sound familiar?

We are supposed to believe him again, right?

While the media focuses endlessly on the tabloid story of the week, JonBenet, Bush decided he would suit up in his brush-clearing clothes once again and appear to keep it real with the citizens of New Orleans. I guess he thought he could sneak in and make a few friends for the party and slither back out before the evening news had a chance to notice.

I am so disgusted at the hypocrisy and blatent lack of compassion. Our dumbass in command continues to speak as if Katrina happened last month, not last year. We are still talking about building homes and getting residents back in their neighborhoods one year later. Very little progress has been made, and in fact the work that has been accomplished on the levees isn't guaranteed to hold.

What kind of country are we living in? We have consistantly turned our back on those in need to run after the next big story, leaving human lives in limbo because their story is no longer hip and trendy. We have the attention span of a gnat.

Get ready folks, September is on its way. The big machine just got warmed up in New Orleans yeserday. New York, you're next! Put on your waders. It's going to get deep.

desperate times call for desperate measures!

The stress of selling the house has finally hit the pooches! Karly actually chose to lay on this bed with Mason! She intentionally went over, layed next to him, and rested for a number of minutes. Okay, we have got to sell this house! Either that, or the end of the Earth is nigh.

ok...stop...my sides are hurting!

"It's so beautiful! We're here! We're at the gazebo! All the citizens have turned out and you get the chance to shake hands and get to know people on a first name basis and it's very special! I wish we could do this all over the state!"

"all the citizens" of Ocala

I nearly choked on my bagel from laughter when I saw this! The smart-ass comments were zinging around my head so fast I nearly fainted! Ocala's population has severely dwindled in the last week apparently! Good thing, too! Now Katerine has the chance to get to know all 48 of them on a "first name basis"!

Ahhh, ain't delusion grand?!

early voting starts today...

...or if you prefer, just leave it up to the Lord.

ok enough with the nature!

Today has been an extremely nature filled day. This morning I found this beauty resting in the pampas grass in the back yard.












And then this atrocious thing is found resting in the Christmas Cactus right beside the front door!! This is a large frog. Not a toad or a small tree frog. Very big. Body size of about 4 inches. Fun time is over. Get back inside. Play time ends when the frogs come out. Ick.
My two dislikes in the natural world--frogs and snakes. However snakes trump frogs when they help me out and eat them!

Thank goodness my hero was here to save me.

Came across this inspiring little sign while driving through Waldo, FL on Friday:

"If you don't repent and turn to Jesus you will surely burn in hell."

Choose Death

I have been getting increasingly aggravated with those self-righteous Florida drivers that sport the "Choose Life" vanity license plates. It seems like they are increasing, multiplying before my very eyes even. It never fails that those same ignoramuses also have a Bush/Cheney sticker somewhere on their dilapidated mini-van spilling over with snotty-nosed-ill-behaved-children.

If you look a bit longer, you'll no doubt find a "Support the Troops" ribbon lovingly placed sideways to remind us that supporting the troops also means you love Jesus.

I propose a new vanity plate. In fact, I might just make my own sticker for the car. I sure as hell am not going to buy a plate, put money in their hat, and then rework it to suit my thoughts. Yeah, instead I will just make my own sticker and see how long it lasts on my window. The Righties hate to have their stuff messed with!! tee hee

or

The Intersection of US Decline

I had this vision while doing yard work last week:

some perspective

I was listening to my favorite lesbian political morning show, The Rachel Maddow Show, on XM 167 this morning, and a very valid and thought provoking point was made.
Capitol Hill is poised to cut benefits to veterans once again. This time to the funding for brain injury treatment. During war time. During a time when our soldiers are coming home with brain injuries from a war of choice. Absolutely ridiculous. Meanwhile...
Paul Rieckhoff gave me some amazing perspective on this: Recently our selected officials came back to Washington during their vacations for ONE brain damaged woman. Those same people have no problem slashing the funding for treatment of the men and women who are serving their country. Guess no one wants to be bothered to come back to fight for hundreds. Too much trouble. How's that for a 'culture of life'.
Read Paul's support letter here.

click on photo

2 questions...ok 3

#1 Do people who smoke think that they don't smell bad?

#2 Do chronically late people have the balls to get mad when others are late or don't snap to attention to take care of them?

#3 Does everyone poop in public places?

feeling a bit stalkerish

Stalking is a family affair. We are watching out the front window as the house for sale across the street has a showing. We went outside a number of times, hoping to lure at least a question or a longing look from the potential buyers. "Our house is prettier" we'd send out into the universe, hoping they might come back or take our flyer. Oh the shame...Stalking event #2 took place on an actual showing of our house. We loaded up the dogs, went to Panera Bread for a bagel, and still arrived back at the house before the showing was done. So we parked down the street and watched. Turns out, this girl loves the house too, but is torn between us and new construction. We are pressing the realtor to remind her of all the kinks we have already worked out over the last 6 years. Not to mention the upgrades already in place. Sigh. The desperateness of it all.

How sad are we?

The man is trying to fulfill what the New York court has ordered, and we think it's great news to follow him around and inhibit his mission. How pathetic. Of course, news stories are portraying him as a bitchy queen in this scenario because he is asking everyone to let him go about his business. Imagine the nerve of such request.

back to square one

After our second-lookers on Wednesday, we were crestfallen on Thursday to hear that they chose a house with more trees! Sob! We were getting very close!
So, it's back to square one. Frankly, we are both exhausted mentally from this already! (I know, it's been only a couple of weeks!)
We wound up the obsession machine once again for a showing on Saturday morning. No word yet. Stay tuned!

D2

Who my age doesn't love to periodically climb in the way-back machine and sing your favorite songs from the 80's? Now I don't mean the cliche 80's that are overplayed on the trying-to-be-trendy-stations that dedicate 2 hours every Saturday night to the genre. I'm talking about really good music from back then.
This is a screen shot from an HD concert at Wembly Stadium by Duran Duran.
First of all, bigs ups to both my TV and camera for being so crisp and awesome. (I wish this technology was around in the 80's which is when my best TV picture taking took place!)
Anyway, the boys look and sound absolutely fabulous! Wow! Very good, and rivaling performances from their heyday of which I have first-hand knowledge.
Hey, maybe I can go see them now and lose the other half of my hearing!

Cross your fingers...deep breath...

Good news that threw us into mowing the yard at 7:30 last night with a huge thunderstorm approaching, and me with a doozey of a headache: the first lookers wanted to look again today!
Oh! I think I may end up with some sort of ulcer out of this. The anticipation, the expectation, the worry, the possible rejection...

I try really hard to live a life free of expectation. Doing so leaves one generally surprised and rarely disappointed. As good as I try to be at this, hey, I'm only human. I really want this house to sell. I want it to sell quick too. We are going to blow out our adrenals quick at this pace. So, yeah I am secretly full of expectation. I think our house is pretty and more importantly it has character and a lot of sweat equity that shows.

So cross your fingers, your toes, your eyes, hell, cross your labia if you can! It can only help!

OK...now what?

We have been prepping the house for the last two forevers in anticipation of showing it to potential buyers. Poised over every piece of furniture, waiting for any spec of dust that dare fall...following the kids around wiping up any hint of drool, spit, snot, hair or dander...moving dog crates in, moving dog crates out...and overall obsessively and incessantly Swiffering every inch of our home. Well, it's paid off. We have our first showing this morning at 10 am. Yikes!

Oh my gosh, Becky!

Do you think they raised any money?

Doh!

Whoops! Who said that?

Did those darn gays spike my Kool Aid?

a new beginning

My girl found this attached to the edge of the house last week. Pretty cool. We have had a larger number of butterflies this year due to some new plantings from spring so this shouldn't be a huge surprise.
I have chosen to take this as a possible sign of a couple of things, clearly all around change and beginnings:

Our house is up for sale and we are anxiously waiting to take the next step toward our next beautiful shelter. This chrysalis most likely has been placed here to teach me that patience reaps beautiful things. I'm trying. I'm not known to be the most patient person in the world. Bad trait. I will make the attempt to relax, be patient, and enjoy the clean non-cluttered splendor of our current abode.

The other thing I have chosen to see is that a new beginning for us politically and nationally is on the horizon. We are fast approaching the mid-term elections. Our voices are going to be heard and followed. The shambles that is the Bush Regime has a limited number of days. We already see cracks in the armor. The emperor has no clothes.
I have no patience for this despicable bunch of men, but I can muster the patience for the beauty of watching His Ignorance fall like Saddam's statue.

***NEWSFLASH***

Oooh...everyone gather round! Some important-never-thought-of-before-news is being reported!

"Gee! I always thought this was A-OK!"

Well, crap!

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14138619/

Our foreign policy is so rogue, so tough, so independent,...so non-existent.

cue the crickets

Raise your hand if you love cleaning the fridge?

Not cleaning out old food. Cleaning the actual insides.

Nothing will make you feel more slovenly.

Ugh.

So apparently, we don't have as much clout as we thought! Condi marched over to the Middle East thinking what she had to say was actually going to stick. Of course she was urged on by a host of fat white guys that have filled her head with illusions of grandeur. Looks like her head is hurting a bit here. "Anyone got a Tylenol...Advil...Scotch...a gun?"

Since we weren't "greeted as liberators" here either, we've now gotten the bright idea to go along with the whole silly cease fire thing.

Here's a fun game: Write your own caption for this photo! There are zillions of possibilities! Leave me a comment!

It's Official...

 

hurdle/deadline #1

We made it to the first deadline in the process of listing our house for sale. Watson is listing the house ASAP. Let me tell you that it came with a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, more sweat--ok a lot of sweat, and Biofreeze.

It's now official. Tuesday afternoon began the days of living in a dollhouse/model home. The rules have been thrown down as such:

• everything must be put away upon arrival into house
• no current resident is allowed to eat, drink, sleep, sneeze, shake off, clean themselves or each other, play, live or breathe until the house is sold
• no clutter (refer the bullet #1)
• mow and manicure lawn daily if not more

Lord this has been stressful. We both took turns having mental breakdowns since last Friday. We have both had dreams about various crazy happenings with the house. Proof that I am stressed came in the form of #1 I haven't been able to sleep well #2 started my period a week and half early! OK, it's on now! When the menses get affected IT IS ON!

I don't have time to go to work either. I need to obsessively stand around and dust and vacuum like a Stepford Wife.

Many of you know of our not-so-new obsession to stop taking plastic bags at retail locations. We have purchased our own reusable bags for groceries and whatnots so as to lessen the impact of plastic bags on the environment. *BTW it takes 1000 years for one measly Wal Mart bag to break down.* It's a good thought to try to reuse them once you get them, but the fact remains:

When you are done with them, where do they go?

I digress.

So, I am at Home Depot this weekend, one of a zillion trips, and I am doing the self-check out line which invariably ends up setting off the security alarms when I leave. This time was no different. So I unload my carefully stacked arm in order to show my receipt. The clerk attempts to get me to take a bag, and I refuse. After watching me re-stack my arm, she says quietly, "You know, it is going to take more than just you." Knowing she was talking about my efforts and not the amount of stuff I had to carry, I looked up at her, smiled and said, "I know, but I'm responsible for me." Then she just said a sincere "Thank You".

I will have to say that I was feeling particularly proud of myself. I left Homo Depot bagless, I stood up for a bag-free commerce exchange, and hopefully made someone think.
Get your bags at Reusable Bags. Very handy, strong and safe. Get off your wallet and buy a few every now and then. Before you know it, you have enough for any shopping venture. They even offer quantity discounts now and a variety of colors for you fashion mavens.

It's a bird! It's a plane! Wait--it's a bird?

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what type of bird left this beauty on the hood of my car?

I'm going with pterodactyl!

Just in case any of you thought, "She's not really serious about this election thing, is she?"

Uh, yeah. Oh! BTW I found this on 13th Street at the building next to Lloyd Clark's!

I almost wrecked!

Still thinking that global warming is a myth? Still think that we are just in a little warm trend that is naturally occurring?

*FYI* It was 87 this morning in New York City...at 7:30 am.

Maybe you should get out of the heat today and go see "An Inconvenient Truth". Eight bucks for two hours of air conditioning from our no big deal heat wave. You'll find a new respect for Al Gore and open your mind to the blinding truth in front of us. Go on.

Saint George

Get a load of the saintly leader of the Conservative Christian Right. What a sweet, humble, smart, pure, respectful, full-of-shit guy is he.

So I have been faithfully going to my acupuncture treatments over the last few weeks. This week was #8. She wants me to finish the series of ten, and then if need be, we will change the approach. Frankly, I think I've stumped the doctor. She says most people respond quickly, like within the first couple of visits. I did have a reduction in the itching after the 1st and the 7th, and although I am itchy right now, it feels like it will be manageable today.

This whole thing continues to be very puzzling, frustrating, scary, interesting, expensive,and altogether makes you say "Really? Still itching?"

I do have a shred of hope left, however. Tuesday's session began with the doctor stating that she was going to approach a bit different. She placed all of the regular needles and included both ears this time as well. YIKES! Very tender! Here's were "interesting" gets even more so.
As she placed the next to last needle in my forearm/wrist area, I immediately began to cry. Not just tearing up, but lump-in-throat-can't-talk-for-fear-of-inaudible-sounds-coming-out-crying!
weird right? I found it very strange and not fun.
As most fo you know, I am a bit of a control freak, and I had ZERO control of this. I don't know if it was that I finally hit my pain/discomfort threshold, stress, anxiety, the fact that I had a mounting headache, our obsession/anxiety over whether to buy a new house or not, the fact that I rarely cry anymore because I have no reason, or Freud's explanation: latent anger and unresolved issues with...dum dum dummmm...my mother. Geez... her again.

Who knows. We'll see if it happens again next week. Until then, picture me on the table, knees slightly bent, 24 acupuncture needles in place, me silently crying/freaking out on the table, and the doctor wiping my tears because with the needles in I am virtually paralyzed!
Okay...have a nice day!

Renew my subscription for voting rights please!

The House voted to renew/extend the Voting Rights Act for another 25 years yesterday.

Okay...Am I the only one that this sounds funny to? I thought our RIGHTS were written into the Constitution. It sounds odd doesn't it? "Yes, I'd like to renew my subscription to be treated like a living being in this free country to which I was born. I'd also like to inquire about any Early Bird specials that may apply."

Then I remembered that we had to actually pass an act to insure that ALL people get to vote and that no one is turned away at the polls dues to skin color. Boy, isn't this a harsh remind of our shameful past. I say past like it doesn't happen anymore, but then I look at the voting record and see that 33 votes were cast against this extension.

So does this renewal mean that during the next presidential election, black voters can't/shouldn't be disenfranchised? Tsk...silly me...that would mean that our elected officials would actually abide by the laws they pass.

Pet Peeve # 5,143,051

How smart is it for employees of a business to park their personal vehicles smack dab in the front of the entrance to the building? Clearly it is a case of the owner/manager of the business not thinking ahead to the fact that the clients you so desire to have access to/get money from need to be able to park conveniently and quickly.

Apparently it is more important to let your lazy-chain-smoking-employee's shuffle in the very front of the building with as little effort as possible. Nevermind the fact that now your lack of parking spaces for your clients starts to eat away at the parking spaces for your tenant's patients.

Convenient truth

How interesting that Bob Novak decides to open his fat mouth now!

Where were you when it was important and informative to have your input? Oh yeah...with your head up the administration's ass!

Soaring...Did he say soaring?

Well, our Dumbass in Chief gave a speech yesterday heralding his handiwork at reducing the deficit. Of course, it is all due to the zillions of tax cuts given to the ultra-rich. He is still trying to peddle this logic.

"These tax cuts left nearly $1.1 trillion in the hands of American workers and families and small business owners. And they used this money to help fuel an economic resurgence that's now in its 18th quarter," Bush said. "Economic growth fueled by tax relief has sent our tax revenues soaring."

He conveniently forgot to mention that the long term effects are extremely bleak, and the paltry reduction (relatively speaking) to $296 billion, although a seemingly huge success in comparison to the inflated prediction of $423 billion, is still an embarrassment when you think of the surplus left to this spoiled little 60-year-old frat boy.

Leave it to Tony Snow, Bush's puppet du jour, to find a twisted logic to explain away the red ink in the budget.
"Snow said the Clinton surplus was inflated by a stock-price bubble and that Bush will be remembered for cutting the gap from a record $412 billion in the 2004 fiscal year."
Oh my Lord these people are stupid. What's worse is that they know at least a portion of us is too stupid to read between the lines and figure out this gobbledey-goop. Yeah, I said it.
So we are supposed to praise Bush for miraculously cutting the record breaking deficit HE created?! Okay...

March on lemmings...march on!

**I've been saving this draft for a few weeks, trying to tweak it for whatever reason. I think I'm hesitant to expose my league of followers to this evil being. These signs make me sick and mad. Judy Shepherd must feel horrible when she sees this idiot use Matthew's picture. I do.
So this draft is a bit old, but nonetheless timely. It's always the right time to speak up against bigotry and hate.**
_______________________________

Notice how quickly Bush jumps on this atrocity when it involves boosting his sagging poll numbers. Everyone thinks that this bill is long overdue when they hear that a crazy pastor and his equally crazy church in Kansas is protesting at funerals of war dead.

Even crazier is the fact that this bunch of loons has somehow managed to correlate these war dead with God's disdain for the homosexual lifestyle and America's tolerance for gays.
I agree completely that this is pathetic, disgusting, despicable, and really reaching to make a point. What I don't agree with is that it took officials this long to put a stop to protesting at funerals. This isn't Westboro Baptist Church's first attempt to garner the spotlight with outlandish behavior. Ever see the signs in this post? Wonder where they originated?
This group of "Christians" protested at Matthew Shepherd's funeral and then went on to stage protests at many AIDS victims funerals. Absolutely disgusting and the complete opposite of Christ, but that doesn't warrant any special legislation.

Seeing as we just had Memorial Day, Bush probably figured it was a good time to score some points with those parents who are trying to bury their children. That, and the fact that he already had an ax to grind with this guy. tsk tsk...Leave the Holy First Lady out of this...

keep these names in mind

Mid-term elections are virtually just around the corner. The following list of senators, along with John Kerry and Russ Feingold, had the guts and selflessness to vote correctly for a plan of troop withdrawal:

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), co-sponsor

Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL)

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)

Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-HI)

Sen. James Jeffords (I-VT)

Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA)

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), co-sponsor

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)

Yes, there are only 13 votes for this plan. Yes, we have more Senators available to vote. One of two things happened to explain why all Democrats aren't on this list. Either #1 they didn't care enough to show up and vote, or #2 it wasn't in their best political interest to show up and vote along party lines. Either way, I'm ashamed.

MESSAGE SENT TO OUR TROOPS:

Losing votes is more important than you losing your life.

It feels like I haven't posted in a long time. Busy busy.
We went to Charlotte two weekends ago for my nephew's 8th Grade graduation party. Had a really fun time actually. Very tired and worn out from the whirlwind travel and all of the hype that goes with visiting family. All good though.

As is the case since last October, I am still preoccupied with my incessant itching. I can't seem to find an answer or remedy. I had to resort to Allegra finally to give me some relief in the last two weeks, although it really doesn't help a tremendous amount. It has been quite a journey with very little revelation as to why I am plagued with this continual need to scratch. It has been a great lesson in patience and willpower. Not to mention eye opening in regards to the evils of Prednisone.

My latest attempt at solution is acupuncture. I went Tuesday for my first visit. Interesting. More interesting was the fact that I had no itching while the needles were in. In fact, I had very little itching for the rest of the day. The next morning I started up again, so I think that is some progress. After the exam and needles, she put pressure point seeds on my ears for me to press a few times a day and used a method called cupping to remove the bad energy from me that was loosened by the needles. Again interesting. I look like I have been attacked by an octopus!
By now I have been through a lot. So far, everything I have don to myself is either able to be hidden by clothing, or thrown down the biohazard chute! Aside from the little seeds on my ears currently, you'd think everything was fine with me. Who knows what is in store for me at today's appointment.
To be continued...

can't take a hint

"Our nation's founders set a high bar for amending our Constitution, and history has shown us that it can take several tries before an amendment builds the two-thirds support it needs in both houses of Congress." ---Bush, that asshole in the White House

So, I guess we haven't heard the last of the Federal Marriage Amendment. Geez! If we can gain some momentum, and seats, this November maybe it will die, for a little while.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not silly enough to think that this will ever be over until these divisive bigots have us figuratively parading down the street with our identifying symbols sewn on our chests, marching to our areas of confinement.

PROOF!

Finally, proof that Faux News viewers are among the odd brand of mammal known as the Lemming.

What is a Lemming you say?

deja vu anyone?

Gays Aren't Good Enough to Marry...again (yawn)

a few pet peeves of a doctor's assistant/office manager

• getting what you want from the doctor, and then negotiating payment with me at the front via pleas of "Can you hold this for a week?" "Can I pay for two next time?" That shit doesn't fly at Wal-Mart you manipulative ass, and it shouldn't fly anywhere else. How shameful. If you don't have it, don't come in.
• rude people deciding that the front lobby bathroom of a healthcare provider's office is a grand place to take a shit every single time they enter the building. And not utilize the air freshener, not that it would help in some cases. Again with the shame.
• chronic reachers who feel the need to invade my private space, TRY to use my pens/pencil and--- gasp---touch things on my desk. My response: back the fuck up. My personal space is VERY big. There is a humongous cup of pens on the counter. You don't need mine. Keep your hands to yourself (see response #1)
• saunter-in-whenever-you-feel-like-it-with-no-respect-for-the-doctor's-time-people
• "The traffic is terrible! I can't believe how late it made me." OK, this flies ONE time! The construction in our neck of the woods has been happening for weeks now. Get it through your dense skull: Leave enough time for traffic. If you are early for your appointment, she will most likely take you in early! You know we are on time--how about you trying it now?

No matter where you go, no matter how near or far,
if you're a dog owner,
someone is always looking for you to pull into the drive.
Isn't that comforting? sigh...

we're gonna turn it on....we're gonna bring you the power...

Well, due to the arrival of re-run season, we cracked the shrink wrap on "The Best of the Electric Company" last night!
What a blast! We even knew some of the songs in the skits still! Yikes!!

 

Hey Country Radio!...

suk on dis!