March Will Be The Best Month Ever

It's official. Two great TVs shows are starting or debuting in March.

I. Am. So. Excited.

First, Work Out is BACK! I love this show.
Last year I posted a 'Hot or Not' poll on Jackie Warner, the show's host, and I am pleased to remind you that many of you agreed with me - she's totally hot! Out of eight votes posted, she received eight "hots." Only Jill and Richie said that she was butch, but I have disqualified their votes because they never actually posted them. Beyond Jackie's appearance, she's a tough chick, and it's fun to watch her inspire people one minute and tell others off the next. It's entertaining. You should watch it. Really, you should.

Second, The Riches debuts on FX on March 12th! This is a new series for FX about a family of traveling misfits who are provided the opportunity to to assume the life of a wealthy family. Shockingly, the show signed an unprecendented THIRTEEN episode deal!
It stars both Minnie Driver (love her) and Eddie Izzard (thump, thump goes my heart), two of my favorite famous people (although Eddie wins this by a longshot, sorry Minnie). I recently discovered Minnie Driver's fabulous voice and have since become a big fan... but my love for Eddie goes back almost eight years. He is the funniest man on the planet. I was lucky enough to see him (front row seats!) in Chicago about seven years ago. So I am looking forward to checking this show out... hopefully you will, too.

New Arrivals!

This statement is two fold. First, a gal I know is PREGGO! I'm not going to name names or reference her in anyway, but oh-so excited. If I can manage not to call her "mamma" every time that I talk to her, I might just live through her pregnancy... otherwise my life may be in danger.

Second, I got new shoes in the mail today! I've been eyeing these pretties since last fall and they are now ON SALE! I actually bought two pairs of shoes... but I'm still waiting to receive the second pair. They were for work, so much more important. This pair isn't appropriate for the current weather yet, but they will make great spring/summer shoes with jeans for going out. I love them so.

So congratulations and cheers to new arrivals!

Bawlmer Smoking Ban

It passed. It's amazing. Hat tip to Danielle for sponsoring this effort all the way through. I believe it has to pass two more committees before it's completely official... but everyone's expecting that it will this year.

I am interested to see how this plays out in the city... where there are few places for smokers to congregate outside of local bars (think: Canton). Bars might have to go to hand stamps or something to track the patrons coming in and out of the building to smoke in the great outdoors.

Time will tell...

So Happy

What a great night. It is certainly not one of my strengths to talk about my weaknesses, but you have made it so easy. Thank you.

Pasta Sauce Poll

A recent conversation got me thinking... what's your favorite commercial pasta sauce brand?

A. Ragu
B. Prego
C. Classico
D. Newman's Own
E. Five Brothers
F. Bertolli
G. Hunts
H. Other

It's Snowing!

Let's try this whole "storm thing" again, why don't we? Foot's Forecast is predicting something, that's for sure... but it will all depend on the temp locally and the temp of the ground. The forecast from the NWS shows predicted temps just around 30 degrees, so it could go either way.

I am obvious very excited. The map below is from Mr Foot, and things like this make me as shaky as Antonio with his new toy. (He still hasn't torn the squeaker out yet, and it's been about 19 hours. He gets all nervous-shaky when I get near it.) The downfall to this snow? Dinner plans will likely be shot. :(

I guess we'll wait and see. Stay safe out there.

Things I MUST do today PERIOD

- Launder sheets - DONE
- Straighten balcony - DONE
- Scrub floors - DONE Sunday AM
- More laundry - DONE
- Clean cat box - DONE
- Give dog a bath - DONE
- Clip dog nails - DONE
- Shower - DONE
- Go to grocery store - DONE
- Buy dog toys - DONE
- Prep mail for parents, girlfriend, friend, and catalog return - Started
- Clean bathroom - DONE
- Dust - Started Sunday AM
- Continue upload of CDs to iTunes - Started
- Work, work, work - Delayed until tomorrow

Grey's Anatomy Made Me Cry... Again

Oh boy. I didn't sleep very well last night. My new neighbors seemed to be somewhat delusional thinking that it is okay to do construction at 2 PM. (Don't you worry, I put on my coat and marched next door and set things straight.) So after being rudely awoken, I settled in bed to watch the episode of Grey's Anatomy that I missed on Thursday.

I think I cried the whole hour. Seeing McDreamy and (especially) Christina fall apart left me heart-broken. It was awful. I don't know if this episode was too shocking per se, but it was definitely sad.

First, I just knew they weren't going to kill off Meredith. No way. But I am trying to figure out where the writers are taking the storyline. It seems the guesstimate I made last week was WAY off... because Meredith seemed more healed by her death/near-death experience than changed. I'm not sure if this event alters the storyline any more for me. Instead it's more like closure.

So where to go from here?

Meredith's mom is gone... so that will leave Meredith sad, but okay. It will also effect the Chief, but he has already left his wife and dyed his hair "for the ladies," so it's not like he hadn't moved on years ago. I'm not sure who else it makes an impact on - that seems like it.

- Meredith will likely be comforted/relaxed concerning her relationship with her mother, so naturally, that should leave her more at peace. Maybe she'll reconnect with her dad... maybe that will allow her to get over her "intimacy issues." Either way (provided she has no brain damage and she is still an active medical intern), she's no worse for the wear. (Yes, it's unrealistic, but I don't feel like taking this post in that direction.)

- Derek/McDreamy will be more in love with her than ever, so it seems likely that this event will cement their relationship even more.

- Which leaves the George factor. I guess he has a decision to make, right? Although I struggle with this because Callie truly loves him, and she seems like such a great character - even if she is somewhat abrasive. Okay, okay... her comment to Izzy was incredibly inappropriate and cold, but it's not like Izzy wasn't totally out of line either.

So will George want to leave Callie? Will they get separated? If so, he'll likely move back into the house, which will give us more opportunities for increased tension between either George and Meredith or George and Derek.

So that's where I am. Strange. I loved seeing Denny again... he's just great - dead or alive. I felt good for Izzy that she and Denny have some sort of connection that straddles that line between life and death (whether I believe it in reality or not). And next week's episode seems like life is back to normal... so the effect of this whole incident will likely take weeks to play out. We aren't going to get any immediate satisfaction from this, that's for sure...

Today's Cary Grant is...

...George Clooney? Hmmmm...

I am watching TLC right now, a show called "The Greatest Fashion Icons in Film," which highlights folks like Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor and matches a modern actor/actress to that style. The official show description: This special celebrates legendary fashion icons in cinema, yet also has a surprising, contemporary twist. Not only do we focus on the great fashion moments, scenes that are iconic, we also celebrate which of today's stars best exemplify fashion legends.

For many of them, I get it. I can make a correlation between Katharine Hepburn in her man/woman style filled with class, to Diane Keaton. Absolutely. Or how about Katherine Hepburn and Cate Blanchett? After all, Cate played Katherine in The Aviator.

Elizabeth Taylor and Catherine Zeta-Jones - okay
Sidney Poitier and Denzel Washington - eh, fine
Marilyn Monroe and Scarlett Johansson - I can see it

But Cary Grant and George Clooney? No. George is good looking, but when I think of him in Syriana or ER... he's just not even close! He's way more of a lumberjack than a Cary Grant.

At the end of the day, Cary is unmatched in my book - on the same pedestal as Audrey Hepburn. Unique. Original. They are each one of a kind. Sorry, George.

The Week Is Over

Oh, thank goodness. I am mentally and physically spent. At 5 PM I packed up instantly to go home. I actually felt as if I had nothing left to give.

For now I am watching the end of Pride and Prejudice - the version with Kiera Knightly. I rented it from Netflix. It is a very nice rendition, although I'm still partial to the version that I own - the version with Colin Firth. I just adore him.

I'll be back later with something to say, I suppose. For now... back to the movie.

A Nice Beginning...

...to the end of another long day.

Yessiree... Got home at 8:15 again. Aaaahhhh... I can't wait for this week to be over. I need: a) a bonfire, b) wine (oh, wait... I started on that already), and c) the boyfriend. I need brainlessness. I need to sleep in. I need to relax.

It's pathetic that somebody important said that the only time they got to connect with me today was from reading my blog. I'm so so sorry.

I'm actually watching American Idol again, and for the record, I liked the last guy yesterday (Phil Stacey?). He had some pipes! Today... I dunno. These girls are so pitchy. They have a whole lot of power at certain volumes, but then their voices putter out. Most of them lack any real control over their voices. Well, except for Melinda Doolittle. Goodness, girl. She's got the soul that I've always wanted. I haven't decided if she can win it yet... but she sure is fun to watch! And she's soooo grateful and excited. She's just a pleasure to the ears. She's one of those people that you really want to succeed.

Okay, I'm logging off here so that I can log into work and get some stuff done. For those of you that appreciate my lists... here's another.

Things I absolutely MUST do within the next few days:
1. Deposit checks at the bank
2. Drop off dry cleaning/have suit fitted
3. Get myself some much needed affection
4. Buy Antonio and Elliott toys and treats to make up for being a horrible, horrible mom

The Longest Day

Grrrr... I got home from work at 8:15 tonight, and right now I am in PJs and my robe and slippers working on work in front of the TV. I felt so great being at work yesterday after getting a lot of work done on Sunday, but now I feel behind again. It's so darn frustrating.

Oh - in case you haven't noticed, we're updating Bags In Trees at least twice per week now. Brian and I got so bogged down that we couldn't keep it up through December and January, but we're back! It's a part time job gathering photos and posting them regularly, so please send your pics of bags in trees to me so that I can post them on the blog for you. So many of you (read: Anger Hangover) keep telling me about bags in trees in your neighborhoods, but you fail to send me pictures! C'mon, y'all! (Wow. I just typed 'y'all.')

I'm going to sit on the couch and work a little more. I'm watching American Idol, but I am pretty unimpressed so far. No one is grabbing me yet. I guess I'll have to tune in tomorrow to check out the ladies and provide some feedback then.

At Least I'm Not The Only One...

...who thinks my opinion means something (haha).

















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Sometimes I Just LOVE My Life

"Dear Lord baby Jesus, I thank you for these gifts of power tools with their yellow and black or orange and black branded logos. Oh sweet, sweet baby Jesus in your golden fleece diapers... please help me to use these power tools to your liking and create something beautiful and heavenly... or at least hang a nice picture sometime. Amen."

Okay, baby Jesus did not get me these power tools, but a good friend of mine did. I got a FREE power drill, drill bits, screw bits, a 25ft tape measure and a laser level (so now I can return Rob & Jill's to them).

A gift of power tools! Does life get any better?

Grey's Anatomy Shocker

For the record, I've been working today. Glued to a laptop while Enya plays on my iPod speakers, actually. But in order to feel like I haven't totally lost my day, I've been taking breaks and uploading music to my iPod, watching the end of Out of Africa from Netflix (four stars by the way), and downloading and watching the last two episodes of Grey's Anatomy that I missed.

So this is what I am posting about. I just finished the 16th episode. Holy crap. I'm assuming we've all seen the last two episodes, so on that premise, this is what I believe to be true:

1. Everyone needs a "person." Meredith is Christina's. Izzy is George's. McSteamy is McDreamy's. I'm not sure I have just one. Lately, I think CJ, Jess and my mom fall into that category.
2. I needed a cry, I think, because now my head hurts from all of the crying I just did. I took two aspirin, but I am now second guessing that. I should have taken ibuprofen.
3. Boy did Denny look good. I gotta tell you that I missed him. His personality brought another dimension to the show... and although he wasn't there long, I miss him. (By the way - do we know yet how Izzy and Denny originally knew each other? Did I miss that explanation?)
4. I CAN'T BELIEVE Izzy said that to George out loud. You know, that he made a mistake marrying Callie? OMG. I was ready to let him be happy with her, I really was, but her words made me question his decision all over again. Poor George.
5. YOU CAN'T KILL MEREDITH GREY. You just can't. This show isn't about miracles, I get that. They killed Denny, right? I'm okay with her going towards the light temporarily, but what the hell do they think they are doing? I guess part of me is interested to see what Denny and cute bomb guy say to her... but C'MON. Stop toying with me. I love that woman! Well, maybe they'll reiterate what her mom said, and then she'll recover and dump McDreamy to "get serious" about her career. Or, or, maybe she'll leave McDreamy for George (after he leaves Callie of course). I dunno. I'm distraught. Why isn't it Thursday, yet?

Handbags and Hockey

What a Saturday. Completely unplanned, Jess and I hit up Towson Mall in search of new handbags (that's purses to you Ohio folk). She was on the lookout for Coach, which I haven't been able to muster up the nerve to buy, and I was on the lookout for Vera Bradley. Both Jess and CJ already have a Vera Bradley bag, so I was definitely due.

SUCCESS! Here is my RED, RED, RED new handbag... complete with SIX pockets on the inside for the loads of stuff that I carry and a matching wallet. I am thrilled. I have used it all day since, and I love it.

In addition to my everyday bag above, I spotted this gorgeous leather laptop bag. It was a fabulous price (what with being FOSSIL and all), and it will take the place of my company-issued vinyl laptop bag. I am SO stylin'.

Next I headed north to pick Joe up for an evening in Hershey, PA. For the record, I've never been to Hershey, but now that I've spotted rollercoasters, I've been promised a summer trip for sure. ANYWAY, some friends had two extra tickets to the Hershey Bears hockey game at Giant Arena, and we decided to grab them last minute.

First of all - what fun! I have only ever been to one hockey game, and that was the Washington Capitals, like, four years ago or something. Contrary to what you may think... hockey is actually rather enjoyable to watch. We had awesome seats - which provided optimal viewing for the number of fights that occurred. Unfortunately, the Bears lost, but the whole experience was great. I had so much fun.

Here are a few decent photos of the game. I actually took a picture of Joe and I, but I hate the way look in it, so you'll have to settle for the dark photo on Jess' blog, here.

Action around the goal.
During the period breaks, a little kid team played. I fell for the little guy in red you see here. He was TINY.
FIGHT! FIGHT!
SCORE! The crowd loved it!
And the final shot is my best action shot of the night. Not a lot to be impressed with, but it will have to do until next time.

I'm off to bed, finally. Goodnight!

DAMN, I Am Proud of Myself.

After a few weeks of staring both at my laptop and the replacement keyboard that my parents found for it, I decided today to give it a go. The keyboard needed replacing, and if no one else could muster up the time to do it... I decided to do it myself, by golly. I've felt very tethered to my desktop over the last few weeks... gone were the days of watching TV on the couch while surfing blogs or uploading photos to flickr.

So today I had a long conversation with our hardware guy after work (who gave me as many pointers as he could for a guy who hates DELL) which left me feeling slightly more confident trying to replace the keyboard myself. I just couldn't hold back any longer. Goodness knows that Bags In Trees wasn't being updated because all of my photos are on the laptop; and even more importantly, I'm a professional multi-tasker... I felt so robbed not being able to juggle twenty things at once.

Soooo.... I DID IT! I was patient (you should be proud of me for that alone) and gentle. I took a lot of time studying how it was all put together, then took it apart quickly and efficiently.

You know what? I came home kind of tired and cranky today because it has been a long, long week, but my spirits are up again thanks to my success. I'm so proud. I really am.

Photos below!

My laptop before-hand. This very well could have been the last picture of a semi-functional machine.






Here it is after I figured out how to remove the keyboard.







Just in case you are curious (because I was), this is what the machine looks like underneath. I know... unexciting.





Here's a shot of the new keyboard installed by moi...







...and here's the finished product!!! Ain't she sweet?

"Happiness Runs In A Circular Motion..."

I'm not sure the title applies directly to this post, but this post is certainly about happiness. I know that I've mentioned my girlfriend Angela before, and how she and her husband were adopting a little girl from Guatemala. Well, a few weeks ago they flew down and FINALLY brought her home... and today I received these pictures via email.

Aren't they adorable? I believe Gianna is now 8 months old, and she is finally living in Ohio with her loving parents.

They are so blessed... and seeing them as a family in this photo makes me so, so happy.

"Boy Rescued From Snow Cave-in"

This is just scary...

By Carol Biliczky
Beacon Journal staff writer

BARBERTON - A 13-year-old boy has resolved not to build any more snow tunnels after being buried in one Wednesday.

Dylan Stavarz was building a tunnel by himself on Wisteria Drive about 1:15 p.m. Wednesday when a Barberton snowplow cleared the street. Dylan's 7-year-old brother, Alex, went down to the snow tunnel to play with him but couldn't find him. "He couldn't see him, but he could hear him screaming," said Jean Stavarz, the boys' mother.

She, Alex and another son, David, 15, tried to dig Dylan out of the snow. But by then he had fallen silent, so Jean Stavarz called 911. Within five minutes, rescue workers found Dylan, unconscious but breathing.

In the ambulance, Dylan had recovered enough to tell rescue workers his name and where he went to school. He was to spend Wednesday night at Akron Children's Hospital for observation, but his mother said he was warmly dressed and did not suffer hypothermia.

"When kids are playing, they need to be aware of snowplows," she said. "It was an accident. How quickly that can happen!"

** UPDATE **

After being released from the hospital, Dylan returned to the snow pile with his dad to find the glasses he lost in the ordeal. ``He's sore,'' his mom said, ``but he's in good shape.''

The Medina Police Department issued a news release Wednesday warning that kids who are too close to the street during plowing run the risk of being hit by debris, such as concrete, ice or hardened snow. In fact, the city's service director, Nino Piccoli, ordered snow-plow drivers not to plow in neighborhoods where children are playing too close to the road.

Accidents and Amore

On the way to work today I saw a number of disabled vehicles, but the most notable was a car flipped upside-down about twenty feet off of the road. All day we heard of accidents all over the area - a few in the city, a tractor-trailer on the Bay Bridge, and a number of incidents on the SE corner of the beltway.

What confuses me is that the weather during the day today wasn't that bad. By the time I left for work at noon, some of the city streets were in poor condition, but the highways were essentially clear.

Well... after work today a tanker flipped at the top of 695, blocking me (and anyone coming from N on 83) from heading west or south. Granted, flurries had started up again and it was quite a bit windier than a few hours before, but I have to wonder how these folks did this to themselves. How fast do you have to be going to actually flip a tanker?

Ah well, the wind is now gusty and flurries are in the air, but we're opting to stay in tonight for tv and blankets. Why brave the weather? Why bother? It's so much easier (and cozier) to stay in.

Happy Valentine's Day.

It Could Be Worse...

...you could be this hungry guy.

* Photo courtesy of Charissa's Mom who is on location in NE Ohio where they have seen over a foot of snow with more to come through Sunday.

Ice, Ice, Ice

Well, I think we missed the brunt of it, which as you can guess, I am upset about. On the icy side, around 5 AM more freezing rain started; My street and car are covered in ice. I had a hard time deciding whether or not to trek into work today, but decided for now I am staying home and as the rain slows this morning and the plows have a chance to get on the roads, I'll re-evaluate at noon.

I'll try to post photos later, but honestly, I'm not crazy about heading outside right now. Just a few minutes ago I watched my neighbors across the street as they strong-armed their screen door open over the ice that formed in front of their door. How did the rest of you fare? I heard PA got hit pretty hard.

Not Yet

Thank you all for the reports of the Midwest getting slaughtered with snow... yes, I am jealous. Call me crazy. I was going to take hourly photos of our weather to post, but I have to be honest - little has changed since 9 PM.

I'm going to bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

Hmmm, Disappointment?

Well, today's weather was disappointing, but I still found myself saying, "Just wait! It's still coming!" to coworkers who dared to challenge Mr. Foot. I planned to leave work at 3 PM or so to avoid the ice... instead I left at 6 PM, just as the freezing rain was beginning to fall. There was really no traffic to speak of because almost everyone heeded the warnings and went home early. Sure it was icy, but where's my storm? I'm iffy on what to believe right now, people. I hate getting my hopes up just to have them smashed to bits.

So after parking my car (on a street with about a quarter of an inch of iced-snow (picture a flattened snow cone), I salted my cute, Baltimore-esque, marble stoop and trudged inside. Foot's Forecast still says this will be even nastier by Thursday... but can I allow myself to hope? Wait. I am hosting a sales training Thursday afternoon... maybe I need to rethink this.

Tonight? More work plus American Idol. And some wine (because I can). I am considering 'live blogging' the weather, but we'll see... I hate being cold and live blogging winter storms requires some degree of contact with said weather.

Knowing me, I'll think of something else to say later on, though... so stay tuned.

Forgiveness.

Him: All those young and talented people come from Ohio.
Me: So you're calling me young and talented?
Him: Well, older and talented.
Me: What? You did not just say that. I think that was the first time I officially felt old.
Him: That can't be the first time...

I Heart Me Some Storm

Okay, so that wasn't (even close to) proper English. Leave me alone. I'm excited.

Within the next 48 hours, our little metro area is going to get hit with a doozy. Whether it's 10-20 inches as originally predicted, or 3-5 inches plus freezing rain and sleet, I don't know. (Although personally, I'd have to opt for the snow.) Either way, I am looking forward to watching it happen. Will it be dangerous on the roads? Yes. Is that okay with me? Sure - as long as people who can't drive in it stay off of the roads. I'm from Ohio. I know how to drive in this stuff.

I have always been in awe of the power of weather, even as a kid. I have clear memories when my dad would pull my sister and I through the windows in the dining room and out onto the screened in porch to watch thunderstorms. I remember the mist on my skin, and the crack of a thunderbolt in the sky that would send me jumping. In college, my roommate would yell at me because every time she came back to the room and turned on the TV, either CMT or the Weather Channel was on. I used to watch the Weather Channel for hours at a time. She used to get so frustrated with me. Sorry, Laura - wherever you are. :)

Although given my love for weather, I harbor a lot of guilt about weather events because I usually hope for the worst. I cannot tell you how horrible I will feel forever for wishing that Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I did it. I admit it. But please understand that the minute it happened, I wished it all away. There's something in me that enjoys the awe that extreme weather causes... and it's hard to want to see Mother Nature at work while also hoping and praying that no one gets hurt. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to see New Orleans flood. It was unimaginable that everything little thing needed would fall into place to allow for such a thing to happen, which honestly made me more curious to see if it would. Those poor people.

In spirit of this weather event, I dug up some photos from my time in Baltimore over the last few years. The next few pictures are from Hurricane Isabel when she came up the Bay. It didn't rain in Baltimore, but the storm surge was pushed all the way up the Chesapeake, and it caused an unreal amount of flooding in the city.







Here are two from the blizzard in 2003. I'd lived in Baltimore about a month when this happened. And yes, I shoveled the car out all by myself.


Anyway... I'm just sitting here a-waiting for some ice and snow. In case you've been out of the loop completely, the rest of us are monitoring Foot's Forecast hourly for changes.

I hope everyone stays smart and safe, and hopefully we'll have an impressive show on our hands within a few days or so.

What I'm Doing

*Stolen from Marie's blog

1. Laundry... mostly sheets and towels and jeans. Why must it be such a long process to dry clothes? Washing takes 15 minutes and drying takes 50? Jibberish.
2. Uploading CDs into iTunes. I only have 20 gigs uploaded and hundreds of CDs to go. I'm so impatient. The upside is that I forgot that I liked country music... half of my CDs are country. Now I'm going to have to figure out who's hot in country music these days. I have no idea.
3. Loving on my new iPod. Duh.
4. Watching a Lifetime movie. I know, I know... but it's Valentine's week. These things are unavoidable.
5. Trying to figure out which work project to start on. I didn't do anything yesterday, so I feel like I have a lot to make up.
6. Trying to decide if I am capable of replacing the keyboard in my laptop myself, since JJT isn't being too helpful. :P
7. Thawing turkey sausage for pasta sauce. Okay, well watching it thaw. I'm really not that involved in the process.
8. Still loving on my new iPod.
9. Trying not to think about the three computer game boxes sitting in front of me that are begging to be played. Oh, sweet PC games...
10. Trying to decide if it's considered lazy to stay in my robe all day long. I mean, I'm showered and everything, but terrycloth is scrumptious.

Announcing My New Toys!

So last Sunday I finally took the plunge and bought my 80 gb iPod. It. Is. Gorgeous. Unfortunately, I have soooo much music that I don't even think 80 gigs is going to be sufficient, so although I am continuing to upload all of my CD collection into iTunes, I am also unchecking a lot of music that I may not want to listen to regularly, i.e. music inherited from old BFs, friends, etc. Already I have filled 20 gigs, and I have three Case Logic cases to go. Ugh.

Well, in addition to my gorgeous, gorgeous iPod, I also came to own a beautiful iPod (and music phone) player by Jabra and Klipsch. It's so cool. Below is a pic of the pair of 'em sitting on the new media cabinet that I bought in December.

I'm telling you... between my surround sound by Polk Audio, my new iPod and my Jabra speakers, I have quite the living space. Be jealous. Be very jealous. :)

Catching Up

Wow. I didn't post yesterday. Two points to Cheryl for calling me out on that. It's just that the last few days have been so busy! So busy, in fact, that I didn't know until today about Anna Nicole. I just about choked. Not that I loved the woman or anything, but I think it's sad. She was definitely a mess and all over the place, but I just wish she had an easier time at life is all.

Soooo... yesterday Joe and I went to dinner after work in Timonium (see - I said your name!). After that, some down time was needed, so we watched tv and vegged out. I'm sure it's no surprise that I've been working a whole lot. I apologize to you all for my one day absence, but I needed a night off.

ANYWAY, I have a number of photos to post from SuperBowl Sunday. A bunch of us folks went to Rob and Jill's house for the event where there was plenty of food and drink. With the exception of someone using all of my Coronas for beer pong (I swear I'm over it, really), it was a fun time. I don't get to see Rob and Jill much because I don't work with them anymore, but every time I see them I miss them more. Love you guys. :)
Jill and Charissa, my GVBS.








Teresa and Jill sitting on the new comfy couch watching the game.







Jessica breaking it down to New Kids on the Block. (Yes, I'm responsible for that music being on Jill's iPod.)








Jill and Rocky with Jessica and Frank (No, that's not Antonio.)







Rocky and Frank... Antonio was invited, but there were just too many people there. He was better off at home.





Thanks Rob and Jill for hosting. I love the TV room. If I ever get evicted, I'm moving in. Just so you know...

My Job Rocks

This was my desk at 6:21 PM today. Notice anything?

There was a happy hour in our common area after work.
I had two Coronas.
I love my job.

Soul Food

It's not grits or fried chicken... but for today, it is this Ohio girl's version of soul food. Meatloaf - not exactly like 'momma used to make,' but it will do for now. I'm hibernating.

Talladega Nights

I finally saw all of Talladega Nights last night... "Thank you sweet baby Jesus..." It was hilarious! I think I've said before that I'm not a huge Will Ferrell fan, but this was pretty good (minus the underwear scenes - those were a bit much). Between the "baby Jesus" references and those kids, I was laughing my butt off. I'd rate it four stars for Netflix, because "I Really Liked It."

One of My Favorite Things

Just a random post about tomatoes. A lot of my friends hate tomatoes. I love them - especially the little cherry tomatoes because you can put the whole thing in your mouth and bite down, causing all of the insides to mush out. Forget cutting them. Puh-lease.

The Devil Wears Prada Tiara (w/ Update)

I didn't post at all yesterday which is so unlike me. I spent most of the day working on PowerPoint presentations and graphs, and felt guilty every time I ventured to imagine sitting in from of the computer to post. I should still be working right now, but I'm procrastinating. I'll SO pay for this later.

So Friday night was another night at Reistertown Ranch. Again, I took photos of the fire, but since I seem to have a bit of an obsession with the bonfire, I am going to work diligently to refrain from taking many fire photos in the future. They aren't that intellectually stimulating, and they take up unneeded space on the hard drive, even if they sure are pretty.

Keith made me this delicious salsa-dog. Yum! I don't really care for hot dogs, but looking at this picture now makes me want another one. It was delicious.

Most essentials were in attendance, with bonus adults and kids alike. :)

Last night was spent in Locust Point at what I was told was a bar but what felt more like an Elks club. It was so Irish that I am surprised they didn't take genealogy at the door. Luckily, I look more Irish than Italian (thanks, mom), so there was little question about my exposure to heavy drinking, Irish dancing and pub songs. We all got snap happy towards the end of the evening, so I managed to get a few good pics. I certainly didn't intend to help shut the place down, but friendship (read: beer) does strange things to you.

Lest I be too much of a "girl," I heart these two ladies! Glad to hang with you again. I mean that. This was photo number 5 of about 50... we just couldn't get it right. (And not to mention a certain birthday girl kept popping in and out of the frame!)

I like this one a lot. Guess who's birthday it was/is? Guess who's had a few drinks? :)
Who was this handsome man?




I can't decide if he looks bored or exasperated. You think he'd be used to our antics by now.

Again, the birthday girl in a Snay-like photo. Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!







** Updated! Additional photos provided by Ms. NPR Junkie! **
NPR and her Sister! (L.O.V.E these girls... even if we do require interp- reters on occasion.)
The sisters with our Birthday Girl! Lots of love going around last night.... lots of love...