Dear Blog...I am sorry I abandoned you.

In commenting on another blog today, I saw the little dashboard menu at the top of the screen and thought, "Hmmm....I do have a blog or two set-up. I wonder how long it's been." And then I clicked. And then I saw 2007! 2007! Holy goodness have I abandoned my blog. I am just like all the other well-intentioned bloggers with all these things they want to say and then after a few months just wander away from their post, leaving the blog in suspended animation. Poor blog. I am sorry. I will try and do better. I will. I swear.

Now...what's for dinner tonight.......

(wanders away again....)

It's a Moo Point

Joey Tribbiani cracks me up. Every night, my dear, darling husband puts on Friends re-runs when he goes to sleep. And though all of the Friends are pretty funny, you just have to laugh at Joey. Plus, how can you not love a guy who loves sandwiches as much as he does??? One of my all time favorite Joey quotes:
"It's a moo point....You know, it's like a cow's opinion. It doesn't matter. It's moo."

Pure genius.

Of course, if the cow could talk, would her opinion matter than? I would be very interested in what a talking cow had to say. I would guess that their opinion would include things like "red meat is very bad for you. Eat more chicken." or "Can't you find a cute guy to milk us instead of these cold machines that just tug and tug?" or maybe "go milk your own kind and leave us alone". Cows seem very opinionated to me.

That concludes my random thought of the moment. Can't believe you waited two months for a post and got that, can you?

My New Favorite Word

So.

This is my new favorite word. It is normally accompanied by a question mark or a "what" and a question mark. Other people are lucky enough to find the beauty of the word "so" earlier in their life. Its a little newer to me, but its making things gosh darn super and a hell of a lot easier.

Why do I like "so"? Because I am an exaggerator, inflater, worry-wart. I get all wrapped up in little things and make them so overwhelming that I can't think straight. And then I discovered "so" (and for those of you who made read a certain magazine, I did not find "so" there). I have realized that when my brain starts to freak out, to stop and say, "So?" or "So what?". What could really happen? Is what I am worrying about real or a huge figment of my imagination? I found out that one little word offers an amazing perspective and some great insight on life.

When life feels huge, something feels like you've screwed it all up, or something seems like it might be embarrassing, take a moment and try out my favorite new word. So? What could really happen? So? How bad is it really? So what if it might be embarrassing? It could be fun and might be an experience you will never forget. I'm telling you. It's a great word.

Quotes

I am a fan of quotes. People share such profound thoughts in so few words. One of my favorites right now is from Albert Einstein. He said, "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them." How I wish people understood this concept. I would like to make this quote required reading for most government officials. I can think of a few other people who could also benefit from this concept...(they will remain nameless).

And just for fun…

"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort." - Herm Albright

"Every day I beat my own previous record for number of consecutive days I've stayed alive." - unknown

The Other Blog: Tips and Tricks

I started a second blog. I kept thinking of all sorts of tips and tricks that I would want to share, but they didn't feel like they really fit with this blog. So, here is blog number two:
Tips and Tricks of a Redhead: http://tipsandtricksredhead.blogspot.com/.

Enjoy!

I am officially domesticated…

I have my first-ever garden this summer. I went to the store and spent all sorts of money on seeds, soil, containers, a watering can, and some plants. I bought some tomato plants and I started some cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, and oregano from seeds. First lesson in gardening: cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow squash plants look almost exactly the same when you don’t pay attention when transplanting seedlings to containers. I planted the seedlings in April. I just found out yesterday which plant was which (they actually started producing vegetables).

I have to admit: I truly doubted my ability to garden. I assumed the poor little plants would be at my mercy as they dried up and died. My suspicions were nearly confirmed when all of the leaves on my plants started turning white. I was positive I had given them some horrible disease. Turns out they just needed a little fertilizer. This gardening stuff is getting easier.

Second lesson is gardening: patience is important (and I virtue I do not possess). I was soooo excited when I saw the first ever tomato I had grown appear on the plant. I even dragged my husband outside to see it. I was going to take a picture as proof that I could indeed support life and growth. It was only a little cherry tomato, but I had actually made something grow. That was weeks ago. I have still not been able to actually eat a vegetable from my garden. My plants are full of all sorts of vegetables (and fruits, if you want to get technical about the tomatoes)…but they are all small, still growing, and unripe. How much longer do I have to wait?!?! Turn red tomatoes! Turn red!

Someday, I will actually get to pick a vegetable from my garden. I will enjoy the fresh, happy, I grew-this-myself yumminess. I do have concerns that this caring and nurturing life for the purpose of eating vegetables may somehow indicate that I am a grown-up. I object! I just made a bigger version of those little plants you would grow in a plastic cup in elementary school. I may be domesticated, but at heart, I am still a five year old amazed that I can make something grow.

Married to a Rock Star

I think my husband may have multiple personalities. That is the only explanation I have for his behavior. How else do you explain how the same guy who shuffles around my house in slippers, laughs outloud at "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" and "According to Jim", and goes to bed around 9:30 p.m. is also the guy who gets up on a stage in front of a room full of people and rocks out on the microphone? Multiple personalities! Its hard to blend these two people together in my head. It is a little surreal when you watch the person you wake up to each morning morph into a rock star onstage. He stands up there, wailing away on his vocals, playing with the band, dancing around, and joking with the crowd. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? And where does he go at 9 p.m. on a Tuesday night when the other guy is getting ready for bed?

I do have to admit it is sort of fun having a rock star for a husband. He's good. Seriously. He's really fun to watch perform onstage and I am still amazed at the amount of evergy he puts into every show. I guess I have come to terms with being a rock star's wife. Of course, I do keep a bat on hand to fend off any groupies...

For some great original rock 'n roll, check them out: Delta Whiskey Myspace Page

An article on the husband's band: What's In a Name - Delta Whiskey Article
and a podcast to go with it: Poolside with Delta Whiskey - Write up and Podcast

And believe it or not, Rachael Ray and I have something in common (and no, it is not our bubbly personalities)! Both of our husbands are lead singers in rock bands and both of them are playing at Stash's Cafe in New London, CT on Saturday night. The Cringe will be starting off the night and Delta Whiskey rocking out the rest of it.

I just can't stand it!

I can't believe that I am actually willing to dedicate any of my blogging time or space to Paris Hilton, but I just can't stand it. There is a petition asking for a pardon from the governor of California. And why does she need a pardon? Well, because she got a DUI and then drove with a suspended license. And how did she manage to do that? Well, you see, her publicist told her she could drive. She also signed a document acknowledging that she was not to drive (she claims she didn't read it, but just signed). This woman is 26 years old. If you are not responsible enough to comply with a court order by the age of 26, you have more problems then jail time.

What gets me more than anything else is that there are people out there trying to get her pardoned. The woman drove drunk and then drove with a suspended license. She deserves whatever legal ramifications any other citizen would receive. I read the petition. I also saw James Lipton do a live reading of it on Conan. It is truly disturbing to me. Some quotes from the petition include:

"She provides hope for young people all over the U.S. and the world. She provides beauty and excitement to (most of) our otherwise mundane lives."

and

"If the late Former President Gerald Ford could find it in his heart to pardon the late Former President Richard Nixon after his mistake(s), we undeniably support Paris Hilton being pardoned for her honest mistake as well"

Seriously? Is this complete absurdity or is it just me?