Moronic Monday - Warning!

Yes, I know, I missed Moronic Monday again.  Sue me.  

Or, just enjoy this Tuesday edition, chock full of warning signs made for the terminally stupid.  If you find yourself reading them and going, "Uh, duh?" or "Who the hell would do that?!" just remember...  Someone did it.  That's why the warning is there.

Hope you're feeling smarter already! :-)

Thanksgiving (And Other Stuff)

As predicted, my Thanksgiving experience was pretty wonderful.  Aside from a quick trip to the local PDQ to get some sugar, the day went just as planned, with an added bonus of going to the movies that night with a good friend and her S.O.  :-)

So, I missed Hump Day this week...  Sorry.  I'll try to make it up next Wednesday.  I'm sure you're all terribly disappointed, but somehow, I'm sure you'll survive.  ;-)

Aside from that, I don't have much to say at the moment.  Just wanted to update for sanity's sake. 

Moronic Monday - Tuesday Style

Sorry for missing Moronic Monday, kids.  I was a bit off my game yesterday after my doc appointment and so much driving to get home to work for the afternoon... I just spaced on my normal routine all around!

So, without further ado, I give you Moronic Monday - Tuesday Style!

Now, I know not everyone is computer savvy, or even computer literate, but dammit, these are just funny.  

If you do know anything about computers, chances are at least one or two of these will make you feel a bit smarter today.  If not... Well, hopefully you can relax enough to laugh at yourself (or at least people like you).  :-) 

Lazy, Lazy

I'm pretty sure I've done nothing productive today.  Wait, no, I take that back.  I might have been productive for about 20 minutes somewhere in there.  But, as it is, I could have been cleaning or doing laundry or exercising or something like that.  Instead, I watched America's Next Top Model re-runs and worked on a puzzle.  Awesome.

Ok, in all fairness, I did cut out pictures for our thank you cards.  And I picked up some dishes and stuff around the living room.  And I tried working on Christmas presents (which I just can't focus on because it's not even Thanksgiving yet, FCOL).  So I sort of tried!

I just can't do anything when Zach's not here.  I don't know if other couples function this way or not, but when he's not here, I just don't feel comfortable.  I get so bored doing things that I normally do.  If he were home, I could spend all day on my computer playing games and just being a dork.  But with him gone, I've spent maybe a total of an hour on the computer so far today.  I just don't know what to do with myself with an empty house!

On the plus side, I managed to get Maxine to sleep in bed with me all night, so that was nice.  I think she tried to wake me up a few times so I could pet her, but when I ignored her, she just curled back up and went back to sleep.  I really do love my dog.  

Tomorrow it's off to see my parents and stay overnight as I have a doctor's appointment on Monday morning (annual physical... joy).  The good thing about next week is that I only have two FULL days of work.  I'm off Monday morning for my appointment and I'm off Friday morning* for travel purposes, and of course I'm off on Thursday, so that leaves a full day on Tues and Wed!  Awesome!!

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving.  It's not my favorite holiday (that would be Halloween, of course), but I think it's the most relaxing for me.  I know most people get all up in a tizzy about Thanksgiving - stress from family and cooking and trying to be perfect - but it's never been like that for me.  

Growing up, Thanksgiving was normally my mom, my dad, and me.  Throw in my hubby for the past few years (though, this is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple), and the puppers this year, and you still have a pretty chill gathering.  

As tradition dictates (I'm HUGE on tradition - blame the OCD), I'll wake up early-ish to watch the Macy's parade with my mom while she starts cooking (because that is one parade you are never too old for!).  Then I'll get hubs up to watch some football with dad and me (and may make some Chex mix or some other snacky item).  

We'll probably do some family trivia after that (this is normally done via the numerous newspaper Super Quizzes my dad has saved up), then have Thanksgiving dinner (which, we actually have at dinner time, not in the afternoon).  Then it's time to make hand turkeys (a tradition just for me and Zach) and probably watch the Peanuts Thanksgiving special.  Dad normally has a fire in the fireplace, and he and Mom are often half asleep, enjoying its warmth.

And last, but NEVER least, comes dessert.  Pumpkin pie.  Or some variation thereof.  Sometimes mom gets a pecan pie for Dad, but nothing is quite like pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.  The BEST tradition of the year is when Dad and I make whipped cream together.  

Dad will have the bowl in the freezer for hours ahead of time, waiting for us whenever we're ready.  Then we get out the heavy whipping cream, the sugar, and the vanilla extract.  There's no recipe or measurements to be followed.  One of us will pour in the cream, while the other starts getting sugar ready.  Dad starts up the mixer, and tells me when to start (and stop) putting the sugar and vanilla in.  When we think it might be ready, we grab spoons and taste it.  If it's not to our liking, the solution is normally more sugar.  And eventually, it'll be just right.  It always is.

So I know there's some big thing about being against Thanksgiving because of what it stands for, etc, etc...  But I never think about the history involved.  Maybe that's naive of me, but I prefer just to think about what I'm thankful for and enjoy the day with the people I love the most.  

My advice?  Stop over-thinking holidays.  Have they been commercialized?  Sure.  Are the things they were founded on maybe less than happy/PC/whatever?  Sometimes, yeah.  But does that mean they have to be ruined and we should all be unhappy and stressed?  Hell no.  Make holidays what you want them to be.  They're much nicer that way.  :-)      

   

*Yes, I actually do have to work Friday after Thanksgiving.  In fact, the only reason I have that morning off is because I requested it almost 2 months in advance.  No, I'm not in retail (thankfully).  No, I don't get overtime or holiday pay.  Yes, it sucks.  

Flookies

I have this habit of baking for my husband for special trips he takes.  For example, when he went fall camping last month, I sent him with Snickerdoodles.  A few years ago I made peanut butter cookies for him to take hunting.  I've made sugar cookies once or twice as well.  I like to bake this time of year!

So last night I attempted chocolate chocolate chip cookies, only I made them with peanut butter chips AND chocolate chips.  They're fine, I suppose (hubs likes them), but they turned out as flookies.

What, you may ask, are flookies?  Flat cookies.  Flookies.  Yep, that's what they are.  

This term got coined while I was on a road trip with my non-biological sisters in August 2009.  Kristy had made these cookies that were really tasty, but flat.  I mean really flat.  At some point, we stopped asking to be passed the "flat cookies" and started asking for the "flookies" instead.  Thus, a word (or Phippsism, if you prefer) was born.

And now, apparently, it was my turn to make some flookies.  

Again, they're tasty enough, I guess, but they just look so goofy, especially compared to the pics shown with the recipe (apparently using shortening could have helped, so say the reviews, but I tried just using butter).  And it's even more amusing to me because I just read my friend Sarah's blog yesterday about the cookies she attempted where she had almost the opposite problem.  

Why are some cookies just hard to make?  They should be easy and tasty and wonderful!  And yet, sometimes, you get flookies. Oh well.  They'll still get eaten.  :-)

So, anywhoozles, hubby will be going hunting this weekend (alas, yes, I am to be a hunting widow), so the puppers and I have big plans to do a whole bunch of nothing.  Well, that's not entirely true.  We're going to see my parents on Sunday, so I guess that's something, eh?  I really don't like sleeping in the house alone while he's gone, though.  Just feels so empty.  I usually try to make Maxine sleep in bed with me for the company.  We'll see if she puts up with it.

And now, I leave you with 5 random songs you should listen to today for fun.  Why?  Why not?

"Only Girl (In The World)" - Rihanna

"Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" - They Might Be Giants*

"In My Room" - The Beach Boys

"Love Is A Dirty Word" - Jason Collett

"End Of The Line" - The Traveling Wilburys

*Or you can listen to the original by The Four Lads.  I just like the TMBG version. :-)

It Would Seem...

...that I'm talking (er, writing...  typing?) mostly for myself.  I think my husband just read over the blog yesterday for the first time ("Did you know all your hump day blogs are about sex?"  "Uh... yes?"), and I know I have 2 or 3 friends following along from time to time (hey ladies!), so that's nice.  But honestly, that's all I really need/expected/care for anyway.  I can't imagine random strangers being interested, since this isn't an awesome themed blog like Mandy's Disney blog or Kristy's tourist traps blog, and they would probably get confused (or, at least, bored) by the randomness that is me.

Anywhoozles, being that most of you should be personal friends, I will use this post to ask you for money.  MUAHAHAHA!!!

Ok, it's not evil like that, I promise.  Actually, I'm raising money for the upcoming MDA Walk in Madison, and we could sure use some donations!  If you can, click here to read about why I'm walking and why I'm asking for your support. 

And hey, if you'd rather walk with us than donate, please do!  Our team is the Muscle Mafia, so feel free to register and join our team!  :-)

Hump Day - Doing The Robot

When someone suggests we "do the robot," I usually get prepared to head to the dance floor.  But more and more, it seems, people are heading to the bedroom.  That's right, I'm talking about sex robots.

According to the article, the demand for these robots is growing around the world.  Particularly in the UK.  I guess I'm not totally surprised that the US has carved out a niche in this market, but wouldn't you think Japan would've been the first choice for this?  Just saying. 

The most disturbing part of this to me isn't that people want sex robots that look like celebrities; that's a given (anyone else reminded of that episode of "Futurama" with the Lucy Liu bot?).  It's not that it can talk or fake an orgasm; any woman can do that.  It's not even that people think having a "relationship" with a robot is acceptable.

No, the most disturbing part to me is that these robots have human hair.  Whose hair is it?  Do they do a sex robot hair donation drive?  Do the manufacturers go to salons and ask for leftover hair?  

Also, why is it necessary?  Do some people actually wash or style the robot's hair as part of their fantasy?  Do you think most people would really care if the hair was synthetic?  I mean, really...  The whole idea just seems creepy.

For Crying Out Loud (FCOL)

Things that are contributing to my FCOL attitude today:

1. I really wish my face would stop breaking out.  You'd think I was hitting puberty all over again.  Blech.
2. Do you know how many forms one has to fill out and sign just to get their name changed?  It's insane!  It's not enough to show my new license or the marriage certificate?  Christ.
3. Work.  No explanation needed.
4. My dog seems to think she is our home alarm system.  Thanks, Maxine, but I really don't think the UPS guy is a threat (considering he was half way back to his truck when she started barking).
5. Laundry, sadly, does not do itself.  Someone needs to fix this.

What A Wonderful Weekend

Ok, so, morons aside, this Monday I also have to write about my weekend with my hubby.  

Normally, Zach and I like to try to get away a few weekends of the year.  It's a chance for us to get away from everything and just be us.  This is a little harder with Maxine in the picture, so the only getaway we've really had in the past year was our honeymoon.

So, rather than a trip to Door County or a weekend camping trip, we decided to have a date weekend in our own area.  Not only did this mean we didn't have to find arrangements for the puppers, but it also saved us some money since we weren't paying for a campsite or hotel room.  Huzzah!

The only "rule" was that we weren't allowed to go on the computer during the weekend.  A few exceptions presented themselves (I needed to re-order my meds and we had to check on a pints-to-cups conversion), but otherwise, we stayed offline and made each other our focus.

Saturday was pretty low key.  Maxi and I went to wake Zach up around 10:30 and ended up napping with him until about 11:30.  After getting some dishes done and looking up recipes, we headed to Milwaukee Public Market for lunch.  We got some great burritos (with chips and guac - yum!) and did some window shopping around the market.  We did end up buying a bag of Herbs de Provence for a recipe we intended to make for dinner, as well as a container in which to store it.

Then we headed out to do some fun shopping.  We went to World Market (because I could spend a lifetime in that store and never get enough of it), PetCo (to get some belated gifts for Miss Maxine's anniversary) and finally Sendik's to get things for that night's dinner.

As it turned out, we weren't able to do the recipe we had planned for because I'm an idiot and didn't notice that it needed to marinate for 8 hours before grilling.  Yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  Instead, we kind of winged the entree and I focused on the rest.  For those curious, our dinner consisted of the following:

• Grilled beef tenderloin, seasoned with dried garlic, dried onion, kosher salt, pepper and herbs de provence.  Complimented with a gorgonzola cream sauce.
• Prosciutto-wrapped asparagus. 
• Alexia brand Oven Reds (Olive Oil, Parmesan & Roasted Garlic).
• A slice of chocolate orange dream cake from the Sendik's bakery.

Some quick notes on this dinner, if I may:

1. These were some seriously rich foods.  And while I love rich foods, this was a lot even for me.
2. In the past, we've used cream cheese (even light or fat free) in place of the Neufchatel for the asparagus.  It really doesn't make a huge difference, in my opinion, though the cream cheese probably makes it lighter.
3. The oven reds were good, but were more like steak fries than I had anticipated.  They also went great with the cream sauce.
4. Speaking of the cream sauce, we made a HALF recipe and still had tons of leftovers.  Also, it didn't reheat well, so next time we plan to make only a quarter recipe.  Should be more than enough.
5. The recipe we didn't get to make (but someday will) can be found here.  We're excited to try it when we have enough time and foresight.  As it was, the tenderloin was pretty awesome, AND the leftover meat was great in the morning for a makeshift "steak and eggs" type breakfast.

Anyway, we pretty much lounged for the rest of the evening.  We watched some episodes of Castle on DVD and watched Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian on TV (huzzah for cable!).  Then we went to sleep, full and happy.

Sunday we had a nice breakfast of leftover tenderloin and fried eggs.  Then we got dressed and headed out on an adventure.  We stopped at Fowler Lake in Oconomowoc, and then headed on to Astico County Park near Columbus.  Our final destination for the day was Day One Pizza in Columbus, an awesome pizza place we stumbled upon a few years ago that we make an annual mecca to just because it's just that good.

Once we made it home, we watched Knocked Up and then Zach caught up on his new zombie show (Walking Dead).  Overall, I'd say it was a successful weekend indeed.  :-)

Moronic Monday - And The Award Goes To...

What better on a Moronic Monday than a Darwin Award nominee?   If that doesn't make you feel smart, nothing will.

For those not in the know, Wikipedia says, "The [Darwin] Awards honor people who ensure the long-term survival of the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool in a sublimely idiotic fashion."

In essence, the dumber you are, the greater your contribution is.  So keep on keepin' on, idiots of the world!

Sing... Sing a Song...

So this is random, but I figured it was a good time to give a peek into my weird taste in music.

There are 3 bands/artists that dominate my iTunes list:

• The Beatles - There's really no explanation needed here.  Even if you don't like the Beatles (which is clearly wrong, and you must have some kind of defect that keeps you from enjoying the better things in life), you have to admit that they were pretty iconic.  I grew up listening to the Beatles with my parents, and now I have nearly every Beatles song recorded in my possession.
• No Doubt - This is actually by accident, sort of.  Don't get me wrong - I love No Doubt.  I grew up on Gwen and the gang!  Tragic Kingdom was actually one of the first CDs I owned (the very first being The Score by The Fugees).  But the only reason I have as many No Doubt songs on my computer as I do is because we went to see them play at Summerfest in 2009.  After we bought our tickets, we got access to download every single No Doubt song recorded - for free.  How could I pass that up?
• The Glee Cast - Yes, I am a full out Gleek.  Love, love, LOVE everything about Glee!  The show, the music, the actors...  Everything about it makes me happy in my heart (to borrow a phrase from my bestie).  As such, I own a plethora of Glee songs!

 So, that's probably not too weird, I guess.  Taking a look around my "25 Most Played" songs, Glee easily has the majority of the list on lock-down.  However, also on that list are Chris Brown, Queen, Buckcherry, Taylor Swift, Brad Paisley, 3OH!3, Incubus, Badfinger and Murray Head.  

If that's not eclectic enough for you, you should see the list of bands I've seen live.  It goes all over the board, from Peter, Paul & Mary (whom I actually saw in concert twice) to Pat Benetar, Sugarcult to Sugarland, and 311 to 3OH!3.  Sadly, I'm getting to the point in life where I'm really not up for the screaming and insanity that many concerts bring (we've left a few concerts early), so the number of shows I'm attending has dropped significantly in the past year or two (though, you wouldn't know it by looking at the past few weeks - sheesh!).  

Anywhoozles, there's really no point to this post, but why not?  (Ah!  Ah!  I said it!  That's the title!)  I leave you with the following random songs that you should probably listen to, just for fun.  Or not.  Your call. 

"Hold On Tight" - Electric Light Orchestra

"Hard To Believe" - VOTA

"We Belong" - Pat Benetar

"Time Of The Season" - The Zombies

"Take A Chance On Me" - ABBA

I Never Said I Do

So, today is the anniversary of my bestie Mandy and her hubby Chad.  Four years ago today, my husband and I were at their wedding.  It seems like so long ago, but at the same time, I can clearly remember the night, so I feel like it couldn't possibly have been 4 years ago!  

A lot has changed in those 4 years, too.  At the time, Zach was living with his dad in Whitewater.  In fact, since then, Zach has lived in an apartment in Racine with a friend, an apartment in Oak Creek with me, and now we have our wonderful home in the Milwaukee area.  (Having never moved before, this is also big for me!!)

And while I knew I loved Zach, and hoped to be with him for a long time, I had no idea that 4 years later we would be married ourselves!  

Anywhoozles, Mandy mentioned something that made me think.  She made a comment about how two little words - I Do - can pretty much change your life forever.  And I realized that I never said I Do.  It just wasn't part of our vows!  

Did I miss out on some magical bond because we didn't exchange those two words?  

Vows are just words unless they truly have meaning to you.  For Mandy and Chad, those two words said everything they needed to say, because there were so many unspoken words behind them.  Since our ceremony was different than many, the I Do's just didn't fit in, but the words that were spoken, the vows we made to each other, are just as strong as any I Do.

We had found vows online that we really liked, and just altered them a bit to meet our needs and expectations of our marriage.  In case you're curious, these are the vows we used:

I, Erika, take you, Zach, to be my husband.  Along with my heart, I give to you these promises...
I promise to give you the best of myself, even when I feel my worst.
I promise to respect you, and also myself.
I promise to realize that your desires and needs are no less important than my own.
I promise to laugh with you in times of joy, and comfort you in times of sorrow.
I promise to listen to you with understanding, and speak to you with encouragement.
I promise to help you when you need it, and try to step aside when you don't.
Above all, I promise to be faithful to you as my husband, my lover and my friend,
And to love you for the rest of my life.

So, it might've been more than two words, but it still changed my life.  For the better.

Much love to Mandy and Chadder on their special day, and much love to my hubby for being everything I want and need.  I love you, Roozles!

Hump Day - A New Kind of Quickie

Have you ever been driving home from work and suddenly you think to yourself, "Gee, I could really go for a new vibrator, but I just don't have the time!"?  Or maybe you're looking for some back-seat loving, but could really use some lube. 

No matter the problem, this place has the answer: sex-toy drive thru lanes!

All jokes aside, though, this story is actually a bit sad.  Alabama is the last state to have a ban on sex toys, so they can't be purchased without "a bona fide medical, scientific, educational, legislative, judicial or law enforcement purpose."  

To skirt this issue, customers are required to fill out a form indicating the medical "issue" that necessitates the purchase.  I can only imagine what some of those look like... 

Purchase: Vibratror

Reason for Purchase: I have a bad back and need this personal massager to ease my pain.

Purchase: Lubricant

Reason for Purchase: I have dry elbows...  Yes.  Dry elbows.

Purchase: Handcuffs

Reason for Purchase: My wife sleepwalks and I need them to keep her in bed.

Anywhoozles, you can see where I'm going with this, right?  IT'S RIDICULOUS!  Comparable to, let's see here... Medicinal marijuana?  "Uh, my leg kinda hurts and, um..."  "Here you go!  An Rx for some weed ought to fix you right up!"  

I'm not saying that there aren't people who may legitimately need weed (or sex toys, I guess) for medical reasons, but the fact that we're making people come up with lame-ass excuses in order to get these things goes so far beyond ridiculous that I'm not even sure there's a word for it.  However, I will now make it my goal to come up with a word for it.

(Uncrediculicious?  Ridonculary?  I'll keep trying...) 

My Bad... I Guess?

It's just after 8 and already today has left a bad taste in my mouth.  Fantastic.

You see, I tend to take things very personally, and this morning I have already felt attacked, even though I'm sure it was meant to be anything but an attack.  Let me explain.

I am notoriously pessimistic.  I am Eeyore personified.  Well, at least, I used to be.  You see, I'm on a medication called Fluoxetine, aka generic Prozac.  I'm not ashamed of that.  I don't try to hide it.  In fact, I bring it up sometimes to joke about it or be thankful for it!  

I remember I used to hate that I needed medication to be "normal" and I even tried a few times to live without taking the meds (which, for the record, turned out to be a poor idea - who knew?).  Then my mom and I had (roughly) this conversation:

Mom: What do you dislike about it?
Me: I hate being dependent on something just to be normal.
Mom: I see...  Well, are you dependent on your glasses?

Me: Well, yeah, I guess.  But that's different!

Mom: How?  You need the glasses to see normally, right?  You wouldn't just stop wearing them because you didn't like it.

Me: Uh, no.  That'd be pretty dumb.

Mom: Right.  So why is depending on them to live any different than depending on medication?

Me: Um...  Huh...

In my mind, the meds had been more like crutches, easing me back to recovery.  But in reality, they're just as necessary as my glasses or my inhaler.  I depend on these things to live the best life I can, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Anywhoozles, I digress (or digest, for you Family Guy fans).  My point is I used to be the poster child for depression, pessimism, and anything else moody like that.  People who have known me for awhile remember this and, sometimes, still think of me that way.  Which means when I try to be optimistic, people often think I'm being sarcastic or just plain rude. 

And that...  Ooh, that rubs me the wrong way.  I take it very personally when people think I'm incapable of looking at the positive side of things or being in any way optimistic.  Really?  Do you all think I'm that horrible?  Thanks, that's really reassuring.  I feel awesome now.  Woo.

So, as you can see, things that aren't meant to be attacks can sometimes feel like attacks to me.  I get defensive and my pessimistic former self starts creeping back.  The sarcasm thickens, the mood darkens, and it takes everything I have not to lash out.  

Here's a thought - try giving people the benefit of the doubt. Oddly enough, sometimes they really do change; sometimes for the better!  If a friend or coworker or family member or neighbor does or says something out of character, and it's a GOOD change, go with it.  Don't question it.  Don't assume it's a fluke or that it's meant to mock.  Have a little optimism.  It goes a long way.

Moronic Monday - You Don't Need To Be Smart To Travel

Seriously, check out some of these awesome questions people asked their travel agents.

My personal favorite is the very last one, but then again, I'm partial to hippos and anything even slightly related to them.  Like this, for instance.  Excellent.  ^_^

One Post - Two Thoughts

So, this really probably should be two separate posts, but, that's just not going to happen, so bear with me.

Thought # 1 - Take your ass-grabbing elsewhere!

Hubby and I went to a concert last night (3OH!3, for anyone interested).  While there, I noticed several things that made me feel...  well, old.  

Many of the kids there were dressed in the most bizarre ways.  

• Mini dresses seemed to be a trend.  I saw several of these.  Not surprising, I guess, but it wasn't exactly mini-dress weather.  It was about 30 degrees last night.  And there was a breeze.  
• Also prevalent were shirts that were purposely cut/torn across the front, seemingly to draw attention to the girl's bra (which was clearly visible, if not sticking out of the cuts in said shirt) and stomach.  I saw a few of these, and most of them looked pretty awful.
• Flannel.  What the f*ck is with the flannel?
• Douchebags with baseball caps were also pretty much everywhere.  It's to be expected, I guess, but jeez.

Seeing all of this made me realize that I have grown up.  I don't dress to "impress" at concerts anymore.  I dress to be comfortable - jeans and a t-shirt, usually a sweatshirt...  No makeup, don't do anything special to my hair...  Just... Me.  In fact, as I pointed out to the hubs, I was even wearing knee socks under my jeans to keep myself extra warm.  Call me a nerd or whatever, but I was comfy.

Then he asked the following question: "How many of the people in this crowd do you think own a house?"  

Well, crap.  I looked around, there were maybe one or two other couples who could've been homeowners.  And, of course, a few parents playing chaperon were probably in the same boat.  But mostly, these were high school and college kids.  Most of them likely didn't even have their own apartments, let alone a house.

Then 3OH!3 asked the crowd how many went to the UW...  Holy shit.  At least in the balcony (where we were), it had to have been a good 80-90% who responded in the positive.  No wonder so many people were drunk as hell!

And yet, I could have forgiven all of it, until I saw one of the couples in front of us.

The female was more than likely drunk, as she seemed pretty wobbly (not to mention they were both holding drinks).  The guy was one of the aforementioned douchebags wearing a baseball cap.  And a few minutes into the main event, his hand went to grab her ass and didn't leave her body until she decided to sit down.  It didn't stay on her ass the whole time (though, that seemed to be his favorite part of her body)...  Oh, no.  I saw some boob grabbing as well.  And, of course, they were having a battle of the tongues, right there in front of us.

My thought is this:  Why in the world would you pay $20-$30 each to come to a concert, get trashed, and grab on each other, when you could do it for cheaper at a bar, club or in your own place?  

Seriously.  Grossness of way too much PDA aside, it just seems ridiculous to me to pay that much just to cop a feel or two.  Mind you, the $20-$30 is just for the ticket - jaeger bombs were going for $6 a piece!  PBR was $4 each!  And neither of those are going to get you drunk with one purchase.  

Yes, I know, they could have started drinking elsewhere.  In fact, I'd guarantee they did.  But they each had at least one drink while there, so now that $20-$30 each becomes $25-$35 each.  We're talking over $50 just to come make out?  Here's an idea: GET A ROOM!  It would be about the same (or a little more) to get a cheap motel room - which you can keep for the whole night - as it would to go to a concert for a few hours (and not even remember what the band was like because you were drinking and sucking face the whole time).

Note: Before you go asking me why I was watching, I didn't have much of a choice.  From where we were sitting, they were directly in my line of view while trying to watch the show.  When hands and tongues are flying all over the place, it's pretty distracting.

Thought # 2 - Happy Anniversary, Maxine!

On a MUCH more positive note, one year ago today we adopted the best dog in the whole world.  Maxine has now been a part of our family for a year, and we couldn't be happier!  In fact, it feels like there was never a time BEFORE we had her.  :-)

So happy anniversary, Maxine McPupperkins!  We love you so much!!

 

Phew!

So, we had quite the scare with our poor puppers yesterday.  We learned the hard way that she's allergic to the new flea/tick medicine we bought her.  It irritated her skin (which resulted in two baths last night) and made her puke about 6 or 7 times (which, according to the company, was because of the taste of the stuff...), but she's doing MUCH better now, and may someday forgive us for the baths.

Anywhoozles, some good did come out of last night as well!  Instead of our normal roasted/toasted pumpkin seeds (post-carving), this year I decided to make a modified Chex Mix with the leftover seeds!  I had made Chex Mix early last month for a party, so I had some leftover ingredients to use up.  Turned out pretty delicious, especially since I added 1.5-2 times the suggested amount of Worcestershire sauce (which, by the way, is one of the hardest words for me to pronounce for some reason) and added some garlic salt to the mix.

Essentially, I took this recipe and changed a few things:

*No mixed nuts.  This is a personal preference.  Instead, I used pumpkin seeds leftover after carving for Halloween.

*I only had a few bagel chips left, so instead, I added a cup or two of Cheerios.

*Used at LEAST 3 tbsp of Worcestershire...  2 was NOT enough last time, so this made for a bolder taste.

*Used a little over 2 tsp of seasoned salt (Lawry's, of course).

*Added garlic salt just before AND just after baking.

Now, I'm a big fan of garlic, as is my hubby, so that's obviously our preference.  I grew up with my mom randomly making garlic Cheerios, where she took some Cheerios, coated them in butter and garlic salt and baked them.  So simple, but SO good.  

Basically, this is a combination of Chex Mix, roasted pumpkin seeds and Mom's garlic Cheerios...  It's a match made in Garlic Heaven (which is where I hope to go when I die)!

Hump Day - Post Elections

I'll admit it: I didn't vote.

Nope.  Did not vote.  Why didn't I vote?  Well, I didn't feel informed enough to vote.  I have so much else I'd rather pay attention to, that politics just goes right over my head.  So when it comes to Election Day, I'm usually pretty clueless.  

Sure, I could have voted anyway.  I could have voted all Dem because I tend to align myself that way more often than not.  I could have voted all Rep because I'm angry or bitter.  I could have voted by whose name sounds silliest.  Or created a pretty pattern with my selections.  Or voted for Mickey Mouse or Kodos (which, I am proud to say, I have done in the past).  Or left the whole thing blank!

Would any of these have been better?  Maybe so.  I'm sure there's an argument out there for them.  But in my heart, if I don't know who I believe is best suited for the job, then I don't feel qualified to vote.  And that's my decision.

On a lighter note, it's Hump Day!  And as such, I have a special post-election hump day link to share!

For those who feel like they've been f*cked by the president, now they can f*ck him back!  Yes, friends, there's an Obama sex doll available in China.  Check it out.

Note: The Obama sex doll can be used for non-angry sex, too.  Just sayin'.  ;-)

Talk, Talk, Talk

This morning, my husband asked me why people feel the need to express themselves in front of a camera, even when they have nothing of value to say, or don't know what they're talking about.

"Because everyone wants to be heard," was my response.  

I think that's pretty accurate, right?  Yes, some of us talk just to hear our own voices.  And some of us talk to fill uncomfortable silence.  And some of us talk because we don't know what else to do.  But the point of communicating in the first place is to get your message to someone else; the point is to be heard.

For example, I am (for the most part) a pretty quiet person.  In groups, I tend to be the listener, the one who sits back and lets everyone else do the talking.  And yet, this is the latest of many blogs I've attempted along the way, so clearly I want to be heard by someone, even if I'm not actually speaking.  

When we feel our opinions and ideas are falling on deaf ears, we can tend to get riled up.  It's then that we grab our soapboxes and scream from the rooftops just to be heard.  Even if the only response we get is, "Shut it!" or "You're an idiot!" at least we know that someone heard us.  There's something comforting about getting a response, no matter how negative...  Almost like we need reassurance that we haven't become invisible, and that our words - our voices - aren't just in our own heads.

It's at that point that some people choose to go in front of a camera in order to be heard.  And whether or not they have anything of value to say isn't the point, but rather that they will reach an audience, who will inevitably have something to say about it, and receive that affirmation of existence.

On the other hand, some people are just idiots who like to talk.

Moronic Monday - The First Edition

Forget Manic Monday, this is something I have dubbed Moronic Monday.  

I don't know about you, but I just am not at 100% on Mondays, no matter how hard I try.  I always lag a bit, my brain just isn't fully functioning, and I feel like, well, a moron.

So to make myself feel like LESS of a moron, I turn to the world wide web to find other morons who make me feel less moronic.

Welcome to the first Moronic Monday:

Did you slip and say something dumb?  Don't feel too bad.  It couldn't have been any worse than some of these.

For real?

November, I am SO not ready for you.  I want October back!

Anywhoozles, came home last night to find this beautiful orange kitty on our front step, sitting with our pumpkins.  Had it not been so dark, I would've taken a picture - it was too perfect.  Friendly little thing, too.  And so soft!  Sometimes I miss having a cat.  Too bad hub's allergic.  Le sigh.

Visitation was fine, but good GOD (pun only semi-intended) - the rosary went on FOREVER.  I had no idea they were going to say it, or how long it would take, but for crying out loud!  What in the world does repeating the same thing over and over and over do for you?  If God didn't hear it the first time, what makes you think the 23rd time is going to matter?  Or the 50th??  (Sorry if I offend any of my more religious friends; I respect your decision to believe anything you want and worship accordingly, but from an outside perspective, it just seemed a bit ridiculous!)

Also, we have a metric shit-ton of leftover Halloween candy.  I think we got a total of 15 trick or treat-ers... At most.  Candy, here I come!  Om nom nom nom nom!! 

Well, here's hoping that I can handle whatever November brings my way...