A respite

The news hasn't been great this week, and I needed a break from ugly images and sad news. So, I thought I'd post pictures I just took around the yard.

Petunias in the backyard. These are Wave petunias and I highly recommend them. They spread fast, look great, and take the hot summer sun like a trooper. The picture is not the best, just a tad bit out of focus, but I like it. I'm feeling a tad bit out of focus, so it fits.

The lime green plant in the foreground is a Sweet Potato Vine. I love the contrast between the deep purple of the petunias and the almost neon green of the the vine.

White and salmon impatiens, with blue salvia along the back deck. I wanted a red, white, and blue theme, and the salmon impatiens were the closest I could get to red for plants that spend almost the whole day in the sun. The cute little guy is my Dad's cat, Bennie. The gawdawful fence in the background is the neighbor's 8 foot high illegal fence--which is a story for another day.

This is lantana. I just love, love, love lantana. Next year I'm planting it everywhere.

iPOD

Just loaded more songs on my iPOD. My newest additions are songs by:

John Mayer
Bruce Springsteen
Dixie Chicks
Brooks & Dunn
Dwight Yoakum
Kelly Clarkson
Carpenters
Michael McDonald
Edwin McClain
Franz Ferdinand
Al Green
Nat King Cole
Black Eyed Peas

I still have about 8 CDs here at home to download, but my cat Big Fat Harry decided it was time to go to sleep on my desk. His 20 pound body makes it pretty impossible to navigate the keyboard, mouse, and CD collection without getting kicked. Did I mention he is very grumpy? So, gotta wait for later to download Karla Bonoff, Deana Carter, Little Feat, and some soundtracks. Also have a few CDs at work to download -- Gretchen Wilson, Kenny Chesney, Alicia Keys, Lonestar, Sara Evans. This might bring me up to 800 songs, which is 200 below the 1,000 song capacity. I figure once I get my Christmas CDs downloaded I could be near the max.

At that point I either start deleting the less than loved songs, or get another iPOD. Hmmmm, the blue one is pretty. It would look cute next to my pink one. Or I could get a green one for the Christmas songs. How nutty would that be? Very. But the prices are sure to go down, so what the heck?

So, any CDs out there that are must haves? I think I'm going to get the new Brad Paisley and probably the one by the duo Hannah McKuen. But other than that I am up for anything. Except for Rap. I hate Rap.

Swear on your life!

Please people, I beg of you. Years from now when I am old and feeble and sitting in the nursing home, and you come to visit me ......

Please, Please, PLEASE bring tweezers and pluck out any nasty old chin hairs that will have sprouted. And considering the amount of women in my Mom's nursing home with major chins hair, it is a given they will sprout, and not a "maybe".

Swear on your life. Cross your heart. Pinky swear. Just please, please, please do not let me sit there with chin hairs.

Augie <---- traumatized by chin hairs since forever

Random Rants and Raves

Turn signals, people. Use the damn turn signals.

Punctuation is good stuff. Commas are our friends. I fear for the future of our country if the young people of today are so freaking lazy they don't want to capitalize or use proper punctuation. It makes them look lazy or stupid. Or both. Whatever it is--laziness or stupidity--it has me worried.

I hate gum. I hate when people chew gum like cows chewing their cud. I'm appalled when I go to the store and the cashier is standing there chomping and cracking and popping gum as s/he is waiting on me. Where did manners go? I blame MTV.

Someone is trying to outbid me on eBay. Does this person (with a paltry 48 feedbacks, pffffft) know who they are messing with? I think not. I will win this item JUST BECAUSE I am getting outbid. I will win. No doubt about it. I'll freaking bid more than I want to because now I'm on a mission to win. Not one of my finer personality traits, but I hate to lose.

Fireflies are magical. I find it hard to doubt that there is a God when I see the summer night lit up by thousands and thousands of fireflies.

Crickets are cool. More specifically, the sound of crickets is cool. Nothing is more relaxing to me than falling asleep to the sound of crickets chirping outside the window.

I hate my hair. It's too brunette, too straight, too thin, too fast growing. I just did a self-trimming of my bangs. Never a good thing to do, but I can't take the hair hanging in my eyes. So I risk a bad bang job to save my sanity. Besides, in two weeks the bangs will be in my eyes again. *sigh*

I love my arms. Lean and muscular, with no "bat wing" wavy thing going on. Almost makes up for my pathetic hair. Almost.

There is nothing to eat, and I'm hungry. And I'm too lazy to prepare something that will take more than 5 minutes, and I'm too lazy to go out and get something. Man, I am really annoying myself today. I hate when that happens.

Glowie's Quizzes

Your Summer Anthem is Speed of Sound by Coldplay All that noise, and all that sound, All those places I got found. And birds go flying at the speed of sound, to show you how it all began. You're out of your mind this summer, in a good way.

What's Your 2005 Summer Anthem?

Your Birthdate: August 10

Your birth on the 10th day of the month adds a tone of independence and extra energy to your life. The number 1 energy suggest more executive ability and leadership qualities than you path may have indicated. A birthday on the 10th of any month gives greater will power and self-confidence, and very often a rather original approach. This 1 energy may diminish your ability and desire to handle details, preferring instead to paint with a broad brush. You are sensitive, but your feeling stay somewhat repressed. You have a compelling manner that can be dominating in many situations.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Your Hidden Talent

You are a great communicator. You have a real way with words. You're never at a loss to explain what you mean or how you feel. People find it easy to empathize with you, no matter what your situation. When you're up, you make everyone happy. But when you're down, everyone suffers.

What's Your Hidden Talent?

The snitch

I got someone banned today. Sadly it wasn't some moronic, illiterate, punctuation-challenged doofus who got rude on a thread. Nope. It was some dumbass who emailed me spam through the website. When I first got the email I was confused because I didn't recognize the user name. Being the delusional person I am, I thought maybe a newbie had been so impressed with one of my sparkling, witty posts that they just had to tell me how sparkling and witty I am. Sadly, no. It was spam.

I PM'd a copy of the email to a mod. I figured if this person emailed me, they probably emailed enough people that it would be considered spam. The mod PM'd me right back and said I did the right thing *looks all smug and stuff* and the person had violated the guidelines. Stupid dumbass is now banned.

You're welcome.

Another stolen idea

Since I obviously have no original thoughts, I'm stealing more stuff:

1. What is your first name?

Yvonne

2. Were you named after anyone?

Yep. My dad had a mad crush on Yvonne DeCarlo. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

3. Do you wish on stars?

Nope, but I sure do enjoy sitting outside at night and gazing at them. Especially during the summer when the fire flies are in full force. Magical.

4. When did you last cry?

Last Saturday at a family reunion. I was talking to my Aunt about my cousin (her son) who died in July at the age of 41, and we both lost it. He had just gotten married last September and had so much to look forward to. Last year at the reunion we were all so happy because we thought he had finally beat the cancer, but it came back right after the wedding. Cancer sucks.

5. Do you like your handwriting?

No.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat?

I guess ham. When I was in grade school (not sure which grade) I was obsessed with Lebanon balogna. Had it every day. Then I switched and had cream cheese and jelly sandwhiches *waves to Monsty* for most of my grade school career.

7. What is your most embarrassing CD?

Love songs - the Carpenters. I'm not so much embarrassed by it, it's just not "cool". But then again, I'm not cool either.

8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

I think so.

9. Do you have a journal?

Define "journal".

10. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

*rolls eyes*

11. What are your nicknames?

Augie. Auggie. Augie Pie. Augster. Auggie Von Doggie (RollDdice's name for me). Y. Aunt Y. Vonnie. Bonnie. Mrs. Keith Urban (just checking to see if anyone was paying attention)

12. Would you bungee jump?

Only if I were on the Amazing Race.

13. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?

Always

14. Do you think that you are strong?

Yes

15. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocoloate

16. Shoe Size?

8 or 8.5 depending on the type of shoe

17. Red or pink?

Both. I wear lots of red and pink.

18. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?

Where do I begin? I procrastinate. I'll list more later. Maybe

19. Who do you miss most?

From the dearly departed, my Grandmother Mary.
From those who are still among us, my Tampa friends--Lydia, Jon, Nora, Kevin, Carol

20. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back?

N/A

21. What color pants and shoes are you wearing?

Black flip flops, and my blue striped Old Navy pajama bottoms

22. What are you listening to right now?

Keith Urban -- Making Memories of Us (anyone surprised?)

23. Last thing you ate?

Ham sandwich and salt & vinegar chips

24. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Periwinkle

25. What is the weather like right now?

Hazy, Hot, Humid

26. Last person you talked to on the phone?

Co-worker Joe

27. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

I guess their smile and eyes.

28. Do you like the person who sent this to you?

I like the person I stole this from.

29. Favorite Drink?

Coffee, Coke, water

30. Favorite Sport?

To watch: Pro Football, College Football and Basketball, Baseball (but I'm in mourning over the Orioles' decline, and Raffy's steroid use)

To play: Bowling (is that a sport?), volleyball, softball

31. Hair Color?

Brown with way too much grey

32. Eye Color?

Hazel

33. Do you wear contacts?

I have contacts, but I don't usually wear them.

34. Favorite Food?

Wow. How to answer? I guess any food that I haven't had to prepare.

35. Last Movie You Watched?

Serendipity

36. Favorite Day Of The Year?

First day of summer

37. Scary Movies or Happy Endings?

Happy endings.

38. Summer or Winter?

Summer!

39. Hugs or Kisses?

Both.

40. What Is Your Favorite Dessert?

Cheesecake

41. Who Is Most Likely To do this Meme?

Me

42. Who Is Least Likely To do this Meme and comment?

Me

43. What Books Are You Reading?

I just finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I have Janet Evanovich's Eleven on Top, and Sue Grafton's R is for Ricochet, to read.

44. What's On Your Mouse Pad?

No mouse pad

45. What Did You Watch Last night on TV?

Big Brother

46. Favorite Smells?

Fresh cut grass, coffee, lilacs, pine, cinnamon, the smell of a fireplace on a crisp autumn evening

47. Favorite Sounds?

my cats' purring, the waves on a beach, a soft breeze on a summer evening, Christmas music

48. Rolling Stones or Beatles?

Beatles

49. What's the furthest you've been from home?

Germany

50. Do you have a special talent?

I blend into a crowd.

51. What is your ring tone?

My rings have no tone. I am the only person in America who does not have a cell phone.

Friday Random Ten

I stole this idea from Badger, who stole it from someone else. The idea is to put your iPod, MP3, or whatever, on shuffle, then list the first ten songs.

Here is what I got:

1. She Lived Here - Antigone Rising

2. Save the Day - Train

3. The Path of Thorns - Sarah McLachlan

4. Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers

5. Cold Day in July - Dixie Chicks

6. Won't Go Away - Vertical Horizon

7. Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

8. Already Gone - Eagles

9. Moondance - Van Morrison

10. Love's Theme - Barry White

I have to admit the mix of songs and artists made me smile. I love my iPod. A lot.

Best.Concert.Ever.

I spent Sunday evening acting like a giddy schoolgirl. I know you are asking yourself how this is different from any other day at the August house. Well, this past Sunday I sat in the SECOND ROW at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD and watched my boyfriend, Keith Urban, give the BEST.CONCERT.EVER. *sigh* I love him. More than cheesecake. More than chocolate. Yes, more than my beloved Baltimore Ravens and Maryland Terrapins.

I. LOVE. HIM.

Truly the best concert ever. He rocked! He rolled! If any country singer can rock out, he can. And he did. I knew he would be awesome, but just had no idea how great it would be. I am still giddy.

Did I mention I love him?

And? I got pictures. Close up pictures. At one point he was less than two feet away. If I had had any sense about me, I would have touched him, but needless to say I was rendered stupid by my giddiness. I did take a few blurry pictures with my digital camera. You wanna see?



One of the best days of my life. I am thisclose to quitting my job and following him around the country. As soon as I win the lottery.

Saying goodbye

Miss Kitty and I said goodbye yesterday at the vet's office. As far as places go where a cat is to take her last breath, it wasn't my first choice, and I know it wasn't Kitty's first choice, but it is where it had to be. She was very brave and serene and calm. I was weepy and sad and resigned.

I told her I was honored to have been her People Mom, and I was so happy she had adopted me. She looked at me with those big eyes and I am pretty sure she said "ditto". And then we said goodbye.

She is resting in the back yard, near the deck, along the liriope plants. She will get the morning sun, then the afternoon shade. In the spring she'll be near tulips and daffodils. And for the rest of my days she will be in my heart.

Sleep well, sweet girl.