Guilt

Other than my rather unhealthy addiciton to American Idol, I try to stay away from reality television as a general rule. I watched the first season of Survivor (remember Richard Hatch?) and season two of America's Next Top Model. Other than that, though, I've stayed away.

Until tonight.

Dave's out enjoying a "Guys' Night Out." Sparky is sleeping soundly in his crib. I'm eating leftover tuna casserole, scrolling through the channel guide since nothing is on the DVR because all the shows are in reruns for the holidays. And, I come across this:

Momma's Boys on NBC *

I watched the entire thing. And, I set it to record the entire series.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that I just finished a class on Family Systems Theory and the dynamics of watching three young men try to find a romantic partner while their helicopter mothers monitor their every move is intriguing to me. (Enmeshment much? Thanks, Minuchin.)

Maybe it has to do with the one mother who overtly came out and said that she does not approve of any Black, Jewish, Muslim, or Asian girl for her son. Only a White, Catholic girl from an undivorced family will do. (And people like to say that racism no longer exists in our country!)

Or maybe it's the guilty pleasure of wanting to watch the cat fights as 32 young women fight over 3 men.

Don't tell anyone, okay?

*You'll never guess who is the exec producer, though...

Photo Essay... Because I've Got Nuthin' Much to Say

Mmmm.... I made this peach pie with a real homemade crust for the Labor Day weekend festivities. It was the first time I've made a pie from scratch and it was gooo-ooood, if I do say so myself.



Dave and I saw this car on the highway. The back window says, "Be jealous, I'm a MILF." Now I hope that I can be as hot of a mama as Paula, but if anyone freakin' proclaims this on the back of my car after I have the baby, I'm kickin' their ass!

That ain't no little smokie! It is a mutant! Aaahhhhh!!!!!

FYI - Next Wednesday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, and the mania is spreading. This weekend begins the Second Annual St. Louis Pirate Festival... Argh!

Tell me the logic of this: The Gap Rewards program used to give you 1 reward point per dollar spent. After earning 200 points, you recieve a $10 coupon to use on your next purchase. The new program gives you 5 reward points per dollar spent and after earning 1000 points, you recieve a $10 coupon to use on your next purchase.

Now, I'm no mathematician, so could somebody please explain to me how this is a benefit?

Dave and I will be embarking on an all football weekend... Mizzou game on Saturday, Rams game on Sunday. I'll be sure to update you next week!

Shop 'til I Drop

I'm not a huge fan of going to the malls. I don't like running around to stores and having to get in and out of the car when the weather is extremely hot/cold/rainy. I hate trying on clothes... I'm never really happy with the way the clothes fit and it just (in general) pisses me off.

But...

I loooove catalog shopping. If I get a catalog in the mail, I love flipping through it and ear-marking the pages of items that I like. For me, it is often like window shopping... Most often, I don't order things, but I can look through a catalog a good three times before I get tired of it cluttering up my house and I have to throw it away. I just remembered a catalog that my mom used to get that I love, so I just went onto the website and requested a catalog to be sent to me. Now I'll forever be on their mailing list, and I love it.

So, if I don't shop in the stores and I only fantasize about items I find in catalogs, where do I shop? I admit it: My downfall is Internet shopping.

I have my credit card and debit card numbers, expiration dates, and validation codes memorized. I can point and click my way into thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. (Well, that is, if I had thousands of dollars to spend on merchandise.)

I love getting home from work a seeing a package of new merchandise sitting on my front porch, waiting for me to peel back the lid of the box and find the treasure inside. I love the convenience of it. Nevermind that if something doesn't fit and I never return it; I probably wouldn't return it even if I'd bought it directly from the store.

Amazon.com is my vice. And Gap.com. And Victoria's Secret.com. And most of all... E-Bay. E-Bay can get me into trouble.

What about you? What is your favorite mode of spending money??

Tag, I'm "IT"

Sista Smiff tagged me to complete this meme. I'm not sure how or why she picked me, but I'm willing to take the opportunity to have somebody provide a blog topic to me...

Rules of the game: Quickly write 8 random facts/habits about myself. Then, tag eight more people to play.

1. Sista Smiff was talking about her acrylic nails and that she had to get rid of them for nursing school. I also have acrylic nails and have consistently had them for about six or seven years. I started getting them while I was waiting tables; my nail polish would chip and my brittle nails would break and peel. The acrylics are way more durable. However, I always have them very short and people often ask me if they are my real nails or not. I'm not a fan of having daggers off the ends of my fingers. My favorite nail color: OPI's "I'm Not Really a Waitress."
2. I looooove Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Mmmmm.... Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
3. However, I'm trying to lose a few pounds right now and I can't even remember when the last time I indulged in some Mac & Cheese. As a matter of fact, right now I have an unopened box of Samoa Girl Scout Cookies in the pantry. They've been there for months; normally those won't last longer than 24 hours around me. Dumb diet.
4. I always said that I wasn't really interested in getting married and/or having kids. But, then I met Dave... I am amazed at how simply finding the right person can completely change your mind about such a big decision. I think we would be great parents together...
5. My mom is in the process of selling the house where I grew up. The whole thing is very strange to me. We built and moved into the house when I was five years old. Where will my mom live? How will we have family barbeques in a backyard that isn't the one where my sister and I played hide and seek? My little brother was born when we lived in that house... I'll be honest: I am not a fan of her selling that house. But, life must go on, I guess.
6. I like to take naps. As a matter of fact, I'm feeling a bit sleepy right now. I plan on taking a nap at least five of seven days a week throughout this summer. *YAWN*
7. I am addicted to my Webkinz pet, Daisy.
8. In exactly two weeks, I will be on the beach in Mexico, cocktail in hand, feet in the sand. Life is beautiful.

I'm not going to tag anyone, but if you need a blog topic, feel free to take this one. I always enjoy learning random things about my blogging friends!

Blogging Blahs....

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.

I've been making sure to stay away from the computer while I'm at work... Amazing how it cuts down on my productivity when I'm obsessed with posting on my blog and reading and commenting on everyone else's. Then, when I've been getting home, the last thing I've been feeling like doing is taking the time to sit down at the computer and write a post.

Plus, I've had a complete and total drought of any potential topics to write about. Except for American Idol - I could blog about that, except for the vow that I made that my blog wouldn't turn into a weekly Idol update.

I'll try to come up with something interesting to post by Friday. In the meantime, hang tight.

Musical Montage

When I was in seventh grade, the only thing I wanted for Christmas was a CD player/boombox. Sixth grade had been the year of the coveted I.O.U. sweatshirts... Seventh grade, however, I needed a CD player. Everybody else had one and my life would probably end if "Santa" didn't deliver.

Santa did deliver, though. I got my CD player. Santa apparently also spoke to my Aunt Janette, who sent me my very first CD's.

1. Mariah Carey's Unplugged
2. Toad the Wet Sprocket Walk on the Ocean single
3. Gloria Estefan's Greatest Hits

I listened to those three CD's over and over and over, until I saved enough money to buy myself a CD: Blind Melon's CD, featuring No Rain.

God, life was good.

I still can sing all the words to Gloria Estefan's Rythym is Gonna Get You and Aunt J is the only reason I know that Mariah Carey's version of I'll Be There was originally done by the Jackson 5. I heard that Toad the Wet Sprocket song on the radio yesterday, which is what reminded me of the first CD's I ever owned.

Do you think the music that a person owns says a lot about that person? I'm not sure what this says about me...

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Happy, happy birthday to my love, Dave... He's the greatest person in my life and I can't wait to spend the rest of our birthdays together! 'Appy Bert-day, dere, ah, Bab... Oh, I mean, uh, Dave!

What's Wrong with this Picture?

While out for our birthday co-celebration this weekend, we saw this sign on the table...

Is it just me or isn't a PINT equal to 16 OUNCES?

Basically, they want to charge you $5 for 18 ounces of beer. Gee, but, uh, I think I'll pass on this steal of a deal!

I guess if you're drinking enough, you wouldn't realize the discrepancy.

Let's Give 'Em Somethin' to Blog About...

Uhmmmm.... I got nothin'.

I know that isn't a surprise to most of you, but I thought I'd be honest about it and just kind of put it out there.

And you know, when there is a lack of resources available to thrive (as in New Orleans, which has just become the murder capital of the nation) people resort to thievery and other criminal acts.

Therefore, I'm stealing this idea for my blog.

Your job: Post a question in the comment section. The next person answers your question and then poses their own question for the next commenter. I'll go first!

Screen Time

When I was a child, I was not allowed to watch television during the school week. Harsh and unfair as I felt my parents were, this rule gave me the opportunities to use my imagination to find games to play and nurture a love of reading and writing that I have carried with me to my adult life.

In the home that Dave and I now share, we have televisions in every room except the bathrooms and Dave's office. We each have our own laptop and desktop computer, plus a few others. And I know that there are days on the weekends when we will waste most of the morning and early afternoon hours with the television on, surfing the net. However, we are aware that time spent in front of the screen is not time spent "together," so we try not to let it get out of hand.

We have become a society that relies more and more on passive information and entertainment. Parents brag that their children can "pay attention" to the television for hours uninterrupted or that a handheld video game can act as a baby-sitter for the child.

How do people reach a happy medium? What is an acceptable amount of time to spend on these non-interactive activities in a day? Does it depend on what you are doing during the rest of your time to balance it out? How do you teach a child to reach out and relate to another person when all he or she is adults in front of a screen? I am not preaching... I am asking. What do you think?

Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has them. Those things that you do that make you feel good immediately but you feel bad about indulging yourself afterwards. These are the things that people make resolutions about at New Year's and reprimand themselves for breaking.

Some of mine are:

• Eating an entire bag of buttered microwave popcorn by myself.
• Taking a soak in the bath and reading a book when I get home from work when I really should be on the treadmill/cooking dinner/cleaning or doing laundry, etc.
• Wasting time on blogging/reading other people's blogs.
• American Idol. But for me, it isn't just Idol. It is American Idol Extra, reading articles and commentaries about the show, organizing (2) betting pools for various groups of friends... (This also goes along with a secondary guilty pleasure of mine: karaoke.)
• E-Bay. It brings out the worst in my impulse-buying tendencies.

There are a few others, but I feel so guilty about them, I'm unwilling to share them in a public forum. I'll leave those to your imaginations... (Keep it out of the gutter, Dave!)

What do you think? Am I crazy to feel guilty about these things? What are your guilty pleasures?

Smoke It Up...

Who knew that candy cigarettes were still being sold?

In a recent drive through Kentucky, Dave and I found and bought (for novelty's sake) a box of the candy. I remembered being a child and thinking that candy cigarettes were sooo cool. The only time I ever got them was if they ended up in my Halloween bag once a year. I'd puff away on the candy until the ends got soggy and then I'd quickly crunch through the rest of the chalky candy.

I was surprised to see the candy cigarettes in the convenient store... I mean, in today's world, with all the political correctness and anti-smoking propoganda out there, who knew you were still allowed to buy children fake cigarettes so they can pick up the habit early?

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I have also recently visited a city that is now "non-smoking" in its bars and restaurants. As an ex-smoker, I have always felt that it should be the decision of the establishment as to whether they allow their patrons to smoke or not on the premises. However, it was so nice to go out in the evenings to a crowded bar, not have my eyes burning from the smoke by the end of the night, and wake up in the morning with my hair and clothing reeking of cigarettes.

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Two old ladies were outside their nursing home, having a smoke when it started to rain. One of the ladies pulled out a condom, cut off the end, put it over her cigarette and continued smoking.

Lady 1: What's that?

Lady 2: A condom. This way my cigarette doesn't get wet.

Lady 1: Where did you get it?

Lady 2: You can get them at any drugstore.

The next day ... Lady 1 hobbles herself into the local drugstore and announces to the pharmacist that she wants a box of condoms. The guy looks at her kind of strangely (she is, after all, over 80 years of age), but politely asks what brand she prefers.

Lady 1: It doesn't matter as long as it fits a Camel.

Food for Thought 2

I have a confession.

Dave and I are restaurant junkies.

We have a lot of different excuses and justifications for this habit:

• Dave works from home and a lot of times that only reason that he may leave the house in a day (or few days, for that matter) is to go out to get something to eat.
• Monday nights there is a great steak special at the Timber Creek Grill. (15 ounce ribeye for $14.95... And it is a pretty darn good steak!)
• We have friends (ahem... Dr. Mike and Paula) who drag us out to eat, whether we want to go or not.
• Although we have a ton of food in the house, it never seems to be enough to create a full meal.

There are lots of other reasons, but you get the picture.

We do (sometimes) try to choose items that are healthy (kind of) to eat while we are out at restaurants. For example, when we go to McGurk's, we get salads as our entrees with the small order of herb-dusted chicken wings as an appetizer. (Just thinking about them makes my mouth water!)

Anyway, I saw this article regarding restaurant menus yesterday. It talks about how the Center for Science in the Public Interest wants restaurants to begin putting nutritional information on the menus about the food that people are about to order. As much as I think that this probably is going to add some guilt to my eating out habit, I think that it is a good idea.

The article points out that some items that are on menus at restaurants have huge calorie counts that the diner is usually oblivious to when they order. For example, Ruby Tuesday's "Fresh Chicken and Broccoli Pasta," which sounds like a relatively healthy option, has 2,060 calories and 128 grams of fat!!! Personally, I would like to know that if the item I am about to order has more calories in the serving size that the restaurant is going to give me has more calories than what the average person should have in an entire day!

The article also points out that Ruby Tuesday's piloted a new menu a few years ago that included nutritional information on it. They pulled the menu when they found that patrons didn't really want to know how many calories were in what they were about to eat.

Is ignorance bliss? I think that if food companies that provide food to grocery stores for sale are responsible to disclose the nutritional information about their product, restaurants should be asked to do the same. I am not saying that it is the fault of the restaurant industry that Americans don't make more healthy choices about what they eat, however I do think that it is their responsibility to give their customers the information that is needed in order to make an educated decision.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Click here for an interesting article that I read in this morning's USA Today. It reports that TGI Friday's is leading the way in creating a more balanced menu by including smaller portions (at a smaller cost). It also contradicts the article that I linked to above, saying that 79% of consumers are concerned about the fat content in food that they order at restaurants; 73% like information about the amount of calories.

Statistical Analysis

Blogarita posted a great new recipe on her cookin' site... This, in itself, is not unusual.

However, the fact that she included information about the state from which her recipe originates, which happens to be New Mexico, on the same day that I happen to post about the state of New Mexico is a bit odd.

She pointed it out, I analyzed it.

At first, this seems like not much of a coincidence. But, when you figure that neither Blogarita nor I live in New Mexico, it becomes a bit more interesting. I mean, it is like a 1 in 50 shot that we would both choose the same state to include in our blog entries....

When I thought that to myself, something didn't seem right. So, I thought about it a bit more. There is a 1 in 50 chance that if I were blogging about a state that any other person also blogging about a state would choose the same one. However, for Blogarita and I to both choose the same state randomly, you have to use find the permutations of a factorial... Meaning you have to multiply the the number of possibilities by the number of possibilities.

(I.E. If you have five different types of liquor and you want to figure out how many different ways you can mix them, you would have a factorial of 5, written as "5!," which mathematically equals 5x4x3x2. That's 120 different drink combos, for those that want to know.)

50 states for me to blog about x 50 choices for Blogarita = 2500 total combinations.

The chances of Blogarita and I both choosing to blog about New Mexico is 1/2500.

But, think about this: How often do either Blogarita or I post about states in the first place? After looking at the most current 100 posts of my own, I posted only once about a state and it was my home state. Do you see what an amazing statistical coincidence this is? What does this all mean in the grand scheme of the universe?

Okay, I realize that it really means nothing. I apologize for wasting your time with this post. But, yes, I really am that much of a dork that I think about stuff like this... and, actually, find it the tiniest bit interesting.

Pardon me, I need to go adjust my pocket protector.

Freedom Ties...

In my opinion, the New Mexico State Senate apparently has a bit too much time on its hands.*

Men who choose to wear neckties or bowties in New Mexico will find their plight even harder in the future, thanks to a new law passed by the state senate this week. The vote designates the bolo tie as the "official" tie of New Mexico.

In the past, businessmen in New Mexico who have chosen to wear a tie other than the bolo tie have been ostracized from the general society. They are stereotyped as "outsiders" and prejudiced against when they walk into a meeting. Now, in a move that equal opportunity activists are up in arms over, the state senate has legalized this facist fashionism, saying that the bolo tie is the preferred neckwear within the state boundaries.

I say, "What next?" Will leaders in states across the nation follow New Mexico's lead? Will the tube top become the official shirt of trailer parks in Arkansas? Will lawmakers in Florida vote to put in the books that the "socks with sandals" look is eternally in vogue?

Hopefully, these types of laws are not a trend that will continue. New Mexico has other frivolous items that are officially part of law, such as the state cookie (the bizchocito) and the state question ("Red or Green?"... referring the type of chili a person prefers). But at this point, somebody needs to stand up and say "Enough is enough!" Just because a person chooses not to wear a bolo tie does not make him a second-class citizen!

*Okay, I think the general consensus is that most state legislatures have too much time on their hands. But, this one was just too good to pass up!

Where's tech support when you need it?

At my place of employment, I share an office/room with a colleague. We'll call her Vera. Vera has some interesting habits that make it very difficult to share a space with her.

For example, Vera has a tendency to hoard things. We have a mini-fridge that is filled with unused ketchup, mayo, mustard, and coffee cream packets... You know, "just in case." There are also half-eaten fruit cups from lunch that she takes home with her at the end of the week. The room is so cluttered that I constantly have bruises up the thighs of my legs from bumping into all the furniture that is shoved towards the middle of the room because the perimeter is stacked with boxes and boxes of "stuff."

We also have some OLD computers that are in the room on one of the tables that are NEVER used. Finally, Vera conceded to getting rid of the computers that are never used. A small success! The space that will be vacated by this ancient technology will hopefully make it seem like there is a lot more space in the room than there actually is.

Another co-worker, who we'll call Jackie, has asked to take the computers to her room. God knows what she plans to do with them; not a single one of them actually is fully functional. Some are missing Microsoft Word. On another, you can't access the Internet. The tech department has been less than helpful with these issues, to say the least.

Jackie apparently came to the room to collect the computers yesterday after Vera and I had both left. In the process, she unplugged everything under the tables where the computers were kept. The computers, monitors, surge protectors, router, printer, etc. were disconnected, yet the only item she took at this time is one of the monitors. I don't know why she didn't only unplug the items she is planning on taking, or only the one that she actually took for that matter, but there was nothing but a messy tangle of wires dangling beneath the table when I arrived this morning.

I attempted to print a spreadsheet this morning, at which point I realized the printer was no longer plugged into the outlet. I went over to sort out which cord went to the printer. In the process, I had to move this big basket that had somehow also gotten shoved underneath the computer table. In the process of reconnecting the printer, the basket snagged my nylons and I got a HUGE run in my pantyhose, from mid-calf all the way up to the top of my thigh.

And then, I was pissed right off. And I plan on staying that way all day.

P.S. I took an actual photo of the run in my nylons and tried to e-mail it to myself, but my phone is being a bitch, too, which gives me more justification to be pissed off. And it woulda been just in time for Half-Naked Thursday, too. Jerks.

Just Catchin' Up...

Sorry for my recent neglect of Blogger. I haven't posted/commented on anyone's blog in (gasp!) almost a whole week. I was beginning to fear that the Blogger Officials would come banging on my door with a warrant to pick up my laptop and block me from the blogging, but then I remembered that there are bloggers out there like Dr. Mike who only post about once in a blue moon and very rarely comment on others' blogs, so I quit worrying about it so much.

I did change the template of my blog, although I admit it looks very much the same. I am now able to use the features of the Beta version. Before, I could use the labels, but if I wanted to make any changes, I still had to do it via the HTML coding. I was scared about making the jump because I didn't want to lose anything, but luckily, I only had to go through and make a few small changes to keep it looking like the same blog. How great is it that I don't have to manually change the font and color on every single post anymore? Woo-hoo!

I'm afraid to do any big changes to my blog... Kind of like my fear of getting my hair cut short. What if I don't like it? And what if I can't ever seem to get it back to the way I like it? You know what I mean? I'm sticking with the theory: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

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With Valentine's Day just past, the chocoholics of the world are beginning to come down off their holiday high and realize that swimsuit season is just around the corner.

Maybe it is just me, but it seems that every other week there is some new study out that touts the wonderful, healthy benefits of eating chocolate. This story is on the front page of the Yahoo! site today. I mean, okay, we get it! Eating chocolate is not ALL bad! But, perhaps the people who munch on Hershey's as a vice just feel really guilty about it and need constant justification for their sweet tooth. The "doctor's" who, in the '50's and '60's, cited smoking as healthy have since given up their fight to convince people that there is any good side to the habit; when are the chocoholics going to do the same?

(Sidenote: Did you know that more people are on diets in the month of March than January? New Year's resolutions don't last; the beginning of warm weather and the fear of flabby thighs lounging at the pool is a great motivator!)

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Last week, I didn't work on Monday because I was sick; the snow storm let me off the hook for working on Tuesday and Wednesday; today, I'm off for President's Day. Realization: I need a job that allows me to take a nap every afternoon, sleep in every morning, and work in my pajamas. Anyone hiring?

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Poor Regis... He is still walking around with that stupid collar thing on his neck because even though his stitches have been removed, he refuses to leave it alone and it still isn't completely healed. It seems to be practically tortuous. I mean, imagine having an itch or something, but having your hands tied behind your back so you can't reach it! I would go absolutely crazy. But, Regis, being the good, patient dog that he is, simply endures without complaint.

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So, I'm doing laundry today. Dave and I have this great deal worked out. He does the dishes and I do the laundry.

I love it! I am not a big fan of doing laundry, but I have a bad habit of putting dirty dishes in or next to the sink. Dave has this "thing" about having a clean sink. With this negotiation, he gets to keep his sink as clean as he likes and I don't have to feel guilty about putting my dishes in the sink.

Personally, I think I got the better end of the bargain. I only have to do laundry once a week and Dave ends up having to do dishes pretty much everyday. Plus, when I cook, the last thing I want to do is have to clean up all the dishes after dinner, too. But, Dave seems to think that I got the short end of the stick since doing the dishes only takes a few minutes every day while the laundry can be rather time consuming. What do you think? Who got the best deal?

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Word of the Day: Confabulation - (Noun). Familiar talk; easy, unrestrained, unceremonious conversation.

Lesson to learn... Confabulation can cause all types of problems if you aren't aware of who is in your audience. Your confabulation can easily become somebody else's gossip.

Warning!!!

It is good that we live in a society full of idiots... I mean, who would the rest of us make fun of if we didn't?

One of the benefits of being surrounded by vacuous individuals is the compensations that the world makes for them. On Christmas, when my little brother opened his [insert name of trendy video game system here], we noticed this picture on the packaging:

Apparently, it no longer suffices to say "Keep bag away from small children." No, we have to have a picture of a toddler suffocating to get the message across.

This only goes to reinforce the theory that there needs to be some kind of test or certification before people are allowed to procreate. If you need pictograms to tell you that it is unsafe for a child to place a plastic bag over his head, then you may not reproduce.

Here's another example:

I guess "Please keep children off chairs" wasn't sufficient. We needed a visual representation of a child incurring a head trauma to understand.

Here's one for adults:

Interpretation: Don't touch, dumbass!

And, finally, for the people who can't grasp the concept of cleaning up after their pets:

Nice, huh? Perhaps a bit graphic for me. I mean, the only thing missing is the steam rising up from the big pile of dog dung. The only time I've seen a sign like this was when I was up in Quebec. I think maybe it is a Canadian thing...?

Internet Inaction*

Well, I tried to post the video of the Super Bowl Snickers commercial on my blog, and although YouTube told me that the video would show up as a post on my blog "shortly," it still is not here. Yet, I write anyway. (SiteMeter is being slower than everything lately, too. It hasn't updated anything since yesterday at 9 p.m.)

Everybody is up in arms about this commercial. The religious asshats are offended. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (They're GLAAD they're gay!) is pissed right off.

But you know who we haven't heard from? The car mechanics!!! What kind of stereotype is Snickers trying to show here? That all car mechanics are greasy, "manly" men? I think the car mechanics of the USA better stand up for themselves and get a piece of the "Screw Hershey" action, while the gettin's good.

Just sayin'....

*Sorry for the general offensiveness of this post. I'm usually not this blatant. But, it has been a loooong day. Just chalk the un-PC of this post up to a release of frustration, okay?

Brought to you by the CETPD**

What's wrong with this picture?

A bunch of fat, old, white guys... Dressed up in top hats... Harassing a freakin' ground hog in the dead of winter... To find out if it will be an early or late spring this year?

At what point is the church going to take this pagan ritual and turn it into a Christian Holiday? I mean, they did it with Christmas trees and the Easter bunny. I'm sure they could come up with something... Like, this is the day that Christ spoke to the ground hogs and designated them as holy animals that foretold the upcoming Mardi Gras festivals and the following Lent season.

Probably, the Pope won't make it a full Day of Obligation... Maybe not even a Day of Consideration... But, I think it is at least worthy of a Day of Suggestion.

As long as we decide that February 2 needs to be a federal holiday and I don't have to work, I'm fine with it!

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Speaking of federal holidays, when is the Super Bowl going to be made a national holiday? I mean, seriously. I think more people in the U.S. celebrate during the Super Bowl than Christmas. There is nothing worse than trying to party on a Sunday evening and knowing that you have to get up early and work on Monday morning.

I'm voting for the next president based on who is willing to make Super Bowl weekend and full three days long!

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**Coalition for Equal Treatment of Prairie Dogs

If Violet Lived In South Park...

This is what I would look like:

You can create your own here. Thanks to Mishka for the link.

If you make your own, and want to post it on your blog, you will have to take a screen shot, then put the picture in paint to save it to your computer... Kind of a pain, but I thought it was worth it...

Then again, I went to happy hour(s) right after work and am now working on a Dave's specialty Pink Vodka, a.k.a. cranberry and vodka... Dave is drinking a Scotch and grilling us up some dinner... A pretty damn near perfect Friday night, if you ask me!

The eternal question is: Will this be as funny tomorrow morning as it is now? Ah, who the hell cares, right?