Thirteen Things I love about June!
(the list is up early for the US, but it's Thursday SOMEWHERE in the world, right?)

Betsy and her bridal party
(yes, I'm in the picture. I'm the first one sitting, it kinda looks like Betsy's foot is kicking my head)

Yesterday, the upscale shopping center that is being constructed down the street from where I work caught fire:

Today at work, the transformer for our building blew up...kaBOOM! The building was evacuated and we were all sent home.

Can I get a big awwwwwwwwww, bummer? No? I didn't think so ;-)

Went to Target and bought some things for the dogs and a cool pair of sparkly sandals; to the Mall, where the nice girl at Aveda gave me a hand massage and I bought tea, hit Godiva for Dad (no really!), had pizza for lunch. Came home, got 5 gallons of spring water from down the street, picked up Dad's prescription ($250 deductible, thanks Bush) and ordered Mom's headstone...FINALLY.

Now I'm chillin' with the doggies, and MAN is it HOT out there! Not complainin', just sayin' ;-)

Random And Odd has chosen three new words to interpret for "Stuff Portrait Friday":

1. Something 'Sparkly':

2. Something 'Dull'* (I went for definition #9 below...and I couldn't make up my mind which one to include!):

3. Something 'Colorful':

These aren't candy or cupcakes or marshmallows, they're bubble bars from a store called Lush

*dull:

1. Intellectually weak or obtuse; stupid.
2. Lacking responsiveness or alertness; insensitive.
3. Dispirited; depressed.
4. Not brisk or rapid; sluggish: Business is dull.
5. Not having a sharp edge or point; blunt: a dull knife.
6. Not intensely or keenly felt: a dull ache.
7. Arousing no interest or curiosity; boring: a dull play.
8. Not bright or vivid. Used of a color: a dull brown.
9. Cloudy or overcast: a dull sky.
10. Not clear or resonant: a dull thud.

Got an email today from my friend, Sky; she lives in Deerfield, NH and sent me a couple pictures of her recent visitor:

I don't think I'll be hanging around her backyard anytime soon! Sorry Sky!

Sky adds: "We just got home from dinner and checked around the yard with a flashlight, and he must have come back because all of the bird feeders are GONE now! EEK!"

Seen at Michelle's back in April:

About you...

You are a Designer

As a DESIGNER, you are receptive to ideas and experiences, and enjoy the beautiful things in life, yet you are also grounded and realistic about yourself and the world. [yup!]

You have a quiet appreciation for beauty in all its forms – in nature, in people, and in human creations from architecture to movies. [very true!]

Instead of only focusing on functionality, you try to incorporate your good sense of style and taste into your choices. [hmmm...it's been so long since I've had my own place, this sentence makes me sad. Right now my 'sense of style and taste' consists of dust, dog hair, clutter and cob webs]

At times you feel unsure of yourself, especially when confronted by other people. [definitely! For example, some people tell me my photographs are beautiful and I have an eye for things...but let one person say dismissively, you photographs are mundane and boring...guess who I'd believe?]

You aren't the kind of person who insists on having things your way all the time – you are willing to go along with other people's opinions, even if you disagree. [you'd think this wouldn't be true...but it was very much in evidence last night]

Others may not know this about you, but you are very interested in new ideas, thoughts, expressions, and experiences. You enjoy learning and trying new things. [if people that know me don't know this, they're not very perceptive LOL!]

Although you are practical, you are anything but boring – you have depths to you that others cannot see. [that's like saying "If a tree falls in a forest with no one to hear it, then does it make a sound?"]

The idea of doing the same thing every day for the rest of your life scares you – you need more excitement and challenge than that! [VERY, very true! I think it's why I've been so down lately]

You have a remarkable eye for detail and precision, noticing things that others miss. [I think to think so]

Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts [efficiently? maybe quickly LOL]

Your sense of adventure is supreme - you're up for anything, anytime. Making plans in advance isn't necessary for you: you'd rather figure things out on the go. [this is so very true about me!!!]

Never one to be found in chic boutiques or trendy clothing stores, you take an extremely practical approach to getting dressed. [lol yup, pick up a clean tshirt & jeans, step into flip flops and go]

You tend to believe that things happen for a reason, and that not everything is under our control. [very true]

If you want to be different:

Have faith in your ideas, and voice them more often. Your unique perspective needs to be shared! [good luck with that!]

Allow yourself to become fully immersed in your dreams now and then. You can develop your aesthetic vision even further by allowing your imagination to flourish. [I think my imagination flourishs mightily ;-)]

Be as open to your own wishes as you are to those of others. [good advice; I really need to remember this]

How You Relate To Others...

You are Advocating

Being social, empathic, and understanding makes you ADVOCATING.

Some people find being around others exhausting—but not you! You are energized by spending time with friends, and you are good at meeting new people. [this used to be true, but I think a couple of recent new friends just demanded so much that they exhausted me LOL]

One of the reasons you enjoy conversation as much as you do is that you often learn about yourself while talking things out with a friend; you realize things about your own beliefs while discussing them with others. [yup!]

You have insight into what others are thinking and feeling. This ability allows you to be happy for others, and to commiserate when something has gone wrong for them. [you would think this would be true of all people; unfortunately, you'd be wrong]

You are highly compassionate, and being conscious of how things affect those close to you leaves you cautious about trusting others too hastily. [more so now and with good reason]

Despite these reservations, you are open-minded when it comes to your worldview; you don't look to impose your ways on others. [I don't look to impose my views; however, I do look to try to show people other sides of things, much to their dismay]

Your sensitivity towards others' plights contributes to an understanding—both intellectual and emotional—of many different perspectives. [true]

As someone who understands the complexities of the world around you, you are reluctant to pass judgments. [usually]

If you want to be different:

While it's important to think about others, don't forget to take some time for yourself, and occassionally to put yourself first. [a good lesson to learn]

Take some time to spend with a few close friends; although it's difficult to find people to trust, it's worth the effort. [yeah but...hmmm...]

When you have great ideas, it can be hard to relinquish control, but it can also feel good to take the pressure off and enjoy someone else leading the way. [while I don't act like a typical leader, in fact, this is very true about me LOL

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Fraud :: politician
2. Cure :: all
3. Slate :: roof
4. Pretentious :: yuppie
5. Splendid :: ceremony
6. Geek :: buster
7. Blister :: in the sun
8. Pizza :: slice
9. Revive :: Invasion! (I finally watched the last episode...Larkin? No WAY!!!)
10. Visionary :: vision is scary

If you'd like to play, click here!

I backed out of my driveway this morning, no easy task some mornings, and headed to work. Just down the street and around a slight corner, I saw a car in the middle of the road, stopped. I was about to swear and honk when I noticed three turkeys (bird, not human) crossing the road.

(Not one of the actual turkeys I saw this morning, but still, a turkey I saw wandering down a side street)

These wild turkeys roam our neighborhood, and maybe it's good if they cause traffic to slow down. People love to speed up and down this road; awhile back a car actually flipped over just across the street.

I noticed this sign today at the top of my road when I was out walking Wolf:

I'd seen these other signs before:

and while Home Depot might bring more revenue to my town, it'll also take away business from the local hardware store and generate tons more traffic.

No thanks!

and the nine songs at 9 were:

Stay With Me - Faces (w/Rod Stewart singing) (on the iPod)
Let's Stay Together - Al Green (on the iPod)
Day After Day - Bad Finger
Wild Horses - the Stones
Bell Bottom Blues - Derek and the Dominoes (aka Eric Clapton)
It's a Family Affair - Sly and the Family Stone (on the iPod)
Cry Baby - Janis Joplin
I'd Love To Change The World - 10 Years After
Got Stoned and I Missed It - Dr. Hook

In honor of the fact that today is 6/6/06, Charles' flashback song is by one of the most superstitious bands of all time...Led Zeppelin! He mentioned that it's said if you placed this song backwards (ahhhh the days of vinyl) you would hear a secret satanic message. The song? Stairway To Heaven, about which Charles said "The greatest rock n roll song of all time? You decide."

Does anybody remember laughter?

Saw this over at Transvestite Bait's Monique's blog; she calls it "totally trendy". As you all know, if there's one thing I'm NOT, it's trendy. But I still had to have it :-)

See it? The zoom cloud? Over to the right? Make your own zoomcloud...you know you want to!

How is it I didn't know Professor Lupin and Professor Dumbledore were in this movie??? Poor Professor Lupin REALLY had a hard day!

If you can't tell by the title, I went to see The Omen tonight with Krista. Before the movie, tho, we had dinner at Chili's where some elderly lady who was acting up turned to Krista and said...are you looking at me? Krista was like...um...yeah...OMG we had the giggles so bad. Oh and get this, the meal came to $55.57...can you tell me what I tipped? Continue the theme...

After dinner and two very delicious martini's we strolled over to the theater. Krista had bought tickets beforehand, so no waiting in line, just breezed right in. Sat down, relaxed, no one kicked my seat (at least, not continually, just accidently a time or two...that I can deal with). I'd read a review from the Boston Globe giving the movie one star...but once I saw Lupin's and then Dumbledore's real names, I was set! Lupin had a rather prominant part (get your minds out of the gutter) in the movie and ... AND he was a photographer! Ok, so he was using a Nikon, he was probably forced to ;-)

Anyway, the movie was so-so, not horrible, but as Krista said, the story could've been told better.

And what did YOU do on the devil's night?

RIP Billy Preston; 59 is much too young.

Here's last Wednesday's solution:

Someone has a sense of humor, I saw this in the center of town while walking Wolf.

Hmmmm, what could this be?

What is it?

Thirteen Things I'm looking forward to this summer
(the list is up early for the US, but it's Thursday SOMEWHERE in the world, right?)

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

Forecast for MA:

Forecast for VA:

I'm crossing my fingers that I get to see a good storm in VA...preferably out over the ocean. I'm beginning to look forward, just a little, to walking along the boardwalk. After all, the last time I walked the boardwalk, every wish I made came true. Maybe it's time to make some new memories, you know?

-------------------

For those of you Thursday Thirteeners using blogspot, I'm not ignoring you! Blogspot is just not letting me either view your blog, or if I CAN view it, I can't fricking comment! I'll try again later :-)

Took this shot on 6/5/06, just before it got full dark...was going for a shot of an unopened one, a really pretty bud...but this is what I got:

Know why? Damn bee scared me!

Random And Odd has chosen three new words to interpret for "Stuff Portrait Friday":

1. A wide open space:

or

2. Brightness:

or

3. In the dark:

or

From the plane:

Ghostly view of Cheasepeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

from VA Beach:

smoking butts ;-)

big conch

fallen angel

King Neptune

I had a little too much sun...

ME's new boyfriend; note the loving gaze

Harpoon Larry's - hated it! (at least ME did...I was cozily content with a Yuengling & some spiced steamed shrimp)

From Norfolk:

Norfolk Harborfest fireworks

Friday: Had a bit of a dicey landing at BWI...a wind gust slightly blew the plane slightly sideways...EEK! That was scary! Me picked me up, and we drove, drove, drove to VA Beach. Only got stuck in one traffic jam, and that was around Williamsburg, where a van had caught fire (it was burned to a crisp when we passed it). On the way, we stopped for dinner at a fantastic little Italian restaurant called Giuseppe's in a tiny town called Ruther Glen, off the Ladysmith exit on Rt. 64. If you're nearby, check it out!

ME and I were talking about how people refer to their children in months instead of years...I decided I'm going to say my age in months from now on! This month, I'll be 588 months old! And I'm potty trained (mostly) and can feed myself (mostly). Isn't that great!?!

Checked into the hotel (cheaper rate than we antipated, sweet!) and headed to VA Beach to check it out; ME was pleasantly surprised by how upscale it is, compared to say Ocean City LOL. Had an ice cream at DQ on the beach, walked around a bit, and then headed back to the hotel.

Saturday, we spent the day with ME's son, Rob. He met us at the hotel, we had a quick breakfast, when a tragedy happened...an invisible bug bit me on the arm. I was leaning my arm against an outside door, holding it open for someone and it felt like a sliver of metal stuck me. I showed it to ME and she noticed two miniature bite marks, as if a tiny vampire had got me!

Made a stop at Best Buy so I could buy a thingie for my iPod, so I could play it on the radio, thereby torturing ME & Rob. Equipped with the torture device, we then headed back to VA Beach, and walked around some more. It was busy there, some soccer thing going on, some sand wrestling and the obligatory tourists wandering about. I took a gazillion pictures, including a few of ME & Rob, waiting, waiting, waiting. Had lunch at Harpoon Larry's, my favorite dive place. Yum! Yuengling on draft & spicy steamed shrimp! ME was not impressed LOL!

Back to the hotel, where we changed cars from ME's nice new one to Rob's old, puked-in-last-week one [he cleaned it up, it didn't smell too too bad ;-)] and he drove us to the naval base, where he gave us a car tour. We stopped at the NEX and walked around...boy, do I miss being able to shop on a base! So much cheaper :-)

Off we went to the Norfolk Harborfest, where we did more walking. There were some awesome ships there! We caught a water taxi over to Portsmouth, had a english beer at the Bier Garden (ME had a raspberry lambic that made her decide she does love beer, after all), and ended up eating dinner at a lovely restaurant called Lobscouser. Oh mother of all that's holy, the meal I had was SO good!!! Scallops sauteed with slivers of Smithfield ham and served in a cream sauce. I wanted to lick the plate, and almost did! Mmm, mmm, MMM! The wicked dirty martini wasn't bad, either.

Back to Norfolk for fireworks, which were pretty damn good, and then back to the hotel for some reading and sleep...but we stopped off at a Krispy Kreme whose hot fresh now sign beckoned to us ;-) I noticed a Sonic next to it, and that's where we had breakfast the next morning!

Sunday: Yummy sandwich and cherry lime rickey at Sonic, then off to Williamsburg for a ginger cookie and a stretch your legs walk. Back on the road in an hour, and got to BWI at 430 or so, exactly on time! Finished the book I'd picked up in Manchester (Dean Koontz's Life Expectancy: A Novel (which I highly recommend!) and had an uneventful flight home.

Here's another picture as a reward for getting through all that:

Harpoon Larry's

So...the highlight of the weekend, excluding the Harpoon Larry's debacle, the sneaking of the highly unauthorized photo on the naval base and riding around in a car that had been puked in the week before was finding out not only had our room at the hotel not been cleaned, but that Vladimir, the room maid (what do you call 'em when they're guys?) left the cart with each and every room key on it in the hallway...all day & night.

I thought the head of housekeeping was going to have a coronary when ME told her! As ME said, "when a Baptist mutters "Jesus", it's never good."

I wasn't so much freaked that we could've been killed in the night, as that someone could've stolen my camera!

This is a shot I took at the Norfolk Harborfest, I love the color of it!

I saw this over at Red Shoe Ramblings and thought it was quite interesting! I included definitions on "dosha" and "kapha" in the title, if you click on the words in the title.

Your Dosha is Kapha

Calm and grounded, you are not prone to mood swings or anger. However, once you do get angry, it takes a lot to cool you down. [very true] You tend to think a little slower than most people, but your logic is astounding. [dunno about this one] Overall, you are very loyal and trustworthy. You're not scared of being who you really are. [true] With friends: You enjoy their company, but often listen more than talk. [true] In love: You crave connection and affection. It's hard for you to be single. [not so much] To achieve more balance: Exercise vigorously (especially in the sun) and let go of attachments. [good idea, especially the second part!]

I love when it gets so hot out that I can smell the candles inside the house...or inside the gift shop down the street as I drive by!

Had my yearly mammo today; other than waiting to see the doc for 45 minutes, everything is fine. I even educated the doc and her nurse about the wonders of listening to books on iPods...neither one knew this and both of them are only in their 30s.

Had a teensy inspection at work, more of a physical inventory. Went well! Speaking of work, things are quite busy lately...they've decided to have me do consultant paperwork again. What fun!

My brother forgot to check on Dad while I was gone last weekend...anyone want to check in on him next time I go away just to make sure he doesn't need anything, or burn down the house? When I got home Sunday night, the first thing I smelled was a burning odor...asked him what it was and apparently he put breakfast sausages in the microwave. Instead of setting it for 3 minutes, he set it for 30 minutes. OMG! I see I need to put that note back on the microwave...he's lucky!

I'm taking care of a friend's three cats, two chickens, and a rabbit while she's frickin' sunning herself and drinking foofoo drinks for a week in the Bahamas. Beyotch!!! *wanders off mumbling*

Saw this at Michelle's recently, and she got it from A Geek in Beantown, who got it from another (and another and a sistah and a brothah...anyone know what that's from?):

Wolf and Max sure have changed some, eh?

Here's last Wednesday's solution:

Funny how an egg looks like an orange, or skin!

As for this week...

what is it?

My favorite picture from last weekend:

Speaking of enjoying life, I was running a bit late for work today (sssshhhh, don't tell anyone) and decided I'd better call in. Called the main line, it rang and rang and I was like...dang, answer the phone! No one did (first clue: voice mail didn't pick up, but I hadn't had my first cup of coffee yet, so I was oblivious). I hung up and dialed the accountant's line, same thing. So I figured we had an early morning fire drill and thought...cool, no one will know I'm late! I called a friend at work on her cell, just to see what was going on and she said the building had lost electricity...something about the new transformer blowing a fuse or something and that it should be back on in an hour or so. Oh joy, I thought, now, even though I'm like 1/2 late, I can stop at Dunkin Donuts and get an iced coffee.

Well, to make a long story short, after we (the employees) sat around chit chatting for a couple hours in the reception area, the building maintenance owners told us they were shutting the building down for the day. The VP of our company said he'd make a case to the President to allow us to put our hours on overhead this time, vs taking a personal day for something that was beyond our control, as was the case the last time the building lost electricity (via a blown transformer).

So I headed to Barnes and Noble and picked up a couple new books; one by Christopher Moore, called A Dirty Job, which is basically a story about death and about how the protagonist must "gather up souls before the Forces of Darkness get to them". The other book is by Bill Buford, and it's called Heat : An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany. It's basically about how this guy, Buford, becomes a slave, etc., to two chefs, Mario Batali (you probably recognize the name from FoodTV) and Marco Pierre White.

Then I grabbed some lunch and a green tea latte, came home, got Max & took him for a walk, which was cut a bit short due to a line of thunderstorms that rolled in. While on the walk, I stopped to take some pictures of Max frolicking in a swollen stream. I felt something on my leg, looked down and saw, to my horror, a GAZILLION mosquitos feeding on me. YUCK! I brushed and swatted, and continued walking. As long as I was moving, I was fine...but if I dared to stop, it was feeding frenzy. Note to self: remember insect repellent next time.

Thirteen Things about my trip to VA last weekend
(click on any picture for a better view)
(the list is up early for the US, but it's Thursday SOMEWHERE in the world, right?)

1. Flying into Baltimore


2. The theme of our trip ;-)


3. The North American Sand Soccer Championships was going on in VA Beach; the sand was filled with soccer players (ooh la la!).


4. One of the many shots of MaryEllen (ME, for short) and Robb, waiting while I took pictures; this one happens to be on the boardwalk at VA Beach.


5. Some starfish I saw for sale at some store on Atlantic Ave in VA Beach; they look like they're sprinkled with those white dots on non-pareils (click on the picture for a better view).


6. Funny/creepy thing on top of the Haunted Fun House.


7. You're not allowed to swear in VA Beach (click on the picture to see what I mean).


8. Gold eagle on a Coast Guard ship at Norfolk Harborfest


9. Can you find the pirate flag amidst all the other flags (click on the picture for a better view)? This was also at the Norfolk Harborfest.


10. Interesting metal ant from an outdoor sculpture exhibition in Portsmouth.


11. Fireworks at the Norfolk Harborfest (I ended up filling up one whole memory card with nothing but fireworks shots!).


12. Beautiful, extra large poppy in Williamsburg, VA


13. Lovely rainbow on top of the clouds, taken from the plane on the way back to Manchester NH.

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It's easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

I just loved the colors in this one (also from the Norfolk Harborfest).

I felt overwhelmingly sad today and I apologize to the one that had to hear most of it...you know wholoo you are. I'm not one to complain usually, guess it was just one of those days. Still not feeling much better, either. If I hadn't just got back from a vacation, I'd think it's a vacation I need, but that's not it. If I stopped and thought about it and whatnot, I'd say I'm feeling a sense of aloneness (is that a word?), essentially self imposed. Usually I like being alone, in fact, I crave it...but this is a different kind of alone...it's a separation, a standing apart.

I read blogs about people and their families and their significant others ... and I want that for me, altho I know it'll not happen. Had my chance, more than once and passed it on by. Or...maybe it didn't work out cause I'm basically unloveable, I'm not pretty enough for someone to love. Who knows?

Please don't think I'm looking for attention by writing this post...if you knew me at all, you'd know that's not the case. I'm just talking about how I feel because I thought maybe by talking about it, I'd get it out of my system.

Maybe a nice vodka tonic would help. It'd sure go a long ways toward forgetting about the spider I found on me tonight while I was walking Wolf. EEK!

Random And Odd has chosen three new words to interpret for "Stuff Portrait Friday":

1. Your Puzzle:

What does this say? It's a mystery, altho I once knew, as my friend Michele copied it out of a spell book. We were big into that in high school, and I've kept this with me since I was 14. Just in case...

2. Your Best (Your best what? YOU DECIDE!!):

My best flower picture...I couldn't decide between these two, so you decide :-)

3. Something "Old":

a very, VERY old graveyard up in Meredith, NH. One grave has a date of 1857, a full 100 years before I was born.

Grab the Scavenger Hunt code. Photo Theme. Join the blogroll. Visit participants.

Sports =

Photography's a sport, right? Anyway, it's one of my Dad's passions and it is for Father's Day...so
Happy Father's Day, Dad!!!

I asked Dad what he wanted to do for Father's Day; he replied: "It doesn't matter to me what we do, as long as we're [my brother, me, Dad] all together. So you know what we're doing? We're having a bbq at my brother's house. He's cooking up some lobsters and grilling some steak; I'm making potato salad and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert. And we're spending it together.

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads of all types out there :-)

Technorati Profile

Took Dad & Max to Castle Island today and while I was there, of course I took a bunch of pictures! This one is my favorite :-)

Dad and Max

Today we're heading to my brother's house; I'm going to read my book on the beach while Dad and Bro watch a movie on the new big screen.

Happy Father's Day to everyone who's a Dad in any way, shape or form :-)

It was hot, no lie!

There was a cool wind off the lake, so that helped alot. This was taken on Sunday, 6/18/06, at 5:30 PM.

Max & Wolf kept cool by wading around in the lake; Wolf would then come out and roll roll roll in the sand, dig a hole then stick his face in it. He was COVERED in sand; I couldn't even take a picture I was laughing so hard! He did this at least 5 times.

Then they were attacked by a lobster in the lake!

then they chased a butterfly:


and finally, they took a nap:

Cause I'm a slackah beyotch:

First is week 175:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Band :: Led Zeppelin
2. Tan :: lines
3. Mount :: Washington
4. Arcade :: walked past one in VA Beach
5. Customize :: a van
6. Hamburger :: comfort food
7. Solid :: as a rock
8. Forbidden :: delight!
9. Deter :: me not from what I want to do!
10. Torment :: and death

followed by Week 176:

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Voice :: Robert Plant
2. Us :: vs them
3. Passionately :: kiss (Robert Plant)
4. Humbly :: decline
5. Love songs :: are kinda smooshy and smarmy
6. Dim :: bulb (I know some of those!)
7. Calendar :: of days which slip by too fast
8. Careless :: whisper
9. Block :: spam
10. Goal :: in life

If you'd like to play, click here!

When I jokingly said that there were lobsters in the lake attacking the dogs, I figured y'all would know I was kidding. Northeast humor at it's best. Staged photographs. That sort of thing.

Northeast lobsters aren't red until they're cooked. They don't live in fresh water, but in salt water, i.e., the ocean. Click on this link to see what a live lobster looks like.

This red one, in my hand, held far over Wolf's head...is dead...and half eaten ;-)

That is all!

Saw this over at DebR's; I copied a few of her answers, and attributed them to her!

TEN random things you might not know about me (a tough one, cause we Cancerians like to keep our secrets, yes we do):

1. In my early 20s, I asked all my friends to start calling me Beth, a contraction of my middle name, cause I didn't like my first name. So they did, and would call the house asking for Beth. My parents would answer and say, sorry you have the wrong number. LOL!
2. I used to do home care for the elderly and really liked it alot. Most times, homecare was minimal and listening and talking was the norm.
3. I once lived in a 3 room (not counting the bathroom) apartment with 2 adult dogs and 8 puppies; the guy I lived with was in the hospital after being hit on his motorcycle by an oil truck. Crushed almost every bone in his foot and broke his pelvis. It wasn't a happy time, no, not at all. He came out of the hospital addicted to morphine and a very changed person. I moved out and in with my friend, Sue.
4. My friend Sue had to come and make me get out of bed after the accident. I remember being so incredibly depressed I could barely move, but she wouldn't take no for an answer and once I was up and doing things, the depression, it went away.
5. You know how I don't like bananas but I love things that taste like them? Well I don't like most things that taste like almonds, but I adore almonds themselves.
6. One of my favorite things in the world to do is ... nah...that's too secret ;-)
7. I dated a married man...when I was in high school. In my defense, I had no idea he was married, altho he told my best friend and swore her to secrecy as he knew if I knew I'd not have gone out with him. Duh. Also, he was 24 to my 14. Times, they were different back then!
8. I used to cut myself...learned it from the my best friend (same one as above) who'd come to school with a bandana wrapped around her hand, dripping with blood. Think the teachers ever said anything? Nah...this was the 70s and she was good at hiding things.
9. I used to work for a company that paid me to inject rats and mice with radioactive medications, some meant for the heart, some the liver, some the lungs, etc. Then, after a certain time period would pass, I'm have to sacrifice them (the rats with a miniature guillotine) and dissect them, putting their blood in one test tube, and each organ in their separate test tubes. Then the organs were tested to see if the radioactivity was actually going where it was supposed to. Both mice & rats were anesthetized before being sacrificed. Yes, I know this was a horrible job, and yes, it's hard for me, the animal lover, to believe I used to do it.
10. Met a nephew of Stephen King's at the aforementioned job, while I was sacrifying a rat; we dated for awhile, but I was very glad nothing came of it...can you imagine telling the children and grandchildren how we met?

NINE places I've visited:
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
3. London, England
4. Paris, France
5. Oahu, Hawaii
6. Redondo Beach, CA
7. Denver, CO
8. Toronto, Canada
9. New York City

EIGHT ways to win my heart (I'm sorry to be a copy cat, but some of these answers I can't change...it's exactly what I'd say; I'll asterisk the ones I copied):
1. Feed me a home-cooked meal that I had absolutely nothing to do with preparing and that I don't have to clean up after.*
2. Share with me a really good red wine.
3. Be nice to my dogs.*
4. Let me take photos of you without complaining about how you hate to have your picture taken, or how you don't like your hair, or how those pants make you look fat, or whatever - in other words, just let me take the picture!*
5. Don't be offended or take it personally when I need some quiet time alone.*
6. Tell me you like something I've created - anything I've created! (bonus points if you can articulate why you like it; double bonus points if you can articulate why you like it without ever using the word "cute")*
7. Don't feel the need to fill every moment you're with me with a load of chatter...if you can recognize companionable silence, even better
8. Listen when I talk - really, truly LISTEN.*

SEVEN things I want to do before I die:
1. Go to Germany.
2. Go to New Zealand.
3. Go to Australia.
4. Go to all the Hawaiian islands
5. Go to Kyoto.
6. Go to the Grand Canyon.
7. Go to Yellowstone National Park.

SIX things I'm afraid of:
1. Spiders
2. bees
3. centipedes
4. becoming a bag lady
5. losing my Japanese dishes
6. losing my cameras and photo albums

FIVE things I don't like:
1. Self-centeredness
2. ignorance
3. natto
4. green mint ice cream
5. a succession of ordinary days

FOUR ways to turn me off:
1. Create drama where there doesn't need to be any (I'm keeping this answer!!!)
2. Abuse animals.
3. try to talk to me with your mouth full of food.
4. snap your damn gum.

THREE things I do every day:
1. Read
2. take pictures
3. Walk Wolf

TWO things that make me happy:
1. Thinking about a song, and hearing it immediately thereafter on the radio
2. Photography

ONE thing on my mind right now:
1. I cannot BELIEVE how hot it was Sunday! Not complaining in the least, just SHOCKED!

Want to play along? Tell me so in comments and you can consider yourself officially tagged. Of course you can also comment without requesting a tag.

Here's last Wednesday's solution:

Carmen who said, "I hardly ever get these things right." and T guessed correctly, well, partially LOL...it's a belly button, altho it doesn't belong to Papa Smurf!

As for this week...

what is it?

I'm pet sitting for my friend Pat, while she's off sunning herself in the Bahamas or Bermuda or somewhere tropical. These are the pets:

Clarabelle, who loves any type of footwear

NotSkinny

Skinny

LC, who is a bit shy

BC, who struts around in all her glory!

Bunny, who misses Pat the most, I think. I petted Bunny for awhile yesterday and he/she closed her/his eyes and was all blissed out :-)

Here are some things that caught my eye in the back yard:

I love this chair!

Don't know what they are, but they're pretty!

old Jack Daniels barrel

Big old mushroom attached to a tree stump

You know how I hate spiders? This type doesn't bother me, and I'm not sure why. I read somewhere they're the most poisonous of all spiders but that their fangs are too small to pierce human skin. Lucky us!

If you have ever lost someone very important to you, then you already know how it feels; and if you haven't, you cannot possibly imagine it.
--Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Before I start, I just want to say that today is the first birthday I've had without my mother. And it feels weird.

Dad DID remember, and that made me smile :-)

Now on with the 13!

Every year, I anticipate the first birthday card, the first Christmas card, etc., I'm just weird like that. This year, the first birthday card AND present were from transvestite bait Monique: The card was sassy, like it's giver, and the present, a magnet, made me drool:

The icing on the cake...from yesterday at work. We celebrated three birthdays in the month of June; the president of the company, the controller and me. I call it the holy trinity ;-)

Took a ride up to Hampton Beach last night to photograph the sand sculptures there. Found it was fenced off, so I couldn't get close enough to get a good shot. Oh, well, I'll just have to go back :-)

And I have to share with you screen caps from the ecard Deb & Laura sent me:

Cracked me up, it did!

A few folks saw fit to mention me on their blogs today:

Heather
Michelle
MB
Lauren

Looking forward to dinner (and a martini, perhaps) tonight, and who know what else! Life is good :)

The three new words from Random And Odd to interpret for "Stuff Portrait Friday":

1. Your Drinking Glasses:

I got them when I lived in Japan, a set of 6, all different colors, but on a white porcelain background and made in France LOL!

2. Your Address book/Stationary:

Someone gave this to me as a going away present when I left Japan. It's got cross outs but I'll keep it always. Also in the picture is my favorite pen, a bottle of Aladine Fountain Pen Ink in Marron (or brown lol) and the thank you cards I need to send out.

3. Something "New":

A 2007 Shiba Inu calendar which arrived in the mail from my cousin yesterday as a present for my birthday!

I just wanted to thank each and every one of you who wished me a happy birthday yesterday! It made me smile in my heart. Thanks!

Thanks, also for the wicked funny ecards! TNChick sent me a Hoops and Yoyo one-I adore Hoops and Yoyo!!! Gina sent me one that had a VERY funny song on it, hahaha; MaryEllen's was all mushy, and Carmen's had a cute bear on it LOL, and you saw the screen caps from the one Deb & Laura sent!

Oh, and Yo Tambien Te Mando Besos sent me a couple of really cool songs, including one that mentions Severus Snape! Thank you!

A new and very interesting blogread, rusvw, mentioned me in herThursday Thirteen (I love her outlook on life!), and one of my very first reads when I started blogging, Zoot, in honor of my birthday, was moved to do a T13 (she doesn't suck!)--I loved it! I'm really not an attention hound, believe it or not.

I was talking with Michelle the day before yesterday and she told me she'd just walked past one of those cows that are all over Boston right now. I asked her to take a picture with her cellphone and send it to me, she said sure, then her bus came and she had to catch it. The end, right?

No! The next day, she went and took pictures of 5 different cows, had them developed, bought a frame, put one in the frame (I can rotate the other pictures if I get bored of the one in the frame LOL) and gave it all to me last night at dinner for a "joke" present. Joke! I LOVED it! I loved that she thought to do it, that she took time from her not so busy work day, dragged along a coworker...I even loved the face she cut most of the cow's feet off in the pictures! It was thoughtful and funny and made me laugh. Thank you so much!!!

Met Krista after work at her place, where I put on my new Laura Mercier makeup while sipping the second best dirty martini ever, handmade by the Loo herself, prior to heading out to meet Michelle for dinner at Magnolia's. We were late, I'm sorry MIchelle, dinner was delish, the ice cream for dessert next door at Christine'st was too (they had CORN! Corn flavored ice cream. Yes, of course I had to taste it, I also tasted the licorice flavored one and ended up with a WHITE mint chocolate chip cone. Yum! K & I dropped off Michelle and headed for a nightcap at Not Your Average Joe's where I bought her a drink in honor of her divorce.

I even got a couple of unexpected emails! Life is just filled with surprises, even when you're as old as me :-)

Seriously, though, it helped me more than you all will ever know, to have all those birthday wishes, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Tonight, it's dinner (back at Joe's again) and a movie, An Inconvenient Truth with Michelle (two days in a row, how can she stand it?). Tomorrow, a historic rose garden picture taking expedition and Menopause: The Musical and Sunday, a drive to Boston to pick up some friends.

What're your plans for the weekend?

I don't have a window in my office, by a coworker/friend buzzed me on the intercom and said, "I think the end of the world is approaching." This picture doesn't show it well, but oooh boy did it get dark, and it was only about 4:30 pm.

On the way back from picking Pat & family up at the airport, I saw this little girl (recent mom?) grabbing some breakfast:

She wasn't bothered by me in the least, I think she was really hungry!

Who's up for a trip to Disneyland? Disneyworld? YUM!

"Hey, isn't that Johnny Depp chasing the serving wench? ...visitors will be treated to ... an animatronic figure of Captain Jack Sparrow..."

I couldn't possibly want to be a serving wench more!

And...the word "animatronic" sounds like anatomical right? Do you think it could be? Anatomically correct? Hmmm...a girl could only fantasize hope...cause if so, I'd like one for my bedside closet, please!

Yo ho yo ho a pirate's [edited for content] for me!

taken with the EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6 lens
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 85 mm
ISO Speed: 400

taken with the 50mm f1.8 lens
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 320

Which do you like better, and why?

I have to use a shedding blade on him, a regular brush just won't work! Poor guy is so itchy and hot with all that hair, he LOVES when it all comes off!

This is a movie that should be seen. Of course, some people will pooh-pooh the movie, but you should see it anyway. Like you should see Thank You For Smoking; but that's a whole other can of worms.

And you can see it for free; a little birdie told me. If you can afford to see it, but would like to donate some of your money to help others see it, you can do that, too!

Don't be put off by the narrator; it's not a political movie, nor is Mr. Gore on a political soapbox. It's simply a movie about our world and what can be done to fix serious environmental problems...while they're still fixable.

I thought it would be cut and dried, lots of charts and rhetoric...but it wasn't. Yes, there were a few charts, but they were extremely interesting, and I wasn't bored a second.

The glaciers some of you so love are melting. Notice an overabundance of ticks & mosquitos lately? Warmer weather is at fault. What causes the warmer weather? Go see this movie.

He even touches on smoking, a particularly sore subject with me as it's what ruined my mother's quality of life and hastened her death...and her mother's before her.

Go see An Inconvenient Truth. It'll start you thinking (and not just about global warming) if nothing else.

"In 39 years, I have never written these words in a movie review, but here they are: You owe it to yourself to see this film. If you do not, and you have grandchildren, you should explain to them why you decided not to."
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Saw this at TNChick's:

I know ~ what I want to do.
I believe ~ that I can do it.
I fought ~ a friend when I was 12.
I am angered ~ by self-centeredness, prejudice, ignorance and willful stupidity.
I love ~ my dogs!
I need ~ someone to love.
I take ~ long walks in the woods.
I hear ~ the rustle of the leaves and the cars going past my house.
I drink ~ dirty martinis and oh yum!
I hate ~ very little in this world, besides ticks.
I use ~ my camera almost every day.
I want ~ to learn more about photography.
I decided ~ to order a flash and diffuser today.
I like ~ Johnny Depp, angel food cake, and listening to the rain late at night.
I am ~ not in a very good mood right now.
I feel ~ lonely and alone.
I left ~ VA because I knew I was in a destructive relationship.
I do ~ miss him, tho, every day.
I hope ~ that I will find someone to be with, hold hands with, be comfortable with.
I dream ~ vivid dreams and remember many of the details.
I drive ~ really fast when I'm listening to Led Zeppelin!
I listen ~ to Led Zeppelin really, really loud!
I type ~ fast and accurately.
I think ~ many things that I don't blog about.
I wish ~ for peace and happiness for everyone I know, me included.
I compensate ~ for not being attractive in a variety of ways, none of which really work LOL
I regret ~ nothing at all.
I care ~ for those I let into my life, probably more than they know.
I should ~ ask for help.
I am not always ~ a good person.
I said ~ hurtful things to a friend.
I wonder ~ if I can make a living with photography.
I changed ~ for the better thanks to the influence of my friend Gaylen when I lived in Japan.
I cry ~ occasionally, sometimes at very inconvenient times!
I am ~ myself, always.
I am not ~ as understanding as I could be.
I lose ~ my temper from time to time...it's not pretty!
I leave ~ the world a better place, I hope!

Another comparision:

Lens: EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60)
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 53 mm
ISO Speed: 160

Lens: 50mm f/1.8
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400

Which one do you prefer and why?

In my car on the way to work this morning, I pass an MBTA bus. On it's side is a poster for the new Adam Sandler movie, Click.

(his ear looks fucked up!)

We're stopped in traffic and the bus is next to me, so I get to read the buttons on the remote, which is basically the subject of the movie.

One button in particular, "Rewind", stands out; it says "To prom night ". I think to myself, this would make a good blog entry. What buttons would be on YOUR remote? And then I thought of all the things a guy could go back to, why would it be prom night?

Seems weird to me. But then I'm not one for convention, and didn't attend my senior prom; I did do something fun that night, tho ;-)

These are what would be on my buttons:

Play: Hooky
Mute: People who snap their gum
Delete: Bills
Pause: Wolf
FF: Work
Slo-mo: I'd have to stick with vacations
Skip: sickness
Rewind: hehehe, I'm not tellin' ;-)

What would be on YOUR remote?

Then, at lunchtime, Pat emails me:

Pat: "Hey.are you still going to the movie with me tonight?"

me: "soitenly! what time?" [to myself, I'm thinking...huh? what movie? did i say i'd go see a movie and not remember ...HAHAHAHA]

Pat: "it starts at 7 but I have to be there at 6. It's the Adam Sandler movie switch or something"

See? Coincidence!

Here's last Wednesday's picture:

And what it was cropped from:

Amy, who was the first commenter, got it right! She said, "I think it looks like a dog tongue in the grass." Goofygirl was next to mention it, she said: "Hrmm I have no idea, but reading the comments I do think it might be a dog tongue. Looks pretty nasty tho!" Then Mel said, "I think it is part of a dog!" Not sure WHAT part she thought it was but it was a dog part!

As for this week...

what is it?

Michelle knew I was feeling down, and sent this beautiful bouquet of gerbera daisies to me at work to cheer me up! She's a good friend who goes out of her way to make me smile. Thanks Smooch!

There were some beautiful clouds in the sky yesterday...took this one out the window at work:

My coworker/friend E popped her head into my office last night and said two words: "Crabcake sandwich?" I logged off the computer and headed to The Cheesecake Factory with her. There was a 20-40 minute wait, so we went to Sephora, 9 West and Baker's to kill some time. Finally, we were seated. I had a wicked dirty martini, she had a beer, and we ordered calamari for an appetizer and the aforementioned crabcake sandwich for dinner (we split it). Halfway throught the crabcake sandwich, I didn't feel so good. Too much fried goodness, I think, or too much mayo-based stuff. Anyway, I headed home after that. Had to pee, but figured...oh I'll wait til I get home, it's not far.

Know where this is going?

I opened the door to the house (Dad was out for the evening, went to a concert with some people from choir) and immediately thought one of the dogs had had an accident (not that they ever have!). All I could smell was poop!

This is what I saw: dirty dishes on the washing machine, a sink filled with soapy water and nothing else, dirty pans on the floor in front of the sink and little globs of dirt (not poop!) on the floor. I had to pee, tho, remember? So I headed to the bathroom, where I found the source of the odor...there were faint smears of poop on the floor in front of the toilet, along with a spatula (no poop on it, but I still threw it away).

So, Columbo-style, I pieced together what happened. Kinda. I figured Dad put Max out on the run in the backyard. Then he started to do the dishes. Unfortunately, sometimes Max gets wrapped around the tree out back...and Dad has to walk thru the not usually unmown but with all the rain we've been having grass, where he encountered a poop bomb. He can't look down when he's walking so that explains how he stepped in it.

Then I think he realized what he's stepped in...and took his shoes off before he came in the house...but that little bits of dirt fell off them anyway. He took the shoes into the bathroom...cause where else would you clean poop off your shoes but over the toilet? After cleaning off the shoes and whatnot, he realized he had no time to finish the dishes OR leave me a note, cause the choir folk were coming to pick him up.

So I had to clean all THAT before I could pee. Next time, I'll use the restroom at the restaurant, sheeesh!

And you can bet I'm going to tell Dad that ALL kitchen implements are NOT for use for anything but COOKING! I might even just throw them all away and start from scratch...and I'm serious! DISGUSTING!!!

Of course...I could be wrong about the whole thing and Dad could just need to start wearing Depends. In which case...I'm REALLY glad I threw away the spatula! I'm warning him, tho...incontience = nursing home! Joking! [mostly] No really! [uh huh]

Ms. Random and Odd is off doing pre-wedding stuff this week, so her fiance has stepped in to fill her shoes...bet he looks sexay in those heels! Anyway, this is the assignment:

1. Something with a story behind it. Photograph something that has a story behind it. And yes, you might have to actually write a little bit on this one. Good, sad, funny, made-up...does it really matter? It IS the internet. Be creative.

3. In keeping with the recurring wedding theme, a photo of something borrowed. This is pretty self-explanatory.

Ok, here goes:

1. Something with a story behind it:

This picture was taken on Halloween in Salem, MA. I'm 95% sure this was all an act...but it still creeped me out. I felt such sad vibes from the 'pet' (guy in the middle with his stomach showing). It's hard to tell in the photo, but he had a huge rack of like tree limbs decorated with leaves and pieces of torn black cloth. He's got "cuts" on his face., and he's looking at that girl as if he's like to eat her...or worse! Very strange. If you view this picture at the original size, you can see many more details...even creepier!

2. A Random and Odd photo:

Ok, readers, make up a story or caption for this picture please!

3. A photo of something borrowed:

I "borrowed" MaryEllen to get this photo...isn't she an angel!

More birthday goodness in the mail yesterday! The above is from my friend MaryEllen (the photo on the bottom is the card she sent LOL)...hmmm...who to use the Office Voodoo Kit on? Hmmm...

She made the bag herself, out of silky ribbon yarn by Lionbrand!

There was also a package from Lush, which contained Flying Fox shower gel, Flying Fox balm and two slivers of 17 Cherry Lane soap...but no note as to who it was from! After asking around, I found out it was from Heather! Thank you so much, and boy, do I smell GOOD today, all jasmine-y and honey, sweet!

Another of my Blingo friends, i.e., people I've signed up to Blingo, has won a prize, which means I'VE won another prize--this makes #4! This time, it was Amy! I opted for the $10 iTunes gift cert instead of the movie ticket :-)

C'mon...sign up, you know you'd like to win prizes, too! All you have to do is use Blingo as a search engine 10 times each day. Easy! Click on the tag below to sign up!

Be my Blingo friend, won't you?