Yum!

Currently I'm obsessed with Flight of the Conchords. Too bad I don't have HBO. Who's the boom king?

CRABS!

My apartment is turning against me; clearly, it wants me out. The latest violation was the discovery of a LIVE CRAB hanging out near a snoozing Lady Buttercup - inside my apartment. Living near the marshes, I often see small crabs scuttling around the docks and even the parking lot. But, how does a 1 by 1.5 inch* crab get inside? And how much sense does it make to cozy up to a dog when you are but a wee crab?

Also, I’m thinking of mailing this Christmas tree candle to someone. It was what I ended up with at a recent tacky party/gift exchange. It doesn’t make the cut for my move but it’s too good to waste on the charity donation box without first enjoying a bit of mischief. Who will it be?

*Scientifically accurate measurement.

the sound that's made by worms

It can’t be helped. Someone has to tell this story, and it might as well be me. A few weeks ago, Natasha and I were in Florida visiting our parents. Natasha was expecting a most peculiar delivery and had asked her friend to check in on things. He was told what would be in the package, but somehow no amount of preparation could prepare for this arrival.

From what I’ve gathered, he opened the package, reached inside, and immediately his hands touched something moist. Also known as damp and creepy. That was it, he closed it up and backed right out of Natasha’s apartment. The worms would have to wait. Yes, the worms.

The people of Maine, they are progressive and good and are doing things right. They recycle, they love the outdoors, and they host all sorts of awesome creatures like puffins and moose. Naturally this encouraged Natasha to get in step and start composting her vegetable scraps. But – she lives in an apartment and has no yard. So she ordered some worms TO KEEP IN HER HOUSE and throw scraps to. I think they might be internet worms, she bought them and they arrived in their custom caravan, and are now eating her garbage. Awesome.

And also:

I went roller skating the other night for the first time since Reginald gleefully took us in college. I went expecting a bunch of nostalgia coasting thirty-somethings dorking out and laughing to an 80’s soundtrack. What’s all this? Skating is not what it used to be. Now it’s all loud rap music and aggressively fast skaters and tricks. It was too much for me. It was scary and I was afraid I would fall down. And this is the defining moment when you realize you are getting old. I wasn’t afraid of falling down because of the embarrassment. No, my fear was that I’d hurt myself. When those priorities switch places, you know that time is running out for daredevil stunts. So this weekend, it’s parasailing while I still have a chance.

But wait, there's more!

I’m moving to a new apartment at the end of the month. The place I’ve rented for over 5 years has been sold, so I have no choice. I’ve been pretty depressed about it. Until, two nights ago. I’m woken in the middle of the night to the smoke detector screaming – seriously, that is one of the most terrifying things I’ve experienced. There was no fire, just a faulty smoke detector that has always been a sensitive, whiny baby. But instead of fixing it right away, the landlords found the time instead to bring the new owners round without notice. I came home to a still faulty smoke detector and blinds that had inexplicably been adjusted to pervy peeping tom range. So now, even though I’m heading to yet another beige apartment, I can leave behind the building list of aggravations at this one. And the beauty of renting…it’s always someone else’s fault and problem when something goes wrong.

Me and the T

When I'm not performing duties as the Frisky Biscuit adventure correspondant, my real job involves working with students. This is all fun most of the time. Occasionally, students even tell me they appreciate my hard work, which is a real treat. But, when one of my students graduated recently, he gave me and my co-workers original portraits. I'm bottom center in Mr. T's arms. This portrait, which now sits next to my monitor at work, is probably the coolest thing a student has given me.

Meet Cute

Is everyone tired of seeing that sinister jar of figs at the top of this page? Rightly so. Almost daily I’ve thought I should try and post something, but the Creative Inspiration Level is currently running low. I have a lot going on right now, and just the idea of writing wearies me even more. I have to find an apartment and move by June 30^th. I also have to apply for and interview for the job I’ve been doing for the last year, to change my title from “Acting Department Head” to “Department Head”.

Then there is this: my sister just interviewed for a big time job at Cornell. Victoria got engaged, to an incredibly nice and fun guy. Bianca just got back from London. Three of my friends and one cousin are expecting babies this year, and another cousin just had a baby. People are buying houses; intense yearning doesn’t even begin to describe how badly I want that for myself. All the things I want RIGHT NOW are happening to everyone else – vacations in Europe, a new city to live in, a better job, a house. This surplus of other people’s happy news makes me examine where I am in life. I start to wonder, where’s mine? Is anything ever going to happen for me?

But, there is this: Sunday is the Doggie Carnival. One year ago, I escorted Lady Buttercup to this event at Forsyth Park by myself. For a change, there was actually a cute guy there with a dog of his own. So I walked right up to him and asked him his dog’s name. He said, “Natasha” and I said, “That’s my sister’s name!”, and I met Owen exactly how I’d dreamed of meeting someone: Hollywood movie-style, and with the aid of Lady Buttercup. So I’ve got the important thing covered, and the rest is surely on its way.

Mysterioso

Imagine you have this jar lurking in your kitchen cupboard. After the visual shock wears off and you remember they are figs from your uncle, it's time to decide what to do. Here are the options:

1. When moving house in the next couple of months, pack up with other items of questionable need. Continue to store, chiefly with hopes someone will unwittingly discover the jar of figs and think you are a weirdo. If this happens you will be secretly delighted and encouraged.

2. Wrap up as "gag"gift for office party. Enjoy fake expressions of interest and study faces for signs of confusion. Laugh like evil mastermind.

3. Open the jar and try one. With toasted baguette, crumbled gorgonzola, roasted walnuts, and maybe a drizzle of honey....might be pretty good. The downside would be breaking up the strange gang of misfit food, led by that dangerous thug Vegemite.

Is We in England?

Saturday night Owen and I went to another concert at the Savannah Music Festival. But we also did that last Thursday, so that’s where we’ll start.

I’d heard of Guster, but never listened to their music. When Bianca got tickets, I went on her recommendation alone. People who like the same music as you can be trusted. Guster was a fun band; the drummer had crazy arms and looked like Ben Stiller. What I really liked was the opening act: The Format. I fully expect to see them get some recognition for their catchy music. Before and after the concert there was free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, cinnamon bun flavor (yum-o!). The people-watching was exceptional. There were a few hyper guys doing interpretive dances to the lyrics, some enthusiastic frat types, a pregnant woman rubbing her belly to the music, and old people. That’s always fun.

We got free tickets to see the southeastern premiere of The Namesake on Friday night. I knew that movie had come out a few weeks ago, but it wasn’t playing here. Now I know why – they were waiting to premiere it in the producer’s hometown. The movie was quite good; the actors who played Kal Penn’s parents were especially charming. But twice, twice, the film burned up right in the projector. It blurred and bubbled up crisply and then separated. Harumph!

So Saturday night was our final event for the music festival: a jazz band with John Pizzarelli. I like that guy; he's funny. There was a rather large amount of high school students in attendance, and on the way in I overheard one of them ask, “Is we in England?” Well, the walls of the Lucas Theatre do look like Wedgewood, Ali G. The teens were all there as part of a dopey con: some high school “all stars” were going to open for John Pizzarelli. It made the show too long, especially on the third straight night of sitting in theaters. Or theatres. Anyway. I just got free passes to an advance screening of Grindhouse. I am looking forward to some zombies to cleanse the palate.

Cookies, Part 2

I became obsessed with Mallomars after Billy Crystal's character proclaims them "the greatest cookie of all time" in When Harry Met Sally. Which, for the record, I think is the greatest movie of all time. When Mallomar season begins in the fall, they are my one and only for months. Dark chocolate, graham cookie and fluffy marshmallow are delightful, but they don't stand up to the heat to be shipped in warm months.

Travelling in Scotland, I discovered a distant cousin: Tunnock's Tea Cakes. Delicious, and comforting to know that should I ever move to the British Isles I've found my alternate. But they kept squishing in my backpack before I could properly enjoy them in their pristine condition.

The latest discovery is from Canada: the Whippet. Same idea as a Mallomar, but I was skeptical. However. HOWEVER. The Whippet is quite delicious; it's slightly bigger than a Mallomar, a bit softer overall, and the marshmallow was silkier. The photo above is a comparison of the two, with the Mallomar on the left and Whippet on the right.

When I eat a Mallomar, I can get three very nice bites. My preferred method is to eat them upside down, so the marshmallow side melts on your tongue. There are four bites in a Whippet from my experience. Good thing I have boxes of both; further tests must be conducted. Keep in mind that the sentimental vote goes to Mallomars.

Cookies, Part 1

I've been really into Famous Amos cookies lately, but they seen to attract an especially high amount of interest from Lady Buttercup. Dogs can't eat chocolate, and she knows this. But then I remembered: one of her treats is a carob chip cookie for dogs called Dottie's Spots. They are the long lost twin of Famous Amos cookies - see for yourself! The cookie on the left is for doggies; the one on the right is the Famous Amos.

Don't be a fool....

....check out some Mr.T + Conan awesomeness!

I Hope They Didn't Bring a Snake

The Savannah Music Festival is going on right now, and we have tickets to several concerts. The first was a sitar player called Anoushka Shankar. That was the only concert I've seen where the musicians all sit cross-legged on the floor. As soon as that happened I panicked that one guy might have a basket with a snake waiting to be charmed. It turned out to be drums, so that meant I could avoid hyperventilating and stay for the show. To me it all sounded like yoga music. Especially like the end of yoga class where you lay under a blanket and think about what you are going to eat afterwards.

Culinary Trespasses

Exhibit A: This photograph* was taken at a St. Patrick’s Day eve party. Clearly the work of a thoughtless (or disturbed?) soul, someone had a bite of cookie and decided they wouldn’t be finishing it. Rather than throw it out, they can’t be bothered. No, they left it on the cheese plate! No longer able to meet its destiny of delight and satisfaction, the cheese is now avoided like a city with the plague.

Whenever I’m in a shared food situation, there will always be one of THOSE PEOPLE. The ones who cough freely at buffets and luncheons. The ones who pick up and discard several items before claiming one for themselves, fondling each muffin or biscuit so none feel left out. Of course they don’t use spoons or tongs. And of course they look like non-hand washers.

Then there is the special breed of nibblers. If someone brings a box of doughnuts or a plate of brownies, they tell themselves they can only have a bite. So they just hack off a bit and leave the rest behind, where it sits all day until they return for more whittling. Just take the whole doughnut! You don’t have to finish it! Your options are to wrap the unwanted bit up and either: a) throw it out; or b) eat the rest later. It is completely unappetizing to discover one quarter of a Krispy Kreme sitting in the box. No one wants your garbage, fool.

I once had the misfortune of sharing a table with a man who tested his blood sugar at the table. He was later licking his fingers while eating fried chicken – the same fingers he had just drawn blood from. Being forced to attend group functions can be dreadful.

At work potlucks, I quickly learn whose food to avoid. Some people chronically have cat hair in their dishes. Mostly I’m bothered by the ones you always see leaving the bathroom without washing their hands. Also the ones who skip the soap and scrubbing and simply rinse the dishes before setting them in the drying rack.

This is probably the appropriate time to mention that even though we live in the south, not every dish calls for mayonnaise. I’m thinking of mashed potatoes in particular. There was one time when I was eating banana pudding and thinking hmm, this doesn’t taste right. The texture is strange too. It turned out to be chicken salad with pools and puddles of mayonnaise.

Did I also mention I’m a vegetarian? I’ll eat seafood and dairy, so it’s not that limiting. But quite often there is sneaky meat. Sneaky meat = meat that shouldn’t be there, or that you weren’t expecting. Again, I’ve had some mashed potatoes fouled up with bacon. It is particularly treacherous with appetizers; people love to pull a fast one there, especially with sausage crumbles.

Also on my list of unacceptable food behavior are the people who just throw food on the ground. Lady Buttercup doesn’t mind, though; in particular my neighbors have a strange affection for the Drop and Walk. In the past few months alone, Lady Buttercup has tracked down cat food, hash rounds, bratwurst, Doritos, French fries, and most frequently chicken wings. I can’t imagine what kind of person walks around eating chicken and just dropping the bones, but seriously – you’ve gotta stop that!

I do, however, love observing people who have unusual eating techniques. That should probably be covered in a separate post. The prediction: I expect to one day be rendered incapable of eating in public, thanks to all of this.

*I need a better camera. And some skills.

Matchers

Most little kids get dressed in matching outfits with their siblings. Natasha and I haven't grown out of that, and we probably never will. We still like to buy the occasional identical item; usually shirts. Sometimes we'll plan ahead to wear matching pairs of socks on the same day. This works because Natasha lives in Maine and I live in Georgia, and socks don't really count anyway. It makes us feel close even though the whole distance thing is a pain. Sometimes when we get to hang out we'll get dressed in the morning without planning ahead and turn out in the same shirt. This inspires much finger pointing, soap opera style gasps, and then giggling. But we don't bother to change. The latest in our Matchers lineup are these shirts. We wear the same size in almost everything; it's so much fun to have a sister!

What I wish I was doing today

If I didn't have to worry about making a living, I think I'd like to be a professional dog walker. Everyday I'd get to wear sneakers and a cute track suit to work. I'd get my exercise over with while on the clock and have plenty of time to think. There could be outings and time to sit on park benches and read. When the weather is bad I'd have a huge indoor agility course for the dogs to run around on. Naps after lunch would be expected. Best of all: dogs make excellent co-workers.

Helmet Panties

I love to feed my curiosity and go to something simply because I’ve never tried it before. Having a variety of experiences makes life exciting (and gives me something to blog about). Another irresistible force for me is a good plan. These two phenomenons overlapped into a perfect Friday night.

It started out with my idea of a fabulous evening: Cupcake Happy Hour. Yes, that’s right – two cupcakes for the price of one. Back in the Day Bakery - which was recently featured on the Food Network – has a good thing going on with that.

Dinner wasn’t special; we were running late due to one unforeseen obstacle. There was a traffic accident that severely bogged down the already horrendous Friday rush hour. But I used a few back roads and we were able to grab a quick bite. Let’s skip the details on that and simply say that we did eat.

Finally, the premier of the Derby Devils! Savannah’s roller derby team had their first match against Atlanta. After hearing about roller derby – all-girl teams racing around on roller skates while wearing punky costumes and makeup – I had to see it. It was thankfully not as violent as I’d imagined; there was some pushing and people fell, but no actual fights. The girls all had fierce names like Skate Outa Compton and Reba Smackintyre. There was a punk band playing in between the bouts, and Owen bought me the awesome Derby Devils tee.

It was fun to see all sorts of people show up for something new and unknown. From art school students to parents to beer gutted sports guys – there was one guy who even looked like The Rooster! Plus I learned that jams aren’t just clothing worn in the ‘80s or a fruity topping for toast. Oh, and there are such things as helmet panties out there in the world!

While I’m at it, I’ll tell you what else I did this weekend. On Saturday night I went with the girls to a ballroom dance showcase. This is basically a dance recital for adults, where people who take ballroom dance lessons practice a routine for months, and then show off their skills. One couple did the cha-cha to Gnarls Barkley. We got dressed up and now my feet are paying the price – heels and cobblestone streets really harsh my mellow.

100 Years of Fine

Last night I went to see Harry Connick Jr. in concert. He’s a pleasing kind of musician that most people enjoy, but Victoria is IN LOVE with him. Seeing how excited she was about the concert was part of the appeal for me, and then Harry ended up being quite the charmer! Do y’all know how funny he is? Not many people can get away with saying “Shucks, man” and talking about eating at The Lady & Sons and get a laugh from a multi-generational crowd. There was a woman in the audience who is about to be 100 years old that he was flirting with. So cute – he called her “100 years of fine”.

While he started out thanking us for missing a night of American Idol to come see him, we ended up having a genuine star-making moment. A local singer, Kim Michael Polote, was in the front row. She handed her cd to Harry and told him she sang at Paula Deen’s wedding, so he got her up on stage to sing a song. This woman belted out “At Last” so powerfully - that was bonus #1. Bonus # 2 was a member of Harry’s band, Lucien something, who sounded just like Louis Armstrong, and that is a sound I’ve only ever heard on a cd. But what I liked best about Harry Connick Jr. was that he was punctual. No celebrity antics here; he started at 8 PM on the dot, and finished at a week-night satisfying two hours later.

Baby's Got Sauce

Here are one sentence summaries of the movies I watched this weekend:

Reno 911 - The tv show is better because of the undercover identities and frequent Tee Tee "situations".
Jesus Camp - Manipulating and brainwashing children is evil, Ted Haggard.
Half Nelson - Oh, it's awful watching someone ruin their life with drugs.
Flushed Away - For months I've been calling this movie Toilet Mice, and now you can too!

Wave of Mutilation

Next month we're having a white elephant party at work with the theme of "Tacky Tasteless Trash". The idea is to bring in the cruddiest, most dreadful piece of junk you can find (gift wrapped, of course). Some poor soul is going to end up with this item. The thing is, it probably won't even be the ugliest thing that gets unwrapped. There are rumors of a pelican shaped planter. Note how I'm once again exploiting the card catalog - those trays work great.

New Kind of Kick

There’s something about this time of year that makes me want to replace stuff. I look around and wish for new everything. New clothes, new furniture, new towels, new cosmetics. It spreads to wanting fresh music to listen to and different meals in my rotating list of standards. It could be spring fever, except I actually like cold weather. The daydreaming about travel starts up, and eventually I’ve convinced myself the only solution is to move to a new town, start a new job, and get a house. This combines with wanting to get rid of stuff. I have fantasies of buying organizing thingies and purging my belongings to a state of Martha Stewart serenity. This year I take particular exception to my shoes and how they disappoint me daily. The whole lot can go as far as I’m concerned. But since I don’t have the Martha sized funds, I’ll have to content myself with burning down a candle I’ve had for over a year, and chucking out the salmonella suspicious peanut butter. That'll do.

A Fine Romance

It's hard not to gush when, for the first time ever, you finally have a boyfriend that gets it right. Valentine's Day may not be my favorite, but it's hard to be a holiday hater when you get flowers delivered at work. As that guy in Moonstruck says, "A guy who sends flowers really knows what he's doing". Thank you, Owen! I'm so happy to have you in my life.

Everybody Loves a Fight

Politics. Religion. Money. Jealousy. These are issues that people get into serious, heated arguments over. On the other hand, my fate is to share a bedroom wall with a couple that fights – LOUDLY – over a much different topic.

I was woken up at 1 a.m. when I heard shouting in the apartment next to mine. As I tried to pull out of my grogginess and figure out if I needed to call the cops, there was no mistaking that an intense, hate-filled dispute was going on. My ears finally tuned in on what the trouble was. The raging shrieks and cursing were caused by the man farting in bed. It’s awful enough to be startled awake by neighbors fighting, but to get that brutally explosive because of a fart is unbelievable. Thanks a lot you trashy losers next door. If I hadn’t spent the entire day with a headache from being tired, this might seem funny.

She Travels in Style

We came upon an unusual scene during this morning's walk: a limo parked outside our apartment. Never before have I seen a limo in an apartment complex, but I do have a few theories:
1. Limo driver lives here and drove his work car home
2. Visiting (unknown) celeb is staying with a friend
3. Lady Buttercup's driver arrived early for a day of shopping, lunch, and spa treatments

I had a fourth theory - gangsters hiding out - but that has been discarded. Everyone knows gangsters only drive black town cars.

Craft Club

Much like her brother, Amy Sedaris is delightful. Please buy her book if you haven’t already, because is it funny and entertaining and there are recipes and helpful tips. Some of my favorite parts: her list of foods to eat when you’ve got the munchies, the framed owl jewelry, the extra-large print on the “Entertaining the Elderly” section, the carrot coins and the cakes, the old-school crafts. I love it so much that I was inspired to have a craft night of my own. What could be better than lasagna and brownies and drinking with your girlfriends, all while cutting out shapes from felt and hot gluing them to canvas bags? Check out our results. It's okay to be a wee bit jealous.

Groundhog Day

In Georgia, people aren't going to leave it up to some yankee groundhog to tell them when spring is coming. That's what General Beauregard Lee is for, Georgia's very own groundhog weather watcher. Unlike most groundhogs, Beau lives in his own classic southern mansion, complete with white columns. To get Beau's prediction, people scatter hash browns outside his front door. They must have been some delicious hash browns this year, since Beau did not see his shadow.

In Case of Zombies

Anytime I watch a disaster movie, I try to imagine what it would take to survive if I was in that situation. Doesn’t matter how the world is ending – rampant zombies, natural disaster, alien invasion – preparation will include me amongst those who make it out of there. After watching Children of Men, I had the chance to review my plan.

The People
Ideally, when the catastrophic event occurs I’ll have my loved ones nearby and we’ll survive together. You’ll also want to align yourself with a hero. Clive Owen will do nicely, but it’s up to you. And while it’s not nice to think about, having a few “expendable” people could be of assistance.

The Place
Because it seems like cities are a prime target for zombies and aliens, it will be harder to survive there. Also, as resources and hiding places get scarce you’ll have more competition. So an ambiguous country setting where we’ll go undetected and be able to grow vegetables is probably better for long-term survival.

The Stuff
There are certain things - like a full tank of gas, plenty of food and water, generators, and camping gear - that would certainly help. Also, the right outfit is crucial. Jeans, sneakers, a t-shirt and hoodie, plus a coat seem about right. One thing that is tough to decide: glasses or contacts? In the movies, there never seems to be anywhere to wash up, and you can’t put grubby fingers in your eyes. But then, glasses falling off leads to many character’s demise (see: Newman in Jurassic Park). I should probably just get Lasik.

But I don’t spend much time on these issues; the real business comes down to this: what I’ll have in my bag. Eventually, when things get desperate, you’re going to have to escape on foot. I know this because I watch a lot of movies. So if I’m ever on the run from zombies (or glaciers or the Fratellis), I’ll be needing a backpack with survival essentials:

Flashlight
Waterproof matches & a lighter
Knife
Rope
First aid kit
Snacks
Canteen
Extra clothes
Handy wipes/moist towellettes
GPS
Radio
Bandana
Dynamite

Natasha's Nerdy Adventures

What's an interest that Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton, and the Indigo Girls all share? Wordplay. If you haven't seen this movie yet, the folks at The Frisky Biscuit highly recommend it. Yes, a movie about cross word puzzles seems dull. But, this movie is surprisingly endearing, interesting, and laugh-out-loud funny. It centers around the annual crossword tournament in which a group of smarties compete to see who is the fastest and most accurate puzzler. Look out for the new hit song featured in the movie, 'If you don't come across, I'm going to be down'.

In other geeky adventure news, I'll traveling to Amsterdam next week. Coffeeshops, the Sex Museum, and the Red Light District aren't on the adgenda, though. This trip will be all about tulips, greenhouses, and cut flowers. I'll share updates in the next few weeks.

Ricky, Karl & Wes

In entertainment news, some of my favorites are at it again:

Season One of Ricky Gervais' Extras was released on DVD Tuesday. I'd seen a couple of episodes that my dad taped, but I can't wait to luxuriate in an Extras marathon. I'll watch that Ricky Gervais in anything, his laugh is irresitible.

If you've listened to the Ricky Gervais podcast, then you know good and well who Karl Pilkington is. He has his own book out, The World of Karl Pilkington. Some bits are transcripts from the podcasts, but it also has Karl's drawings - including his unique spellings. Can't be missed for the Ricky's baby vs. Steve's baby concept alone. And the cheeky sketch of Karl spying on his neighbor while doing dishes.

Wes Anderson is working on a new movie film called The Darjeeling Limited. How do I know this? There was a photo in a People magazine that was lying around at work. I can't find much info on it yet, but I'm sure it will be brilliant.

For entertaiment of a questionable quality: I've discovered the pleasure of singing the tune from Funny Face to your pets. Except substitute the words "funny face" with "fuzzy face". This variation could possibly be applied to stubbly faced boyfriends as well.

Team Gore

My last quarter at Auburn I had a class with this hippie kind of girl named Kathryn. She was really nice and bohemian stylish, and she was in my study group. Naturally that made me feel like one of the cool kids. She invited us to her apartment to work on a project, and there was a sign in her bathroom that changed my mind into thinking she was just a little too weird for me. The sign read, "If it's yellow then it's mellow if it's brown flush it down". I was having none of that.

Several days ago I noticed azaleas blooming. In January. So I figured it was time to check out the documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Now, I'd heard things, like it was shocking how bad the global warming had gotten. And that the film will change the way you think, and everyone needs to view it. After watching Al Gore with his slide show and evidence, and seeing photos of the decreased snow on Mount Kilimanjaro, and dear lord the polar bears...I am alarmed. I didn't expect to be so moved, that I need to urge everyone to watch An Inconvenient Truth. Plus the outrage at people denying this is a serious problem, and the worry, and the awareness that I need to change some things. I'm not venturing into bathroom signage like Kathryn, but I appreciate her good heart for being environmental even before Al Gore made it so clear.

Inventory

List of items purged during recent jewelry box cleanout:
-Bracelet with moon-shaped shell in center
-Gift card for out-of-business department store
-2 mood rings
-Assorted plastic bead necklaces
-Ear that Lady Buttercup removed from stuffed Alf doll
-Headband made of clear baubles and fishing line
-Pins apparently collected for freakish hat (moose, seahorse, bass fish)
-Necklace with huge metal butterfly
-Gold nugget pinkie ring

Carob Session

In a few weeks, Natasha is going on a business trip to Holland. A group of colleagues are going, so Natasha volunteered to email everyone's family and friends with photos and details of what they are doing each day. When she got the list of recipients, there was one thing that stood out enough to email me about it.

Natasha: I'm going to be emailing someone named Carob Session! There's an address on the list that says carobsession@---.com!

Ramona: Probably they meant Car Obsession. But whatever. From now on that dude is Carob Session.

Happy New Year

Hope you all had a lovely holiday. This Christmas was my favorite one yet. I spent it at Epcot and Disney with my parents and sister, and we stayed at the cozy, perfect Wilderness Lodge. Usually when the holidays are over I get a bit blue, so it's important to remember everything there is to look forward to. 2006 brought several changes and big adventures: vacations to Maine, D.C., and Florida, promotions at work, starting (and often ignoring) this blog, being an extra on a TV pilot. But best of all, I met Owen. Starting 2007 with this wonderful man makes me even more optimistic than ever. May 2007 bring you an abundance of happiness!