Sunday, November 30, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!
In honor of Thanksgiving, as a public service Food Network Turkey Tips , also in honor of Thanksgiving I am posting two Key Lime pie recipes. One easy, one hard. The hard recipe does produce a better pie but the easy recipe is easy and still produces a fine pie.
The Hard Way
6 egg yolks
5/8 cup of sugar
5 ounces Key lime juice ( I suggest the juice from the plastic lime)
Zest of two real limes
32 ounces of whipped topping
pre-made graham cracker crust,maybe two, recipe makes one large pie and one smaller.
Heat egg yolks, 5/8 cup sugar and key lime juice in double boiler. Stirring occasionally. Once mixture has achieved the consistency of pancake batter remove from heat. Chill in refrigerator for two hours until it gels. Combine lime zest and whipped topping, then with a hand mixer beginning at medium speed and increasing to high speed until overly thick. You can not over beat the topping. By hand fold in lime gel, deposit in graham cracker crust. Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
The Easy Way
1 pie crust
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice ( go with plastic limes)
3 egg yolks
Mix all the ingredients and pour into crust, bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then chill.
**********
I like my Key lime pies to have a hint of green, in it's natural state it has a tinge of yellowness to it. You have gone too far with the food coloring when the finished product is so green it tastes like food coloring. Key lime is not supposed to be khaki. It's scaring
In honor of Thanksgiving, as a public service Food Network Turkey Tips , also in honor of Thanksgiving I am posting two Key Lime pie recipes. One easy, one hard. The hard recipe does produce a better pie but the easy recipe is easy and still produces a fine pie.
The Hard Way
6 egg yolks
5/8 cup of sugar
5 ounces Key lime juice ( I suggest the juice from the plastic lime)
Zest of two real limes
32 ounces of whipped topping
pre-made graham cracker crust,maybe two, recipe makes one large pie and one smaller.
Heat egg yolks, 5/8 cup sugar and key lime juice in double boiler. Stirring occasionally. Once mixture has achieved the consistency of pancake batter remove from heat. Chill in refrigerator for two hours until it gels. Combine lime zest and whipped topping, then with a hand mixer beginning at medium speed and increasing to high speed until overly thick. You can not over beat the topping. By hand fold in lime gel, deposit in graham cracker crust. Let rest in refrigerator for at least one hour before serving.
The Easy Way
1 pie crust
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice ( go with plastic limes)
3 egg yolks
Mix all the ingredients and pour into crust, bake at 350 for 10 minutes, then chill.
**********
I like my Key lime pies to have a hint of green, in it's natural state it has a tinge of yellowness to it. You have gone too far with the food coloring when the finished product is so green it tastes like food coloring. Key lime is not supposed to be khaki. It's scaring
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Staying Strong
With some of the house in order and the lawn picked up and no dog cookies made or cards organized, I thought it would be a good idea pre-holiday to get myself tidied up. I mean, it was getting down to the wire and really, how many years worth of pictures of yourself do you really need to be haunted by where you look like Bozo and Brook Shields love child? In my case? Too many.
Since I had been there last there has been a change in management. I liked the last management. I never had to wait and all conversations were conducted in pantomime as they didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Korean. I walked in the door, fluttered by fingers around my eyes and they took to the back to do their thing. It was fast, easy and convenient to work. I would pop in there at 11:30 and could be sitting down eating lunch before noon. I liked that. This time, under new management I walked in at 4:30 and did my fluttering and they asked me to sit down and sign in, in English! I was aghast. My first thought was They are totally going to charge more! . I pay very little for very little and part of that is no conversations and no reading the magazines, this time I read an entire Glamour and half a Self before I got called back and then I sat there too. I was not happy. I’ve been the victim of too much poor customer service lately and this was making me feel picked on.
Finally, a woman came back and my wallet relaxed. She spoke a grand total of four words of English and they were gibberish! She did her thing and I went to pay where I discovered she knows another word of English: Tip .
I have been trying to DIY the brow waxing because they make tweezers for a reason and it is not to fix glasses frames or pull pennies out from air-conditioning grates. I have been trying spend as little on “want” items as I can. It’s about Need v. Want and I’m trying to remember what is and is not important and to concentrate on keeping my Needs filled. Wanting something is natural, but its not a Need for a reason. No one “needs” another plastic plate, not even a really heavy one with a neat image on it. Also, no one needs black noodles, even if they are really, really, really cool and you want them right now... But you must keep in mind that for the same price you could get toothpaste and butter and tea you need those.
Right now for instance, Dogger is helping out the home team by eating a catalogue. This is a good thing for her to do, the downside is that I don’t really want her to eat my catalogues but I need her to eat as many as possible as quickly as possible. so I can’t find more things I need. To drive my point home and in the spirit of being consistent , I separated Dogger from her catalogue toy and now she is sad. She won’t even speak to Ninja Hamster and she has completely forgotten about Bone! She’s known both of them for months and now she doesn’t love them anymore.. It’s very sad to see old friends grow apart.
I wish I could explain to her that while eating unwanted catalogs is Okay, eating the similar papery utility bills is not. It is very hard to make that distinction with her.
Now Dogger, this envelope comes from AT&T, this is not to eat, but this envelope comes from Publishers Clearing House and it is okay to eat. Mommy’s explanation of Benefits from her Insurance Company is not okay to eat but this booklet from Hover-Round is. This catalogue from Thomas Kincaid is okay to eat but this Signals catalogue is not. Can you see the differences? Good Girl.
Right now Dogger is crying at the door so that I will re-unite her with her catalogue. It is her best friend and she misses it very much.
With some of the house in order and the lawn picked up and no dog cookies made or cards organized, I thought it would be a good idea pre-holiday to get myself tidied up. I mean, it was getting down to the wire and really, how many years worth of pictures of yourself do you really need to be haunted by where you look like Bozo and Brook Shields love child? In my case? Too many.
Since I had been there last there has been a change in management. I liked the last management. I never had to wait and all conversations were conducted in pantomime as they didn’t speak English and I don’t speak Korean. I walked in the door, fluttered by fingers around my eyes and they took to the back to do their thing. It was fast, easy and convenient to work. I would pop in there at 11:30 and could be sitting down eating lunch before noon. I liked that. This time, under new management I walked in at 4:30 and did my fluttering and they asked me to sit down and sign in, in English! I was aghast. My first thought was They are totally going to charge more! . I pay very little for very little and part of that is no conversations and no reading the magazines, this time I read an entire Glamour and half a Self before I got called back and then I sat there too. I was not happy. I’ve been the victim of too much poor customer service lately and this was making me feel picked on.
Finally, a woman came back and my wallet relaxed. She spoke a grand total of four words of English and they were gibberish! She did her thing and I went to pay where I discovered she knows another word of English: Tip .
I have been trying to DIY the brow waxing because they make tweezers for a reason and it is not to fix glasses frames or pull pennies out from air-conditioning grates. I have been trying spend as little on “want” items as I can. It’s about Need v. Want and I’m trying to remember what is and is not important and to concentrate on keeping my Needs filled. Wanting something is natural, but its not a Need for a reason. No one “needs” another plastic plate, not even a really heavy one with a neat image on it. Also, no one needs black noodles, even if they are really, really, really cool and you want them right now... But you must keep in mind that for the same price you could get toothpaste and butter and tea you need those.
Right now for instance, Dogger is helping out the home team by eating a catalogue. This is a good thing for her to do, the downside is that I don’t really want her to eat my catalogues but I need her to eat as many as possible as quickly as possible. so I can’t find more things I need. To drive my point home and in the spirit of being consistent , I separated Dogger from her catalogue toy and now she is sad. She won’t even speak to Ninja Hamster and she has completely forgotten about Bone! She’s known both of them for months and now she doesn’t love them anymore.. It’s very sad to see old friends grow apart.
I wish I could explain to her that while eating unwanted catalogs is Okay, eating the similar papery utility bills is not. It is very hard to make that distinction with her.
Now Dogger, this envelope comes from AT&T, this is not to eat, but this envelope comes from Publishers Clearing House and it is okay to eat. Mommy’s explanation of Benefits from her Insurance Company is not okay to eat but this booklet from Hover-Round is. This catalogue from Thomas Kincaid is okay to eat but this Signals catalogue is not. Can you see the differences? Good Girl.
Right now Dogger is crying at the door so that I will re-unite her with her catalogue. It is her best friend and she misses it very much.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Weekend
Raleigh Christmas Parade . Sorry no Santa picture but I hadn't been able to feel my feet in an hour and I decided that if it was between waiting for him and getting frost bite, I didn't want to have to ask him for toes. I think he understood.
After I could feel my feet again I went to the book sale and spent money, on the upside, I saved $357.37! I went with the idea I was going to stay away from the more expensive $2 hardbacks and stick with the .50 paperbacks... I ended up with fourteen hardbacks and nineteen paperbacks, plus a handful that didn't have any prices listed.
Oh, I also did the most decadent thing evah. I needed to rake my yard, actually, I needed to rake the yard a while ago but I had other things on my plate that I actually wanted to do, so I had put it off . I looked for the rake and when I couldn't find it ( some one took it, bastards) , I thought I was out of business. And then I remembered the blower. Oh. my.gawd. Rake? what rake?
Raleigh Christmas Parade . Sorry no Santa picture but I hadn't been able to feel my feet in an hour and I decided that if it was between waiting for him and getting frost bite, I didn't want to have to ask him for toes. I think he understood.
After I could feel my feet again I went to the book sale and spent money, on the upside, I saved $357.37! I went with the idea I was going to stay away from the more expensive $2 hardbacks and stick with the .50 paperbacks... I ended up with fourteen hardbacks and nineteen paperbacks, plus a handful that didn't have any prices listed.
Oh, I also did the most decadent thing evah. I needed to rake my yard, actually, I needed to rake the yard a while ago but I had other things on my plate that I actually wanted to do, so I had put it off . I looked for the rake and when I couldn't find it ( some one took it, bastards) , I thought I was out of business. And then I remembered the blower. Oh. my.gawd. Rake? what rake?
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Friday!
And we have snowfall. According to the guy who delivers my paper it has been snowing since 3am. It's not sticking as yet. but it's real snow... It was real snow. AS soon as it got light enough to enjoy it, it stopped.
Woo-Hoo! Cheap-er books at the fair! Woo! Also? as of November 19th my garden finally died. actually, it froze to death. My peppers and large tomatoes really held on like champs, but they were too tall to cover and nature took its course. My baby broccoli are still short so covering them was easy and I did. I just realized something about myself, I am an ageist. Young and cute? I go out of my way to make sure you stay warm at night but work for me all summer, sweat in the heat and produce your little heart out for months and I let you freeze to death when you get old. I am a mean person.
Saturday I'm going to take my big plants out and prep the soil for the winter. Maybe I'll manafest my ageism and show the baby brocs some love. Or I'll just tidy the plot and wait for the leaves to cover the dirt and leave it at that and still show the brocs a little love. I could go out and buy something to cover the garden for the winter and I know they sell pricey garden mulches that are all organic and natural but why bother? Nature makes it's own additives for free and if they sit there long enough it gets organic as hell. I like free. Speaking of free, I think I may have a little volunteer cucumber growing in my back yard shrub. Maybe I'm not the meanest person ever?
Speaking of things that were not free, My Tree Arrived! Yay! It's standing there in my entry way all ready for me to take it out and put it up! Yay! Christmas Tree! Deck my Halls! LaLaLaLa! But in November? before even Thanksgiving? I'm not sure, I mean. Gee. You know? That just seems like I'm rushing it. I haven't touched my cards yet and I think I should prioritize getting those ready before I do the tree. I don't know, I'm going to be busy over the weekend with the gardening and the house cleaning and the laundry I never really did last weekend and I will be at the book fair a lot...
Maybe, maybe I should put the tree up.I Mean, it's the first time and it may take me a while and I may need help and my family will be around later in the week but I could try...My family is staying with me for the holiday and it would be a good bonding activity and then there is the shopping and of course all the cleaning before hand and the cooking, I am going to be really busy. Maybe, I should just put it up, save time later on... I don't have to to park it in front of the window or anything. I don't have to display it or anything...
And we have snowfall. According to the guy who delivers my paper it has been snowing since 3am. It's not sticking as yet. but it's real snow... It was real snow. AS soon as it got light enough to enjoy it, it stopped.
Woo-Hoo! Cheap-er books at the fair! Woo! Also? as of November 19th my garden finally died. actually, it froze to death. My peppers and large tomatoes really held on like champs, but they were too tall to cover and nature took its course. My baby broccoli are still short so covering them was easy and I did. I just realized something about myself, I am an ageist. Young and cute? I go out of my way to make sure you stay warm at night but work for me all summer, sweat in the heat and produce your little heart out for months and I let you freeze to death when you get old. I am a mean person.
Saturday I'm going to take my big plants out and prep the soil for the winter. Maybe I'll manafest my ageism and show the baby brocs some love. Or I'll just tidy the plot and wait for the leaves to cover the dirt and leave it at that and still show the brocs a little love. I could go out and buy something to cover the garden for the winter and I know they sell pricey garden mulches that are all organic and natural but why bother? Nature makes it's own additives for free and if they sit there long enough it gets organic as hell. I like free. Speaking of free, I think I may have a little volunteer cucumber growing in my back yard shrub. Maybe I'm not the meanest person ever?
Speaking of things that were not free, My Tree Arrived! Yay! It's standing there in my entry way all ready for me to take it out and put it up! Yay! Christmas Tree! Deck my Halls! LaLaLaLa! But in November? before even Thanksgiving? I'm not sure, I mean. Gee. You know? That just seems like I'm rushing it. I haven't touched my cards yet and I think I should prioritize getting those ready before I do the tree. I don't know, I'm going to be busy over the weekend with the gardening and the house cleaning and the laundry I never really did last weekend and I will be at the book fair a lot...
Maybe, maybe I should put the tree up.I Mean, it's the first time and it may take me a while and I may need help and my family will be around later in the week but I could try...My family is staying with me for the holiday and it would be a good bonding activity and then there is the shopping and of course all the cleaning before hand and the cooking, I am going to be really busy. Maybe, I should just put it up, save time later on... I don't have to to park it in front of the window or anything. I don't have to display it or anything...
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The operative words are books and sale
I went to the book sale. I went with the plan that I would just make a quick (!) pass though, scope out what was there make a note of what I wanted and come back after the prices g down in a few days and pick up what I need, going with the idea if whatever it was had been sold by the time I got back, well, I didn't need it anyway. I decided with an eye towards Pushing Daisies, that I could spend about forty-five minutes wandering around and then I would leave without buying anything (!).
And that plan worked out real well for me. Not. The place is the size of an aircraft carrier and its covered wall to wall with row upon row of banquet tables covered with layers of books! To get an idea of what I want I would still have to look at everything on every table and this can not be accomplished in forty-five minutes. I also wasn't going to get out of there without spending some money.
I decided that while it would be all right to buy something if I saw something that caught my eye, I could not buy something no matter how eye catching for myself. Buying gifts would be fine. I need to buy gifts and books make good gifts... Have you ever tried to buy books for other people? Everyone says they like books but which books? About what, by whom? Right now come up with the favorite author of a friend or family member, can you do it? Genre is easier but not all murder mysteries or non-fiction social commentary are created equally. And you can't just wimp out and buy a gift card because there are no gift cards for a library sale! It's all about Carpe-ing that Tony Hillerman right now And taking a chance on that all cabbage cook book on the off chance it might be a winner. For $4 its hard to lose. And once you made that bet, it seems perfect? Is it too perfect? Do they have this book on their shelf right now? It's a gamble.
Not a gamble? Dave Barry books. There were hundreds! You couldn't get away from the damn Dave Barry books. Non-Fiction Travel section? thirty four copies of Dave Barry Goes to The Grand Canyon, eleven copies of Dave Barry Goes To Hungary. Biography? five copies of Dave Barry Talks About Other People, Non-Fiction Computer? fourteen copies of Dave Barry Fixes Your PC, True Crime? two copies of Dave Barry found Three Dead Bodies, Non-Fiction Gardening? sixteen copies of Dave Barry Grows Tomatoes. I on purpose didn't spend a lot of time in the kids books but I'm pretty sure I saw three copies of Dave Barry Rides a Firetruck.
Oh, Alphagal! I have two words for you: COOK BOOKS. Row upon row, table upon table of cook books. All the cook books! Really kewl, fun-just-to-look-at cook books, five-cups-of-what? cook books. Cook Books full of pretty pictures and interesting illustrations! Food you would never make and probably wouldn't eat, but just reading the recipes can make you feel full. All. The. Cook. Books.
And I was good. Mostly. I found two gifts and a single damn-it all-$4-hardcover for myself. Saturday and Sunday I'm going back to play for keeps.
I went to the book sale. I went with the plan that I would just make a quick (!) pass though, scope out what was there make a note of what I wanted and come back after the prices g down in a few days and pick up what I need, going with the idea if whatever it was had been sold by the time I got back, well, I didn't need it anyway. I decided with an eye towards Pushing Daisies, that I could spend about forty-five minutes wandering around and then I would leave without buying anything (!).
And that plan worked out real well for me. Not. The place is the size of an aircraft carrier and its covered wall to wall with row upon row of banquet tables covered with layers of books! To get an idea of what I want I would still have to look at everything on every table and this can not be accomplished in forty-five minutes. I also wasn't going to get out of there without spending some money.
I decided that while it would be all right to buy something if I saw something that caught my eye, I could not buy something no matter how eye catching for myself. Buying gifts would be fine. I need to buy gifts and books make good gifts... Have you ever tried to buy books for other people? Everyone says they like books but which books? About what, by whom? Right now come up with the favorite author of a friend or family member, can you do it? Genre is easier but not all murder mysteries or non-fiction social commentary are created equally. And you can't just wimp out and buy a gift card because there are no gift cards for a library sale! It's all about Carpe-ing that Tony Hillerman right now And taking a chance on that all cabbage cook book on the off chance it might be a winner. For $4 its hard to lose. And once you made that bet, it seems perfect? Is it too perfect? Do they have this book on their shelf right now? It's a gamble.
Not a gamble? Dave Barry books. There were hundreds! You couldn't get away from the damn Dave Barry books. Non-Fiction Travel section? thirty four copies of Dave Barry Goes to The Grand Canyon, eleven copies of Dave Barry Goes To Hungary. Biography? five copies of Dave Barry Talks About Other People, Non-Fiction Computer? fourteen copies of Dave Barry Fixes Your PC, True Crime? two copies of Dave Barry found Three Dead Bodies, Non-Fiction Gardening? sixteen copies of Dave Barry Grows Tomatoes. I on purpose didn't spend a lot of time in the kids books but I'm pretty sure I saw three copies of Dave Barry Rides a Firetruck.
Oh, Alphagal! I have two words for you: COOK BOOKS. Row upon row, table upon table of cook books. All the cook books! Really kewl, fun-just-to-look-at cook books, five-cups-of-what? cook books. Cook Books full of pretty pictures and interesting illustrations! Food you would never make and probably wouldn't eat, but just reading the recipes can make you feel full. All. The. Cook. Books.
And I was good. Mostly. I found two gifts and a single damn-it all-$4-hardcover for myself. Saturday and Sunday I'm going back to play for keeps.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Wake Book Sale Returns Nov. 19-23, 2008
The annual Wake County Public Library Book Sale will be held November 19-23, 2008, at the former Super Kmart, 4121 New Bern Ave., located between New Hope Road and Corporation Parkway in Raleigh. More than 350,000 books will be available for purchase.
Book Sale Hours:
Wednesday, November 19, noon to 9 p.m.
Thursday, November 20, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, November 21, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, November 22, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Book prices Wednesday through Friday will be $4 per hardbound book and $1 per paperback. On Saturday the prices drop to $2 hardbound/50 cents paperback. On Sunday, the library will provide bags and boxes for customers to pack at $2 per bag and $5 per box. Cash and checks will be accepted, and patrons are encouraged to bring hand trucks or book carts to use as they find great bargains.
Only cash and personal checks are accepted for payment.
The annual Wake County Public Library Book Sale will be held November 19-23, 2008, at the former Super Kmart, 4121 New Bern Ave., located between New Hope Road and Corporation Parkway in Raleigh. More than 350,000 books will be available for purchase.
Book Sale Hours:
Wednesday, November 19, noon to 9 p.m.
Thursday, November 20, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, November 21, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, November 22, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Book prices Wednesday through Friday will be $4 per hardbound book and $1 per paperback. On Saturday the prices drop to $2 hardbound/50 cents paperback. On Sunday, the library will provide bags and boxes for customers to pack at $2 per bag and $5 per box. Cash and checks will be accepted, and patrons are encouraged to bring hand trucks or book carts to use as they find great bargains.
Only cash and personal checks are accepted for payment.
She’s Saucy!
In honor of our first real cold snap and our first “snow” of the season. It wasn’t so much snow as it was like pollen from a snow tree, it wafted around in a very unsnowlike way. Also? For much of the time it was “snowing” , the sun was shining. I know what it means when there is rain and bright sun - it means that the devil is beating his wife, but what does snow and sunshine speak to?
I decided to “make” some spaghetti sauce. I use quotes around make because my Mother makes spaghetti sauce from scratch. I just added ground meats and frozen pre-chopped peppers and onions to a jar of Prego and dumped garlic into the pot. I don’t think utilizing jar sauce meets the definition of “making”. I did however brown the meet and sauteed the peppers and onions and added spices to give it taste. Prego on it’s own has no taste. I also boiled the spaghetti. I don’t know what got into me, but it was cold and kind of snowique-ing outside and the thought of standing in front of the stove for a while sounded very seasonal and I had this ground chicken in the refrigerator that wasn’t getting any younger.... It was all about synergy.
Did you know that even the smallest jar of Prego is a huge amount of Prego? Would Prego-for-one make someone somewhere to depressed to live? Is it written somewhere they can only sell Prego in vats? So now I have a lot of spaghetti sauce. Lots of sauce. Lots and lots. Enough I should never have to make sauce again. Too bad for Prego, now I never have to buy spaghetti sauce again. Great marketing strategy there.
I would have rather bought any size of Newman’s Own I bet Paul Newman didn’t believe in marginalizing a whole segment of the buying public! whatever market research they did for my Kroger must have uncovered that “ the community” did not respond to charitable spaghetti sauce, no matter how twinkly and good of heart or it could just be simply that Kroger sucks. If I had sucked it up and gone to a grocery in North Raleigh, I would still be standing there trying to decide which variety of which brand to take home. I think the last time I looked for sauce at Poverty Barn I had more of a selection than at my store.
The woman in front of me in line was buying her whole Thanksgiving dinner while the guy behind me was picking up a carton of smokes and enough 40s for a crowd. Holiday in the Hood.
In honor of our first real cold snap and our first “snow” of the season. It wasn’t so much snow as it was like pollen from a snow tree, it wafted around in a very unsnowlike way. Also? For much of the time it was “snowing” , the sun was shining. I know what it means when there is rain and bright sun - it means that the devil is beating his wife, but what does snow and sunshine speak to?
I decided to “make” some spaghetti sauce. I use quotes around make because my Mother makes spaghetti sauce from scratch. I just added ground meats and frozen pre-chopped peppers and onions to a jar of Prego and dumped garlic into the pot. I don’t think utilizing jar sauce meets the definition of “making”. I did however brown the meet and sauteed the peppers and onions and added spices to give it taste. Prego on it’s own has no taste. I also boiled the spaghetti. I don’t know what got into me, but it was cold and kind of snowique-ing outside and the thought of standing in front of the stove for a while sounded very seasonal and I had this ground chicken in the refrigerator that wasn’t getting any younger.... It was all about synergy.
Did you know that even the smallest jar of Prego is a huge amount of Prego? Would Prego-for-one make someone somewhere to depressed to live? Is it written somewhere they can only sell Prego in vats? So now I have a lot of spaghetti sauce. Lots of sauce. Lots and lots. Enough I should never have to make sauce again. Too bad for Prego, now I never have to buy spaghetti sauce again. Great marketing strategy there.
I would have rather bought any size of Newman’s Own I bet Paul Newman didn’t believe in marginalizing a whole segment of the buying public! whatever market research they did for my Kroger must have uncovered that “ the community” did not respond to charitable spaghetti sauce, no matter how twinkly and good of heart or it could just be simply that Kroger sucks. If I had sucked it up and gone to a grocery in North Raleigh, I would still be standing there trying to decide which variety of which brand to take home. I think the last time I looked for sauce at Poverty Barn I had more of a selection than at my store.
The woman in front of me in line was buying her whole Thanksgiving dinner while the guy behind me was picking up a carton of smokes and enough 40s for a crowd. Holiday in the Hood.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Yay!
Your order placed on Friday, November 14, 2008 from ChristmasTreesGalore.com has shipped.
Whee! New Tree! I wasn't even really in the market, my current tree is only ten years old and lately, it sheds more than a real tree - but I wasn't in the market. Broskey and Alphagal were in the market, they needed a tree. I didn't "need" a tree. I had a tree. I was in the market for them, not me. I was going to be in the market, perhaps after Christmas, maybe even next year... You know at some point in the future, most certainly not this year... at some point I was absolutely going to maybe start thinking about maybe-maybe not getting a new tree. The old one still stands up and you could say that all those needles it drops lends it an air of veracity it might otherwise not have.
But still, I've been saying this for years, I'll really start looking after Christmas this year, I do need to get a new tree but before Christmas is not the time. After Christmas I'll take care of it. And then I over sleep the day after Christmas and don't make it to the mall until after 10am and all the really good marked down trees are all ready gone.
I've had real tree a few years ago that required less attention and dropped fewer needles on the carpet then my artificial tree. It's Christmas all the time round at my house because I find fake tree needles all year round. Don't get me wrong, I loved my tree. I got it at a Christmas in August sale they held at my nursing home and I scored it for $25. I got a great deal on it and for the first five or seven years or so, it was terrific and because it never locked together right, it spun a little and that kept The Kitty from flattening it over the years.
Actually, the tree is okayish, it's the box it lives in that is really at the end of its life. I would just suck it up with the tree but the box is the real issue. Last year my big fear was that the box was going to disintegrate before I could get the tree out of the attic and down the stairs I had nightmares about it falling apart half way down the stairs and it taking me and the tree with it. I really didn't want to spend the holidays in traction because my tree box fell apart.
And yes, I know I could get a bag thing for the tree, I know about those. The problem being, my tree was not designed with a bag in mind. My tree was designed to spend the off season in a box, its box, not a glorified duffel bag. I think bagging it would have just made a bad situation worse, the tree would have gotten even more stressed that it was, it would have lost even more needles and it might have developed artificial tears or gotten stand bound or whatever happens to fake trees that stay at the dance too long.
Of course because I wasn't in the market for a new tree, I bought a collection of fancy LED lights after Christmas last year and now that the new tree is pre-lit, I'm going to have to find another use for them. I think I might have to re-think my outdoor display with an eye towards displaying multiple strings of lights. It's not like I'm wanting in the out-door-decoration department, I could skip the lights all together! I have a giant snow globe, a 5 foot light up penguin and a tomato-brace slash funky Christmas tree. I could probably lose the strand of round lights around my door or at least rethink the mini-net lights on my railing. But , deep sigh they're classics! You can't find really interesting nets of lights anymore! Crayola only came out with Christmas lights for a couple of years and they had some neat designs you can't find anymore and they look really cool! I mean its about Tradition after all! But maybe I can start a new tradition? Change is good right?
Your order placed on Friday, November 14, 2008 from ChristmasTreesGalore.com has shipped.
Whee! New Tree! I wasn't even really in the market, my current tree is only ten years old and lately, it sheds more than a real tree - but I wasn't in the market. Broskey and Alphagal were in the market, they needed a tree. I didn't "need" a tree. I had a tree. I was in the market for them, not me. I was going to be in the market, perhaps after Christmas, maybe even next year... You know at some point in the future, most certainly not this year... at some point I was absolutely going to maybe start thinking about maybe-maybe not getting a new tree. The old one still stands up and you could say that all those needles it drops lends it an air of veracity it might otherwise not have.
But still, I've been saying this for years, I'll really start looking after Christmas this year, I do need to get a new tree but before Christmas is not the time. After Christmas I'll take care of it. And then I over sleep the day after Christmas and don't make it to the mall until after 10am and all the really good marked down trees are all ready gone.
I've had real tree a few years ago that required less attention and dropped fewer needles on the carpet then my artificial tree. It's Christmas all the time round at my house because I find fake tree needles all year round. Don't get me wrong, I loved my tree. I got it at a Christmas in August sale they held at my nursing home and I scored it for $25. I got a great deal on it and for the first five or seven years or so, it was terrific and because it never locked together right, it spun a little and that kept The Kitty from flattening it over the years.
Actually, the tree is okayish, it's the box it lives in that is really at the end of its life. I would just suck it up with the tree but the box is the real issue. Last year my big fear was that the box was going to disintegrate before I could get the tree out of the attic and down the stairs I had nightmares about it falling apart half way down the stairs and it taking me and the tree with it. I really didn't want to spend the holidays in traction because my tree box fell apart.
And yes, I know I could get a bag thing for the tree, I know about those. The problem being, my tree was not designed with a bag in mind. My tree was designed to spend the off season in a box, its box, not a glorified duffel bag. I think bagging it would have just made a bad situation worse, the tree would have gotten even more stressed that it was, it would have lost even more needles and it might have developed artificial tears or gotten stand bound or whatever happens to fake trees that stay at the dance too long.
Of course because I wasn't in the market for a new tree, I bought a collection of fancy LED lights after Christmas last year and now that the new tree is pre-lit, I'm going to have to find another use for them. I think I might have to re-think my outdoor display with an eye towards displaying multiple strings of lights. It's not like I'm wanting in the out-door-decoration department, I could skip the lights all together! I have a giant snow globe, a 5 foot light up penguin and a tomato-brace slash funky Christmas tree. I could probably lose the strand of round lights around my door or at least rethink the mini-net lights on my railing. But , deep sigh they're classics! You can't find really interesting nets of lights anymore! Crayola only came out with Christmas lights for a couple of years and they had some neat designs you can't find anymore and they look really cool! I mean its about Tradition after all! But maybe I can start a new tradition? Change is good right?
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday
I went and toured the Drug Dealers former house and I have to say they did a remarkable job. True, it does look very much like all the other renovated homes in the area that I have toured with the same "open floor plan", beige walls, hardwoods and the ubiquitous cherry cabinets, metal appliance and gray granite counter tops in the kitchens. The square footage differs but the interior's are all the same.
Yawn.
Why is it important to make every property look exactly alike? Granite? Comes in a lot of colors besides gray or black, and cherry cabinets are nice, but they are also done. The whole scheme is the bright white kitchen of its day and like all fads will be very dated very soon. And as for those metal appliance's? fingerprints, fingerprints, fingerprints and they aren't magnetic! So not family friendly. Really, you can buy the exact same product in white, black or biscuit and it will run you at least $75 less and might make your property stand out from the herd.
But other than my pet peeves, the house is lovely. Brand new Pella windows throughout, two large fireplaces, big, bright bedrooms, nice, if basic bathrooms and a huge (dry) unfinished basement plus a nice backyard that gets all the sunshine I don't. I wish they had sprung for a new roof though because it still needs one and the tree in the front yard needs to go. I also would have put a railing around the front porch and put a proper entry way to balance it out plus added a carport. I think I would have gone for black appliances and did more for the curb appeal because that's what going to sell that place that and cutting the price by about $45,000. I'm all for free enterprise but $225,000? Not going to happen, not when other similar properties still routinely go for under a hundred grand. If they do manage to sell for that though I am totally going to turn the buyers on to some ocean front property in Arizona.
Back to me.
I discovered on Friday that The Kitty can shrink himself to the size of a button! Seriously, I went to go give him his chin acne treatment and I couldn't find him, I looked everywhere. I finally discovered him hiding in the pocket of a blazer I haven't worn since last March. Corralling him in the morning for his pills and chin treatment is not fun, it was all ready getting progressively harder and less fun to make him take his pills and now since his chin exploded he just won't let me near him at all. The only time he'll still let me get close to him is right after I get out of bed in the morning and I'm really not excited about having to figure out cat pilling and chin treating when I've been awake for three minutes. I'm good when I've been awake a little longer but he's totally caught on to his usual pilling schedule. In the morning, once he sees me putting my shoes on that his cue to disappear. I can't even lure him in with food because he's caught on to that trick. I wish he wasn't as smart or that agile, I think I liked him better when he was too fat to make himself tiny.
Okay, I've established how small he can get, Sunday morning he was both the comforter I was sleeping under and the pillow I was sleeping on. He was just vast and purring and warm. It is so hard to stay mad at him when he can be so good! I mean if he was consistently a pain in the ass it would be easier to just force treatment or even worse, not treat him at all - But he's such a sweet cat and I love him to pieces. I kind of wish he was even smarter, a super genius cat so I could explain why he had to take those pills or how important it is to have his chin acne treated. Poor kitty both too smart and too dumb.
I went and toured the Drug Dealers former house and I have to say they did a remarkable job. True, it does look very much like all the other renovated homes in the area that I have toured with the same "open floor plan", beige walls, hardwoods and the ubiquitous cherry cabinets, metal appliance and gray granite counter tops in the kitchens. The square footage differs but the interior's are all the same.
Yawn.
Why is it important to make every property look exactly alike? Granite? Comes in a lot of colors besides gray or black, and cherry cabinets are nice, but they are also done. The whole scheme is the bright white kitchen of its day and like all fads will be very dated very soon. And as for those metal appliance's? fingerprints, fingerprints, fingerprints and they aren't magnetic! So not family friendly. Really, you can buy the exact same product in white, black or biscuit and it will run you at least $75 less and might make your property stand out from the herd.
But other than my pet peeves, the house is lovely. Brand new Pella windows throughout, two large fireplaces, big, bright bedrooms, nice, if basic bathrooms and a huge (dry) unfinished basement plus a nice backyard that gets all the sunshine I don't. I wish they had sprung for a new roof though because it still needs one and the tree in the front yard needs to go. I also would have put a railing around the front porch and put a proper entry way to balance it out plus added a carport. I think I would have gone for black appliances and did more for the curb appeal because that's what going to sell that place that and cutting the price by about $45,000. I'm all for free enterprise but $225,000? Not going to happen, not when other similar properties still routinely go for under a hundred grand. If they do manage to sell for that though I am totally going to turn the buyers on to some ocean front property in Arizona.
Back to me.
I discovered on Friday that The Kitty can shrink himself to the size of a button! Seriously, I went to go give him his chin acne treatment and I couldn't find him, I looked everywhere. I finally discovered him hiding in the pocket of a blazer I haven't worn since last March. Corralling him in the morning for his pills and chin treatment is not fun, it was all ready getting progressively harder and less fun to make him take his pills and now since his chin exploded he just won't let me near him at all. The only time he'll still let me get close to him is right after I get out of bed in the morning and I'm really not excited about having to figure out cat pilling and chin treating when I've been awake for three minutes. I'm good when I've been awake a little longer but he's totally caught on to his usual pilling schedule. In the morning, once he sees me putting my shoes on that his cue to disappear. I can't even lure him in with food because he's caught on to that trick. I wish he wasn't as smart or that agile, I think I liked him better when he was too fat to make himself tiny.
Okay, I've established how small he can get, Sunday morning he was both the comforter I was sleeping under and the pillow I was sleeping on. He was just vast and purring and warm. It is so hard to stay mad at him when he can be so good! I mean if he was consistently a pain in the ass it would be easier to just force treatment or even worse, not treat him at all - But he's such a sweet cat and I love him to pieces. I kind of wish he was even smarter, a super genius cat so I could explain why he had to take those pills or how important it is to have his chin acne treated. Poor kitty both too smart and too dumb.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
TGIF.
Has anyone else noticed that all of a sudden its light in the morning? I mean, early in the morning? I got used to driving to work in the dark but it was cool because really, what is there to see downtown at 7am any way? Oh look! It's a homeless guy sleeping on that park bench and look! there's a bag lady packing up her grocery cart! I know why its light again but it doesn't keep me from worrying that I over slept. There are also more people wandering around now than when it was still dark on my way in. When I think about it, the people may come from the homeless shelter that I pass by, and I think they have to leave at dawn which would explain the milling masses that I never saw before because I was usually there before dawn. Yeah for the end of daylight savings.
If it gets lighter earlier that means it gets darker sooner too. It isn't bothering me this year as much as it has in years past because I don't have to come home and take Dogger for a walk before it gets dark. It used to be that I would have to race home and change my clothes and get Dogger outside for a walk in under 10 minutes or I would have to walk home in the dark and that sucked. I miss walking Dogger and being able to be out and about with her and just being visible was really nice and let us both keep an eye on what was going on around the neighborhood. I don't do as good a job with that now and I miss being a part neighborhood even if I was just the white girl with the dog part. I can ride my bike around but its not the same. You really have to be on foot to keep an eye on things, you miss a lot of the detail when you just zipping by.
Today for instance, I didn't even ride my bike outside. I had to use the exerbycle instead. Tooling around campus at lunch is all well and fine but it doesn't help me with staying visible in the neighborhood. I think that has been Doggers biggest influence on my life, the fact that everyone knew who at least my dog was and her daily walks made me a part of the neighborhood in a way that I am not now and that makes me sad. I ran in to a couple when I was leaving the precinct on election day and while I had no idea who they were, they asked after Doggers health and progress and wished her well, it was really sweet. I guess I could drive Dogger around our walking route but it wouldn't have the same impact for anyone. Having Dogger stick her nose out though the window just wouldn't be the same as holding court for the neighborhood kids at the park; Dogger always likes a good ride in the car but I think it would depress me. I could just see us pulling into the parking lot and announcing:
Hey Kids! Guess who's here?! Dogger! Dogger is back! Come over to the car to pet Dogger though the window! Sure She can get out but she shouldn't walk very far. No, that's too far... No she can't go play in the field like before... No she can't fetch that stick... But otherwise she's doing really well! Sure! We can walk around the car! Look! She's peeing! She can still pee!, Okay we can walk to the shrub... Well, kids, see Dogger is tired now, this has been a lot of exercise for her! See you in a week after she's recovered from this! Bye!
Yeah. That depresses me.
Has anyone else noticed that all of a sudden its light in the morning? I mean, early in the morning? I got used to driving to work in the dark but it was cool because really, what is there to see downtown at 7am any way? Oh look! It's a homeless guy sleeping on that park bench and look! there's a bag lady packing up her grocery cart! I know why its light again but it doesn't keep me from worrying that I over slept. There are also more people wandering around now than when it was still dark on my way in. When I think about it, the people may come from the homeless shelter that I pass by, and I think they have to leave at dawn which would explain the milling masses that I never saw before because I was usually there before dawn. Yeah for the end of daylight savings.
If it gets lighter earlier that means it gets darker sooner too. It isn't bothering me this year as much as it has in years past because I don't have to come home and take Dogger for a walk before it gets dark. It used to be that I would have to race home and change my clothes and get Dogger outside for a walk in under 10 minutes or I would have to walk home in the dark and that sucked. I miss walking Dogger and being able to be out and about with her and just being visible was really nice and let us both keep an eye on what was going on around the neighborhood. I don't do as good a job with that now and I miss being a part neighborhood even if I was just the white girl with the dog part. I can ride my bike around but its not the same. You really have to be on foot to keep an eye on things, you miss a lot of the detail when you just zipping by.
Today for instance, I didn't even ride my bike outside. I had to use the exerbycle instead. Tooling around campus at lunch is all well and fine but it doesn't help me with staying visible in the neighborhood. I think that has been Doggers biggest influence on my life, the fact that everyone knew who at least my dog was and her daily walks made me a part of the neighborhood in a way that I am not now and that makes me sad. I ran in to a couple when I was leaving the precinct on election day and while I had no idea who they were, they asked after Doggers health and progress and wished her well, it was really sweet. I guess I could drive Dogger around our walking route but it wouldn't have the same impact for anyone. Having Dogger stick her nose out though the window just wouldn't be the same as holding court for the neighborhood kids at the park; Dogger always likes a good ride in the car but I think it would depress me. I could just see us pulling into the parking lot and announcing:
Hey Kids! Guess who's here?! Dogger! Dogger is back! Come over to the car to pet Dogger though the window! Sure She can get out but she shouldn't walk very far. No, that's too far... No she can't go play in the field like before... No she can't fetch that stick... But otherwise she's doing really well! Sure! We can walk around the car! Look! She's peeing! She can still pee!, Okay we can walk to the shrub... Well, kids, see Dogger is tired now, this has been a lot of exercise for her! See you in a week after she's recovered from this! Bye!
Yeah. That depresses me.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The people I work with
A co-worker chose to not give to State Employee combined campaign this year because days ago we got an email from one of the campaign boosters lauding other sections for their high participation rates and dollar amounts raised while pointing out that the Raleigh offices with so many more people had less participation and raised less cash. This offended the co-worker. She also noted that she wasn't going to participate anyway because she "looked through the book and didn't see any she thought were good". The book is 95 pages long and includes 1140 different charities.
It is to weep. So I could think about other things I went for a walk.
Sigh. Pretty, but not much different than what I saw the other day, right up until I saw a little tree with this really large branch.
A co-worker chose to not give to State Employee combined campaign this year because days ago we got an email from one of the campaign boosters lauding other sections for their high participation rates and dollar amounts raised while pointing out that the Raleigh offices with so many more people had less participation and raised less cash. This offended the co-worker. She also noted that she wasn't going to participate anyway because she "looked through the book and didn't see any she thought were good". The book is 95 pages long and includes 1140 different charities.
It is to weep. So I could think about other things I went for a walk.
Ahhh. Much better. Did I mention that one of our workmates is under going chemo for breast cancer? and that in our 95 page book, among the 1140 charities was at least one benefiting breast cancer research? Over a thousand possible choices and she didn't think any of them were "good". In years past I have read every word and really put thought into who was going to get my yearly donation and whether to keep my donation local or go for a national charity. I have been giving local for the last several years. This year I went for a national charity, but one that I hope will aid my local friend. It was quick, it was easy and I didn't need to do a lot extraneous research into it's history and goals and where my money is going. I know where my money is going - right across the hall.
Sigh. Pretty, but not much different than what I saw the other day, right up until I saw a little tree with this really large branch.
It wasn't a branch and this picture isn't nearly as good as I had hoped it would be, seeing how close to it I was and how easy a shot it was, obviously I do not do well with wildlife and should stick with trees. I hung out with Mr./Ms. Hawk for a bit until he/she saw something to eat and took off. I kept walking but there wasn't anything else that was different from the other day. I still took pictures, I just played with the images more later. I have to keep myself occupied somehow, I can't shop all the time.
Later on, I came home and found out that the Drug Dealers old house next door is at last on the market. Broskey and Alphagal did some research and found out that the house last sold for $37,000 in June. Today, it's on the market for $225,000.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Back to Work
Well, with Christmas now a whopping 43 days away and I have two whole gifts bought! Which means that I only have about, I don't know... A bazillion left to get well, okay, I have the gifts for the people at work, so that's eight out of the way but those don't count and Tiny E is taken care of but like anyone has to twist my arm when it comes to getting to buy cute things for her, my problem now is being strong about saying NO! to the entire world of things that I know she would like. Oh, and lets not even talk about where I am on Dog Cookies...
And of course that damnable Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue is still sitting around being all sneaky and insidious and attractive. Raising the question, if its too expensive to buy for myself, is it too expensive to buy as a gift? When I wasn't shopping or pouring over evil catalogues over the past few days I was taking pictures . I called it "part 1" because about half the leaves at Dix haven't even changed yet and I took those over lunch and I got as far as I could during my lunch break. I'm going to go walk another section of the path later this week.
Well, with Christmas now a whopping 43 days away and I have two whole gifts bought! Which means that I only have about, I don't know... A bazillion left to get well, okay, I have the gifts for the people at work, so that's eight out of the way but those don't count and Tiny E is taken care of but like anyone has to twist my arm when it comes to getting to buy cute things for her, my problem now is being strong about saying NO! to the entire world of things that I know she would like. Oh, and lets not even talk about where I am on Dog Cookies...
And of course that damnable Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue is still sitting around being all sneaky and insidious and attractive. Raising the question, if its too expensive to buy for myself, is it too expensive to buy as a gift? When I wasn't shopping or pouring over evil catalogues over the past few days I was taking pictures . I called it "part 1" because about half the leaves at Dix haven't even changed yet and I took those over lunch and I got as far as I could during my lunch break. I'm going to go walk another section of the path later this week.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Shopping
I am right now trying very hard to talk myself out of my third shopping trip of the day. It’s not my fault. Shopping trip one was to the mall and they all ready had Christmas carols going and the halls decked and everywhere we went they were selling Christmas ointments and I was brain washed, really, its not my fault! Shopping trip number two was an errand for Santa and a visit to a store that had every available flat surface covered with nativity scenes, really, the floor in the form of hand knotted rugs , the ceiling as delicate mobiles and the walls in beautifully expressed multi-media art installations. And of course, hundreds of others on the shelves. And of course, Christmas ornaments - hand made, fair trade and certified green. There were dozens of angels constructed of our biggest imports and influences to the third world: land mines, coke cans and gum wrappers.
It’s Santas fault I now need to go out again! If I do go out again I could get a gift put to bed! It would just be one down about thirty-seven thousand to go but I could get one off my list. If I could just do that one little thing I could feel like I was accomplishing something. What I really hate? I’m stressing over this and it’s the beginning of November, How crazed am I going to be by the time its really time to get on the stick? But. I can’t go to the store tonight, I have to get ready for the week, I have chores to do, laundry to finish and three animals that need to be taken care of...
Yes, three animals. Mini-Kitty is staying here and she is so happy about it. Just thrilled to pieces that she istrapped in hell spending some time with us! The Kitty is just beside himself with joy! Actually, The Kitty didn’t seem to know Mini-Kitty was in the house until I thought it 2was a good time for a play date and I threw them in together. The Kitty used a safety word about ten minutes after I left him. It’s really sad seeing a really large cat trying to slither under a door - I mean, a first I laughed, ‘cause it was funny! but then I felt bad about it and I let him out. I only put him in there because every time I go in there Mini-Kitty treats me like a conquering hero. I’ve never been able to pet her and she’s never touched me on purpose and now out of nowhere she’s handing out head butts and purring like a engine and being all cute and sweet. I thought she was lonely but now I see it as a honey trap. Evil beastie.
After she got through with mt cat I went in to see her and she was all sweetness and light before she drew blood. The damnable little beast can sit in my hand and she should be registered as a lethal weapon. Although in real life she would sit in my hand only after she tore it from my body.
I am right now trying very hard to talk myself out of my third shopping trip of the day. It’s not my fault. Shopping trip one was to the mall and they all ready had Christmas carols going and the halls decked and everywhere we went they were selling Christmas ointments and I was brain washed, really, its not my fault! Shopping trip number two was an errand for Santa and a visit to a store that had every available flat surface covered with nativity scenes, really, the floor in the form of hand knotted rugs , the ceiling as delicate mobiles and the walls in beautifully expressed multi-media art installations. And of course, hundreds of others on the shelves. And of course, Christmas ornaments - hand made, fair trade and certified green. There were dozens of angels constructed of our biggest imports and influences to the third world: land mines, coke cans and gum wrappers.
It’s Santas fault I now need to go out again! If I do go out again I could get a gift put to bed! It would just be one down about thirty-seven thousand to go but I could get one off my list. If I could just do that one little thing I could feel like I was accomplishing something. What I really hate? I’m stressing over this and it’s the beginning of November, How crazed am I going to be by the time its really time to get on the stick? But. I can’t go to the store tonight, I have to get ready for the week, I have chores to do, laundry to finish and three animals that need to be taken care of...
Yes, three animals. Mini-Kitty is staying here and she is so happy about it. Just thrilled to pieces that she is
After she got through with mt cat I went in to see her and she was all sweetness and light before she drew blood. The damnable little beast can sit in my hand and she should be registered as a lethal weapon. Although in real life she would sit in my hand only after she tore it from my body.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Happy Days
So this is what it feels like to experience an election and not fall into a deep, soul sucking, spirit destroying paralytic depression? Wow. it's been so long I've forgotten. I attended a Party sponsored Election Night party that ended up being an actual partyWho knew these things were actually supposed to be fun? It was the first time since I moved to North Carolina that I went to an event hosted by the Wake County Democrats that by the end of the evening half the group wasn’t tears and the other in police custody. I mean, I ended up in tears but in happy tears. I had forgotten that was an option. Gawd. Is this what being a republican feels like? No wonder they have such a huge following! Sure, you get to feel happiness but you have to surrender your soul to do so.
Election day was a very long day. I was out in the rain at 5:45 AM planting signs outside my polling place - There was no representative from the Republican’s doing the same, so if you went by my polling place the last thing you would see before you filled out your ballot was a sign for a Democrat. Actually, if you came to my polling place you stood in line for a while then you stood in a another line and then you filled out your ballot. At 5:45 I wasn’t out skulking around on my own, I had an audience. The line had all ready formed.
By the time I got back to vote around twenty after six it was raining in earnest, but not as earnest as the folks all ready in line, they were going to vote and the rain was going to keep them from it. They were glad they were standing in line Imagine my surprise that my precinct is made up more than the three and half people that we’ve averaged at out precinct meetings over the past few years. I voted and was out of there by a little after seven. I was number 45. Hours pass. I find myself compulsively checking news sites for returns hours before they are due to start coming in. I do learn that everyone’s polling place is full and everyone is standing in a line. Good. But it also raining everywhere and this makes me scared. Damn voter suppressive rain. I forgot that rain on a very important day can also be a good sign. Many, many hours pass and finally the results start trickling in. McCain - 8, Obama 3. It seemed to stay there for hours and I was getting really tense. I paced around the house for a while making myself even more tense. This was not working. I took a seat and invited Dogger up to keep me company. The results were getting better, Dogger fell asleep and I was felling less awful. I decided to go to the party.
It was crowded! And hot and happy! It was an entire ballroom filled with happy Democrats! We were shocked! We hardly knew what to do with ourselves. Happiness is not something we know how to process. And yet we kept getting happier! Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida! We protest against watching FAUX Noise and we win! but not before we watch Karl Rove pass around FAUX themed cookies around the studio in a truly a bizarre moment.
And then... I had to leave. It was so hot and so crowded and the only way to get a drink was to buy one and I was too cheap. I left the hotel and kept running into crowds of people in front of restaurants and bars watching TV and just being happy. I arrived home and went up to change clothes. I was right in the middle when I looked at the screen and it said President - Elect Barak Obama. I started screaming. Then I cried, but they were happy tears.
I was and am so happy. I start giggling for no reason. Everyone I meet is euphoric. Euphoria! Wow, what a feeling! The whole world is happy fir us! They did hate us and now they are happy for us. Does anyone know how I can get to Washington to see the inauguration?
So this is what it feels like to experience an election and not fall into a deep, soul sucking, spirit destroying paralytic depression? Wow. it's been so long I've forgotten. I attended a Party sponsored Election Night party that ended up being an actual partyWho knew these things were actually supposed to be fun? It was the first time since I moved to North Carolina that I went to an event hosted by the Wake County Democrats that by the end of the evening half the group wasn’t tears and the other in police custody. I mean, I ended up in tears but in happy tears. I had forgotten that was an option. Gawd. Is this what being a republican feels like? No wonder they have such a huge following! Sure, you get to feel happiness but you have to surrender your soul to do so.
Election day was a very long day. I was out in the rain at 5:45 AM planting signs outside my polling place - There was no representative from the Republican’s doing the same, so if you went by my polling place the last thing you would see before you filled out your ballot was a sign for a Democrat. Actually, if you came to my polling place you stood in line for a while then you stood in a another line and then you filled out your ballot. At 5:45 I wasn’t out skulking around on my own, I had an audience. The line had all ready formed.
By the time I got back to vote around twenty after six it was raining in earnest, but not as earnest as the folks all ready in line, they were going to vote and the rain was going to keep them from it. They were glad they were standing in line Imagine my surprise that my precinct is made up more than the three and half people that we’ve averaged at out precinct meetings over the past few years. I voted and was out of there by a little after seven. I was number 45. Hours pass. I find myself compulsively checking news sites for returns hours before they are due to start coming in. I do learn that everyone’s polling place is full and everyone is standing in a line. Good. But it also raining everywhere and this makes me scared. Damn voter suppressive rain. I forgot that rain on a very important day can also be a good sign. Many, many hours pass and finally the results start trickling in. McCain - 8, Obama 3. It seemed to stay there for hours and I was getting really tense. I paced around the house for a while making myself even more tense. This was not working. I took a seat and invited Dogger up to keep me company. The results were getting better, Dogger fell asleep and I was felling less awful. I decided to go to the party.
It was crowded! And hot and happy! It was an entire ballroom filled with happy Democrats! We were shocked! We hardly knew what to do with ourselves. Happiness is not something we know how to process. And yet we kept getting happier! Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida! We protest against watching FAUX Noise and we win! but not before we watch Karl Rove pass around FAUX themed cookies around the studio in a truly a bizarre moment.
And then... I had to leave. It was so hot and so crowded and the only way to get a drink was to buy one and I was too cheap. I left the hotel and kept running into crowds of people in front of restaurants and bars watching TV and just being happy. I arrived home and went up to change clothes. I was right in the middle when I looked at the screen and it said President - Elect Barak Obama. I started screaming. Then I cried, but they were happy tears.
I was and am so happy. I start giggling for no reason. Everyone I meet is euphoric. Euphoria! Wow, what a feeling! The whole world is happy fir us! They did hate us and now they are happy for us. Does anyone know how I can get to Washington to see the inauguration?
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
YES!
WE!
DID!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON! WE WON!
PS. - Thank You God!! Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!
Go Time
Flag Dog
I was all ready planning on being at the polls when they opened. There shouldn't be much of a line as I am the only democrat in Wake County that hasn't voted yet - Which turns out to be very good news as it is going to be raining and rain is not good for poll numbers. Rain is historically good for Republicans and bad for democracy. And then my phone rang. Shockingly, it was the Democrats. They weren't just asking me to vote, they were asking me for a favor. It turns out they have not been able to get in touch with my precinct chair. It was now my job to go to the "sign shop" and pick up the signage for my polling place and then put the signs out in front of the building, back the offical 50 feet. I could do it this evening in the dark or I could do it tomorrow morning. In the rain and the dark.
I left to go to the sign shop immediately,once there they tried to give me a bunch of hand outs until I broke the news I wasn't going to be spending the day haunting the polling place as I had to go spend the day haunting my job. It shocked the poor wretch I spoke with, I'm pretty sure by the look in his face he hadn't dabbled in his real life in months. He took the hand outs back and I left with my signs. By the time I made it back home I had decided I needed a flag pin.
My first thought was that if I was looking for a flag pin I needed to go to Wallyworld, the discount jingoism capital of the world. Did you know that in Wallyworld that jingoism goes in and out of season? Right now it is the Christmas Season and they don't carry jingoistic items or anything else in the patriotic red-white-and-blue family anymore. I ended up buying a half a yard of flag printed fabric and a tube of fabric glue.
Okay. I have to be up early. Here is your job. If you have all ready voted, go you! You rock, but your work is not over. Now your job is to either help others go vote or if you can't do that, you can spend the hoping/praying/willing as many people as possible follow your lead.
Patroticat
Both Flag Dog and Patroticat both say:
GO!!OBAMAGO!! OBAMA!!GO!! OBAMA!!
GO!! OBAMAGO!! OBAMA!! GO! OBAMA!!
GO!! OBAMAGO!! OBAMA !!GO! OBAMA!!
GO!! OBAMAGO!! OBAMA!!GO! OBAMA !!
GO!! OBAMAGO!! OBAMA!!GO! OBAMA!!
GO!! OBAMAGO!! OBAMA!!GO! OBAMA!!
When I went to go set up my signs at a quarter to six this morning, in the dark and in the pouring rain, there was already a line to go vote. At 5:45 AM in the dark and in the rain. A line.
When I went back at 6:20 they had opened the doors and line was still out the door and down the sidewalk.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Do your Part
I did something on Sunday that I haven’t done in four years : I displayed our flag. I took my old flag down on November 4, 2004 and I swore I wasn’t going to put it back up while Bushco was in office. I guess I lied.. I actually had to go buy a replacement flag because I realized if I had a pole for my flag it went by the wayside a log time ago. Ideally, I would have a widget attached to the house that you plug your flag pole into but to do so would require drilling through the brick and I’m not ready to make that commitment yet. I guess we’ll see.
To help display my flag I thought I would get a nice piece of PVC pipe and I would use that to act as a brace for the flag pole and it would strengthen the whole set up. I went with this idea because the poles I saw at the store bought were expensive and really big and I didn’t need it to be really big or really expensive. My house is not that large and I didn’t want to look like a wanna be car dealer. I didn’t end up getting a PVC pipe, I wound up getting a nice metal pipe that was all ready cut and is much stronger and offers better support. Moving on to the flag. The flags were either really small or really large. I wanted a flag that fell in the middle between flag pin and car dealer. The only flag in-between those is the McMansion sized and even that is kind of too big. I did with what I could find and I’m hoping it doesn't take my porch airborn.
I’m also just hoping I ‘m not jumping the gun with all this flag waving. I don’t want to get all hopeful and excited over what could be another enormously crushing disappointment. The Democrats are having another Election Night party and I’m probably going to go even though when I saw the notice for it and suffered a bad flash back, I went to the last one and it was a horrible experience that I don’t wish to relive... But what happens if it isn’t the worst case scenario? What happens if we win? Getting to be a part of group joy is an experience not to be missed and I would love to be a part of it. The fact that its being held right downtown and is free makes it a very tempting offer and I’m pretty sure I’m going to go.
I started to feel really bad about my lack of participation this time around. I blame the 427 emails and phone calls I get every day begging me to do something. So I did something : I agreed to volunteer for the campaign. I thought I was agreeing to phone bank but as it turns out, I was agreeing to canvass. I hate canvassing. I did a lot of canvassing the last time, every weekend for the last month or so of the campaign and I wasn’t going to do it again. I still hate it. But I did it and I learned that I am the only registered Democrat in Wake County that has not yet voted. The canvasser ( the second this time around) who came to my door today told me that more people voted early across the state than voted in the last election, total. Wow. GO OBAMA!!!
I did something on Sunday that I haven’t done in four years : I displayed our flag. I took my old flag down on November 4, 2004 and I swore I wasn’t going to put it back up while Bushco was in office. I guess I lied.. I actually had to go buy a replacement flag because I realized if I had a pole for my flag it went by the wayside a log time ago. Ideally, I would have a widget attached to the house that you plug your flag pole into but to do so would require drilling through the brick and I’m not ready to make that commitment yet. I guess we’ll see.
To help display my flag I thought I would get a nice piece of PVC pipe and I would use that to act as a brace for the flag pole and it would strengthen the whole set up. I went with this idea because the poles I saw at the store bought were expensive and really big and I didn’t need it to be really big or really expensive. My house is not that large and I didn’t want to look like a wanna be car dealer. I didn’t end up getting a PVC pipe, I wound up getting a nice metal pipe that was all ready cut and is much stronger and offers better support. Moving on to the flag. The flags were either really small or really large. I wanted a flag that fell in the middle between flag pin and car dealer. The only flag in-between those is the McMansion sized and even that is kind of too big. I did with what I could find and I’m hoping it doesn't take my porch airborn.
I’m also just hoping I ‘m not jumping the gun with all this flag waving. I don’t want to get all hopeful and excited over what could be another enormously crushing disappointment. The Democrats are having another Election Night party and I’m probably going to go even though when I saw the notice for it and suffered a bad flash back, I went to the last one and it was a horrible experience that I don’t wish to relive... But what happens if it isn’t the worst case scenario? What happens if we win? Getting to be a part of group joy is an experience not to be missed and I would love to be a part of it. The fact that its being held right downtown and is free makes it a very tempting offer and I’m pretty sure I’m going to go.
I started to feel really bad about my lack of participation this time around. I blame the 427 emails and phone calls I get every day begging me to do something. So I did something : I agreed to volunteer for the campaign. I thought I was agreeing to phone bank but as it turns out, I was agreeing to canvass. I hate canvassing. I did a lot of canvassing the last time, every weekend for the last month or so of the campaign and I wasn’t going to do it again. I still hate it. But I did it and I learned that I am the only registered Democrat in Wake County that has not yet voted. The canvasser ( the second this time around) who came to my door today told me that more people voted early across the state than voted in the last election, total. Wow. GO OBAMA!!!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
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