I wonder...

I wonder if Bret Michaels ever gets tired of flashing the 'devil horns'?

Time to get new friends?

Here's part of a recent news story:

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. – A 19-year-old woman who thought she was going to a party was instead driven to a rural wooded area and abandoned in 8-degree weather in a long-planned attack by three friends angry with her over an insurance claim, police said Thursday.

The victim was wearing only a dress and one shoe, having lost the other in a struggle as she was dragged from the car, said Lt. Frank Cannella of the North Bergen police. A motorist soon stopped and let the victim use a cell phone but refused to give her a lift.

The victim used the phone to call one of the women who abandoned her, Cannella said. She spent more than an hour in the freezing cold before flagging down another motorist, who took her to a hospital, he said.

I may not be the smartest man but I know that if my 'friends' dumped me in the middle of nowhere to freeze to death and someone let me use their phone - I could think of a dozen other people I'd call BEFORE I called on of the b*tches that dumped my ass...say 911, my mom, any other friend in the world?!?!?

The "Ice storm" in Nashville

Thankfully we haven't had the bad weather everyone else is getting. They keep calling for snow and ice but here in Nashville proper we've gotten rain and a tiny bit of snow that melted straight away. Things are frozen in place (see the picture - raindrops frozen on the tree berries).

one very important question

how can we be expected to get out of our warm cozy beds on a morning like this...

Pets

Rese and Darren's Cat Thor - freshly shaven

Violet sleeping on my stomach last night

News of the week

Good morning and thank you for joining us. This is Natty B reporting from the #1 News Team. (that was my imaginary news team I used when I was a kid and used to record myself 'reporting the news' on my black cassette player - I rocked).


Anyway - found some interesting stuff in the news and thought I'd share

1. This has to be the topper - what an amazing miraculous outcome and one hell of a pilot: http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=6664939&page=1
2. Interesting article - (I'm so excited about Jan 20!) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011402791.html
3. http://www.livescience.com/health/090106-exercise-obesity.html Exercise may not be the key fact in weight control/loss - sound the bells I may have a chance i n hell! Exercise has lots of wonderful other benefits but it may not be as important in losing /controlling weight as originally thought. Still gotta get out there and move your butt....but diet may be more the key when it comes to losing weight.
4. This is just downright scary - if you've never seen any of the "East This not That" stuff it's pretty eyeopening. http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/20-Worst-Foods-2009/index.php?cm_mmc=Yahoo_Blog-_-ETNT-_-The_20_Worst_Foods_in_America_2009-_-The_20_Worst_Foods
   

And on a personal note - It's been a hell of week with the MWIT - sorry to be a broken record but it's been bad and long story short despite her best efforts Friday was awesome. Steve had a great birthday and got great gifts from the boys - thoughtful and fun, I got a hug from the little one - it surprised me and then about made me cry, and the cherry on top for me ~ I passed my CSP (Certified Safety Professional) exam on Friday morning!

Weather and sports when we return...

Violet's panty raid and shoe fetish

Violet has always liked sneaking away with our socks/undies and sniffing our shoes but it's reached a frenzied level of intensity this past week.

She chewed the insoles out of my favorite red shoes earlier this week (I had left them out and while I was at work she evidently had a really good time with them). This is the first time she's ever done anything with anything while she's been home alone.

Yesterday I was frantically searching for my other clog (running late for work) and found it in the living room - she had carried it off from the bedroom while I was in the shower.

This morning I found 2 pairs of socks scattered across the bedroom - keep in mind I did have the socks up on the desk and she usually doesn't bother with things up and away like that although she will nose around in the laundry basket for socks and undies. After picking up the socks I went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and when I finished I looked into the bedroom and there she was - standing on the bed with my bra in her mouth and a GUILTY look on her face.

I so wish I had a camera b/c it was hilarious to see her face and ridiculous with my bra hanging out of her mouth. I laughed and chided her; she dropped it and dropped her ears back and got that pitiful "I know I'm bad I'm sorry but look how cute I am" look on her face.

This all leads me to the fact that I realized a few days ago that this is probably all part of boredom or loneliness so yesterday I got her a rawhide bone - she LOVES them but I don't give them to her often b/c I think they mess up her stomach.

This has been confirmed - She chewed it up in record time and sure enough - rawhide and Violet don't mix b/c she has the WORST gas this morning.

They really do have a Ribbon for everything

I saw a magnetic ribbon on a van today for Brachial Plexus Injuries. Who knew there was such a need? Of course I Googled it and found a website (one of many I'm sure) that has ribbons for everything you could think of and even more that you didn't know existed.

It's borderline ludicrous.

I'm going to get ribbons for sleep disorder, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, and TMJ, as well as a racial tolerance and motorcycle awareness ribbon so I can be covered when I sing my little song "Black man on a motorcycle". I sing it whenever I see, well, a black man on a motorcycle. Oh! And a gay pride ribbon to throw people off and of course the Pro-Choice one to piss people off!

Finally I didn't see one for the MWIT but I think I'll have one specially made for people who have to deal with totally insane evil brainwashing soulless verbally abusive heffers choking on a ham sammich.

Check out the link and pick your own favorites!

http://www.awarenessribbonclothing.org/awareness_ribbon_meanings.php

Skating Pictures

From our weekend roller rink outing

Random pics

Violet outside in her pink sweater

Bugg snoozing in the recliner

The moon last night

This is so annoying that I messed with it - I kicked their tires. Kidding

Stone Door

We went hiking today at Stone Door which I think is a park within a TN State Park. It was a lot of fun. The boys had a good time, Violet LOVED being out there (she ran and sniffed and romped in the water) and Steve and I had fun too.

end of the trail

on the ride home

2008 Year in Review

So I've been thinking about what to write for the year end wrap up and this is as good as it's gonna get... I've been writing this blog for almost 4 years now which is amazing to me. Amazing b/c time has flown by and that I've actually kept up with it. I was thinking last night about much has changed in the last four years and how glad I am that I've kept up with the events and people that make up my life. It's run over a bit into my everyday life too as I've started being diligent about taking pictures and putting them in an album so the boys and anyone else who may be interested will be able to look back and hopefully enjoy the memories - much like my grandmother did with the albums she kept through the years. I still love looking back at the albums she made and later gave to me, of my childhood and even those of her family and childhood - all documented and detailed. Happy New Year - here's to all of us living a life worth documenting so we can enjoy it not only the first time but many more times in the future!

Step Mom Ramblings

It's not always easy being an instant step-parent or being perceived as the evil step mom even though I'm really not evil; at least not most of the time. But I have my moments where my patience is too limited and my feelings too easily hurt.

But on the flip side there are also some priceless hilarious quotes that come from the mouths of 6 & 8 year olds that keeps things light and makes the little poops endearing and lovable.

Here's a sampling...

"Sometimes I like to eat my papa's nuts" (said in relation to peanuts of course)

"WHOA!!! Those knockers are HUGE!!" (said in a foofy gift shop regarding a set of horse door knockers that were indeed huge)

"Lax on Lax off, Whack on Whack off" (Karate Kid - and they really thought it was lax on, lax off and when it was explained to them wax on, wax off they went off on the whack on whack off tangent and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing)

"What's a Douche Bag?" (said after hearing me say Douche Bag under my breath (or so I thought) at another driver. yes I'm working on that)

"I wish we could go to Hooters" (a wistful 5 year old voice from the backseat - said while passing a Hooters Billboard - the reason for the wish? Because they have big hooters of course)

"I just like hard things in my mouth ya know, something with meat" (said as a polite and innocent way of trying to avoid eating pasta)

One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong....

A week ago Wed was my last day of work for 2008 and I have been on a well deserved (I think well deserved) vacation since then. One reason I know the time off was deserved - check out the jewelry I wore to work that day....

Pearly necklace

Pearly earring

Not so pearly earring...

New Years not so meh

Spence playing with the new Lego's from U. Don & A. Barb

VB3's new sweater - I felt like a bad bad pet owner buying it for her but she looks so cute and seems to like it - at least better than the ladybug costume

Three Amigos at the Casa Fiesta

Lily in her new pink vest (I had a lot of fun shopping for her)

Uncle Steve & Lily

2009 - meh

I'd like to induce vomiting for three or four days and then eat nothing but oatmeal and oranges until I'm emaciated.

p.s. with a xanax chaser