Overrated...

Beyonce - Her voice is torture to my ears. Yes, she can shake her booty, but at best she should be a back up dancer for Jamie Foxx (and as a singer Jamie is rather overrated too). But 6 Grammys? You have GOT to be kidding. OVER.RATED.

Brad Pitt - I just don't get it. Plus his association with creepy Angelina is doubly disturbing. Angie <---also overrated. And throw in Jessica Alba and Megan Fox in that pile.

Healthy eating - If I want to eat an entire triple cheese pizza for breakfast, or have 8 huge Snickers bars for lunch, who's business is it? Well, besides mine and my almost too small black dress pants? Damn that stupid healthy eating pyramid. The high fat crap needs to be at the widest part (and I'm not talking about my ass -- well, actually I kinda am talking about my ass).

Exercise - see above. Sheesh! Being Lazy? So not overrated.

Stupid weather forecasters!

I'm heading out to shovel 6 inches of snow off the driveway, sidewalk and back deck. The storm that was supposed to stay way south of us yesterday *waves to Boo* and perhaps give us snow flurries actually dumped at least 6 inches over my area of Maryland (Baltimore area).

As late as yesterday morning they (Weather Channel, local newscasts) all said we'd get snow flurries in the late afternoon and might have one inch by Sunday morning. It started snowing at 11am and didn't stop until around 8pm. At 11am I headed out to Target to get a prescription refilled, then wanted to stop at the grocery store for my normal weekend excursion.

I spent 5 minutes at Target and drove across the street to the grocery store. Spent about 20 minutes at the grocery store and when I walked outside it was snowing so hard you couldn't see 20 feet in front of you. In 20 minutes we had gotten the one inch total they had predicted for the entire day. It took me 30 minutes to drive 3 miles home, then when I got to my street they were not letting people into my neighborhood.

To get on my street you have to take a right turn from the main road, then you immediately drive up a very twisty, steep hill. If the hill has not been salted it becomes a slip-n-slide of terror. In the many years my family has lived here I have seen countless cars spin, twist, and pummel each other trying to drive up or down that hill. When a snow storm is predicted my county is very good about pre-salting most roads, but since this one was totally blown by everyone, the salt trucks were not out.

Since I have a four wheel drive vehicle, I asked the nice police officer if I could try to get up the hill. I had waited at the bottom for about 10 minutes and the salt truck wasn't there yet. He told me I could try if I wanted, but I knew if I took out the Kirby's mailbox he wasn't going to be too pleased (not to mention the Kirbys). Off I went. Not one bit of trouble! I love my Ford Escape.

Home at last. Now I have to shovel. Ugh.

Is it spring yet?

Assorted thoughts and stuff

It's been a while since my last post and I'm got some things to get off my chest.

1) I think next Christmas I'll either book a room in a tropical resort *waves to Swami* or stay home. Traveling in December sucks, especially when you fly after some idiot lights his underwear on fire on an international flight. And if I'm going to travel, it is going to be for sunshine and palm trees, not for Columbus, Georgia.

2) Who in their right mind would have new windows installed in January? Me!!!! All the bedroom windows, a bathroom window, and a new garden window in the kitchen. Took them all day, and to say it was cold in the house is putting it mildly. But well worth it.

3) Season premiere of 24 last night! YAY! I love Jack Bauer. Two weeks til Lost! YAY!

4) New favorite artist -- Lady Gaga. Love.Her.

5) I bought a Wii. I've gained 10 pounds since Dad died, and this is on top of the weight I've gained since I moved back to Maryland in 2002. I have got to "unfluff" (as Breezy puts it). I refuse to buy clothes in a higher size, and will wear the same old crap to work until I take this weight off.

6) Saw the cast lineup of the next Survivor and am seriously considering going off my self imposed Survivor ban. Fireman Tom! Colby! *drool* Oh yeah...I think I need to check it out.

7) Seven. If I told you I had seven cats would you think that was too many? That this makes me the crazy cat lady? Just asking.

8) New SyFy series starts Friday! Caprica, the Battlestar Galactica prequel. Two words ladies...Esai Morales. Oh yeah!

9) Ikea doesn't serve their Ligonberry juice in the cafeteria anymore. DANG IT! I love that stuff.

10) I can't stop watching the coverage of Haiti. So heartbreaking.

11) Speaking of Haiti -- Pat Robertson, Rush Limbaugh and their ilk can burn in hell. I'm ashamed of them, that they call themselves Americans, that Robertson labels himself a Christian, that Limbaugh tells his followers not to give to the Red Cross.

12) Because of Limbaugh, I purposely went to the White House website, clicked on the link to the American Red Cross, and made a donation. Take that, you idiot asshole!

13) Is anyone still watching Heroes? I stopped after the second season because I just lost interest...has it gotten better? Should I wait for the full series to go on DVD or just chalk it up to a good idea gone bad?

14) Biggest pet peeve of 2010 (so far) --- fools who text while driving. Unbelievable.

15) Robert Downey Jr is one beautiful man.

Snow, Shovel, Sore

Snow - 18 inches total

Shovel - Two hours to shovel the driveway

Sore - Every part of my body. OW!

I really want to take a nap, but I fear I won't be able to get up again. OW!

It's time to buy a snow blower. Of course once I do get one we won't get any measurable snow ever again. But at least my knees will thank me.

Fort Hood victims

If you can believe it, one of the soldiers killed at Fort Hood last week lived in my town. She had just gone to Fort Hood as the last step before being redeployed to Iraq. Read about her, Juanita Warman, and the other victims here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/nation/fort-hood-victims.html

These people did not deserve this. Such a terrible thing. As an Army daughter, an Army sister, Army aunt, and a civilian employee of the Department of Army who works on an Army base, I have lots of thoughts and opinions but I'll save those for another day -- maybe. Suffice it to say, I'm saddened and angry.

And further more...

Just booked my flights to/from Georgia for Christmas. Also booked the cats for boarding at a kennel during the same time. I haven't told them yet, but boy are they gonna be pissed when they find out. Try to keep it on the down low so they don't find out, okay? Living with pissed off cats sucks.

Probably not going to put up a Christmas tree this year, but I will decorate the outside of the house. I think having a tree will be just too sad with Dad gone. Next year I'm sure I'll do the whole house decorating thing, but this year I just need to be a party pooper and be sad about Dad. Besides, going to my brother's house for Christmas kind of gets me out of having to put one up.

Ordered custom blinds for the bedrooms, kitchen and the master bath. It's my first foray into blinds instead of curtains (the cheapo blinds that come in apartments don't count). Can't wait for them to be installed.

I've decided to replace my PC with an iMac. If I hadn't ordered the blinds I'd be at the Apple Store in Towson this weekend, but once I squirrel away the cash I will be going MAC. In addition I will be replacing my iPod with an iTouch *waves to breezy*. YAY!

I am praying the weather holds up this weekend as I have a ton of bulbs to plant. The last three weekends have been rainy and I couldn't get out to plant. I think this will be my last chance so cross your fingers I get at least one good day to dig, plant and mulch.

Still hanging in with FastForward, um, er, FLASHForward. *grin* *waves to swami and kim* I'm not real happy with the introduction of Charlie from Lost (can't remember his name). Didn't care for him on Lost, pretty sure I'll hate him here, too. I hate to admit it but he looks like a troll or elf or something like that and I just can't get past it. Yes, I'm shallow.

New favorite CD -- Leave This Town by Daughtry. LOVE.IT.

The new Sue Grafton comes out in December. Can't wait. It'll be "U is for Undertow". YAY! I'm hoping when she completes the alphabet she won't retire. Maybe she'll start a new series with numbers. Or maybe the greek alphabet. Kinsey Millhone rules!

I cannot believe we are at the end of October. Unreal. Where did the year go?

On the bright side, we are that much closer to the return of Lost in 2010! YAY!

Random thoughts and stuff

I've been neglectful of my little blog. Sorry, little blog!

1. Ben & Jerry's Key Lime Pie ice cream (Limited Batch) is DA BOMB!

2. So happy we have a new season of the Amazing Race. I'm hoping the engaged couple stays a bit longer because they are just so darn stupid and it's entertaining -- however I'm not sure my ears can take too much more of her shrieking. Holy Cow, her voice is awful; especially when she is upset and/or excited. Which seems to be always. Ow!

3. So, I couldn't figure out the correct spelling of "shrieking" (nothing looked right) so I tried to go to dictionary.com for help. How pathetic is it that I mispelled "dictionary" in my google attempt to find out how to spell something? Ironic, yes?

4. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue to watch FastForward. Can't quite put my finger on it, but I don't seem to be warming up to it. I like the premise of the show and I love a good mystery with sci fi thrown in, but I guess I'm just not really connecting to any of the characters. Maybe I'll wait until the whole thing comes out on DVD. I'll give it a few more weeks before I give up completely.

4a. On the opposite side, totally psyched about the newest Stargate series: Stargate Universe. The premiere was this past Friday and can't wait for the next episode.

4b. Thursday night: The Office: Pam and Jim get married! YA HOOOOOO!

4c. Not happy they moved The Big Bang Theory to 9:30. I cannot stay awake that late (waits for all the snickering to die down -- hey, I get up at 4:30am for work). DVD here we come.

5. Things that make me go "Really?":
-- Hollywood types defending Roman Polanski. I think they would have a different opinion of the matter if it was their 13 year old daughter he had plied with booze and drugs, and then raped (and apparently other vile things). He pleaded GUILTY, for GOD'S sake, then he FLED the country. Really, Debra Winger? You want to defend him? Really?
-- Jon Gosselin. He gets axed from the show, then immediatley demands they stop filming because it's "bad for the kids". I'm thinking his behavior this year (23 year old girlfriend, party hopping between Vegas, LA and NY, and current unemployed status) is a lot more damaging to his kids then a film crew following them around. Get a job and support your children, you jerk. What a douchebag.
-- Rubber testicles hanging from the back bumpers of vehicles (in my area it's mostly pickup trucks). I've seen about three vehicles with this in the last few months, the most recent during my drive home this afternoon. I'm hoping it doesn't catch on. Gross!
-- The three Kardashian sisters. Really? I seriously need to stay away from the E! channel.

6. I have to book my flight to Georgia for Christmas. Don't really want to go, but if I don't want to be alone on December 25th I have to. I hate traveling during the holidays. I did it every year I lived in Tampa...*sigh*

7. It's time to replace both my computer and my iPod. Yikes! Not sure which one is going to hold out longer. Any suggestions for the computer? I'm going laptop this time.

8. I am going to spend my holiday weekend (YAY for Columbus DAY!) painting. I hate painting. I got some special tools at Home Depot that are supposed to make it painless (yeah, right) so I'm hoping this time it is less painful. Stay tuned...