he managed to lose only a plane, instead of all the people on it.