D'oh!

We missed the latest episode of House because we forgot that it was now showing on Mondays. They shouldn't do this to us -- have us miss so many new ones because of the strike and then move the night it's on. We're confused enough already!
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Vaca brag: possible excursion in Nassau

We've been talking about doing this excursion when we're in Nassau. It's a day pass to the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, which gives you privileges for the pool and waterslide area. The day pass is not cheap, and our doing this hinges on a couple of things we have to achieve before we go, but this gives us incentive.

We had visited the "Dig" at Atlantis a few years ago. It's an aquarium set up to look like the ruins of the lost continent of Atlantis. It was a little cheesy as far as the "ruins" went, but the aquarium was very cool -- as most aquariums are.

Believe me when I say this is not your typical water park. Here are a few of the water slides and lazy river streams.

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This cafe is where we'll probably have lunch.

It's "caturday": and I may have found the dream job

From Yahoo News, the headline from this story:

Lolcat site hiring; spelling skillz optional

not only made me LOL but gave me hope that there could actually be a job out there that could be completely fulfilling all day long. Imagine: viewing LOLcats photos and deciding which ones to post. What a way to make a living!
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Favorite things Friday: truffles revisited

Wasn't I saying just last week that my true favorites were the ones made by my friend David and that because he closed his restaurant they were no longer available?

Well. In one of the most interesting coincidences I've had lately, I ran into David over at Earthfare on Saturday morning. I hadn't seen him in a while, so we had some fun catching up. At one point I mentioned his truffles, which I miss dearly, and -- woo-hoo! -- he said he still makes them.

Wow! Not only is this worth redoing last week's Favorite things Friday, but this qualifies for a Total Awesomeness posting.
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What I meant to post yesterday on Earth Day

So I'm a day late. Whatever. None of you will remember this and I'll be able to use it next year. If I remember that it's Earth Day, that is.

Anyway, this is what I meant to post yesterday in honor of Earth Day:

I like the Earth. It's my favorite place. It's where I keep all my stuff.
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I have nothing to add to this, which must surely be THE bizarre news story of the year

Except I did highlight some of the more interesting parts in red.

From AOL News:

Priest Vanishes on Party Balloon Flight

SAO PAULO, Brazil (April 21) - A Roman Catholic priest who floated off under hundreds of helium party balloons was missing Monday off the southern coast of Brazil.

Rescuers in helicopters and small fishing boats were searching off the coast of Santa Catarina state, where pieces of balloons were found.

Rev. Adelir Antonio de Carli lifted off from the port city of Paranagua on Sunday afternoon, wearing a helmet, thermal suit and a parachute.

He was reported missing about eight hours later after losing contact with port authority officials, according to the treasurer of his Sao Cristovao parish, Denise Gallas.

Gallas said by telephone that the priest wanted to break a 19-hour record for the most hours flying with balloons to raise money for a spiritual rest-stop for truckers in Paranagua, Brazil's second-largest port for agricultural products.

Some American adventurers have used helium balloons to emulate Larry Walters - who in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons.

A video of Carli posted on the G1 Web site of Globo TV showed the smiling 41-year-old priest slipping into a flight suit, being strapped to a seat attached to a huge column green, red, white and yellow balloons, and soaring into the air to the cheers of a crowd.

According to Gallas, the priest soared to an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,000 meters) then descended to about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) for his planned flight to the city of Dourados, 465 miles (750 kilometers) northwest of his parish.

But winds pushed him in another direction, and Carli was some 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast when he last contacted Paranagua's port authority, Gallas said.

Carli had a GPS device, a satellite phone, a buoyant chair and is an experienced skydiver, Gallas said.

"We are absolutely confident he will be found alive and well, floating somewhere in the ocean," she said.

"He knew what he was doing and was fully prepared for any kind of mishap."
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Vaca brag: where I will probably NOT be spending time on the cruise

In here -- the onboard gym. Sure it's nice and it has state-of-the-art training equipment and professional trainers to help you with your workout and blah blah blah. But I'll be honest: this is too much like work, people. I'm there to relax and have fun.

And drink champagne.

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You GO girl ... literally

For the first time ever, a woman has won a closed-course Indy race. Woo! Danica Patrick proved that she was indeed one of the guys when she crossed the finish line first in Saturday's race.

Then she started crying.

Oh well. Let's get her into a NASCAR vehicle and then when she wins, she'll be so busy rattling off the names of her sponsors that she won't have time to get choked up.

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It's "caturday": and LOLcats makes me LOL

This one cracks me up. (From LOLCats.)

Favorite things Friday: truffles

I am, let's just say, into chocolate. And those of you out there who know me well are saying, "Yeah, duh!" That's ok. It's perfectly fine to have certain aspects of your personality on display, as they say.

But what some of you may not know about me is the particular type of truffle. It used to be my friend David's V. Davilan brand handmade truffles. Oh my goodness. Such a delight. Unfortunately David sold his restaurant and the new owners aren't aware of the appeal of truffles. Or they just don't know how to make them.

Anyway. Because David's are no longer available, my next favorite is Lindt milk chocolate. These are the ones in the red wrapping. I use them as rewards for myself. For example, when I'm writing an article, I put one on the corner of my desk where I can see it out of the corner of my eye. When I finish and file the article, I get to have the truffle. Believe me, these little red delights have gotten me through many a deadline.

So now you know. Any of you out there wanting to send me a thank you or reward for a kind deed, here's an idea. For that matter, you need not wait until I do something worth rewarding. You can send a few of these just because. I'm just saying.

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News of the weird

This story, forwarded to me by Jackie, leaves more questions than it answers.

Ok, so this guy is pulled over ...

Then the trooper noticed a 6-foot alligator contentedly riding next to the back window of Johnson's car. Johnson said he found the gator on the side of a road.

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Questions: How did he get a 6-foot alligator in the car? What made him assume the alligator was hitchhiking? What made the officer think the alligator was contented?

But it was allegations that Johnson had been taking things out of a mobile home in the nearby town of Brazoria that sent him to jail on a burglary charge. Investigators found a hair trimmer and video game controller in his pockets.

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Question: Click the link and take a look at the photo. Why didn't the guy use the hair trimmer?

Johnson advised the officer that there was a water moccasin snake in his car and that the snake had already bitten him on the hand.

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Question: Did the snake catch anything from this guy?

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A game warden took the alligator away.

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Question: Where is the alligator now?
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Blog-pimping: The Impulsive Buy

I found a new site called The Impulsive Buy, which has the tagline: "Putting the 'ew' in product reviews." Which is exactly what it sounds like. They have info here that's guaranteed to make you never eat that product again ever for the rest of your life.

But some pretty funny writeups too. Check it out.

Adding it to my blogroll too.
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Death and taxes

They say the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Well. Let's just deal with both of them today, shall we?

First, taxes.

During the Revolutionary War times, the rallying cry was all about "No taxation without representation!" According to Wiki, Boston politician James Otis was the one who uttered the famous "Taxation without representation is tyranny!"

Not to belittle what those guys were going through back then, what with trying to break away from England and getting the tea imported at decent prices all at the same time, but I have to say even with representation, taxes aren't so hot either.

Nevertheless, we pay them because we want to keep our government, which is the greatest in the world despite its obvious flaws (I'm looking at you, electoral college), and it needs to be funded -- although it would be nice to be consulted once in a while on where the money will go (I'm looking at you, Office of Management and Budget) -- and also because if we don't pay, the IRS will eat our asses for breakfast.

And so, on to the other certainty: Death, which, holy crap, people, has hit the world of blogging. This story, from the NY Times, outlines the stress of 24/7 Web work, specifically blogging. A few excerpts:

A growing work force of home-office laborers and entrepreneurs, armed with computers and smartphones and wired to the hilt, are toiling under great physical and emotional stress created by the around-the-clock Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment.

Two weeks ago in North Lauderdale, Fla., funeral services were held for Russell Shaw, a prolific blogger on technology subjects who died at 60 of a heart attack. In December, another tech blogger, Marc Orchant, died at 50 of a massive coronary. A third, Om Malik, 41, survived a heart attack in December.

Other bloggers complain of weight loss or gain, sleep disorders, exhaustion and other maladies born of the nonstop strain of producing for a news and information cycle that is as always-on as the Internet.

Well ok, then. I'll just move from stressing over taxes to stressing over blogging. Which, of course, I am here blogging about. Perhaps we can lobby the government to allow extra deductions for bloggers.

On a funnier note, the awesomeness that is Ken Levine (one of my favorite bloggers) had this to say about it:

Non-bloggers might not appreciate the crushing pressure we’re under to create content. Sure there are other professions that are stress-producing but let’s be realistic. Air traffic controllers get breaks during fog. Fire fighters have days when they’re just washing the truck. There is no rest for bloggers. Every day (or week or month) we must keep feeding the monster. New anecdotes, more advice, fresh tirades, pictures of kitties – it never stops!!!

Amen, brother. And now let us all sing "Amazing Grace."
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Our dog has a "cat wish"

Here's Cocoa, our tiny toy poodle, sitting on the back of Tony's recliner, letting the cats know she's just as "all that" as they are.

Sure, a tiny dog tends to be a bit of a prima donna, but you know, you just can't get this with a golden retriever or a german shepherd.

This just in: another celebration

Today is Jackie's and Amanda's baptism birthdays. I was thinking about posting this earlier, but then I realized I had forgotten to post on Connie's baptism birthday (which was February 7), so I wondered whether I should post now. That would seem like favoritism, wouldn't it? (Which ... not true because I love my girls equally, which is to say 100% each.) Or just a case of typically mom forgetfulness? (Which is more likely because my brain is packed with a million things I have to do.) Hmm. See what dilemmas we encounter when we don't look at our daytimers every morning?

Anyway. Happy baptism birthday, girls! And Con ... sorry I forgot to post a celebration greeting on your day. Happy baptism birthday to you too! You girls know my forgetting is no indication of the importance of the occasion, right? :D
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A breach of phone etiquette, I'd say

Yesterday I was driving downtown and saw an open carriage that was decorated for a wedding, with the bride and groom sitting in it. When I passed the carriage, I looked over and saw the bride on her cell phone. I am not making this up, people. This woman was on her damn cell phone in a decorated carriage sitting beside her man moments after the wedding! The groom looked bored -- as well he should when his young lovely is sitting there yakking away to her BFF. Seriously now, who was more important than her new husband -- especially at that moment? How much you want to bet before the night was out he dropped the cell into the toilet or out the window?
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It's "caturday": meet my "grand-cat"

This is Console, my grand-cat. I noticed that Jackie had a caturday posting on her blog about him today, so I decided to totally rip off her post and use it as my caturday too. Heh. No, I'm not being lazy ... I was going to introduce him anyway. You can read all about Console on Jackie's post.

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Favorite things Friday: Ruby Tuesday take-out

My favorite thing to do on Fridays is order take-out from Ruby Tuesday, and I almost always order the same thing: rib-eye cooked well, broccoli and mashed potatoes. They have it ready in 15 minutes, which is about the time it takes to get my shoes on, find my keys and get there.

For a long time, the same person worked on Friday nights, and she knew who we were on the phone. When we picked it up, she was always really nice. I always gave her a good tip. I haven't seen her in a while, so I'm guessing she's either working a different shift or has graduated and moved on to a bigger and better job. Good luck, girl! Wish I'd asked her name one of those times so I could be specific with my good luck wishes.

We don't do this every Friday. We're trying to stick to a serious budget, so we try to save Ruby Tuesday for when we have something to celebrate. Crossing fingers for something to celebrate today!

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Another reason to esteem alligators

This story from Fox News:

Study: Alligator Blood Could Take Bite Out of Drug-Resistant Staph Infection

Alligators may have a reputation of being vicious predators, but the blood that runs through their veins could someday save your life, it is being reported.

A study done by researchers at McNeese State University in Louisiana suggests that proteins found in alligator blood may provide new antibiotics that could treat diabetic ulcers, severe burns and “superbugs," including MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), that are resistant to other kinds of medicine.
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Celebration, commemoration day

Today is my baptism birthday. It is also the commemoration date (that is to say the anniversary of his death) of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who was martyred by the Nazis in WWII for participating in a plot to kill Hitler -- and that alone makes him my hero. There were a lot of others caught up in the plot -- this was part of the July 20 plot that failed -- so he was in good company with the resistance movement. (The photo at the left shows him in the courtyard at Tegel Prison. He was later transferred to Buchenwald, then to Flossenburg, where he was killed.)

I have always loved Bonhoeffer, and it wasn't until long after I had read most of his work that I found out I was baptized on his commemoration date. (The date wasn't selected for that reason ... just a happy coincidence.) I was looking back through the church records and saw the entry and the date. Since then, when I think of my baptism, I think about Bonhoeffer and his works.

There are a lot of famous quotes of his -- he was a prolific writer, an articulate speaker and a brilliant theologian -- and here are a few of my favorites:

To understand reality is not the same as to know about outward events. It is to perceive the essential nature of things. The best-informed man is not necessarily the wisest. Indeed there is a danger that precisely in the multiplicity of his knowledge he will lose sight of what is essential. But on the other hand, knowledge of an apparently trivial detail quite often makes it possible to see into the depth of things. And so the wise man will seek to acquire the best possible knowledge about events, but always without becoming dependent upon this knowledge. To recognize the significant in the factual is wisdom.

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And:

I am still discovering up to this very moment that it is only by living completely in this world that one learns to believe. One must attempt to abandon every attempt to make something of oneself, whether it be a saint, a churchman (the priestly type, so called!) a righteous man or an unrighteous one, a sick man or a healthy one. This is what I mean by worldliness - taking life in one's stride, with all its duties and problems, its successes and failures, its experiences and helplessness. It is in such a life that we throw ourselves into the arms of God and participate in his sufferings in the world and watch with Christ in Gethsemane. That is faith, that is metonoia and that is what makes a man and a Christian. How can success make us arrogant or failure lead us astray, when we participate in the sufferings of God by living in this world?

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The world lost a great soul when he was killed. Thank God his written work survived to enlighten, comfort and inspire us.

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Vaca brag: more ship photos

Time for another couple of shots of the ship for our cruise in May.



This is the Seven Seas Bar in the atrium area. Here you will find me drinking champagne and listening to the piano player.

When I'm not there, I'll probably be in the Mediterranean cafe stuffing my face.




47 more days! Can't wait!

New kid on the block

I saw a new alligator at Charles Towne Landing -- and those of you who know me well (or at least those have have read the "About the Alligator Thing" on the right-hand bar) know how excited I am to see another one of these guys out.

He's brand new, by which I mean small, and I named him Quincy. This is not a photo of him -- I rarely carry a camera in CTL, although I really should -- but this is sort of what he looks like. Cute, isn't he?

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For those coming back from, currently on or getting ready to do spring break

It's "caturday": bathroom chronicles

I mentioned a while back that our cat Tabby sometimes uses the bathroom in places other than the litter box. We're not sure if she's doing this out of spite or because she sees the dog go on the puddle pad we have in case she needs to go before we walk her. Well, the other day I also saw Milenko go in our bathroom (at least he gets the connection with what the bathroom is for instead of going in the living room or kitchen). So far Jay still goes in the litter box, but I don't know what we're going to do with these two bad kitties. Or maybe we should be punishing the dog for being a bad influence. Here's a photo (courtesy LOLcats) that I wish these guys would pay attention to.
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Favorite things Friday: the bridge run

Every year it's a goal of mine to do the Cooper River Bridge Run (or, to be more specific: the walk), and so far, something has happened every year to thwart those efforts.

One year I had to work. Another I had an important appointment. Yet another I was out of town.

Last year, it was my granddaughter's birth -- and don't get me wrong, that was WAY more important (I do have priorities!), but trust me, I was too tired to walk to my car after spending an entire day and night at the hospital helping "birth that baby," much less walk across a bridge that, quite frankly, I don't enjoy driving across.

This year, it's a matter of air capacity in my lungs. I have been hacking and coughing -- as all of you must have noticed because I find a way to mention it almost every blog posting -- so I cannot walk the bridge and will have to wait another year. And yet I'm not heartbroken. Funny that. Nevertheless, the bridge run is still my favorite annual physical fitness attempt -- enough to rate a "favorite things Friday."

Next year, you guys. Next year I swear I'll do it.

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April 4 PAD challenge poem: haiku

Call them "April fools"
They run across the Cooper
It's a bridge too far
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A matter of thanksgiving

This year, my Lenten discipline was to give thanks in all things -- that is, as much as possible given that I'm a flawed human being like everyone else on this planet. So I get through Lent -- and suddenly here I am with hacking and coughing that won't go away, and I'm trying to find a way to be thankful in the midst of this. If I succeed, it will mean I actually learned something during Lent. So here are a few things I'm thankful for -- at least trying to be:

1. Soft Kleenex.
2. My laptop (which I brought right into bed with me to finish my work).
3. An extension of my office phone next to the bed.
4. The time and ability to take as many naps as I need to get through this.
5. Cable TV -- with a remote.
6. A collection of good movies that I don't mind watching over and over.
7. Milenko, Jay and Tabby (our cats) and Cocoa (our dog), because they aren't afraid of catching this so they come and get on the bed to keep me company.
8. Herbal tea.
9. The ease in writing haikus.

Perhaps I'll think of more and give thanks appropriately. In the meantime, the PAD challenge:

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April 3 PAD challenge poem: haiku

Giving thanks is hard
when you're under the weather.
Thank God for patience.
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Show-pimping "My Name Is Earl"

The other day I mentioned several of my fav shows, but those were the dramas. Time to show-pimp one of my fav comedy shows: "My Name Is Earl." This is one of the most hilarious shows I've ever seen. It's campy, it's witty, it's got Jaime Pressly doing the best southern trash chick accent on TV.

AND, best of all: It has new episodes beginning tomorrow night. Woo!

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April 2 PAD challenge poem: haiku

My name is not Earl
Karma's not always a bitch
Paybacks can be fun
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P-A-D challenge

I just found out (via the Writer's Digest blog) that April is national poetry month. Hey, who knew, eh? Well, now I know ... and what's more, they've issue a poem-a-day challenge. Never one to resist a good challenge, I'll be posting a poem every day this month. The rules say it doesn't have to be great, just original and new (in other words, nothing I've worked on before). So no critiques, ok? At least not until I've had a chance to revise and polish them in May.

Here for your reading pleasure (heh ... kidding!) is the first entry. "Write what you know," they say, and so:

April 1 poem: haiku

hacking and coughing
bug season is in full swing
give me meds right now
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Is there a doctor in the house?

In honor of my being sick ... STILL! ... I looked up when the next episode of House, M.D., is airing and it's not until April 28. People! That's the end of the month! Yeesh. I can only hope I get better before then.

So I looked up a few other fav shows and saw that Law & Order: Criminal Intent is airing new episodes Wednesdays at 9. It doesn't say starting which Wednesday, though. I'm confused.

Law & Order: SVU will start airing new ones April 15.

CSI (the original brand) will air new shows starting April 3, which is ... hey, cool! ... this Thursday.

In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with the John Adams mini-series on HBO on Sunday nights.

TV-obsessed much, you think?
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