FAY-SHUL

I got a facial after work today - I hadn't had a facial in about three months, and boy did I need it. I am pretty sure that I didn't fall asleep this time (pretty sure), but once J and I caught up, we stopped chatting and I was able to relax. I'm not even sure I breathed during the whole hour - I just let go completely. I don't know what I was thinking all those times I cancelled or rescheduled on her. Those appointments are my saving grace (plus I look gorgeous now). Overall, my skin looked good which was a relief because of all the damage I did to it in Florida. I really thought she was going to scream at me for being careless.

So I made an appointment for a "back treatment" in a few weeks. I guess it's a facial type thing and massage for your back. I would have never asked for it, but I've just been so stressed that she thought it might do me good. So, of course, I made an appointment. Hey, at this point I'll take all of the stress relieving I can get. So friends, family, fellow countrymen, as my 30th birthday quickly approaches... think SPA GIFT CERTIFICATES. :)

eBay Idiots

Yet more proof that people aren't too smart.

Teacher In Stolen Coat Scheme
Cops: Oregon woman tried to sell student's hot garment on eBay

MAY 2--Meet Elizabeth Logan. The Oregon teacher is facing felony charges for allegedly trying to sell on eBay the stolen winter jacket of an elementary school student. According to cops, the coat had been worn by an eight-year-old girl attending Jackson Elementary School in Hillsboro--where Logan, 41, teaches first grade--until the garment went missing in January. At that point, the girl's mother, Leah Corso, went on eBay to look for a replacement coat. It was then that Corso discovered a Columbia Sportswear ski jacket identical to the one worn by her daughter Jenna. Corso also noticed that the seller of the item came from Hillsboro. She told TSG that the eBay auction began the day after her child's jacket disappeared from the school playground. The eBay listing, which can still be found here, described the size 7/8 jacket as, "hardly worn and in great shape. Super warm!!" After some sleuthing, Corso contacted police, who determined that Logan was behind the eBay auction. Logan was named Monday in a criminal indictment charging her with computer crime and theft by receiving.

Click HERE for the archived story, photos of Ms. Logan, and her formal indictment.

Lesson to be learned: You can't sell stuff that you don't own. It's illegal.

Pirates, the Third

CJ and I saw the third Pirates movie today. It was good, but I'm not entirely sure I'd call it great. I think I enjoyed the second movie better. Don't get me wrong, the action scenes were great, but the story jumped around a lot. For awhile it seemed like the point of the movie was one thing, then it shifted, then it shifted again. Maybe I'm boring, but I like when the plot of a movie is easy to understand. When all is said and done, I'd give it three out of five stars.

We had dinner up in White Marsh (1/2 price at Bayou on Mondays!), and now I am back home winding down for the night. Already my brain has started thinking about work tomorrow, so I'm probably going to camp out on the couch and boot up the laptop. Grrr...

I Love Holiday Weekends

I woke up this morning at 5:40, thanks to a couple fighting out on the street. I ignored them as long as I could, until the girl started making fun of my street name and making inferences about the people who lived on it. I couldn't help myself; I yelled at her. I think I said something to the effect of, "Heeeyyyy... excuse you. It is 5:30 in the morning! Please. It's Five. Thirty. Seriously. [pause] Thank you." I bet I sounded pretty cranky, but I'm not ashamed in the least. She shut her trap after that and left.

So because of the morning's events, I was awake pretty early this morning. A coworker friend of mine called at 8 AM to remind me that she was headed to the Farmer's Market on Saratoga. At first I thought I'd go later in the morning, but then I thought, what the heck - I'm already up - and so I headed out to meet her, her hubby and another coworker friend.
I spent about $10 and purchased yams, carrots, mushrooms and green onions. The carrots are insanely huge. I have never seen carrots so big before.


That said, I've had major accomplishments already today:
1. Shopped at the Farmer's Market
2. Stopped at the bank
3. Swung by my storage unit to drop stuff off and picked up my lawn chairs and cooler for the summer
4. Painted my window AC unit frame (a wooden frame that keeps the AC unit snug in the window)
5. Painted a wall
6. Had landlord install AC unit (after I cleaned it)
7. Vacuumed
8. Dusted
9. Cooked lunch (egg sandwich)
10. Steamed carrots (soooo good)
11. Took Antonio to the pet toy store (we're trying a "9" rated toy this time)
12. Did one load of laundry
13. Ran dishwasher
14. Cleaned cat box
15. Gathered and took out trash

Left to do:
1. See CJ
2. Swiffer kitchen floor
3. Play games

Brew at the Zoo

Subtitle: Richie and Kelly's Birthdays

Saturday I spent the whole of the afternoon at the Baltimore Zoo. It was "Brew at the Zoo," an event where local breweries and wineries host a "tasting" of their latest and greatest concoctions. There were two live bands, Faded Image and Cheap Date, both of which did covers, but Faded Image really impressed me with great vocals. [Note on photo: A metal sculpture of a lion is very hot on skirted legs in 90 degree weather, Just sayin'.]

I can't drink a whole lot of beer just for the sake of drinking a lot of beer. For those who don't know me personally, my body doesn't like to burp, so if I drink carbonated beverages too quickly, I end up in a ton of discomfort because all of that air just sits in my stomach. That said, I drank DuClaw's Venom, Tommyknocker's Tundrabeary Ale and Jack Whacker Wheat Ale, and Magic Hat 9. I think my personal favorite was Tommyknocker's Jack Whacker Wheat Ale with their Tundrabeary Ale coming in a close second. Good stuff.

While we were there we did the whole zoo thing, which was neat because in 4 1/2 years, I've never been to the Baltimore Zoo. It's a nice zoo, although we did the speedy tour given the 90-ish degree heat and the lack of beer allowed in the actual zoo.

Here are a few of my favorite animal photos, although my best quality photos will be on Found Beauty. These are just the cute ones.

I heart polar bears. Before I had my very own wiener dog, polar bears were my favorite animal. (Don't tell Elliott that cats are my third.) This was taken through glass, but we were only about five feet away from this guy.


Someone made a joke yesterday that all we saw of the the fastest animal alive was it laying around. This isn't a great photo because of the dirty glass, but what a pretty animal.




This was the highlight of Dave's zoo visit - he just loves penguins. I'm not sure they were crazy about being in the heat, but it was feeding time so they managed just fine.




Elephant-butt. This is the best I could get given the circumstances, but I do like elephants. Plus, they are a zoo staple, really.





And this was Rob's favorite. Most of my chimpanzee photos turned out pretty bad because the glass I took the pictures through was so smudged, but this one came out okay. This was one of two chimp babies in the exhibit. (And I was relieved not to see any apes. I absolutely hate ape exhibits. Why? Because you look in their eyes and JUST KNOW that they are miserable. They are far too smart not to know where they are. Creeps me out.)

So as we were walking, I spotted this guy (I forget his name... Dave, maybe?) who looks to me what Richie will look like when he has matured. It was so strange that it even creeped Richie out. Don't you think this could be Richie in twenty years?


Here's a photo that I kind of ordered everyone to take. These are some of my best friends, though, so they don't mind much when I get bossy. That's the beauty of friendship - they just ignore me if I irritate them. :) I don't think I irritated them here, though. This was just for fun. [Right to left: Rob, Jill, Kelly, Dave. This is BFF, Jill... as in "IDK, my BFF, Jill."]

Lastly - a partial group photo. Richie's eyes are shut, but I used this one because Dave is in it. Happy Birthday Richie & Kelly. :)

Volunteer Tree Surveyors Needed!

Guess what I'm doing in July? I'm counting trees! Anyone want to do it with me?

The City of Baltimore, in partnership with the Parks & People Foundation, needs your help to conduct a city-wide tree survey. Volunteers will receive training on tree surveying, including how to utilize handheld computers and survey software. Training sessions will occur in June, with work scheduled at volunteers' convenience in July. Contact Kari Smith at kari.smith@parksandpeople.org or (410) 448-5663 by June 1 to sign up.

http://parksandpeople.org

Sense of Normalcy

And there it was...

One of my first nights in a long while that seemed "normal" (whatever that means). I met CJ at Lagers to watch the boys play, and we ate nachos (my favorite) and had a few drinks. The crowd was relatively relaxed, and CJ and I chatted about everything - catching up on life.

We didn't stay for the whole night. After two sets we left for home, and I sat out on my front stoop passing time for a few minutes - enjoying the evening air, listening to the lazy horn on a passing train, and looking at the moon... which looks spectacular by the way. Just calm. No expectations, nowhere to be.

My life is good.

Men Suck

Yep - just in case there was any question. How do I know? Because Danielle is going through THIS, and I've been through it myself. She doesn't deserve it at all - she's a wonderful person. It makes me so freaking angry.

I swear... what is WRONG with people?

Haven't You Always Wondered...

... what those REALLY BIG binder clips are used for?

This, my good friends, is the project that I've been working on for the past few days. I received it on Thursday, worked on it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and today, and I turned it in at 5 PM. I'm partially brain dead, I think. I've got my fingers (and eyes) crossed hoping for all good things from this project, so say a few prayers, or rub a Buddha belly or two for me, and hope for the best. This little project could bring good things.

On a happier [no] better [no] lighter [no] stranger note, my dad broke his arm today. (*&%$&$%#^%$_*&!) I'm in complete shock because my family doesn't break bones. We just don't. We don't have sports injuries or 'did stupid things' injuries.... we don't break bones! Luckily he had a clean break and some good prescription drugs. Still, I wonder how he'll play computer games. It's a terrifying thought.

What else? I'm mentioned in Julie's blog, that's pretty sweet... and I'm gonna go make myself an egg sandwich. Oh! And Jodi has her own blog. Heehee.

Crazy freakin' month this May is turning out to be.

Nothing

I am burnt out tonight. I have nothing to give. I am going to veg in front of the TV until it's time for bed. Hopefully I'll come around by tomorrow. G'night.

Ten on Tuesdays

1. TODAY IS MY ONE YEAR BLOGGING ANNIVERSARY!! YAY! (See my oh-so-deep first post HERE.) I can't believe that I've been doing this for a year now (but I bet everyone says that.)
2. Another BIG day of work is ahead of me today. I'm hoping to get most of my project done by 5 PM because I put in the hours last night... we'll see.
3. Woo-hoo! Andy chose Tessa on The Bachelor. I know, I'm pathetic for watching it, but I just don't care what anyone thinks. Yes, I watched the finale. Who doesn't love a happy ending?
4. My old friend, Nick, emailed me. Remember Nick, Steph? I haven't heard from Nick in nearly seven years. How cool is the Internet that we can find old friends like that?
5. Happy Birthday, Scott today and to Richie later in the week!!
6. Is it really only Tuesday?
7. I believe I've finally become a red wine drinker. I have a bottle of white wine in the fridge, but I didn't want it last night. I wanted my red. It only took nine years...
8. I am NOT watching American Idol tonight. I'm done. I don't care who wins between Jordyn and Blake.
9. Is anyone doing Brew at the Zoo this weekend? It's supposed to be scattered thunderstorms on Saturday so I'm not sure.
10. Has everyone turned on their AC already but me? I've avoided it so far with all of the windows open and two ceilings fans. I'm usually last but it still seems too early, doesn't it?

Pseudo Live Blogging

Okay, yes... I'm watching The Bachelor Season Finale. I only watched episodes this season that were in between Dancing with the Stars and The Riches, but now that I know that The Riches repeats at 11 PM, I have decided to torture myself with sappy reality TV love.

So... why am I blogging? Because I want to say in writing (or bytes) that Andy should pick Tessa. I think he'll pick Bevin, but he should pick Tessa.

Enough said. We'll see if I'm right.

Boatin' with the Girls

Yesterday evening, Angie, Donna, Jess, Danielle and I went on a private "booze cruise" in the harbor. It was free to get on (with invitation), then $20 all-you-can-drink (I had three beers total), and the views were gorgeous. The boat took us out near the Key Bridge, then back to the harbor. All-in-all, about 2-3 hours.

It was an interesting crowd, to say the least. There was a group of girls that I'm sure went shopping at Forever 21 before the cruise. There were some crazy outfits and lots of fluorescent eyeshadow. Is that in style? I just can't imagine.

Anyway, we had so much fun. It was a great girls night with some California Pizza Kitchen (Chicken!) deliciousness, and then lots of girl bonding time, talking about everything from babies to breakups. [Donna and Angie pictured here.]

** Note: Ladies - The Girl, Interrupted quote was "...it has a live-in chicken." "I think you mean live in kitchen?" "That's what I said, a**hole."

As the sun went down, Danielle and I got a little camera happy. Here are a few, but I've posted one and will probably post more on Found Beauty, so check in there as well. I'm also waiting for the photo of Danielle and I to be posted on her site... so I can steal it! :)

Update - Here it is!! (Thanks, Danielle!) My head looks big or something, but oh well. :P

It was such a warm and pretty night to be out on the water. And the girls? I just love them.

The sun setting downtown.

A foggy Key Bridge in the distance.

My friend, Jess, getting her non-alcoholic drink on.

Sailing into the harbor at night.

Holy H-E-Double Hockeysticks

I slept in again. And that is after I stayed up until 12:30 AM plus working on work-work. I am so doomed trying to get up for work tomorrow.

Today I have an array of fun planned. First, clean (duh, if you read regularly). Second, computer games. Third, get ready for a fun evening on the Booze Cruise with friends.

Quick-And-Easy To Do List:
1. Vacuum - done
2. Clean and sweep kitchen floor - done
3. Food for lunches - done
4. Trash collection - done
5. Put laundry away - never done
6. Make more iced tea - done

Just another comment about #3 above - I haven't been grocery shopping in 4 weeks, except for milk and eggs. I think this is a testament to how much food we really keep in our kitchens and don't know it. I found a roast last week, will have cooked through most of my pasta by mid-week, this week, and still have plenty of eggs for egg sandwiches, three cans of soup, oatmeal, tuna, and two small bacon-steaks in the fridge.

Here's my big cupboard with no real food in it. But I am still so sure I can last another week. Can you even imagine the money I've saved?

Antonio Toy Update

Remember that "7" out of "10" rated toy for toughness that I bought Antonio? I actually just gave it to him today (he had another toy on Tuesday). He's had it about five hours.

I guess next time we'll try the "10" rated toy.

Sleeping In

With the eye surgery, work and everything else that happened this week... I so crashed on the couch last night after having a few drinks with the sales people from my office. I was asleep (easily) by 10. Sometime in the night I dragged myself into PJs and into bed, and I didn't get up until Jess called at 11:30 AM. What a week.

I have zero plans today besides working on a work project this afternoon... so I'm glad that Jess called - I'm going to meet her on the square for lunch. I've decided to walk the half mile there to get some (limited) exercise. It's good for the heart. :)

Flashback Fridays

Phew - I haven't done one of these flashbacks in awhile. I came across this photo last night while looking through my masses of old photos. This is me, at I don't know what age, looking absolutely ecstatic about a slide. I think I vaguely remember my dad taking the picture, or maybe I'm making a memory that doesn't exist - it's hard to tell. I just really like the photo. I'm somewhat in awe at how unbelievably simple life was and how thrilled I am at the smallest thing. It's so great. It's important to appreciate the small things in life, you know?

I must say that I love the haircut...

Some Things In Life Shouldn't Require Instructions

Like how to wear headphones...

Stupid America

I didn't watch American Idol tonight - I rarely watch results shows - but I saw afterward that my girl, Melinda was voted off. Absolute insanity. I must admit that I feared a jinx when Simon said that he wanted to see "his girl, Melinda" in the results show... and jinx there was. After a season filled with "vote for the worst" campaigns, it wasn't a stretch to think that America might vote against whoever Simon wanted... what a shame.

I'll buy her CD anyway. ;)

Ten on Tuesday

1. Correction: I had astigmatic keratonomy not RK. Pretty much the same concept, but two different causes. I'd like to say that having my eye held open while the doctor cuts it with a knife is not cool. Yes, my eye was numbed, but I knew what he was doing every second.
2. In order to protect my eye, I am wearing a non-prescription contact in my right eye until Thursday. It feels weird to have a contact in my eye... and now my eye is starting to ache post-procedure. Ugh.
3. I stopped at Dogma for Antonio-toys on the way home. I got these toys that are rated for toughness. I got a "7" so we'll see how long it lasts. He's busy. I'm happy.
4. What was Blake wearing? A raincoat?
5. I forgot to announce that one of my good friends is preggo. We are all very excited. Congratulations mystery preggo person!
6. Antonio just heard music on the TV and thought it was the doorbell. He tore it up running from the bed into the living room. Poor puppy, I had to laugh at him. He's so disappointed now.
7. Jordyn did well... but she's not appealing to a young audience. I feel she's alienating her own age group. I'm right - right?
8. I was surprised that they didn't take my blood pressure today, but right now it's 120 over 88. Pretty good, huh, Dad?
9. Damn, I'm tired.
10. Melinda is gonna win American Idol. Period.

So... Tuesday Is THE Day

My final eye surgery is tomorrow. I'm the teeniest bit nervous, but mostly just excited to get it over with. It will be interesting to see if they take my blood pressure before the procedure, and if they do - what it will be.

Before my first eye surgery (which, admittedly, was way more invasive), my blood pressure was like 155 over something. I was ridiculously nervous, and I required quite a bit of Valium to chill out. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't hysterical or anything... I was quiet and smiling on the outside, and complete chaos on the inside.

Just to benchmark, yesterday my blood pressure was 118 over something which I forget (my bottom number is always high). I took my blood pressure again now, and it's 122 over 82. That's pretty calm for me. Of course, I just started a glass of wine... so maybe that has something to do with it.

Just as an FYI... it's looking like I won't be at the Blogger HH on Thursday. A good friend of mine is having an out patient thing and I want to be available should he need anything. It's sad, I know... which means that the next happy hour may have to be very soon rather than four months from now. Agreed?

A Damn Successful Day

(I cussed in my title. And almost changed it a few times because I did that. I'm leaving it. Because I'm a grown up, that's why.)

I've accomplished quite a bit today. I almost feel calm. Almost... but not quite.

1. Laundry, laundry laundry.
2. Dishes, cleaned sink, emptied dishwasher.
3. Vacuumed, and emptied vacuum.
4. Swiffered kitchen floor, cleaned all counter tops.
5. Cleaned bathroom.
6. Dusted.
7. Gave even more to goodwill.
8. Put aside more clothes for my sister.
9. Printed photos from Florida.
10. Put clothes away.
11. Cleaned off desk, consolidated computer games, threw away game boxes.
12. Collected trash.
13. Made pasta with garlic herb sauce.
14. Emptied suitcase, put away travel stuff.
15. Showered and cleaned self.
16. Cleaned balcony.
17. Caught up on friend blogs (Two babies were born this week! Jordyn Jebber and Bridget Dillow.)
18. Watched A Lot Like Love from Netflix. (I've only had the thing for two months.)
19. Cleaned cat box.
20. Laundered sheets and remade bed.
21. Made corn muffins.
22. Sorted through three boxes from last job.
23. Created pile to go into storage.

Sweet Tea

And here it is — the first pitcher of the summer.

Lovingly brewed on the stovetop with enough sugar to qualify for the title of "sweet tea," this is the staple of Costa summer living.





And here's my first delicious glass. The perfect summer refreshment.

Pretty Is Reno, NV

More to come from my plethora of Reno photos, but I think this one is particularly pretty. G'night.

Red Eye and Red Eyes

I took the red eye flight home from Reno last night. I was exhausted, so I really thought I'd sleep the whole way, but alas, I crashed for an hour or so then fought sleep the last 4 hours. I landed at 7 AM, got home by 8 AM, and slept until I picked up Antonio at noon.

Tired.

Soooooo.... I was sitting at the airport in Reno with a few coworkers and two of my vendors, and I saw a familiar face at the booth behind us. Yes, folks... you guessed it. JULIE! I saw her face and knew it was her instantly. We didn't get too long to hang out, but Julie, it was so great to meet you face-to-face. You are absolutely beautiful in person. :)

PS I hope your flight was on time and that you made it home to Polly.

Here's a pic of Julie and I at the Reno airport. What are the chances. huh?

Armless Driver Leads Police on High Speed Chase

I just saw this on MSNBC in my hotel room. What the *&^#?

Blogging from Reno

Phew. Yesterday was a whirlwind of events. Between getting up at an ungodly hour, flying for 6+ hours and trying to get work done at our office out here... I CRASHED last night. True to form, I only slept in 'til 8 AM East Coast time (5 AM Pacific Time) so I was up and working early.

I don't have a lot of time, but I wanted to share the following photo with you. On our search yesterday for a quick lunch, we saw this take-out restaurant, and it cracks me up. It doesn't seem very Reno-Nevada-near-to-Lake-Tahoe-where-famous-people-hang-out, does it?

Say Goodbye to Antonio...

Dropped off Mr. Puppy today. I hate that about traveling. Antonio really loves the vet/kennel though, so at least I am leaving him in good/spoiled hands (although pricey).

So I am alone this evening getting ready to get up at 4 AM (AH!). My flight is at 7 AM. Luckily, I convinced my co-worker of mine to fly in jeans, and then we'll stop at the hotel after we land to change into work clothes. Again, I am looking for good reading time on the plane, but also some quality time to punch out a few key projects. I'm declaring Wednesday "Caffeine Day," because of the amount of caffeine it will take to get me through.

I'm going to try blogging a bit from Reno, but it's not a sight-seeing tour, so I'll have little to report unless I happen to run into Julie. Can you imagine if I did? I'll totally be on the lookout for her... it's not THAT big 'a place, right?

Packing... Again

Blah! I'm packing... again. This time I am headed to Reno, NV a few days for work. I'll fly out early Wednesday and fly back late Saturday - taking the red eye. Fun! I am actually (pathetically) looking forward to some quality reading time on the airplane. How sad is that? I just need to remember to pack warm clothes for the flight back. It's my tendency to pack warm weather clothes, and then freeze on those night flights across country. None of that this time! I'll prepare in advance! Sneakers, jeans and a sweatshirt!

Spontaneous Poll:
Do you say "sneakers" or "tennis shoes"?

So today was a good day. I made some major headway at work with a few projects, and I feel motivated to keep chugging along. It's very rewarding to see good things come out of the work that I put in, so I can only hope that continued dedication will bring continued success. Of course, sleep and relaxation is key, so I am going to watch The Riches at 10 PM and hit the sack (after a glass of wine). 'Night!

Fiesta!

We went to Jill's parents yesterday for their annual Fiesta. It was quite a bit colder than last year, so Antonio stayed home, but the usual mix of kegs, ice luges, Mexican fare and good company was there. We didn't stay terribly long, maybe 9:30/10 because it's been a long week and exhaustion set it, but it was great to see everyone from WS, my previous employer, and mix with the regular Jill and Rob crew.

It's funny because I am not a morning person at all, but all week this week I've been at work earlier than usual, and I think my sleepiness yesterday was a result of getting on this new schedule. It's a shame that I'll be headed to Reno Wednesday morning for a few days - not because I don't want to go, but because my schedule is likely to get all messed up again. The key is going to be to get up early, go to bed early and try to stay as close to East Coast time as possible.

Today we are all being lazy. Elliott is stretched out on the bed, Antonio has climbed into the window sill for some sunbathing, and I've been working, eating, and watching TV. I think I'll pause here and play some computer games for awhile, then maybe take Antonio for a walk, but whatever I do I need this relaxation.

Unrelated - Someone on my block is cooking pizza. I can smell it. I am so jealous right now.

Another Lippman Book Review

I just finished Laura Lippman's Every Secret Thing this morning. I intended to finish it on vacation last weekend, but other than the flight, I had far less 'reading time' than I thought I would.

Well, this book was amazing. It was a terribly disturbing topic, but written with tons of professionalism. I guessed many times throughout the book whodunit or why, but the plot only unfolded details as needed, so there was no way to guess the outcome or get ahead of the story. As much as you want to hate the two main characters, you find yourself rooting for them... hoping beyond hope that they haven't done what seems so obvious to the other characters. As horrible as certain acts are within the book, somehow it still leaves you hoping for something better (although I wouldn't call it inspiring or anything).

Cheryl, I know you read a Laura Lippman book already... I think this one is better. Highly, highly recommended. Go buy it. Go check it out of the library.

I'm Peelin' Like a Banana

My forehead peeled earlier this week, my neck and ears (ew!) peeled yesterday, and my back is peeling today. Actually, the back started to peel last night, and it is by far the worst. Wherever it peels it hurts again because the skin underneath is so sensitive. One stray hair laying on it the wrong way can cause sharp pain.

So I am lotioning and using pain spray, and last night I used some Vaseline to keep the really painful parts from drying out. Sleeping is sooo uncomfortable. How long is this going to go on?

Who Did What?

Hmmm... I really have no idea.

Ten on Tuesday

1. I cannot reach the middle of my back. This is most perplexing when it hurts like I have an acid burn and I can't apply post-burn lotion. The most I can do is spray it with pain relieving aloe spray and continue to down those ibuprofen. Update: Plastic spoon plus lotion equals McGuyver approach.
2. Antonio is acting all sheepish since he came home. If I give him 100% attention he's fine, but much less and he retreats to underneath the couch. All is normal here: normal schedule, normal noises. Ideas?
3. My ears are burnt and peeling. Owie.
4. I am not at all impressed with Jordyn on American Idol tonight. She didn't do 'Livin' on a Prayer' any justice. Sure, she's good, but this is why she isn't going to win. I'm just sayin'...
5. I am running out of food in my house. What does this mean? This means I'll spend the next week eating all of the weird stuff in my cupboards before I allow myself to go grocery shopping. Yesterday? I ate cheese and crackers. Today? Macaroni and cheese for lunch and grilled cheese and tater tots for dinner. I still have a mini ham thawing in the fridge though... does anyone know any simple ham meals that I can make besides a ham sandwich?
6. Check out my new toy. I won it at a raffle a week or so ago. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet because I left on vacation, so I'll charge it up this week and test it out.
7. Simon Cowell kissed Lakisha on the lips. Did you all see that? Damn, she did an awesome job.
8. Have you seen this? It's the world's first underwater restaurant. *D* sent it to me via email and it was just too cool not to share. (And the resort isn't so bad either.)
9. I'm gonna jump off here and get some work done shortly. I have just a few things I want to tackle tonight and I'll feel good. I actually had a very good first day back at work after a vaca... I feel energized. What a great feeling. :)
10. Melinda is gonna win American Idol. She just is. She kicks arse.

Did You Know?

My blog hit 20,000 visits while I was in Florida. That's not page views, folks... that's individual site visits. Pretty sweet.