The Tale of the Red Couch by the Window

Clearly I finally am able to upload photos to my computer! Here is the first of several photo-oriented posts!



















They do enjoy a comfy perch!

A Blast (or Post) From the Past

I thought to lighten things up a little, I'd repost one of the earliest entries on this blog. Ah, remember when we were all so young and innocent?? Enjoy:

November 17, 2005

I was talking to Mom'o'us tonight about the joys of bacon -- telling her about your friend's blog where she said "If I was a vegan, I'd still eat bacon." (I almost wrote, "If I was a bacon..." WA HA HA!!!) Anyway, so I was sharing with Mom the first time I had an egg salad with bacon sandwich. Yummm!!!! I'll set the scene. It was probably 6 years ago (did I tell you this? Oh well.) and I was working a temp job at GE Insurance where they had a giant cafeteria. So the person in front of me at the sandwich station orders an egg salad with bacon sandwich. My eyes widen at the thought. I'd never heard of such a magnificent idea! But of course, it makes sense -- bacon and eggs. But on a sandwich? So I quickly ordered the same thing and hurried to my table (I'm glad I was by myself this day, preventing anyone I knew from witnessing my total sandwich gooniness!) Sigh. It was as good as I had hoped. Mmmmm. I had to keep myself from getting the cholesteral-busting meal every single day! I actually haven't had one in a long time as its a bit labor intensive when someone isn't preparing it for you. But it was definitely a red-letter day.

"Oh no! Not the long orchestrion again!"

Kind of what this last year has felt like...

There seems to be a lesson here.

I found this clip of these little ducklings learning how to swim.



I guess sometimes you just have to jump in even when it seems a little scary!

My latest driving test

I had a pop driving test recently. Diana and Gus and I went to IKEA and I was driving. After a few minutes, Gus informed me that he was giving me a driver's test. I wasn't sure what he meant until the piece of paper below was passed up to the front seat.



My examiner told me that an X meant I failed that portion and a check meant I passed. So my first X was for starting -- in my defense, I haven't driven a stick shift in a long time, so I did sort of pop it in to gear. The second X was for my seatbelt -- I was wearing it the whole time, but I did adjust it at a traffic light. This is apparently a violation of driving rules. And the last X, for "not speeding," I just have to take responsibility for. I am a little bit of a lead foot. I will have to try harder.

I'm keeping it on the fridge to remind me to follow the rules of the road. Thanks, Gus, for keeping me safe!

Could you imagine a kitten doing this to Bess?? Kitten is SITTING ON THE CAT's HEAD!

And Good Morning To You, Diana!

That is Cinnamon Life for breakfast! Thanks, dear sister, for the beautiful bowls!

Well we made it through the night, sort of. Earl's nocturnal side really kicked into gear around 3 a.m. He just never stop moving and noisily exploring the apartment. And when I would try to quietly scold him, my deputy would bark. Sigh. So I'm a little tired this morning.

The cats seem to be enjoying the apartment -- they haven't been nervous or skitterish at all. Owain has been a very good boy -- he hasn't barked much at all. But he is being VERY vigilant about me at ALL times (the cats too, for that matter.) There are only three rooms, but whenever I get up and move, all three of them are right at my heels.

I have to run some errands today -- I hope Owain's head doesn't explode from the worry (and I hope he doesn't cry and yowl!) I'll have to keep my excursions very short.

Thats it from Charm City!

Settling in...

Tomorrow is MOVING DAY!

Look at Our Guys!

We may be zero-ing in on 10,000 losses, but our Phillies have class!

Happy Birthday To Meeee!!

Here I am doing my Summer Birthday Dance on the beach in Ocean City, oh so many years ago!

Happy Fourth of July!

Uh-oh, I forgot to turn off the AC when I left the apartment today!

Thanks again, Cuteoverload!

OK, so this little hammy is just generally cute, then someone taunts him with a sunflower seed, but the best part is at the very end. Enjoy!

"My first trophy! I can't believe it!!"

The Japanese. Hm.

Turkeys, Fish, Whales and Cousins

And the turkeys would have won if they had found the mailbox peanut stash! Thanks for a wonderful picnic.
ELC

Ooops - the cat address

Sorry about that - I guess that is what "preview" is for!

http://www.evo.hr/cat/

If you ever need a laugh.....

I just wanted to share two of my favorite sites. One is for those who would prefer to join with cats and laugh, and the other is for those dog lovers that sometimes have had a tough day and need to laugh about nothing of substance.
I would recommend that you bookmark them. I emailed the "Wroom Dog" site master when the site went down and he or she was absolutely gracious about making sure that I could access "Wroom." Later, due to popular demand "Wroom" was put back up, and I couldn't be happier.
Again, they are both silly, but on those days when you just know that you could use a laugh, these two sites will hopefully do the trick.

http://www.evo.hr/dog/

http://www.evo.hr/dog/

Whaaa, haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa, haaaaa!!!

ELC

Who will it be?!?!!?

Natasha? (my first choice)


Jaslene (kind of annoys me, but takes good photos)


Renee aka Ne ne (egh. I can't get around how horribly negative she is.)


We'll find out tonight!! Woohoo!

Stars, Moms and Guardian Angels

Hello my sisters,

I know today we're thinking of some very special Welsh ladies. So tonight look up and see if you can find the Northern Crown. I am also hoping that our little intrepid astronomers (from Alex - not so little- to Grace - still so little) will have fun finding them in the sky for many years to come.

The link goes to a column from our local paper. I wrote to him in 2004 when I knew Mom's star was going to be in the Corona Borealis, and he published this in response. I found it amazing that now that my other mother's star is also in the Crown, he republished it.

So tonight look to the east and know that we have some lovely and very powerful guardian angels who love us very much. I hope that for you, as it does for me, it will bring a smile and some comfort to you all.

Much love,
ELC

What Is Up With This Tortoise?!?

This is both hilarious and bizarre! Is the tortoise playing? I don't know. The cat seems to think so, at first. Then he goes after the white cat and its like he took him in the alley to mess him up!

IRREVELENT!

OK, ELC and I have returned from Charm City and, as expected, it was an epic journey. Here are some highlights.

The post title refers to what Beth said to me when I started to talk about one of the apartments that I had already decided against.

Dropping the cell phone under my car seat and discussing for MANY miles how to retrieve it (but finally deciding just to leave it there.)

"We're STILL in Pennsylvania!" This was one of MANY comments that I made about our SLOW progress driving south.

Also on the drive down Beth commented on a truck that had coolers and containers on the back and she worried that they might contain "biodegradeable trash picked up by the health department." That boidegradeable trash IS a menace to our mother earth!

The weird hotel with the sensitive waitress. Now the last time I stayed there I thought the place had a very weird vibe, but I thought maybe it was just me. Now I have ELC as a witness. When we went to the hotel restaurant for dinner (where one other table was seated), Beth and I were laughing about something and the waitress, when she brought our drinks over, said, "I thought you were laughing at me." Well we weren't, but now we were.

The restaurant had two menus -- an expensive one and another one called "Light Fare" which I kept insisting on calling the "leisure" menu.

watching the Baltimore channel -- Laura: "I'm NOT wearing a crab hat!"



Happy cinco de mayo! We celebrated at the Mount Washington Tavern. It was good.

"Squitting" (my drunken contraction of "fitting a square peg into a round hole")

the surly bartender manager (I don't even know how to describe how he was surly, he just was!)

Happy Derby Day! We celebrated this at the hotel "bar" where we had mint juleps. Actually, I tried one but didn't like it so I ordered a mojito, which I think is the perfect marriage of cinco de mayo and the Kentucky Derby!

"put my drink on her tab." "but I don't even know you." When I went to the bar to order my mojito, I told the bartender to put my drink on her tab and I gestured to Beth. But the lady sitting next to where I was standing didn't see my gesture and thought I was trying to get HER to pay for my drinks. WA HA HA HA HA!!!

and although we shall NEVER speak of it -- the skin sleeve. AGGGGHHHHH!

This one's for you, ELC!

This from the Television Without Pity recap of last night's America's Next Top Model (the last line is the best!):

It's time for go-sees, Sydney style! The girls are sent off with a map, some addresses, and a cab. And, of course, a drop-dead deadline for being back to the agency where they started. Renee, Jaslene, and Natasha are generally impressive to the designers, while Dionne is impressive to me for the way she wrangles some free clothes. And then, there is Brittany. She seems to have a hard time actually finding her destinations, even when she's on the right street, and fails to impress even one of the designers. She tries to squeeze in one last go-see when, as any good student of ANTMs past could tell you, she should have hoofed it back to the agency, and when her cab driver fails to read her mind, she fails to make her deadline. And then, she goes ape-s__t. She cries, throws her portfolio, and uses almost continuous expletives to describe her cab driver, and the best part is that everyone who DID make it on time and is inside of the agency -- including the agency's director -- can totally hear her. Natasha was one minute late and also disqualified, but handles it all in style. Jaslene ends up winning the challenge, and she and Dionne get a bonus shoot at the top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The photo shoot for the week is two-fold: the girls have to pose in bathing suits with a male model first for a "soft/sexy" shoot that would appear in a women's magazine (photographed by Tyra), and then pose for a "just plain sexy/ho-style" shoot for a men's magazine. For the most part the girls do well, though Dionne gets a lot of criticism for looking mean. At judging, Jaslene, Natasha and Renee jump to the head of the pack. Dionne's struggles at the photo shoot put her in the bottom two. But though Brittany's photos are great, as usual, personality deficiency coupled with the fact that not one of the go-see designers said that they would book her puts her in the bottom two again, and she goes home. Luckily, tomorrow she won't even remember she was on the show at all.

See ya Brit!

A Special Day

I love you and miss you, Mom.

A little birthday present (see previous post)

Chicks! These were the little guys and gals that hatched in our kindergarten just last Monday! Peep! Peep! Peep!

To the Best Cousin EVER!!!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Dear BEEEEETTTTTTHHHHHHH!!!!!
Happy Birthday to YOUUUU!!!!

And many more!
And she lives down our alley!

New Celebrity Boyfriend

I am a big Errol Flynn as Robin Hood fan. I think he gave the definitive portrayal of the head Merry Man years ago. HOWEVER, check out BBC American and I think you will be hooked. It's very realistic, and they throw in very funny current references. The Sheriff is a bad man, of course, but also very subversively funny.

And Sir Guy is just so all dark and handsome and bad....oh my!

Today I had a very pleasant day. I spent most of it with Gus who was delightful company. First we went to Applebee's for lunch. Does it get any better than pizza and nachos? I think not (unless you count the Oreo sundae that he got for dessert!)!



We went back to the house for a bit where we played playstation (Spongebob Squarepants.) Then we wandered down to the kitchen where Gus pretended to be Spongebob working at the Krusty Krab. (Notice a theme happening?) And then we went to Barnes and Noble where I picked up a map of Baltimore and Gus picked out a comic book about..... you guessed it.... SpongeBob!

ELC, here is a little pick-me-up for you. Here are just some of the many daffodils that have bloomed in our yard. Each one that opens up makes me think of you and Mom. You are so thoughtful. We LOVE you!!!!!

What's new with me?

Charm City here I come! Yikes!!!

Movies, Movies, Movies

Since I have been soooooo productive today, in the spirit of Blocky and Wordo, I urge you to join me in the vortex that is Cinema Sequence. The time pressure on this actually had me gripping my hair (the other was clicking away frantically with the mouse!)! I think I placed as high as 3 millionth!

Release your inner movie buff - just don't do it in the buff!

My Favorite Red Sox Fan (and Future Player!)

He was showing me his pitching moves yesterday afternoon. He went inside to get something to "surprise" me and he came out wearing this cap. What a great kid!


Oh, uh, I reached #34 on Blocky. Sigh. I'll have to mention THAT at my job interview!

Join us....... Momogus and I have a new addiction.....

Its Just the 7th Planet From The Sun, Folks or Why Working In Kindergarten is EXCELLENT!

Today two of our students ran into the classroom, rushed up to Kathy and said, "Kathy! Kathy! Cole and Max are out in the hallway trying to hit Uranus!!!"

(Now say it to yourself without the correct spelling of the last word......)

WA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! HAA HA HA HA HA!!!!

And of course, Kathy responded sternly, "Well tell them that is not allowed and to get back in the classroom."

I don't know how she gets through this space unit. My inner 12-year-old is just giddy with the Uranus jokes!

A Very Good Walk

Today I took a "nature walk" with my two favorite boys, who brought along brooms, of course.



They very purposefully swept various neighbors' sidewalks. Plus we also came back with a bag full of "scientific discoveries" (tiny pinecones, leaves, pine twigs, etc.) It was a very good walk!

This is for YOU, ELC! The lights are on but no one is home!

I LOVE when she says "I know, right? I didn't." after Nigel says that she didn't seem to understand.

The MOST HORRIBLE WOMAN IN THE WORLD!!!!! (don't play if children are in earshot!)

Wow. I believe she may in fact be the devil.

Welcome!

Here is Tony Soprano. He has joined Carmella at NaturalBlonde's house. I apologize in advance for your heads exploding with the cuteness!

My Saturday

Here's what I did today:



I'm pleased with how it turned out! Apparently the birthday boy is REALLY into golf. I hope he likes it!

In other news, Wednesday is the two-hour premier of the new season of America's Next Top Model! WOOHOOO!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Momogus, Little Sister, ELC, NaturalBlonde, if I don't tell you enough, let me take this day to tell you how important you are to me. I love each of you VERY MUCH!

In other news, congratulations to Ch Felicity's Diamond Jim," a.k.a. "James," an English Springer Spaniel for winning Best in Show last night at Westminster. Many treats for you James!



But here's MY Best in Show!



Isn't he the best????

SPROINGGGG!!!

Do the Danish have too much time on their hands? You decide.

When cats attack...

I know, I know, too many YouTube posts. But this is good.

Little Pandas
(just click again on the video -- it'll take you to YouTube to play)

According to legend.......

Long ago,a young and beautiful girl lived in the Wolong Valley with her family. She was a shepherdess, loved by all who knew her for her kindness and good nature. Whenever she took her sheep into the hills a young panda would come to join her flock, perhaps mistaking them for its own kind for in those days pandas were all white.

One day the panda arrived as usual, but it had not been playing with the flock for long when a leopard jumped from a tree and begun to savage the helpless cub. Careless of her own life, the girl picked up a stick and began to beat the leopard. The panda ran off, but the leopard turned on its attacker and killed her.

When the other pandas heard this, they were stricken with grief. All came to attend the girl's funeral, and as a mark of their respect they covered their arms with ashes as was the custom. At the funeral, they could not contain themselves. They wiped their eyes to dry their tears, and hugged themselves as the sobbed. The cries became so loud that they covered their ears with their paws to block out the noise. Wherever they touched themselves the ashes stained their fur black and since that day all pandas have carried these marks.

Overcome with sorrow, the girl's three sisters threw themselves into her grave, whereupon the earth shook and in place of the grave a huge mountain appeared. That mountain still stands, and is called Siguniang-the four sisters mountain. Each sister was transformed into one of it's peaks, and between the ridges that spread from it the sisters continue to protect the pandas to this day.


Thanks for the video by Dilhan Nicolas

Corgi Puppy!

Just a little something cute so we don't have to look at Orville anymore.

Viva Orville Redenbacher?

Ok, so I was SO weirded out by this commercial that I found the Orville Redenbacher website and wrote to them telling it was C.R.E.E.P.Y!! This was their response.


January 23, 2007

Dear L Jordan,

Your communication concerning the new Orville Redenbacher TV ads was most welcome, and we appreciate your taking the time to contact us.

We understand that using breakthrough technology in this way can raise some eyebrows. However, we have taken the utmost care to replicate Orville's endearing personality and likeness. Our most important goal is to respect and advance the legacy of the brand's founder. The Retro ads which have recently aired received an extremely positive reception from consumers, and with the breakthroughs in technology, we are now able to introduce Orville to a whole new generation!

The Redenbacher family is excited for Orville's return to our advertising and marketing initiatives. Gary Redenbacher, who represents the Redenbacher family, has fully endorsed our direction and he is excited about ConAgra's efforts to advance his grandfather's legacy.

As we design future initiatives, your comments will be carefully considered. We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us and your interest in our products.

Sincerely,

ConAgra Foods Consumer Affairs



Comments? (by the way, I found many clips of the video on YouTube mostly labeled "weird" and "creepy")

Sleep in, my friends. Its Sunday!

Meet My New TV Chef Husband! (Click)

I'm nothing if not flexible. Good riddance Tyler!! HeLLOOO MING!

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! (click this. sniff.)

Here it is... Soul Line TV!

This song is a little more current than I've seen. Usually its Marvin Gaye or good 80's soul, but you get the idea. See the masses dance.....

Road Trip!!

Natural Blonde already told me she's up for a pilgrimage to NJ for this. Anyone else? (I so wish I could find a YouTube clip or something -- you have to see it!) They broadcast on comcast and the "dances" are in NJ. Here's what WMCN says about "Soul Line TV" on their website:

Soul line is energetic dance movement, done to rhythmic, contemporary music, which leads to the road of consistent health benefits, pleasant social activities, and well-deserved self-fulfillment. See how the soul line dancers pizzazz and astound you with dancing, fun, and outright enjoyment. Directed and Produced by Bob Thomas.

Here's To A Very Happy 2007

Dear ever-lovin' cousins, Natural Blonde and family, and all other family that checks into RTTB, may 2007 bring peace, happiness and good health to you all.
Love,
ELC

H ours of happy times with friends and family
A bundant time for relaxation
P rosperity
P lenty of love when you need it the most
Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber (you know - dont' worry be happy)
E verything you need
W ishing you love and light

Y ears and years of good health
E njoyment and mirth
A ngels to watch over you
R embrances of a happy years!
~ Author Unknown

And they say Bambi is traumatic!!!

Ok, so I'm totally hooked on the Family Channel for the holidays. I wish they were not so Harry Potter crazy - even though I love him - because he doesn't seem to be part of the classic holiday collection. Anyway....tonight I watched Nestor the Long Eared Donkey for the first time. It's in the same vein as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is coming to town - part of the ever popular Rankin Bass stable. HOWEVER, Roger Miller narrates it and sings (yes, the song is called Nestor the Long Eared Donkey!), and Nestor is subjected to all kinds of horrors (slave beatings, sandstorms, being bullied in the farmyard) before he has a christmas epiphany (if you will) that his giant ears are good! Instead of putting me in a good mood, I may have to go sit in a dark room and rock back and forth. Wow - that's a bit dramatic, but I'm still Nestor-disturbed!!! Watch at your own risk!

What will THIS year hold?

Repost from last year:

Low-Singing Christmas Decoration Tour NEVER disappoints!

Let's see --
Starbucks trying to pawn off the MOCHA peppermint cocoa, AGAIN!
"Oh no! Not the blue lights again."
"Look! Its waving Santa! Hi Santa!!"
"Look, its waving Santa again. Hi Santa."
"Oh no, not waving Santa again. Turn the other way!"
"That's the creepy creche."
"Didn't you like that inflatable tree last year?"
"Creche on a picnic table!"
"The end of Chris's street is creepy."
"The albino creche." (we're definitely going to hell!)
"Where is the creepy street from last year?" "Why did we think this was creepy?"
"Remember where I thought it was a drug deal going down? Let's go there!" "Its a park -- AAAHHHHH!!!"

ahhh, the fun. Can't wait until next year!
(when I spellchecked this, it wanted me to replace "ahhh" with "ahoy." Isn't that excellent?! AHOY!

And the winner is.....

CARIDEE!

Here is her winning CoverGirl shot.


America's Next Top Model crowned its 7th winner last night. ELC and I watched together by phone and enjoyed it thoroughly. Twiggy called her a "loose cannon." Miss Jay said she was crazy. But the judges clearly thought she was better than the dead-eyed, phlegmatic Eugenia and the calculating, overconfident, annoying Melrose. Congratulations Caridee!


Here's Caridee as a circus freak (of course!)



Our two favorite moments? When Eugenia was eliminated halfway through, she and Caridee, who had become close friends, shared a sad hug. Then Melrose, hated by ALL the contestants, awkwardly tries to join in on the embrace. The other two girls COMPLETELY ignore her. And the camera stayed with it to capture the delightfully uncomfortable nature of Melrose's awkward embrace. EXCELLENT!

Look at those dead eyes! Isn't this a dreadful photo?

The second best moment was at the end when Caridee is announced the winner and we see how bitter and graceless Melrose really is when she turns away from the winner and basically just walks out. EXCELLENT TIMES TWO!!






Pretty, but annoying. A little too pleased with herself.

Wishing Star

Today in my kindergarten class we did a project where the kids made a Wishing Star. They traced a star on wrapping paper, cut it out and wrote their wish for the world. Well, when we were sitting on the rug to hear the directions beforehand, Kathy asked the kids to tell us what their wish for the world was. There were some wishes about not littering and polluting as well as a couple for being nice to each other, and even one for everyone to become superheros! But one boy said,

"Well because a lot of people in the world get hurt. They get hurt because the world is hard. I wish the world was more soft."

Isn't that the most beautiful thing you've ever heard? I think he actually may have meant it literally, like "when i fall on the playground it hurts because the ground is so hard." But, of course, I thought of it more metaphysically, and I agree. Sometimes the world is too hard! It took a little effort on my part to hold back the waterworks, but I did.


And one of the things that makes the world a little easier? THE SEASON FINALE OF AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL!!!!! TONIGHT!!! Woo hoo! Don't miss it!

I'm Crabby!

I was in the lovely community of Baltimore this weekend. I was there for a job interview for a counseling position at a school outside of London -- their U.S. headquarters is in Baltimore. The woman I met with was delightful and, of course, very British! So they won't know anything until after Jan 31, when their staff has to give notice. So I don't know -- it would be an amazing adventure but being away from family would be TOUGH! Anyway, I don't have to think about it until/unless they offer me a job.

So I treated myself to a harborview room at the Hyatt on Baltimore's Inner Harbor. I'm so glad I did. The room was comfy and clean and this was my view:



Nice, eh? So after my interview, I walked around the harbor a bit. It was cold and crisp, but sunny. I went to Phillip's for lunch, where I had Crab Soup, a Crab Cake and a Chesepeake style Cosmopolitan. I know, the cosmo sounds weird, but basically its a regular cosmopolitan with a little pineapple juice -- because of all the pineapples that grow in the Chesepeake Bay area?!?! -- I don't know. I'm just glad it didn't have crab or bay seasoning. It was, in fact, quite yummy! As was the soup and crab cake. Here is the soup and my delicious, though strangely named, cocktail:



So last night was also the Baltimore Boat Parade of Lights, where boats with holiday lights go around the harbor. So I also had a great view of that, although it moved a little slow, which I suppose is a safety precaution. You can't have all those boats cruising fast and close around a small body of water -- although it WOULD be a LOT more exciting that way!!