Again, This Is Why I Heart Him...

Paul Krugman again. He posted this:

In his CPAC speech, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell insisted that conservatives are more “interesting” and “fun” than liberals. Here’s his proof: “who wants to hang out with guys like Paul Krugman and Robert Reich when you can be with Rush Limbaugh?”

I mean, it's.....it's just so funny. If you hung out with Rush Limbaugh, do you think he'd even let you speak?

Tripin'

Ok, so I'm back from the Ego Trip I was on yesterday.

I think my daily vitamin was switched with a Self-Importance pill.

Apologies.

Susan B. Anderson

I picked up a book about a year ago. All about Knit Hats, mostly for babies. It caught my attention for two reasons; Pickle was due to arrive, and I wanted to learn a new knitty trick. I thought hats would be a good place to start.

I was right, hats were a good place to start. This book is great, with easy to understand instructions. Her blog is also a lot of fun. Quirky and informative, and not as self-obsessed as some blogs out there. Not that I would know anything about that....

Maven

Apparently, I'm somewhat of a Maven, according to Malcolm Gladwell and his book "The Tipping Point." What is a "Maven," you ask? Well, "those who are intense gatherers of information and impressions, and so are often the first to pick up on new or nascent trends." Not to toot my own horn or anything....

Except, I'm a Maven that hardly anybody takes seriously. The Dreamboat loaded this music video on my laptop a few months ago. Great concept, really interesting and visual story, and the music was pretty catchy. Yeah, Babe, remember when I played this EXACT SAME SONG on your stereo, oh maybe 7 MONTHS AGO.

Or, how about this band, Kings Of Leon. Ever heard of them? Yeah, friends and co-workers, that's right. I was telling you about them 4 YEARS AGO.

And Knitting? Yeah, it's cool again. I could have told you that 2 YEARS AGO.

So, here and now, I'm going to start posting THINGS YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO. That's the new tag. Because Red is the New Black is the New Pink? I was so totally there before you were.

Terror Tuesday

I was really hesitant to post this, as being a potential bunny-killer is not something you should bandy about. But, it is my life and this is my blog so here it is.

I stayed over and slept late. If I had not stayed over, or if I had gotten out of bed when I was supposed to, the following would not have taken place.

Since I was the last to leave, I let the dog out. She was good for a bit, then she started barking. Turns out a bunny had crawled into a flower bed and was trapped behind a fence. So the dog is chasing it, but can't get to it. But then she found the hole in the fence and busted through to corner the bunny. So this Mighty Black Labrador Hunter has the prey cornered, and she's a little confused about exactly what is supposed to happen next. I used this as my opportunity to grab the scruff of her neck.

She went with me perfectly willingly into the house. But by this time the BunBun was so tweaked, it was sprawled out in the snow, in shock. With the dog in the house, I went back to check on it. And, I shouldn't be typing this, but I may have poked it with a stick to see if it was alive. It looked at me like, "Really? Like I haven't been through ENOUGH shit today."

The adorable lab is completely blameless in this situation, as she was running on instinct. I was able to restrain her quite easily, and this just proves how she is a Very Well Behaved Dog. The new human in her life, unfortunately, apparently has nothing resembling an "instinct" and this morning very nearly Lost Her Shit worrying about the life or death struggle of a garden pest.

This Should Have Been Post No. 1

Somebody Tagged me through Facebook with the “25 Random Things,” And I thought it might be fun to post them here. Also, aside from the moving/packing posts, I was kinda running out of material.

So, here they are in no particular order….Ok, that is totally a lie, I cut and pasted the shit out of this list.

1. I lived in the same house for 19 years. My parents still live there and I will always consider it Home. They are not allowed to move. Ever.

2. Skiing, both downhill and cross country, is the only sport I’m any good at.

3. It took 29 years for me to meet the man who is the same level of neurotic as me. I have learned this is Essential in a relationship because this way, nobody has to be the Big Crazy.

4. My love for chocolate boarders on the scary.

5. I grew up with dogs, but never considered myself a “dog person” until I met a sweet lab named Sophie, then one named Molly, a mutt named Ronald, one crazy doofus named Duke (although, I'm pretty sure he's part moose), and most recently an adorable Bella.

6. I am completely in love with my nephew, and I feel so fortunate to live close enough to be a part of his life.

7. I developed early, but bloomed late.

8. I like the BBC better than American radio.

9. My Sister and I weren't as close when we were younger. This is mostly my fault, thinking I was the “cooler” older sister. Our relationship changed for the better when she called and said she had an extra ticket to a Dave Matthews concert.

10. I am a scary creature of habit. Sometimes I like to mix it up, though, and get a mocha with caramel instead of just a plain ol’ mocha. I be crazy like that.

11. I read SciFi.

12. I don’t like Ohio.

13. My Brother is the most solid person I know. He doesn't know this, but his phone calls helped me get through college.

14. I had Unfortunate Perm Years.

15. My Bro, my Sister and I have names that start with the same initial. I love it, and plan to do the same to my kids.

16. My cats have helped me cope with more sad days than I can count.

17. The longest I ever lived with the same person, other than family, was 4½ years. Then Ohio took her away. This is why I have issues with Ohio.

18. When I moved to Metro Detroit, I got a job within 10 days working at a bookstore. This was the best thing I ever did, as some of my co-workers have turned into some of my dearest friends. Including the person I talk to Nearly Every Day on the phone. Then Ohio took her away, too. Stupid Ohio.

19. I tell a story like my mom, very long and with way too many details.

20. I believe Monsters exist, and not all of them are cute like Elmo.

21. I love Green.

22. My Grandma shared her talent with me, and I’m so grateful for that. Also, she told me the secret ingredient to her delicious home-made bread.

23. I adored my AP English teacher in High School. His belief in my ability to write inspired me not to quit. My first book is so totally going to be dedicated to him. Also, thanks to him, I can still quote “Hamlet.”

24. In elementary school, I wore Shiny Purple Spandex Capri pants with a Bright Yellow T-shirt…and thought I was Hot Shit. Because I had a friend who would wear HER Shiny Blue Spandex Capri pants with her matching Bright Yellow T-shirt.

25. The two people on this planet who know The Most about me are my Brother and my Sister. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you read the entire list, consider yourself Tagged. Make your list, send me the link.
Do It To It, Chickies.

Oh Great Geekness!

I swear to Stan Lee, I just saw Sam Raimi driving a mini van Downtown. I was sooo close to his slowly moving vehicle that I could almost read from the sheet of paper he was holding in his hand. I can only assume that he was scouting locations for his next movie. Because he couldn't possibly have any other reason to be in Detroit. You know, having grown up in the Posh 'Burbs and all.

Edit: I now realize that I just saw TED Raimi. There is no difference.

Brief Glimps Into My Head, Moving Edition

If you've been paying attention (or, let's be honest, if you give a rat's patoot), I am going to be moving in few weeks. In preparation, I have been going through my crap, sorting and purging.

I've learned a little bit about myself doing this. First and foremost, I have too much shit. A lot of it doesn't take up a lot of space, individually speaking. Which has, to this point, been the primary rationalization for Not Throwing It Out. But when you pile a whole bunch of small things together, they will make a mountain. Or a fort. Depending how much time you have on your hands, and how desperate you are to avoid sorting.

Then I opened a box, and found I have credit card statements going back about 7 years. For accounts that no longer exist. And let's not forget to mention the other box I opened last week, that had remained UNOPENED for nearly 8 years. This particular box moved with me 4 times, Without Ever Being Opened. Let's just let that sink in, shall we.

Upon further analysis, I've concluded that the majority of my crap is composed of four primary elements;
Paper (old bills, paperwork, notes, books--many, many books)
Fabric (yarn, yarn, and more yarn, clothes, blankets)
Glass (candle holders, vases, other decorative accouterments)
Plastic (sad to say this is mostly in the form of toys).

I would estimate the collective composition of my crap to be 50% Paper, 35% Fabric, 10% Glass and 5% Plastic. (In case you were wondering, Yes, my day job has been heavy into the data analysis lately. But let's also not forget that I am the Queen of Obsessive Thinking as well as a Master Level Procrastinator. And if I had a visual, I would provide it. But that would just be too much, even for me. I mean, seriously, who charts out clutter in Excel, whether by Bar Graph, Pie Chart, or Line Graph to determine the most visually appealing way to explain said clutter? Certainly not I.)

In conclusion, my only course of action is to Eliminate Useless Crap. I am calling this Operation EUC (pronounced Eyuck, which is pretty much how I feel about this activity). I hate throwing things out. I think I have Pack Rat in my DNA. What if I will use it again? What if it will come in handy at some point in the future (be it 5 days, or five years)? These are forces I'm battling against. And I Shall Prevail! No matter the emotional cost! I will not negotiate with Clutter! The Clutter will not win!

But mark my words, if I ever become famous, future generations will weep for the lost information of my spending habits during college. And it will be a great loss.....

Morning Breath Is Different When It's Not Your Bed

Somebody was On My List on Feb. 13. But by Feb. 14, that same somebody decided to take a Big Boy Pill. And you know what? He survived.

He survived sleeping-The Whole Night-at my house. And the cats didn't hassle him too much. They like him very much and were on their best behavior. Not once did Booger body-slam his face. Which makes me think that's a Very Special Activity that he reserves only for my morning wake-up call.

A Valentine (A little late, but it's the thought that counts)

Every morning, I say to myself, "I have the love of my family where ever I go." It's become my mantra. It helps me to leave the house in the morning, to know that whatever happens, be it my fault or the fates, I got Peeps. And when I say "family," know that I firmly believe that friends are the family you get to pick for yourself.

So, here's the Valentine part; as I'm thinking it to myself, I'm sending it back to you. Know that every morning, I think about you, and I'm hoping for the best from everyday, for everyone.

My Chocolate Filling, Has Turned To Fudgecicle

I may have spoken too soon about actually looking forward to V-Day. Or it's just Friday the 13th.... Jury's still out.

Either way, the evening ahead is going to involve a lot of vodka, and Battlestar Galactica with the roomie.

Hard Exterior Reveals Chocolate Filling

Ok, Ok, you got me....I am actually looking forward to V-Day this year. The Dread Valentine's Day, as I've thought of it in years' past, is not so dreaded this time around.

Last year it was a day of endings, as it was the day of Grandpa's funeral. But this year I'm looking at it as a day of beginnings. It's the day I'll be signing my new lease. And I'll be spending it with the Dreamboat and his Funny Dog. I'm bringing over a cotton blend yarn, just for her to sniff. Color? Why red, of course.

Grandpa, Tell Me 'Bout The Good Ol' Days

My Grandpa called me "Dollgirl," He called my brother "Nason." And he called my sister "Dolly."

He lived 94 years, and was sharp, right till the end. He had heart surgery when he was 89, and they told the family to be there as he didn't have a good chance of making it out of recovery. Well, he did. He was with us for another 5 years.

He worked at Ford during the Union Riots. When I started working Downtown, we would talk about what stores were still open, which buildings were still there. Stores and buildings he used to visit. He told me I worked too much. And he was right. Still is.

He had a hunting camp, where they called him "One Shot Walt." Because he didn't miss.

He would tell me, "I don't like you driving at night. Don't pick up hitch hikers." And then send me on my way with a bag of treats, "something to chew on for the drive." And orders to call my mom to let her know I made it to my destination.

You never left his house with an empty stomach.

He cared deeply for all of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and made us all feel like we were his favorite. In truth, he never treated any one of us any differently. Because we were all his favorite.

And a year ago today, he died. In his own bed, peacefully in his sleep.

Fashionable Fabulousness

Soon I will have an address that confirms my Fabulousness. Or maybe just a valid excuse for my eccentricities, as this neighborhood is home to some of the zaniest and nicest people in Metro Detroit. I shall very soon be signing a lease on a new place.

This place, I have been assured, has no major spider problem. It also has no creepy basement with monsters. It does have a creepy attic, but as access is through the ceiling I'll just never look up and pretend it's not there. It also has a lime green kitchen. Who could ask for anything more?

Pppffffttttt....Pickle Edition

Pickle has learned a new trick, making fart noises. This video is great because it also demonstrates his Very Expressive Face.

Public Apology

It seems that I owe an apology to one very cute, very smart dog. When she found out about my post, she got a little offended. She may have been a little embarrassed that I shared that story to the Internets. I found out from her human that she has started using some foul language. This has to stop, Good Dogs don't use bad words.

I think she may have misinterpreted my meaning. I like her so much that I've made her part of this blog. If fact, I'm delighted she shares my appreciation for yarn. I'm just not as uninhibited to sniff it (at least, not in front of anyone).